A car accident can cause virtually any type of injury ranging from minor to catastrophic. For the purposes of a personal injury claim, an accident attorney will generally define a catastrophic injury as one that is permanently disabling in some way. Some examples including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), limb amputation, and vision loss. When an auto accident survivor has sustained catastrophic injuries, a personal injury lawyer near Baltimore can seek considerable compensation for his or her permanent losses and lifetime care needs.

Calculating Economic Losses

Before filing a claim, the personal injury attorney must determine the amount of compensation to seek. Catastrophic injury victims can seek compensation for economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses include hospital bills and expenses for physical therapy, in-home health aides, durable medical equipment, and similar expenses. Survivors can seek compensation for past, present, and future expenses. The attorney at law may need to consult with various experts such as rehabilitative nurses to determine the appropriate amount of compensation that would cover the victim’s future care needs.

Estimating Non-Economic Losses

Non-economic losses are those that are not tangible, such as mental anguish, and pain and suffering. Victims of minor car accidents aren’t as likely to successfully seek compensation for pain and suffering, but those who have sustained catastrophic injuries can often demand substantial sums for these non-economic losses. There are a few different methods of estimating non-economic losses. To help the attorney accomplish this, the client can fully disclose the extent to which the accident and the resulting injuries have affected his or her quality of life.

Identifying the Defendants

Another necessary step for seeking compensation after an auto accident is to identify the appropriate defendants. In many cases, the defendant is the other driver, who might be held liable for speeding, driving while distracted, or driving while intoxicated. In some cases, other parties may be held liable for catastrophic injuries. If the accident was a truck accident, the personal injury attorney might file a lawsuit against the truck driver’s employer or the truck leasing company. Another possible option is to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer of defective vehicle parts or against a municipality if improperly maintained roadways were to blame for the crash. Once these steps are completed, the case may proceed to trial or the plaintiff might consider accepting a settlement deal.

You may already know that a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) can lead to jail time, substantial fines, and suspension of your driver’s license. But you might not have considered the effect that having a criminal record can have on your employability. If you’ve been charged with DUI, it’s vital that you consult a DUI lawyer near Baltimore immediately. Your DUI attorney can get right to work on your case and provide guidance through each step of the process.

One way your DUI attorney can help you is by representing you during your arraignment, at which point you may be released on your own recognizance or released on bail. Being released is of course preferable, since you might not care to explain to your employer that you’ll need to miss work indefinitely while you await the resolution of a criminal case. Your DWI lawyer will also work to get the charges reduced or dropped if possible, or to argue for your acquittal in court. Otherwise, if you are convicted, your employer could decide to fire you. In fact, many employers have mandatory firing policies that apply to employees with criminal convictions. A DUI conviction might also result in the loss of your professional license and it will significantly diminish your chances of landing a new job.

For many employees, their workers’ compensation rights and responsibilities are not well understood. The regulations can be complicated and confusing, and they vary from state to state. If you have sustained an on-the-job illness or injury, you should know that you do have the right to visit a workers’ compensation law firm in the Baltimore area. You can have a workers’ compensation attorney review your case and provide personalized guidance. It’s particularly important to consult a workers’ compensation attorney if you feel that your employer may have violated your legal rights.

You Have Not Been Advised of Your Legal Rights

Employers are required by law to post a notice of compliance in a conspicuous place where employees could reasonably be expected to see it, such as in a break room. The notice must provide information about employee rights, disclose the name of the company’s workers’ compensation carrier, provide information about the available workers’ compensation benefits, and inform injured workers that they have the right to receive medical treatment. Advise your attorney at law if your employer has not complied with this requirement.

You Have Not Been Provided with Claim Forms

After an injury occurs in the workplace, employees must report the incident right away. Within 24 hours of the incident being reported, the employer is required to provide the injured worker with claim forms and written information about the employee’s workers’ compensation rights. The written information must include details about filing a claim and the available benefits. The failure of an employer to do this is an indicator of employee rights violations.

You Have Been Treated in a Discriminatory Fashion

Employees are protected by law from retaliatory actions initiated by their employers. This means that after you report an incident and file a claim for compensation, employers are barred from initiating discriminatory actions against you. Inform a workers’ compensation attorney promptly if you feel that you have been the recipient of retaliatory acts in the workplace. Some examples of retaliatory acts include being unfairly demoted, having hours or wages cut, being unfairly reassigned to a position of lesser value, or being unfairly terminated.

Auto accidents are often the result of driver negligence, which is why so many auto accident survivors turn to an attorney at law in Baltimore for assistance filing a claim. In adverse driving conditions like slippery roads, drivers have a responsibility to adjust their driving habits accordingly for the safety of everyone on the roads . For example, it’s important for drivers to slow down and increase the distance between vehicles during a downpour. If a driver fails to do this and strikes your vehicle, you can visit a personal injury law firm to speak with an accident attorney about your options.

For some helpful tips on driving safely in wet conditions, watch this video. You’ll learn how often you should replace your windshield wipers and two other simple adjustments you can make to increase your visibility. You’ll also learn about reducing your risk of hydroplaning and how to drive safely with anti-lock brakes. If you do still get into a car accident, consult an accident attorney right away.

Most people think of acute injuries, such as those caused by a fall, when they think of workers’ compensation cases. However, repetitive motion injuries can slowly cause debilitating pain and disability that could cause you to need a workers’ compensation attorney in Baltimore . This video explains more.

Repetitive motion injuries can be caused by repeated overexertion or repeating the same motions without adequate rest. A workers’ compensation attorney can help you file a claim if you are left unable to work because of a repetitive motion problem, as well as a temporary or permanent disability claim, as necessary. As with any workplace injury, consult with a workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights.

