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Summer’s Approaching So Focus on Swimming Pool Safety

With summer rapidly approaching, swimming is on the minds of more and more children.  Every swimming pool poses a considerable risk to a child’s safety, and they are the second biggest cause of death for children, who are under the age of 14.  Over 1,000 children drown in swimming pools every year, and more than 5,000 children end up in the hospital due to swimming pool accidents. Although swimming pools can be a great place to have fun during the summer months, or warm weather, they can also be a place fraught with dangerous hazards, resulting in slip and fall injuries, submersion accidents, and drowning accidents.

Many property owners who have swimming pools on their properties do their best to protect children from swimming pool and drowning accidents, but the reality is that any property owner who has a swimming pool on their premises can never be too careful when it comes to safeguarding their pool.  A recent study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommended that a swimming pool owners use multiple precautions to provide for the safety of any children who may resides on the same property with a swimming pool or live nearby. Some of the safety recommendations include: (1) installing a fence with a self-locking latch; (2) keeping emergency equipment in a convenient location in case a child has an accident; and (3) having a cell phone or landline available at all times when children are swimming to insure that 911 can be summoned promptly.

Swimming pools are a somewhat unique hazard, and homeowners may be found liable for swimming pool injuries to a child even if the child trespasses and uses the property owner’s swimming pool without the homeowner’s knowledge or permission.  Swimming pools are considered an “attractive nuisance” under premise liability law. An attractive nuisance is essentially a manmade condition on one’s property that could foreseeably attract a child, and that poses dangers that a child is not likely to fully appreciate.  Because young children do not necessarily understand the risks of injury or fatality posed by a swimming pool, swimming pools are the archetype example of an attractive nuisance.

There are many types of hazards that may cause injuries in and around swimming pools, including:

  • Faulty life-saving and safety equipment
  • Faulty drains or missing drain covers resulting in entrapment injuries
  • Improperly installed diving boards
  • Lack of adult supervision
  • Gates that do not latch or missing enclosures

Some of the most common injuries that children sustain in swimming pool accidents include head trauma from falls, brain damage or death from drowning incidents or spinal cord injuries from diving accidents.  If you or someone you love has a child who was recently injured in a swimming pool accident, we encourage you to contact our experienced team of personal injury attorneys today.  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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Massive Verdict in McDonalds Case Shows Potential Seriousness of Slip and Falls

Because of the way that injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents are portrayed in the media, it is easy to assume that most slip and falls are trifles that do not cause significant injuries.  However, a major verdict against McDonalds for a slip and fall in the popular fast food restaurant belies the notion that falls are “no big deal.”  McDonalds was ordered to a pay a judgment in excess of $5 million by a federal grand jury for a slip and fall accident in which a 59 year-old woman suffered a severe injury to her spine.

The case illustrates the importance of carefully analyzing the maintenance policies of a business when debris, spilled liquids or other foreign substances on the floor cause a patron to suffer serious injuries in a fall.  The federal jury in the McDonalds slip and fall case determined that the fast food restaurant failed to follow its own policies for conducting inspections and cleaning up spills.  The experienced Mississippi slip and fall attorneys at Barrett Law recognize the importance of conducting a careful review of company maintenance policies in slip and fall accident cases.

The accident happened in a store owned by a franchisee who received a manual containing proper practices to prevent slip and fall accidents caused by spilled beverages, condiments, and similar items.  The guidelines indicated that the manager of the store should perform regular periodic checks of the floors and nightly checks as well.  The purpose of the checks is to discover spills of food or beverage that could make the floor surfaces slippery and to inspect for buildup of residue on the floor that may make it slick.

There was evidence produced at trial that this particular McDonalds was insufficiently staffed so that the inspections were not conducted.  The jury found that the failure to comply with the stores own policy to conduct the inspections resulted in the accumulation of a greasy coating on the floor that made it slippery.  The woman was awarded over $2.6 million for economic damages, such as lost income and diminished future earnings and $3 million for non-economic damages like diminished quality of life and pain and suffering.

When our Mississippi slip and fall attorneys at Barrett Law represent clients in accidents where they are injured in a fall, we conduct an investigation to determine whether the fall was caused by debris, liquid or other foreign substance on the floor as well as the duration of time that the hazard was present.  Our investigation also typically will include talking to witnesses and store employees, reviewing surveillance footage, reviewing the incident reports, identifying past accidents, evaluating procedures employed by the property owner to avoid such accidents, and other relevant factors.

