When an accident unfolds because of someone’s carelessness and it causes injury to others, this is considered a personal injury accident. There are many examples of how this can happen, such as car accidents, medical malpractice, dog or animal attacks, slip and falls, workplace accidents, and more. When victims in these accidents suffer financially because of injury and property damage, they may pursue compensation for their loss. But there are ways that people may receive less than what they deserve or lose their personal injury claim, and some of these reasons have been provided below. Read on for more details.

Not Hiring A Lawyer

Receiving compensation may not be as easy as it sounds. A legal team can help someone avoid pitfalls that can result in the negligent party and/or their insurer avoiding payment. A lawyer is someone who can review the situation, answer questions, and offer guidance. Not only that, but they protect their client’s best interests at all times. It is their job to negotiate with the involved parties and see that you receive the most compensation possible based on injuries and damages. Friends and family may want to help you, but their advice on what to do may not be accurate or is what yields the most financial restitution. A lawyer is someone who knows the law and can use it for the benefit of the victim.

Not Getting Proof

The foundation of any personal injury claim is being able to prove that another person caused the accident. Before leaving the scene of the accident, it’s imperative that enough evidence is gathered and a police report can be taken. For instance, if you were in a car accident, then you will need to get the other driver’s information. When police arrive, the officer will take a report of what happened. As an Atlanta, GA personal injury lawyer explains, within this report will be factual details that can be useful when negotiating compensation.

Not Avoid Social Media

Social media can be used for good, when utilized in the best way. However, it can also have many downfalls. One of them is the impact it can have on your personal injury case. After being in a car crash, slip and fall, dog bite attack, or other injury incident, many people may be inclined to share what happened on their instagram or other social media platform. But if the opposition’s insurer is focused on reducing the value of your claim, or denying it entirely, then they may attempt to access your posts and then use them against you.

People who behave dangerously or are negligent may be liable if other people get seriously hurt. Anyone that has become the victim in a personal injury accident should consider whether they should seek counsel from a lawyer that is experienced in handling personal injury cases, such as the team at Council & Associates, LLC. Having a lawyer can be a powerful tool in yielding the most monetary payment based on what the victim had been through.

There are many signs that abuse may be happening to an elderly loved one while living in a nursing home. Knowing what the signs are is incredibly important in intervening to protect your senior relative as soon as you see that something is wrong. Older people are at a risk of being abused, especially while living in a nursing home. Many cases of abuse or neglect go unreported or unnoticed. If you suspect that your loved one is the victim in harmful or neglectful situations, or is being exploited financially, there are some things that you need to do now to ensure their safety moving forward.

Elder abuse may not be immediately taken seriously by supervisors or family members. They may think that the senior person has developed dementia or are confused and just not making any sense. The signs of abuse can overlap with deterioration of the mind, but each case should be investigated fully, so that further incidents of mistreatment are avoided. Abuse can take on many forms, including physical, mental, sexual, and financial. If you notice that something is not right with your senior loved one’s care in a nursing home, then now is the time to take action to protect them. Here are signs that nursing home abuse may be happening to your family member:

• Unexplained dislocations, sprains, or broken bones
• Welt, scars, and bruising on the body
• Not taking medications properly
• Broken or missing eyeglasses
• Rope marks on the elder’s writs
• Refusal of caretaker to let family be alone with resident
• Unusual behavior that can resemble dementia, such as sucking thumb, rocking, or mumbling
• Unexplained genital infections or STDs
• Stained, torn, or bloody underwear
• Anal or vaginal bleeding not related to medical condition
• Bruising around the breasts or genital area
• Unsafe or unkempt living conditions
• Unsuitably dressed for weather
• Living in soiled clothes or bed sheets
• Unusual weight loss or dehydration
• Lack of medical attention and care
• Unusual purchasing of goods, services, or subscriptions
• Sudden changes to estate plan documents
• Duplicate bills for devices or services
• Not enough staff to care for all residents equally

As we age and become more frail, we are less likely to stand up to others if they are bullying us or causing us harm. As a lawyer may forewarn, like a nursing home abuse lawyer Chicago, IL families trust at Dave Albo, a senior person may be unable to fight back physically, and may be worried about worsened treatment if they try to defend themselves. An older person may not be able to see or hear as well as they had before, providing an opportunity for malicious people to take advantage of them. Because the elderly population is vulnerable to developing mental and physical limitations, they can become more challenging for nursing home caretakers to manage. However, there is absolutely no excuse for inflicting abuse or neglect on a senior person in any circumstance, and this includes at a nursing home facility.

