Tag: accident
Depositions: How To Behave
Oath at Depositions Depositions start out with you being asked to raise your right hand and to swear or affirm that the testimony that you are about to give is truthful and accurate. No brainer. But, I’ve seen people thrown off by the question because they did not expect it. Stenographer The […]
PERSONAL INJURY: Mediation & Arbitration
One of the more frustrating things about any case is the amount of time it can take. Mediation and arbitration present an efficient and relatively inexpensive way to resolve many civil disputes. Sometimes called ‘alternative dispute resolution’ or ADR, mediation and arbitration can speed things up. Mediation In mediation, […]
PERSONAL INJURY: Class Action Lawsuits
Class action lawsuits bring together a number of people all claiming damages resulting from the same or similar wrongs. Defective products and medication exemplify class action cases. Claims by many join to create a class action. Defective birth control devices linked to cervical cancer formed the basis of one class […]
PERSONAL INJURY – Rules of Evidence
Evidence never gets into court without passing the rules of evidence. Courts admit evidence only when it complies with rules, statutes and case law comprising evidence law. Winning a case requires mastery of the rules of evidence. Rules vary from state to state and even from court to court. One reason to have a lawyer, among others, is […]
Personal Injury: Statute of Limitations
Bars usually go with criminal law, as in “behind bars”. But, in civil law, statutes of limitation bar cases forever if not filed on time. When the doors slam shut, there’s no going back. The “Statute of Limitations” is a legal deadline requiring a case be filed within a certain time after an event […]
Personal Injury: Personal Jurisdiction Out of State
Granite monuments designate boundaries between states at many spots as a physical reminder of state lines. People cross the lines every day with hardly a thought. But, state lines pose barriers to residents of one state, attempting to bring a resident of another state into the local court. Bringing a […]
Personal Injury: Emotional Distress
Stress infiltrates our lives. Between bills, demanding jobs, nerve-wracking traffic, getting kids to their activities and other worries, who isn’t stressed? How do courts distinguish every day stress from trauma that crosses the line? For years, courts rejected emotional distress claims. They feared “opening the floodgates”. Foreign Objects in Food […]
Personal Injury: Expert Testimony
Heavy impact on the human body can fracture bones. This seems obvious. But, in a court of law, cause and effect and the extent of damages must be supported by expert medical testimony. For example, a passenger in a motor vehicle breaks an arm when the driver looks down to change the […]
Never Give “Statements” in Your Injury Case Without An Attorney
After an accident insurance companies want to take statements. It’s how they document claims. You have a duty to cooperate with your own insurance company. And, it’s a good idea to cooperate with the insurance company for the person or company that caused an injury. So, allow the insurance company to look at a car […]
Contingent Fee Agreements
Contingent fee agreements allow those who have sustained an injury to retain an attorney to pursue their case with no initial payment and no monthly legal bills. Instead, the attorney gets a percentage in the end. While there has been some controversy about this arrangement in the past, and some […]