Boat Rentals and Florida Boat Accident Injury Claims

How Boat Rentals Affect Boating Accident Lawsuits

Over half of Florida’s income comes from tourists that come from all over the world. The majority of these tourists come to Florida specifically to enjoy its sandy beaches and warm waters. One of the forms of recreation that many visitors, as well as many native to Florida, enjoy is boating. However, many of these people do not actually own boats of their own. So many go to boat rental businesses to rent a watercraft to enjoy. Unfortunately, this form of water recreation comes with its fair share of risks that can end up resulting in a serious boating accident. 

Boat Rentals and Lack of Experience Can Lead to Accidents

In Florida, the requirements for renting a boat can be surprisingly lax.  Florida law requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 to successfully complete an approved boating safety course and obtain a Boating Safety Education Identification Card issued by the FWC. So if you are born after 1988, you will have to go through a proper amount of training to develop the necessary boating skills to help prevent accidents. But if you were born before 1988 then you don’t have to fulfill these requirements which can potentially lead to some problems. 

Inexperienced Boat Renters are an Accident Risk

One of the top contributing factors towards many boating accidents in Florida is inexperienced boaters that make dangerous mistakes. Piloting a watercraft is not something that can simply be picked up and is not at all comparable to the use of a land motor vehicle. So when someone rents a boat with little to no experience handling watercraft, they put themselves and others in Florida’s waters in danger. Inexperienced boaters often fail to observe safety rules regarding proper speed and how to maneuver a watercraft in certain zones and near other boats. Coincidentally, excessive speed is also a top cause of many boating accidents. 

The top cause of boating accidents is also related to voter inexperience. Most boat accidents are actually caused by boaters not paying attention and improper lookout. This is somewhat similar to how many car accidents are caused by driver distraction. Also similar to car accident causes is boating under the influence. Much like driving under the influence this behavior significantly increases the risk of an accident occurring because it impairs a vehicle operator’s abilities. Many boaters, especially inexperienced ones, don’t equate drinking and boating with drinking and driving which is wrong and dangerous. Boating under the influence is still a massive risk and can be punished accordingly since it is also illegal. 

Who is Liable if a Boat Involved in an Accident is a Rental?

Boat rentals can complicate liability when someone attempts to file a boat accident injury claim or lawsuit after being involved in an accident. There are actually several parties that can be considered at liable for a boat accident when a rented boat is involved. 

Naturally, the operator of the boat is one of the most obvious parties when it comes to liability. It is a boat operator’s responsibility to ensure that they take reasonable care when operating their watercraft. This means ensuring that they obey the safety rules put in place to keep boaters safe. Many boat renters may be able to get their hands on a boat despite not having much experience but that does not mean that they cannot be held responsible for failing to observe basic safety rules and act negligently. Passengers can also be considered liable for boat accident injuries if they act in a way that causes the boat to crash. Boat operators can also be found negligent if they allow someone unqualified to operate the boat. 

Boat Rental Business Liability

There is also the business that rented the boat out in the first place. Boat rental companies can be held liable if it can be proven that they acted negligently and helped contribute to a boat accident occurring. This negligence will typically take the form of the boat rental business failing to check if the person they are renting the boat to has the proper qualifications to rent and operate one of their boats. They can also be found liable if they negligently fail to perform proper maintenance on their boats which can lead to dangerous mechanical failures that can cause boating accidents.

Common Causes of Florida Boating Accidents

• Collision with another boat
• Lack of proper safety equipment
• Hitting a wave
• Hitting another boat’s wake
• Colliding with a rock, another object, or the land

Common Boating Accident Injuries

• Drowning Injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Broken/Fractured Bones
• Severe Lacerations/Contusions
• Spinal Injuries

Consider Speaking to an Experienced Florida Boat Accident Attorney

Boating accidents tend to have another layer of complexity when it comes to seeking compensation. While they are, in a way, similar to car accidents in that they involve vehicle collisions that cause severe injuries, that is where the similarities end. You need to enlist the assistance of an attorney that specializes in boat accident claims. This is not only because boating accidents have a number of different factors unique to these kinds of cases but also because boat accident lawsuits will involve maritime law which has its own set of rules and procedures. Your attorney will also need to be qualified to practice in federal court versus state court since many boating accidents will fall under this jurisdiction.  

