Mississippi Personal Injury Accidents Resulting Catastrophic Burn Injuries [Part II]

Burn injuries are categorized by the severity of the burn.  A first degree burn is the mildest form of burn and impacts only the epidermis, which is the surface layer of skin.  While a first degree burn can be red and cause discomfort, these burns are essentially the equivalent of sunburns.  Second degree burns (partial thickness burns) are more serious because they involve not only the surface layer of skin but also the dermis, which is the skin underneath the surface layer.  If you do not obtain appropriate medical treatment for a second degree burn, it can develop into a third degree burn, which is extremely serious.  Third degree burns (full thickness burns) impact the skin all the way through to the hypodermis layer and take a prolonged period to heal because of the severity of the damage to multiple layers of skin tissue and other bodily structures.  Third degree burns cause charring of the skin and may result in extensive disfigurement often requiring skin grafts and extensive psychological therapy to cope with the trauma.

Smoke inhalation injuries are another serious type of fire related injury.  Smoke inhalation injuries are extremely serious and can occur with even a brief exposure to fire.  When a person breathes in extremely hot air, gases and particulate matter present in the smoke created by a fire, it can cause burning or swelling of the air passages and the lungs.  In structural fires and gasoline fed motor vehicle fires, carbon monoxide poisoning from smoke inhalation can prove fatal.

While many presume that the likelihood of being involved in a fire is minor, fire departments throughout the U.S. respond to a fire every twenty seconds.  If you are one of those victims who were injured in a fire caused by a motor vehicle accident, unsafe product, industrial accident or any other negligent conduct, the experienced Mississippi catastrophic burn injury attorneys at Barrett Law may be able to help you obtain the compensation you need for reconstructive surgery and emotional support to cope with the devastating injury and severe emotional trauma of severe burn injuries.

Experienced Mississippi Burn Injury Lawyers Providing Passionate Advocacy for Victims

If you suffer a serious burn injury caused by the negligence of a third party, our experienced and compassionate team of Mississippi catastrophic burn injury attorneys can guide you through the challenges of dealing with legal complexities and insurance hassles.  We recognize that you may be feeling bewildered by excruciating pain, overwhelming stress and staggering financial obstacles, but we are  available to evaluate your Mississippi burn injury case and advise you of your right to pursue a legal claim.  We have successfully represented thousands of injury victims throughout Mississippi so we urge you to call so that we can evaluate your claim and fight for your future.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Mississippi Personal Injury Accidents Resulting In Catastrophic Burn Injuries [Part I]

A severe burn injury can cause overwhelming pain and disfigurement requiring a long difficult course of medical treatment, including surgeries and rehabilitation.  There are many types of personal injury accidents that can result in devastating burn injuries.  This two-part blog article provides information related to personal injury accidents that result in catastrophic burn injuries.  The life-altering physical injuries caused by an accident that causes catastrophic burns may be equaled by the extreme psychological challenges of coping with these painful debilitating injuries.  More than two and a half million individuals suffer a burn injury annually.  Over 600,000 of those burn victims suffer injuries serious enough to need medical treatment, and over 70,000 must be hospitalized.

Common Causes of Serious Burn Injuries in Mississippi

If you suffer a catastrophic burn injury caused by the negligent or reckless conduct of an individual, business or public entity, you may have a right to receive compensation for your injuries.  Negligence in its simplest sense is a legal term to describe the failure to exercise reasonably prudent conduct to avoid injury to another.  There are many causes of severe burn injuries including the following:

Residential/Commercial Structural Fire: Fires to structures are often caused by substandard construction or faulty wiring that violates building codes and other structural safety standards.  Structural fires may also be caused by other forms of negligence including defective or faulty gas lines, faulty wiring, careless smoking, unsupervised fires in fireplaces and a multitude of other factors.

Motor Vehicle Accidents: Anytime you are involved in a motor vehicle collision involving a negligent driver, there is a risk of injury from fire or explosion.  Damage to a motor vehicle may cause a gasoline leak, which can ignite and cause horrific burn injuries.  If you are involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, it generally is advisable to get everyone away from the vehicles in the case of a fire or explosion.  When a collision does cause a fire to ignite under the hood of your vehicle, it can be dangerous to open the hood because the sudden introduction of oxygen may cause the intensity of the fire to surge.

