Personal Injury

What is a loss of consortium claim?

October 13, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Anyone who has had a loved one seriously injured in a North Carolina personal injury accident understands that the victim is not the only person impacted. Instead, accidents have a ripple effect, impacting family members and loved ones who must cope with the emotional injuries associated with serious accidents. There’s a term for this harm: loss of consortium. To learn more about loss of consortium and how it works in the context of a North Carolina personal injury case, keep reading.

Judges order new trial in KFC slip-and-fall case

September 29, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

A recent slip-and-fall case out of New Jersey managed to grab the attention of the state Supreme Court. The New Jersey High Court ruled unanimously on Monday that instructions to the jury in a lower court personal injury case were flawed and that this prejudiced the result, leading the Court to order a new trial.

Premises Liability in North Carolina

September 22, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What does the “one-bite rule” mean in NC dog bite cases?”

I recently came across an article listing some of the most common examples of personal injury claims. As you might expect, the list began with car accidents, an incredibly common source of personal injury cases in North Carolina and elsewhere. The sheer number of vehicles on the road all but guarantees a constant supply of new automobile injury cases. Another category on the list that is less well understood concerns premises liability. Though few people know the phrase, premises liability is an important concept that touches on a wide range of injuries and represents a sizable chunk of personal injury cases. To learn more about premises liability in North Carolina, keep reading.

Can a Fitbit impact your personal injury case?

September 2, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers: What is partial, total, temporary, and permanent disability?

Americans have become very interested in wearable technology. Between the Apple iWatch, Garmin watches and gadgets, Nike exercise trackers and the incredibly popular Fitbit’s range of products, there is no shortage of options. These can be important motivators to exercise more, demonstrating in stark numbers your daily movement (or lack thereof). Though everyone understands that Fitbit’s and other wearable technology can be used for personal motivation, few people are aware of another new and potentially important use: evidence in a personal injury case.

Government pays out millions for vaccine-related injuries

August 25, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Experts say that a government program designed to compensate those injured from receiving vaccinations has recently made a shift by recognizing harms associated with the way the vaccines were administered, not just compensating victims for the content of the vaccines themselves. Chief among these conditions is something known as SIRVA, or “shoulder injury related to vaccine administration.” The shift isn’t a small one, since 2011, the fund has paid out more than $18 million to 112 SIRVA victims.

How the “baseball rule” can impact your personal injury case

August 18, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

A recent article out of St. Louis discussed a woman who was injured by a flying object and has now sued the restaurant where she suffered her injury. The woman complains of seemingly serious injuries, yet many experts believe her case is likely to be tossed out of court. The reason has to do with something referred to as the “baseball rule” and can have an important impact on personal injury cases. To find out more, keep reading.

The Importance Of Time In A North Carolina Personal Injury Case

August 13, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can I wait a few months to pursue a personal injury claim?”

Anyone who has been hurt in a North Carolina accident has likely considered the idea of bringing a claim for compensation. When the pain or the financial impact of the accident is serious enough, victims often begin thinking about their options. Unfortunately, those who have suffered harm in North Carolina often fail to take into account time and how much timing can impact the ultimate success of their claim. To find out more about how time can affect a North Carolina personal injury case, keep reading.

Issues of fault in North Carolina personal injury cases

August 5, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

A recent crash involving the new Charlotte trolley system illustrates an important but often misunderstood aspect of North Carolina personal injury law. Though many people assume that when you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else you can simply sue to receive compensation for your damages, regardless of whether you as the victim may be somewhat responsible for the accident. In North Carolina, the personal injury laws make it impossible for a victim to sue the person that caused the harm if the victim is found to be at fault in any way for the accident.

Oklahoma Court Allows Fracking Personal Injury Case To Move Forward

July 29, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, has been in the news a lot recently. There have been heated battles between supporters and opponents of the activity, disputes that frequently boil over into legislative chambers and courtrooms. Supporters argue that fracking is a novel, though safe, approach to extract oil from the ground in otherwise hard to reach spots, which creates jobs and economic development. Critics argue that the chemicals used to bring the oil to the surface may be slowly poisoning the water supply and that the force with which the chemicals are pumped underground can cause earthquakes and untold other damage.

Caution flag is out for spectators choosing to sit close to the action

July 7, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question ” I have been injured on another person’s property. What should I do now?”

Those NASCAR fans who stayed awake into the early morning hours of July 6^th to catch the conclusion of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway witnessed Austin Dillon’s horrific last-lap crash. Dillon’s No. 3 car went airborne into the track’s “catch fence” and broke into pieces, sending debris flying towards fans seated near the finish line. Amazingly, Dillon emerged from the car with only a bruised forearm and tailbone, and of the 13 spectators hit by debris, only one was taken to the hospital (and that spectator has since been released).