Wayne County Personal Injury Law Blog

What workers are most vulnerable to getting hurt on the job?

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

Data published by the National Safety Council (NSC) captures how a new employee is injured every seven seconds here in North Carolina and the rest of the country. This means that 510 workers are hurt each hour or 12,600 of them are injured each day. Around 4,600,000 individuals are hurt on the job each year. Certain workers perform specific tasks that are more vulnerable to getting hurt than others.

The occupations with the highest injury rates include production and manufacturing, community service workers such as police and firefighters and manufacturing ones. Individuals who work in the shipping or transportation roles or repair, maintenance and installation ones are also at significantly higher risk of getting hurt on the job than others.

Underride crashes can be life-threatening

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

One of perhaps the most catastrophic types of tractor-trailer accidents that can occur is an underride accident. It's the type of crash that involves a motorist's car getting stuck under the side or rear portion of a truck's trailer. While many trucks currently come equipped with side and rear bars to prevent these types of crashes from occurring, there are still many tractor-trailers that don't have them. A motorist who collides with a truck is at risk of suffering serious injuries.

A side underride type of accident often occurs at an intersection, perhaps when either a passenger car operator or a trucker runs a red light. A motorist's car can get stuck quite far under a trailer if it's traveling at a high rate of speed.

Is North Carolina’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program working?

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

North Carolina decision-makers are committed to improving traffic safety. It is one of many states with communities engaged in the Vision Zero initiative, a nationwide movement to end all traffic fatalities and severe injuries. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program, an annual plan to improve roads and reduce incidents, is a major part of North Carolina’s efforts to make the roads safer for you and your family.

North Carolina traffic safety statistics

How are truck crashes different from passenger car crashes?

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

In the media, they often make a clear distinction between car and truck crashes. They do so because there's quite a disparity between the sizes of the two vehicles. Tractor-trailers can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. Most automobiles weigh only 3,000 pounds. Size is only one factor that impacts the severity of a motorist's injuries if they're involved in a crash with an 18-wheeler.

Truck drivers are different from your average motorists riding down the road. In addition to a standard driver's license, they also have a commercial one. The training that they must complete to qualify for the latter is rigorous.

Factors that may result in your disability benefits being denied

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in Social Security Disability on Friday, October 4, 2019.

Many disabled individuals count on the Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits that they receive to help them pay for their essentials such as housing, utilities and food. Many recipients of these funds thus wouldn't want to do anything that would impact their eligibility for these benefits. A change in a recipient's disabling condition or their return to the workforce may cause SSD or SSI payments to be reduced or denied though.

One common reason that the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies SSD or SSI payments is because an individual ceases to classified as disabled by them.

Tips to stay safe as a pedestrian

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

In most urban areas, congested traffic is common, and if you aren't paying close attention, can be dangerous for pedestrians. In rural areas, danger exists as well. Anywhere there's a distracted driver, a dim-lit or congested area, danger is present to pedestrians.

The question is, what can you do to protect yourself and limit your chances of being hit?

What are the leading causes of preventable death?

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in personal injury on Friday, September 20, 2019.

The National Safety Council (NSC) argues that many fatal injuries including public transportation and recreation ones are completely preventable. Their data shows that these types of incidents are more common among individuals of certain age groups than others.

NSC data shows that in 2017, the leading causes of deaths in public places were chokings, mechanical suffocation, drownings, poisonings and falls. Air, water and rail incidents also played a role in causing the estimated 37,100 preventable deaths that happened that year.

Individuals who are most vulnerable to undue influence

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in estate litigation on Friday, September 6, 2019.

Drafting a will isn't the only step that you take when planning your estate. It's an important one though. It allows you to document what your final wishes are for your financial assets, business and property toward your heirs. Countless testators voluntarily draft their wills every year. Some are forced to do so under duress, however. You may be able to contest a will if you can prove that the deceased drafted it under the undue influence of someone else.

The more means a person has, the more likely it is that someone will try to take advantage of them. Individuals who are most vulnerable to being preyed upon include disabled persons with memory or health problems, those who are isolated from their families and those who are advanced in age.

North Carolina�s dog bite laws are a little unusual

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. on Sunday, August 25, 2019.

North Carolinians love dogs so much, we even have a breed named for us, the Carolina dog. So, it’s tough to think much about, when somebody raises a dog to be aggressive or simply fails to control a dog that might become momentarily frightened, injuries can happen.

And injuries from a severe dog bite or attack can be life-changing, extremely harmful or even fatal. Everybody (including dogs) are safer when people are held accountable for their decisions as dog owners.

What should I do after I'm hurt on the job in North Carolina?

On behalf of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Tuesday, August 6, 2019.

The North Carolina Industrial Commission (IC) is responsible for managing both the Workers' Compensation Act and the Torts Claims Act. They process claims for these programs and make sure that injured workers receive efficient medical and rehabilitative care. They also facilitate safety training programs. They recommend that individuals hurt on the job follow certain steps to ensure that their case is adequately handled.

One of the first steps that the IC recommends for all workers to take after becoming hurt on the job is to report their injuries to their employer. They note that your employer should refer you to a medical provider of their choosing once you do.