Defective Products: Some products have design or manufacturing defects that may cause a risk of fire.  If you are injured in a fire caused by a defective product, you may be able to pursue a product liability lawsuit against anyone in the production or distribution chain for the defective product.  There are certain products placed on the market that are known to pose a fire risk if not used properly.  A product with such an inherent fire risk must carry adequate warning and instructions for consumers so that unsuspecting consumers are not exposed to injuries in a fire.  Many small electrical devices may pose a risk of fire, but common examples include space heaters, portable camping stoves, wood stoves and other propane operated devices.

Industrial Accidents: Many manufacturing and industrial workplaces involve machinery and equipment that may have extremely hot components that can cause severe burns when they make contact with the skin.  Industrial burn injuries may also result from Mississippi refinery explosions and other industrial explosions and fires.

Gas Pipeline Explosion: A defective or damaged gas pipeline can cause an explosion or severe fire.

Chemical Burn Injuries: Chemical burns can result in devastating injuries that may go beyond one’s skin and damage bone and muscle tissue.  These burns, which may be caused by chemicals in industrial or construction settings, can be particularly dangerous because a burn victim may not be immediately aware that the chemical exposure is causing severe injury until it is too late.  While many chemical burns occur in a construction or industrial setting, they may also be caused by exposure to household chemicals.

If you have been involved in a serious tractor-trailer accident in Mississippi, the attorneys at Barrett Law provides a thorough investigation of the facts, extensive legal research, meticulously drafted pleadings and motions as well as compelling courtroom advocacy.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Injured at a Resort or Hotel While on Vacation: Now What Do I Do?

Many people descend on Mississippi each year to enjoy all that our state has to offer for vacationing tourists.  When you are injured while traveling, it can be particularly stressful because you are in an unfamiliar location, which makes dealing with medical treatment, insurance issues and legal claims even more challenging.  Whether you are injured while vacationing in Mississippi or at a resort elsewhere in the United States, a serious injury can ruin your vacation and more importantly result in long-term disabling injuries.

Our experienced resort and travel accident attorneys have represented clients injured while traveling on vacation or business in Mississippi or elsewhere in the United States as well as destinations around the world.  Because we have worked with many injury victims who have been injured while on vacation, we understand the unique challenges a person faces when he or she suffers serious injury in an unfamiliar place.  If you are injured while traveling outside the United States, you may face challenges of dealing with uncooperative foreign officials or questions of choice of law and jurisdiction issues.  The experienced travel accident attorneys at Barrett Law can help you navigate these complex legal issues to ensure that you receive the financial compensation you need to rebuild your life and move past your resort accident.

Generally, the owner of a resort or hotel has an obligation to maintain the premises in reasonably safe condition to prevent injury to guests at the resort.  The law in Mississippi and much of the United States places an even higher obligation on resorts and hotels to take care to protect their guest because of their unique and exclusive control over the premises.  Hotels and resorts have an obligation to warn patrons of unsafe conditions that are not immediately obvious.  Many large resorts are massive and have a wide range of potential dangers and hazards that can cause injury to guests.

Most Common Types of Travel Accidents

Our Mississippi travel accident lawyers have the experience and ability to represent you if you are injured by a wide range of hazards and accidents including:

  • Bus or van accidents
  • Negligent security
  • Ski boat, pontoon boat and watercraft accidents
  • Accidents involving mopeds or scooters
  • Personal watercraft accidents (Jet Ski, Wave Runner, Sea-Doo)
  • Slip and falls on wet surfaces
  • Food poisoning
  • Car accidents or other motor vehicle collisions
  • Trip and fall accidents
  • Drowning accidents
  • Failure to warn of hazardous conditions

Legal Complexities in Travel Injury Litigation

Although corporations that run resorts, hotels and other recreational vacation facilities are held to a higher duty of care to protect visitors than other property owners, sometimes even a 5 star luxury resort is not diligent about inspecting the premises for potential hazards, providing adequate training to personnel or responding promptly and effectively when a potential hazardous condition exists.  If you are injured in an accident in a resort, hotel or other lodging facility while traveling, you may face unique legal challenges that are not present in other types of cases including:

