Articles Posted in Personal Injury

No matter how the injury is sustained, whether auto accident, slip and fall or by defective product, there may be no more serious or devastating injury than a brain injury. In addition to the life altering physical symptoms, we also understand that there are equally devastating personality and emotional changes.

I work in tandem with another trial attorney who himself has experienced traumatic brain injury. He lost nearly ten years of his life and career while rehabilitating from this traumatic injury and now dedicates himself to helping others who have experienced similar injuries.

We understand that brain injury cases are more than headaches, nausea or other physical symptoms. We know that your entire personality can be altered affecting not only your life but your relationship with family and friends. We understand that large sections of your memory and life can be forgotten and erased. We understand that you have uncontrollable rage at times and that you make decisions that you never would have made prior to the injury. We look past the MRI and physical symptoms to look at the whole picture to see how your brain injury has affected your life.

I’ve recently become involved in an interesting auto accident case and I thought it might be informative to others out there having a similar experience. My client has been experiencing frequent panic attacks and mental anguish following an automobile accident. While insurance companies, and even juries to some extent, are able to quantify damages for broken arms and/or legs, they are much less equipped to quantify damages for mental anxiety and suffering. The relative lack of these types of cases can make them difficult to settle and make determining a value difficult.

To anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack, I empathize. I understand that many people would rather have a broken arm or leg than live through five minutes of a full-blown panic attack. Anything can bring on these attacks and for some, it is difficult to even get in a car again or drive down the same street where the accident occurred. Because panic attacks are unpredictable, it does not require an extremely serious or traumatic accident. Even a moderate impact can have devastating results. Sometimes the auto accident is the last straw in an otherwise stressful life – work, kids, bills, and life are sometimes enough to deal with before an accident occurs and your car is destroyed, you are unable to work and your life is flipped upside down.

Rest assured, that while difficult to monetize, these claims have merit. Like any other injury suffered in an accident, the claim has to be supported by medical evidence. This means that a therapist, psychologist or social worker has to actively treat your condition, much like an orthopedist would mend your broken leg. With a proper diagnosis and treatment, these cases can be handled if your personal injury attorney is experienced with dealing with such circumstances.

Party buses and vans have grown increasingly in popularity for over a decade now taking business away from standard limousines for group functions. Bachelor, bachelorette parties and other group outings often rent a party bus for the evening. In one regard, it is much safer because it hires a designated driver for people who know they will be drinking. On the other hand, the lack of standard seating and the impetus to dance and walk around the party bus can make them dangerous even without an accident occurring.

One such company out of California which has rooftop access has been sued by a woman who claims she was struck by an overhanging tree branch causing significant injury to her face. The lawsuit claims that the company failed to monitor the overpass clearance for patrons standing and partying on the rooftop. The poor woman who was visiting New York at the time of the accident suffered a fracture of her orbital socket and numerous other facial injuries. Shockingly, this horrific accident came only one week after a young man was killed while riding on the top level of a party bus. In that case the poor victim struck a concrete overpass. This demonstrates disregard for patron safety, lack of awareness of safe and proper routes, and poor training for the bus operators. It is also important to note in this case that no warnings of any kind were given to the patrons.

Operators of sightseeing and party buses, particularly those with upper level access, have to apply strict safety standards even if it is contradictory to their intended purpose of fun.

The Providence Journal is reporting a relatively serious bus accident which occurred between two RIPTA buses at the terminal in Kennedy Plaza, Providence. There is not a tremendous amount of information available yet about how such an accident between two buses occurred, but pictures included in the report show pretty significant damage. At least five injuries are being reported but there may be many more. If you were among those injured in this bus accident at Kennedy Plaza on May 3 it is important to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney right away.

RIPTA is a self insured agency. That means that claims for personal injury will go directly through RIPTA and not an insurance company. RIPTA has a claims department dedicated to handling accident cases. Their claims department, however, is notoriously difficult to deal with. They often delay decisions and settlement offers, make questionable liability decisions, and make low offers for settlement. If you are involved in a case against RIPTA, it is imperative to speak with a car accident attorney experienced with settling claims against RIPTA.

The good news is that liability is often not an issue for passengers on the bus. Since you are riding on their bus, you can not be held responsible for the negligent actions of the driver. If the accident includes collision with another vehicle, you will be able to collect damages regardless of which driver is responsible. Even if there is joint negligence between the two drivers, you will be able to collect from one, the other, or both drivers. Those involved in a bus accident are entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Of all the questions I hear in my office from new clients who are unsure about the personal injury claim process, the question I hear the most is: how long is my claim going to take to settle. I can not speak for every personal injury law firm, but since this is such a frequently asked question, I will answer as to how my firm handles claims.

The single most important determining factor as to the length of your claim is whether the case settles prior to litigation or not. Settlement prior to litigation is NOT always the best option. Many personal injury law firms like to brag about their settlement percentage. I assure you not to be fooled by this statistic or this advertising tactic. ANY LAWYER OR LAW FIRM CAN SETTLE YOUR CASE IF THEY ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT WHATEVER LOW OFFER THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAKES. In fact, many of the law firms that highlight their rate of pre-litigation settlement are probably accepting far less than the case is worth.

The Settlement Process

If you have been involved in an accident of any kind you may undergo diagnostic testing at some point to identify the nature and extent of your injury. The most common diagnostic tests in personal injury cases are X-rays, MRI’s and CT scans. X-rays are most commonly used to identify and/or rule out fractures and broken bones. MRI’s are often taken for a close look of a muscle or tendon injury. For example, an MRI will be used to diagnose rotator cuff tears of the shoulder, or ligament tears in knees and ankles. An MRI will also be used in cases of serious injury to the neck or back to diagnosis disc injury or herniation. Finally, a CT scan is most often used to diagnosis head injuries such as concussions or bleeding on the brain. A CT scan may also be used to identify and/or rule out internal injury such as injury to the lungs, kidneys, etc.

These tests might be taken at any time during the treatment for your injury. These tests may be taken at the emergency room following a serious auto accident or may be taken after your treatment has already begun. If you are not responding to treatment or your condition worsens after treatment has already begun, then a doctor might order an MRI or other test to ensure that the injuries are not more serious than previously believed.

It is important to be aware that all of these tests, in particular, X-rays and MRI’s, are subject to incorrect readings and mistake. X-rays taken immediately after an accident may often be incorrect because swelling around the fracture makes it very difficult to accurately see the bone. Last year, I represented a gentleman who was rushed to a Massachusetts emergency room from the site of a very serious car crash. The ER took multiple X-rays but failed to identify any fractures. A week later, my client’s primary care physician ordered another set of X-rays which revealed a fractured sternum and multiple broken ribs. Similarly, I currently represent a woman who fell down a flight of stairs breaking her ankle. This fracture, however, was not identified at the emergency room. It was only identified by an orthopedist almost 3 weeks later.