What is a Personal Injury?

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I get this question a lot:  What exactly do you do?  I tell them that I am a personal injury lawyer and in return I get a repulsive look.  Yes, as a personal injury lawyer, I get a bad reputation.  However, this poor reputation is unfounded.  As a personal injury lawyer, I help people who have been injured.

My dad likes to explain it this way:  We represent people with serious injuries caused by the fault of another person.

Personal Injuries come in many different forms.  Sure auto accidents often come to mind, but many accidents are not as straight forward as a car accident at a red light.

Here are some examples of unusual accidents that we can help with:

  1. A Pedestrian Falls on an Icy Sidewalk Breaking her Ankle

A pedestrian was shopping at a strip mall when she slipped and fell on a slick patch of ice in front of an automotive store.   The pedestrian broke her ankle and required the implantation of stabilizing screws and rods.  She now walks with a cane.  The store attempted to argue that the pedestrian failed to keep a proper lookout.  However, the jury did not buy that excuse and awarded the pedestrian substantial money.

  1. A Beam Falls from Unsafe Scaffolding Injuring a Worker

A worker was injured when a subcontractor dismantled scaffolding from a construction site.  Part of the scaffolding fell and struck the worker in the head.  The parties settled before trial.

  1. A Lottery Pool Member Conceals Hitting the Jackpot from the Group

In New Jersey a member of a lottery pool attempted to conceal his winnings from the rest of the pool.  The pool won $38.5 million and the member subsequently quite work and denied winning the lottery. The jury found that the pool members were entitled their share and that the member who concealed the winnings committed fraud.

  1. A Mentally Ill Detainee was Ignored in Solitary Confinement for Almost 2 Years

In 2012 a jury returned a verdict for $22 million dollars in favor of a detainee who was left in solitary confinement for 18 months and developed serious medical complications as a result.  This was an unusual case, but almost 2 years in solitary confinement prompted the jury to awards substantial money for pain and suffering.

  1. A High Speed Police Chase Results in the Death of a Motorist

This happens more than you would expect.  A high speed chase gets out of control and an innocent motorist dies.  Fault is not always clear in these cases. However, figuring out fault is one of the many things we do.

  1.  Violation of Building Code Standards Leads to the Death of a Tenant

Recently a local tenant fell through her ceiling in her townhome.  She died two days later.  An issue is whether the townhome was built to code.

Don’t be caught off guard if an unusual accident harms you, a loved one, or a friend.  This is what we do.  We Specialize in Accidents and Injuries and Social Security Disability.