Unfortunately, when we travel, we expose ourselves to vehicle accidents.  When we decorate, quite often we need something to help us reach spots along rooflines, high windows, and especially the tip-top spot on the perfect tree.  All of those special memories, talents, and many of our skills, all reside in our brains.  When we fall, sometimes it is our head that makes the biggest impact.  In 2014 alone, there were more than 2.5 million emergency department visits for those who were diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.  This is a huge number, and reason to be extra careful this holiday season.

If you, or someone you love, is hurt in a vehicle accident, while putting up decorations at work, or while helping another person or organization during the holidays, we are able to help. Baddour, Parker, Hine, and Hale is uniquely suited to support you if anything goes wrong with your Holiday festivities.  When something goes wrong, there have to be frank conversations with everyone involved to make sure that those responsible help those who get injured.  We are able to help with personal injuries due to vehicle accidents, a defective ladders, or an accident at work.  We offer free consultations, and you may pay no fees unless your claim is successful.  Your family depends on you, and you can depend on us to make sure you can enjoy it together.

Call Baddour, Parker, Hine, and Hale today.

Special Damages

The initial elements of any personal injury claim are the special damages. They are termed “special” because they can be claimed in specified amounts using documentation showing exact dollar figures. They are financial recovery for medical bills, property damage, and lost wages when they apply. Also included can be necessary expenses for travel to and from medical appointments and therapy. This number can also impact the next step in determining a settlement.

General Damages

General damages are the non-economic compensatory demands for ongoing problems resulting from the claimed personal injury. This amount is not necessarily supported by documentation other than the fact that the special damages can serve as a baseline for calculation when using the multiplier method in arriving at what would be an equitable settlement amount. The most effective evidence in determining the proper multiplier or per diem daily amount assignment is professional testimony from medical professionals and physicians who can provide a prognosis for the injury going forward.

The final calculation is made by adding both special and general damages amounts and assessing the potential for punitive damages if the case were to go to trial. The potential for an exponential punitive award can also encourage defendants to settle for a higher amount to avoid going to trial if they have no defense against the claim.

How Can You Avoid Bicycle Accidents?

Running a stop sign is one of the biggest mistakes that a bicyclist can make. In the moment, it may seem fairly harmless. You don’t see any other cars around, so why should you come to a full stop? But if a driver comes barreling through the intersection, you could be seriously injured in the resulting accident. Always come to a complete stop when you see a stop sign even if you don’t see any vehicles around.

You should also avoid biking on roads that are poorly maintained. Even if there are no cars around, you could get thrown off your bike if you hit a rough patch. Stick to roads that are clean, paved and regularly maintained by the city.

If you see someone on the road who appears to be driving recklessly, stay as far away from him or her as possible. Don’t try to get close to the person to yell at his or her vehicle or prove a point. If that driver makes one wrong move, you could end up sustaining a serious injury. Keep your distance from other vehicles, and practice defensive bicycling techniques. You can’t change the way that other people drive, but you can change the way that you react to it.

What If a Vehicle Hits You?

The human body is no match for a massive vehicle, especially one that came out of nowhere. A car accident could cause severe injuries that lead to massive medical bills from surgeries, medication, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy and other treatments that you need to live a normal life again. In most cases, the person in the car was at fault for the accident. An attorney could help you file a personal injury lawsuit against him or her.

Nighttime hit-and-run accidents become more common during those seasons, and if pedestrians blend in with the rest of the surroundings, they are not doing themselves any favors. One of the most important tips that safety experts give, then, is to wear bright clothes that easily reflect light. White and yellow clothes do this the best. Having reflectors on is another good idea as these can be seen in a car’s headlights from as far as 500 feet.

Pedestrians must also stay on the sidewalk, and where there is no sidewalk, they should avoid going down that road entirely. If doing so is impossible, pedestrians should walk close to the edge and facing any oncoming traffic. Inattention winds up injuring a lot of pedestrians, so should they stay alert. Pedestrians must follow the traffic laws, too, and never cross except at a marked crosswalk or intersection. They should always look both ways before crossing. Darting out, even on a crosswalk, is inadvisable. Parents must instill these behaviors into children by setting a good example themselves.

When pedestrian accidents are the result of drivers’ negligence or recklessness, then there can be good grounds for a claim. Under North Carolina law, victims cannot recover if they contributed in any manner to their injuries. Before filing anything, victims may see a lawyer. Victims’ injuries may have led to a disability, but a successful claim could cover victims’ past and future medical expenses, among other damages.

Caffeine Correlates to Crashes

A recent study compared the number of crashes involving truck drivers who drink large amounts of caffeine to those who drink little to no caffeine. Roughly 21% of low caffeine consumers were in a crash during the survey period. The number rose to 27% for truck drivers who drank large amounts of coffee or other energy drinks. In general, the drivers in the study who drank many cups of coffee were unhealthier and more likely to smoke and have poor diets. Unhealthy drivers can become a danger to other motorists on the road.

