About Me

You Can Learn From My Mistakes

After being involved in a serious car accident, I really believed that my insurance company would take care of everything. It wasn't until I finally received their settlement offer that I realized they were not on my side at all. This is when I got wise and consulted a personal injury lawyer. It was the best decision I could have made. Thanks to my attorney, not only did I learn a lot about personal injury law, but I actually got the compensation that I needed and deserved. I made a lot of mistakes after my accident, but I also learned a lot along the way. It is my hope that this blog will allow other accident victims to learn from common mistakes and get the information they need to be successful in their own personal injury claims.

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You Can Learn From My Mistakes

2015

Are Federal Employees Eligible for Workers' Comp?
As a federal employee, you cannot receive workers' compensation benefits under the same system as non-federal workers. However, there is a program in place to help pay for your work-related injuries. If you were injured on the job, here is what you need to know about receiving compensation for your injuries. What Benefits Are Available to Federal Employees? Under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, or FECA, you can receive benefits that are similar to those offered through workers' compensation.

Tips For Using A Turkey Fryer Safely
Each year, nearly one hundred people are killed, burned and otherwise injured in accidents involving a turkey fryer. In addition, turkey fryers account for the destruction of 900 homes each season. While these appliances produce a crisp, moist holiday dinner, they need to be used carefully and according to the manufacturer's instructions to avoid disaster and damage to your house and your person. If you have your heart set on a fried turkey this season, be sure to follow these five safety tips:

What To Do After A Personal Injury
Being injured in an accident is not fun. It can cause pain and suffering. However, trying to mess around with insurance companies and those involved in the accident may be even more painful. This can be a very difficult process to get what you deserve from the insurance companies or from the party at fault. In order to make sure that you are getting the financial compensation that you deserve to take care of your medical bills and other expenses, it may be expedient to hire a personal injury attorney.

Did You Fall On Wet Floors At Work? Talk With A Lawyer Sooner Rather Than Later
If you slipped and fell at work because there was water all over the floors from a snow or rainfall, you may need to talk with a lawyer about your accident. If the company didn't have rugs on the floors to help prevent your accident from happening, and they are poorly managing your case or giving you a hard time, find out what your legal options are. There are a few different things that will factor into the seriousness and eligibility of your case.

Tips for When You're Injured on a Friend's Property
If you've been injured on a friend's property, you may be hesitant to consider hiring a lawyer. The process of filing legal claims against someone you care about may seem daunting, but there are a few ways that you can help get your medical expenses covered without ruining a friendship.  Settle Out of Court One option to consider is to settle out of court. Your friend may be willing to work with you and pay some of your expenses to avoid a trial or an increase in their home insurance premiums.

Three Surprising Things That May Not Be Allowed As Evidence In An Accident Trial
It's never good to underestimate the contribution of an accident attorney to a case. One of the contributions of the lawyer is that he or she understands the intricacies of trials. As a layman, you may not even know what may or may not be admitted as evidence in court. For example, here are three surprising things that the judge may not allow you to use as evidence. The Defendant's Liability Insurance

3 Things You Need To Do When Involved In An Auto Accident
While no one expects to be involved in a motor vehicle accident, they happen all the time. Whether it be driving to work, school or the grocery store, a car accident can happen at any time or any place. As frustrating as it might be to be involved in a collision, there are certain things that you need to do after the accident to make sure your claim is handled properly and you get the compensation you deserve.

Avoid Motorcycle Injuries: Make Sure You Have The Proper Gear Before Riding
According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, there are certain pieces of protective gear that motorcyclists need to wear in order to reduce their risk of injury if they are involved in a collision. You know you need to wear a helmet to protect your head and face, but do you know what other gear is necessary for adequate protection? Before swinging that leg over your bike, make sure you're dressed appropriately with these items:      

Will My Long-Term Disability Claim Be Denied?
After an accident or serious injury, you may find that your medical conditions prevent you from working long term. In this case, long term disability insurance benefits can be a great way to receive medical and financial support as you recover. But unfortunately, valid disability insurance claims can sometimes be denied for various reasons. Here are some of the common problems with long term disability applications, and what you can do to prevent these issues.

Should You Hire An Attorney Or A Non-Attorney Representative To Handle Your SSA Disability Claim?
You see the ads on the back of buses and on late-night TV for "disability advocates" who promise to help you win your SSA disability claim. Usually, somewhere on the TV ads, it will note that the person speaking is a "non-attorney spokesperson" for the firm. What's the difference between a non-attorney advocate and a disability attorney? Does it make any difference for your case? Non-attorney advocates and disability attorneys have vastly different training.

