PERSONAL INJURY
Protect Your Rights
What are your rights? Who's responsible? Shouldn't you be compensated for your distress and hardship? Sherriff & Sherriff can answer your questions. Having an experienced personal injury attorney can give you an advantage in pursuing the justice and financial compensation you deserve. Your case will benefit from the tough, hard working approach and experience of our firm. Of course, an initial consultation is free. You'll find that our helpful and knowledgable approach can quickly get you back what you really want most: Getting your life back to normal.
Helpful Tips If You Have Been Injured
- What to do if involved in a car accident
- Protecting your rights in a car accident
- Slip & Fall Accidents
What
to do if Involved in a Car Accident
Even the best drivers can be involved in automobile accidents. Using
good judgment and taking the proper actions may save a life and can often avoid legal
problems.
When a driver is involved in an accident, he or she should immediately stop their
car, regardless of how small the accident or who was to blame. The drivers should try to
alert oncoming traffic to any obstruction caused by vehicles in the accident. The use of
hazard lights and road flares are often effective. The driver should also try to assist
any injured persons by calling an ambulance or by rendering first aid, if qualified.
Persons with back or neck injuries should generally not be moved.
The police should be called if there is any serious damage to a vehicle. The driver
should try to identify the other driver and obtain his or her insurance information. The
driver should also get the names, addresses and phone numbers of any passengers or
witnesses to the accident. Notes should be taken of all significant circumstances
concerning the accident. No driver should make any statement of fault or responsibility
for the accident or comment on damage or injury.
The driver should not leave the scene of the accident until all injured persons have been
assisted, the police have investigated, notes about the other driver and his or her
insurance have been obtained and witnesses have been identified. If possible, the driver
should take photographs of the accident scene and any damage to his or her vehicle. The
driver's insurance representative should be contacted and written notice should be given
to the insurance company as soon as possible.
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Protecting
Your Legal Rights in a Car Accident
When a driver is involved in a car accident, following a few simple steps can help
protect his or her legal rights. First, the driver should refrain from making any
statements which indicate his or her fault or responsibility for the accident. Next, the
driver should obtain the name, address and telephone number of the other driver. In
addition, the driver should collect and write down the name of the other driver's
insurance company, his or her driver's license number and license plate number.
If there are witnesses to the accident, the driver should try to obtain their names,
address and telephone numbers. Generally, when there is any serious damage resulting from
the accident, a police officer should be called to the scene to prepare an accident
report. The officer may also issue a citation if one of the drivers was at fault.
Finally, the driver should promptly report the accident to his or her insurance company.
This will ensure the driver is eligible for payment of any property damage or medical
benefits under his or her automobile insurance policy.
Slip and Fall Cases
The owner or possessor of any land, building or place of business has the legal duty to
exercise reasonable care in protecting individuals who are invited on the premises. In
particular, business owners have several specific responsibilities which they must
undertake in order to prevent personal injuries to invitees.
First, business owners must regularly inspect their premises to ensure that no dangerous
conditions exist. If any potentially hazardous conditions are found, the owner must fix
the problem or warn the invitee unless the danger is open and obvious. The existence of a
dangerous condition on the premises is insufficient by itself to establish liability,
unless the condition is one which could have been discovered by a reasonably prudent
person. Business owners must also reasonably maintain their building in a safe condition
to prevent injuries to persons traveling along an adjacent street, sidewalk or other
public way. Finally, business owners must take preventative measures within a reasonable
time after an accumulation of snow or ice to diminish potential winter hazards.
Other landowners are entrusted with similar responsibilities. For example, landlords are
liable for injuries which result from poorly lit common areas of a building such as
stairways, sidewalks and halls. Even private homeowners can be responsible for damages
occurring in their homes or yards, if they result from unreasonable or dangerous
conditions.
In general, legal action for slip and fall injuries occurring on another's property must
be commenced within three years of the injury. For children, however, the applicable
statute of limitations in each state may not begin running until the injured child reaches
the age of 18.
