by Grayson Law | Aug 13, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury
Distracted driving can occur at any moment. Within a minute, anyone can be hit by a distracted driver on their phone. Lives can instantly be changed by one person on the road. Car accidents due to distracted driving can result in severe injuries, including death. In 2019 alone, Arizona had over 10,000 distracted driving accidents. To avoid the consequences of an accident, Arizona officially implemented a law on January 1, 2021, to ban the use of a cell phone or other electronic device while driving. Unless the device is being used in hands-free mode, drivers can now be pulled over and fined by law enforcement officers.
Arizona Texting and Driving Laws
The state of Arizona proposed the legislation after a law enforcement officer was struck and killed by a distracted driver who was texting. With rising cases of accidents due to distracted driving, action had to occur. While most states in the United States have already implemented texting and driving laws, Arizona has not until recently. If a driver is caught by a law enforcement officer using an electronic device while driving, they can be fined up to $149 for the first time they get pulled over and up to $250 for recurring incidents. However, if an accident is a result of distracted driving, the consequences can be even more severe. If the death or injury occurs, distracted drivers can face a misdemeanor and a six-month jail time. Furthermore, drivers can also have their license temporarily suspended and pay restitution up to $100,000.
Hands-Free Systems
While holding a smartphone or other electronic device in your hand while driving is now illegal, using a hand-free system is not. Hands-free tools can include a Bluetooth system. If your car comes with a Bluetooth system, take advantage of the tool while making calls. Using one earphone or a Bluetooth ear device is also acceptable. Even deciding to put your phone on speaker and not touching it is possible. The use of GPS navigation is also acceptable. The Arizona Department of Public Safety clearly states that drivers will be allowed to answer and end calls, engage and disengage a GPS device, use a wireless communication system or device to talk on the phone, use a vehicle navigation device, and report a crime or call for help. Do not risk your life and others by having your phone in your hand for one second. One moment can be life and death.
After a Distracted Driving Accident
If you recently experienced a car accident tragedy due to a distracted driver, Grayson Law is here for you. With years of experience, Jeffery L. Grayson with Grayson Law is here to help. Grayson offers services unlike any other law firm across the Pheonix metro area. With a multitude of injuries occurring in Arizona as a result of distracted driving, residents need someone to represent them through the complicated legal system. When an accident occurs, Grayson knows how to personally assist and represent all individuals. For more information, contact Grayson Law at 480-535-9650.
by Grayson Law | Aug 13, 2021 | Bicycle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury
Have you recently suffered from a car accident or other personal injury? If you experienced a violent jolt to your head, you can potentially have a traumatic brain injury. There are two levels of brain injuries to consider, mild and severe. A mild traumatic brain injury can have a short-term effect on your brain cells, while a severe injury can lead to long-term damage. A more severe brain injury leads to bruising, bleeding, and damage to the brain. Unfortunately, these injuries can cause a multitude of issues or lead to death.
Causes of Brain Injuries
While brain injuries do not happen often, they can occur. The severity of a brain injury can depend on certain circumstances depending on the event that led to it. Common causes of a brain injury, include falls, sports injuries, violence, car accidents, and explosive blasts.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
While some signs of a traumatic brain injury have different effects on individuals, some effects are not immediately known. Symptoms of a brain injury can occur right after an accident or days to weeks later. Mild brain injury symptoms can range from physical to sensory and psychological. Physical symptoms are headaches, vomiting or nausea, fatigue or drowsiness, speech slur, and dizziness. Individuals can experience sensory issues such as sensitivity to light and sound, blurred vision, ear ringing, and more. Physiologically, symptoms can be loss of consciousness, confusion, memory or concentration issues, mood swings, depression, anxiety, and sleeping issues.
Severe brain injuries also result in physical, cognitive, and psychological issues. Physical symptoms include loss of consciousness for a while, persistent and worsening headache, seizures, eye dilation, sleeping issues, weakness in fingers and toes, and loss of coordination. Cognitive symptoms include a change in eating habits, irritability, crying, attention issues, seizures, depression, and more.
Knowing the Signs and Seeking Help
If you were recently in an accident and suffered a violent jolt to your head or body, do not go without seeking medical attention. As mentioned, symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can occur immediately or weeks after. Early treatment can help avoid the progression of the issue. If you notice any of the signs above, visit emergency care. Only a medical professional can assist in ensuring you are okay.