A personal injury case may arise when one person suffers from injury because another was negligent or purposefully harmful. In most cases, a personal injury lawsuit is settled before court, but they can go through to trial. But even more likely is that the case will be solutioned during arbitration or mediation, which serves as a middle ground between a settlement and trial, where all parties can attempt to resolve the case. As a personal injury lawyer Apopka, FL community members depend on from Presser Law, P.A. explains, there are all kinds of accidents that can happen, but those listed here are the leading causes of personal injury. 

Auto Accidents
There are millions of auto accidents that happen each year in the United States. So it’s no surprise why it is the leading cause of personal injury. Typically, there is one person who was mostly at-fault for a car accident, and may be found liable for the injuries and damages that resulted. Auto accidents can entail your everyday passenger vehicle, a motorcycle, commercial truck, or any other motorized vehicle that gets you to and from. 

Slip And Fall Accidents
Another common personal injury accident is slip and falls, particularly for the senior population. Based on what the Centers For Disease Control concluded, there are 3 million people over 65 years of age who get treated in emergency rooms for falls each and every year. Many of these fall incidents occur because of negligence of another, such as someone who failed to fix broken railings, mop of wet floors, or attend to other hazards that can lead to injury. 

Medical Malpractice
Medical professionals have to consistently offer patients a certain level of medical care. A doctor cannot be negligent or make a mistake that leads to the direct harm or death of their patient. Common scenarios for medical malpractice entail prescription medication mistakes, surgical errors, wrong diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, failing to order basic lab testing, and more. Those who are wondering if a doctor committed medical malpractice should consult with a legal team as soon as possible for advice.

Workplace Accidents
Employers who do not offer their workers a reasonably safe working environment may have to utilize their workers compensation program to cover medical bills and other losses, or may even risk facing a lawsuit directly. While workers compensation programs are intended to alleviate the tension between worker and employer by providing benefits when injuries occur, there are instances when further action is needed. An employer who was vastly negligent and failed to provide safety equipment or protection may face a lawsuit against their company. 

Wrongful Death

All of the above examples may warrant filing a wrongful death case. These lawsuits are intended for surviving family members who have lost their loved one due to another’s recklessness, negligence, or purposeful intent. If someone dies in a car accident, from a doctor’s error, workplace accident, slip and fall, or something else, the surviving family may come forward with a wrongful death claim in honor of their relative taken too soon. 

Criminal Defense

Facing criminal charges is overwhelming. In fact, you may not know what to do at first. One of the first steps you should take is to hire a criminal defense lawyer in Des Moines, IA from a law firm like the Law Group Of Iowa. When hiring a lawyer, however, you need to think about the cost. How much will a criminal defense lawyer cost you in the long run? Here are the different ways that you can afford a lawyer for your case.

Hourly and Case Billing

Many criminal justice lawyers work for an hourly fee or on a case-by-case fee. The more experienced the lawyer, the higher the fees. If you have a complicated case, you may require the services of an experienced lawyer, but the cost could become a deterrent. Lawyer fees can range from $50 an hour to hundreds or thousands of dollars for an hour of the lawyer’s time. Take this into consideration before your consultation, so you know what to expect.

Other lawyers may provide you with a flat fee for the trial. This gives you some predictability and you do not have to worry about hourly fees. Other lawyers may provide you with a flat fee but charge by the hour until you reach the fee. This keeps you from overpaying for the lawyer’s time. Lawyers who charge hourly and with a flat fee may offer payment plans for clients to afford them.

Pro Bono Work

If you find a lawyer willing to work for you pro bono, you will not pay him or her any fees. Some lawyers offer pro bono work to receive more experience, whereas others do it for those who may not have the funds to afford an attorney. Some lawyers have a limit on the amount of pro bono cases they take per year. When an attorney takes your case pro bono, he or she is paid by the courts. If you’re interested in a lawyer who may be able to offer pro bono work, do research about your local attorneys and call the firm to find out who pro bono work is offered to and in what cases they may be willing to work with.

If you are under investigation by the police, do not speak to the police without representation from a lawyer who can offer guidance and support on your behalf. When speaking with the police, keep in mind that they are interested in closing the case, and not in ensuring that you are not the guilty party or are in a position to receive a fair deal. A lawyer will strongly do their best in keeping your interests in mind and be able to offer a good deal of support. To start the process, consider setting up a consultation with a lawyer who specializes in criminal defense as soon as possible to find out the cost of hiring a lawyer for your criminal defense case.

