Jason Taylor

A High Side Crash Is a Very Dangerous Motorcycle Accident

Administrator — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:47:37 +0000

Despite the fact that a motorcycle only has two wheels, it’s pretty stable when under power. So long as its rear wheel is driving the bike, rotational force keeps it upright and keeps the wheels aligned with each other. However, if during braking, the rear wheel locks up, it will come out of line with the front wheel, and the result could be a motorcycle accident.

If the brake is released and the rear wheel spins under the engine’s power again, it tries to snap back in line with the front wheel. When this happens, it can cause the bike to high side and throw the rider off:

A high side crash can be a very dangerous motorcycle accident. If your bike’s rear wheel does lock up, keep pressure on the brake – it’s better to let the rear wheel skid than to have a high side crash.

When braking in most situations, you should downshift as speed reduces to keep the road speed in sync with the engine speed. When braking in an emergency situation to avoid a motorcycle accident, squeeze the clutch in and focus on braking. However, before stopping, ensure that you shift all the way down to first gear.

The best way to avoid a motorcycle accident is to keep a safe following distance between you and the vehicle in front. By maintaining sufficient space between you and other road users, you can completely avoid the need to brake suddenly. In slippery or wet conditions, increase the following distance even more because traction for braking is reduced.

Articles on this blog are provided for informational purposes only. Use of this blog does not provide or replace individualized legal advice. If you are in need of legal advice, please speak with one of our attorneys, who can offer legal advice specific to your circumstances.

What’s the Difference between an Accident Attorney and a Personal Injury Attorney?

Administrator — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:17:51 +0000

An accident attorney helps people who have sustained physical injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. This type of attorney can also be called a personal injury attorney. So essentially, there’s no difference between the two. While they might specialize in various types of accidents, attorneys in this field handle cases involving cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, trucks, aviation, boats, construction and industrial sites – to name a few.

An accident attorney meets with an injured person as soon as possible after the accident. At this point, he/she conducts a preliminary investigation, which starts by reading the official police report and all the witness statements. After going through these documents, he/she can determine whether the injured person has a viable claim.

Once the attorney agrees to take on the case, he/she begins a more in-depth investigation. He/she examines the accident report more carefully and re-interviews all the police’s witnesses. He/she may also prepare a set of questions and send it to the alleged negligent party with a request for written response. The accident attorney might also bring in important witnesses to be questioned in a deposition.

During this phase of investigation, the accident attorney might hire expert witnesses to strengthen the case. In the event of a particularly serious accident, he/she might even hire an accident reconstruction expert to investigate the incident onsite. For automobile accidents, taking measurements of the skid marks is one of the things that the expert does onsite. When all the data is collected and the accident has been retraced, the accident attorney is then able to determine what and who caused it.

3 Clear Examples for When to Contact a Medical Attorney

Administrator — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:00:12 +0000

Medical malpractice is a terrible occurrence. Not only does it harm or even kill the victims of its negligence, but the experiences of those victims are made much worse by the fact that we look to the medical industry for help and for honesty. When our rightful expectations are betrayed through negligence, it is time to contact a medical attorney. Part of the difficulty with which a medical attorney can help lies in the details of cases varying greatly from instance to instance; but to aid in your own judgment of when to involve a medical attorney for professional assistance, here are five clear examples of medical malpractice:

1. One of the more common mistakes made by physicians is an error in the administering of anesthesia. Of course, this is a branch of medicine in which the practice can easily go awry. It is possible for a physician to overlook some previous medication that can cause complications and injury or death to the patient when mixed with the anesthetic. If the injury was received by the patient through negligence in procedure, it may be considered malpractice.

2. Another mistake that may be considered malpractice is a mistake during childbirth. Something may go wrong during childbirth due to the doctor failing to follow standard procedure for the situation, resulting in injury to the child.

3. If a doctor fails to properly test for cancer after the patient expresses concern, and afterward the patient suffers as a result of the failure, the doctor may be held accountable.

4. Misdiagnosis of acute syndromes such as appendicitis may also be considered malpractice and warrant the consultation of a medical attorney. If the patient complains about abdominal pain, and the doctor dismisses the patient without proper diagnosis, the doctor may be held accountable for any injuries resulting from the misdiagnosis.

5. A patient with coronary artery disease at risk of a heart attack complains about chest pain. If the doctor fails to diagnose the problem and the patient suffers injuries because of this failure to diagnose, the case may be considered medical malpractice.

Most Common Reasons for Disability Claims

Administrator — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:55:07 +0000

A disability claim is no light issue for anyone suffering from an injury that prevents them from doing the job they normally do. A disability or injury can cause financial hardship on top of the already sufficient physical suffering. What are some examples of injuries that result in disability claims? They are diverse and range anywhere from what we expect, such as back and spine problems, to others which we maybe would not think so common.

