Personal Injury

Should I Settle My Personal Injury Case?

This is a question that we are asked by virtually every client in every case we have. The answer is that if a settlement offer is made which is approximately equal to what one can expect to receive at a jury trial then the case should be settled. In other words, there would be no need for a jury trial because the settlement offer being made is approximately what one would likely receive in front of a fair and impartial jurors. If the offer is
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Mediation: How It Works

Mediation can be employed at any stage of a civil dispute. It can occur before or after a lawsuit is filed. Our experience at this firm has typically been that mediation occurs after a lawsuit is filed and after the parties have become well acquainted with the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the dispute. Once the parties have access to all the operative and materials facts via written discovery and depositions, it is not uncommon for one party to suggest a mediation of
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Should A Client Agree To Mediation In A Personal Injury Case?

The simple answer to this question is – Yes. Mediation is a tool that is oftentimes successfully used to settle disputes in a variety of contexts including personal injury claims. Whether the case involves breach of contract, employment disputes, medical malpractice, products liability or an automobile accident, mediation has proven to be an effective tool in resolving civil disputes. While it is not always successful, nonetheless, mediation is something that should be considered by virtually any client when trying to resolve a civil dispute. If
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Georgia Motorcycle Accident Results In Head Injury

As Georgia injury lawyers know, motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries, which include brain injury and unfortunately sometimes death. Just yesterday, a teenager between the ages of 16 and 17 years old was injured in a motorcycle accident at Highland Park, a 1000 acre motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) park in Cedartown, Georgia. Details of the accident are not know at present; however, officials have indicated that the victim has suffered head iinjuries. Redmond EMS requested Cedartown Rescue to assist.
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Suffering and Destruction In Haiti

The personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Finch McCranie LLP see suffering and loss on a daily basis through the clients we assist. However, rarely have we seen death, destruction, and suffering on a scale as that which is occurring in Haiti as a result of the tragic earthquake.
This week, in a non- partisan effort to help alleviate this terrible situation, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton joined forces to lead the effort to raise funds for relief. They issued a
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Mandatory Arbitration in Nursing Home Contracts Opposed

Mandatory arbitration agreements deprive citizens of their right to seek redress in the courts of this country. Many large businesses place these clauses in their consumer agreements as a requirement. It has been consistently shown that the arbitrations which flow from these clauses are skewed in favor of the large corporations. Simply put, arbitrators know that they will not continue to receive business from these companies if they rule against them.
Recently, public pressure has forced many credit card companies to remove these unfair clauses
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Dangerous Levels of Cadmium in Chinese Products

Children are being exposed to dangerous chemicals in toys and items manufactured in China. In recent years there have been numerous recalls of goods manufactured in China due alarming safety concerns. However, it seems the Chinese are continuing to flood the US market with dangerous and even deadly products.
Lab testing organized by The Associated Press revealed that cadmium is present in children’s jewelry, sometimes at levels exceeding 90 percent of the item’s total weight. Cadmium is a soft, whitish metal that occurs naturally in
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Unnecessary Use Of Tasers Banned By Federal Court

The use of unnecessary force by law enforcement officers is a common and inexcusable problem. Many of the attorneys at Finch McCranie LLP have law enforcement backgrounds and recognize the inherent dangers of police work and the need at times to use force. However, this does not justify the use of unnecessary force.
The United States Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit has recently issued an opinion addressing this issue in the context of Taser use. The Court, headquartered in California has sent a strong
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Polaris Recalls Potentially Dangerous ATV Model

The product liability lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP pay close attention to the recall of dangerous products that can lead to the wrongful death of innocent people. This week, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Polaris Industries has issued a voluntary recall of approximately 8,500 all-terrain vehicles because of a potentially dangerous steering problem, caused by a defective and dangerous front-end component. The recall applies to 2009-2010 models of the Polaris Sportsman ATV. Although there have been no reported
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Vicious Dogs Can Be Serious Liability Risk

Georgia injury lawyers know that dog bite incidents often result in very serious injuries and in some cases, death. We have had a number of these cases over the years. The most recent case involved a real estate agent who was attacked by a large dog. Although the dog was tied up at its owners home, it was inadequately restrained by a collar which was itself a defective product. As a result, the dog got loose and literally bit off the entire calf
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Crib and Playpen Injuries Studied

