Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains What You Should Do If You are Injured by a Construction Vehicle

Mississippi’s climate allows for year-round construction to take place, both on our roads and on construction sites. Unfortunately, construction vehicles are a frequent cause of injury to motorists and pedestrians who come close to construction sites. If you are injured by a construction vehicle, you will need to seek medical help immediately, document the accident if you are able, and contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

If you or a loved one was injured by a construction vehicle, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

What to Do After You or a Loved One is Struck by a Construction Vehicle

We have all heard that sound—beep, beep, beep—of a massive backhoe or bulldozer moving backward towards us. Construction vehicles require those annoying backup alarms because they are massive vehicles with limited visibility and a propensity to crush unsuspecting pedestrians and other drivers. While responsible operators drive many of these construction vehicles, others are not. Sleepy, drunk, and otherwise impaired driving is a problem in the construction industry, just as it is in the rest of our community. Other heavy machinery operators are not impaired but are operating a vehicle in tight conditions with insufficient visibility. Poorly loaded vehicles and inclement weather also frequently result in accidents.

Negligence in Mississippi

Merely being in an accident with a piece of construction machinery will not guarantee you compensation for injuries and damages related to the collision. To successfully attain your fair share of compensation, you will need to prove that the driver, the construction company, or the manufacturer of the vehicle was negligent. Negligent means that a third party had a duty to reasonably protect you from harm and failed to meet that duty. It can mean that the driver was not appropriately trained, was under the influence of a controlled substance, or drove the construction vehicle in an unsafe manner. Additionally, the manufacturer could be to blame for selling an inherently dangerous construction vehicle, such as a vehicle that lacked adequate visibility or failed to have a backup warning alarm.

Steps to Take After an Accident

If you are physically able, take as many photographs as possible following an accident with a construction vehicle. Insurance companies frequently move in quickly following an accident and move or remove vehicles, destroying crucial evidence. Your real-time photos may prove to be vital to your case.

See a physician immediately. No matter how seemingly minor your accident was, see a physician immediately. First, you are likely in shock and are not a good judge of your physical condition. Second, even if you feel uninjured, you want a third party to document your physical condition immediately after an accident in case injuries arise later. Finally, most soft tissue, neck, and back injuries take days or weeks to develop, and you will want to make sure X-rays, and other documentation are made in close temporal proximity to the accident.

What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured by a Construction Vehicle?

If a construction vehicle driver’s negligence injured you or a loved one, you may require extensive, expensive medical treatment and can result in years of trauma and lost income. You likely need a new car. Loss of work may imperil your lifestyle and livelihood. Tragically, inexperienced counsel may lead you down a dead-end where you receive no compensation for your injuries and damages. Instead, let experienced personal injury counsel take care of discovering who is at fault for your burn injury, preserving your medical records, attaining expert opinions, documenting the accident scene, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a personal injury attorney can handle for you.

Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Jonathan Barrett will zealously represent you if you have suffered a serious injury due to negligence.  Contact Barrett Law now at (800) 707-9577.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Discusses When to Accept an Insurance Company’s Settlement Offer

Many people who have been in a car accident contact me to ask whether they should accept an insurance company’s financial offer to settle their case. My answer is always the same—not without the help of an experienced personal injury attorney. While there are some simple cases where the other driver’s insurer makes a reasonable offer, the vast majority of initial offers are too small to adequately compensate you for your injuries, your passengers’ injuries, loss of work, damage to your vehicle, and unforeseen medical expenses. Insurance companies know that after an accident, you are likely anxious to start repairing or replacing your vehicle, may be out of work, and need money. Many accident victims are eager to accept any payment, however inadequate.  This is a significant mistake, and attaining the help of a personal injury attorney can help you avoid it. Because I so often receive questions about settlement offers, I have written the following blog post to describe how I advise clients who have been involved in an automobile accident.

If you were involved in a car accident, you will need the help of experienced counsel to attain your fair share of compensation for your injuries, car replacement, and loss of work. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

Should I Accept a Settlement Offer from the Insurance Company?

 You should never accept an insurance company’s initial offer to settle your case. Often, insurance companies will send injured parties a check in the mail because they know that accident victims often need money immediately to cover the costs associated with the crash. But if you cash that check, you are likely foreclosing any ability to get any more compensation and are waiving any future claims.  Don’t do it.

