Talk to your family 

If you are considering developing an estate plan, inform your family and loved ones about your goals. An estate plan has just as much impact on your family as it does on you, especially if they are being given an inheritance or must manage your estate after your death. They need to have a strong understanding of your wishes and the steps they need to take to keep your estate in order. Keeping them in the loop about what plans you have in mind can minimize any complications and prevent any conflicts from occurring. 

Decide what documents to include 

An estate plan looks different for everyone. Do you want to include a will, trust, or powers of attorney? There are many different types of legal documents that you can put in your estate plan. First identify what you hope to achieve with your plan so you can narrow down the items that need to be included. If you are having difficulty figuring out exactly which documents to have, an estate planning lawyer can give you advice and information about the items that your plan should consist of.

Don’t forget to name your beneficiaries

Naming beneficiaries is important if you are handing down assets, possessions or cash to family, friends, charities or organizations. This is crucial if you want to prevent your assets and valuables from ending up with the wrong people. You can change your beneficiaries at any time. Designating beneficiaries will also prevent the state from seizing your estate and distributing it to the wrong hands. 

Don’t disregard needed updates

One mistake that people who create an estate plan make is creating their plan and forgetting about it. It is important that you review your plan regularly so that you can make necessary updates. It is recommended that you do this periodically every couple of years to keep it current. 

For more information and guidance about estate planning, consult with a top estate planning lawyer so that they can assist you.

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Am I Required to Have an Attorney?

You are not obligated to hire an attorney but, considering that the insurance companies have teams of lawyers at their disposal, you may want to level the playing field. Having legal representation provides you with professional advice and guidance to help you assess the benefits and compensation you are offered for your injuries. If you have been injured due to the negligence of another, your chances of getting your full compensation under the law are greatly increased when you have a personal injury attorney on your team.

What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

First, a personal injury attorney is your advocate. He or she will listen to your version of events and gather information about your injuries. They will document your losses and gather evidence like police reports, photos, medical reports, etc. They may also interview witnesses.

One of the first things they will ask of you is to direct any inquiries or phone calls from the insurance company to their office. Part of their job is to keep the insurance companies from putting pressure on you to settle and to prevent you from inadvertently saying something that could be used against you to avoid payment of the claim. Your attorney will keep your best interests in mind while negotiating for a fair settlement from the insurance company.

What Happens If I Don’t Use a Lawyer?

If you choose to handle the claim on your own, you could be leaving money on the table. The insurance companies aren’t going to offer you the full amount you could be compensated, as they are in business to make money. If you are offered a settlement quickly, you could be tempted to take it without taking into consideration future events like long-term impacts on your ability to work or future medical problems from your injuries. Once you’ve signed away your rights to further compensation for the accident, you are done.

Other future impacts that you may not foresee are:

• Inability to recover Social Security benefits
• Denial of Workers’ Compensation benefits
• Missing critical deadlines for making claims or submitting documentation

If you’ve been injured in an accident due to the negligence or reckless behavior of someone else, you don’t have to handle it by yourself. Consult a personal injury attorney in Washington, DC.

Thanks to Cohen & Cohen, P.C. for their insight into personal injury claims and why to hire an attorney.

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Check Weather Conditions

It’s best to know what you’re getting into before you get into it! Check your local news, or use a handy weather app.

Slow Down!

It’s the oldest and most effective trick in the book. Just slow down! It takes a lot longer to get to your destination if you end up in the ditch (or worse) on the way there. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association advises to slow your speed by half in snowy conditions. 

Keep A Safe Distance

If you think you’re far enough away from the car in front of you, think again. Driving educators at I Drive Safely advise that while the normal following distance rule is 3 to 4 seconds during normal conditions, the rule changes to 8 to 10 seconds during winter weather. This still applies if you’re following the snow plow. Give them some room – they need space, too. 

Pack An Emergency Kit

Always be prepared for the worst. Be sure to pack water, blankets, flashlights, an ice scraper/snow shovel, litter or gravel in case you get stuck, and it’s always good to have booster cables. Snacks aren’t a bad idea, either. 

