Month: March 2011

To many, a car wreck is a car wreck. To law enforcement and the justice system, an auto accident is a personal injury accident.

To get a better idea of what the term personal injury accident means, think car wreck. It is the best example of the personal injuries you may sustain after being hit by a negligent driver. Personal injuries may cover a multitude of things, such as whiplash, air bag injuries, broken bones, crush injuries and amputations.

Consider the case of the man who lost his leg after being hit by a passing car. The victim was pushing his SUV off to the side of the road because he ran out of gas. As he was pushing it, a 25-year old woman driving a Nissan Ultima hit him. As a result of the collision, one of the man’s legs was severed.

Thankfully, another motorist put a tourniquet on the man to stop the bleeding until EMS crews arrived. He was taken to the nearest hospital for medical assistance, as was the driver of the car that hit him. The police report did not indicate any charges had been laid, but they were calling for further investigation into the matter. There are many unanswered questions in this scenario, not the least of which is what was the female driver doing at the time of impact?

Was she paying attention to her driving? Was she speeding? Was she texting or under the influence of something? All these things need to be figured out in order for the case to move forward and for the man to be able to sue the female driver for compensation for his medical bills and his catastrophic, life-altering leg amputation.

If you have been in a similar situation and do not know who to talk to about compensation for your personal injuries, make it a point to connect with a seasoned Atlanta personal injury lawyer. These types of situations are not cases where the plaintiff can act pro se (on their own), or they run the very real risk of missing out on money they are legally entitled to as a result of their injuries. For catastrophic injuries like amputation, the awards tend to be higher.

Robert Webb is an Atlanta personal injury lawyer with Webb & D’Orazio, a law firm specializing in Atlanta personal injury, malpractice, criminal defense, and business law. Learn more at Webbdorazio.com.

Personal injury law is continually changing and evolving. Accidents can happen at the strangest times and in the strangest ways.

Not too many people have had the distinction of falling down a manhole, but is has happened and the consequences can be quite disastrous. Most manholes are covered, but in this particular case that we read about, the manhole was not covered and an 11-year-old girl fell just about 15 feet. She was trapped for 30 minutes before fire crews were able to get her out.

Once lifted to the surface, she was airlifted to a children’s hospital to check her over. She apparently did not receive any life threatening injuries and was released to recover at home. Nobody seems to know why the manhole cover was out of place, though there is speculation that a snowplow blade was the culprit. The city and the police are investigating the situation further.

While this case may sound like a fall where the young girl did not hurt herself, you have to consider that she fell 15 feet and landed on pipes and concrete. Injuries that may not be visible are a high risk in cases like this. For instance, she may have sustained spinal cord injuries that may not manifest themselves until later or she may also have cracked ribs or other bones – a fact that could go unnoticed at a hospital intently looking for more serious injuries and missing the not-so-obvious ones.

In any slip, trip and fall case, it is a good idea to discuss the case with a qualified Atlanta personal injury lawyer and find out what your rights are, what you do if the child’s injuries are worse than first thought, how to file a personal injury lawsuit and what to expect should your case go to court.

Injuries as the result of negligence (the missing manhole cover) may mean the city is liable/responsible for the child’s medical bills and other expenses relating to the accident. The first consultation with a an Atlanta personal injury lawyer is free and the advice if often priceless, when it provides you with the peace of mind that if your child’s injuries are more serious than first thought, you know what to do.

Robert Webb is an Atlanta personal injury lawyer with Webb & D’Orazio, a law firm specializing in Atlanta personal injury, malpractice, criminal defense, and business law. Learn more at Webbdorazio.com.