The problem with the insurance company’s initial offer is that it often fails to contemplate all of the expenses related to the accident. While it may replace your car and cover a night at the emergency room, those expenses are tiny compared to a lifetime of medical care that you may need to address a chronic neck or back problem that may arise months after the accident.  Similarly, an initial offer rarely compensates the victim for loss of work that may occur from migraines or headaches that often result from accidents.  Simply put, an insurance company’s initial offer is rarely worth considering, and is never worth considering until all of your injuries have completely healed, and you have been deemed healed by a medical provider. Up until that point, you cannot know whether your injuries are behind you or whether you will need a lifetime of expensive care to deal with their constant or periodic flare-ups.

While you should not accept an insurance company’s initial offer, you also cannot wait endlessly to decide.  Mississippi has a three-year statute of limitations, meaning you have three years from the time of your accident to decide whether to file suit against the person who injured you or your passengers.

What Should You Do If You Have Been in a Car Accident?

As I described above, if another driver’s negligence injured you or a loved one, you will need the assistance of a talented personal injury attorney to help you decide whether to accept an insurance company’s settlement offer or to press on and litigate to attain your fair share of compensation.  If you are in a car accident, you should seek immediate medical attention and then contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you have been injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Pool Drownings

It is summer here in Mississippi, which means that everyone is spending as much time as possible floating in the pool.  There is nothing that I love more than the sound of children playing in the water, but there is nothing worse than the drownings that predictably occur each summer. Tragically, almost all of these drownings are preventable, and their cause is consistently some form of negligence on the part of the adults charged with protecting children from harm. In this blog post, I will describe the causes of drownings and what you should do, heaven forbid, if your loved one drowns in a pool.

If you have experienced the tragedy of a pool drowning, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your loss. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

What You Need to Know About Drownings

Ten people die every day in the U.S. in swimming-related drownings.  For every person that drowns, five more are hospitalized due to a near-drowning. Pools must be maintained so that they are safe, and there must be adequate lifeguard or adult supervision to keep children safe.  Many children are injured in pools that are not maintained adequately or lack sufficient signage to warn them of dangers related to diving into shallow water. Similarly, adults must be able to observe children playing above ground pools, as this pool’s construction often obscures the view of those charged with keeping children safe. Both indoor and outdoor pools must have filter caps and other suction devices that will not entrap children who often play near them.  Ladders must be solidly affixed to prevent unintentional slips and falls.

 Negligence and Attractive Nuisance

To have a successful claim against the owner of a pool, you will usually have to prove that he or she was negligent or that the pool was an attractive nuisance. “Negligent” means that the person had a duty to protect the public and failed to take reasonable steps to meet that duty, resulting in an injury. With pools, the responsibility to protect the public is quite high, as they are a known danger and are frequented by children who cannot adequately protect themselves.  Pool owners must reasonably maintain their pool and provide adequate supervision to keep swimmer safe.

An “attractive nuisance” occurs when a landowner owns something—here a pool—known to be attractive to children, that is a danger to children, that poses a risk that is difficult for children to comprehend fully, and that is not sufficiently guarded or walled off to protect children from hurting themselves.  This is why pools must be fenced off with a fence high enough to keep children from easily wandering into the pool. Similarly, a half-filled swimming pool is an attractive nuisance because children can easily climb into it, but may have great difficulty climbing out. The issue of “reasonableness” is often at issue in these cases, as parties rarely agree what is reasonable to prevent children from accessing a dangerous hazard.

What Should You Do If Your Child Has Been Injured While Swimming in a Pool?

As I described above, if your child or loved one was injured in a swimming accident, you will need the assistance of a talented personal injury attorney to demonstrate that the pool owner was negligent or maintained an attractive nuisance.  If your loved one was injured by or drowned in a pool, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if your child has suffered pool-related injury. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Jet Ski Accidents

In Mississippi’s hot summer months, there is nothing like skipping across a lake on a jet ski. These fast-moving, lightweight watercraft are the perfect vehicle for those who want the thrill of speed combined with jumping off of waves and making tight, high speed turns. But the very things that make jet skis thrilling also make them potentially deadly, especially when they are misused or by those that are too young or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sadly, many people are injured and killed by Jet Skis every year in the United States, and they or their loved ones must pick up the pieces from a fun day on the water gone awry.  If a jet ski driver injured you or a loved one, you are due compensation for injuries, loss of work, and other expenses you have incurred.

You will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for a Jet Ski accident. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

What Are the Defining Aspects of Jet Ski Accidents?

