Wednesday, December 2, 2009

How to Claim for Personal Injury

Injury Claims and Lawyers personal injury claims arise when another party's actions cause you to get hurt. There is a wide spectrum of personal injury cases including car crashes, accidents caused by unsafe conditions in commercial establishments, recreational injuries, injuries caused by defects on private or public property, work-related accidents, and injuries caused by unsafe conditions on government owned or maintained property.

Personal injury claims are tricky and it is best to consult with an attorney before filing. If you choose to handle the claim yourself, it is important to first review the procedures and deadlines for submitting the claim. For example, where an injury occurs on a city street or other public property, a claimant may be required to submit a request for damages to the public entity itself and receive a rejection notice before he or she can file a lawsuit. The time limits for filing a claim or lawsuit also vary depending on who caused the injury and where the injury occurred. If you miss the deadline for filing the claim, you lose your right to recover from the responsible party.

Once you have followed the correct procedures for submitting a claim to a person or entity, an insured party will send the claim to their insurer. An insurance adjuster will then be assigned to evaluate your claim. The adjuster will ask you to corroborate any claimed injuries with medical records and bills. You may be required to see a doctor hired by the insurance company who will offer an opinion regarding the extent of your injuries. In some cases, the claimant may also be asked to attend an examination in which he or she describes the accident and injuries under penalty of perjury before a court reporter. Where the injuries are less serious, you may simply be asked to provide a recorded statement.

Generally, the insurer's goal is to pay you as little as possible in compensation. Insurance company experts are skilled at minimizing injuries and finding reasons why you are at fault.

When the insurance company has sufficient information, the adjuster will either reject your claim or make a settlement offer. If you accept, you will be asked to release any further claims against the responsible party or insurance company before you receive payment. Since this will bar any subsequent claims, it is important to ensure that your medical treatment has concluded before you accept any money or sign a release.

If the insurance company's settlement offer is too low, and you are still within the allowable time to sue, you have the option of filing a small claims court action or hiring an attorney to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. An attorney will hire experts to objectively evaluate the evidence and testify on your behalf. He or she will also represent you at settlement conferences and depositions, locate favorable witnesses, and prepare the case for trial.

Whether or not you hire an attorney, your goal should be fair compensation.

About the Author

Specialists in personal injury claims



Article Source:- GoArticle.com

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Other Source of Information:- Personal injury Claims | Burn Injury Lawyer

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Amputation

Losing a limb is one of the most traumatic events a person can experience, affecting you not only physically, but also emotionally and financially.

Unfortunately, approximately 1.7 million people in the U.S. are living with the aftermath of an amputation, and about 185,000 new amputations are performed there annually.

Types of Amputation There are basically four categories of amputations:

* Dysvascular-Related Amputations. These are amputations due to vascular disease, i.e., problems with blood flow to the limbs. More than 80 percent of all limb removals in the U.S. are dysvascular-related amputations.
* Cancer-Related Amputations. Obviously, these are amputations that occur as a result of cancer in some part of the body.
* Congenital-Related Amputations. These are caused by severe congenital problems with a limb at birth. (In some cases, congenital-related amputations can be related to medical malpractice.)
* Trauma-Related Amputations. These are amputations caused by some sort of extreme trauma to the body.

Common Causes of Traumatic-Related Amputations Amputation injuries can be the result of accidents such as:

* Automobile accidents
* Truck accidents
* Motorcycle accidents
* Construction accidents

Trauma-Related Amputation Statistics According to the Amputee Coalition of America:

* Nearly 70 percent of amputations of the upper limbs are due to trauma-related injuries.
* The risk of having a limb amputated for traumatic reasons, as well as dysvascular-related reasons, increases with age.
* Men are at a higher risk for traumatic-related limb removal.

Care after an Amputation The general health and strength of a person who has undergone an amputation are the driving factors in determining how much care he/she will need after the loss of limb. There may be prosthetic fittings, rehabilitation, physical and occupational training, psychological counseling, and professional assistance with mobility and driving.

Amputation Injury Compensation If a person's loss of limb is the fault of another individual or entity, that person may be able to sue for financial compensation that can help with mounting medical bills and other amputation-related costs. Prosthetic devices alone can cost $70,000 or more and must be replaced at regular intervals.

If someone else's negligence or wrongdoing caused your amputation, an experienced amputation injury lawyer may help you receive monetary damages for:

* Medical expenses
* Prosthetics
* Long-term care
* Lost income
* Reduced quality of life
* Emotional pain
* Loss of companionship

About the Author

If you have questions about amputation injury and compensation, visit the website of amputation injury attorney Jerrold A. Mayro, located in the Phoenix, Arizona area.



Article Source:- GoArticle.com

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Other Source of Information:- Amputation | Personal Injury Law Firm

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Catastrophic Injury Attorney - Do You Have One?