Clearwater Boat Accident Injury Attorneys

If you or a loved one are injured in a boating accident, it is vital that you get immediate medical attention. Even if you feel fine, your injuries may be more serious than you realize. In particular, head injuries may not immediately show symptoms; however, serious complications can arise as time progresses.

If the injuries you or a loved one acquired in a boating accident are a result of another boater’s negligence, you should seek legal counsel immediately. Contact us at (727) 451-6900 or online to learn how our experienced attorneys have been able to help victims of boating accidents, and what compensation you may be entitled to under the law.

Dolman Law Group

800 North Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33765

(727) 451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/legal-services/maritime-law-attorneys/boating-accident/

Why You Should Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

Reasons to Seek an Experienced Lawyer

In the aftermath of an accident, there is a good chance that the injuries and damage that you have suffered will result in dire consequences for your finances as well as your life in general. Accidents have a way of occurring at the worst possible time regardless of the type whether its a car accident or a slip and fall. You don’t always have to suffer in silence though. In instances where the accident was caused by a liable party’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries with a personal injury claim. However, when undergoing this process of seeking restitution for the damages that you suffered you should enlist the assistance of a legal professional such as a lawyer. 

Seeking the Assistance of an Experienced Attorney

A personal injury claim is something to undertake with the utmost seriousness since it is usually your livelihood on the line. You owe it to yourself to give your claim the best chance possible at securing you the compensation that you need after suffering an accident injury. There are many people that do not do this and believe that they can take on their personal injury claim on their own. You are not required to have an attorney when you are handling a personal injury claim or lawsuit but doing this is as good of an idea as representing yourself in court.  The saying “The man is his own lawyer has a fool for a client” exists for a reason. 

It has been shown time and time again that having an attorney assist with a personal injury claim will drastically increase the value of a settlement that can be reached. This is even taking into account the lawyer’s fee subtracted from the settlement that was attained. Handling a claim comes with a number of complexities that can make dealing with the insurance company all the more difficult. There is no substitute for experience when it comes to handling a personal injury claim and the lawyers of Dolman Law Group can provide you with the valuable legal insight accumulated from years of successful personal injury representation. To schedule a free consultation with Dolman Law group about your personal injury claim you can either call our Clearwater office at 727-451-6900 or fill out a contact form online. 

Insurance Companies Take Advantage of Claimants

One of the most important reasons why you should have an experienced attorney assisting you with your personal injury claim is because the insurance company you will be dealing with has a number of tricks they try to use on people that are handling their claim on their own. Insurance companies know that people handling their claim on their own will likely have zero experience or training when it comes to the personal injury claim process and all the nuance that comes with it. 

When they see someone they feel they can take advantage of they will do anything they can to devalue the claim or even deny it. Insurance companies are not your friends and work towards a bottom line of paying out as little as possible and keeping money in their pockets to please their stockholders. To do this an insurance adjuster may ask you to record a statement that they can end up using against you later by taking your words out of context. They may also try to do the same with loaded questions they may ask you that can trick you into admitting fault. 

Attorneys Have Resources You Will Need

A good personal injury attorney will have established a number of connections with various professionals that can assist with a case. Many personal injury claims will require investigation of the accident. In order to effectively establish leverage at the negotiating table, a claimant needs to have proof of the liable party’s negligence and how it caused the accident that injured them. Investigating things like car accidents can benefit from the assistance of an accident reconstruction expert that can create a model of the accident based on the available data known about the accident. 

Expert Witness and Your Personal Injury Claim

Attorneys may also have connections with medical professionals that can testify regarding your injuries. Sometimes the insurance company may not find that your injuries are credible for a number of reasons. They can try to use this as a basis to deny your claim. A medical professional with relevant knowledge can help prevent this. They can also help by testifying as to what the expected standard of care would be and how a medical professional that may be guilty of medical malpractice may have violated it. 

