What You Should Know to Protect Your Rights After an Accident

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Aug 23, 2019 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on What You Should Know to Protect Your Rights After an Accident If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know that one of the first thoughts is, “What do I do now?” First and foremost, you must make sure that you and anyone else that may be injured have medical attention. Police presence may or may not be available according to state laws. While some states may require a police report for all accidents, some may not allow police to come out to every car crash, so you have to take the initiative to get everything you need to get compensated afterward. Gather Information Now that we have cameras on our phones, getting driver’s license and insurance information is as easy as taking a picture. Whether you write it or snap it, get the pertinent contact details from everyone involved. If witnesses are available, get their names, contact numbers and record their accounts of the incident. Take Pictures This can be very valuable for later investigation. Get photos of your car, the other vehicles, the surrounding area and any debris around the site. Take them from all perspectives that you can get to safely. It may also be helpful to take pictures of any injuries you’ve sustained. Contact Your Insurance Company It is important to contact your insurance company as soon as possible after your car accident. Failure to notify them may be a violation of your policy agreement. Request Copies If a police report was filed, you may request a copy. In fact, the officers will probably give you information on how to get it and when it will be available while they are at the scene. While a police report may assign fault for the accident, it is not included in every case. However, if a traffic citation was issued, it usually means a law was broken leading up to the crash. Understanding who received citations and for what can be an important detail for determining liability. Save Documents Keep copies of everything in a safe place. If you received medical attention, you’ll want to keep all documentation from your visit, along with any diagnosis, instructions, treatment plans and prescriptions. Contact an Attorney Laws vary from state to state. It is almost impossible to understand exactly what damages are due to you unless you are an experienced attorney in the state where your accident occurred. Even if the at-fault driver’s insurance company seems to be eager to...
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Why Should I hire a Social Security Lawyer?

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Aug 23, 2019 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Why Should I hire a Social Security Lawyer? Living life with a disability that has permanently affected your ability to obtain or keep a job can be devastating. However, there can be some relief if you qualify for social security disability benefits. Unfortunately, receiving social security benefits can be difficult. It is recommended to work with an experienced social security lawyer from [company name] when creating your case. By working with a dedicated lawyer, we can help walk you through the process and help build the strongest case possible to fight for you to receive the benefits you need.  What are Social Security Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability is a federal government funded program. The main purpose of this type of insurance is to provide financial support for those who are disabled and unable to work. If someone has become disabled prior to retiring, receiving Social Security Disability may be an ideal option. There are, however, many requirements that need to be met prior to qualifying for Social Security Disability. Some of these requirements include: You will need to have worked for a set number of years. Depending on the number of years you have worked, the Social Security Administration will change the years into work credits. The Social Security Administration will do a thorough assessment of your employment history.You must have a long-term disability which is recognized by the Social Security Administration. Some examples of these long-term disabilities include:CancerBack problemsMultiple SclerosisAutoimmune disorders If you are unable to work due to your disability and you are not receiving Social Security Disability benefits, you could be dealing with a mountain of bills. However, just applying for Social Security Disability benefits does not guarantee that you will be approved to receive them. The process can be lengthy until someone is fully approved to receive the benefits. By working with a qualified lawyer, you can trust that all the necessary paperwork is completed accurately and within the required time limit.  How Can I Strengthen My Case? By working with an experienced social security disability lawyer, your case could be strengthened. Experienced lawyers are knowledgeable about the hearing process and can help walk you through each step so you are fully prepared for what is going to take place. There are many benefits to hiring an experienced social security lawyer, as they can help with a number of tasks, such as: Making sure you have all the supporting documentation for your claimRetrieve...
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Dangerous Maternal Infections

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Aug 23, 2019 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Dangerous Maternal Infections Many people are unaware that there are a number of infections that a pregnant woman can develop that can cause serious health issues and birth injuries. When a woman is pregnant, there immune system is weakened, leaving them susceptible to infections that they could normally fight off. When a doctor of midwife fails to diagnose these infections, they put both mother and baby at serious risk. Below are some of the more common and dangerous infections that can cause birth injuries. For more information if you and your baby have been a victim of medical negligence, contact a birth injury attorney. Chorioamnionitis Chorioamnionitis is infections of the amniotic fluid and fetal membranes. It can be caused by E.Coli or Group B Strep bacteria that travel to the uterus. Another risk of chorioamnionitis is if there is premature rupture of the membranes. There are dire risk to the baby, including premature delivery and permanent brain damage. Group B Strep This is a common bacteria that approximately 25 percent of pregnant women carry. If a woman who is not pregnant develop a GBS infection, it is usually treated a minor health issue, however, if a pregnant woman develops GBS, it can mean a life or death issues for the baby. The infection can permeate the amniotic fluid or fetal membrane, including chorioamnionitis. The infection can be transferred to the baby during the pregnancy or during the delivery. It is the most common cause of meningitis, pneumonia and other dangerous infections in newborns. Hepatitis B This infection has a major impact on the liver and can be transmitted from the other to the infant during pregnancy and delivery. Newborns who are born with Hepatitis B are at a significant risk of cancer and liver damage. This is why it is critical for doctors to perform testing for Hepatitis B early in the pregnancy. Listeriosis If raw or uncooked meat is eaten, there is a risk of contracting listeria. If listeriosis is contracted in the third trimester of the pregnancy, the mother can develop fever, nausea, and other flu-like symptoms. The bacteria can infect the fetal membrane, causing a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the infant being born with severe infections. Syphilis Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause severe injury or death to newborns. The disease can either be transmitted to the baby during pregnancy or can be transmitted during delivery by...
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Is Arbitration the Best Way to Resolve Your Business Dispute?