A jet ski is a small, one or two-person watercraft.  The driver sits or stands on the jet ski, which has a powerful inboard jet motor and steering similar to a bicycle.  These watercraft have become increasingly user-friendly and easy to use. That said, they are also capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, making collisions involving them as dangerous as car accidents. They share many of the dangers of automobiles as well, with inexperienced and inebriated drivers both posing severe risks to themselves and those that share the water with them.

 

If you are injured in a jet ski accident, you should seek the help of an experienced personal injury attorney immediately. The majority of jet ski accidents are caused by “operator error,” meaning that either the driver lacked sufficient training or that he or she was struck by someone who lacked experience or was somehow incapacitated.  Accordingly, if you were driving and lost control of the jet ski, you may have been poorly trained to use the watercraft. A claim against the jet ski rental shop would have to show that they provided you with a vehicle without adequately warning you of its inherent danger.

Similarly, the jet ski’s manufacturer may have failed to adequately warn you and the rental shop of the dangers inherent in these watercraft. A legal claim based on “failure to warn” will be more akin to a products liability claim than a traditional negligence case.

Finally, if another driver strikes you, your claim will likely be more similar to an automobile accident case, where your attorney will have to prove the other driver’s negligence. This is particularly true if the person was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, where they can also be prosecuted criminally. If the person is found criminally to have been under the influence at the time of the accident, it will be far easier to prove your negligence case, which will be based on a lower standard of proof.

What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured on a Jet Ski?

As I described above, if you or a loved one was injured on a Jet Ski, you must contact a personal injury attorney immediately. You may have claims against the Jet Ski manufacturer, the driver that struck you or your loved one, and any dealer that sold or rented the Jet Ski to you.  These are important and complex decisions requiring the assistance of experienced counsel.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have been injured. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Pedestrian Accidents

With Mississippi’s warm climate, you should always anticipate pedestrians walking alongside our roadways.  Unfortunately, pedestrian-vehicle collisions are also common. Because of the difference in size between automobiles and pedestrians, the results can be catastrophic. Long periods of recovery, severe debilitation, loss of work, and even death can result from one of these accidents. But when a vehicle hits a pedestrian, who is to blame?  I will explore the answer to that question below.

If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury, counseling, and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

Pedestrian Accidents—Who is at Fault?

In a pedestrian accident where a vehicle such as a car or truck hits a person walking on the roadway, there will always be a question of fault.  Generally speaking, pedestrians are supposed to stay outside of the main roadway unless they are crossing the street. If a pedestrian is crossing the road, it should be done at an intersection and, preferably, at a stop sign or stoplight. If a vehicle strikes a pedestrian while he or she is off the main roadway or in a crosswalk, then the vehicle’s driver is usually at fault.

If a pedestrian darts into traffic or walks in the roadway, vehicle drivers still have a duty to try to avoid the pedestrian.  That said, if the pedestrian puts themselves in a situation where a collision is inevitable, such as in the middle of the road at night or on a blind corner, the driver is unlikely to be found at fault. The ultimate issue in these cases is reasonableness. A driver must take reasonable steps to avoid striking a pedestrian, even one in the roadway.

Drivers that strike pedestrians while they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are almost always found to be acting unreasonably, as driving while intoxicated violates the duty of care that drivers owe others on the road. Interestingly, studies have shown that drivers who are on their phones while driving exhibit very similar driving behavior to intoxicated drivers. Accordingly, drivers who strike pedestrians while texting are also likely to be found responsible for any injuries the pedestrian suffers. Conversely, a pedestrian who wanders into the roadway is also likely to be found at fault if he or she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.

As one can imagine, when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, there is often a dispute regarding where each party was at the time of the collision. These cases frequently require expert witness testimony to determine whether a pedestrian was reasonably avoidable when the vehicle hit him or her. You will want to hire an attorney with longstanding relationships with experts in accident re-creation and traffic issues.

What Should You Do If You Have Been Injured in a Pedestrian Accident?

If you were injured in an accident while walking on the road, you should seek medical attention immediately and contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Inexperienced counsel who only dabbles in personal injury law may lead you down a dead-end where you receive no compensation. Instead, let experienced counsel take care of preserving medical records, attaining expert opinions, reviewing evidence, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a personal injury attorney can handle for you.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious injury as a result of a pedestrian accident. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Discusses Finding the Best Attorney After a Rear-End Collision

If you drive on Mississippi’s roads, you have undoubtedly seen many “fender benders” or rear-end collisions between cars.  These accidents frequently result in whiplash and other soft tissue damage to the passengers’ necks and backs.  In this blog post, I will discuss two topics.  First, I will explain why rear-end collisions are particularly damaging. Second, I will explain what you should do if you are involved in rear-end collision. If you have been rear-ended, you need to speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney immediately, even if you do not feel injured.

