Personal Injury

Slip-and-fall from donkey statue leads to personal injury lawsuit

February 7, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I post about my injury on Social Media?”

When personal injury cases make it on the front page it’s usually for one of two reasons. Either the case is a true tragedy where victims suffered unimaginable harm, or the case seems ridiculous, serving as an example of a tort system seemingly run amok. When the headlines fall into this latter category it can skew people’s idea of what a personal injury case is. All they see are the silly headlines, lacking entirely in legal analysis or context. Rather than allowing the media to portray every personal injury as if it were assured of success no matter how odd, it’s important to understand that the majority of these cases fail because the law imposes serious burdens that plaintiffs must confront before they’re able to collect damages. Though the news might lead you to believe it’s easy to cash in every time you bump or bruise yourself, the reality is far more difficult.

Sensory Testimony May Be New Trend In Personal Injury Cases

January 24, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing a personal injury case for trial. In addition to gathering evidence, talking to witnesses, analyzing medical records and constructing a theory for your case, the lawyer in charge will also need to think through the best way to relay the harm suffered to the judge or jury tasked with awarding damages. All the evidence in the world is of little use if the person deciding your case isn’t able to fully appreciate the extent of the harm suffered. This gap between the pain of the plaintiff and the judge or jury’s ability to understand has long proved problematic in personal injury cases and can make it difficult to secure awards that appropriately value the injuries that occurred.

Recent Chattanooga Bus Crash Highlights State’s Personal Injury Award Limits

December 16, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: How does the law of contributory negligence play a role in my case?

Tennessee has been in the news several times recently for very unfortunate reasons. Most recently was the terrible fire that swept through Gatlinburg and, before that, was the deadly bus crash in Chattanooga that left six children dead. That sad episode inadvertently highlighted a law in Tennessee that was implemented years ago and works to shield wrongdoers at the expense of innocent victims, in this case, the families of those fatally injured school children.

Company Pays Millions After Crash Caused By Trucker Talking While Driving

November 29, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

The danger of using cellphones behind the wheel is evident to everyone by now. For years, we’ve all heard about accidents caused by distraction linked to cellphones used for talking, texting or surfing the internet. Despite the endless warnings, some have refused to take heed and alter their behavior. A recent settlement involving a North Carolina company whose truck driver crashed into an unsuspecting motorist might spur actual changes in an industry that has been slow to take such steps. To find out more, keep reading.

Recent Court Decision Says Liability Waiver Protects Gym From Personal Injury Lawsuit

October 13, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

If you’ve joined a gym, especially one that’s part of a national chain, you’ve likely had to sign some kind of contract before being allowed on any of the equipment. In addition to extracting your money on a monthly basis, the contracts have another purpose: to try and protect the company in the event of a personal injury lawsuit. Many such contracts contain language waiving your ability to sue in the event an injury should occur on the gym’s property. These provisions are known as liability waivers and they act as legal shields for gyms, protecting the big companies at the expense of injured members.

Can you sue for tripping and falling?

August 16, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “Do I have to pay taxes on a settlement or jury award in a personal injury case?”

If you fall in a store or a restaurant or a friend’s house, does that automatically entitle you to compensation? Some people think that anything bad that happens on the property of another person is worthy of compensation. Though sometimes that may be true, there are a number of complicated factors that determine whether a personal injury premises liability claim is possible. If a property owner knew about a dangerous condition and did nothing to fix it, you might stand a good chance at collecting some money. If the property owner took reasonable care of the premises and your accident occurred seemingly out of the blue, you might find yourself on your own when the medical bills arrive. To find out more, keep reading.

Church’s Actions “Simply Not Comparable to Spitting in Food” in Intentional Distress Claim, Says NC Court

August 2, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

The leadership at New Red Mountain Missionary Baptist Church in Durham may have ignored, humiliated and laughed at their treasurer Norman Glenn when he pushed them to undergo an audit, but they didn’t spit in his food. And according to the North Carolina Court of Appeal’s recent ruling, this fact is the reason Glenn’s claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress against the church fails.

How some companies avoid liability despite deadly recalls

July 26, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “What is the value of my case?”

If you’ve been watching the news recently you may have heard about the recall issued by the Swedish retail giant Ikea. The company, known for its stylish and cheap housewares, has decided to recall an astounding 36 million dressers. The reason for the recall is that the dressers were linked with the deaths of some six children in the U.S. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the dressers have been found to tip over when all the drawers are open, unless the dressers are properly secured against the wall.

Jury Hands Down $142 Million Judgment To Send A Message

June 28, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I wait a few months to pursue a personal injury claim?”

A jury in Texas recently handed down one of the largest personal injury verdicts of the year, though there’s little chance the victims will receive much money from the defendant. The case illustrates how juries sometimes use verdicts to send messages, doing more than just compensating victims for their specifically identified injuries.

Woman Injured in High-Speed Chase Sues Police Departments

May 31, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Although high-speed chases might be fun to watch on the news or reality shows, in reality they can have devastating consequences that call into question the blanket discretionary power police have to pursue suspects at dangerous speeds. A Pennsylvania woman is suing her local police departments for negligence after a suspect being hotly pursued by officers in a high-speed chase erratically accelerated through an intersection during rush-hour traffic caused a three-car pile-up and multiple injuries.