Slip and Fall Suits Are Legitimate Legal Cases

Slip and fall incidents have been running gags in films and on television programs for decades. These pratfalls belay the reality that slip and fall accidents can result in serious injuries, and even death. And slip and fall lawsuits, although also frequently ridiculed, are highly serious legal matters.

Frequency of Slip and Fall Accidents

Millions of people in the United States are injured each year in slip and fall accidents, many of these people are seriously harmed. Thousands of people are killed. Half of all household accidents involve falls, the vast majority being slip and fall incidents as opposed to falling off of something.

When it comes to commercial spaces, especially supermarkets and grocery stores, slip and fall accidents top the list of what causes the highest number of injuries to customers or patrons each year. Similarly, slip and fall accidents are the most common cause of injuries in the workplace as well in the United States.

Injuries, Damages, and Losses from Slip and Fall Accidents

As noted previously, injuries, damages, and losses that can result from a slip and fall accident can be profound. For example, all manner of broken bones, as well as damaged soft tissue, can result from a slip and fall accident.

Head injuries, including traumatic brain injury, are a frequent result of a slip and fall accident. The stark reality is that thousands of people end up with permanent brain injuries as the result of slip and fall accidents each year in the United States.

Compensation in a Slip and Fall Lawsuit

Compensation sought and awarded in a slip and fall case depends largely upon the circumstances surrounding the accident, coupled with the nature and extent of injuries sustained in the accident. With that said, common types of losses for which financial compensation is sought in a slip and fall lawsuit include:

• medical bills and expenses
• permanent disability
• pain and suffering
• mental anguish and emotional distress
• lost wages

An injured person is entitled to compensation in a slip and fall case not only for existing losses, but for those that reasonably can be expected to be incurred in the future. For example, following a slip and fall accident, an injured person may require ongoing medical care and treatment for an extended period of time. An injured individual may endure pain for an indefinite period of time. These represent the types of reasonably foreseeable losses for which compensation may be sought in a slip and fall case.

5 Important Things for Hit-and-Run Victims to Understand

Getting in an accident is never an easy experience, and being the victim of a hit and run only makes it worse. It comes out of nowhere, and you might not know what to do in the aftermath. Everything you are used to hearing about with car accidents assumes that the other person isn’t going to run away. So what do you need to do now?

Take Care of Yourself

Your first priority is treating any injuries. Are you bleeding? Does it appear you may have broken bones or whiplash? Is there pain? Are you suffering from shock? Assess your condition and the condition of your passengers so you can properly address any problems. Just as you would in a normal accident, if you are in the middle of the road and our car is still mobile, move it to the side of the road. If it isn’t mobile, get everyone who was in the car to a safe spot so you don’t get hurt any worse.

Write Everything Down

Once everyone is in a safe place, start writing down as many details as you can remember about the accident. You should write down what happened and anything you remember about the car that hit you. The make and model, color, full or partial license plate, and any distinguishing features like stickers or dents can all help the police identify the car that hit you. If there are witnesses who stop to help, ask them to write down anything that they remember as well, in addition to their contact information.

Call the Police

When you contact the police, they will come create a report, just as they would with a normal accident. Don’t leave until they have come, or you won’t have a case against the other driver. The police will collect the information you have written down and use that find the other driver.

Call Your Insurance

It is crucial to contact your insurance company as soon as possible. If the hit-and-run driver cannot be identified, your insurance may cover any damages or injuries that occurred. Additionally, your insurance company will want the other driver’s insurance to pay them back, so they will also attempt to find the other driver. The more eyes out looking, the more likely it is that the other driver will be found.

Get Legal Help

In some cases, the victim’s insurance company is able to provide coverage and pay for your injuries, it doesn’t always work that way. According to Page Law, even if the other driver is convicted, you might not necessarily get a settlement unless you file a personal injury lawsuit. This will allow you to receive full compensation from the person who actually hurt you.

Hit-and-run accidents are complicated and messy, and it can be incredibly difficult to figure out. If you are struggling, don’t be afraid to lean on other people for help.

Driving Under the Influence: What You Need to Know

Everyone knows that driving under the influence is not something to joke around with. Getting pulled over and charged with a DUI is a serious thing and you can face hefty penalties for it. But how much do you actually know about a DUI and all that comes with it?