A Personal Injury Attorney Works for a Contingency Fee

Many people are unaware that personal injury attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis. This means that the attorney takes out their fee from the settlement amount that they get you. This ensures that they work their best since their pay is on the line. Also, they only get paid if they get you a settlement. If they fail then you owe them nothing. Contingency fees vary depending on the case but they are typically around 33%. 

Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys to Aggressively Defend Your Claim

If you or a loved one have suffered a personal injury because of the negligence of a party that can be considered liable then you may be able to seek compensation. Civil law allows those injured under circumstances that should have been avoided had a party not be negligent to file a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims seek compensation from these negligent party’s insurance coverage and in some cases directly from the liable party themselves. 

Personal injury victims have legal rights under Florida law. They are legally entitled to be compensated for all losses resulting from their injuries, including short and long-term medical costs, decreased future earning potential, and other costs that may be attributable to another party’s negligence. The Dolman Law Group has years of experience in protecting the rights of injured accident victims in and around the Clearwater area. 

Call (727) 451-6900 today or fill out a contact form to schedule your free consultation with an experienced, aggressive personal injury attorney.

Dolman Law Group

800 North Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33765

727-451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/clearwater-personal-injury-

Wrongful Termination and Employment Discrimination

How do I Know if it’s a Wrongful Termination?

Hundreds of thousands of people every year end up getting fired from their jobs. This is something experienced among almost every demographic from wall street stockbrokers to janitors, all age groups, all regions, etc. Being terminated from a place of employment not only feels terrible but comes with dire financial consequences as well. People can be fired for a number of reasons and occasionally will end up losing their job based on details that should not matter. Many people every year suffer discrimination in their place of employment through wrongful termination on the bases of details such as their race, age, sexual orientation, and much more. 

Florida Wrongful Termination Lawsuits

Wrongful termination carried out on the basis of discrimination is naturally illegal. A large number of discriminated groups are protected from this form of employment discrimination by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This legislation provides employment protection to discriminated groups through its Title VII. When someone is discriminated against through wrongful termination, they can take legal action against those responsible with an employment discrimination claim. 

Employment Discrimination and the EEOC

After someone experiences discrimination at the hands of their employer, they have the option to file a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is an institution that handles the enforcement of equal opportunity laws in regard to employment discrimination. They do this through litigation of contentious employment discrimination cases, issue regulations interpreting employment discrimination law, as well as investigate reported instances of employment discrimination. Reporting to the EEOC is often the first part of an employment discrimination claim. The EEOC will typically try to resolve matters of employment discrimination themselves but there are times where their mediation and assistance is not enough. In this case, an employment discrimination victim’s best bet is to enlist the assistance of an experienced employment discrimination attorney. 

Dolman Law Group specializes in handling claims where people have suffered the injustice of discrimination at the place of their employment. Our attorneys have experience handling claims where employees have been wrongfully terminated on the basis of things such as race, gender,  sexual orientation, age, disability, and much more. Our attorneys can offer the professional insight, resources, and negotiation skills that you will need when it comes to ensuring that you receive a settlement that you are satisfied with. To schedule a free consultation with Dolman Law Group just call our Clearwater office at (727) 451-6900 or contact us online. 

What is Wrongful Termination?

Wrongful termination is basically being fired or let go from your job because of some form of prejudicial discrimination in regard to something like race, gender, etc. Wrongful termination can put people out of work and in dire straits financially but can also come with a degree of pain and suffering as well as other intangible damages. Trying to deal with this through a claim may seem straightforward but in actuality, the process can be quite complex. In some cases, an employer may be straightforward in their prejudices and their intent to remove an employee for discriminatory reasons which can make an employment discrimination claim quite simple. However, there are many cases where discrimination is significantly more subtle which can make an employment discrimination claim all the more complicated. 

Proving Wrongful Termination Discrimination

There are many times when the matter of proving that a termination was wrongful can be exceptionally difficult. Many employers that discriminate against employees will utilize a number of justifications to fire someone to try to get away with their termination. They will try to claim that an employee did not meet their performance standards, that they made some kind rule infraction, or they could claim that they needed to let an employee go because they can’t afford them and are downsizing. In some cases, there may be a contract of some kind between the employer and employee which may contain language that allows for the employer to fire an employee whenever they want and without having to give any kind of justification. 

