INJURY | PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER | PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY | INJURIES

There are more than 12,000 personal injury cases filed in Arizona every year, and that number doesn’t include automobile injury cases, which typically account for more than 1 million cases per year. There are also an average of 600 medical malpractice cases, 27,000 restraining orders, and 27,000 small claims cases per year.

Alaskans file more than 1,000 personal injury cases every year, and that number doesn’t include traffic injury cases, of which there are more than 65,000 per year.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, the police are our heroes. They protect us from criminals, help during times of crisis, and make us feel safe. However, there are some unprofessional, poorly-trained, and even downright bad officers.

Police officers can cause serious injuries caused by false arrest, false imprisonment, wrongful eviction, and even brutality. When this occurs, many people lose faith in the entire justice system. But there is recourse; people who are victims of police related injuries can get help. Contacting a personal injury attorney immediately is the right first step and an important part of taking care of yourself after being injured.

False arrest and imprisonment occurs when innocent people are arrested and imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit. They are often arrested despite lack of evidence or because evidence has been tampered with.

Wrongful eviction occurs when people are kicked out of their homes without proper warning or without reason. This can result in families becoming homeless and struggling to survive.

Finally, police officers sometimes use unnecessary physical action when arresting or responding to people. This is called police brutality. Police brutality has resulted in death in some cases, and it can also result in bruises, broken bones, and even emotional damage.

Workplace injuries can be serious, and they can happen while you are at work, traveling, or doing any activities related to your employment. If you are injured at work, you should not be responsible for your medical expenses. More than 5,000 workers are killed every year at their place of employment, and more than 4 out of every 100 workers will be injured during the work year. The most injuries happen to men, at 72 percent, as well as people who work as operators, fabricators and laborers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injuries occur while driving machinery, working at manufacturing plants, working with chemicals or highly flammable materials, while driving trucks, and while lifting heavy objects. The most frequent workplace injuries are:

• strains and sprains
• overexertion (back injury, knee injury)
• fall
• struck by an object (head trauma, brain injury)
• being caught in equipment
• amputations (the most common amputation are fingers)

Worker’s Compensation laws are different in every state. Finding a personal injury attorney who specialized in your state’s laws is important. An attorney can help you determine:

• what compensation you’re entitled to because of pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, future financial losses, disfigurement, etc.
• how to file a claim (and will fill it out for you)
• what to do if your employer doesn’t have insurance
• how to get your employer to pay for medical expenses
• how to approach all mediations and hearings (and will accompany you)

If you sustain a workplace injury, the first step is to immediately seek medical attention. Even what appear to be minor injuries can end up causing permanent pain or damage. Make sure to document and record everything that happened, such as what equipment you were using, who was working with you, when and where the injury occurred, etc. Next, call a personal injury attorney.

Slander and libel are easy to confuse. While slander means someone has verbally said something or made gestures that harm a reputation, libel means it is published in a more permanent form. Libel can occur in the form of a radio broadcast, a newspaper article, a flyer, and even an announcement. Both slander and libel defame someone’s character and are often statements that are not true, and this results in the person’s reputation being damaged in the community. For example, slander could be:

• untrue remarks that result in someone losing a job
• gestures that belittle and embarrass a person to the point of emotional breakdown

Libel could be:

• a newspaper article that makes a mistake so large that a business goes bankrupt
• a radio announcement that announces untrue statements about a person that result in financial loss and emotional stress

What is important in these cases is that famous people and people in high government positions cannot be slandered or libeled. The reasoning behind this is that famous people like actors, sports stars and musicians have knowingly put themselves in the public spotlight, and therefore should expect criticism, parodies and gossip. This is why certain magazines and TV shows can ridicule movie stars and spread gossip and not get in trouble. Government officials have also knowingly put themselves in the public spotlight, and because Americans have a right to participate in a democracy, discussion about these officials is allowed even when it is untrue and hurtful. In fact, many people believe that heating discussion and name-calling is sometimes what helps determine the best candidates. Many also believe that releasing anger about certain laws or governmental decisions is important, and that if it wasn’t legal to name-call and direct verbal anger toward government officials, people would resort to violence.  However, everyone else has recourse if they are slandered or libeled. Contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in defamation cases if your reputation has been damaged. Slander and libel can result in financial loss, bankruptcy, loss of property, loss of standing in the community, emotional injury and embarrassment.

