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Archive for March, 2009
Brain Injuries Can Be Silent
Closed head injuries, or silent injuries, are often a reality in the aftermath of car crashes.
“It’s a hard cold fact, that more than 2 million Americans suffer closed head injuries yearly, and just because their heads are not bleeding, does not mean they haven’t sustained any injuries,” stated Lance Sharp of The Sharp Firm in Austin, Texas.
Closed head injuries can be the result of the head hitting a hard surface at a high rate of speed, and the object hit does not penetrate the head. One may also recognize the other name for this type of head injury as a contrecoup injury or traumatic brain injury. Alternatively, it could be a simple fall and the head just hit the ground, the wrong way. Closed brain injury will severely affect the victim and his or her family. “It’s quite common to see physical, cognitive, social and vocational changes, that may require years of aftercare,” added Sharp.
Often those involved in a car accident will impact with windshields, steering wheels, dashboards, car seats and air bags as they are deploying. As tough as we may think our heads are, the brain is actually the most fragile organ in the whole body. While smacking into a stationary object may cause brain damage, even whiplash has been known to cause a closed head injury.
The frightening thing about this type of injury is that most people who have suffered it don’t know they have, because the symptoms may be pegged as being muscle spasms or even just a pesky headache. There are some visible signs and they include loss of hearing, fluid drainage from the ear or nose, confusion, lethargy and slurred speech.
When a person sustains a head injury it is important to seek medical care. Even if there does not appear to be an injury, it is important for a medical professional to check the head. The recent death of Natasha Richardson who fell while snow skiing is a tragic example.
With injuries like this, time is a critical factor, so don’t delay contacting a closed head injury attorney who will immediately assess the case and start getting the pertinent information required to file a lawsuit. “We look at each case with a fresh point of view, because each case is unique in its own right,” said Sharp, of The Sharp Law Firm, who has over 40 years combined experience practicing law with Laura Sharp in Austin, Texas.
To learn more visit http://www.sharpfirm.com.
Adviatech Corp. PR for The Sharp Firm
9280 Bay Plaza Blvd Suite 706
Tampa, FL 33619
1.813.600.3017
Car Accidents Are Expensive
Car accidents are seldom what they seem to be on the surface and signing off on any injury claim prior to speaking with a competent lawyer is a very bad idea.
“Having had a significant amount of experience in this area,” said Lance Sharp of The Sharp Firm in Austin, Texas, “I know there are generally many injuries that are more severe than they appear to be on first glance.” Lance and Laura Sharp have over 40 years of combined experience as Austin personal injury lawyers.
Car crashes typically involve not just property damages, but personal bodily injury and while it is expensive to get the vehicle fixed, that pales in comparison to an undiagnosed injury that could make itself known later, after accepting a damage settlement from an insurance company. “Typically we recommend that our clients do not take the first damage settlement that an insurance company offers,” indicated Sharp. The major reason being that often it is not enough to cover the real costs of the accident.
Car accidents mean vehicle repairs, so there is the nuisance of losing decent transportation. More than that, however, are injuries that on the surface may seem minimal, but may actually require some serious medical intervention. For example, what may appear to be a strained neck may turn out to be a herniated disc that could require surgery.
“This is one of the many reasons we tell our clients to discuss any proposed settlements with us,” stated Sharp, “as we are well acquainted with the fact that car accidents may cost way more than just the face value of the damages – to the vehicle and the person.” Other incidental and not anticipated costs may run the gamut from lost wages to long-term physical therapy.
Even if the car accident appears to be minor, never assume that what you see is all there is to see. Assume that there is more to the situation, and make a call an experienced Austin personal injury lawyer such as Laura or Lance Sharp of The Sharp Law Firm in Texas. The Sharp’s years of experience will be able to bring justice to the forefront, deal with any pain and suffering, and ensure an adequate damage award based on the circumstances of the case.
To learn more visit http://www.sharpfirm.com.