Caffeine Itself Is Not Dangerous

The study did not say that truck drivers should avoid caffeine altogether. In fact, there are benefits when a truck driver drinks a cup of coffee every now and then because it could give an energy boost. However, the results of the study suggest that drivers should not make caffeine their primary means of staying awake behind the wheel. Truck drivers are better off maintaining healthier lifestyles and limiting caffeine intake as an unhealthy lifestyle may increase the risk of serious crashes.

When you have been in an accident with a truck, statistics show that there is a higher chance of you receiving serious injuries. This means that you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation for your injuries. You may consult with a personal injury attorney in order to learn more about your legal rights. The attorney may help you with filing a claim for compensation. They may then be able to negotiate on your behalf as you seek a settlement to compensate you for your injuries.

Federal government data shows that at least 9% of all pedestrian fatalities that occur in parking lots happen because an individual is struck by a motorist while they’re backing up their vehicle.

While backup cameras, as well as rearview and side mirrors, can aid motorists in seeing some things in their blind spots, they shouldn’t be trusted completely. The NSC notes that drivers can benefit from getting out of their cars and walking around their vehicles before ever putting them in reverse. The NSC also recommends for motorists to pull through spaces so that they can put their car in drive to leave as opposed to backing up.

Another common reason for parking lot accidents is because pedestrians or motorists find themselves distracted.

At least 66% of drivers admitted that they chat on the phone while driving through parking lots when asked by the NSC. Many others copped to texting, using their social media accounts or a global positioning system (GPS), watching videos, taking photos or exchanging emails while navigating parking lots. An overwhelming majority of teens also admitted to grooming themselves while driving through these busy areas.

Consumer Reports data also shows that many individuals get hurt in parking lots because someone accosts them to gain access to valuable items that are visible in their cars. People also are hurt because someone gets in their car via an unlocked door and assaults or carjacks them. Other incidents happen in poorly lit areas of parking lots. These include slips and falls in or around potholes and violent acts.

It’s a store’s or property owner’s responsibility to keep their Goldsboro premises reasonably safe so that no one gets hurt on their property. If you’ve been injured due to someone’s failure to keep their premises safe, then a personal injury attorney may advise you of your right to pursue compensation for any damages that you suffered in an incident here in North Carolina.

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.

The NSC’s statistics show that nearly 14,000 of the 37,100 preventable deaths that year involved someone 75 or older. The two populations with the next highest rates of avoidable fatalities included those persons age 25 to 44 and 45 to 64. Each of these populations had just under 10,000 preventable deaths that year.

Of all the different age groups, the two populations with the lowest preventable death rate were the zero to 4 and 5 to 14. They each had 300 preventable deaths in 2017.

An estimated 6,750 people or just over half of those who died from poisonings in 2017 belonged to the 25 to 44 age group.

At least 9,500 of those who lost their lives after suffering a fall belonged to the 75 and older age group.

Although you may expect children to be the primary victims in drowning accidents, they’re not. NSC data shows that 1,450 of the 2,600 public drownings that occurred in 2017 claimed the lives of individuals between 25 and 64-years-old, not children.

That same data shows that mechanical suffocation was the leading cause of unnecessary deaths among individuals ages zero to 4. It accounted for 60 of the 200 deaths. At least 100 of those who died in similar types of incidents belonged to the 25 to 64-year-old demographic.

NSC data shows that individuals ages 25 to 64 were the ones most likely ones to become involved in fatal water, air or rail transportation incidents.

Some North Carolina residents die because they don’t take the necessary precautions to keep themselves safe. In other instances, people are fatally wounded because someone else doesn’t do what they’re supposed to reduce the risk of someone getting hurt.

If you’ve lost a loved one in a situation like the latter, then a personal injury attorney in Goldsboro may advise you to file a wrongful death lawsuit against anyone who engaged in negligence.

Recalls can take months or years to be issued (and completed). And because most of us cannot afford to stop driving our cars on a daily basis, many people continue to drive dangerous vehicles while waiting to get the problem fixed in a recall.

In addition to the exploding air bags and sudden unintended acceleration of past recalls, a new problem may be emerging: exploding sunroofs. According to a recent news article, there appears to be a marked increase in the number of drivers reporting that their sunroofs are spontaneously popping, cracking and exploding.

Consumer Reports, which tracks such trends, has identified nearly 1,000 complaints about exploding sunroofs. They are reportedly spread across “hundreds of models from dozens of automakers.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration acknowledged being aware of the complaints and is supposedly investigating. But so far, no recalls have been issued.

Why would sunroofs be exploding? That’s not exactly clear. But one theory states that they may be under added stress now that cars are taking on bolder designs and using lighter-weight materials.

While an exploding sunroof may not be as big of a threat as, say, unintended acceleration, it can nonetheless be dangerous. Any vehicle problem that occurs while the car is in motion can be distracting enough to cause a serious accident. And if a sunroof explodes with enough force, flying debris could injure the driver or passengers.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to an automotive defect, it’s important to understand your rights and legal options. Please discuss your case with an experienced personal injury attorney in your area.