A lot of attention gets paid to common car accident injuries like whiplash and back pain, but facial injuries are also extremely common and may cause longer-term problems. A facial injury suffered in a car accident can be permanently disfiguring and cause vast changes in the well-being of the victim. Whenever you are injured in a car crash, contact an accident attorney in Baltimore for help. You could be entitled to compensation for your medical costs and the pain and suffering caused by a facial injury. Here is what you need to know.

Common Facial Injuries

A number of different types of facial injuries are common during car accidents. These include bone fractures, burns, eye injuries, and soft tissue injuries, including lacerations. They can occur in any kind of accident and usually happen as the result of shattered glass and other flying debris, contact with a hard surface in the card, or contact with an ejected airbag. Facial injuries may also occur if you are thrown from the vehicle during the impact. These injuries are frequently very complex and require extensive treatment to heal.

Compensation for Facial Injuries

The type of compensation you can receive for facial injuries depends very much on the type of injury you experienced. Generally, you may be eligible to have all of your medical costs covered, including your initial treatment and subsequent surgeries or other treatments you will need in the future. If treatment prevents you from working, you may be able to receive damages for your lost wages. If you experienced significant pain from your injury, or if you have been permanently disfigured, your accident attorney may pursue punitive damages as compensation for the physical and emotional anguish you have experienced.

Filing a Claim

Contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after your crash to explore your options for a case. Your lawyer will consider the details of your accident and determine which type of compensation to pursue. Before and after you file a claim, avoid talking to any insurance companies or discussing the accident, which could compromise your case.

With countless drunk drivers on the nation’s roadways each day, there’s a possibility that when you’re involved in a car accident, the other driver may have been intoxicated. While this isn’t ideal for public safety, it is good news for your car accident case. Your accident attorney can use the DUI charge as leverage when negotiating with the insurance company. If your attorney at law files a lawsuit on your behalf, the civil complaint proceeds entirely separately from the criminal case. However, the accident attorney litigating your case in Baltimore can point to the DUI charge or conviction as evidence of liability for your losses.

Watching Out for Signs of Intoxication

Your accident attorney will handle much of your case for you, but he or she can’t be present at the scene immediately after the crash. It may be up to you to notify police officers of suspicious behavior. After the crash, look over at the other car to check whether the occupants may be switching seats. This could indicate that the drunk driver is trying to escape liability by pretending that someone else drove the car at the time of the crash. Observe whether the other driver tries to hide or dispose of potential evidence such as alcoholic beverages or drug paraphernalia. You may also observe the other driver administering eye drops in an attempt to camouflage bloodshot eyes. When you approach the other driver to exchange contact information, take some deep breaths to check for the odor of alcohol or marijuana. If you observe any of these possible signs of driving while under the influence, inform the police officers promptly.

Securing Evidence for Your Case

Drunk driving is a criminal offense. Do not try to collect physical evidence such as beer bottles, but do point these problems out to the police officers. There are other types of evidence you can collect that won’t interfere with a police investigation. For instance, you can take photographs of the crash site and you can obtain a copy of the police report. Your auto accident lawyer will need a copy of the report, which should indicate whether the other driver committed traffic violations or was arrested for DUI.

If you sustain an injury while on the job, there’s no need to delay medical care because you’re concerned about sky-high hospital bills. If you’re an employee, rather than an independent contractor, you may be covered by workers’ compensation. A workers’ compensation attorney at a personal injury law firm can help Baltimore residents understand their benefits. Workers’ compensation will cover the full cost of medical bills related to the injury or illness. This includes diagnostics, in-hospital treatments, and medications.

Your workers’ compensation attorney can also help you recover a portion of your lost wages with a temporary disability claim if you are unable to work because of your injuries. In most cases, workers’ compensation carriers will pay about two-thirds of your average salary to compensate you for missed time at work. In some cases, injured workers may even receive rehabilitation and job retraining benefits. For instance, your injury may prevent you from performing your former job, but you may still be retrained to perform a different type of work.

Workers’ compensation provides invaluable protection for employees, but it isn’t generally well-understood. It’s often confusing for injured workers to navigate the claims process and determine if they’re being treated fairly or not. This is why it’s advisable for Baltimore-area workers to contact a workers’ compensation law firm. During a consultation, a workers’ compensation attorney can help injured workers find out the truth about the claims process.

Myth: Part-Time Employees Aren’t Covered

Part-time employees typically miss out on work-related benefits such as retirement plans and health insurance, but they are covered under workers’ compensation. However, as your workers’ comp attorney can advise you, independent contractors and freelancers are not covered.

Myth: Workers’ Compensation Only Covers Medical Bills

Your workers’ compensation attorney can help you with the claim for your medical coverage. The insurance carrier must pay for diagnostic tests, hospitalizations, and medical treatments, provided they arise directly from your on-the-job injury. However, workers’ comp also covers other losses. It will not pay the full amount of any lost wages you incurred during your recovery, but you should be eligible to obtain a portion of them. Income replacement benefits are available to workers who miss more than three days of work. If you miss more than 14 days of work, you can receive payment for the first three days of work in addition to the subsequent work days.

Myth: The Insurer’s Decision is Final

In some cases, the workers’ compensation insurance carrier may deny a claim. Claims may be denied if an injury is suspected of being caused intentionally or if it is thought that the injury did not arise out of the course of employment. Receiving notice of a denied claim does not automatically mean that you are liable for the medical costs, however. You have the right to hire a workers’ compensation attorney to file an appeal and represent you at the hearing.

Myth: Workers’ Compensation Only Offers Temporary Benefits

Workers’ comp does offer temporary disability benefits, but in the case of a catastrophic injury, long-term benefits may be available . Generally, you will be asked to undergo a medical evaluation to establish the nature and extent of your disability.