As DUI lawyers we hear tons of stories from people in terms of what was going with the impaired driving case. It’s amazing the number of people who come into our office after being charged with a DUI and say this is the first and only time they have done this. The percentages are staggering when it comes to this, and please understand, as impaired driving lawyers, we’re not here to judge; we’re here to help you. Whether it’s your first time or one-hundredth time, our DUI attorneys will help you with your impaired driving case. Here is how an attorney will help your case, according to our friends at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson, Attorneys at Law.

DUI Lawyer

Driving under the influence or DUI involves operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or some other controlled substance. It’s important to note that it’s not illegal to drink and drive, but it’s illegal to drink, have a blood alcohol content level above .08 which is the legal limit, and then operate a motor vehicle. Operation is a key distinction in the law, because a lot of times we hear from people I just sat down in the driver’s seat. The key distinction is were your keys in the ignition. If they’re in the ignition this would be considered operating the motor vehicle and if you blew above a .08, they could charge you with driving while impaired or DWI and may be able to convict you.

DWI Lawyer

Does the number of prior impaired driving cases affect you? The answer is definitely yes. Every state and jurisdiction has punishment levels for driving while impaired or DWI cases. The more you have, the higher your punishment level. Also, there’s a thing called habitual impaired driving, which is typically after your third DUI, they can habitualize your DUI and send you to prison. Uber, Lyft and a host of other transportation services are out there so you don’t find yourselves in this situation. Please be cognizant of the effect another DWI can have on your record and also that it can send you to prison.

Impaired Driving Attorneys

DUI’s and DWI’s come with them a lot of little idiosyncratic details that it’s vital to be aware of before you make the mistake of driving while impaired. We recommend you speak with a top rated DWI lawyer. They will do everything they can to help you with a DUI charge, license revocation issues, and help you get back on your feet after being charged with impaired driving.

Wrongful death happens when someone dies due to the negligence, willful, or careless act of another person. Surviving family members who lost someone in a personal injury accident may want to file a claim against those at-fault in honor of their loved one taken too quickly. There is no amount of money that can bring a life back, but at the very least, close relatives can get the financial support they need as they grieve this period. 

Depending on state law, there are certain family members who may be able to bring forward a wrongful death lawsuit, including the spouse, parents, children, grandparents, or other heirs. There are a multitude of ways that a wrongful death can happen, and the most common of which have been described below:

Auto Accidents

The most prevalent reason why wrongful deaths happen across the nation is due to car accidents. Each year, drivers go out onto the road while drunk, impaired, or aggressive. Innocent people may have to suffer the consequences for a driver’s reckless behavior. Someone who speeds, runs red lights, swerves between traffic, or otherwise engages in hostile maneuvers may cause a tragic car accident where some people don’t survive. All it takes is a few minutes out on the highways or streets to witness car drivers driving in a way that threatens the safety of those nearby.

Workplace Accidents

There are many workplaces that are dangerous in essence, such as construction jobs and other fields that entail working with heavy machinery. But even if a job comes along with inherent dangers, it doesn’t mean workers should accept when serious injury has happened to them. Surviving loved ones may feel further wounded in their grief and suffering after learning that an employer may have been responsible for losing their cherished relative. An employer may have failed to provide proper safety equipment or failed to address a safety-related issue. A deeper look into the factors of the workplace accident may be needed to know whether there are grounds for filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Medical Malpractice

Doctors are held to certain standards of care, essentially meaning that they cannot just practice medicine in any way they want. There are expectations within the medical community that they must follow. A doctor or other medical professional who strays from these expectations which then leads to patient harm or death, may find themselves faced with a wrongful death lawsuit. Basically, a doctor may be held liable for a patient’s death if another doctor with similar experience and in an alike situation would not have made the same mistake. Wrongful death may have happened due to an incorrect diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, surgical error, prescription error, wrong treatment plan, or other oversight. 

Before filing a lawsuit, as a personal injury lawyer, families trust from Cashio Injury Attorneys may suggest, that further investigation into the situation may be needed. If you suspect that a loved one has passed away wrongfully, there are actions you can take. By law, surviving family members have the right to pursue a wrongful death case against the individual, company, or other entities responsible.