Sexual abuse does not always start when an individual is sexually active. Most childhood trauma comes from abuse, unfortunately this includes sexual abuse. This can happen to anyone from anyone at any time in our lives. Having this knowledge, it is important to understand what sexual abuse is and who could potentially commit this offense. Having this knowledge will make you or your loved ones more aware of things that go on around them and what to do to prevent them. Children are more likely to be abused sexually because they are more vulnerable and often times left under the supervision of other people. In most cases this is a person we trust. This can be a child care facility employee, family member, or very close friends. In many cases the victim of sexual abuse is afraid to speak up because they are embarrassed. Some children do not tell their parents because they are afraid as well. This is why it is important for parents to understand what a child may experience and what signs to be aware of if their children do not come forward about sexual abuse.

Physical abuse in almost every case is the most helpful. This is hard-core proof that some form of abuse happened. In sexual abuse cases there may be bruising on different body parts but be mindful of the private areas of the child. Children can produce sexually transmitted diseases and there may be indications that there was sexual activity that took place.


Emotional behavior is sometimes very obvious. This may be hard because children go through so many different things and this does not always mean there was sexual abuse however, should your child have a change in their behavior be sure to take note of this and ask questions. While they may not come forward voluntarily by you noticing the change they may be more comfortable with being honest about what they have experienced.

Unfortunately these are very difficult situations to prove, sometimes there is no physical evidence, and sometimes there is no evidence at all. However should you or someone you know be a victim of sexual abuse be sure to contact a personal injury attorney to assist you in proving what happened. The proper attorney will be able to investigate the situation and either evidence that proves your child was indeed a victim of sexual abuse. Contact personal injury attorneys in Atlanta, GA as soon as possible.

Thanks to Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. for their insight into personal injury claims and sexual abuse.

For most people, divorce is an emotional decision. It’s not until they get into the proceeding that they realize it’s more about money than anything. If you’re considering divorce, don’t wait to protect your financial interests. Here are steps to take before a divorce.

Gather Records 

You’ll want copies of bank account information, retirement accounts, car titles, and mortgages. You should also try to find copies of your tax returns. Get identification documents, passports, birth certificates, and your marriage license. You may also want to pull a credit report on yourself to see where you stand. Get copies of liens and debts, to know what should be included in your divorce. Store copies somewhere outside the marital home.

Open a Post Office Box 

You’ll need to communicate with your attorney, banks, and creditors without your spouse being aware. Don’t send this information to a friend’s house or a family member. You may trust that person implicitly, but you can’t be sure that anyone else won’t see letters and inadvertently mention it.

Open a New Bank Account

You will want to discuss the legal ramifications of taking any money out of the joint account with your lawyer, but you will want a separate account to put your own wages in. You can use this money to pay your lawyer and bills without your spouse being aware. You will want to keep your money secure and separate.

Secure Your Digital Information 

Log out of social media and email on all family computers. Change passwords and only log in on personal devices. You don’t want your spouse to find out information before the divorce. You may even want to set up a new email account that only you know about to use for accounts and logins for social media to keep your spouse out.

Inventory Your Assets 

Make a list of physical property, investments, stocks, real estate, and valuable items in the home. List which ones were acquired before marriage or were kept separate, such as an inheritance. You’ll need to divide this property at some point, and having a list can help you remember anything of value.

Change Your Estate Plan 

If you have a power of attorney that gives your spouse power, change it. Make changes to health directives. Change your will. You may want to change your beneficiary on your life insurance or other accounts. Discuss your plans with a divorce lawyer, like a divorce lawyer in Rockville, MD, to make sure you’re staying within the law.

Thanks to the Law Office of Daniel J. Wright for their insight into steps to take before getting a divorce.

Accidents and mishaps are part of life. At some point, everyone will face some sort of injury or harm. Many of these incidents are due to bad lack or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In other situations, however, someone else is to blame for your harm. If another person’s negligence or deliberate actions led to your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Before you start to pursue a case, keep in mind some important facts about these legal proceedings.

You Should Act Sooner Than Later

In the aftermath of an injury, you want to be level-headed and make wise choices. It’s not a good idea to jump to conclusions and let your emotions get out of control. Still, if you believe someone else is responsible for the accident, you shouldn’t wait too long to file a lawsuit. Keep in mind that there is a statute of limitations–a time frame in which you can file a complaint and sue for damages. This period varies from state to state, so check with an attorney on the regulations in your area. The limits could be as short as one year and as long as three years. Make sure you file your lawsuit within this period from the date of your injury.

