Posted on July 28,2023 in Uncategorized

Serious car crashes often result in significant injuries. Collisions are a leading cause of fractures, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Those that get hurt in a wreck can typically rely on insurance for at least some of their expenses, provided that they were not wholly to blame for the crash.

Liability coverage carried by a driver who caused the wreck can help cover costs related to medical care and also the secondary consequences of someone’s injuries. Those secondary consequences include the career impact of an individual’s injury. Insurance and personal injury lawsuits can help those hurt in a collision recover both lost wages and lost earning potential. Each of these job-related losses could add tens of thousands of dollars to a crash claim.

What is the difference?

People often confuse lost income with lost earning potential or may not recognize the idea of lost earning potential until it affects them directly. Lost wages are somewhat obvious. They are the standard income someone would have received if they had been able to work. Time spent in the hospital or at a rehabilitation facility will likely result in substantial lost wages during someone’s recovery. Some people affected by car crashes are lucky in that they have injuries that eventually fully heal. Others will have lasting side effects. Those who still have pain or functional limitations after a car crash injury could need to recoup lost earning potential.

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 Posted on July 03,2023 in Uncategorized

The more severe a crash between two vehicles is, the harder it may be for either party involved to respond appropriately to the situation. Collisions that involve a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle are some of the worst that occur, and they can also be some of the most confusing for the occupants of the smaller vehicle.

Even though people may have an idea of what to do after a standard car crash, they may feel much more confused “than usual” about steps to take following a collision with an 18-wheeler. What do people generally have to do after a commercial vehicle crash?

Preserve evidence whenever possible

Establishing what actually happened during and even right before the crash can be crucial to someone’s successful claim after a wreck. Taking video of the crash scene and capturing videos that show the placement of the vehicles in relation to each other and nearby landmarks could help with a crash recreation later.

Alert the local authorities about the wreck

Commercial drivers could lose their jobs if they are liable for a wreck, while others might no longer be eligible for a commercial driver’s license. They may try to play on the sympathies of the other people involved in the wreck and ask them to not file an official police report. Those who forgo official reporting may find themselves struggling to get compensation for their injuries and property damage losses after a wreck. It may be important for any future claim to ensure that someone not only reports the collision to the police but also advises the officers who respond to their call about their suspicions regarding the cause of the crash.

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 Posted on June 25,2023 in Uncategorized

Car accidents can result in various types of injuries, but facial wounds are among the most devastating. Everything from broken teeth and shattered jaws to broken noses and damaged eye sockets is possible when drivers and passengers are abruptly tossed around in a crash.

Beyond the immediate pain and trauma, these injuries can have long-lasting physical, emotional and psychological consequences for the victims.

Physical disfigurement

Facial injuries sustained in car accidents can lead to severe disfigurement and permanent changes in the victim’s appearance. The visible scars and deformities resulting from these injuries can lead to a loss of self-confidence and social anxiety. It may even affect their relationship with a spouse or significant other.

Impaired facial functions

Beyond the visible damage, facial injuries can also impair essential functions, such as eating, speaking and breathing. Fractures of the jaw or nose can affect the ability to chew food or speak clearly, leading to difficulty communicating. Damage to the nasal passages or facial nerves can also impair their breathing, sense of smell and facial muscle control, significantly altering the victim’s daily life.

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 Posted on May 25,2023 in Uncategorized

Spinal cord injuries can have a significant impact on a person’s life, including their ability to work. The spinal cord is a crucial part of the body’s nervous system, responsible for transmitting messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

When the spinal cord is damaged, it can result in a range of long-term effects that can affect a person’s ability to work. Understanding some of the more common consequences of an injury can better ensure that individuals who have these injuries can get the accommodations they need.

Physical limitations

One of the most common long-term effects of a spinal cord injury is physical limitations. Depending on the severity and location of the injury, a person may experience paralysis or weakness in their limbs, making it difficult or impossible to perform certain tasks required for their job.

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 Posted on April 28,2023 in Uncategorized

Commercial trucking accidents can be devastating. Because of their very nature, they can easily result in serious injuries, property damage and deaths.

In the aftermath of a truck wreck, one of the most important questions is determining who is liable for the damages – and that’s not always easy. In many cases, there may be several parties who share some of the responsibility. Consider these:

The driver

Truck drivers are required to follow strict regulations and guidelines, and failure to do so can lead to tragedy. If the driver was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving while fatigued or speeding, for example, they may be held responsible for their negligence.

