Nashville Personal Injury Attorney

TVA Coal Ash Cleanup Continues

piattorney — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:22:14 +0000

It’s been nearly one year since the infamous coal ash spill at a TVA Kingston facility that released 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash into the Emory River and surrounding land. Recently reporters were invited to monitor the cleanup progress. The site boasts a working force of nearly 500 along with 150 heavy machines. Their efforts are focused on the river, which is expected to be restored by the spring of 2010. They are currently removing 85-100 train car loads every day. The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports:

“By spring 2010 we should be finished with the Emory River, and then we will start with the Swan Pond area,” he said. “We intend to clean up the Swan Pond embayment to the way it was before.”

So far, workers have removed about 2.2 million cubic yards of coal fly ash from the river and have about another million cubic yards to go, Scott said. Then, there is about another 2.5 million cubic yards on land, said Craig Zeller, EPA remedial project manager. Cleaning up the water, which Francendese is overseeing, is the first priority, and Zeller said he will begin overseeing the recovery operation for EPA when the effort shifts to land.

“I am estimating it is going to take about $250-$550 million to clean that up,” Zeller said of the ash that is on land.

TVA has estimated total cost of the cleanup to range from $933 million to $1.2 billion.

The environmental restoration appears to be going well. Hopefully the economic restoration of the families affected by this disaster is well under way.

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Crash on Hwy 49 Leaves 2 Dead

piattorney — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:14:05 +0000

A man’s vehicle crossed the center line while traveling down Highway 49 recently. The error caused a head on collision between James Willis, the driver who crossed over, and Bennie and Elsie Vandgrift, an elderly couple driving the other vehicle. The couple died from the accident. James was transported by Life Flight to a nearby hospital. The Tennesseean reports more:

The wreck occurred after Willis’ vehicle crossed the center line, striking the Vandgrift’s car head-on at about 1 p.m. in Cheatham County near the border of Dickson County. Elsie Vandgrift was pronounced dead at the scene. Bennie Vandgrift was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Willis’ condition was not known as of press time Thursday.

Dickson Sheriff’s deputies along with Cheatham emergency personnel and the THP were at the scene, near Ben Collier Road, clearing the debris.

Both lanes of the highway were blocked as the authorities cleared the scene of the accident.

Criminal charges are pending in this accident, according to the THP report.

Accidents are a part of everyday life, unfortunately, but some accidents can have disastrous effects. We express our condolences to the families who are now in mourning over this accident.

If you would like to speak to an attorney about an Nashville personal injury case, call us today for a free consultation.

Garage Explosion Results in One Dead and One Injured

piattorney — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:28:01 +0000

Two former volunteer firefighters were called into action today suddenly when something exploded in a neighbor’s garage and ignited Jimmy Seabolt and Jacob Beretta. The two neighbors, Jeff Kelton and Jason Bray, tried feverishly to put the flames out. For Jacob Beretta it was too late. He lost his life on Nov 28th while his step-father struggles with burns on 20-30% of his body. The tragic story has caused great heartache in the area where Jacob had lived since he was eight years old. WZTV reports:
Flames and black smoke could be seen in the sky throughout the neighborhood.

Neighbors say the two were working on a car in their garage, when they heard the sound of an explosion. Bray says, “Thank everybody that helped that night.”

Jacob suffered with burns on more than 90-percent of his body. Knowing he didn’t survive has left these neighbors in a state of numbness. Neighbor Jeff Kelton says, “It’s hard to believe. You’re glad he aint suffering.”

The East Robertson High School senior is remembered as a jokester. They say he liked to play around and had big hopes and dreams.

What a tragic story. We wish only the best for the family of the victims and hope Mr. Seabolt can make a full and speedy recovery.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, call the Nashville personal injury firm that cares. We offer free consultations to discuss your case.

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Boy Left on Nashville Bus for 10 Hours

piattorney — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:13:11 +0000

An ordinary bus ride turned into a frightening ordeal for one 7-year-old in Nashville Tennessee. Semajay Woodward fell asleep as he rode the bus to school in the morning. After the bus driver and the bus monitor dropped the children off at school the bus driver drove the bus to his home and then left for a second job. Semajay was left on the bus for about 10 hours hungry, cold, with no bathroom and alone. He wasn’t freed until after 4 pm. The bus driver told the boy to not report the incident and sent him home with some food.