Bring Your Phone

This might seem like a no-brainer, but some days it’s nice to escape our cellphones. The day it snows and you have to drive in it is not the day! Having a way to contact help in the event of an accident is invaluable.  

Winterize Your Vehicle

If you’ve got winter tires, it’s time to switch. Traction can make or break your winter travel, and in snowy and icy conditions, more traction is the way to go. Keep on top of tire pressure and make sure you’ve always got at least a half tank of gas. Install winter wiper blades and de-icing windshield fluid. 

If You Can, Just Stay Home

Of course, if possible, don’t venture out in inclement at all. Better safe than sorry applies here – if it doesn’t seem like a good idea to drive, it probably isn’t. As the lawyers at Smith Mohlman LLC can advise, more often than not, accidents happen when you don’t even need to be driving.

Of course, if an accident does happen, you may be in need of a car accident attorney. Though we do our best to avoid accidents, sometimes they still happen. If you have questions about a situation that happened to you, be sure to contact a lawyer in your area.

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When you’re injured because of someone else’s recklessness, carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing, the physical and financial harm can interrupt your life. Whether a distracted driver caused your car crash or a negligent property owner failed to maintain a hazard-free property, the after-effects are similar. You may have serious injuries, an overwhelming financial burden, and must be absent from work without pay.

Personal injury law entitles you to claim financial compensation for harm and losses caused by your injuries, including lost wages and lost earning potential.

Lost wages

In a personal injury claim, ‘lost wages’ are the monies you typically would have earned from the date of your accident and when your personal injury case is settled or is handed a court ruling.

Lost wages are economic damages, which are one of several types of damages you may be entitled to receive. If your injury happened at work or involved a motor vehicle accident while working, you may also be entitled to Workers’ Compensation. If your damage diminishes your ability to work and earn income in the future, you can also claim compensation for loss of future earnings.

Loss of income

Damages for lost wages include 

• Inability to work at all, temporarily or permanently
• Working only reduced hours
• Leaving your employment to take a job with less pay because your injuries keep you from doing that job

Payment for lost wages

Who pays for your lost wages depends on the specifics of your claim, but in most of them, an insurance company covers lost pay and other accident-related damages. If another motor vehicle operator is at fault (or mostly so) for your injuries, it’s usually that driver’s insurer who pays. 

If an uninsured driver caused your injuries, you might be claim lost wages through your insurance policy’s uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. A personal injury attorney can help you sort this out.

Calculating lost wages

Loss of income calculations depend on the specific circumstances. No matter your employment or the specifics of your situation, a personal injury attorney can guide you through the necessary steps to calculate how much you’re owed. This includes these work situations:

• Hourly
• Salaried
• Full-time
• Part-time
• Independent contractors (freelancers)
• Self-employed
• Working multiple jobs

No matter the kind of job you do or where you work, you have the legal right to file a claim for an accident- and personal injury-related lost wages.

Get maximum compensation for your total loss of earnings and wages 

Don’t assume you can pull out some old paystubs and get a full, fair payout for your lost income. The wage reimbursement process for accident victims involves a lot of paperwork and other requirements to be met.

Calculating a specific dollar amount for an accident victim’s wage-related losses isn’t often as straightforward as you might think. Your personal injury attorney will rely on multiple types of financial documentation, your medical diagnosis, education, work history and skills, current and projected market rates, expert testimony, and many other significant factors to calculate the final sum.

Your personal injury attorney will build the best case possible to get you the compensation you deserve for lost wages. To find out more, contact a personal injury lawyer in your local area today. Call the law office of Wade Suthard, P.C.

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Most dog owners view their pets as more than just companions. They are family members. Unfortunately, they sometimes attack people and other pets. They can inflict injuries ranging from mild to life-threatening. In particularly tragic cases, the attack may result in death.

Whether the dog was provoked or some instinct drove them to attack, the dog’s owners can be held accountable for the harm they’ve caused. For that, you need to hire a personal injury attorney to represent you. 

Here’s an overview of five things you should know about dog bite lawsuits:

1. Can I sue for a dog bite injury?

Absolutely. An individual injured by a dog can file a legal claim to hold the dog’s owner liable for dog attack-related injuries. The dog’s owner may also be held responsible for the harm their dog does to someone else’s dog.

