Archive for the ‘Attorney-Lawyer’ Category

Suffered Brain Injury From A Car Accident?

Friday, November 25th, 2011

If someone you know has been involved in a severe car accident, there is a possibility that this individual could have suffered from brain injuries as a consequence of the accident. The two main types of brain injuries are, firstly, an acquired brain injury and secondly, traumatic brain injury. In the first scenario, the brain cells become impaired, commonly due to a lack of oxygen. The lack of oxygen car occur in a severe car accident where there was an obstruction of the victim’s airways and he could not breathe properly or where he suffered severe head or neck injuries. Traumatic brain injuries arise when there is a sudden blow to the head or where something penetrates into the head causing the brain to suffer trauma.

In both instances, it is important that you consult a car accident lawyer. Where there are traumatic brain injuries as a consequence of a car accident, it is also important that the medical professionals are able to confirm whether this injury is mild, moderate or severe. Mild brain injuries are common and can be manifest when the person loses consciousness or appears to be dazed or incoherent. A moderate brain injury, on the other hand, tends to last longer or occur more frequently. Severe brain injuries may result in the person falling into a coma or being unconscious for extended periods of time, or even suffer from amnesia.

Where the victim has suffered from brain injuries and this has been confirmed by medical professionals, it would be ideal to seek the advice of a car accident lawyer in order to determine the next steps that have to be taken. This is because there are instances where there is severe brain injury arising from trauma that may result in a permanent disability or even death, therefore, it is imperative that all the necessary legal steps are taken to protect the rights of the person injured. It is also helpful that any compensation due from the perpetrator of the accident is received as soon as possible in order to assist in funding the necessary medical treatment.

Amongst the types of brain injuries that can be sustained in a car accident include concussion and contusions as well as penetration injuries. These normally arise as a consequence of impact to the head and, depending on the severity of the injuries sustained to the brain, the victim may suffer from mild symptoms such as dizziness to more extreme symptoms such as amnesia. Blurred vision and headaches as well as nausea and loss of memory are commonly seen in victims of brain injuries and it is important that the victim is thoroughly examined and evaluated to determine the extent of the short and long-term repercussions.

The victim should ideally file for compensation from the car accident as soon as possible as time is of the essence not only with regard to the medical treatment that may be required but also with reference to the statute of limitations that applies in certain states. If the claim is not filed before the statute of limitation kicks in, it may be too late to seek compensation for the injuries sustained. It would be best to consult a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after the car accident.

Beware! Insurance Scam Frauds In Car Accidents!

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

We all take for granted that once we are insured, there is an assurance of protection in the event of a car accident. However, your personal accident attorney will be best placed to advise you that it is because of the protections that are available and the possible compensation that is claimable that there are many car insurance scams that exist. In a lot of these cases, the scams revolve around car accidents, as at the time of impact during an accident, many victims tend to be muddled and confused as well as concerned with sorting everything out.

This is one of the reasons it is best for you to consult a car accident attorney in the event that you have been involved in an accident. There are a variety of car insurance scams that take place and most of these perpetrators are experienced in handling such situations and generally appear to be the good and helpful people who “happen” to be there when an accident occurs.

The most common scams basically involve staged car accidents. This is where the scam driver intentionally brakes suddenly in front of you causing a sudden and unavoidable accident resulting in you hitting their vehicle with your car. If executed correctly, the personal injury risk from such accidents are small but their focus is on the payout that they can get for damage to the property. In addition, there is a possibility that the so-called victims may fake injuries in order to claim larger amounts of insurance.

Another thing that commonly occurs during such scams is that after the accident takes place, the victim then takes his car to another location for the purposes of causing more physical damage to the car. This is so that they can then claim higher amounts of compensation for the physical damage to property. Therefore ideally, in the event that such a situation occurs to you, it is always useful to take photographs of the damages that have occurred to their car and to yours. This will ensure that there is photographic proof of the actual damage that took place. Always ensure that copies of the photos you take are given not only to the police but also to your car accident attorney.

Another common scam strategy is to have fake helpers on standby who will offer to help you locate an auto repair shop or a doctor or even a lawyer. Such individuals are known as touts and they will make commissions based on the amount of money that you end up spending at the store or professional they have recommended.

You will find in such instances that the charges sustained for repair or medical bills or even legal fees will be inflated in order to cover the costs of commissions to the touts. Do not liaise with people providing such recommendations at the scene of an accident. Ideally you should take the time to find your own car accident attorney to assist you through whatever issues arise in your car accident case.