Semajay Woodward, 7, was picked up from his home by a school bus to be taken to Nashville Global Academy, when he fell asleep on the way to school. Both the bus driver and the monitor did not see the sleeping boy for unknown reasons when they dropped the rest of the students off at school. The bus driver then drove the bus home and went to a second job. Semajay was on the bus for nearly 10 hours, alone, hungry, cold, and without a bathroom. No one realized the boy was mistakenly left on the bus until the after-school pickup. Semajay’s mother reported to News Channel 5, that the driver actually sent her son home with some food and told him not to tell anyone what happened to him all day. Both the bus driver and the monitor have since been fired.
Source: Justice News

New iPhone App Targets Injuries from Accidents

piattorney — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:58:07 +0000

The iPhone is one of the world’s most popular devices and one reason for it’s popularity is both the quantity and types of “apps” users can download for use on the device. There are literally a million of them available that provide as many different functions. Recently one personal injury firm in the UK got creative with their law practice by releasing an app designed for accidents. The app records data and encourages the user to take pictures and log other information that may be helpful in building a case. It then allows the user to forward the information to the firm’s lawyers.

The app is available for free from the App Store and its creators Bott & Co say that Car Incident Assessment will provide the user with the information and advice they will need to help them to deal with the accident effectively.

The app will encourage the user to take photographs of the crash site, but significantly allows them to then automatically pass these details onto their solicitors immediately after the accident.

A spokesperson for Bott & Co said that once the pertinent details had been recorded and emailed over, a personal injury lawyer would immediately begin to build a claim if the fault of the accident lay with the other party.

Source: Top 10 UK

Have you been injured in some way? Call the Nashville personal injury attorneys you can count on to get you the compensation you deserve. We’re here for you. Call today!

Small Plan Crashes, Injures Four

piattorney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:46:08 +0000

Four people were injured when a small plane crashed in Memphis. The Tennesseean reports the following:

A Memphis International Airport official says four people were injured when a single-engine plane crashed on approach to the airport.

Airport vice president of operations John Greaud said the general aviation plane fell short of the runway just after 4 p.m. Sunday and caught fire. Greaud said the fire was put out.
All four people were taken to area hospitals, he said.

Greaud did not have identifications on the injured, nor did he know where the flight originated. Greaud said the crash did not cause delays with other flights at the airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been called in to investigate.

Stores Trying to Quell Black Friday Crowds

piattorney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:34:26 +0000

The deals are eye-popping and create quite a feverish response from consumers. But the excitement can lead to disaster, as evidenced by last year’s trampling death of a Wal-mart employee in New York. When the mob mentality kicks in, personal accountability goes right out the window. This was evidenced in our last post about a woman trampled in Clarksville. So who’s at fault? The crowd? The store? Both? In order to avoid problems, stores are creating new safety measures.

Last year, authorities said, a crowd of about 2,000 shoppers pushed into a Walmart outside New York City and trampled a maintenance worker shortly after the doors opened at 5 a.m. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the retailer a citation, asserting it failed to provide training for employees on how to handle such large crowds. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is contesting the citation, according to OSHA.

The incident prompted several sets of Black Friday guidelines from OSHA, work force regulators in states, and the National Retail Federation. The guidelines call for retailers to develop detailed crowd-control plans, let in small groups of customers at a time when the doors open and use Internet lotteries for popular items.
Source: The Tennesseean

If you’ve suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, call the Nashville personal injury attorneys who care. We offer a no-cost consultation to help you determine how to pursue your case.

Woman Injured at Clarksville Toys R Us

piattorney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:26:56 +0000

Black Friday turned bloody Friday for a Clarksville woman at Toys R Us. The 32-year-old woman was in line at midnight waiting for her chance at an amazing deal. When the doors opened, the crowd jumped forward, knocking her to the ground, and trampling her. Several people trampled her causing a swollen and bleeding right knee. The crowd’s apparent disregard for the safety of others could have turned even more serious. Last year a person was killed in New York in a similar accident. Luckily this case did not have the same result. The Tennesseean reports:

The woman, 32, was in line at the store at about midnight when the front doors were momentarily opened, according to a Clarksville Police report filed today.
The crowd waiting for the store to open for Black Friday sales surged forward, and the woman fell to the ground. She was trampled by several people and suffered a swollen and bleeding right knee, the report said.

