by Grayson Law | Jul 7, 2020 | Personal Injury
Grayson Law, PLLC, is dedicated to improving the quality of life of injury victims throughout state of Arizona. Sometimes, this means offering guidance that is outside the realm of laws and statutes. One particular example is use of social media.
It is completely natural to want to reach out to your friends, family and associates when you or someone you love suffers a traumatic injury. However, if you intend to seek compensation for your injuries or those of your loved ones, you may want to stay off of social media for the duration of the negotiations and any trial that may occur.
One area where this is particularly important is traumatic brain injuries.
How use of social media can backfire
If you do not immediately see the connection between services such as Facebook or Twitter and a personal injury case, you are not alone. Many victims of injuries fail to see the importance of Internet media, and their cases suffer damage as a result.
Insurance companies and the attorneys that represent them are often quick to refer to social media posts out of context to cast doubt on claims of suffering or to provide evidence that an injury is not as severe as you say it is.
By staying off of social media, you may deprive the defense of tools it could use against you.
The goal of your case should be to get the compensation you need to put your life back together. For more information, please continue on to our website.
by Grayson Law | Jul 7, 2020 | Personal Injury
As a pedestrian, you are vulnerable. There are no protections from a vehicle. There are no safety devices to keep you safe in an accident. You have to be proactive. You need to look out for yourself and do the right things when on foot.
There are many laws about what you can and cannot do as a pedestrian. There are just as many, if not more, laws about how vehicles should interact with you on the roads. The Arizona Department of Transportation notes that almost half of pedestrian accidents when the vehicle is going only 30 miles per hour are fatal.
That’s reason enough to take safety precautions.
Know the right of way
Know when you have the legal right to cross the street. Vehicles should stop if you are crossing at an intersection, or in or out of a crosswalk. However, you still need to be cautious. Watch out for cars turning left or right, when drivers may not see you in the crosswalk.
Obey pedestrian signals
Pedestrian signals are there for your protection. Obey them. If the countdown timer is running down, do not begin crossing the street. If you are in the street already, cross promptly.
Other rules
If a sidewalk is available, you must use it. You cannot walk on the roadway. You also should never step into the road in front of a vehicle that will not have time to stop. Finally, always yield the right of way to vehicles when crossing outside a marked crosswalk at an area that is not an intersection.
These tips can help you avoid an accident and perhaps save your life.
by Grayson Law | Jul 7, 2020 | Personal Injury
It is the responsibility of Arizona business owners to ensure the safety of their customers while on the premises.
If you sustain injuries while shopping or conducting business due to a wet floor, parking lot potholes, broken sidewalks, ripped carpeting or similar issues, you may have grounds for a legal claim.
There are three elements you must prove in order to prevail in a premises liability lawsuit:
- The legal status in which you were on the property. Usually, this falls into the categories of invitee, licensee, social guest or trespasser. Business owners tend to have a higher duty of reasonable care to invitees and social guests than licensees and trespassers.
- The hazardous condition must exist for an extended time, without anyone taking corrective action. For example, the store owner may be liable if they are aware the floor is wet and know it may cause someone to slip and fall, yet the owner does not clean up the area. The owner may also be liable if they know the problem could pose a danger to trespassers and children and do not take adequate action to fix or provide clear warning of the issue.
- The premises violates building codes or other statutes. If you fall while using the stairs due to an inappropriate or missing handrail or because the sidewalk is in poor condition, it may be a building code violation.
When a business opens its space to the public, there are requirements regarding the condition of the premises. Regular inspections can identify potential dangers. Displaying warning signs can help customers avoid the area. For significant issues, barriers can prevent the public from inadvertently entering the area. Failure to take the necessary steps can result in a lawsuit if you require medical treatment as a result of an injury such as a concussion, fracture or spinal cord damage.
Do you want to know more?
Visit this page on our website for more information on this topic.
by Grayson Law | Jul 6, 2020 | Personal Injury
You may have heard the term chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the news quite a bit lately. It is linked to repeated head traumas, such as those suffered by athletes who play contact sports, most notably football and boxing. While the condition is still not fully understood, it is linked to a range of very serious effects that can have life-altering consequences.
Symptoms of CTE
CTE can only be officially diagnosed by studying sections of a person’s brain during an autopsy. However, there are symptoms that appear in individuals who have experienced repeated head traumas throughout their lives. Cognitive problems that impair thinking ability are a key feature, as is the loss of short-term memory. Executive function can also be impacted, which allows a person to plan tasks and see them to fruition. People suspected to have CTE also exhibit increased impulsivity, as well as substance abuse problems.
Mental health problems are also linked to this disorder. These can present as depression, which is characterized by a loss of interest in people and activities, a persistent feeling of sadness, and a lack of motivation. CTE may also lead to suicidal ideation, and some people even engage in suicidal behavior as a result of repeated head trauma.
When to See a Doctor
Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to diagnose CTE. People who have experienced repeated head injuries and experience the above symptoms are encouraged to visit a doctor to discuss their symptoms. From there, you may be referred to different specialists, who can help address different facets of the disorder. For example, a psychiatrist can help you manage emotional and mental health issues, such as depression.
The best thing you can do to prevent CTE from occurring is to manage your risk when it comes to head injuries. If you have already experienced a concussion, discuss it with your doctor. Do not return to the activities that caused the concussion until you are given the all-clear from medical staff. If you or a loved one plays contact sports, do not be pressured into performing if you have recently experienced an injury.
by Grayson Law | Jul 6, 2020 | Personal Injury
If you are like most people, you probably think slip-and-fall accidents cause minor injuries such as strains, sprains or possibly a broken bone.
While some slips and falls do indeed result in these types of painful but non-serious injuries, others can be catastrophic. Unfortunately, a slip-and-fall could result in significant injuries, such as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Partial or total blindness
- Spinal cord injury with partial or total paralysis
To sue and prevail against the person who owns or manages the property on which you slipped or fell, you will need to prove the property contained a dangerous condition. Furthermore, you will need to prove the property owner/manager knew or should have known about this condition and failed to take the proper steps to fix it and/or warn of it.
Specifically, you will need to prove the following:
- That the dangerous condition existed
- That it created an unreasonable risk to you and other people legitimately on the property
- That you could not have anticipated that the condition existed
- That the property owner/manager should have known that it existed
- That it existed long enough that (s)he could have alleviated it or, at the very least, warned you about it
Basically, a slip-and-fall suit represents a civil premises liability lawsuit. In other words, the property owner/manager bears the responsibility to make his or her property reasonably safe for anyone who legitimately comes on it. If (s)he does not, (s)he is guilty of negligence and liable for your damages. These can include hospital and medical bills, pain and suffering and more.