If you or a loved one was involved in a rear-end collision, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury, loss of work, and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

Rear-End Accidents—Common and Damaging

Rear-end collisions pose a significant threat to motorists for two reasons.  First, they are prevalent and occur any time a motorist stops quickly or when other drivers are distracted. In our era of cell phones, these accidents are commonly caused by drivers looking down to send a quick text.  Second, because rear-end collisions involve a tremendous amount of force pushing the driver’s body forward against his or her seatbelt and, hopefully, airbags, there is a massive amount of force placed on the neck and back.  Remember, your head weighs as much as a bowling ball, so when it thrusts forward, it puts incredible force on the soft tissue and muscles that usually support it.

The most common injury resulting from a rear-end collision is “whiplash,” when the head rapidly accelerates forward and backward.  Whiplash can manifest in several different symptoms, including neck pain, headaches, numbness, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, memory problems, irritability, and depression. In some accident victims, it arises immediately; in others, it takes days or weeks to manifest. Other injuries arising from rear-end collisions are sore or injured backs, trauma to the head, and fractures.

What to Do If You Are Involved in a Rear-End Collision

As I mentioned above, whiplash is the most common medical result of a rear-end collision, and this condition can develop long after the accident occurs.  As a result, you must attain a medical assessment of your health by a physician immediately after an accident.  Many people walk away from a crash, saying that they feel “fine.”  In reality, most accident victims are in shock and lack the clarity and experience to assess their condition adequately.  Attain a medical examination immediately so that there is a baseline assessment of your health after the crash.  If you wait to attain that assessment, the insurance company may argue that your pain and suffering arose from some subsequent event and may deny coverage.

Who Should I Call if I Was Involved in a Rear-End Collision?

If you or a loved one was involved in a rear-end collision, extensive, expensive medical treatment may be required, resulting in mounting bills lost income. Inexperienced counsel may lead you down a dead-end where you receive no compensation for your injuries. Instead, let experienced personal injury counsel take care of preserving your medical records, attaining expert medical opinions, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a personal injury attorney can handle for you.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious burn injury. Contact our experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney now at (800) 707-9577.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Discusses How Undisciplined Social Media Use Can Sink Your Personal Injury Case

There is no question that social media—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and others—has taken over the way we now communicate as a culture. While we it may be a great way to tell our friends about how we spent our holiday or what our children have accomplished, reckless or thoughtless posts on social media can be devastating to a personal injury case. I have seen many cases where a plaintiff’s seemingly innocent post ended up being turned around against them by creative defense counsel in the courtroom. I usually tell my clients to delete all of their social media profiles after an accident, lest they come back to haunt you later.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for their death. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

How Social Media Can Come Back to Haunt Your Personal Injury Case

You have likely heard the Miranda warning on any law enforcement TV show, “you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law….” While that warning is only given in criminal cases, I like to reiterate that it applies in personal injury cases as well. Everything a person says on social media can be attained by defense counsel and will likely be construed in a way that hurts a person’s personal injury case. Posts to social media will be taken as your most thoughtful and honest musings, which is rarely how anyone intends them to be taken.  Below I describe how different types of posts can harm your case.

Not Looking Injured or Contradicting Medical Claims—almost everyone who has been injured in an accident has good and bad days.  Imagine you injured your back in a car accident and have been out of work for months as a result. If you post a poolside picture of yourself lounging in a floating pool chair, you are unlikely to get much sympathy from a defendant’s attorney.  The thing is, that picture does not show the pain you are experiencing at that moment or the fact that you had to take strong pain pills to enjoy a day in the sun with your family. Instead, you will be portrayed as someone trying to take advantage of the system and receive a windfall instead of compensation for injuries that may take a lifetime to heal.

Apologies—it is polite to apologize when we are involved in an accident or in any way cause someone harm.  However, posting apologetic sentiments on social media can be misconstrued as an admission of guilt when they were only intended to be an expression of remorse that an unfortunate incident occurred.  A kind-hearted apology will likely be misconstrued as an acceptance of fault.