Shoulder injuries can be debilitating. It’s not only hard to move your arm, it can hurt to breathe. Daily activities become close to impossible. The shoulder is the point where any arm movement begins, and any strength you have depends on your shoulder to act as the point of rotation and movement. Daily activities like brushing teeth, driving a car, and lifting a bag can be very painful. Shoulder injuries include:

• broken collarbones
  • This is an impact injury, usually occurring when a person falls or is hit hard. Collarbones can also break when babies are being delivered because they bend and snap while trying to fit in the birth canal. The collarbone helps connect the arm to the body, so any arm movement will cause severe pain when a person has a broken collarbone.
• dislocation
  • Dislocation occurs when ligaments inside the shoulder become stretched or damaged to the point that they can no longer hold the shoulder in place. Once a dislocation occurs, it is more likely to happen again.
• rotator cuff injury
  • This is a common injury for people who play sports, especially those that require throwing or catching. The rotator cuff is the shoulder joint, and it contains many tendons and ligaments. These can snap, tear, stretch, get inflamed, develop tendonitis, or otherwise get damaged.
• arthritis
  • Arthritis occurs because of continued trauma, infection, mineral deposits and/or aging in the joints. Arthritis is very painful, can cause the joint to swell, and limits movement in the joint.
• AC joint separation
  • This is the joint where the collarbone meets the shoulder. This can become separated, much like a dislocation.

There are many exercises you can do to strengthen and protect your shoulders. You can keep your elbow by your side, hold your hands parallel to the ground, and rotate your lower arm in and out away from your body while pulling a pulley weight across and away from your body. This is called an external rotation. You can also do an internal rotation, which is the same thing except that you are pulling the weight in toward your stomach. You can do an extension, in which you stand facing the pulley weight, again bend your elbows and place your hands in front of you, and pull the weight toward the side of your body so that your elbows go behind your body and then back to your sides. Consider having a trainer at your local gym show you the exercises as well. If you injured your shoulder in a car accident or a workplace accident, contact a personal injury attorney immediately.

Seaman injuries occur while a person is working aboard ships, rigs and platforms or while working at docking stations or manufacturing stations. Seaman injuries are subject to admiralty and maritime laws, and therefore are often treated differently by many insurance agencies and medical providers. Understanding these laws is important. Personal injury attorneys who specialize in offshore and seamen injuries can help answer your questions and determine who is responsible for your medical expenses. Seaman injuries usually occur while working on oilrigs, production platforms, lay barges, supply boats and helicopters. If a seaman receives an offshore injury, for example, the Jones Act allows that seaman to seek compensation for lost wages and medical expenses if the injury was due to an act of negligence on the part of the employer or other workers. If the seaman dies, his family may file a wrongful death suit under the Jones act, maritime law or the Death on the High Seas Act. Examples of neglect include hiring untrained employees, buying and installing faulty equipment and not replacing faulty equipment, having slippery working surfaces and sailing or working with malfunctioning equipment. Typical seamen injuries include those that happen when there is an explosion or crash or when equipment falls or fails to function. Injuries that occur include head and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, bone breaks and fractures, paralysis and many more. Which laws apply depend upon each individual situation. Questions for an attorney to consider include:

• How large was the vessel?
• Were you working at sea or vacationing?
• Where did the injury take place?
• What is your occupation?
• Who is your employer?

For example, if you work in the construction, loading or unloading of large vessels, you might be covered under the Longshoremans’ and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. If you work on an oilrig that is attached to the ocean floor, you might be covered under the Longshoremans’ and Harbor Workers’ Relief Act. The Jones Act covers workers who are injured on vessels that are not attached to the ocean floor. Each of these laws is extensive and sometimes difficult to understand. Finding a qualified personal injury attorney is important.

Public health refers to the wellness of a large group of people, such as a city, state or country. Each group has public health officials who monitor public health and report on any concerns as well as help prevent, contain and monitor the spread of disease. Public health officials encourage everyday practices such as:

• using sunscreen
• wearing helmets
• wearing seatbelts
• getting immunized
• getting tested for illness
• having regular check-ups

Public health officials warn people against participating in activities that pose a health risk, such as:

• smoking
• exercising in smog or polluted areas
• substance abuse
• obesity
• sexually-transmitted diseases

Public health officials also warn people about any possible illness outbreaks or infections they need to avoid. For example, in 2007 public health officials warned people about:

• West Nile Virus
• overexposure to electromagnetic fields, including cell phones and power lines
• tuberculosis
• avian influenza
• drinking water contaminations

Finally, public health also includes the nutrition, exercise and mental health concerns of communities.