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Aug 20, 2019 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Is Arbitration the Best Way to Resolve Your Business Dispute? Business Dispute Lawyer Arbitration is the process of bringing a business dispute before a disinterested third party for resolution. The third-party, an arbitrator, hears the evidence brought by both sides and makes a decision. Sometimes that decision is binding on the parties. To arbitrate a matter is to bring it before an arbitrator. Typically, arbitration begins when two parties agree to settle their dispute through arbitration. An addition arbitration clause could also add this agreement to a contract that both parties have signed. As a sort of alternative dispute resolution, arbitration is always used in place of litigation to settle a dispute without the cost and time of going to court. There are three main types of alternative dispute resolutions: litigation, arbitration, and mediation. Compared with mediation and litigation, arbitration has many advantages to help you better resolve your business dispute. One of the most confusing questions for many people is the difference between arbitration and mediation. In fact, they are two different ways to solve legal disputes. Mediation is a method of resolving misunderstandings. In a dispute, a third-party mediator is brought in to help both parties reach a settlement agreement to resolve their potential or present disputes. In many cases, the mediator does not have the authority to make a binding decision. The process of mediation is sometimes used in place of litigation, but more often it’s used to resolve disputes before they get to the point of litigation or arbitration as a precedent alternative resolution for disputes. Compared with the arbitration, the goal of mediation is to resolve misunderstandings, while the goal of arbitration is to come to a decision for a dispute. Arbitration is a hearing process in which parties bring the disputes to the arbitrator for a final decision. Mediation is a negotiation process in which a trained mediator works to bring the parties to an agreement. In mediation, there could be either potential or existing disputes. In arbitration, there is usually a formal complaint in process. The most critical distinction between arbitration and mediation is that the mediator has no power to force the parties to come to a decision, but the results of arbitration have legal-binding effects upon both parties. When negotiating a contract, you should carefully weigh the balance of every aspect like costs, efficiency, and legal certainty. Keep in mind that although mediation is cheaper and more flexible than arbitration...
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Road Bumps to Watch Out For When Filing for Bankruptcy

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Aug 20, 2019 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Road Bumps to Watch Out For When Filing for Bankruptcy Experienced Attorney An attorney has seen the many ways that road bumps can arise as someone is going through the process of filing for bankruptcy. Those who have never applied before, may believe that the steps are simple and that just about anyone can be approved for bankruptcy. However, the journey to being approved for bankruptcy isn’t always linear, and some serious issues can come up. That is why we recommend getting help from a member of our legal team who is familiar with bankruptcy legalities, instead of trying to go through this all on your own.  Issues That Can Interfere with a Bankruptcy Petition When first meeting with an attorney about your interest in applying for bankruptcy, he or she may ask about your current financial standing. They may request documents related to your income, debts, and living expenses, to ensure that filing for bankruptcy is in your best interest. Then, after submitting the appropriate paperwork, they can provide assistance if any of the following problems develop:  The court has accused you (the debtor) of committing perjury or acting with fraudulent intentions The court states that you (the debtor) did not provide required tax documents or other important documentation You are having trouble locating or obtaining certain financial documents You are concerned about how being approved for bankruptcy may impact your credit score  You feel as though you applied to operate under the wrong bankruptcy chapter A creditor has violated an “automatic stay” by contacting you to collect a debt payment How a Creditor May Violate an Automatic Stay Filing for bankruptcy means that an “automatic stay” will be enforced, where your creditors are no longer permitted to contact you or take collection actions against you. If you are contacted by a collection agency or creditor after the automatic stay has been set in place, contact your attorney immediately. You can bring a creditor before the bankruptcy court to face the repercussions of violating this protection. Actions that are deemed in violation of the automatic stay include:  Contacting the debtor through telephone Contacting the debtor through letters in the mail The creditor filing a lawsuit against the debtor for nonpayment of debts Having wages garnished from your paychecks to go toward paying off debts Exceptions to the automatic stay rule can pertain to things like some family law matters (alimony or child support), criminal action against you, tax...
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