This all makes the matter of proving discrimination all the more difficult but not altogether impossible. The details of an employee’s employment can help combat this discrimination and shed light on the employer’s motives. Documentation of the employee’s work and position within the company as well as additional testimony from witnesses can help prove if an employee’s termination had discriminatory motives behind it. The main way that people are able to prove that an employer terminated someone based on discrimination is through comparison to other employees. 

For example, if someone is terminated from their place of employment when they are the only one who is older than the rest of the employees and the justification is performance issues. Comparison with the performance of other employees can shed light on as to wether this is true or just a smokescreen to hide age discrimination. 

Who Exactly is Protected From Wrongful Termination?

People cannot be fired from their job on the sole basis of the following:

• Age
• Sex
• Race
• Sexual Orientation
• Disability
• Genetic Information
• National Origin
• Immigration Status
• Political Affiliation

Seek an Experienced Employment Discrimination Attorney

If you or a loved one have been discriminated against in the workplace based on your, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or national origin, then do not hesitate to Contact Dolman Law Group about receiving a free consultation on your claim. Employment discrimination can be an extremely damaging experience to the livelihood of a number of protected groups of people. Employees are protected under federal law from discrimination via wrongful termination and Dolman Law Group can provide the resources and insight necessary to ensure that your employment discrimination claim stands the best chance possible at securing restitution for the damages you suffered. 

Our skilled lawyers will sit down with you to discuss the details of your case and offer options for legal action that you can take. The lawyers of Dolman Law Group have the expertise that you will need to secure the compensation you deserve.

To contact us at Dolman Law Group’s offices please call us at (727) 451-6900

Dolman Law Group

800 North Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 3375

(727) 451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/what-is-a-wrongful-termination/

“Dooring” Bicycle Accidents and Injuries

What Does it Mean to Get “Doored” Bicycling?

Bicyclists have their fair share of street hazards to worry about despite things like bike lanes and a number of laws in place to protect them. Many bicyclists every year end up suffering severe injuries at the hands of motor vehicles that they collide with. The reasons for these accidents are many ranging from distracted drivers to driving under the influence of alcohol and similarly impairing substances. One unique reason that bicyclists will collide with a motor-vehicle is because of car doors left wide open resulting in what is called “dooring”. These accidents may not involve a vehicle moving and running into a bicyclist but they are nonetheless very injurious to bicyclists. 

Bicycle Accident Injury Claims

When a bicyclist suffers severe injuries as a result of an accident with a motor vehicle, they may be able to seek compensation for the damages they suffer as a result of their accident injuries. When a bicycle accident is the fault of a liable party because of negligent actions on their part then a bicycle accident victim can file a bicycle accident injury claim. A claim can seek compensation for specific damages such as lost wages, medical bills, and disability caused by permanent injuries to name a few via a settlement with the liable party. These claims rely on the claimant being able to prove that the liable party in question was negligent and that this negligence contributed to the accident occurring. Proving negligence and damages as a result of the accident to the defendant party is part of the process of negotiating a settlement that can cover these damages. Should a settlement fail to be reached then the claim can go to trial where each side will present their cases before a jury that will decide the matter of fair compensation. 

The process of seeking compensation for bicycle accident injuries is rarely ever as clear cut as one would hope. Every case is different and requires specialized knowledge that only an experienced attorney can provide. Consider contacting Dolman Law Group about your bicycle accident and how our lawyers can help you get the compensation you need. Dolman Law Group offers free consultations to those injured in bicycle accidents. All you have to do is contact our Clearwater office at 727-451-6900 or reach out to us online. 

How Does a Dooring Bicycle Accident Occur

Dooring bicycle accidents will typically occur with parked cars that are in locations where bicycles will typically frequent. One of the top places that dooring bicycle accidents will occur is where there is streetside or curbside parking for cars and there is a bike lane on the outside. Most dooring accidents will occur here but they are not exclusive to this kind of area. 