When an injury occurs that is serious, most people do not think about finding a catastrophic injury attorney. They are concerned about getting immediate treatment for the injury and getting well. Unfortunately, in many cases serious injuries have long-lasting effects, even when the injured person seems to be better after initial treatment.

This is one reason many people need to take time after an injury to talk to an attorney who has experience and expertise in the injury. When selecting an attorney you will need to find one who deals with the specific type of injury that has taken place, and who will be familiar with the kinds of treatment that can be required over a long period of time.

Many different injuries occur each year in car accidents that are serious. A personal injury attorney may have experience with car accidents in general, but not have the needed knowledge about traumatic brain injury to be helpful to a person who has received this injury in the accident.

Take the time to talk to the attorney about their expertise in the area of the injury instead of the type of accident that occurred. This will aid you in finding the person who can help most with making sure that the needed care and treatment is available for the long term.

In many cases, people don't realize the amount of money that can be involved the long-term treatment that covers a serious injury. For instance, a brain injury can have lifetime costs that average almost two million dollars. This is not counting the money that will be lost if a parent or spouse must quit their job to help care for their loved one. The lifetime earnings that will be lost because the injured person will not be able to work in a job that they may have been training for or held prior to the injury must also be taken into consideration.

Every fifteen seconds a person in the United States suffers from some type of brain trauma. More than a million people are treated and released from emergency rooms each year for this injury. There are between 1.6 to 3.8 million sports related brain injuries each year according to the CDC. About half of the sports related injuries to girls and women in high school and college are a result of cheerleading falls.

For some of the 28% of people who have a brain injury as a result of a fall and for the 20% who are injured in a car accident, the effects are going to impact the rest of their life. These people will make up part of the 2% of the US population that have a life time need for assistance.

These are the people who will be depending on a catastrophic injury attorney who has experience and expertise in the area of brain injury. This is the individual that will be able to provide the help that both the victim and the family will be depending on.

About the Author

When interviewing a Pasadena catastrophic injury attorney, you will want to make sure the Pasadena attorney for personal injury has an understanding of the team of experts that will be required in the long term to provide help in a person's recovery and the cost that will be involved.



Article Source:- GoArticle.com

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Other Source Of Information:- Catastrophic Injury Attorney | Personal Injury Attorney

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Personal Injury is Serious, Hire a Lawyer For a Second Opinion

When one is the victim of an incident resulting in physical or emotional damage, they have to decide if the injury is the result of the negligence of another. This can be a difficult and an overwhelming task if you were to make this determination on your own. The best thing you can do is hire a lawyer for a second opinion.

When you search for a lawyer to consult and possibly represent you in a personal injury claim, it is recommended that you seek the services of a personal injury lawyer. Personal injury lawyers specialize in personal injury litigation. Such personal injury claims can include: medical practice, workplace injuries, slip and fall, assaults, and poor standard products. The claim one files will be based on physical or emotional injury one suffers from the incident. Damages sought usually involve financial compensation.

A personal injury lawyer will review your case, consult case law, as well as consult with medical expert witnesses to determine if you have a valid claim. If you have a valid claim, the attorney will handle every aspect of preparing and presenting your case before the courts. This includes filing the claim, serving the appropriate parties, acquiring medical expert witness and other witnesses, acquiring the medical and/or police reports, arranging for discoveries, filing motions, and much more. A personal injury lawyer basically works on your behalf to achieve the best possible outcome.

If you win your case, your personal injury lawyer will help you get the best compensation in such areas as punitive damages and damages for such expenses incurred as hospital care, medical treatment, loss of wages, transportation costs associated with recovery, rehabilitation, counseling, lifelong medical expenses and care...etc.

A personal injury lawyer will work hard to ensure that you are not taken advantage by the opposing parties and their tactics. They will make sure the litigation process does not get stalled and that the compensation you receive is what is deemed fair. Because personal injury cases can take up to two years and sometimes more, it can be draining on the client, especially a client who is in recovery. It is important that a qualified and experience attorney is guiding one through the complicated civil litigation process.

Because every personal injury case has it unique aspects, a personal injury lawyer will help determine if you actually have a claim and he or she will make the claim litigation process easy to understand. When people look for a personal injury lawyer to represent them, they should focus their search on lawyers that specialize in their specific injury.

If you or a loved one are involved in an injury that may be the result of the negligence of another, consulting and enlisting the services of a personal injury lawyer will reduce an already stressful situation and simplify the overwhelming complex issues regarding preparation and presentation of the claim, A personal injury lawyer will guide you through the litigation process and answer any of your questions. As well, hiring a personal injury lawyer will greatly increase the likelihood of having a successful outcome.

About the Author

When you're involved in an accident, file a personal injury claim. Do not underestimate the accident benefits, as it could be substantial. Hire a personal injury lawyer Toronto to receive some professional opinions.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Process of Achieving a Catastrophic Injury Settlement

Author: Andrew Long

After a serious injury, you may find yourself in financial trouble due to all of your medical bills and the fact that you haven't been able to work. If this is the case, you should hire an injury lawyer as soon as possible, so you can get the wheels turning on your settlement. There will usually be several weeks to several months that pass before you see any money from your case. Here is an overview of how the injury settlement process works.