Adviatech Corp. PR for The Sharp Firm
9280 Bay Plaza Blvd Suite 706
Tampa, FL 33619
1.813.600.3017
Texas Wrongful Death Statute
Losing a loved one due to an accident caused by another person or entity may allow you to file a wrongful death action under a Texas civil wrongful death statute.
The people who are able to file a wrongful death action are the heirs of the deceased. This involves a representative of the deceased who is seeking damages from the court for personal injuries, expenses such as medical and funeral and conscious pain and suffering.
Wrongful death is generally the result of a variety of diverse situations such as medical malpractice resulting in death, negligence that caused a death, a car crash or being exposed to dangerous and toxic chemicals in the workplace. As you may be well aware, cases like this are difficult to litigate and require a highly experienced wrongful death attorney.
While it is difficult to deal with the death of a loved one due to circumstances that don’t seem to make any sense, you must consult with a qualified wrongful death lawyer well in advance of the tolling of the statute of limitations in Texas, which is typically two years from the date of the accident. There are exceptions to this rule and you must consult with a qualified wrongful death attorney in order to understand what those exceptions are.
The Texas Wrongful Death Statute actually has a rather interesting history and was first enacted in 1860. Over the years, of course, it has been amended, tweaked, changed to fit the prevailing legal requirements, and is now Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. This particular statute provides the exclusive remedy for wrongful death in the state of Texas.
Prior to consulting with a lawyer about filing a wrongful death action, it would help to know that there are several basic elements of a wrongful death claim that need to be present in order to have a case. Those elements are that the deceased’s death was caused by the conduct of another person or entity; that the person or entity was negligent (or strictly liable) for the death; that there are surviving beneficiaries; and that monetary damages have accrued as a result of the death.
Lance Sharp of The Sharp Firm is an Austin personal injury lawyer specializing in personal injury and accident law in Austin Texas. The lawyers at The Sharp Firm have a collective 40 years experience in being Austin injury lawyers. To learn more visit http://www.sharpfirm.com.
Austin personal injury lawyer, Austin injury lawyer, Austin personal injury
Bike Riding in Austin Can Be Dangerous
Biking may be dangerous to your health and could in fact even be deadly. While bike riding is a joy, you need to be aware of everything going on around you.
Do you remember when you were a kid and you used to ride your bike down the roadway, with your dad watching you from the front yard? Those were the days. There wasn’t much traffic, everyone looked out for you and you were just going to a friend’s house. All in all, bike riding was fun and a memory you carried forward as you got older.
All bike riders need to be constantly aware of what is going on around them. While this may mean trying to have eyes in the back of your head, there are ways to ensure you are able to see what is behind you and beside you; the most important being wearing a helmet.
It’s a fact of life that bicycle riding does have it’s inherent risks and those include making mistakes while riding that cause an accident or being hit by a vehicle through no fault of your own. A good Austin personal injury lawyer worth their salt has seen several cases such as this and knows precisely how to litigate the matter.
Riding too fast for road conditions is one of the more common errors a bike rider will experience. The result being a loss of control of the bike and having it crash into something or someone. In most bike crashes, whether self-inflicted or as the result of a dust up with a car, the rider is thrown, and despite wearing a helmet, may experience pretty nasty personal injuries.
If the bike rider is the victim of an accident involving a vehicle, it is time to contact a highly experienced Austin personal injury lawyer. Cars drivers have a nasty habit of not “seeing” people on bicycles and as a net result often drive “into” them as they turn corners. On the other hand, if the driver is speeding and loses control, jumping up on the sidewalk and hitting a bike rider is not an unusual event.
Unfortunately, a large number of bicycle accidents are the result of hit and run drivers who leave the scene and the carnage behind them. In many instances, the drivers are not found, but in cases in Texas where they are found, they face a felony conviction and a possible prison term of up to five years.
Lance Sharp of The Sharp Firm is an Austin personal injury lawyer specializing in personal injury and accident law in Austin Texas. The lawyers at The Sharp Firm have a collective 40 years experience in being Austin injury lawyers. To learn more visit http://www.sharpfirm.com.
Austin personal injury lawyer, Austin injury lawyer, Austin personal injury
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