Rants—there is a lot cause a person frustration after an accident.  Insurance companies, hospitals, and medical providers rarely work as efficiently as we would want them to.  However, if you angrily complain about these folks on social media, it is often misconstrued as greed and vindictiveness, two qualities that can dramatically reduce the amount of compensation you receive.

What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured?

As I have explained above, there is a wide variety of ways in which careless social media posts can destroy your legitimate changes of recovering your fair share of compensation after an injury or accident. Rather than try to navigate the legal pitfalls that await you after your accident, focus on your healing and rehabilitation. Allow a trusted Mississippi personal injury attorney take care of gathering evidence, responding to opposing counsel, and preparing your case. The only way to receive the compensation you deserve is to attain experience personal injury counsel immediately after an accident.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious injury. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577. Our Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney looks forward to making a difference for you.

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Burn Injuries

Burns represent one of the most common and horrendous types of injuries. If you or a loved one was burned severely, you know that burns take a tremendous amount of time to heal, can result in deadly infections, and often cause prolonged absences from work and school.  Here in Mississippi, people experience a wide variety of burn injuries caused by several sources, which I will describe below.  If you were burned as a result of another person’s negligence or by a malfunctioning product, you need to speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney immediately.

If you or a loved one was severely burned, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

Types of Burns

Obviously, there are many types of burns. If you have been sunburned or scalded your finger on a hot pan, you have been burned.  Those are first degree burns, which amount to reddening and destruction of the epidermis or outermost layer of skin.  Generally speaking, first degree burns are painful but not severe enough to justify legal action.  Second-degree burns affect both the epidermis and the lower dermis.  Because second-degree burns are deeper, they usually require more time—several weeks—to heal.  Third-degree burns destroy the entire epidermis and dermis layers and burn down into the body’s fat; they also cause nerve damage and permanent disfigurement or discoloring.  Fourth-degree burns burn through the skin and fat into the bone and muscle.

Any burn can cause a serious medical condition if it gets infected, and even second-degree burns can be life-threatening if they cover a sufficient area of the body.  From a personal injury perspective, second through fourth-degree burns are usually the type that will result in financial compensation.

Receiving Compensation for Your Burn Injury

Just because you were burned does not mean that you will be compensated for your injury.  To receive compensation, you must show that your burn is the result of another person’s negligence.  Generally speaking, negligence means that the person failed to act reasonably to protect you from harm, and that failure resulted in your injury.

Burns are frequently caused by car accidents, chemicals, workplace injuries, defective products, and radiation.  In any of these situations, your personal injury attorney will have to show that the person who burned you acted unreasonably, resulting in your injuries.  For example, imagine you go to a tanning salon and receive second-degree burns from head to toe by the tanning bed that was too intense.  There will be a serious legal question regarding the cause of your injury—was the tanning bed defective or was the tanning salon using the tanning bed recklessly.  Those two possible defendants will likely both point the finger of blame at each other, and you will need an experienced personal injury lawyer to attain expert witness analysis to prove whose negligence truly gave rise to your injuries. A similar analysis will have to be performed if you were burned by a chemical spill at work or fire in your apartment building—were the steps taken to protect you from your harm reasonable?

What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Suffered a Serious Burn?

If you or a loved one was severely burned, you know that burns require extensive, expensive medical treatment and can result in years of trauma and lost income. Inexperienced counsel may lead you down a dead end where you receive no compensation for your burn injuries. Instead, let experienced personal injury counsel take care of discovering who is at fault for your burn injury, preserving your medical records, attaining expert medical opinions, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys. These are essential tasks that only a personal injury attorney can handle for you.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious burn injury. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577. Our Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney looks forward to making a difference for you.

 

 

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Trampoline Injuries

It’s summer, which means that children are out of school and spending long Mississippi days playing with their friends. For many children, there is nothing more fun than spending an afternoon bouncing on a trampoline. While there is no denying that trampolines are a tremendous amount of fun, they are also to blame for countless serious injuries, mostly to children.  Because of the height and acceleration involved with trampolines, the injuries associated with them can be catastrophic and often include spinal compression, back and neck injuries, as well as injuries to the head. While I love the idea of children playing outside, this sort of injury has to give every parent pause.  In this blog post, I will describe the causes of trampoline injuries and what you should do if a trampoline injures your child.

If a trampoline injured your child, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for his or her injury and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

Types of Trampolines

There are two primary types of trampoline venues.  The first is the classic, backyard trampoline. Many now have high, padded net rings built to keep children on the trampoline, while some have no sides at all. The second is a more recent addition to the trampoline landscape, the trampoline park.  These are usually large, indoor spaces filled with dozens of trampolines, ball pits, and bouncing challenges such as ramps and obstacles.