There Are Exceptions to the Statute of Limitations

You may not be physically or mentally able to comply with the time frame guidelines to file your claim. If your injuries left you incapacitated for a long period, the court may allow you to extend the filling time period. The court will understand that you need to be in a sound frame of mind and able-bodied to build your case. If your injuries are so severe that you can’t do this, the court will start the statute of limitations clock from the time you are in a position to work on your case.

Filing for Someone Else

If your injuries preclude you from building your case, you can appoint a family member to do it for you. Through a power of attorney action, you can name a parent, spouse, child or partner to manage these affairs.

The faster you start putting your personal injury case together, the better. Make sure you comply with the filing deadline requirements. Plus, prompt action will help you get the compensation you need in a more timely fashion.  Call a personal injury lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer in Minneapolis, MN, today.

Thank you to the attorneys at Johnston | Martineau PLLP, for their insight into personal injury and the law.

Shooting victims may have been targeted by the shooter or they may be innocent bystanders. Either way, victims who survive a shooting may suffer serious residual injuries, including wound infections, muscle or bone damage, and injury to vital organs.

Shooting victims can bring legal action against the shooter, but individuals who commit crimes with firearms rarely have the means to pay a judgment. They typically go to prison and no insurance company will pay for injuries caused by attempted murder.

When a shooting occurs in a restaurant, however, a security negligence lawyer may determine that the business should have taken steps to protect its patrons. Security guards or managers should typically escort angry customers from the premises before a dispute escalates to the point of violence. The need for security is particularly apparent when the police have been called to the restaurant in the past in response to threats or acts of violence.

Restaurants that negligently fail to protect customers can be held accountable for injuries caused by shootings. Contacting a lawyer will help shooting victims protect their right to receive compensation from negligent businesses.

Contact the Police After a Shooting at a Restaurant

Proving that a restaurant is liable for a shooting begins with proof that the shooting occurred. It is essential to contact the police immediately and to cooperate with police investigations.

When crime victims flee from the scene and fail to report a shooting, juries suspect that the victim was shot because of involvement in criminal activity. Juries are more sympathetic to victims who are willing to help the police.

Get Medical Treatment After a Shooting at a Restaurant

Serious injuries need immediate treatment. Even if the victim has no health insurance, an emergency room is required to treat injuries that are life-threatening or that might cause serious impairment to any of the body’s systems or functions. Treatment must continue until the injury stabilizes.

Even if an injury does not seem serious, it might have lasting consequences. Any wound that pierces the skin can become infected. Infections can lead to a deadly condition known as sepsis. Immediate treatment of wound injuries is an essential step toward preventing infections that might otherwise spiral out of control.

Follow Through on Medical Treatment After a Shooting at a Restaurant

Going to an emergency room or receiving initial treatment for a wound is important, but so is follow-up care. In many cases, physicians will want a patient to undergo tests and to return for a consultation after the results are available. Too many shooting victims decide they fell fine and never return to learn the test results.

The initial treatment of an injury does not guarantee that the injury will heal. In some cases, internal damage will require surgical repair. Torn muscles may require rehabilitative therapy. A shooting victim may be able to get by without the additional care, but nagging injuries can become disabling injuries if a doctor’s orders are not followed.

Failing to follow through on recommended treatment also harms the settlement value of the victim’s negligence claim. Insurance adjusters base settlement offers on medical records. When a patient stops treating, the adjuster assumes that the patient has been cured. If the patient resumes treatment months later, the adjuster assumes that the treatment is for a new injury that is unrelated to the shooting.

Keep in mind that an insurance adjuster’s goal is to save money for the insurance company, not to help the shooting victim. Victims take money out of their pockets when they make it easy for an insurance adjuster to dispute a claim. Following through on recommended treatment and keeping every doctor’s appointment forces insurance adjusters to acknowledge the severity of an injury and to pay appropriate compensation. 

If you have questions about a wrongful death case, please contact a wrongful death attorney, like a wrongful death lawyer in Atlanta, GA, today. 

Thank you to the experts at Butler Law Firm for their information and insight into wrongful death cases and the law. 

Most non-attorneys are familiar with the concept of a personal injury lawsuit, but don’t know much about wrongful death litigation. What are wrongful death claims, and how do they work? Who files the lawsuit, and what needs to be proven in order to recover money?