When it Become Illegal

Driving under the influence is illegal if you’re using any type of drug or your alcohol level is above the legal limit. The legal limit is a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or more. However, if you are pulled over and your BAC is .07 or above, you can also be charged with driving while intoxicated. It all depends on the circumstances and your driving. There are no set number of drinks that you can have before you hit the legal limit, so it is best to just not drive if you have been drinking.

It’s More Than Alcohol

Although the measurement is called a blood alcohol content, it looks at more than just the level of alcohol in your body. It can also be affected by certain medications or drugs. If you are taking medication, make sure you read the warning labels. It will tell you if you aren’t supposed to drive or operate machinery. Recreational drugs will also cause problems, and it is even worse if they are mixed with alcohol. Safe to say, if you take anything that will impair your judgment, you shouldn’t be driving.

An Arrest Doesn’t Mean a Conviction

If you are pulled over and arrested for a DUI, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the end of it. The police rely heavily on breathalyzers to assess whether or not someone is over the legal limit, but these tests aren’t always accurate. The breathalyzer might not be properly calibrated, or it might be administered improperly. If you are arrested, it could be beneficial to talk to a lawyer about getting the charges dropped. However, if you were obviously soused, there isn’t much that can be done. The evidence is all there.

You Don’t Have to Drive Far to Be Arrested

If you are drunk and you get into your car to move it, even just a block or two, you could be in trouble. There isn’t a certain number of miles that you have to drive to be guilty, so just don’t risk it. You are a danger to yourself and to other people, no matter if you are driving home or just moving your car to the other side of the parking lot. Call a friend or a cab, just don’t drive your car.

It may seem harmless at the time, but there is never a good reason to drive when you are drunk, and there are plenty of reasons to not drive while drunk. Not only is a DUI costly, it will remain on your record for years and there is a high likelihood that you will hurt someone. Just put the keys down.

What to Know About Collecting Insurance Claims

Risk of loss is an abstract concept, but actual loss is not: it is as real as life and all of life’s difficulties. Risks are always prevalent and that is the reason why the insurance business is booming. People encounter losses by suffering directly from calamities, or by getting blamed (through fault or responsibility) for other people’s losses and bearing the liability for such calamities. The law tries to protect us from bankruptcy, and even worse situations, by requiring that we insure ourselves, our loved ones, and our property from numerous calamities.

It goes further to oblige third parties with whom we may interact during calamities to insure us from the consequences of their possible fault. However, with the occurrence of loss and manifestation of insured risks, insurance firms subject us to many different terms and conditions. You need to know how to go about lodging and collecting insurance claims if you are to ever get compensated, in full, for the value of your loss.

Indemnity

Insurance firms will only reimburse you for that which you lose. Under no circumstance will you ever get profits by collecting insurance claims. Also, compensation does not cover economic features such as inflation or depreciation. When making insurance claims, present figures of loss with provable exactitude for an easier time claiming and for a faster transaction.

Utmost Good Faith

Lying in your claim forms by providing inaccurate information or excluding critical details will do your claim no good. In fact, it may cause your claim to be voided, at best, and bring you legal trouble, if you are not lucky. Be honest, accurate, and timely in making your claims.

Subrogation

If you are advised, through your own reasoning or by counsel or request of your insurer to facilitate subrogation, do not fight it. Your insurer goes ahead to indemnify you and then solicit a refund of the compensated amount from the third party or its insurers. Subrogation means that your insurer finds it reasonable that a third party should compensate your loss because of liability reasons, like the case with a hit and run or other clear-cut cases. Never sign off a third party’s liability through agreements and waivers against the advice of your insurance company or you won’t get paid for any applicable deductions.

Indulge Legal Counsel

Seek documented medical services in case of injuries and report material loss incidences to relevant administrative authorities before lodging insurance claims. Make an accurate paper trail which is easy to follow and consult lawyers to advise you or assist you in filling all claim forms. That way, you will have a water-tight claim despite any murky legal environment that is denoted by abhorrent terms and conditions. Demand timely compensation, even in the midst of investigations.

Know your Rights

Do not cower or back off from demanding your rightful compensation under any circumstance. What is legally yours is guaranteed, especially if sought through litigation. However, staying on the right, following the rules and consulting legal counsel is always key to fruitfully collecting insurance claims.