Types of Trampoline Injuries

Falls—the most common type of trampoline injury is broken bones associated with falling off of an outdoor trampoline. While broken wrists and legs are common, these are not as serious as spinal compression, head and neck injuries, and paralysis.

Collisions—head injuries and concussions frequently occur when children hit each other while bouncing either outdoors or at an indoor park.  Indoor parks, because of their large size, allow children to build up speed as they jump, resulting in more velocity and potential trauma.

Springs—trampolines bounce because their taught fabric is held in place by springs.  Whether indoor or outdoor, these springs should be covered by a padded fabric cover that expands and contracts as the springs move.  If the pad is not present or are allowed to be removed or disintegrate, the springs can become exposed. Children’s legs can fall in between springs, causing severe, deadly injuries such as lacerations to the femoral artery.

Trampoline Negligence

All trampolines are dangerous, even when they are well maintained and used correctly. That is part of their thrill.  But to recover for injuries caused by a trampoline, you will not only have to show harm but also negligence. To prove negligence, you will need a personal injury attorney that can demonstrate that the owner or manufacturer of the trampoline did not take reasonable steps to protect your child from harm.

What Should You Do If Your Child Has Been Injured on a Trampoline?

As I described above, if your child was injured on a trampoline, you will need the assistance of a talented personal injury attorney to show that either the homeowner who owns the trampoline, the adult who was supposed to be providing supervision of the trampoline use, or the trampoline manufacturer were negligent.  If your child has been injured on a trampoline, you should seek immediate medical attention and then contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if your child has suffered a trampoline injury. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.  Our Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney looks forward to making a difference for you.

 

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Experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney Explains Decrease in Older Workers’ Injuries

Interesting demographic changes have resulted in fewer workplace injuries for older workers.  Here in Mississippi, while workplace injuries continue to occur, they are happening less frequently with workers over the age of 55.  In the blog post, I will explore why this is the case, what it means for our local workforce, and what you should do if you experience a workplace injury.

If you or a loved one was injured due to a workplace accident or injury, you will need to have experienced personal injury counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.

Fewer Men in the Workforce, Fewer Industrial and Construction Jobs, and Automation Means Fewer Injuries

Our economy is changing quickly.  Here in Mississippi, a variety of factors are converging that significantly affect the number of older people injured in the workplace each year.  First, there are fewer workers over 55 in the workplace, and those that remain in the workplace tend to be the healthiest and safest workers. Sadly, less safe and injury prone workers have often been forced out of the workplace due to debilitated health by age 55.  Second, while the overall number of older workers has dropped slightly, the number of male older workers has dropped significantly.  This is due to several factors. The 2008 economic downturn eliminated a large number of manufacturing and construction jobs, positions historically held by men. Accordingly, the number of older women in the workforce now dramatically outweighs the number of men. This has many effects, as women tend to work in less dangerous jobs than men and are safer workers than men in all jobs overall. Thus, a workforce with more women will tend to be a safer workforce overall.  Finally, industrial workplaces have seen a rapid influx of automation, removing hands-on work that required strength or repetitive movements, two factors that historically resulted in a large variety of injuries.

Thus, even though there remain many older workers in Mississippi’s workforce, they are more often women and are more often not doing the sort of strength and danger-intensive work that was previously done by men, resulting in a working demographic that has aged but simultaneously becomes less prone to workplace accidents. An exception to this overall trend is the medical field, which remains dominated by women working as nurses and CNA’s whose work requires them to lift patients daily, resulting in an ongoing issue with work-related back issues. Until automation enters the medical field, I predict that women working in this area will still suffer from a high number of back injuries.

What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured at Work?

While workers and workplaces may be safer than ever, there are still unscrupulous employers that fail to maintain safe work environments. These dangerous work areas eventually end up injuring workers. If you or a loved one was injured at work, you should seek medical attention immediately and contact an experienced personal injury attorney soon after. Inexperienced counsel may lead you down a dead end where you receive no compensation for the harm you experienced or the long-term damage to your career and lifestyle. You require the services of experienced personal injury counsel take care of preserving medical records, attaining expert opinions, reviewing evidence, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys while you get back on your feet again.

Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious injury. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.  Our Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney looks forward to making a difference for you.

 

 

 

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