1. One of the most common disability claims is indeed for back and spinal injuries. Back injuries may result from accidents or frequent or improper heavy lifting. Back injuries can be one of the most debilitating; informing your employer of any minor injuries is generally a good idea, as well as receiving medical attention for any problems.

2. Though we may not expect it, psychiatric and mental disabilities are among the very most common disability claims. This broad definition includes depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bi-polar syndrome and manic depression.

3. Hand and leg impairment, as well as other injuries to the extremities (being arms, legs, hands and feet) are common among disability claims. Injuries may result from malfunctioning machinery or workplace accidents.

4. Many workplace disability claims actually come from alcohol or other substance abuse. While employers are not required to tolerate alcohol or illegal drug use, especially on the job, disability claims can sometimes be filed for time taken away from work for the attendance of a rehabilitation program.

5. Disability claims are often filed for neurological impairments. Epilepsy and other severe nervous system disorders, as well as migraine headaches, are examples of neurological impairments.

What Can a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Accomplish for You?

Administrator — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:03:42 +0000

If you have experienced any on-the-job injuries, you will certainly have noticed how difficult the situation may become when looking for answers about workers’ compensation. Several factors play into the mix, and though it’s difficult to be specific as to exactly what might entitle a person to workers’ compensation (due to fluctuation in laws from state to state, as well as how laws might be applied from case to case), that same difficulty only serves as evidence as to the necessity of a qualified, experienced workers’ compensation attorney.

From the very moment of the on-the-job injury, there should be a general guideline to follow in order to make everything run smoothly for you. Falsely executing the procedure of obtaining medical help and registering for workers’ compensation may result in forfeiture of any claims for which you would otherwise be eligible. Of course, getting medical help is the first priority, and hesitation is not recommended. But the sooner you contact a workers’ compensation attorney concerning your injury, the better the process is likely to run for you.

A workers’ compensation attorney will help you sort through the difficult legal and bureaucratic process which goes hand in hand with workers’ compensation. He or she will be familiar with the laws, regulations, and processes in your area and will have had experience in previous cases. In some situations, there may be a dispute as to whether you are entitled to compensation. In such a situation, do not go blindly forward without professional help. Contacting a workers’ compensation attorney, and the sooner the better, is a good move in every situation involving an injury at work.

Shocking Statistics of Motorcycle Accidents

Administrator — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:34:35 +0000

We all know that motorcycles are associated with quite a bit more danger than an average four-wheeled vehicle on the road. We all know that in the occurrence of a motorcycle accident, the rate of serious injury, and even the mortality rate, is much higher than when no motorcycle is involved. Indeed, many situations which would normally be simple fender-benders result instead in tragedies where a motorcycle is involved. The following statistics, taken from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, shed a bit of perspective on the real dangers of a motorcycle accident:

Motorcyclists are 35 time more likely to experience a deadly accident on the road than those in passenger cars.
A motorcyclist not wearing a helmet is 40 percent more likely to die of a head injury than one who wears a helmet. A motorcyclist not wearing a helmet is 15 percent more likely to suffer a non-fatal injury than one who wears a helmet.
In 2005, the fatality rate of motorcyclists was 73 per 100,000 registered motorcycles, compared to 14 per 100,000 registered passenger vehicles in the same year.
11 percent of all roadway accidents in the United States involve motorcycles.

The following statistics were taken from the CDC’s Motorcycle-Crash Related Data:

In 2008, motor vehicle crash-related deaths involving cars and light trucks were at an all-time low for the country; that same year, motorcyclist deaths reached an all-time high, having doubled since 1999.
Between 2001 and 2008, more than 34,000 motorcyclists were killed, and an estimated 1,222,000 persons were treated in a U.S. emergency department (ED) for a non-fatal motorcycle-related injury.
In 2008, 175,000 non-fatal motorcyclist injuries were treated in EDs.
Between 2001 and 2008, the highest death and injury rates were among 20-24 year-olds, followed by 25-29 year-olds.

It is apparent that the operation of a motorcycle comes with risks. Thankfully, injuries rather than fatalities, are more common in motorcycle accidents. Be safe when driving a motorcycle, and if you do experience an accident, don’t hesitate to seek help from a motorcycle accident attorney for injury and damage claims to which you are entitled.