Dooring accidents require a car to have one of their doors open either partially or fully open in the path of a bicyclist. In order for a bicyclist to be able to assign fault to the owner of a car for a dooring accident, the accident would have to occur because the door opened unexpectedly in the path of a bicyclist. Bicyclists might sometimes collide with a car door if they themselves become distracted and in this case, the fault for the accident will lie with them and make seeking compensation from another party improbable. Drivers or passengers will typically open their doors and injure bicyclists inadvertently in dooring accidents because they are not aware of bicyclists adding to the list of dangerous symptoms of visibility problem that plagues many bicyclists.

Dooring Bicycle Accident Injuries

When a bicyclist is doored, they are colliding with an object made of metal, plastic, and glass at usually average bicycling speed or occasionally high speed which can mean severe injuries.While dooring accidents occur while a car is typically in a stationary position and don’t involve the higher speeds associated with other bicycle accidents with cars, the injuries suffered as a result are no less serious. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries: One of the most common and dangerous injuries that plague bicyclists involved in accidents is the traumatic brain injury. This type of injury involves bicyclists suffering a blow to the head that causes damage to the brain. Naturally, any kind of brain damage is significant and not to be taken lightly. Many bicyclists have the opportunity to avoid or minimize head injuries caused by accidents by wearing a helmet yet a large percentage neglect to wear this essential piece of safety equipment. 

Bicyclists can suffer a blow to the head by directly hitting the door or suffer one via one of the most common ways bicyclists do via being thrown from the bicycle and hitting their head on the ground. Regardless of how they suffer the trauma, the damage can result in cognitive issues and in severe cases may even be permanent. 

Lacerations: Sometimes a bicyclist can run into a car door and break the window which creates a dangerous cutting hazard. Lacerations can potentially be severe and inflict significant damage to a bicyclist by cutting deep into the flesh and possibly nicking a major blood vessel result in extensive bleeding. 

Broken or Fractured Bones: The impact of hitting a car door at high speed or being thrown from a bicycle can break or fracture bones. While bones can be set and healed within a reasonable amount of time in many cases, some fractures and breaks can be more complicated when they cause damage to internal organs or tissue.

Seek an Experienced Clearwater Bicycle Accident Attorney

While not as common as motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents that result in serious or fatal injuries have the potential to change a victim’s life forever. At the Dolman Law Group, we have experience sending demand letters to insurance companies, negotiating settlements, and litigating cases. While we cannot promise a favorable outcome in your case, we can evaluate your claim and estimate potential damages based on industry averages. Damages depend on the severity of your child’s injuries, and how those injuries will affect his or her future medical expenses and earnings. We have experience representing bicycle accident victims, including children, and have secured favorable settlements or damages awards in many of our cases. Call the experienced Clearwater injury lawyers of the Dolman Law Group at 727-451-6900 or contact us online today to discuss a free consultation on your claim.  

Dolman Law Group

800 North Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33765

727-451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/legal-services/bicycle-injury-attorneys/

Nursing Home Contamination Injuries

Elder Residents of Nursing Homes Can Get Sick From Contamination

Nursing homes are an environment meant to keep elderly people unable to care for themselves safe and healthy. Nursing homes have an obligation to these residents to make sure that the space that they live in is sanitary and free of any dangers to their health. Unfortunately, many nursing homes and similar care facilities fail in this endeavor and cause their residents to suffer severe injuries. Nursing homes are potential breeding grounds for dangerous and contagious diseases that can lead to the contamination and infection of nursing home residents.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawsuits

A nursing home’s failure to take care of the nursing home residents under its care is often the grounds for those injured and their loved ones to take legal action. Negligence on the part of nursing home staff can lead to injury of nursing home residents and negligence of nursing home administration can lead to improper hiring practices and understaffing that harms nursing home residents. Those injured this way can seek compensation for their injuries with a nursing home neglect/abuse lawsuit. If a plaintiff can prove the negligence of a nursing home contributed to their injuries then they may be able to secure compensation to pay for the damages that they suffered. However, this is much easier said than done.