“Strict liability” laws hold that a dog owner can be held accountable for injuries caused by the dog, even if the owner didn’t know the dog had the potential to be dangerous. If a dog has a history of attacking or biting, the dog owner may be held financially responsible for even more damages.

2. Is there a statute of limitations on dog bite injury lawsuits?

The statute of limitations for filing a suit over a dog bite injury is typically around two or three years from the occurrence date, depending on the location (state) where the injury happened. Be aware — insurance companies can drag things out and try to let the statute of limitations expire.

A lawsuit may be your only recourse, and the sooner it is filed, the better.

3. How long does a dog bite injury lawsuit take to get resolved?

The resolution of your claim can depend on whether or not it goes to court. Most dog bite injuries cases are settled without going to trial. However, some do, particularly those involving severe injury or death. The more that’s at stake, the greater the likelihood the case will go to trial.

4. Do I need an attorney to file a lawsuit?

If you try to represent yourself, you may soon find you are in way over your head. In most personal injury cases, the suit is against the at-fault party’s insurance company. Insurance companies have highly experienced attorneys whose only job is to defend against lawsuits, so it is nearly impossible for you to win a case against them without legal representation.

5. How much can I expect to get for my injuries?

The size of the settlement depends on how severe your injuries are. Your suit can seek compensation for the following:

• Reimbursement for medical bills 
• Lost wages or earning potential
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Pain and suffering
• And more

Get help from an experienced attorney

You have nothing to lose by hiring a personal injury attorney to represent you. You need someone to focus on your legal matter while you focus on recovering from your injury. You should be compensated for the harm done to you. Contact the law office of Wade Suthard, P.C. to schedule a free initial consultation with a lawyer today.

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People suffering from headaches and other pain after a car accident that wasn’t their fault have a way to be legally compensated for the harm they’ve undergone. Legally they can file a claim to be repaid, with the help of a personal injury attorney, for medical bills, and more.

The stress involved in the aftermath of an auto accident is enough in itself to bring on a headache. However, if accident-related headaches persist or worsen, you should seek medical treatment and the counsel of a personal injury attorney.

Post-accident headaches

Headaches that begin after an accident are referred to as post-traumatic headaches because they have occurred due to a traumatic event. Surprisingly, the severity of the accident may not correlate to the severity of your headache. Even a low-speed rear-end collision or a fender bender can bring on a post-traumatic headache.

What causes car accident-related headaches?

Post-traumatic headaches typically happen when a blow to or violent shaking of the head (as in the case of whiplash) are involved in a crash. They may start immediately after the accident or can manifest within hours or days. They can be intermittent (come and go) or may be constant.

Three common causes of headaches accident-related headaches include:

Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury caused by the head’s rapid forward and backward movement that typically occurs in rear-end accidents. Whiplash-induced headaches often radiate from the base of the skull to the forehead.

Concussion

A concussion is a considerable brain injury. A blow to the head often causes it, but it also results from

violent shaking of the head and upper body. Headaches, difficulty concentrating, amnesia, slurred speech, and problems with balance and coordination are common.

Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are more severe than concussions. A violent blow to the head, or one penetrating skull and brain tissue, usually causes it. 

A mild TBI has temporary effects, while serious ones can cause ongoing problems and even death.

What to do moving forward

If you experience common headache symptoms after a car accident, don’t dismiss them as a temporary nuisance and take a few aspirins — that could be a harmful idea. A recurring headache after an auto accident is a sign that something is wrong. Don’t tell yourself the headache will go away in time — always seek a medical professional’s advice. 

Other symptoms related to accident-related headaches are also possible in the aftermath. These include nausea, pain (i.e., neck pain), dizziness, and more. The long-term effects of your injury may have a permanent impact on your enjoyment of life and standard of living.

When symptoms arise, see a doctor right away. Once you are getting professional care, you should contact a personal injury lawyer. Your attorney will fight to ensure you are compensated for your medical bills, lost wages, and more. Start today by requesting a free initial consultation and getting a case evaluation with a personal injury attorney. Contact the law office of Wade Suthard, P.C. today for a consultation with a trusted personal injury attorney.

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