bellingham personal injury attorney Tag

What Types of Evidence Are Gathered for Personal Injury Cases?

A personal injury claim is filed to recover damages for people who were injured because of the negligence of another. Cases involving serious, long-term injuries can yield large settlements but even with less serious injuries people can recover substantial damages for medical expenses and lost wages during recovery. A lawsuit brought by a personal injury lawyer is also a way to hold the negligent party responsible for their behavior. Common types of personal injury claims include wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and medical malpractice.

If you have spoken with a personal injury lawyer and they have agreed to take your case, the attorney will begin moving through the steps of a personal injury claim; beginning with gathering all relevant documents and evidence.

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How Pain and Suffering is Calculated in Washington State Personal Injury Cases

In a personal injury case, pain and suffering is the legal term for the part of the settlement that compensates the victim for the physical and emotional distress caused by an injury. Some examples of pain and suffering damages include depression, loss of enjoyment of life, limitations on activity and chronic pain.

One of the many advantages of hiring a personal injury attorney to help with a personal injury claim is their help calculating a dollar value for your pain and suffering. The injury lawyer factors in a settlement range that is most likely to be offered in negotiations or in a jury award. This information gives the plaintiff a good idea of what compensation they can expect for their pain and suffering from a reasonable offer.

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Safety Tips for First Time Turkey

With COVID-19 in full swing, many families are choosing to have Thanksgiving at home with their immediate family members. That means many chefs will be roasting, deep frying, brining or smoking a turkey for the first time and learning the ropes as they do it. When it comes to turkey, there are all kinds of tricks for keeping it moist and delicious but there are also safety tips that should be taken into consideration to avoid a Thanksgiving Day accident or injury.

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What Duty of Care do Business Owners Owe Their Customers During a Pandemic?

Under premises liability law, businesses owe their customers a duty of care. This was always true, but there are added duties during COVID-19. On a practical level, a business owes their customers a duty to keep them safe on the business premises. If a customer is injured or becomes seriously ill because the business owner failed to meet their duty of care by acting negligently, the injured party may be able to sue to recover damages. For example, if a customer contracts Coronavirus after visiting a business that was not following safety guidelines, they may be able to file a personal injury claim.

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What are Independent Medical Examinations in Personal Injury Cases?

In personal injury cases, medical exams provide critical information about the specific injuries endured by the plaintiff and how bad they are. The insurance agency that is responsible for paying for these injuries will always try to deny responsibility and/or downplay the severity of the injuries in order to get out of paying a fair settlement. This is why they often request that plaintiffs undergo an independent medical examination (IME). These requests are commonly made in personal injury lawsuits for car accidents because they want to bring in an expert witness who can use the results as part of their testimony.

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The Importance of Witnesses in Personal Injury Cases

If you were injured in a car accident or other personal injury scenario like slip and fall because of the negligence of another, you may be wondering how you are going to pay for your medical bills and make up lost wages while you recover. You may even be facing permanent disability and the prospect that you may never be able to work again. The best thing to do is speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can explain your legal rights: you may be able to recover damages through a personal injury settlement or jury award.

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When to Sue for A Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are responsible for many deaths and permanent disabilities every year. TBIs are typically caused by a violent bump, blow, or jolt to the head. In some cases, an object penetrates the brain such as a shard of glass from a windshield and causes a penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function. Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries include physical paralysis, chronic pain, sleep issues, loss of hearing, loss of control of bowels or bladder, headaches, lost sense of taste, and seizures. The list of potential health issues goes on from there.

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Top Types of Personal Injury Claims

There are many different types of personal injury claims, though some are more common than others. One thing to keep in mind is that they have one thing in common: the claimant was injured because of the negligence or willful act of another. There are also a set of elements that must be proved for any successful personal injury claim.

If you were injured because of the negligence or willful act of another, contact a personal injury attorney for legal help. The injury lawyer will assess your accident and injuries and can discuss your legal rights.

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Bellingham City Council Votes to Settle Federal Lawsuit Filed by Wife of Dead Man Who Was Intubated

As reported by the Bellinghamherald.com, on Monday, August 24, 2020, the Bellingham City Council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Jai Ginn, the wife of Bradley Ginn Sr. who died on the way to the hospital on July 31, 2018. The man’s body was used to practice endotracheal intubations for training purposes by 11 Bellingham firefighters without authorization from the family. In addition to the lack of consent, Ginn Sr. had a valid do not resuscitate order, which made it clear that he did not want life-saving measures such as intubation to be performed.

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Is It Possible to Bring a Civil Suit for Vandalism?

Vandalism is an intentional property crime that involves damaging or destroying another person’s property; usually a car, house or building. People often describe being vandalized like a personal assault. When someone breaks into our property and vandalizes it with graffiti, by breaking windows, slashing tires or gluing locks, it can leave us feeling shaken and violated. On top of this, it costs money to fix the damage and restore the property to the way it was. Even when a property is insured, victims are usually left with a deductible to pay before the insurance will cover remaining damages. (more…)