3 Reasons You Can Fight The Validity Of A Will
Despite what you might see on television, it is not commonplace for wills to be contested. However, if you feel that a loved one's will should be invalidated by the courts, you need to state a sound reason for why. Here are some possible reasons that could apply to your particular situation. Your Loved One Was Unduly Influenced If you believe that your loved one was unduly influenced, you could ask the court to invalidate the will.

Pending Worker's Compensation Case? What Not To Do
If you have a pending worker's compensation case, you are likely trying to make sure you do all of the right things.  You've hired an excellent attorney, filled out and filed the documents in a timely manner and have been highly consistent with your testimony concerning what happened.  However, while all of these things are certainly beneficial, you may want to spend some time focusing on what not to do if you want to win.

Punitive Damages: What Are They And What Needs To Be Proven To Win Them?
Punitive damages have received a great deal of attention in recent years due to several high profile cases. In 2014, a Florida widow was awarded $23.6 billion in punitive damages from a tobacco manufacturer for the loss of her husband and the company's role in his death. Before you can go after punitive damages, it is important that you understand what they are and why a jury awards them. What Are Punitive Damages?

What To Do If Your Neighbor's Dog Attacks Your Child
Dogs are usually great pets, but the situation may arise where they attack a human, with or without provocation. This can be a scary and traumatic event, especially if a child is involved. If your child is ever attacked by a dog belonging to one of your neighbors, take the following steps: Seek Immediate Medical Care Dogs have incredibly strong jaws, so a dog bite can do a lot of damage to a child.

5 Ways To Help Ensure You Receive Workers' Compensation
Being injured at work can be a devastating event. The seriousness of your injury will dictate if you are able to return to work or not and also, the extent of your medical bills. In most cases, employees that have been hurt while on the job will try to receive payment from workers' compensation. Knowing some of the best ways to help you have success when requesting payment from your employer for your accident may prove helpful if you're faced this situation.

4 Ways To Help You Avoid The Initial Social Security Disability Denial
The initial denial of a social security claim can stop you completely in your tracks. One of the biggest secrets of a disability claim is that most people who receive that initial denial have a higher chance of receiving their benefits on appeal. However, if you want to give your claim the best chance from the start, you should consider these four things. 1. Obtain Any and All Medical Documentation

5 Signs That You Should File A Lawsuit After Being Bitten By A Dog
If you were recently bitten by a dog, you could have been left embarrassed, hurt and upset about the whole situation. You could be wondering if you should just "let it go," and in some cases, it might be a good idea to do so. In certain situations, however, it's a good idea to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you. These are a few signs that you might need to hire a lawyer -- and file a lawsuit -- after being bitten by someone else's canine.

Your Intentions May Not Matter In A Case Of Reckless Driving
You've probably seen daredevils on the road, street racers without regard for the safety of themselves or others, and people who like to weave in and out of traffic on the highway like they simply can't wait any longer to get where they're going. It's obvious that these kinds of individuals intend to drive recklessly, throwing caution to the wind on purpose as they speed all over the roads. The majority of people aren't that crazy when driving, but it may surprise you to discover that the prosecution in a reckless driving case may not even care about the intentions of the involved driver at all.

Compensation Without Complication: Useful Tips For Using A Personal Injury Attorney
After being involved in an auto accident and getting to safety, one of your first concerns should be the economic repercussions you'll experience. From getting your car repaired to getting medical care, you'll benefit by hiring a personal injury attorney, such as Chiacchia & Fleming LLP, to get you the money you deserve. If you've never used one of these attorneys before, it can be helpful to get some tips on how to use their services for the best experience possible.

4 Things You Should Do If You Get Involved in a Minor Fender-bender
Odds are that at some point in your life you are going to be in a car accident. Most of the time it will probably just be a little fender-bender like when someone backs up into your car in the supermarket parking lot—hopefully it will never be more serious than this type of accident. However, even little fender-benders can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to your vehicle and you will want to make sure you and your insurance company don't end up paying for the damage if your not at fault.

4 Reasons You Should Install A Dash Cam In Your Car
Apart from a car accident lawyer, a dash cam can be a frequent driver's best friend. If you're at all concerned about the potential of getting into an accident, a dash cam will be able to settle many of your doubts. Dash cams are inexpensive and easy to install, and will record everything that happens to your car while you're driving. Here are four reasons a dash cam can help you drive with confidence.

Not Exactly James Bond: Understanding Worker's Compensation Spies
Worker's compensation is absolutely vital after experiencing a serious injury that keeps you from working. However, once you get your benefits, you may be in danger of dealing with worker's compensation spies. These private investigators are trying to help your employers deny your benefits, even if they're truly deserved. Why Would My Employer Spy On Me? Employers are often pretty unhappy to pay worker's compensation: after all, they're paying somebody who isn't technically working.