Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers and Attorneys Blog : GLF

7 Things You Should NEVER Do During a Personal Injury Case

Personal Injuries, Personal Injury Information No Responses »

Oct 062011

If you find yourself involved in a personal injury case, there are many things you need to know to help protect your rights and ensure you get the settlement you deserve from a skilled accident attorney. And, no matter who is at fault, there are certain things you should never do.

There are likely many questions circling in your head – Who can help me? Is it okay to talk with friends about my case? Do I need to gather evidence, or will the insurance companies take care of it? Don’t worry, my friends. We’ve got you covered. All of these answers and more can be found below in our list of things you should never do if involved in a PI case.

Don’t assume someone else will gather the evidence – If there is any evidence to back up your story, find it; don’t assume your lawyer or the insurance companies will do it for you. And, even if they do, it’s always best to have more than you need rather than less. You should always do the following:

Take photos of the scene of the accident. If you were injured in a car accident, take photos of your injuries, the damage to the car, the current weather conditions, and even the pavement. Look especially for moisture or tire tracks that may help give more insight into your story.
Journal about your injuries. If you’re experiencing recurring pain from the accident, be sure to journal about this daily. Be specific in how your body feels, how long the symptoms last, and note if you missed out on any activities due to your pain. For example: “I missed my daughter’s piano recital because my back was in too much pain – I couldn’t get out of bed.”
Record witnesses – If there was anyone nearby your accident who can help fill in the details of what happened, ask them. Write down their name, contact information, and what they saw. Their testimony could later be used in court.

Don’t talk about your accident – The opposing side’s insurance company is out to find out as much as they can about you and your accident, and exactly what happened that day. Personal Injury lawyers recommend you don’t talk to friends or coworkers about what’s happened to you. Why? It’s a small world – you never know who knows who.

Don’t talk to insurance companies without first talking to your lawyer – As mentioned above, the opposing side’s insurance company will try to prove you’re at fault instead of their client. The more information they can gather from you the better. So, if they call you before you’ve had a chance to consult with your lawyer, politely decline and say, “I’ve been advised not to answer your questions at this time.”

Don’t play off your injuries – Your doctor needs to know exactly what happened to you in order to best diagnose and treat you. Now’s not the time to be macho and pretend you’re much stronger than you are. It’s very important (for both your health and settlement amount) that you get fully healed during this time.

These are just a few of the many tips for making it through a personal injury case. Each of them can help you take great strides toward the settlement you deserve.

Finding the Cause of Gas Explosion to Determine Injury Liability

News & Articles, Personal Injuries 1 Response »

Sep 092011

Gas explosions have the potential to cause serious injuries to people in close proximity. What legal recourse does a victim have if the negligence of another was the reason of this accident? The first thing a victim needs to do is get in touch with a legal practitioner to understand the right approach to the compensation claim.

Investigating the incident to ascertain the cause is of primary importance. Without this, you may not be able to determine liability for the injuries, and fail to sue the right entity. This may make it impossible to get the compensation that a victim requires to handle the financial setback he/she suffers.

Any accident resulting in gas explosion injury may have different causes. It could be a domestic accident or one in an industrial or agricultural setting. The cause plays an important role in the liability. If the accident was the result of improper handling of some equipment, the individual handling it, and the supervisor, may be the liable one.

On the other hand, if a defective piece of equipment led to the gas explosion and your injuries, the manufacturer or seller of the product was liable for this. A competent lawyer has the necessary knowledge, expertise and resources to investigate the accident, determine the cause, and find the liable entity against which to file the case.

Ascertaining Liability before Filing a Car Accident Claim

Car Accidents No Responses »

Aug 172011

A car and truck collision may result in serious injuries to the car passengers and damages to the car. The reason is simple – the impact of such an accident is sure to be more on the smaller vehicle, i.e. the car. You need to get in touch with a car accident lawyer to investigate the cause of the incident.

Why is ascertaining the cause important in such a situation? This factor helps ascertain liability, and file an injury claim against the right entity. If the cause of the accident was distraction, e.g., the driver was talking on a cell phone, or driving under influence, e.g., the driver was under the influence of alcohol/drugs, the driver is at fault for the injuries.

On the other hand, if the cause of the accident is driver fatigue or improper maintenance of the truck, the liability may be on the owner or operator of the vehicle. Again, if faulty parts of the truck were the cause of the accident, the liability rests on the manufacturer or seller of the vehicle.

Getting a Palm Beach car accident lawyer is essential to find out the cause of the incident, and approach the case accordingly. If you fail to sue the right entity in the first place, you may not be able to recover any compensation for the damages you suffer.

Brain Injury Cases Require Capable Help

News & Articles, Personal Injury Information No Responses »

Aug 112011

Suffering from brain injury is a common case. Mainly this type of injury is a result of straight blow over the head. Brain injury can cause vision lose, affects memory, even results in death. Due to the severity of this, people sustaining brain injuries may lose wage, incur huge medical expenses, even lose employment if permanently disable.

All the brain injuries do not fall under the personal injury category as every accident does not occur due to someone else’s negligence. However, if the cause of the accident is someone else’s careless conduct the victim is entitled to receive compensation for all the expenses and wage losses, he/she had to incur due to the injury.

Brain injuries are not visible from outside. Sometimes, the victim does not even realize that some kind of wound is growing beneath the surface. Due to this most of times brain injury does not receive required medical treatment. The victim comes to know about the injury when it is too late.

In case, you are suffering from such a type of injury, you should consult an experienced Chicago injury lawyer to file a lawsuit for you. However, you should remember that just any lawyer may not be a right choice for such a legal case. He/she should have some level of medical knowledge regarding brain injury. The reason for this is, if the lawsuit ends up in the court, the defense may attack the symptoms of the injury and accuse the victim of being false. In this situation, the lawyer must have required knowledge nullify the accusation.

Understanding the Possible Damage Recovery for Your Burn Injuries

News & Articles, Personal Injuries No Responses »

Jul 222011

Any injury is a cause of concern. With increase in the severity of the injury, the concern increases too. This is the reason burn injuries are some of the most traumatic experience for the victim. If the incident causing the injuries was the responsibility of another, you need to get a lawyer to recover damages.

What can you recover for your burn injuries? Here are the possible categories of compensation available for victims and their dependants.

General damages: Medical costs, wage loss, costs for using household help and such others are available for all kinds of injuries. Your lawyer knows how to assess the damages and calculate the recovery amount with the help of the experts.

Specific damages: For burn injuries, particular damages would include any medical treatments you may need later, e.g. plastic surgery, skin grafting, rehabilitation care, adjustment to disfigurement, and so on.

Non-economic damages: Calculating this requires help from a good Injury Lawyer. Pain and suffering, trauma and distress, loss of consortium, problems with adjusting to new lifestyle and so on are in this category.

Punitive damages: If your injuries were a result of another’s gross carelessness, you may also get punitive damages for this. The objective is to punish the individual or organization for its negligence.