The accident victim in the McDonald’s slip and fall case suffered a burst compression fracture to her vertebrae at the L1 level that required two separate operations.  If you or someone you love has been injured in a slip and fall accident or someone close you has died, our experienced Mississippi slip and fall attorneys at Barrett Law can investigate your claim and advise you regarding your rights.  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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Preventing Pedestrian Crosswalk Accidents in Mississippi

Although many believe utilizing marked crosswalks to be the safe way to cross through a roadway intersection, recent studies indicate that crosswalk accidents are a fairly common cause of road fatalities – when a pedestrian is struck by an automobile, serious or fatal injuries frequently occur.  Crosswalk intersection accidents typically result from driver negligence. Drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs, distracted by mobile phone use or proceed through an intersection at an excessive rate of speed, all pose a tremendous threat to pedestrians.

Crosswalks are designed to be safe havens that protect passenger particularly when they are not crossing against traffic signals.  Unfortunately, when inattentive or careless drivers do not pay careful attention at intersections, pedestrians can pay an enormous price.  Pedestrians who are struck by cars, trucks or SUVs at intersections frequently suffer permanent debilitating injuries, such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, internal organ injury and other serious and even life-threatening injuries.

Despite the objective of crosswalks, which is to provide a relatively safe haven for pedestrians, there may be multiple parties that contribute to a serious intersection collision.  Motorists that violate traffic safety laws and fail to watch the road, blow through stop signs or red lights or drive too fast to stop at intersections or failing to observe pedestrian right of way are the most typical cause of collisions in crosswalks.  When a driver fails to exercise reasonable care by hitting pedestrians who are lawfully crossing in an intersection crosswalk, this may be the basis for a legal claim based on negligence against the driver.

Many times the design of the intersection itself may play a substantial role in causing pedestrian accidents.  Lights may change too quickly from “walk” to “don’t walk” making it difficult for those who walk slower to cross the street safely.  It is no coincidence that the elderly have a higher rate of being involved in pedestrian accidents than many other age groups.

While sometimes defective design characteristics or poor maintenance may make an intersection unsafe, other times public entities may have evidence that an intersection is particularly hazardous for pedestrians and fail to act.  If there have been an unusually high number of pedestrian accidents at a particular intersection, this may put a public entity on notice that there is a problem.  If the public entity fails to take remedial measures this may be the basis for imposing liability.  One option in such a situation is to put raised buttons in the road that the driver will hear and feel when driving over them.  Alternatively, a stop sign may be equipped with flashing yellow lights or flashing yellow lights may be installed on the ground in the vicinity of the intersection to help attract the driver’s attention.  Studies indicate that drivers are more likely to acknowledge flashing lights in an intersection and adjust their speed/driving accordingly.

If you or a family member is injured in a pedestrian intersection collision, the experienced pedestrian accident attorneys at Barrett Law may be able to represent you in seeking financial compensation for any injuries or the wrongful death of a loved one.  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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The Life Changing Consequences of a Spinal Cord Injury

There are approximately 20,000 spinal cord injuries in the United States every year with an estimated 52 percent of these injuries resulting in someone becoming paraplegic and approximately 47 percent of victims being left quadriplegic.

Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injury are as follows:

  • 37% Automobile Accidents
  • 28% Violence
  • 21% Falls
  • 6% Sports Related Injuries
  • 8% All Other

Long term medical and rehabilitative expenses for this type of serious injury range from $500,000 to in excess of $3,000,000 over the victim’s lifetime. This estimated range does not, unfortunately, include costs associated with permanent disability, the need for long term care or the personal loss of one’s quality of life.  These astronomical medical expenses are even more oppressive because a spinal cord injury victim may be unable to continue in the same occupation or may even be completely disabled.

Whether you have suffered a spinal cord injury in a severe Mississippi car accident, a physical assault or a fall from a scaffolding or ladder, an experienced Mississippi spinal cord injury attorney can help you navigate the potential legal and insurance pitfalls that can undermine your accident claim.  If you suffer the type of life-altering consequences that result from a spinal injury suffered in a car accident, it is important to obtain legal advice immediately to protect your rights to legal compensation for medical, financial, physical and emotional losses and expenses.

An experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney will have experience working with accident reconstruction experts, life planners, medical experts and forensic accountants or economist to develop the most compelling case for a jury.  Accident reconstruction experts can assist the jury in understanding the physical dynamics and fault in the collision so that the jury can determine the reason that the defendant’s unsafe driving behavior caused your spinal injury.  Medical experts can provide evidence to combat claims by the insurance company for the other driver that your injuries are not serious.  Life planners and economists can communicate the limitations on your quality of life, ability to work and supportive care needs as well as the projected cost of this and other losses.