This woman could have a case against those who harmed her or perhaps even the store for not taking greater steps to prevent injury. Hopefully she has a speedy and full recovery.

Have you been injured in some way? Call us today for a free consultation about your case.

Tiger Woods Stealing Headlines for All the Wrong Reasons

piattorney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:17:55 +0000

Usually when you hear about Tiger Woods it’s about his incredible golf skills or some charitable activity he is involved in. He has managed his public image to a level very few public figures can match. But over the Thanksgiving weekend he gave families all across the world to talk about with a minor car accident right outside his Florida home. It was minor because his air bags did not deploy, which means he was traveling less than 33 mph. The first story about what happened included a daring rescue by his wife Elin who smashed out the back window with a golf club in order to extricate her husband from the vehicle.

But conflicting reports soon emerged along with headlines about infidelity (on Tiger’s part), spousal battery (on Elin’s part, presumably because of the infidelity), and attempted coverups. Is it possible Elin was smashing the back window of the SUV for a different reason? You can read more about the story here.

Have you been injured in an accident? Your story may not involve golf clubs or mistresses, but if you’ve been injured, come and see us anyway! When it comes to Nashville personal injury, we’re the lawyers you can count on. Call us today/

Headed to the Grocery Store? Watch out!

piattorney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:28:05 +0000

If you had to name the most dangerous place you go to on a weekly basis what would it be? Maybe the bank? After all, banks get robbed. So do gas stations. Did you think of the grocery store? Most people don’t, but it really is a common place for injuries to occur. The reason is because people are prone to slip and fall injuries at grocery stores. Something spills and doesn’t get cleaned up. Or maybe it gets mopped but the wet floor sign doesn’t get placed. An elderly woman turns to go down the aisle and falls on her hip. Believe it or not, more than $450 million in legal settlements is paid out annually for these types of accidents (source: Lawyers Law dot com). Victims over 60 are especially at risk.

Given the preponderance of spilled liquids, loose items and runaway carts at grocery stores and supermarkets, it is not surprising that slip and fall injuries are a danger to customers and employees. One of the most interesting finds of the NFSI report was that women, specifically 60 years or older, are more likely to endure a serious slip and fall injury. Grocery store falls take place most often in crowded entry areas, where water is often tracked into the store and not cleaned up as easily or quickly as promotes optimal safety. In addition, the high polish on most supermarket floors means that it is hard to detect stray liquids. Liquid-related risks can occur often in refrigerated areas where equipment may leak or in the produce area, where produce is kept fresh with water continually spraying the products available for purchase.

Victims’ Rights in Slip and Fall Injuries

It is a grocery store or supermarket’s obligation to provide a safe space for customers to walk and to prevent slip and fall injuries to the best of their ability. Grocery stores should always have unsafe areas marked and designated with caution signs as well as have employees nearby to continually scan the store for areas of potential danger. If the unavoidable does occur, you still have rights, whether you are a customer or an employee.

Have you been injured in a slip and fall accident in Nashville? Call us today for a free consultation about your case. Speak with the Nashville personal injury attorney who cares. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Health Care Tax on Plastic Surgery

piattorney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:17:49 +0000

Harry Reid has introduced a bill that would help pay for health care by taxing elective cosmetic surgery. There are, however, exceptions to the tax spelled out in the bill. Senator Tom Coburn, however, used the bill as the basis for a rant saying it would tax women who have breast reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy. Truth be told, the bill exempts taxes surgeries “not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.” It would seem that breast cancer would qualify under a disfiguring disease, although that’s not certain from the language of the bill.

It’s safe to say Sen. Coburn may be wrong in his characterization, but the question raised is still valid. Does the government have the right to decide what is elective and what is not? Should they be able to tax based on that determination? Read more about Sen. Coburn’s take at msnbc dot com.

Do you have questions about personal injury? Need to talk to a personal injury attorney Nashville trusts? You’re in the right place. Call us today for a free consultation about your case.

