When your personal injury lawyer files a lawsuit on your behalf, it’s quite likely that it will be resolved with a settlement. Many plaintiffs never see the inside of a courtroom because they decide to accept a sum of money in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. However, you do have the right to decline a settlement offer and take the defendant to court. A personal injury lawyer serving Riverside will ensure you are fully prepared for your day in court.

Do plan to arrive early.

It isn’t acceptable to arrive late to a court appearance or even to arrive on time. Instead, plan to arrive at least half an hour before you are scheduled to appear in court . Leaving your home with plenty of time to spare gives you some leeway in case you have car problems or encounter traffic delays on your route. When you arrive early, your personal injury lawyer will have time to give you some last-minute advice.

Do dress appropriately for court.

As a general rule of thumb, dress for court in the same way you would dress for a funeral. Men should wear a suit and dress shoes, and ladies should wear a pantsuit, skirt suit, or other conservative outfit that doesn’t reveal much skin and doesn’t draw unnecessary attention. If you have tattoos, make sure your clothing covers them up.

Don’t leave your cellphone on.

Leaving your cellphone on vibrate mode isn’t enough to prevent embarrassing disruptions in the courtroom. Turn it off instead or leave it in your car. You shouldn’t have any other electronic devices on, either.

Don’t interrupt anyone.

Your personal injury lawyer has probably instructed you not to speak in court unless you are directly questioned. You may respond to the judge, whom you should address as “Your Honor.” If you’re on the witness stand, you’ll respond to the questions. But otherwise, it’s best to stay silent—and never try to talk to a member of the jury.

Do control your reactions.

Hearings and trials can be incredibly stressful, even if you’ve been in court before. But it’s important not to let your temper get the best of you. Even if the opposing counsel asks you questions that seem insulting, you’ll need to take the high road and maintain a calm demeanor.

Elder abuse is an unspeakable tragedy, and it often goes unreported. Nearly 10% of all seniors in the U.S. become victims of elder abuse. This is a tragedy that you can help put an end to. Be alert to the signs of elder abuse , and contact the police and a personal injury lawyer in Riverside if you notice them. If you believe a senior is in imminent danger, call 911 immediately. Otherwise, a personal injury lawyer can walk you through the process of seeking legal recourse.

Types of Elderly Abuse

To learn about the types of elder abuse, watch this featured video and consult your personal injury lawyer about your own observations. Your personal injury lawyer may ask you about suspicious physical problems, such as unexplained bruises, lacerations, or broken bones. Some seniors are medically neglected. Their caregivers may fail to give them prescribed medications, neglect to take appropriate actions to prevent bedsores, and fail to call a doctor when needed.

Catastrophic injuries, including amputations, may form the basis for a personal injury claim.  An accident lawsuit can involve either traumatic amputations or surgical amputations. A traumatic amputation occurs during the course of the accident. For example, a car crash might result in the violent loss of an arm or leg. A surgical amputation is performed by a surgeon. These intentional amputations are done for the purpose of saving the life of the patient when a hand, foot, or limb has been compromised by a serious medical problem, such as an infection.

It is still possible to file a catastrophic injury lawsuit with the help of an accident lawyer after undergoing a surgical amputation, as long as the surgery directly resulted from someone else’s negligent or reckless actions. For instance, a car accident lawsuit might claim that the crash crushed the victim’s leg, which later needed to be amputated. In addition to motor vehicle accidents, other possible causes of amputation injuries include medical malpractice and defective products. Defective power tools or home exercise equipment, for instance, might cause a traumatic amputation.

Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is among the most common causes of truck accidents. Big rig accidents have the potential for catastrophic injuries and death, even at low speeds. If you were injured or you lost a loved one in a big rig crash, contact an accident lawyer in Riverside promptly. You may be able to file an accident lawsuit to hold the negligent truck driver responsible for his or her actions.
 