Handling a nursing home abuse lawsuit can be perplexing and emotionally draining. On top of this, plaintiffs will be faced with a complex legal process that the defendant will likely know how to work to their advantage. Don’t try to handle your nursing home abuse claim on your own. Allow the experienced attorneys of Sibley Dolman to assist you in your pursuit of compensation. Our firm provides free consultations to those injured by nursing home negligence. To schedule your free consultation with Sibley Dolman either call our office at 727-451-6900 or contact us online. 

Common Forms of Contamination in Nursing Homes

When many people are kept together in a small contained environment, the spread of contamination or infection should be of concern, especially in the case of the elderly that are residents of nursing homes. The older people get, the more susceptible they are to a number of diseases as their immune systems grow weaker. This fact is known to those that work in nursing homes and should lead them to take appropriate measures to help prevent such contamination. When proper hygiene and car is not taken to protect elder residents of nursing homes, the following ailments can occur. 

Skin Infections Among Elderly Residents

One common health issue that can potentially plague residents of a nursing home is scabies. This ailment is one of several skin conditions that can be caused by Sarcoptes Scabiei, an eight-legged microscopic mite that can multiply and run rampant in nursing homes when proper hygiene is not addressed. Nursing homes might deal with a variant of scabies known as crusted scabies that causes thick crusts of skin filled with mites to develop. 

Much like lice in a schoolyard, scabies needs to be caught and addressed as soon as possible or it can spread rampantly throughout the population of a nursing home or similar care facility. When nursing home address these matters properly, then there is not as much of an issue. However, negligence of a scabies outbreak can have serious consequences for nursing home residents. 

Influenza Contamination Within Nursing Homes

Influenza or the flu may often seem to be a fairly mild, albeit, annoying malady that most of us will contract at some point in our lives. For the elderly, it can often prove to be severe to the point that it is fatal. The weakened immune systems of elderly nursing home residents are ill-equipped to handle influenza and its contagiousness can prove to be a problem. Nursing homes must take care to have policies in place to catch the flu before it spreads throughout the care facility. This means vaccinating not just the residents but also all of the staff working within the facility to help limit the spread of the disease along contamination vectors.

Urinary Tract Infections In Nursing Homes

Many elderly residents of nursing homes might develop urinary tract infections (UTIs) when nursing home staff do not follow proper hygienic procedures. Elderly residents that use catheters are at an especially high risk to develop urinary tract infections when catheters are not properly inserted or removed. Elderly nursing home residents that are bedridden can also run a high risk of developing urinary tract infections when they are left in the same position for long periods of time because nursing home staff fail to move them. Urinary tract infections can cause severe damage to the kidneys and bladder when left unaddressed. 

Contact an Experienced Clearwater Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today

If you or an elder that you love have been abused while staying in a nursing home, Florida law entitles you to seek damages in civil court. Winning your case requires an aggressive attorney who will diligently pursue evidence to prove an ordinary negligence or medical malpractice suit.

Let one of the skilled members of the legal team at Dolman Law Group handle the details of the case, while you help your loved one through this difficult and stressful time. Although the abuse may have stopped, the emotional aftermath will continue to cause pain to you and your family. An experienced attorney can investigate the case, contact potential witnesses, and advocate for your loved one each step of the way.

Contact Dolman Law Group in Clearwater today at (727) 451-6900 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case and the best path forward for your situation. When Dolman Law Group represents a client in a nursing home abuse case, we typically do so on contingency, only collecting attorney fees from any settlement or verdict in our client’s favor.

Dolman Law Group

800 North Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33765

727-451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/legal-services/assisted-living-abuse-attorney/

What is Considered a Catastrophic Injury?

Defining Catastrophic Injuries Caused by Negligent Accidents

There are a variety of accidents out there that can result in injuries being inflicted upon those unfortunate to be involved. Some of these injuries may be fairly mild with others being extremely painful and inopportune but ultimately will heal completely with time and proper treatment. On the other hand, there are injuries that people suffer during accidents that can be considered especially severe and result in permanent and extremely significant damage to an accident victim. These severe injuries are often referred to as catastrophic injuries in the realm of insurance and legal matters. 

