Category: Legal
Reasons to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Have you been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault? Are you struggling to make ends meet and cover your medical bills? If so, you may be able to recover compensation for the injuries and damages you suffered.
However, because personal injury law can be complex, it’s smart to hire a personal injury attorney Columbia MD for assistance. If you aren’t sure, you need legal representation, find out what benefits they offer below.
Understanding of the Law
One of the main reasons you should hire an attorney to help with any legal situation is because they understand the law and how it relates to your case. Unfortunately, the legal process can be complex, and a seemingly small mistake may result in your case being lost or you not receiving the full amount of compensation you deserve. An experienced personal injury attorney can help ensure this doesn’t happen.
Gathering Evidence and Witness Testimony
As an accident victim, it’s up to you to prove that another party caused your injuries. You can do this with the right evidence and witness testimony. If you were injured, you might be focused on recovering, which means that you don’t have time or the ability to gather the needed evidence. This is another time your attorney will step in and handle this on your behalf.
Negotiating with the Other Party
Negotiating with an insurance company takes tact and experience. Most people don’t have this. However, your attorney will have spent years negotiating to help their clients get the compensation they deserve.
Finding the Right Attorney
Remember, not all personal injury attorneys are the same. Be sure to put time and effort into finding the best suited for your case to help you achieve the best possible outcome. While there are no guarantees, having an attorney will increase the likelihood of receiving the compensation you deserve.
5 Things to Do When You Miss a Court Date
Missing a court date can lead to additional charges and a warrant for your arrest. But accidents happen, and despite having every intention of showing up, you might not be able to. Whether you penned in the wrong date on the calendar or got stuck in traffic, you can keep a bad situation from becoming worse.
Don’t Panic
Don’t assume the situation is hopeless and try to run away from it. The outcome you end up with from facing it head-on might not be ideal, but your situation is guaranteed to be worse if you try to buck the law.
Never lie about why you missed your hearing, even if it’s embarrassing or unprofessional, such as oversleeping. Being caught in a fib will make you look worse than the awkward truth.
Cooperate With the Court
Don’t shrug and hope the judge will forget, or let it slide (they won’t).
As soon as you realize you’re late or missed your date, get on the phone with the courthouse and explain your situation. The sooner you make contact, the better. If they ask you to come down and turn yourself in, do it. If you act quick enough you may be able to prevent a warrant from being issued for bail jumping.
Contact Your Bail Bondsman
If you took out bail bonds Lancaster County PA you need to get in touch with your lender to let them know what happened. They may not necessarily be able to help you but keeping everyone involved in your case in the loop shows you respect their time and can keep the relationship from souring.
Contact Your Attorney
If you’re arrested after missing a court date, you may be held without bail. Additional penalties could include fines and even suspension of your driver’s license. If you’ve explained yourself and the judge isn’t inclined to be lenient towards your situation, your attorney may be able to advocate for you to protect your freedoms.
Avoid the Issue Entirely
If you did not receive much advance notice before being made aware of your court date and anticipate having difficulty juggling your obligations on that day, get in touch with the court as soon as possible and explain your situation. They may be amicable to reschedule your hearing.
Missing a hearing isn’t great, but it’s not the end of the world. By keeping your cool, you can make the best of a bad situation—or possibly even fix it.
What Are the Most Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries to File A Claim?
Serious fatalities are bound to occur when a collision involves a vehicle and a person. Injuries resulting from pedestrian accidents can be compensated by a professional lawyer. Highlighted below are some of the most common types of injuries to facilitate hiring a lawyer for representation.
Head Trauma and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are common when pedestrian accidents occur due to a speeding vehicle. A blow to the head may cause the brain to jolt and collide with the skull in the process. The brain tissue is damaged in the process, and such occurrences have long-term consequences and may cause impairment of cognitive function, seizures, disability, chronic pain, or even death.
Most fatalities target the head as victims usually do not have protective equipment to shield them from the devastating impacts. The brain is only protected by the skull and thus becomes vulnerable when a sudden collision happens. Common symptoms of such damage include.
- Sleep problems
- Loss of coordination
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Clear fluid leaking from ears
Proper representation in a court proceeding facilitates adequate compensation. Hire the services of a knowledgeable lawyer to help with the legal claims. If the victim dies when seeking justice, family members and friends can push the process to compensate the loved ones and children.
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries
The sudden impact on the body and the spinal cord causes significant distress. Emotional and physical pain is overwhelming for the victim. Damages due to physical trauma interrupt the sending process of nerve signals along the intended path. Such actions result in limitations to various aspects such as sensation, mobility, and physical pain receptors.
Individuals subjected to such traumatic experiences require routine lifetime care and rehabilitation. The adjustment to the new lifestyle process may take time. It is advisable to have a lawyer to follow up on compensation payments and damages. The plan should cater for medical expenses and emotional injuries.
Internal Injuries
These injuries may not be visible from the outside but are common occurrences. Symptoms may take time before they start manifesting, and if action is not taken fast, fatalities, including death, may occur. Common types of internal injuries suffered by car accident victims include.
Internal Bleeding
When a vehicle runs over a pedestrian, there is a high possibility of such an individual being crushed. If a victim gets pinned into a barrier, for instance, a tree or a wall, internal bleeding due to damaged blood vessels is likely to occur. Such a fatality requires proper attention and care to prevent permanent organ damage.
Broken Ribs
Car accidents often leave pedestrians with fractured or broken ribs. Clashes that expose the chest have significant impacts on the victims.
Collapsed Lung
When the rib cage is broken, there is a high chance that the lung will collapse. This housing protects the lungs, and if there are fractures, the ribs puncture the lungs, resulting in an escape of air, thus limiting functionality.
