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Can You Seek Compensation for Scars Caused in an Auto Accident?
Car accident injuries range considerably in severity and type, but many of them have the potential to cause long-lasting or permanent disfiguration. If your doctor expects you to have permanent scars from your car accident injuries, be sure to inform your injury lawyer of this development. When filing an accident injury lawsuit in Baltimore, your lawyer may seek compensation for your permanent disfigurement.
After you recover, you might consult a cosmetic surgeon to discuss procedures that can help minimize your scarring. It’s important to keep track of all of your expenses pertaining to the disfigurement, including surgeon consultation fees and operating costs. Your lawyer may be able to recover compensation to cover these costs for you. Permanent disfigurement can also be a factor in seeking damages for psychological injuries. You might consider visiting a mental health counselor or psychologist. During a trial, these types of expert witnesses might testify regarding your psychological injuries that have resulted from your permanent disfigurement.
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Determining If a Workplace Injury Was Caused by an Accident or Negligence
Workers’ compensation claims are based on a no fault system. This means that workers who sustain injuries in the workplace can file a workers’ compensation claim in Baltimore without having to prove that the accident occurred because of fault or negligence. Usually, the no fault nature of workers’ comp means that employees give up their right to file lawsuits against their employers because of workplace injuries. However, there are exceptions. After sustaining injuries because of your job, you have the right to consult a workers’ compensation lawyer to determine if you might be able to recover greater compensation through a lawsuit. This will depend on whether the incident was accidental or caused by negligence.
Differentiating Between Accidents and Negligence
By definition, an accident is an unplanned, unexpected event that causes bodily injuries and did not occur due to someone’s fault. For example, an office worker could be carrying a heavy box of copy paper. He or she might stub a toe, fall to the floor, and break an arm. Assuming that nothing except pure chance caused the stubbed toe, this is an example of an accident. In contrast, an accident caused by negligence might not necessarily be an intentional effort to injure someone, but it does occur due to someone else’s fault. A freshly mopped floor might result in a slip and fall incident. If an employer failed to provide safety equipment like wet floor signs, then this might be an example of negligence. Negligence can be broadly defined as conduct that falls below the standard of care that a person could reasonably expect to maintain.
Identifying the Types of Workplace Negligence
When your workers’ comp lawyer evaluates your claim to determine whether it might be appropriate to file a lawsuit, he or she will look for acts or behaviors that fall below the widely accepted standard of care. Negligent acts can include any types of violations of OSHA standards. An employer might be negligent in failing to properly train employees in safety procedures or the use of safety equipment. Sometimes, an employer might even be found to be negligent in hiring or employee retention procedures if an improperly screened hire harms others in the workplace.
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Factors That Increase the Risk of Auto Accidents
Car accidents can occur anywhere at any time and sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact cause. However, determining the cause and contributing factors to a car accident that occurs in Baltimore is an essential step in the recovery process. This is because a car accident lawyer will need to assess liability for the crash to help the victims recover maximum compensation for their injuries and other losses. Police reports are often very helpful in uncovering crash-related issues such as the following.
Teen Drivers
Drivers aged 16 through 19 are most at risk for a crash compared to all other age groups. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2,163 teens in the U.S. were killed and 243,243 were rushed to the ER for serious injuries because of motor vehicle crashes that occurred in 2013. The CDC further notes that young drivers aged 15 through 24 comprise just 14% of the U.S. population, yet they are responsible for 30% of the total costs stemming from motor vehicle crashes. Male teens represent the highest risk and this risk increases further when male passengers are in the car. The presence of passengers of either sex in a car driven by a teen driver of either sex is also a significant risk factor for a crash. This could be because teens are more likely to try risky driving behaviors when their peers are present and/or because passengers are a considerable source of distraction while driving. The risk associated with teen drivers is also attributed to their relative inexperience with handling a car.
Driving Distractions
In addition to the distracting influence of passengers, there are many other sources of distraction that can contribute to car accidents. It’s common knowledge that cellphones, GPS devices, and other electronic gadgets can easily distract a driver. However, many other activities can be incredibly distracting, such as eating and drinking, grooming, rubbernecking at crash sites and at billboards, reaching for fallen objects, and even daydreaming.
Busy Roadways
Another factor that can increase the risk of a crash is a very busy roadway. Experienced drivers already know that they ought to exercise greater caution during rush hour traffic, but sometimes even the most cautious of drivers can forget to check a blind spot before changing lanes. During rush hour, it’s particularly important to actively and continuously monitor the changing traffic patterns.
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How Do Air Bags Work?
If you become involved in a car accident in Baltimore, the presence of air bags in your car can help save your life and prevent serious injuries . Today, some late model vehicles prevent car accident injuries by housing air bags not only in front of the driver, but also behind the glovebox door, roof, front center area, and side of the car. These air bags of varying sizes serve to cushion the impact of a crash.
When you watch this video, you’ll hear a little about the evolution of air bags and exactly how they work to prevent car accident injuries. This expert explains that air bags rely on solid fuel, which is ignited when the car’s crash sensors detect a sudden deceleration. The ignition of the fuel triggers gases to inflate the air bags in about 35 milliseconds. Unfortunately, as smart as air bags are these days, they can’t prevent all injuries from a crash. An injury attorney can help you deal with the aftermath of an accident.
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