Pursuing Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries

When you suffer a catastrophic injury it is exceptionally likely that there will be extensive damages that will turn your life upside down. Catastrophic injuries and really any accident injury will cause damages such as medical expenses for treatment of the injury, lost wages while an accident victim is recovering, along with the pain and suffering that comes with this kind of injury. In the event that these catastrophic injuries were caused by the negligence of a liable party, then an accident victim may be able to seek compensation for their injuries by filing a personal injury claim. 

Personal injury claims require a plaintiff that has been injured in an accident to prove that those liable for their injuries were at fault since their negligence caused the accident that injured them. The at-fault party with the claim filed against them has to have been aware of a condition that created a risk for people to be injured that they had a duty to ensure the safety of and then fail to take any measures to address that condition or risk factor. Handling a personal injury claim can be a complex matter and should not be done alone. Allow the lawyers of Dolman Law Group to assist you in this difficult time with our years of experience handling claims ranging from car accident injuries to medical malpractice. To schedule a free consultation with Dolman Law Group either call our office at (727) 451-6900 or contact us online.

Defining a Catastrophic Injury

Generally, a catastrophic injury is defined as any injury a person suffers that results in permanent and/or debilitating damage. Catastrophic injuries will typically consist of injuries to the spine or head but can pretty much consist of any injury that is severe enough to cause permanent and debilitating damage. While there is no strict agreed-upon legal definition of catastrophic injury, the classification of an injury as such can be determined through comparison to injuries that are generally considered catastrophic. 

Injuries Commonly Considered to be Catastrophic

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Many accidents result in people suffering what are called traumatic brain injuries. Car accidents, slip and falls, and bicycle accidents all result in people suffering blows to the head that result in traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries can be defined as injuries where damage is inflicted on the brain because of a physical blow to the head or a violent jerking movement. 

Traumatic brain injuries are known to cause severe injury to a victim’s cognitive abilities with the damage inflicted often being permanent. The brain is the most complex and intricate organ in our entire body with mysteries that we have yet to unravel. Brain damage caused by traumatic brain injuries can usually only be approached with therapy and treatment that aims to help manage symptoms since there is little that can be done to fix the damage. Some traumatic brain injuries are considered to be milder than other like concussions that typically will sort themselves out after a period of time, yet even these milder traumatic brain injuries can develop severe complications. 

Spinal Injuries

Injuries to the spine have a way of developing into catastrophic injuries due to the especially important roles the spine plays as an organ. The spine does not only provide the structural integrity of our body that keeps us upright and mobile. It also houses the spinal cord which relays information to and from the various parts of our nervous systems. Damage to the spinal cord can be permanent and cause a number of serious issues. The transmission of sensory information to the brain can be affected which can cause issues controlling limbs and in severe cases can result in paralysis. Control of certain organs can be affected as well and cause things like incontinence. 

Third Degree Burns

Many accidents can involve fire or exposure to high-temperature substances that can cause severe burns. The most serious type of burn that people can sustain are third-degree burns. These burns are severe enough that they destroy the skin and start to damage whatever organs and tissue lie beneath it. Third-degree burns have the potential to cause vicious permanent injuries that can disable those that suffer them. Third-degree burns can also cause permanent disfigurement and scarring of victims as well. 

Severe Internal Injuries

A terrible accident can cause injuries to the various internal organs of the body. Internal injuries can come in a number of shapes and forms and can result in long-term damage. Depending on the nature of the damage and the location, internal injuries can lead to reduced organ functions or can require the replacement of an organ \altogether. 

Seek an Experienced Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney

If your loved one has suffered a head injury due to someone else’s negligence, contact the experienced Clearwater brain injury attorneys of Dolman Law Group. Our lawyers are ready to sit with you and discuss the details of your case and what kind of legal options are available to you. Our lawyers can assist you in securing evidence for your case, investigating your accident, navigating the legal process, and negotiating with the insurance company. 

At the Dolman Law Group, our team of experienced brain injury lawyers are ready to fight for your recovery and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Call our Clearwater office at 727-451-6900 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.

Dolman Law Group

800 North Belcher Road

Clearwater, FL 33765

(727) 451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/clearwater-personal-injury-