The trucking company

There are few independent truckers out there on the roads these days. Most drivers are part of a trucking company’s fleet – and those companies have a certain obligation to hire qualified and responsible drivers, ensure that their vehicles are properly maintained and comply with all trucking regulations. In general, not only can they be held liable for their own mistakes, but they can be held vicariously liable for the mistakes their drivers make.

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 Posted on April 23,2023 in Uncategorized

Texas law treats driving as a privilege, not a right. Therefore, the state imposes numerous restrictions on someone’s ability to legally operate a motor vehicle on public roads. Drivers need to have a license and must attend special educational courses in order to obtain that license. They need to register their vehicles with the state and also carry liability coverage.

Texas requires both property damage and bodily injury liability protection so that those who cause crashes don’t leave others struggling with financial hardship. However, sometimes people cause crashes and then sheepishly admit to the other people involved or the police officers that arrive that they do not have a current insurance policy. As a result of this reality, what happens to those injured by someone without insurance?

They can use their own policy, sometimes

The basic insurance required by state law will not protect a Texas motorist from crashes caused by an uninsured driver, but they have the option of adding extra coverage to their policy for exactly that situation. Not every driver in Texas invests in extra insurance coverage, but those that do will have less to worry about after a crash caused by an uninsured driver. They will be able to use their extra insurance to pay for some of their costs.

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 Posted on March 30,2023 in Uncategorized

People constantly get distracted. While this may not be that worrisome for people at home or work, it can be dangerous for drivers.

There are three kinds of distractions:

• Visual: anything that draws the eyes
• Manual: anything that uses your hands
• Cognitive: anything that distracts the mind

While that explains how a distraction relates to what you’re doing, it doesn’t explain what causes such distractions. Two of the biggest causes of distracted driving include:

Texting and driving

Phones provide many modern advantages, such as instant communication, GPS and networking, that are often taken for granted. Nearly every driver has a phone. Phones, however, are practically made to be distracting.The instant a phone rings, the owner’s attention is drawn to it. This can be particularly dangerous while driving.

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 Posted on March 22,2023 in Uncategorized

Car crashes can cause serious injuries even at lower speeds. A broken bone is a painful traumatic injury, but it may not seem very severe in comparison to some of the worst injuries possible, like an amputation.

Fractures typically heal with appropriate medical support and, therefore, someone with a broken bone caused by a car crash might potentially underestimate the medical and financial impact of their injury. Even though every driver in Texas is required to carry insurance that provides at least $30,000 of bodily injury coverage, an individual with a broken bone could potentially find that such coverage is not adequate to cover the cost of their fracture.

Why would a broken bone cost more than $30,000?

There are several reasons why the costs generated by a fracture might exceed the available insurance, especially when a driver only carries the coverage required by Texas state law. The first explanation is that the fracture itself is particularly bad.

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 Posted on March 17,2023 in Uncategorized

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), speed limiters on commercial trucks should happen sooner rather than later. They are calling for the federal government to increase the pace when it comes to formally instituting the change.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) first broached the subject over a decade ago. Numerous states took action, primarily in response to the reckless driving trends that were part of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A call for mandates

Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) encouraged comments on a proposal to require devices placing limits on top speeds in these large vehicles with a gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds. Specific top speeds will be determined at a later time.

The urgency comes from motor vehicle accidents in 2020 due to excessive speeds in close to 33 percent of all fatalities. Greater mass from the largest trucks loaded to capacity (10,001 to 26,000 pounds) and significant momentum requires longer stopping distances. When collisions occur, greater damage occurs.

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 Posted on January 25,2023 in Uncategorized

Drivers are typically the ones to blame for crashes. Even when the weather is bad, drivers should adjust their habits to minimize their personal risk. Either you or the other driver may have made mistakes that led to the wreck where you got hurt. Sometimes, both drivers make mistakes that contribute to a collision, which can complicate the process of securing compensation afterward.

You might assume that commercial drivers rarely cause crashes because they have special licenses and more training than the average driver. Sometimes, even the most skilled commercial driver could end up in a crash because of something that their employer did.

Could a transportation company be to blame for the wreck that left you injured?

Vehicle maintenance could be the root problem

If you look at federal commercial vehicle crash statistics, you will see that drivers are responsible for the vast majority of collisions. However, approximately 10% of the collisions caused by big trucks are the results of an issue with the vehicle, rather than a result of something either driver did.

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