Powerhouse Lawyers Suing Powerhouse Lawyers

piattorney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:07:47 +0000

Can’t we all just get along? In a fascinating story about Internet law, two personal injury law firms from Minnesota are suing each other. One firm is claiming trademark infringement because the other firm, a competitor, is showing ads for its firm when searchers on Google and Yahoo search for the first firm’s name. In other words, he said, she said, they said, what he said. At any rate, the case is garnering national attention because of the implications to Internet law. Is it trademark infringement for a company to bid on a competitor’s name with Google advertising? There have been plenty of cases where a company sues Google for allowing it, and Google has typically accomodated these concerned companies. But there has never been a case where one side sues the person bidding on the phrases. Frank Pasternak tell more:

Habush, Habush & Rottier, an old-guard Wisconsin personal injury law firm, is suing Cannon & Dunphy, another such firm for paying Google to link to the Cannon & Dunphy website when Google user searchs the name Habush or Rottier. It’s actually quite interesting given that the Habush law firm was one of the first to advertise quite heavily on T.V. here in Wisconsin, but was one of the last among major Wisconsin personal injury law firms to start advertising on the web. For example, this attorney is aware of the fact that within the last year or so the Habush law firm paid someone to create a network of somewhat generic blogs on the web.

Apparently, some of the underlying facts of the Habush, Habush & Rottier lawsuit are true. I just went to both Google and Yahoo and searched Habush and Rottier and the sponsored results on both searches had the Cannon & Dunphy website listed as “sponsored results.” Per the MJS article, Habush has asked a Wisconsin court to stop the Cannon firm from paying for such search results.

It’s an interesting case, and one not likely to go very far. But stranger things have happened. Evan Schaeffer also discusses the case.

Report Urges Regulation of Cosmetic Surgery to Avoid Injury

piattorney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:54:08 +0000

A recently released report urges better standards for the cosmetic surgery field to help protect patients from injury and thus reduce claims against doctors. A risk of clinical negligence is growing as the industry is failing to police itself against unsafe techniques. Cosmetic surgery has taken a commercial focus recently and has led to more aggressive techniques that put patients at risk. The legal industry news brief explains:

A new report has called for better standards of regulation in the cosmetic surgery sector in order to protect patients from personal injury.

Medical experts have commented in the Royal Society of Medicine’s Clinical Risk journal that a lack of scrutiny on the industry is exposing people to the risk of clinical negligence.

Concerns were raised over the commercial focus and heavy use of marketing in the sector, as well as a lack of testing for experimental and potentially dangerous techniques.

As a result, the industry professionals responsible for the report have called for government action, including the introduction of more regulation on practitioners and advertising.

Foad Nahai, president of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: “There is no question that this is a patient safety issue of paramount importance and I take our governments to task for not addressing it.”

This follows a statement from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons last month which raised concerns about underqualified practitioners being able to market directly to consumers.

Have you been injured in a surgery, an accident, or otherwise? Call the Nashville personal injury attorney you can count on to be there for you. Call us today for a free consultation about your case.

Got a Gas Grill? Make Sure It’s Not This One

piattorney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:47:02 +0000

It’s a staple of American lifestyle to own and use a grill. Summer barbecues are as American as baseball and apple pie. But unfortunately this uniquely American past time can take a dangerous turn when the grill is a fire hazard. One such grill is the Perfect Flame SLG Series of gas grills. They were sold through Lowe’s from 2005 to 2009. The CPSC just announced a recall of 663,000 grills because of fire dangers.

There have been 40 reports of fires. And in 23 cases the lid of the grill has caught fire causing burns to hands, arms, and faces. One individual sustained serious burn injuries to his eye that required a surgery to treat. The CPSC has advised consumers to discontinue use of the grills immediately and contact the company for replacement parts to correct the defect.

If you’ve been injured in a similar way, contact our office to discuss your case. We can make sure you get the compensation you deserve and hold the negligent party responsible for your suffering.