Alcohol Abuse

Commercial big rig operators are professional drivers who are supposed to be appropriately screened and trained. It’s often thought that truck drivers are less at risk of driving while under the influence of alcohol compared to others on the road, but unfortunately, this isn’t the case. As your accident lawyer can explain to you, a truck driver can be charged with DUI if his or her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is above a certain limit. In most states, this threshold is typically half the BAC limit for non-commercial drivers. Truck drivers are routinely tested for alcohol impairment after accidents. If they refuse, according to the rules established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the resulting penalties are roughly equivalent to pleading guilty to DUI. Criminal investigations of truck accidents proceed separately from accident lawsuits. However, a finding of DUI under criminal law can become an important factor in civil trucking litigation.

Substance Abuse

Truck drivers are held to higher safety standards than non-commercial drivers, but this doesn’t mean they are immune to the dangers of substance abuse. Some truck drivers may operate big rigs while under the influence of marijuana , which can be particularly dangerous because it can induce sleepiness and inattentiveness. Others may take illicit stimulants in an effort to stay awake during the long hours on the road. An accident lawyer can obtain evidence, such as the police report, to determine if substance abuse might have been a factor in the crash.

Prescription Drug Abuse

It isn’t just illicit substances that can impair a truck driver’s abilities. Many prescription drugs can affect alertness, reaction time, judgment, and perception. Truck drivers are required to undergo intensive medical evaluations to determine if any medical conditions or medications might affect driving ability. An accident lawyer can investigate whether a truck driver failed to comply with these requirements.

In 1994, the country was horrified to learn of the violent deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Simpson’s ex-husband, former NFL player O.J. Simpson, was acquitted of the murders. However, a civil lawsuit was brought against him and he was found liable for wrongful death. There are significant differences between verdicts in criminal cases and the outcomes of wrongful death accident lawsuits. If you’ve lost a loved one due to someone else’s actions, you can consult an accident lawyer in Riverside to discuss how an accident lawsuit would proceed differently from a criminal case.

As you’ll learn when you watch this featured video, a verdict in a criminal trial is not binding on a civil accident lawsuit. One of O.J. Simpson’s defense lawyers points out that the burden of proof is different. In a criminal case, a defendant must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In a civil accident lawsuit, a defendant must be found liable by a preponderance of the evidence.

Families often prefer to keep their aging loved ones at home, but unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. Even if your family chooses a nursing home with a solid reputation, it’s important to know that any nursing home resident can become injured due to negligence or abuse. Visit your loved one often and remain alert to the potential signs of negligence. If the resident does sustain unexplained injuries or illnesses, consult a nursing home abuse lawyer in Riverside immediately.

Medication Mistakes
 
Medication errors can be especially tricky to detect, since family members cannot monitor their loved ones 24/7. But if you do notice that your loved one’s medical conditions seem to be worsening, it might be a sign that the nursing home staff isn’t administering the doses as prescribed. Consider having a frank discussion with your loved one’s doctor about this possibility. A physician can let you know about the side effects or symptoms that you should watch out for. If your loved one is hospitalized with a mysterious illness, you could ask if a blood test might reveal medication levels.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a major concern for responsible caretakers of elderly nursing home residents. As a person grows older, thirst recognition isn’t as strong. Plus, many medications can increase the risk of dehydration. Seniors suffering from dehydration may have dizziness, difficulty walking, confusion, low blood pressure, and a rapid heart rate. Since seniors are at a high risk of severe complications of dehydration, they should be seen at a hospital promptly if these symptoms occur. Bear in mind, however, that as a person approaches the end of life, he or she is likely to refuse food and water. Consider whether your loved one’s doctor has advised you to expect his or her impending death before jumping to conclusions about nursing home neglect.

Pressure Sores

Another common nursing home injury is pressure sores, also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers. Many nursing home residents have mobility restrictions. They need assistance at regular intervals to change their positioning and to transfer from a bed to a wheelchair. If a nursing home resident hasn’t been repositioned properly, pressure sores can quickly develop. They most commonly affect the hips, heels, back, ankles, and elbows. Pressure sores become progressively worse when not treated promptly. Eventually, the lesions can cause life-threatening infections .