  • Evaluating the country/state that has jurisdiction to adjudicate the travel accident lawsuit?
  • Determining which state or country’s laws will apply to your resort or hotel legal claim?
  • Applicability of discovery procedures to obtain critical evidence including witness testimony, document production, and other essential forms of fact gathering
  • Differences in substantive tort (personal injury law), court rules, evidentiary rules and civil procedure

These are just a few of the unique legal and factual challenges that you may face if you are injured in a Mississippi travel accident or a similar accident throughout the United States or a foreign country.  Our experienced and committed resort accident lawyers have over a century of collective experience handling serious injury claims on behalf of accident victims, including serious injuries that occur while families are traveling for vacation or business.  We can provide an analysis of your travel accident so that we can offer legal advice regarding your best options and potential recovery.

If you have suffered a serious injury while on vacation caused by a hazard at a resort, spa or hotel, the experienced Mississippi personal injury attorneys at Barrett Law provide careful investigation of your case, diligent legal research, and persuasive courtroom advocacy.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Victims of Violent Crimes Caused by Inadequate Security May Be Entitled to Compensation

While the crime rate varies in Mississippi depending on your location, many people become victims of violent crime daily.  Sometimes crime victims suffer needless injury during an avoidable violent attack when property owners fails to implement adequate security measures to protect the public.  When property owners invite large segments of the public onto their property for commercial purposes, they have an obligation to take reasonable measures to protect those on their property from violent crime.

Obligation of Mississippi Property Owners to Provide Adequate Security

Our experienced negligent security attorneys at Barrett Law understand that he scope and extent of this duty may turn on a careful analysis of the facts regarding your individual case.  If a business that is conducted on a commercial property and held open to the general public is in an area where there is a reasonable amount of violent criminal activity, the property owner or business owner is expected to take reasonable measures to provide adequate security for those that are present on the premises. Our Mississippi negligent security attorneys work closely with security industry experts and former law enforcement personnel to conduct detailed investigations of crime patterns in the area and prior incidents of criminal acts on the property.

A commercial property owner or business owner is not responsible for preventing all violent crimes on their property, but they are required to take reasonable measures, which may include hiring security guards, installing security cameras, providing adequate lighting or using security gates and doors.  The extent of security measures a property owner should implement may be related to the extent and seriousness of prior or current criminal activity in the vicinity.  Examples of the types of violent criminal offenses that a property owner may be required to take measures to prevent include the following:

  • Assault & battery
  • Rape
  • Homicide (manslaughter or murder)
  • Sexual assault
  • Armed robbery
  • Assault with a deadly weapon

Common Types of Negligent Security Cases in Mississippi

If a commercial property owner knows or should know that there has been a pattern of serious violent crime in the area, the property owner may be liable for failing to provide adequate security based on this pattern of violent criminal activity.  Negligent security claims may involve a wide range of circumstances, including the following:

  • Landlord liability
  • Failure to provide adequate parking lot security
  • Inadequate ATM security
  • Negligent university or college campus security
  • Substandard sports venue security
  • Failure to properly screen or supervise security personnel
  • Negligent store or mall security
  • Assaults in stairwells, elevators and other common areas

These are just a few examples of the types of negligent security cases that our experienced Mississippi negligent security attorneys are qualified to handle on behalf of violent crime victims.  We know that when someone is the victim of violent crime, they can suffer lasting and substantial physical and emotional harm.  Our compassionate team of Mississippi negligent security lawyers understands these challenges and is committed to helping the victims of violent crimes obtain compensation for their injuries to facilitate the physical and psychological care they need to fully recover from their injuries.  We are also committed to helping violent crime victims obtain justice.

If you have been the victim of a violent attack, rape or sexual assault because a property owner has failed to install adequate security, the experienced Mississippi negligent security attorneys at Barrett Law provide careful investigation of your case, diligent legal research, and persuasive courtroom advocacy.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Injured by a Negligent Driver: Do I Really Need a Personal Injury Lawyer

Many people that are injured by the careless or inattentive conduct of others in motorcycle accidents, car accidents, trucking accidents or pedestrian accidents presume that they can handle an insurance claim against the other driver on their own.  It is extremely risky to attempt to handle one’s own accident claim.  While it might seem like this is a way to save attorney fees, the risk of making a critical error when dealing with insurance companies and navigating legal procedures can be far more costly.