First of all, you must find an injury attorney to represent you. This means you will need to set up an initial consultation. Even if you already have a general attorney on retainer, it is a good idea to use a specialist to represent you in an injury case.

When you have met with a few lawyers and decided which injury lawyer you want to use, make sure you understand the financial terms completely before you sign any paperwork. Your injury lawyer will probably work on a contingency fee, but be sure to find out if you will be responsible for any fees in the event the lawyer loses your case.

Once your lawyer has agreed to represent you, he must begin gathering information on the events and put together a solid case. He must prove the other party was at fault and review your medical records as well as any police reports that were filed. He may conduct witness interviews.

When your injury lawyer feels confident of his case, he will notify the responsible party about your intentions to sue for compensation. To avoid a lawsuit, the party may agree to enter talks to reach a settlement. The legal team on the other side is then given time to do their own investigation. This process can take several more weeks.

When the responsible party acknowledges they are at fault and agrees to work out a compensation amount, negotiations begin. This is usually a long drawn out process, as the other side will work to pay out as little as they can. Negotiating must follow certain protocols and procedures involving offers and counteroffers.

If the other party refuses to acknowledge blame or if the two legal teams cannot reach an agreement on the settlement amount, your injury lawyer will take your case to court. If your injury case goes to trial, it may be several more months, or even years until your injury case is settled and you see any money.

Catastrophic injury cases require more extensive preparation for trial and require more expert witnesses, which lengthens the process and escalates the expenses. When the trial has concluded and a verdict is reached, then you must settle payment with your injury lawyer. If your case is successful, your law firm will take a certain percentage, usually 33%, from your award. If your case is lost, you may or may not be required to pay your lawyer for expenses according to your initial agreement.

Collecting on an injury is a long drawn out process. You usually won't see any money for quite some time. It is always your choice, not the choice of your injury lawyer, whether you accept a settlement offer. You may decide to take a lower amount just so you can get your money quicker and avoid a lengthy trial.

About the Author:
Andrew Long writes for many scientific, medical, legal and IT related media, which includes catastrophic injury lawyer services. This article can be used on a website as long as this resource box and live links in the article are used.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Process of Achieving a Catastrophic Injury Settlement

Monday, July 6, 2009

CATASTROPHIC INJURY

Any Injury, which occurs at sudden or any incident happen without any prior anticipation and causes irreparable injury is known as Catastrophic Injury. The impacts of catastrophic injuries are very serious and long term effects. The victims of catastrophic injury bound to suffer long term or permanent disabilities.
There are two major sources of catastrophic injury viz...

1. Natural hazards; any catastrophic injury happens due to natural hazards such as volcanic activity, earthquake, landslide, cyclone, tsunami etc.

2. Man-made hazards; it is of many types given below:

I. Industrial Accidents; injuries occurring due to industrial accidents are
- Refinery explosion
- Toxic chemical exposure
- Construction accidents
- Crane accidents

II. Workplace Hazards;
- Electrocution
- Fall accident
- Scaffolding accident
- Toxic exposure
- Truck accidents

III. Work place injury
- Crushing injury
- Trauma injury
- Brain injury
- Amputation
- Eye injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Multiple bone fractures
- Neurological disorders
- Severe burns

When a person becomes victim of any serious injury mentioned above, the impact is massive. Consequently, due to this substantial loss victim is not only unable to enjoy his/her life properly, but also not able to continue with his/her job which ultimately cause huge stress on victim as well as his/her family members. Abreast, if this injury damaged brain, in this condition patient is unable to identify any one.

However, if the catastrophic injury has been caused by the natural hazards, in this condition government takes the responsibility of maximum damages. But if the catastrophic injury has been caused by negligent activity or intentional act of any other person, or by faulty or perilous products, personal injury claim by the victim would be essential factor for determining his/her future quality of life. The responsible person is bound to give the compensation. Since, this issue incorporates vast financial implications in order to determine the value of such claim, therefore, it required to find an attorney to assist in the procedure. There are many law firms whose lawyers specially take these sorts of cases only. These lawyers help in recovering the compensation for the damages suffered by victim in terms of –

- Providing the lost wages
- Loss of life
- Mental distress
- Permanent disability
- Medical bills etc.

Now problem rises in finding the expert lawyers, paying their fees, visiting their office repeatedly etc. hence, this is very important to take all these points into consideration while thinking of hiring an attorney for this purpose. Apparently, Attorney Robert A. Brenner understood all these problems and decides to provide relevant information to victims and their keens. We have very successful story to helping victims and their families from 1975. We have many lawyers to provide most contented information in order to help them to get justice as soon as possible. Therefore, visit our website for any further assistance regarding the catastrophic injury.