More Than 2 Million Unsafe Baby Cribs Recalled

piattorney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:22:38 +0000

It’s devastating to think a child may be unsafe in his own bed. But for 2 million children using a very popular crib made since 1993, that’s exactly what has happened. The problem is that the metal support brackets that support the crib mattress is faulty and has been known to crack and break. When this happens a gap is created between the crib and the side of the crib and if the child rolls into this gap he can easily suffocate. The Consumer Protection Safety Commission is aware of 10 such incidents.

The company, Stork Craft baby cribs has issued a voluntary recall in cooperation with the CPSC. Any consumer using the crib is urged to discontinue use immediately and contact the company to request a free repair kit for the crib. The product recall states:

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC is aware of 10 incidents in which one or more mattress support brackets broke. In several incidents, the support bracket broke causing the mattress to collapse and create a gap between the mattress and crib rails. CPSC received a report of a toddler who sustained bruises to his forehead. In another incident a child reportedly became entrapped in the gap between the mattress and the drop side rail with no injury.

Description: This recall involves Stork Craft Baby cribs and Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. All Stork Craft Baby cribs with manufacturing and distribution dates between May 2000 and November 2008 are included in this recall. All Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo have distribution dates between May 2000 and December 2004. The cribs were sold in various styles and finishes. The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address, and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia “Storkcraft baby” or “storkling” is inscribed on the drop side teething rail of some cribs. In the product that contains the “Fisher-Price” logo, this logo can be found on the crib’s teething rail, in the manufacturer’s instructions, on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board, and on the end panels of the Twinkle-Twinkle and Crystal crib models.

Sold at: Major retailers including J.C. Penney, Kmart and Walmart stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com and Walmart.com from May 2000 through January 2009 for between $100 and $400.

Manufactured in: Canada, China and Indonesia

Remedy: CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free replacement kit, with new mattress support brackets.

Consumer Contact: Contact Stork Craft toll-free at (866) 361-3321 anytime to order the free replacement kit
Read the entire recall here.

If you’ve been injured in any way then get help with your case. Call the personal injury attorneys Nashville trusts to get a free consultation. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve.

Police Officers Often At Risk for Injury

piattorney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:00:22 +0000

The Examiner published an interesting article exploring the risks to police officers and the all-too-common injuries they sustain. The article started with a story about an officer who was T-boned by a beer delivery truck. The driver had been drinking while on the job. The officer was injured severely and required multiple surgeries. Even after long and painful physical therapy the officer had not recovered nor fully returned to his pre-accident work.

Source: The Examiner

In such cases, where benefits were provided by workers’ compensation, the officer’s recovery against the beer company no longer belonged entirely to him. Through the legal doctrine known as subrogation, the workers’ compensation insurer became a settlement partner. Now there are certain nuances that may apply to limit or eliminate subrogation, such as the “made whole rule” that some states follow, but the reality is that an insurer will most often get a piece of the pie if it asserts subrogation rather than insurance arbitration.

The whole interplay between insurance and personal injury recovery sounds complex and it is. The point to understand though is that officers are not limited to workers’ compensation benefits if injured on the job by a negligent third party. Sharing the settlement with insurer may in some cases make the recovery bitter sweet, but workers’ compensation, as limited and frustrating as it can be to deal with, must pay whereas the targets of civil litigation may pay. Workers’ compensation benefits kick in relatively quickly. As for the officer above, his civil settlement was negotiated a little over two years from the date of the injury.

The officer received workers’ compensation for his injuries. What he may not have known is that receiving those benefits lessened the burden of the other party’s insurance companies should he seek restitution. This is just an example of the complexity of personal injury law and underscores the importance of working with someone who is experienced and can navigate the complexities of the law on your behalf.

If you’ve been injured or know someone who has, contact us today to talk about your case.

Car Accident Injuries in Nashville – Who Is Liable?

piattorney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:51:36 +0000

Car accidents happen every day here in Nashville and the surrounding areas. Many of these accidents are small “fender benders” where thankfully no one gets hurt. But occasionally the crash results in an injury serious enough to cause medical attention, lost work time, or perhaps even something worse. The question often arises of who is at fault in these accidents? It might be more complex than a decision between the drivers involved.

It could be that a mechanical failure caused the accident, in which case the auto maker could be liable. Or perhaps it happened on a dangerous or defective roadway, in which case the city could be held liable. The only real way to know is to speak with a qualified Nashville personal injury attorney about the facts of your case. That’s the only way to really know whether you have a case or not.