Organ Damage
A car accident makes the body, soft tissues, and vitals suffer. Depending on the nature and intensity of such impacts, the organ may shut down completely.
Ruptured Spleen
The spleen is critical for allowing proper circulation of blood to the body and fighting infections. Due to its position in the abdomen, a forceful blow from an incoming vehicle causes it to rupture. This is followed by immediate substantial internal bleeding, and should such an occurrence happen, seek medical care as fast as possible.
Taking action when involved in a car accident is essential. However, hiring a professional lawyer is more important when handling such legal claims. A qualified practitioner will utilize time properly to collect evidence and compensation funds for the victims.
What Are the Most Common Damages You Can Be Awarded in A Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Losing a loved one is traumatizing, but, as you may know, death is inevitable. If your loved one dies due to another person’s negligence or intentional acts, the best thing is to file for a case through a wrongful death lawyer. Today, it is easy to find such attorneys, but you need to ensure you consult a reliable one. Besides getting the best attorney, you should know which damages you can get awarded in a wrongful death lawsuit. The information explained will equip you with the information required to ensure you get compensated for all damages for your loved one’s wrongful death.
Medical Bills
In some cases, the deceased may have spent time undergoing treatment in a hospital or even at home before passing away. If the accident or injuries that put your loved one in such a situation were caused by someone else, you have the right to claim compensation for all the medical expenses you incurred. The person responsible for the wrongful death must cater to every medical bill your family incurred before your loved one died, including buying of medicine, injections, hospital admissions, and doctor attendance. When such expenses are cleared, it takes away a significant burden off your shoulders.
The Decedent’s Physical and Mental Injuries
An incident, such as a road accident, can cause severe injuries to your loved one that later lead to their demise. In a wrongful death lawsuit, you take responsibility for pursuing the damages that the deceased would have pursued had they survived the incident. The compensation you get for this type of damage covers the injury expenses you may have accrued from the time your loved one was involved in the unfortunate incident to when they died. This may mean that you can also get financial awards for the pain and suffering that the deceased incurred. That includes any physical, emotional, and mental trauma the individual experienced before passing away.
Missed Wages
When your loved one is involved in an accident, medical malpractices, and other wrongful deaths, they may not be able to attend to their business or work at the office due to injuries. In such a case, it becomes tough to make any income. Unfortunately, when they perish, they can no longer attend to their financial duties. You would be happy to know that it is possible to get compensated for the wages and income that the deceased would have made if they were alive or could continue working after the incident that led to their demise.
Loss Of Consortium
There is always a gap left when your spouse dies, especially in the hands of someone else. It can take considerable time to recover from the emotional and mental torture you may be going through. Fortunately, you can claim loss of consortium, otherwise known as loss of a relationship, when you file for a wrongful death case. You can get the necessary financial awards to help you through emotional trauma recovery. However, you should understand that this damage is not awarded in all states, making it essential to consult your wrongful death attorney.
Funeral And Burial Costs
When one dies, you have to conduct a funeral and burial for them, depending on your culture, religion, and beliefs. There are different expenses involved in the process, such as purchasing a coffin, but you may not be in a position to cater to all of them. That is why you have the freedom to claim a financial award to lay the deceased to rest.
Crime and accidents are on the rise today, meaning an increase in the number of wrongful death cases filed by different people. The best thing is to work with an experienced and reputable attorney to ensure you have the best representation in court.
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A Judgment Means Money: How to Get It
March 28, 2022
Legal
admin
If you “win” a civil action, a jury or judge may award you monetary compensation. If a debtor fails to comply with the court’s order or is unable to pay the judgment, the debtor may be required to file an appeal. It’s likely that you’ll have to jump through more hoops and pay more money to get your judgment. Here are some ideas for those of you who have been awarded damages on how to get your money with help from Norris Injury Lawyers Clanton AL:
Judgments issued against wealthy individuals and corporations are frequently paid. The opt-out to avoid unpleasant “collection” actions and additional costs.
Collecting a judgment may be difficult if a corporation or individual debtor refuses to pay a judgment or is bankrupt (their obligations exceed their assets).
In most states, you can learn about a debtor’s income and assets through post-judgment discovery (interrogatories, demand for documents, depositions, and so on). The attorney can help you discover different assets and information about income if you do not know what would work in your case.
You may garnish a person’s earnings in order to collect a judgment against them. Many states limit the amount of money that can be garnished from a debtor’s paycheck. A court hearing must be scheduled in order to garnish a person’s income, and the debtor must be proven to have owed you money and not paid.
In a similar manner, you can seize a debtor’s bank account, which is actually a very common option in trial results.
If you have a judgment against the company, you can persuade the sheriff to seize the cash register. Businesses may have assets that can be seized, such as machinery or other equipment. Property should only be seized by law enforcement or other authorized individuals for your protection and to avoid future litigation. If you try to seize anything yourself, you can be charged with theft. This is definitely not something you want to see happen.
When a ten-year collection period expires, most states enable you to extend the judgment for another ten years. Even if they don’t have income or assets now, the person or business you have a judgment against may have them in the future.
Although you cannot collect from someone who has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you may appeal the decision.
Most of the time, you’ll need to engage a lawyer to assist you in collecting your debts. A frequent option is to pay a collection attorney a portion of the amount collected. This system means the lawyer is going to receive a percentage of how much is collected and you do not have to pay anything during the legal process.
To be executed against the debtor or the debtor’s property in the other state, the judgment must be recorded as a foreign judgment. A court cannot enforce a foreign judgment unless the debtor has “sufficient contact” with the state. Most of the time, the best place to file a foreign judgment is the county where the debtor resides or where the property is located.
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