Personal Injury

Major Chemical Companies Announce Settlement for Thousands of Personal Injury Lawsuits

February 14, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “How much time do I have to file a claim for my personal injuries after an accident?”

Most people know how to take simple steps to protect their family from harm. Families install smoke detectors and lock their doors. They put child locks on cabinets containing chemicals and other harmful products. The wear their seatbelts. Though all are important, it’s scary to think about how many harms hide just beneath the surface, harms that almost no one can guard against. Two major chemical companies recently announced that they had agreed to settle thousands of cases related to just such a hidden problem.

Slip-and-fall from donkey statue leads to personal injury lawsuit

February 7, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I post about my injury on Social Media?”

When personal injury cases make it on the front page it’s usually for one of two reasons. Either the case is a true tragedy where victims suffered unimaginable harm, or the case seems ridiculous, serving as an example of a tort system seemingly run amok. When the headlines fall into this latter category it can skew people’s idea of what a personal injury case is. All they see are the silly headlines, lacking entirely in legal analysis or context. Rather than allowing the media to portray every personal injury as if it were assured of success no matter how odd, it’s important to understand that the majority of these cases fail because the law imposes serious burdens that plaintiffs must confront before they’re able to collect damages. Though the news might lead you to believe it’s easy to cash in every time you bump or bruise yourself, the reality is far more difficult.

Minors and Personal Injury Settlements

January 31, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I post about my injury on Social Media?”

We talk about personal injury cases all the time and something that often goes unstated is that the vast majority of these cases involve adults. Though it might seem that age wouldn’t matter when it comes to resolving personal injury claims, it can actually make quite a big impact. The reason is that minors receive extra protection that adults don’t get, this protection then requires additional legal hurdles to clear before cases can truly be wrapped up. To learn more about minors and personal injury settlements, keep reading.

Sensory Testimony May Be New Trend In Personal Injury Cases

January 24, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing a personal injury case for trial. In addition to gathering evidence, talking to witnesses, analyzing medical records and constructing a theory for your case, the lawyer in charge will also need to think through the best way to relay the harm suffered to the judge or jury tasked with awarding damages. All the evidence in the world is of little use if the person deciding your case isn’t able to fully appreciate the extent of the harm suffered. This gap between the pain of the plaintiff and the judge or jury’s ability to understand has long proved problematic in personal injury cases and can make it difficult to secure awards that appropriately value the injuries that occurred.

Landlord Liability for Personal Injury of Tenants

January 17, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: ” I have been injured on another person’s property. What should I do now?”

Owning rental property can be a great financial move, assuming things go smoothly. If real estate values increase, the tenants pay their rent on time and no one gets hurt, it can be a great way to build assets. The problem, unfortunately, is that things don’t always go so smoothly. Real estate bubbles burst, tenants have to be evicted and people sometimes trip and fall. Though we have little control over the first two issues, there are things that can be done to better understand and prepare for a personal injury lawsuit related to rental property. To learn more about how such tenant injury lawsuits work, keep reading.

In the snow, who is on the hook if someone slips and falls?

January 10, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: ” I have been injured on another person’s property. What should I do now?”

Given the recent winter weather across not only North Carolina, but 49 of 50 states (Florida is the only one without any snow on the ground, even Hawaii has something), the potential for slipping and falling has increased rather dramatically. Studies have shown that more accidents happen in the winter and property owners are often especially worried about the possibility of someone hurting themselves, fearing liability for the injuries that result from an unsuspecting accident. How does this work when it comes to snow and ice? Are the property owners always on the hook?

Black Friday Shooting Deaths Top Personal Injuries This Year

December 15, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: How does the law of contributory negligence play a role in my case?

Even before Black Friday 2016 hit, personal injury attorneys across the nation (including ourselves) had enough cautionary tales to fill a book with the horror stories that routinely befall shoppers on the busiest shopping day of the year.

California law clarifies what happens when undocumented immigrants file personal injury lawsuits

December 6, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

What happens if you’re an undocumented immigrant who is injured in a personal injury accident? In California, the rule has long been that though immigration status would not preclude you from recovering damages, it could result in a much lower verdict. The reason is that a plaintiff’s immigration status was admissible evidence that could be used in calculating damages due to lost future earnings, with the plaintiff being required to calculate earnings outside of the U.S. The rule has changed in recent months thanks to passage of a new law and will hopefully bring more clarity to the personal injury system.

How One Woman’s Restraining Order, Criminal Complaints Led to a $15,000 Wrongful Prosecution Judgement Against Her

November 24, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I post about my injury on Social Media?”

Malicious prosecution just may be the hot-button lawsuit of the week. In our criminal blog this week (link here?), we discuss a South Carolina man a jury recently awarded $150,000 in his lawsuit against the county sheriff’s office for malicious prosecution. In addition, one recent and completely unrelated case in North Carolina proves just how varying the underlying circumstances leading to this type of lawsuit can be.

Victims to Divide $265 Million Payout For 2015 Amtrak Accident

November 22, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What exactly is a wrongful death claim?”

A judge in Pennsylvania recently issued an important decision that hundreds of injured commuters have been eagerly awaiting. Since May 2015, when a Northeast Regional Amtrak train derailed between New York and D.C., more than 200 victims and their families have been waiting to see what they would receive to compensate them for the injuries they suffered. Though the judge decided this past week that the total payout would be capped at $265 million, individuals will remain in the dark about their share until separate hearings can be held.