If you or someone you love suffers a serious spinal injury in a Mississippi car accident or through other negligent or intentional misconduct, our experienced Mississippi spinal cord injury attorney understand the financial, physical and emotional obstacles that you face. 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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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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Reducing Damages (Mitigation) to Protect the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim

While it may seem counter-intuitive, an important component of preserving the value of your Mississippi personal injury claim is to take proper steps to reduce the severity of the damages that you suffer because of your accident.  This may seem like a foreign concept because the level of compensation one receives is directly related to the seriousness of one’s injuries and the extent of one’s financial loss.  However, an injury victim in a personal injury case in Mississippi has a duty to “mitigate” damages.  This means that an injury victim often has a legal obligation to take steps to minimize the losses suffered even if these losses are caused through no fault of the injury victim.

The duty of a plaintiff in a Mississippi personal injury lawsuit to minimize damages may take many forms ranging from seeking reasonably prompt medical care from an appropriate health care professional, completing one’s physical therapy or course of treatment, and even seeking appropriate employment retraining if one’s injuries prevent one from engaging in the same type of work after one’s injuries. When a plaintiff fails to take measures to mitigate damages, the defendant may argue that compensation be denied for injuries that resulted or were exacerbated by the failure of the plaintiff to take steps to reduce the magnitude of injury or loss.

There are several common forms of mitigation that may be relevant if you are injured and seeking damages in a personal injury case arising from a car accident, slip and fall, construction accident or any other type of accident or intentional criminal act.

Failure to Seek Prompt Medical Care: The prognosis for many injuries and medical conditions can be impacted by how soon appropriate medical treatment is obtained.  A head injury may seem minor, but a delay in treatment may result in pressure on the brain from bleeding in the space between the brain and the skull.  This can cause permanent brain damage and even fatalities.  In this type of situation, a defendant might argue that an accident victim who refused medical treatment after an accident failed to mitigate damages.

Seeking Employment Retraining: Some Mississippi personal injury victims are not able to continue in the same occupation after suffering serious injuries in an accident.  However, a person may still have an obligation to seek other work for which one has skills or to seek retraining.  While you may be entitled to compensation for any reduced earning capacity, you are not necessarily excused from seeking employment or training for employment that you are physically or mentally competent to engage in.

Failure to Complete Treatment: If your doctor prescribes an ongoing course of treatment or physical therapy, it is important that you follow through on all treatment modalities recommended by your medical provider.  The failure to complete treatment may be considered a failure to mitigate damages.

Although these are not the only form of mitigation of damages that may be required in a Mississippi personal injury case, the bottom line is that the obligation to mitigate damages should be complied with to avoid compromising the value of your personal injury claim.  If you or someone you love is injured or a family member dies because of the negligent or intentional misconduct of another, you may be able to seek damages for your injuries and loss.  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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Children Injury by Lead Paint Exposure in Mississippi May Have a Right to Financial Compensation

Although lead paint has not been manufactured in over fifty years, lead paint personal injury lawsuits continue to be filed because many older dwellings still have lead paint peeling from the walls.  A property owner that rents a property with this dangerous hazard may be liable for any injuries or wrongful death that is caused by the presence of lead paint.  Lead paint poisoning has the most drastic impact on younger children because exposure to low levels of lead paint can result in substantial developmental impairment in small children.  Lead paint dust or chips can easily be ingested by toddlers and other small children.  While children are the most frequent victims of exposure to lead paint, adults may also suffer lead paint poisoning particularly during remodeling projects where lead paint is disturbed and lead paint dust particles are released into the air.

Many older poorly maintained rental properties in Mississippi may have lead paint that is peeling off the walls of apartments or homes.  Lead paint exposure also is increasingly a result of children chewing or sucking on cheap imported toys from foreign countries like China.  If your child suffers lead paint exposure, you may be able to sue anyone in the production or distribution chain for the defective product.  Lead paint that is inhaled, ingested or sucked can cause severe developmental deficiencies in children including the following:

  • Stunted growth
  • Lower IQ levels
  • Brain injury
  • Hearing deficits
  • Damage to the nervous system
  • Coma or death

If you believe that you or your child has been exposed to lead paint and has experienced adverse effects, it is important to see a doctor who can conduct an evaluation.  Anyone that has been determined by a physician to have suffered lead paint poisoning should seek immediate legal advice from an experienced Mississippi lead paint poisoning attorney.  A Mississippi lead paint poisoning attorney will typically have an inspection of your apartment conducted to determine the presence of lead paint and confirm potential levels of exposure.  Lead paint lawyers will typically work with lead paint toxicology experts and work to preserve critical evidence.

