Enhanced Injury – Another Side of Auto Crash

April 19th, 2008

Many lawyers when faced with a client, who has been injured in an auto crash, will begin their case investigation by considering the potential liability of party or parties involved in the accident. This is the usual starting point of investigating a vehicular collision.

But aside from asking who caused the accident, an auto crash lawyer must also verify who was responsible for the client’s injuries. The answers to these are not always the same.

In many occasions, the party who caused the auto accident cannot be held for sole liability because there was another party who was also accountable for the injuries the victim/s sustained.

A person’s injuries may not result from the auto crash itself, but rather from the faulty design or manufacture of the vehicle that he was riding. Such defects may have caused more injuries than what he/she could have obtained given the circumstance that his/her vehicle has no defects.

Under these circumstances, the parties responsible for the design and manufacture of the vehicle shall be held liable for all or some of the person’s injuries, no matter if they are not responsible for the accident itself. This is commonly referred to as enhanced injury cases.

Enhanced injury liability or the doctrine of crashworthiness, imposes liability on the car manufacturer, not for causing the accident, but for worsening the injuries caused by the alleged defects. It extends the scope of liability to a vehicle manufacturer which, in constructing and designing a product, has caused more injuries to the passengers apart from what they could have only sustained.

The crashworthiness doctrine gives the victim a right to recover for enhanced injury damages. He/she must be able to prove that those injuries were due to the fault of the manufacturer. If the enhanced injuries cannot be proven, then the manufacturer has no liability under the crashworthiness doctrine.

If you shall ask, what is crashworthiness? It is a term which refers to how well vehicles withstand different types of crashes. From an engineering perspective, it is the ability of the vehicle to prevent passengers in sustaining injuries in the event of an accident. It is the technical foundation for enhanced injury theory or the legal doctrine of crashworthiness.

An enhanced injury case can be based on an underlying assumption of negligence, strict liability, and other premise that could be pursued in a product liability action. To prevail in a strict liability claim against the manufacturer of a substandard or defective vehicle, the plaintiff must establish that:

• the vehicle was in a defective condition making it unreasonably dangerous to drive or operate

• the defective condition of the vehicle enhanced the injuries the plaintiff suffered

• the vehicle was being used in a foreseeable manner at the time the injuries were suffered

• the vehicle was defective when it left the possession and control of the manufacturer

Crashworthiness litigation entail an intensive investigation which will involve evaluation of the accident scene, vehicles involved in a crash, medical and police reports, and information from other sources such as motor vehicle engineering analysis and vehicle compliance tests.

To have better result on your personal injury claim, let our well-commended auto crash lawyers take care of your case. Log on to our website and fill out our free case evaluation form.

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Whiplash Claim? Questions And Answer Session

April 19th, 2008

If you have been involved in an accident that has resulted in a whiplash type injury - you need to read on.

There are many articles that explain why you should use a solicitor to make a claim and what the likely outcome may be. The difficulty in reading these articles is that they seldom give things to you straight. Vital questions go unanswered and you may be more confused than ever by the time you have concluded your research.

Here we summarise a number of key questions and answers to help people wishing to make a claim:

1) Where do you start with a claim? Speak to a law firm about your case - most accident lawyers will work by way of a NO WIN NO FEE agreement which means you can claim without risk. You DO NOT need to claim through your own insurers contrary to popular belief.

2) Why bother claiming? Two key reasons. Firstly you can receive FREE physiotherapy because once liability is dealt with, insurers will pay for any treatment to boost your chances of recovery. A quicker recovery means a cheaper settlement. Secondly you will receive a compensation award of at least £1000 and maybe as high as £3000 for a standard claim.

3) How long will the claim take? No more than 6-8 months usually. You must allow time for the injury to heal BEFORE you wrap the claim up. It would be a mistake to settle any sooner, assuming of course that the injury is a genuine one.

4) Why use a lawyer? Because they will ensure you receive the right compensation award at the right time. The solicitor will take on all the hassle and inconvenience for you. An insurance claims department will try their best to pay the bare minimum to settle your claim - thats the job they have to do. A solicitor will level the playing field. Do not claim without one.

5) How much is a whiplash claim worth? This can depend very much on WHO the insurer is, how SEVERE the injury is and WHEN a recovery is likely to take place. Average figures range from £1500-£3000 for injuries healing fully within twelve months

SUMMARY Do not be wary of using a lawyer to make your case. Whiplash claims are straightforward in many ways but you are far better off with a lawyer on your side.

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Dangerous Bus Ride

April 19th, 2008

As the congestion increase on the roads of Los Angeles, so does the use of mass transit services, such as the bus, subways, and other rail services. As a result in the increase of vehicles, the number of accidents that arise also adds up.

As a commuter, there is no guarantee that all forms of public transportation we are taking are a hundred percent safe. Yet, we frequently ride these transportation vehicles in the hopes of saving money for gasoline, reaching to a destination faster and easier, and with the assurance of being safe on these vehicles.

Due to the need for safe and fast modes of transportation, a number of public commuters choose to utilize buses for their everyday trip. Often times we find ourselves disappointed. People often find themselves involved in bus accidents because of several factors, including:

• Negligence and lack of precaution of the driver

• Inadequate security in bus stations

• Bad weather conditions

• Hazardous road conditions

• Improper maintenance leading to mechanical failure of the bus

• Driver fatigue

Not only the passengers of these buses are at risk. It should be clarified that a victim may not only involve a bus passenger, but could also involve pedestrians, cyclists, other vehicle drivers, and passengers in another vehicle.

Due to the size and weight of a bus, it often has little impact on the bus itself and its passengers. However, it can cause serious impact on smaller vehicles, especially its passengers.

Hence, its outcomes can be profoundly severe. A single bus engaging in a collision with a smaller vehicle may lead to serious injuries or even fatality.

Public and private buses

Passenger buses, passenger vans, and shuttle bus accidents are all considered common carriers so their drivers are held to a higher standard and duty of care than other normal drivers.

Also, their legal responsibility for their passengers is higher than the negligence duty owed by the bus company to other vehicles and pedestrians. If you were injured as a passenger on a bus, you may have extra incentive to seek reparations for your injuries.

The remunerations a victim is entitled to, is similar with that of any other type of vehicle accident. A person may demand compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, impairment of earning capacity, and others.

If you are a victim of a bus accident, you can sue whoever was potentially at fault for the mishap. This would include the bus operator and the bus company, the driver of your own vehicle, the drivers of any other vehicles involved in the accident, as well as any other entity, which in any way have contributed to the accident.

The Bus Accident Laws, like any other civil law, allow victims of these accidents to employ the aid of a trusted legal defender. Lawyers are capable of finding immediate solutions to your claims and help you determine fault.

Thorough investigation at the early aftermaths of a bus accident is essential to resolving liability issues. Therefore, it is necessary that you will be able to discuss the circumstance with the bus accident attorney before, during and after the accident in order for your legal advocate to make an accurate assessment of your claim.

Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys are proven experts in the field of handling lawsuits involving bus accidents. For more information, please do visit our website.

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