If Injured in an Accident, Seek Medical Treatment Right Away! If it's a car accident, get treated by paramedics at the scene, and insist that they transport you to the nearest emergency room if you believe you may be injured. It it's another type of accident, make sure that paramedics are called immediately. Insist on treatment at the scene and have them take you to an emergency room if necessary. Documentation is Critical to Your Case For legal purposes, injuries are documented by medical records. Aside from liability issues, they're the most important aspect of a case. Lawyers and insurance … [Read more...]
Identifying the Parties at Fault in a Truck Accident Case
Learning how an accident occurred and who caused the wreck is the first step in deciding who to include in a personal injury lawsuit. This is a complicated process that requires an experienced attorney where a truck accident is concerned. The companies and firms involved in the transport of goods via 18-wheeler can be numerous, and often, more than one party may have been negligent in causing or contributing to an 18-wheeler accident. Potentially liable parties can include: Truck Drivers: We have handled cases in which drivers have operated 18 wheeler trucks for long hours and were … [Read more...]
Can Social Media Hurt My Personal Injury Case?
Social media has become a popular means of communication these days. It’s so convenient that some use it more than talking on the phone. While it can be harmless, it can hurt you or others if used irresponsibly. When it comes to a personal injury case, you should be careful about your social media activity. What you post could influence the outcome of your case. Don’t do anything to discredit the fact that you’re injured Defending attorneys will do their jobs of fully investigating their opponent. Social media isn’t off limits for gathering evidence. Definitely don’t post pictures or messages … [Read more...]
Someone was injured on the sidewalk in front of my house. Am I liable?
When you look out your front window and see a pizza delivery kid writhing in pain on the sidewalk in front of your house from slipping or tripping and falling, one of the things that goes through your mind is whether you're liable for his injury. You didn't even order a pizza. He was going to deliver to the wrong house, but there he is on the ground. According to the personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle, liability on this case turns on the application of Texas law to the specific facts surrounding the fall. Any liability attributable to you is based on the laws of premises … [Read more...]
What To Do If You Are Hit By a Drunk Driver
Each time you get on the road, you take care to follow the traffic rules and regulations. Unfortunately, there are others who do not abide by the same rules as you, so there is always a risk of being involved in a car accident.All too often there are people who endanger all of those who cross their path by drinking and driving. When a drunk driver makes the decision to get behind the wheel of their car, they are putting themselves and the lives of all those they come in contact with at risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drunk driving kills one person every 48 … [Read more...]
Injured by a Doctor? You’ll likely deal with the secretive Medical Board instead of open court
Fox 4 in Dallas did a great story on the Texas Medical Board and their contribution to physician discipline since tort reform in 2003. According to the report serious disciplinary actions are down and the time taken to conduct investigations has risen. Further, Doctor confidentiality and secrecy is maintained until a final disciplinary action is completed, leaving patients unaware of allegations of malpractice by doctors. Check the Fox 4 page for a video. Some of the images are graphic and the stories are truly tragic. Its a shame our state has fallen so far in protecting patient … [Read more...]
American Trucking Associations Support Congressional Mandate for Electronic Logging Devices in 18-Wheelers
Many 18-wheeler accidents become more difficult to investigate due to missing or incomplete information concerning hours-of-service compliance. Electronic Logging Devices could assist in safety and compliance with federal laws by more closely tracking hours 0f service and other important metrics. The American Trucking Associations, along with other law enforcement and advocacy groups, recently signaled support for such a measure by sending a letter to members of the House and Senate who are currently negotiating safety regulations. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has … [Read more...]
Tort Reform has not Increased the Number of Doctors in Texas
Anew study by David A. Hyman, Charles Silver, and Bernard Black shows that Texas Tort Reform measures have not increased the number of doctors in Texas since 2003. "Does state tort reform affect physician supply? Tort reformers certainly believe so. Before Texas adopted tort reform in 2003, proponents claimed that physicians were deserting Texas in droves. After tort reform was enacted, proponents claimed there had been a dramatic increase in physicians moving to Texas due to the improved liability climate. We find no evidence to support either claim. Physician supply was not measurably … [Read more...]
Texas Appellate Courts are More Likely to Reverse Plaintiff’s Judgments
The Dallas Morning News reports that a soon-to-be-released study shows Texas Appellate Courts reverse judgments for plaintiffs with alarming regularity, and at a dramatically higher rate than judgments for defendants: “The study, conducted by two appellate lawyers at Haynes and Boone, found the Texas appellate judges have an overall reversal rate of 49 percent when they review cases that the plaintiff won in the trial court and the defendant appealed. But those same judges reversed only 25 percent of the cases in which the defendant prevailed at trial and the plaintiff appealed. The Texas … [Read more...]
All-Metal Hip Implants Prone to Early Failure, Need to be Removed
Great story by NPR on the continuing problems faced by patients who have received All-Metal Hip Implants. Implants Need To Be Removed Early by Richard Knox EnlargeRichard Knox/NPRYoung-min Kwon of Massachusetts General Hospital holds the metal-alloy ball of Susy Mansfield's faulty artificial hip joint. The yellowish tissue on top is dead muscle caused by a reaction to the metal debris produced by the defective hip implant. When Susy Mansfield needed a hip replacement in 2009, her orthopedic surgeon chose a relatively new and untested kind of artificial hip made … [Read more...]