If your loved one is in a nursing home, the last thing you want to believe is that he or she could be being abused or neglected. Unfortunately, these cases happen all too often, so loved ones need to be vigilant. A common issue experienced in nursing homes is understaffing, which can lead to negligent care. If you suspect your loved one could be the victim of elder abuse or nursing home neglect, contact an attorney in Riverside to find out what your rights are.

Nursing home understaffing occurs when a home accepts more patients than they can adequately care for with the staff that they have. These staffing issues can be exacerbated when nursing homes try to compensate by hiring staff without proper background checks, further putting residents at risk. Understaffing can also lead to unreasonable overtime demands that can make staff careless and overstressed. Consistent understaffing leaves residents vulnerable to falls, missed medication doses, and sores and infections from inattentive personal hygiene assistance. Emotional distress is also possible. If your loved one exhibits these symptoms, contact an attorney to determine if you should file a lawsuit.

The police play an important role in protecting the safety of the community, but what happens when they cross the line? If you are injured or otherwise targeted by police misconduct , you have options. The California State Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Enforcement Section investigates claims of police misconduct vigorously. An accident lawyer in Riverside can also help you pursue a claim against the police if you are injured as the result of misconduct by a police officer. Here is the information every California resident needs to know.

Governmental Immunity

Governmental immunity protects police officers from being sued for doing things that are part of their jobs. For instance, if you are stopped by the police and questioned sternly, the experience may be unsettling, but if the police officer did not step outside of the line of duty and did not violate your legal rights in any way, he or she has immunity from being sued by you. Governmental immunity means that the government has to agree to accept any lawsuit that is filed against it, but that doesn’t mean that police officers have carte blanche to do whatever they want with impunity. There are many laws that allow you to file a lawsuit against a police officer who has engaged in misconduct.

Types of Misconduct

Although many different types of police misconduct exist, the most common cases involve false arrest, malicious prosecution, and excessive force. You may be able to file a case for false arrest if the police arrested you without probable cause. Malicious prosecution involves the pursuit of legal cases against someone without probable cause. For this type of lawsuit, your attorney must prove that the police started a criminal case against you for which you were not convicted, without probable cause and with malicious intent. In an excessive force case, your attorney must demonstrate that the police used force against you that was not reasonable given the nature of the case and your interaction with the officer.

Misconduct Claims

If you believe you have been the victim of police misconduct, contact an attorney right away. A notice of claim must be filed within six months of the arrest. Keep careful records of your interaction with police so that your attorney can rely on them when preparing your case.

If a loved one was killed by someone else’s criminal activity or negligence, such as in an auto accident, then you could be able to file a wrongful death claim . For criminal activity, a wrongful death claim may come in the wake of a criminal court conviction. For a car crash, contact an accident attorney in Riverside for a case evaluation.

If you are injured by a dog bite, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical costs and pain and suffering. To file an accident lawsuit in Riverside , contact an attorney with experience in personal injury lawsuits, who can evaluate your case and determine if negligence was to blame. If you are the victim of a dog attack, these tips will help you cope with the incident itself and the aftermath.

Don’t Run Away

If you think a dog is about to attack, resist the urge to run away. When you start running, the dog will begin to chase you, especially if you are running with your back towards the dog. It is better to stand perfectly still and keep your arms down by your side, even if the dog is approaching. Avoid eye contact and remain still. This could cause the dog to lose interest in you. If the dog appears to have diverted its attention to something else, back away slowly, still facing the dog. If your movement causes renewed aggression, stop again and remain still for longer.

Do Put Something Between You and the Dog

If a dog is biting you, grab anything you can to put between yourself and the dog. A jacket, purse, backpack, shoe, or even a stick could all work. Continue to try to do so until the dog stops biting you and latches on to something else. If you are knocked to the ground during the process, try to avoid excessive movement and noises, which will cause the dog to escalate the attack.

Do Protect Your Rights

After a dog attack, getting medical attention is the most important step to take. If your injuries allow, get the names and contact information of witnesses of the attack and of the dog owner. Photograph everything you can about the scene and the attack. Never speak with an insurance company or an attorney for the dog owner without your own lawyer. Contact an accident lawyer as soon as possible to determine if you have a case against the dog owner.