Cribs, playpens, and bassinets continue to injure and kill infants with alarming frequency.
A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics reveals the alarming frequency of injuries to babies who have been placed in cribs, playpens or bassinets.
A review of emergency-room treatments for more than 181,000 babies age 2 and under from 1990 to 2008 showed an average of 113 deaths per year from accidents associated with those three pieces of nursery equipment.
The number which is considered low because such deaths are
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The Importance Of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

We have previously written about the importance of uninsured motorist coverage, particularly in today’s economic times. In this article we wish to reemphasize how important it is that Georgia residents protect themselves with uninsured motorist coverage if at all possible within their family budget. The reason for this is because more and more motorists are driving with the minimum limits required by law, which is only $25,000.00 per person and many are driving with no insurance whatsoever, taking their chances with the law. The economy,
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Deaths Reported From Infant Child Monitors — Recall Issued

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled nearly 2 million baby monitors due to the risk of infant strangulation by the monitors’ electrical cords. The CPCS initiated the recall due to seven cases of infant strangulation in recent months.
The reported injuries and deaths include:
A 10 month-old Washington, D.C. infant died in March when she became tangled in the camera cord of a Summer infant monitor. The monitor camera had been attached to the top rail of her crib;
In November of last year,
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Victims Of Crime And Personal Injury Claims

Our firm is often contacted by those who have been victimized by a criminal act seeking advice as to whether they have a claim against the perpetrator of the crime. These cases come to us in a variety of different contexts. Sometimes a rape victim is interested in determining whether they have a claim against a hotel that negligently allowed the attack by a former employee or failed to provide adequate security with respect to the security of their room. We have had similar calls
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Car Accident Cases: How Does One Determine Settlement Value?

If someone breaks a leg in a car accident and incurs $20,000.00 in medical bills and is out of work for three or four months due to doctors’ appointments, surgery, etc., how does one determine the value of such a claim? Indeed, how does anyone determine the value of any personal injury claim? The answer is by looking at available jury research service data to determine what juries typically award for the value of certain types of injuries. If someone breaks a leg in
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Car Accident Cases And Quick Cash Settlements: A Bad Idea

As we have blogged about previously, unless a car accident victim suffers minor injuries, it is typically not in their interests to try to get a quick cash settlement. Yes, these can be some temporary financial hardships caused by the delay in securing a settlement, however, patience is the watch word in many of these cases unless the client is in such desperate need for money that they have no choice but to significantly discount the value of their claim in order to get a quick cash settlement. Before this course of action is decided upon, however, clients need to be educated by their attorneys as to the costs involved in trying to get a quick cash settlement.

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Car Accidents And Quick Cash Settlements

Here in Atlanta we have had an extended break from work due to icy road conditions. Most of our lawyers have not been able to get into work so we have been watching some television during the day. What is fascinating is the number of lawyer ads on television particularly pitching for personal injury cases. What is troubling, however, is the pitch that many of the law firms promised to get “quick cash settlements” for car accident victims.

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In An Accident While Traveling Out Of Town: What Law Controls?

We are often called by clients who have traveled through the Atlanta area only to be the unfortunate victim of a third party’s negligence. Calls usually come from those in car accidents or tractor-trailer collisions. Sometimes a slip and fall is involved or a defective product. These innocent persons sometimes are hospitalized following the incident in Georgia and then sent back to their home states for follow up treatment. When they reach out to an attorney the usually are being overwhelmed with medical
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Wrongful Death Cases: Who Has The Claim?

It is not unusual for our firm to be contacted by family members who are bereaved over the death of a close family relative. Oftentimes the individual is killed through the negligence of a third party and the family member simply wants to understand the law that pertains to the claim. Sometimes, however, family members can get in an argument among themselves as to who has the right to pursue the claim for the wrongful death. While Georgia, like many states, has a statutory scheme
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Structured Settlements In Serious Injury Cases

In any serious injury case involving permanent or lifetime injuries, careful consideration should be given to whether a structured settlement should be part of any settlement of such a case. A structured settlement agreement is a device whereby if the overall lump sum amount can be agreed upon, a certain percentage of it can be set aside and invested in an annuity that will pay benefits over the victim’s lifetime, usually on a monthly basis. Such benefits are extremely important for people who are disabled because it provides them a safety net and allows them to pay rent and other necessary living expenses as they grow older. Particularly in those cases where a victim is incapacitated and unable to work, a structured settlement agreement can provide a lifetime of revenue for necessary living expenses.

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