When you retain an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer, you will achieve a number of benefits that increase the likelihood of successfully maximizing your financial recovery.  We have provided an overview of some of the benefits of a Mississippi personal injury attorney when pursuing an insurance injury claim:

Leveling the Playing Field: Insurance carriers have a stable of lawyers, experts and financial resources devoted to denying or minimizing your claim.  When dealing with this enormous arsenal of litigation resources, an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney can level the playing field.  Our Mississippi personal injury law firm has our own experts, state of the art litigation tools and the financial resources to take on large corporations and their insurance companies.

Avoiding Insurance Adjuster Traps: Insurance companies handle thousand upon thousands of claims annually.  There are many tactics they employ to trick those without legal representation into compromising their personal injury claims.  The insurance company adjuster may ask you to provide a written statement or sign a release of information.  Injury victims are not required to comply with either request and should not do so.  The insurance company is searching for information that can be used to decline to pay your claim or reduce the amount of your compensation.

Compliance with Timing Requirements: There are critical timing requirements that apply to personal injury cases.  The statute of limitations is extremely important because failure to comply with this timing deadline will result in a permanent ban of your claim regardless of the merits.  If a public entity is a defendant in your personal injury claim, you generally will also have to comply with time limits for filing a claim against the public entity before pursuing a personal injury claim.  An experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney will be familiar with these deadlines and will work diligently to make sure all such timing requirements are met.

Knowledge of Complex Legal Requirements and Procedure: The standards for liability, procedural requirements and rules of evidence are complicated and extremely difficult for someone to successfully navigate without an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney.  Personal injury attorneys understand these complexities and can successfully navigate the potential landmine of litigation mistakes.

These are some of the ways that an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney can help you maximize the value of your personal injury claim.  The reality is that it is virtually impossible for a non-attorney to successfully litigate a personal injury claim.  While it is possible for someone who is not represented by an attorney to settle their personal injury claim with the insurance company, an insurance company will not offer the true value of a claim unless they fear the prospect of trial.  When a law firm with a proven track record of trial verdicts is on the your side, the insurance company has an incentive to offer a more substantial settlement to avoid trial.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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New Scientific Study Reveals Tasers May Cause Cardiac Arrest

While the growing use of Tasers by law enforcement and private security companies is designed to reduce the number of deaths from shootings, there is a new scientific study that suggests that Tasers may be prone to cause cardiac arrest (i.e. heart attack) and fatalities.  The safety of Tasers is an important issue because they are currently used by 16,000 agencies worldwide, and there have been three million uses of Tasers according to a spokesman for the manufacturer of the device, Taser International Inc., which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

A Taser device functions by administering a 50,000 volt shock that is transferred via wires connected to a barb that is shot and penetrates a suspect’s skin.  The electrical current prevents the suspect from using his or her muscles so that police can subdue the suspect.  The device can be fired at a suspect from a distance of 35 feet which some law enforcement agencies contend keeps the officers safe and involves a less lethal form of force to subdue a suspect.

However, there are a growing number of lawsuits being filed against the manufacturer of Tasers amid allegations the devises are more dangerous than they were portrayed to be when first marketed.  Amnesty International reports that there have been 500 fatalities involving Tasers since 2001.  It must be noted that in some of these cases other factors were also found to have contributed to the fatality, including drug use or pre-existing medical issues.

While the manufacturer of Tasers has argued that the number of fatalities associated with Tasers is overstated and that the benefits in lives saved outweighs any potential danger, a new medical report published in the American Heart Association’s leading journal, Circulation, concludes that Tasers can cause cardiac electric capture and trigger heart attacks.  The study focused on eight separate incidents involving the Taser X26 ECD with seven of those cases resulting in death.  The report indicated that the risk of heart attack from a Taser results from uncontrolled fluttering contractions and an excessively high heart rate.

While initial lawsuits against the manufacturer of Tasers were unsuccessful, there have since been substantial verdicts against the company.  For example, a North Carolina jury returned a $10 million dollar judgment against the company in a wrongful death lawsuit last year.  The judgment was later reduced to $4.4 million.  There appears to be evidence that Taser devices were not adequately tested which may create a basis for product liability lawsuits.