When a child suffers developmental deficits because of exposure to lead paint, the cost of medical expenses and supportive care can easily exceed a million dollars.  A child’s entire life may be impacted rendering a child unable to become self-supporting.  When your child suffers this type of devastating injuries, it is important to obtain financial compensation to provide the best quality of life and supportive services.  The experienced Mississippi lead paint injury attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to person injury victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

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Mesothelioma Caused by Secondhand Exposure to Asbestos

Discovering that someone you love is suffering from mesothelioma is an emotionally devastating experience.  While this disease is usually the result of exposure to asbestos often in a workplace environment, it is possible to develop mesothelioma on a secondhand basis.  Mesothelioma is caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers or dust which causes a number of diseases to the lungs including mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma affects the cells in the mesothelium, which is a lining that surrounds the lungs, heart and stomach.

Our experienced and compassionate team of Mississippi mesothelioma attorneys at Barrett Law have seen firsthand the pain and emotional hardships that mesothelioma victims face, and we are passionately committed to seeking financial compensation for those who have been effected by this disease.  Although asbestos is no longer used because of the severe health risk associated with the substance, the product continued to be manufactured and used long after its harmful effects were known.

Asbestos was used in many industrial setting including factories, construction, automotive repair shops, shipyards and other settings.  Although there are many occupations where people may have been exposed to asbestos, it is easy to determine if you were exposed because asbestos is the exclusive cause of mesothelioma.  Despite the certainty regarding the cause of mesothelioma, legal claims for compensation arising from asbestos are complicated because the time between exposure and development of symptoms typically is 20-30 years.

Some people suffer asbestos exposure even though they were not exposed to asbestos in the workplace.  Asbestos fibers can become trapped in a person’s clothes resulting in family members being exposed.  If you are exposed to asbestos through this form of secondhand exposure, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your illness and family members may have the right to pursue a wrongful death action for the death of a love one from secondhand asbestos exposure.  If you develop mesothelioma because of secondhand exposure from a spouse, parent or other family member, you may seek compensation from a number of potential defendants depending on the circumstances.

A product liability claim may be made against anyone in the manufacturing or distribution chain for the asbestos.  Because the causal relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma is clearly established, this type of claim will be based on the showing that your secondhand exposure to the manufacturers defective product.  The employer may also be liable depending on the specific facts of your situation.

Secondhand exposure to asbestos cases can be especially problematic because many times the family breadwinner has already developed mesothelioma.  The emotional and financial hardships associated with losing both parents to mesothelioma can make recovery in a Mississippi mesothelioma injury or wrongful death lawsuit essential to provide for a surviving child.  If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma, our Mississippi mesothelioma attorneys represent clients with dedication, compassion and commitment.   The experienced Mississippi mesothelioma attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to person injury victims for over 75 years. We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

 

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Becoming an Effective Member of Your Mississippi Personal Injury Legal Team

Many personal injury victims who suffer injury in a car accident, slip and fall, construction accident or other negligent or intentional acts of third parties understand that the effectiveness of their personal injury legal team can have a substantial impact on their potential recovery.  However, it is common for those who are injured by the misconduct of others to be unaware of one of the most important members of a personal injury legal team – the injury victim.  There are a wide variety of measures that you can take that may either strengthen or damage your own Mississippi personal injury claim.  At Barrett Law, we have helped thousands of injury victims throughout Mississippi; we have provided some insight into how to be an effective member of your own personal injury legal team:

Follow Up on All Medical Treatment: Many Mississippi car accident or other personal injury victims do not seek prompt medical attention or minimize their symptoms.  An important part of obtaining proper medical treatment and compensation for your injuries is obtaining an accurate diagnosis and prognosis.  When you fail to disclose symptoms to your physician or delay obtaining medical attention, you compromise the ability of the doctor to accurately determine the severity of your injuries.  It is also essential to attend all medical appointments and fully follow up on the full course of treatment and physical therapy.