Call us today and get an answer to your questions.

Nursing Home Abuse

piattorney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:36:16 +0000

A nursing home in Illinois has received some scary news coverage recently. Four separate people had cases of Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac Fever, two of which were fatal. This disease is an acute form of pneumonia that is caused by microorganisms. It can affect the GI tract as well as the nervous system. Investigators believe the problem may be in the pool or spa area of the living center. It’s a very serious illness that is extremely rare. For it to occur in one place points to some form of possible negligence on the part of the facility.

Source: Illinois Blog

Have you or a loved one suffered from nursing home abuse or some other kind of injury? Call us today for a free consultation to discuss your case. We’re here to help!

Robots and the Legal Challenges They Bring

piattorney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:26:55 +0000

Technology has made our lives better in a lot of ways. For the most part it is positive growth and progress. There are new phases of technology, however, that are raising questions of liability and other legal matters. For example, consider a robot designed to assist the elderly in the bath tub. Who is responsible should the individual fall or drown? What if a self-driven car suddenly steers into a crowd of pedestrians? These are complex issues that face us as we grow increasingly dependent on technology.

Ryan Calo of Stanford Law School is suggesting we address these legal barriers now in order to prevent future tort reform from being more painful and preventing the U.S. from keeping pace with other countries like Japan and South Korea.

“I worry that in the absence of some good, up-front thought about the question of liability, we’ll have some high-profile cases that will turn the public against robots or chill innovation and make it less likely for engineers to go into the field and less likely for capital to flow in the area,” said M. Ryan Calo, a residential fellow at the Law School’s Center for Internet and Society.

And the consequence of a flood of lawsuits, he said, is that the United States will fall behind other countries – like Japan and South Korea – that are also at the forefront of personal robot technology, a field that some analysts expect to exceed $5 billion in annual sales by 2015.

“We’re going to need to think about how to immunize manufacturers from lawsuits in appropriate circumstances,” Calo said, adding that defense contractors are usually shielded from liability when the robots and machines they make for the military accidentally injure a soldier.

“If we don’t do that, we’re going to move too slowly in development,” Calo said. “When something goes wrong, people are going to go after the deep pockets of the manufacturer.”

It’s an interesting consideration for personal injury lawyers as well. For the clients who may suffer from future technology, it’s important to be prepared to help protect them. The day it becomes an issue may be here sooner than one might think.

Safest Cars for 2010

piattorney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:52:05 +0000

Today the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a list of the safest new vehicles. Among the winners, Ford Motor Co and its Volvo unit got the highest marks. They were followed by Subaru and Volkswagen AG and Audi. Surprisingly the Honda Accord and Ford Fusion were not ever considered after failing to earn minimum scores on strength of the roof. The Toyota Camry was found wanting in its rear crash protection. Apparently the head restraints don’t do enough to guard against whiplash, a common injury during a rear end collision.

You can read the report from KTLA here: http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-safest-cars,0,6076571.htmlstory

The safer your car is, the safer you will be. So if you’re looking for a new car in 2010, start with this list.

Have you been injured in some way? Are you suffering from whiplash or some other injury? Call us today for a free consultation with the personal injury attorney Nashville residents trust.

Information About Paralysis – Causes and Prevention

piattorney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:27:45 +0000

Paralysis can be caused by many types of accidents and is life-changing. The following article explains the most common causes and a few ideas to help you avoid paralysis injuries:

Source: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/paralysis-caused-by-personal-injury-124992.php

“It takes a matter of seconds for your life to change drastically due to a traumatic accident. When paralysis is the result of an accident, getting your life back to normal can be challenging and emotionally difficult. Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in a part of your body. Paralysis can be caused by a severe spinal cord injury or even a broken neck. Paralysis can occur on one part of your body or several.

Paralysis can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills and physical therapy. These scenarios can be the fault of the manufactures, business owners, physicians, or other neglectful parties.”