If you or someone close to you has suffered serious injury or wrongful death caused by a Taser, our experienced Mississippi personal injury attorneys at Barrett Law may be able to help you seek compensation for your injuries or loss of a loved one.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Trayvon Martin Shooting a Cautionary Tale for Property Owners Association Neighborhood Watch Programs

The Trayvon Martin case involving the shooting of an unarmed teenager by George Zimmerman has captured national headlines and resulted in sharply polarized positions about the criminal charges pending against Zimmerman.  There has been little discussion about the civil liability aspects of this tragedy.  A growing number of communities are using neighborhood watch programs to supplement law enforcement efforts.  When property owner associations authorize and endorse such programs they are potentially liable when innocent parties are injured or excessive force is used to prevent a crime.

Neighborhood watch programs typically use untrained residents to patrol for criminal activity.  The lack of training and supervision of those who engage in these neighborhood watch programs can mean that mistakes are made resulting in shootings, physical injury in fights or other injuries resulting from the use of force by a resident who is patrolling as part of a neighborhood watch program.  While liability rules vary based on state law, someone who is injured or dies because of the negligent or wrongful conduct of a homeowner’s association in establishing, training or supervising neighborhood watch activities may have the right to pursue a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

Although most homeowner’s associations have errors or omissions insurance policies to cover lawsuits against POA board members, this coverage typically would not cover neighborhood watch activities.  This could mean that when a neighborhood watch program causes injury to someone, the homeowners might each face an individual assessment to cover the cost of liability from the negligent or intentional acts of a member of the neighborhood watch program.

At the Nahon Firm, we recognize that while volunteerism in a homeowner association or condominium association is commendable, it is important to conduct due diligent to ensure that members of neighborhood watch programs are qualified and competent to be entrusted with participation in the program.  A POA may also be liable if it fails to provide adequate training or clear policies about the use of force of varying degrees.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  If you are injured by someone engaged in neighborhood watch activities, our experienced Mississippi personal injury attorneys may be able to help you obtain compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.   Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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Mississippi Judge Rules Damage Caps Unconstitutional

While the future of damage caps in our state may soon be decided by the Mississippi Supreme Court when they announce their ruling in the case of Sears v. Learmonth, an interesting decision issued by Circuit Judge Charles Webster of Coahoma County provides an insightful perspective on why damage caps in tort cases may be unconstitutional.  Judge Webster focuses not on the nature of the existing damage caps in Mississippi but on the implications for the power of the legislature to effectively eliminate the judiciary in Mississippi if damage caps imposed by the legislature are lawful.

Mississippi currently has a one million dollar damage cap on non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering and impaired quality of life.  The Mississippi legislature has followed the example of other states in enacting caps on damages to prevent the supposed negative impact of out of control juries that award excessive verdicts.  The problem with this reasoning is that while a million dollars may sound like a lot of money to some; it is woefully inadequate for a victim who suffers quadriplegia or permanent severe brain damage.  One would be hard pressed to find an accident victim who would take a million dollars for a lifetime of being unable to using one’s extremities or being unable to take care of one’s own basic needs.

Judge Webster’s take on the constitutionality of damage caps seems well reasoned and hopefully will serve as a pre-cursor for the Mississippi Supreme Court’s ruling.  Judge Webster reasoned that either the legislature has the power to set damage caps or it does not have this power.  The reasonableness of the cap in terms of the type of damages and amount of the cap is irrelevant provided the legislature has the power to establish the caps in the first place.  Judge Webster points out that if the legislature has the power to set damage limits for the judicial system then it may also set those limits lower than a million dollars and may establish caps on economic as well as non-economic damages.

The implication of Judge Webster’s ruling is that a legislature empowered to limit the damages awarded by courts could also set those limits at zero dollars and have the limit apply to economic damages, such as medical expenses, lost income and property damage.  Judge Webster reasons that if the legislature has the ability to set damage cap limitations it also has the ability to completely pre-empt judges of any ability to compensate victims of negligent conduct.  Because the decision in Sears v. Learmonth has been pending for some time, it is unlikely that Judge Webster’s ruling will play a role in our state supreme court’s ruling but can hope that our highest court’s ruling will be as well reasoned so that injury victims can again be fully compensated, and those who cause injury will be forced to bear the full cost of their wrongful conduct.