Writing-off Medical Bills
Medical bills can be dreadful and potentially prevent people from seeking help when needed. If you experienced traumatic brain injury care that was not covered by insurance, you can potentially claim the bills as deductions on tax returns. Figuring out how to receive financial support can be difficult, but it is not impossible with some help.
Personal Injury Attorney
Receiving the financial support to cover medical expenses can be potentially difficult. To avoid paying thousands out of your pocket, consult with a legal advocate that can assist in filing and successfully claiming a personal injury. At Grayson Law, Jeffrey L. Grayson will advocate for injured residents across the Pheonix metro area. Don’t avoid medical treatment. Receive the medical support you need when working with a trusted attorney. For more information, call Grayson Law at 480-535-9650.
by Grayson Law | Aug 27, 2020 | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury
"But I thought I had Full-Coverage"...
Just a friendly reminder to check your auto insurance policy. When you signed up for insurance, you may have thought you purchased “Full Coverage” but you and your family may not be fully covered.
“Full Coverage” usually only means you have 1.) liability coverage (this pays someone else’s medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when you cause an accident), 2.) comprehensive coverage and 3.) collision coverage (these two pay for the repair or replacement of your damaged vehicle).
If you or a family member are injured in a crash, “Full Coverage” might not be enough to compensate you. None of these coverages will pay your medical bills. You would need Medical Payment (MedPay) coverage for that. Also, if you are injured in a crash and the at-fault driver does not have auto insurance, your “Full Coverage” would do nothing to pay you for medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering. That’d be Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage. Finally, even if the at-fault driver has insurance, it may not be enough to cover all of your damages. In that case, you would benefit from Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage.
MedPay, UM and UIM are additional coverages that are not usually included when you purchase “Full Coverage” auto insurance, but they can be the most helpful when you or your family are injured in a crash.
Check your policy... Are you fully covered?
by Grayson Law | Jul 7, 2020 | Personal Injury
Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most common results of motor vehicle crashes and bicycle accidents. While many accidents that occur in Arizona cause mild TBI, also knows as concussions, serious collisions may lead to severe TBI that could have long-term consequences. Understanding the most common signs and symptoms of TBI may help you get the medical care you need to recover as quickly as possible.
According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussion symptoms usually fade after a few days. It may take slightly longer for young children or older adults to fully recover from mild TBI. However, moderate and severe TBI may include symptoms that last for much longer, sometimes even years. Additionally, you may have a longer recovery time if you have already experienced TBI.
The CDC states that TBI symptoms fall into four separate categories: cognitive, emotional, physical and sleep-related. Sometimes TBI signs are obvious immediately following a collision, but it is also possible that you may not experience some symptoms until days or months later. If you do not experience symptoms until long after the injury, it may be harder to know for sure that the TBI caused them. For example, headache, nausea and poor sleep may all be symptoms of TBI, but it may be easier to assume they are from an illness such as the flu if you do not experience them until months after a car or bicycle accident.
There are a few TBI signs that may indicate you need immediate medical attention. Some things to watch for include seizures, slurred speech, inability to stay awake, persistent confusion and loss of coordination.
This information on TBI is intended to be educational and should not be taken as legal advice.
by Grayson Law | Jul 7, 2020 | Personal Injury
The injuries sustained from a car accident often go beyond the physical and emotional trauma. Medical bills, lost earnings, property damage and other potential financial ramifications can combine to make an already unfortunate situation more stressful.
However, there are several actions that you can take to ease the burden.
Get medical attention
Whether or not your accident results in obvious injuries, the first thing you need to do is to seek medical assistance. By doing so, you will be able to detect and treat any internal injury on time, before the condition worsens. Moreover, you will get an accurate assessment of your injuries, which may help you prepare strong evidence when filing for compensation.
Gather and preserve evidence
The court will evaluate your case based on the evidence presented. This includes all pictures, videos, medical reports, the number of hospital visits, bills, statements, vehicle registration number and any other relevant material.
To improve the chances of winning your case, however, make a point of filing the case as soon as possible. Starting the entire process when the injuries are still discernible may go along way to convince the judge of your pain and predicaments.
Keep ongoing expenses in mind
Certain types of injuries require extensive treatment and monitoring over a period of time. This means you have to continue spending on therapy, medication and other costs related to your condition. Therefore, when seeking compensation, you should keep track of these expenses in order to receive fair compensation.
Present yourself well in court
If you receive a hearing date for your case, it is advisable to appear in court looking as presentable, polite and respectful as you can. Like it or not, judges and juries sometimes make judgments based on what they see, so it is important to gain their trust.
