Know Your Legal Rights

We have recently been retained by a client in a situation that illustrates how anyone in their everyday life may end up in a circumstance requiring the legal advice of a personal injury attorney.

This particular client was shopping in a local store of a nationally known branch. Due to the negligence of store personnel, one of those anti-theft devices that is removed at the register was laying on the floor, the pointy needle part sticking up. Our client accidently stepped on that pointy pin-like item and punctured her shoe and her foot. The foot became infected causing both pain and suffering as well as necessitating medical fees to see her doctor for treatment. We intend to file a claim on her behalf and negotiate a reasonable settlement with the store’s insurance company or their attorneys, to include the medical costs and remuneration for a pain and suffering. If no reasonable agreement is reached we will be her legal representation in court.

The key point is that anything can happen to anyone at any time. Should you ever be in a situation in a store, on a public street, in a vehicle where you are injured you too may benefit from the legal representation of a skilled and experienced personal injury attorney. Clearly no one wants to get hurt but if you accidently do it’s important to know your legal rights.

You’ve fallen on a public street. Now what?

Sometimes in everyday life we fall down and get injured, but what happens if this occurs on a public street? If your tumble was due to a broken sidewalk or something of that nature, there are certain steps that should be taken. Here is a good idea of how you should proceed.

Assess You Injuries On The Spot

If you should fall down on a public street you should not attempt to get up quickly since there is a chance that you may have sustained some type of serious injury. Try to move as slowly as possible and closely monitor the way that your body responds. If you don't notice anything different that is great. On the other hand, if you have difficulty getting up, you should call out for assistance.

Seek Medical Attention

This advice applies to both those who are able to get up and those who are not. Some people falsely believe that you don't need to be checked out if you feel fine, but this is not always the case. There are some delayed injuries in many cases and you will not have any recourse if you wait too long to seek help. If you are badly hurt, call an ambulance. Otherwise, head to the nearest medical facility and let them know what occurred.

Contact A Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been examined and it has been determined that there are substantial injuries, you need to get in touch with a Personal Injury attorney as soon as possible.  The main reason is that many falls involves municipalities who require filing a notice of claim before you may make a claim against them.  There are short time limits to file the notice of claim and to start a lawsuit. You should also furnish pictures of the place where you fell (if available), contact information for witnesses and anything else that you believe will be useful. Never contact anyone else since you do not know where their loyalties belong.  Allow your attorney to handle it.

When you fall on a public street, it is important that you proceed correctly. Keep all of this information in mind in case you are ever unfortunate enough to need it

Popick and Rutman

When Is It Necessary To Call A Personal Injury Attorney?

Sometimes people are injured and it is no big deal, for example if you cut yourself and the only treatment you need is a band aid. But when yousustain an injury such as a fracture, an injury that causes significant pain that will last for a prolonged period of time or you sustained lost wages because you cannot work  it would be in their best interest to get in touch with a personal injury attorney. Here is some common injury situations in which you may need to consult with an attorney if injured.

Slips and falls are a very common occurrence that may require the help of an attorney. If someone slips on property that belongs to another and it was due to the owner's negligence or a statutory violation it is possible to recover damages. Hiring an attorney will help determine the injured party’s monetary damages.   Consulting with an attorney is mandatory to find out if the owner has legal liability for the condition that caused the fall.

Buying a product that is defective can cause harm in some cases. For instance, if a car seat is purchased and it does not perform as it should and a child is injured, the parents have the right to sue the manufacturer. This type of case sometimes involves many others who have experienced the same type of trauma and is referred to as a class action suit.

Industrial diseases are another reason to get in touch with a personal injury attorney. If a factory worker is diagnosed with emphysema or some other respiratory illness and it was caused by a chemical being used in production, there is a chance that they have a case. It will depend on the specific circumstances, but it is certainly conceivable.

There are other instances  where people are injured should call an attorney.  This is a general idea of some examples in which an attorney should be consulted, dog bites, construction accidents, being a victim of medical malpractice, an assault in a bar when people should not have been served alcohol.  Many people are injured daily and they shrug it off. This is very unfortunate since it is actually possible for many of them to recover a monetary settlement.