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Defective Playground Equipment Can Cause Severe Injuries to Small Children

While a playground is intended to provide a place of fun and recreation for children, it can also be a place filled with hazards involving defective playground equipment.  Many parents whose children are hurt on playground equipment presume that accidents on jungle gym equipment are just part of growing up and that there is no basis for liability from the manufacturer.  However, the manufacturer of playground equipment as well as public entities and private businesses that install such equipment have an obligation to protect children from the unreasonable risk of harm from defectively designed or manufactured playground equipment as well as such equipment that is negligently installed or maintained.

Injuries to children caused by defective, improperly installed, or poorly maintained playground equipment are more common than most parents realize.  Approximately 32,000 pre-school and elementary school aged children per year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries suffered on playground equipment.  More than two-thirds of these injuries result from the failure of the playground equipment or falls.  These accidents may be caused from a wide range of causes including:

  • Lack of soft material like wood chips of padding to protect children that fall
  • Slick surfaces that result in slip and fall accidents
  • Sharp edges or protruding bolts that can cause gashes
  • Inadequate warnings
  • Poorly constructed equipment that may break

If your child is injured while playing on a piece of playground equipment, your child may be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer, distributor or supplier of the equipment based on product liability or the public or private property owner if the equipment is not properly put together or maintained.

Playground injuries can result in broken bones, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, lacerations and other serious injuries.  These types of injuries may require surgery or other significant medical care.  An experienced playground or swing set accident attorney at the Mississippi personal injury law firm of Barrett Law may be able to assist you in seeking compensation for your child’s injuries.

Evidence can be destroyed or altered and time limits apply for pursuing a claim.  If the injuries occurred at a park or school playground owned by a public entity, you may have only a matter of months to file a claim so it is important to seek legal advice immediately.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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What to Do When You Are Injured in a Wheelchair Transportation Accident

While there are many types of transportation related accidents, people usually think of motor vehicle collisions when contemplating transportation accidents.  However, wheelchair occupants who are disabled also may be injured in transportation accidents.  Wheelchair transportation accidents may result from defective or poorly maintained equipment and inattentive loading of handicap passengers.  Cases involving personal injuries suffered in wheelchair transportation accidents require specific knowledge of all of the complex rules, regulations, guidelines, architectural standards and codes regarding accessibility as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Uniform Building Code and other relevant laws as well as a thorough understanding of Mississippi personal injury law.

Mississippi wheelchair transportation accidents involve a careful investigation and analysis of the facts.  There may be a variety of parties that are at-fault including the following:

  • Company that maintains the lift and vehicle
  • Manufacturer of the lift or ramp
  • Driver of the vehicle
  • Parties that assist with the loading and unloading process
  • Hospital nurses or others who aid one in getting in and out of wheelchair

Wheelchair accidents are particularly concerning because there is generally little if anything that the person confined to a wheelchair can do to prevent such an accident.  Some of the types of wheelchair accidents may include:

  • Dropping someone when assisting them in and out of a wheelchair
  • Poorly designed wheelchair ramps
  • Accidents caused by defective wheelchairs
  • Inadequate tie-down of wheelchairs on buses or van
  • Lifts that are defective
  • Dropping the wheelchair from the lift because of operator distraction

Wheelchair accidents where a wheelchair is not properly tied down are fairly common and extremely dangerous.  It frequently is the case that a bus or van transporting a wheelchair bound person must stop suddenly or may be in a collision.  If the wheelchair is not properly secured the wheelchair and person in the chair may be thrown against the interior of the vehicle or even be ejected from the vehicle.

While being forced to rely on a wheelchair can be frustrating, it is more upsetting when a failure to adhere to proper safety precautions and procedures results in serious injury.  If you or someone you love has been injured in a Mississippi wheelchair transportation accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  Our experienced Mississippi wheelchair transportation accident attorneys offer a free consultation so that we can evaluate your accident claim and explain your rights and remedies.  At the Barrett Law Offices PLLC, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.

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