From the second you first notice brake lights flashing and tires squealing as a car crash happens before your eyes, your heart begins to race. You may frantically slam on your brakes or swerve to get out of the way of a tumbling passenger car or semi-truck. You may fumble for your phone, say a few prayers, or just close your eyes and wait for it to be over. There’s one thing you’re doing for certain at the onset of an accident if you have children, however. You’re going to do everything you can to keep them safe.

Here are 3 ways to protect your children during a car accident:

Get Off the Road

If you have room to maneuver the vehicle safely, turn off the road if possible or merge into other available lanes. If you see an out-of-control car heading your way, a quick swerve in the right direction can save the lives of everyone in your vehicle. Even if you’re clear of the crash itself, you may want to change lanes or get off the road immediately regardless. You never know when a piece of debris will head in your direction.

Personal injury law allows an injured person to be financially compensated when someone else’s negligent or intentional behavior caused them harm.  There are many types of personal injury cases involving many types of injuries.  Here are a few of the most common:

Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents are the most common personal injury case in the United States.  This is because these accidents are often the result of an at fault driver who was not following the rules of the road or was driving recklessly.  Careless drivers legally can be held financially responsible for injuries that result from an accident that their behavior caused.

Riding a bicycle is a fun and healthy form of transportation. It is a great way to get exercise and help the environment by reducing the amount of toxic motor vehicle emissions released into the air.  But riding a bicycle can be dangerous because there is nothing to protect you if you crash.  Practicing good habits when you ride can help make riding a bicycle a safe and enjoyable way for you to travel.

Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet.  A helmet is your most important protection and best defense in an accident.  A properly fitted helmet can protect your brain from the dangerous impact of hitting the hard ground.  Bicycle helmets have been estimated to reduce the odds of head injury by 50 percent and the odds of head, face, and neck injury by 33 percent.  Should you find yourself in a crash, a helmet can sav

Simple physics dictates that a crash between a large object and small object will result in greater damage to the small object.  The size of semi trucks makes them extremely dangerous when they are involved in an accident with a smaller vehicle.  Big trucks are substantially heavier than cars.  The average passenger car weighs 3,500 pounds.  The average pickup truck weighs 8,500 pounds.  And the maximum weight in the United States is 80,000 pounds over 18 wheels.  That differential is often the difference between life and death in a crash between a car and a semi truck.

Semi trucks are also much longer than cars.  The length of an 18-wheeler means it takes longer for a passenger car to pass it, increasing the risk of accident.  Some even pull two trailers, further increasing their length and weight.  These double semi trucks have a 11 to 15% higher crash rate than single trailer semi trucks.

Truck accidents are different from regular car accidents because the truck driver and the company that employs the driver can both be held liable.  Truck drivers are required to follow company policies for safe driving and protocol for how to handle accidents when they occur.  Failure to do so can leave them and their employer liable for damages.  Knowing what to do after a truck accident can help you avoid making key mistakes that hurt your case.

Do not skip getting a police report.  A police report is an important part of your case.  An initial evaluation of the accident may appear as though little to no damage has been done.  And it may seem excessive to keep everyone involved waiting at the scene for an officer to arrive.  Even if it seems unnecessary, it is better to take the time to file an official report.  This provides official documentation of the crash, when and how it occurred, and will certainly be useful later in court.

Wrongful death law applies when the defendant’s actions have resulted in the death of the victim, leaving behind surviving family members and dependents whose lives will suffer because of the victim’s absence. The purpose of these laws is to compensate the survivors, not the deceased victim.

Early American courts did not acknowledge wrongful death law. Instead, they followed a rule that said when the victim died the right to bring a case died with them. Lawmakers have come to realize the injustice of this rule and wrongdoers can no longer escape liability simply because their actions were severe enough to cause death of the victim. All fifty states now have some form of wrongful death law.

Over the last decade, social media has transformed the way the world communicates.  According to the Pew Research Center, 79% of adults today have a social media profile.  Social media allows people to share thoughts, ideas, interests, and images on the internet with anyone they choose.

With people sharing so much personal information online, it would seem natural to post and share the details of a life changing accident.  But making this private information public in the months following an accident can be detrimental to a personal injury claim.

Individuals making personal injury claims are typically seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.  They want to be financially compensated for the reduction in their quality of life.  The task for the prosecution is to prove that lingering pain is preventing the victim from doing activities that they would normally have been able to enjoy.

When we place an elderly loved one in a nursing home or long term care facility, we can’t be expected to be there 100% of the time. This makes it difficult to find out how they are being treated and taken care of. Unfortunately, nursing home negligence and abuse both occur more often than we’d like to admit. Our loved ones aren’t guaranteed to be safe in these institutions.

It’s a fact that Kentucky nursing homes are generally understaffed. Understaffing can lead to staff member negligence on multiple levels when residents are not given the time they require. Failing to keep an eye on a wandering resident or not properly caring for bed sores, for example, can cause life-threatening injuries. In rare cases, employees may wrongfully handle or be abusive to residents thinking they will not get caught.

Wrongful death lawsuits can enable a grieving family to recover from a tragic loss that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. They can provide financial assistance to cover the deceased’s final medical bills, lost wages, companion/suffering costs, and more. In the case of a wrongful death claim filed on behalf of someone who was a resident at a nursing home, that compensation can go towards the same things, but the rules somewhat change.

In a nursing home wrongful death lawsuit, the claim is generally aimed toward the nursing home itself or a specific staff member that contributed to a loved one’s passing or allowed it to happen. Wrongful death claims aren’t criminal claims, but are instead civil. They require one or more of four circumstances to occur: negligence, carelessness, reckless behavior, or another type of wrongful behavior.

When a family loses a loved one due to a tragic accident that was caused by another’s negligence or recklessness, that family can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the guilty party. At the Law Office of Todd W. Burris, we see a great deal of misinformation regarding wrongful death cases, how they work, and in what conditions they can be filed.

We’d like to put an end to some of that misinformation if possible. Here are 4 things you may not know about wrongful death lawsuits:

Wrongful death cases are about negligence—not about breaking the law.

When someone breaks the law and a loved one dies, that’s when a criminal investigation generally begins. If no laws are broken and a loved one dies due to the negligent, careless, or reckless acts of another human being, that’s not a criminal matter necessarily, but it is one that can be considered a wrongful death.