According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were almost 40 million physician office visits for unintentional injuries in the United States in 2016. Accidental injuries–and accidental wrongful deaths–occur daily and affect people from all walks of life. Vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, workplace injuries, nursing home accidents, and construction accidents cause countless deaths and millions of injuries every year.
Did you lose a loved one in an accident? Did you or a loved one suffer an accident and sustain injuries therein? Depending on how the accident in question occurred, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim. Contact the Law Offices of Adam M. Smallow today at (410) 777-8960. Our Bowie personal injury lawyer can investigate the accident to determine if your case warrants a claim. If it does, we will gather evidence and file a claim on your behalf for the losses and damages you suffered in the accident.
Categories of Accidents
Accidents happen, but personal injuries often result from specific kinds of accidents.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
There were over 6.7 million police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States in 2018 as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These accidents involved passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and private or roadside property damage.
Medical Negligence
Common causes of medical injuries include misdiagnoses, delayed diagnoses, testing errors, doctor incompetence, treatment errors, administrative mix-ups, and prescription dosage errors. Such accidents can have serious long-term health implications for the affected patient.
Nursing Home Accidents
Nursing home residents can suffer personal injuries because of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, inadequate resources, substandard care, a lack of staff, poor staff training, and a lack of supervision. Slips and falls are a common cause of nursing home injuries. They are a leading cause of death and injury to adults aged 65 and above per the CDC.
Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), slips and falls, electrocutions, being struck by objects, and being caught in or in-between objects or materials are the four leading causes of workplace deaths in the United States. Slips and falls can occur anywhere, from parking lots and public places to recreational areas and private homes. Other common workplace accidents that can lead to serious personal injuries include chemical or thermal burns, cuts, and machine accidents.
Evaluating Your Damages
Accidents can lead to a wide range of personal injuries, such as:
Traumatic brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Trauma to the face, head, neck, or back
Nerve, muscle, and tendon/ligament injuries
Cuts, lacerations, bruises, and abrasions
Broken, fractured, or crushed bones
Eye, ear, or dental injuries
Amputations, disfigurement, and scarring
Varying degrees of paralysis and incapacitation
Wrongful death
These injuries can lead to or may involve many other additional losses, such as:
Lost income
Lower earning potential
Vehicle and/or property damage or repair costs
Caretaker or home service expenses
Medical treatment expenses
Emotional trauma
Pain and suffering
Any demand for compensation that you submit to the at-fault party’s insurer should include the economic and non-economic damages listed above. It is important that you accurately assess them and gather evidence to back your claims before submitting a claim.
You can contact the Law Offices of Adam M. Smallow today at (410) 777-8960 for a free consultation. Our Bowie personal injury lawyer can help you identify your compensable damages and understand the laws and the evidence requirements that apply to your specific case.
Fault and Liability
The victims of an accident can hold the at-fault party responsible for causing the accident liable for their damages and losses. If someone did not fulfill the duty of care that he or she owed to others and an accident resulted, then he or she may be at fault for the accident.
Identifying the at-fault party depends on the context in which your accident occurred. For example, employers owe their employees a duty of providing safe work environments to their workers. Drivers owe all other road users a duty of driving safely and responsibly. Doctors and nurses owe their patients a duty of administering the right treatments with the requisite expertise and training required and expected of healthcare service professionals.
Depending on how your accident was caused and where it occurred, you can potentially hold one or more of the following parties responsible for the damages that accrue due to an accident:
Your employer
A construction site owner
A maintenance or service company
A vehicle driver or owner
A city or municipality responsible for road repairs
A product manufacturer
A doctor, nurse, or hospital
A nursing home staff member, a nursing home administrator, or a nursing home
The owner or operator of the premises on which an accident occurred.
Filing a Claim
To file a claim, you must:
Identify the at-fault party responsible for your accident
Gather evidence to prove the guilt of the at-fault party
Gather evidence to prove the extent of your losses and damages
Submit a compensation claim to the insurer of the at-fault party
Evidence that you can submit with your claim can include photos, videos, eyewitness testimony, police reports, medical treatment reports, or medical test results. Depending on the type of accident in which you were involved, other forms of evidence may also apply, such as truck driving logs to prove drowsy driving, vehicle or equipment maintenance logs to prove inadequate servicing, or workplace safety compliance reports to prove workplace hazards or occupational injuries.
Contact Our Team Today
Call the Law Offices of Adam M. Smallow today at (410) 877-6021 for a free case evaluation. One of our team members can show you how a Bowie personal injury lawyer can help you understand the laws that apply to your case and the types of evidence we may need to collect to prove your claims. We can also help you evaluate your damages and negotiate a settlement with the insurer of the at-fault party responsible for your injuries. If a settlement cannot be reached, we can represent you in court. Do not hesitate to reach out to us today.