For example, health officials might sponsor anti-drug and anti-smoking campaigns and publish “how to eat healthy” materials as well as define and explain mental health. In public health, mental and physical injuries are viewed with equal importance. Public health officials might address mental health by:

• explaining signs and symptoms
• telling you where to get help
• offering preventative tips
• providing support

To find out more information on public health, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

A premise owner, or the owner of a property, is liable for all maintenance and security that the property requires in order to be a safe place for visitors. Premise owners can be business owners, farm owners, homeowners, construction site owners, land owners, etc., and they have to maintain and secure their properties to avoid injury, workplace accidents, and premise liability lawsuits. Maintenance of these properties include:

• making sure walkways are free of cracks or gaps as well as ice so someone doesn’t slip and fall
• making sure gathering areas are safe
• making sure driveways are well-paved and plowed as well as well-lit
• making sure any hazardous tools, equipment or areas are well-fenced or stored in areas where they can’t cause harm
• making sure employees can conduct their work without risking injury

Premise owners are also responsible for security, which includes:

• installing a fence to keep children, pets and adults out of private or dangerous areas
• hanging flood lights in low visibility areas
• employing security guards (if the premise owner has a lot of visitors and there is an apparent need for extra security of people and property)
• posting warning signs when there are hazardous areas

Even if you don’t have regular visitors or employees, you are responsible for the safety of the mail delivery person and everyone else who might enter your property, sometimes even if that person trespasses. For example, the attractive nuisance law states that the premise owner is liable for any injury, despite whether that person trespassed, if the injury was caused by negligence on the part of the premise owner. In the case of attractive nuisance, negligence means the premise owner knew that there was the possibility that someone (particularly a child) might get hurt on the property, yet did nothing about it. This happens when children wander onto construction sites, play on farm equipment, or jump into someone’s swimming pool. If the premise owner takes all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of visitors and employees, he or she is less likely to experience a premise liability case. However, if you are involved in premise liability, you should contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your options.

Kids love to run, jump, climb and swing. In all their excitement, they often fall and scrape their knees and hands or get a couple of bruises. Sometimes, injuries are worse. Falls from heights can lead to brain injury and paralysis. Making sure your child’s playgrounds are as safe as possible and teaching your children basic safety rules are the first steps toward preventing more serious injury. Playgrounds are everywhere; they are designed and constructed by playground builders for schools, parks and community areas, and they are found in backyards on every street. Playgrounds aren’t just swing sets and slides, however. Children can make playgrounds out of just about any type of area that catches the eye. First and foremost, talk to your children about how to play safely. This includes:

• staying within sight or earshot of a parent, teacher or caregiver
• always asking permission before playing on someone’s property
• not climbing higher than their own height (a 3’ child should not be allowed to climb higher than 3’)
• wearing appropriate safety gear (a helmet when skateboarding, for example)
• not hitting, punching or otherwise playing rough with any other children
• waiting their turn while on a playground
• coming inside when lightning is present
• avoiding any sick, injured or strange animals
• not talking to strangers and leaving immediately if they approach you

If your child plays on a playground at a school, park or friend’s house, inspect it for any damage, wear, rust, splinters or other harmful problems. Also, make sure the playground is age-appropriate for your child. For example, a 4-year-old shouldn’t be climbing very high or swinging on swings without a safety seat. Also, ask what kind of supervision will be available for your child. If the parent or supervisor plans to stay indoors and leave the children to play alone, consider the risks before agreeing to leave your child. Know about other potential playgrounds in your neighborhood that weren’t developed for play. For example, be aware of any vacant mines, farms, tunnels and construction sites that might attract children. Talk to your children about each and every place, and explain the risks and establish rules. Also, talk to the owners of those properties about fencing them and posting warning signs. Under attractive nuisance law, owners of properties where children might be attracted and might get hurt are often responsible for any injuries, even if the children trespassed.