Special Investment Fund for Personal Injury Claimants

piattorney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:23:33 +0000

Typically when a person is awarded a financial settlement due to a personal injury claim, they will use the money to pay expenses they have incurred from the injury. The compensatory damages received will likely be invested in some way to ensure it offers a return to the claimant. But often these investors are treated just like any other and are lumped with very risky portfolios. If you’re unable to work and rely on the settlement to provide for your basic living, this is a totally inappropriate investment model.

But recently a group called CF 7IM has introduced a fund designed specifically for personal injury claimants. It was detailed today at Financial Times. Says the article:

“Nicolas Martin, partner for Lancashire-based personal injury specialists Nestor, said many personal injury clients are often treated like “ordinary investors” and have been put into relatively risky portfolios that fail to provide financial security.

He said investment portfolios bear little resemblance to the costs that many personal injury victims face and that the claimants cannot afford to lose money.

Mr Martin said: “We have been very concerned about the investment strategies adopted by many personal injury victims and their advisers.

“They are either faced with simply leaving their damages payments in cash deposits, which rarely keeps up with inflation or invest the money into more risky investments which creates issues and concerns – particularly the rollercoaster we have experienced in the last few years. This did not seem right to us.”

Read the full article here: http://www.ftadviser.com/FinancialAdviser/Advisers/Industry/IFAFirms/News/article/20091119/e6de2fa8-cfa8-11de-91e0-00144f2af8e8/Nestor-and-7IM-offer-personal-injury-fund.jsp

Been injured in an accident? Need help deciding what to do? Call the Nashville accident attorney you can trust to get you the compensation you deserve. Call today to set up a free appointment.

Toyota Lawyer Destroys Evidence, Must Arbitrate

piattorney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:12:25 +0000

A judge in U.S. District Court ordered that former national managing counsel for Toyota, Dimitrios Biller, must arbitrate claims related to rollover litigation in which Mr. Biller hid and destroyed evidence that may have helped plaintiffs in cases brought against the auto giant. It was a despicable act, but Biller has turned whistleblower in this case. Hopefully the true evidence will now be brought to light and through arbitration this wrong can be made right. The article states:

“Biller’s suit, which Toyota failed to get sealed, had threatened to reopen personal injury cases against Toyota on behalf of victims of rollover accidents. In recent months, plaintiffs in previous personal injury cases have filed court documents in Texas and California against Toyota and its in-house counsel, citing Biller’s allegations.”

If you were affected by a Toyota rollover accident or any other type of accident that caused injuries to you, call us today for a no-cost consultation. We’re the accident attorneys Nashville relies on for fair compensation.

Google Scholar is Making Waves in Legal Research

piattorney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:45:07 +0000

Most attorneys use LexisNexis or West when it comes to researching other cases. But recently Google introduced a service called Scholar, which is direct competition to the aforementioned companies. You can read Google’s memo about it here. Not a good sign for them, since Scholar is free and apparently very good. Here’s what a personal injury attorney in San Francisco had to say about it:

“I have been using Google Scholar to do some research this afternoon and here is what I can tell you. Google Scholar rocks! I mean seriously. I was able to locate the exact case on a particular legal issue that I was searching for with one search. It was quick, easy to use, and free. I am very impressed so far.”

Do you need help with a personal injury case? Call us today for a free consultation with the Nashville personal injury attorneys who care.

Chimp Attack Victim Seeks Awards for Damages

piattorney — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:34:53 +0000

It was a story that the country found impossible to ignore. A woman was brutally savaged by a pet chimpanzee named Travis. Travis was housed at a business and the victim, Charla Nash, who also worked there, was called in to help corral Travis back into his cage. When she arrived, he immediately pounced. The chilling account captured our attention.

Charla was lucky to live through it, but she lost her hands, her eyes, most of her face, among various other injuries. With this catastrophe came massive medical bills and incomprehensible pain and suffering. Charla will never work again. She has brought a suit against the owner of the pet chimpanzee for housing such a dangerous animal. Shockingly, the owner’s defense is that Charla is only entitled to workers’ compensation because the attack occurred at a place of employment.

We hope Charla gets some form of justice. While it’s highly unlikely you’re struggling with something like this, if you’ve been injured in an accident, you can relate to Charla on some level. You need someone on your side to please your case and get you what you deserve. Call our offices today for a free consultation about your injury case.