Do Not Share Your Hardships with the World: The overwhelming popularity of social networks means that many people are sharing the intimate details of their life with friends and family on social networks.  If you are seriously injured, it is the type of life experience many people are tempted to discuss on their social network page.  This is never a good idea because insurance carriers now regularly monitor social networks for evidence in personal injury cases.  Some courts are even granting insurance company discovery requests for access to the password protected areas of a plaintiff’s Facebook and other social network pages.  An insurance company may look for pictures of you engaged in activity that is inconsistent with your injuries or admissions that may suggest you were partially at-fault.  Generally, the best practice is not to discuss the details of your accident and resulting injuries with anyone except your Mississippi personal injury attorney.

Do Not “Sanitize” Your Story: There is a natural tendency to want to omit damaging facts when discussing your personal injury claim with your attorney.  This is a recipe for disaster because then your attorney may be unprepared for this damaging piece of information if it later comes out.  An experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney can effectively deal with many types of damaging facts as long as the attorney is made aware of them.  If you fail to provide all relevant facts to your Mississippi personal attorney, the attorney may even build a litigation strategy that is inconsistent with the facts.

Provide All Documents Promptly: There are many documents that your Mississippi personal injury attorney may need to effectively pursue your claim, including documents like medical records and pay stubs.  These documents are essential to properly evaluate issues, such as fault, causation and damages.  The Mississippi personal injury law firm that represents you will also be required to provide “discovery” to the insurance company attorneys for the other driver.  There are timing requirements to comply with formal request for documents and failure to comply in a timely fashion care result in monetary sanctions or the preclusion of certain evidence at trial.

Follow the Advice of Your Attorney: If your Mississippi personal injury attorney advises you to do certain things, it is generally advisable to adhere to your attorney’s advice.  If you do not understand information or the rationale for why your attorney tells you to do something, you should ask.  Your attorney is a legal expert so disregarding his advice is akin to ignoring the instructions of your doctor.

If you follow these guidelines, you will be an effective member of your Mississippi personal injury team.  While a skilled personal injury lawyer in Mississippi can compensate for many errors may be injury victims, an injury victim that is proactive about being an effective member of their litigation team can substantially improve the value of their case.  The experienced Mississippi motor vehicle accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to Mississippi auto accident victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

 

 

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Whiplash Injuries Can Cause Permanent Injury and Debilitation

One of the most common injuries suffered in a Mississippi auto accident is whiplash, which causes serious back and neck pain.  Whiplash often is marginalized by insurance companies as fake or exaggerated injuries.  This inaccurate perception is fueled by comic treatment of whiplash injuries by Hollywood.  The reality is that whiplash injuries are extremely debilitating and can result in severe pain for months.  Many Mississippi whiplash victims suffer permanent pain and disability.

Whiplash injuries typically occur when a vehicle is hit from behind, which causes the head and neck to lurch forward at a fairly high rate of speed before being “whipped” backwards.  The whipping motion results in stretching of the muscles and ligament tissues of the neck.  The speed of the motion may cause the neck to overstretch resulting in microscopic tears to the muscle fibers.

The unfair stereotypes that minimalize whiplash injuries result from a number of factors unique to whiplash injuries.  The first issue is that sometimes the symptoms of whiplash injuries are not immediately apparent.  The most common cause of whiplash injuries is motor vehicle accidents.  Because many car accident victims suffer only minor symptoms immediately following a Mississippi auto accident, they may delay in seeking medical attention for days or even weeks.  This delay may be referenced by the insurance company as evidence that no serious injury was suffered in a collision.

Another issue that contributes to the false impression that whiplash injuries are not serious is the fact that they can be difficult to diagnose.  Even with sophisticated diagnostic tools like x-rays, an MRI or CT scan, it can be difficult to develop clear medical evidence of whiplash.  Whiplash injuries often occur at low rates of speed, which also tends to be used to minimize the significance of whiplash injuries suffered in Mississippi auto accidents.  Insurance adjusters may contact unrepresented collision injury victims and try to extend a low-ball settlement offer based on a lack of significant property damage.  The adjuster may characterize the accident as a “low impact” collision and offer a woefully inadequate settlement.

It is important to understand that there is minimal correlation between the rate of speed during a collision and whiplash injuries to the neck.  When you are in a collision, the vehicle and the head of occupants move at different rates of speed.  In a collision where a vehicle is moving at 5 miles per hour, the head of vehicle occupants will move at 10-12 g of acceleration.  Approximate 1.5 million vehicle occupants involved in low speed rear impact collisions will experience chronic pain.  The experienced Mississippi personal injury attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to Mississippi auto accident victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.

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