As a starting point, it is helpful to think of a wrongful death claim as the extreme version of a personal injury claim. Basically, any injury scenario that would qualify for a personal injury suit would also qualify for a wrongful death claim if the injuries resulted in death. Examples could include:

•         Car accidents
•         Medical malpractice
•         Dog bites and animal attacks
•         Premises liability
•         Dangerous and defective drugs or medical devices
•         Dangerous and defective consumer products

Plaintiffs and ‘Right to Recover’ Doctrine

Other than death vs. injury, the other major difference is who the plaintiff is. Personal injury victims are the plaintiffs in their own lawsuits. But in wrongful death suits, the plaintiff is typically the executor of the deceased person’s estate, suing on behalf of immediate family members. This could be a spouse, children, parents and siblings, or anyone else who relied financially on the deceased person.

Once the plaintiffs demonstrate that they have the right to recover (damages), they must also demonstrate that the defendant is linked to the death of their loved one and should therefore be held financially liable. Finally, plaintiffs must demonstrate that the they were impacted by both the death of the victim and the defendant’s actions.

What Kinds of Damages are Available?

Damages are the legal term for money that can be recovered as compensation for injuries or other wrongs. Depending on the case, plaintiffs in wrongful death lawsuits may be able to seek damages for:

•         Medical costs the victim incurred prior to death
•         Costs related to the funeral and burial
•         Loss of income (if the deceased person was a wage earner in the family)
•         Loss of companionship and consortium
•         Loss of inheritance
•         Loss of insurance
•         Pain and suffering (in certain, limited cases)

Wrongful Death as a Civil Remedy for Violent Crime

Murder and manslaughter cases almost always go through the criminal justice system first. But a criminal conviction does not financially compensate the victim’s family. They can, however, file a civil wrongful death lawsuit related to the same crime.

In cases where the defendant is not found guilty in criminal court, he or she can still be sued in civil court, which has a lower standard of proof than criminal court (preponderance of evidence rather than proof beyond a reasonable doubt).

Speak To A Compassionate Attorney About Your Legal Needs

If you have lost a loved one to the negligent, reckless or intentional actions of another person, you may be able to hold the at-fault party accountable in a wrongful death lawsuit. To discuss your legal options with an experienced and compassionate wrongful death attorney in Longwood, FL, call a law office to arrange a free initial consultation. 

Thanks to David & Philpot, P.L. for their insight into personal injury claims and the elements of a wrongful death claim.

In the United States, medical malpractice is a major cause for wrongful death and personal injury. It is even ranked as the third leading cause of death by Johns Hopkins Hospital with more than 250,000 deaths occurring annually nationwide. Some of the most common types of medical malpractice to arise include medication or anesthesia errors, misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis altogether, injury during birth and delivery, and retained foreign objects such as medical tools post-operation. 

The malpractice case considered to have one of the largest settlement amounts in history took place in Florida during the early 2000s. In 2000, Allan Navarro checked into Tampa University Community Hospital’s emergency room demonstrating stroke-like symptoms. Even though Navarro informed the doctors that his family had a history of strokes, he was diagnosed with Sinustis which is a common inflammation of the paranasal cavities. His doctor, Michael P. Austin, prescribed him painkillers and sent him on his way. 

However, the next morning Navarro’s symptoms intensified. He returned to the hospital and by that afternoon was scheduled for surgery to relieve the swelling in his brain. As a result of the surgery, Navarro spent nearly 3 months in a coma. When he woke up, he had sustained severe brain damage. He is at risk of choking on food every time he eats due to his misdiagnosed stroke and is bound to a wheelchair for life.

Navarro and his family then sued Austin as well as two additional physicians’ groups who provided service in the ER. During the trial, Austin testified that an unlicensed physician’s assistant was the one to complete Navarro’s first exam. The two physicians’ groups have been dissolved since the trial. 

At the end of the 3-week trial, the Tampa jury allocated $116.7 million to Navarro and his family for compensatory damages with an additional $100.1 million in punitive damages. They then decided to donate the entirety of the money from punitive damages to charities supporting others with brain damage and spinal cord injuries. Navarro’s brother-in-law Ed Bilbao stated, “This isn’t about money, this was about the quest for justice, and today in this court, justice was served.” 

If you believe you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice, it is important that you reach out to a medical negligence lawyer in Cleveland, OH immediately. Timing is crucial when presenting a case to the court so do not wait. The attorney can conduct a thorough investigation and determine if you have cause for filing a lawsuit. You may be eligible for compensation after seeking legal recourse for your malpractice case.

Thanks to Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co. for their insight into medical malpractice and misdiagnosis.