Articles Posted in Personal injury attorney

It’s not uncommon for seemingly minor truck accidents to cause major injuries. Even the largest SUV is no match for a fully loaded tractor-trailer, which can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds.

As such, most truck accident fatalities are passenger-vehicle occupants. And those who are fortunate enough to survive the force of impact often sustain catastrophic injuries with lifelong complications.

If you were recently hurt in a large truck crash, you may be wondering how you’ll ever recover physically, emotionally, or financially. While no amount of money will erase the trauma you’ve already suffered or eliminate the hurdles you’ve yet to face, filing a personal injury claim could protect your family’s financial security in the wake of the wreck.

It’s not uncommon for car accident victims to refuse emergency care. Unless you were in serious pain, you may not have sought treatment after leaving the scene, either. Regardless of your immediate symptoms, though, it is important that you visit a doctor as soon as possible following any collision. Putting off treatment could jeopardize not only your health but also your personal injury claim.

Let’s explore some of the most common car accident injuries that can have latent symptoms:

1. Whiplash

Lyft has become one of the most popular rideshare services in the United States. Available in most major cities—including Biloxi, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Oxford, and Tupelo—Lyft is both convenient and affordable.

Despite the many advantages offered by Lyft, its meteoric rise has come with at least one major drawback; as more people have turned to the rideshare service for both transportation and employment, the number of collisions involving its vehicles has climbed.

If you were hurt in a Lyft accident, you may be wondering how to pursue compensation for your medical bills and other damages. A rideshare accident lawyer can help you determine liability and seek the highest settlement possible. Your attorney can also answer any questions you have about the laws and proceedings that pertain to your case.

Most personal injury claims are brought against the insurance companies of private citizens. If you were hurt in a crash with a distracted driver, for example, you would bring the claim against the at-fault motorist directly or against their insurance provider. But what if you were hurt due to the negligence of a government employee? How would the claims process be different?

Read on to learn a few important facts about bringing a personal injury claim against a government entity in Mississippi:

1. Plaintiffs Have a Shorter Deadline for Filing the Lawsuit

It’s not uncommon for motorcycle accidents to cause catastrophic injuries. Brain trauma, broken bones, and spinal cord damage can all happen when a rider hits the pavement or another vehicle. The cost of treating these injuries can be exorbitant, and the challenges of recovery can result in debilitating emotional distress.

Fortunately, accident victims or their surviving loved ones may be able to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. In cases that involve egregious misconduct on the part of the defendant, punitive damages may also be available.

A seasoned motorcycle accident lawyer can help you determine the kinds of damages to include in your claim and gather the evidence needed to prove them. Sometimes it is necessary to bring in medical, financial, and vocational experts to assist with the settlement calculations. The bottom line is that if you don’t hire an attorney to protect your rights, you may end up accepting a settlement that is far less than you deserve.

Thanks to advancements in medical science and technology, many procedures that once carried a high risk of complications are far safer than ever before. Unfortunately, medical negligence still happens at an alarming rate; in fact, a study from Johns Hopkins University attributes 250,000 deaths per year to medical errors.

If you suspect that medical malpractice is to blame for a death in your family, it is important that you take action right away. Your attorney will want to gather time-sensitive evidence while it is still available. Also, there are strict deadlines for filing medical malpractice lawsuits.

If you’re thinking about bringing a claim, read on to learn the answers to three FAQs about medical malpractice wrongful death cases:

A slip and fall accident can result in severe and sometimes permanent injuries that cost a veritable fortune to treat and leave the victim out of work for months. Besides the direct financial impact, slip and fall injuries can cause tremendous pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment in life.

Fortunately, people who are hurt in slip and fall accidents may be able to recover both economic and non-economic damages. If you were injured in a slip and fall and you intend to file a premises liability claim, there are many factors that may affect your potential settlement or verdict. Examples include:

• The Severity and Permanence of Your Injuries: Injuries that cause permanent disability, scarring, or disfigurement tend to warrant higher compensation than minor wounds. This is because serious injuries are usually more expensive to diagnose and treat, and they can put the victim out of work for a considerable amount of time. Such injuries also tend to involve greater pain and suffering.

If you’re recovering from serious injuries following a truck accident, you may be inclined to reach out to your friends and followers on social media. This is certainly a noteworthy event in your life, and you might need the support of loved ones to get through such a trying time. Unfortunately, your connections might not be the only people who see your posts; the insurance adjuster may be monitoring your profiles for content that can be used to dispute your claim.

Even if you update your privacy settings and don’t discuss the accident, your posts might still end up harming your case. Read on to learn a few reasons why it’s best to stay off social media while your claim is pending:

Privacy Settings Aren’t Foolproof

Due to their immense size and weight, commercial trucks can cause catastrophic damage when they collide with smaller passenger vehicles. If you were hurt in such an accident, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and other damages; however, if you wait too long to take legal action, you might lose your right to recover damages.

In the state of Mississippi, the typical statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits involving negligence is three years from the date on which the cause of action accrued. That means if you were struck by a drowsy, distracted, or careless trucker, it is likely that you have three years from the date on which the crash happened to file the lawsuit.

There are, however, several exceptions to the typical three-year statute of limitations. The deadline for lawsuits involving intentional torts is just one year. You also have one year to sue a government entity—for example, if negligent road maintenance contributed to the crash. You must also notify the appropriate agency 90 days before commencing the proceedings, which gives you even less time to take action.

Did you know that drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving? According to one study, driving after having been awake for 18 consecutive hours is like driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05. And if you get behind the wheel without having slept for 24 straight hours, it’s like driving with a BAC of 0.10. (For reference, the state of Mississippi considers any non-commercial driver over the age of 21 to be impaired if they have a BAC of 0.08 or higher.)

Unlike driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, though, there is no chemical test that can prove someone dozed off behind the wheel. As such, your legal team will have to rely on other evidence if they intend to prove that fatigue contributed to the accident. Such evidence might include:

1. Eyewitness Deposition