Accident Involving a Big Rig? Contact a Truck Accident Attorney Immediately

Administrator — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:30:12 +0000

Aside from being just plain dangerous, accidents involving commercial semi-trucks can be incredibly complicated affairs. In a normal traffic accident situation, with strictly private vehicle owners, the case is usually much more straightforward, with one or more parties to blame and each (hopefully) with his or her own insurance and set plans. However, when a commercial truck has an accident, the parties involved are not always so clear, and neither is the proper course of action. A truck accident attorney is often needed to sift through the legal debris of such a situation.

Commercial semi-trucks are rarely owned by the person driving the vehicle and not always by the company for which that driver works. Sometimes companies may rent out trucks to other companies for use, who then give the truck to a driver. Additionally, the trailer attached to the truck may have yet another owner. All of this can, of course, cause an insurance nightmare in which the average person has no desire to become entangled.

To make legal matters worse yet, however, there is the issue of where the accident occurred. We all know that the big-rigs often travel long distances, even cross country, and that creates yet another complication of jurisdiction and cross-state line insurance policies. Often, federal laws must come in to effect to settle matters (or sometimes, complicate them further). But have no fear, because a truck accident attorney will have dedicated time and effort to the study of such situations and will be prepared to handle the difficult legal matters. Long story short, in the case of a traffic accident involving a commercial truck, calling a truck accident attorney is a must.

Without a Workers’ Compensation Attorney, You Could Be Facing an Uphill Battle

Administrator — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:29:22 +0000

No-one expects to be injured at work. But, the truth is every year there are thousands and thousands of workers’ compensation claims filed throughout the state of North Carolina. If you are injured at work, you’ll have to fight for a settlement or the benefits you deserve. This can take a huge toll on you and your family.

So, why do you need a workers’ compensation attorney on your side when dealing with a work-related injury? You may think that if you’re hurt at work, your boss will do whatever it takes to help you recover from your injury and take care of you and your family. Sadly, many employees learn that this is not the case.

Businesses have to account for profits and losses, and they have shareholders to which they must report. A skilled workers’ compensation attorney knows that companies have risk managers, office managers, human resources directors and other employees whose specific jobs are to try and reduce the costs associated with on-the-job injuries.

Time after time, a workers’ compensation attorney sees relationships between hardworking, loyal employees and their employers go sour after a work injury. Just when you need the support of your employer most, he/she suddenly sees you as a financial liability.

Without a workers’ compensation attorney on your side, you could face an uphill battle. The workers’ compensation law involves a complex set of procedural rules, regulations and statutes regarding the benefits that injured workers are entitled to and how the benefits are paid, not to mention, the complexities involved if disputes are involved in claims.

Slip and Fall Disputes Often Require an Accident Attorney to Argue Aggressively

Administrator — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:40:11 +0000

Slip and fall accidents in North Carolina are responsible for many injuries each year, leaving victims to deal with anything from head or spinal injuries to broken bones. A slip and fall accident can happen in an instant, but it could change your life forever.

You’ll need to find an accident attorney to act as a powerful ally – one who is experienced in representing clients against large corporate and retail offenders. He/she must also be prepared to stick with your case, from start to finish.

To ensure the liable party is held responsible for injuries arising from a slip and fall accident, your medical attorney must prove one of the following:

An employee or the owner of the premises must have caused a torn or worn spot, a spill, or other dangerous and slippery item or surface to be underfoot.
An employee or the owner of the premises must have been aware of the dangerous or slippery surface but did nothing about it. He or she made no effort to act in a “reasonable” manner by removing or repairing it.

It is rare for slip and fall cases to be clear cut, and they are some of the hardest won cases. Your accident attorney may have a tough fight proving fault – and the defense knows it. Attorneys who work on the side of big corporations who may be at fault will do everything in their power to prevent you from winning your slip and fall case. Aggressive litigation like this demands aggressive representation.

Kids’ Personal Watercraft Safety: Why Lifejackets Aren’t Enough

Administrator — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:42:31 +0000

Fun weekends at the lake with family and friends can turn to tragedy in the blink of an eye. While drowning is certainly a risk, when it comes to accidents involving jet skis or personal watercrafts (PWCs), the leading cause of death is not drowning—it’s blunt trauma—and children are far more likely than adults to become victims.

PWCs can travel at up to 65 miles per hour, weaving between other boats or water vehicles, making sharp turns, and jumping over tall waves. If someone falls off the back or side of the vehicle, they may sustain severe head injuries, paralysis, or even death. There are currently no regulations on the age or experience level of PWC drivers, so it’s up to parents to protect their children from the dangers of PWCs.

To prevent tragic injuries, no one under the age of 16 should operate a PWC. Life jackets should be worn at all times, and children should also wear protective gear, including a wet suit, gloves, goggles, and a helmet. If possible, the driver should also carry a cell phone or radio with them, so they can notify those on land immediately in the event of an emergency.