What is Whiplash?
June 17, 2013 | Adriel B. VillarrealPopular media sometimes likes to portray whiplash as a “pretend” injury, something that unscrupulous people make up in order to get lots of money. In reality, whiplash could be a very serious injury. During a car accident it is common for the head to be flung forward and back at unnatural speeds. The neck and back can sustain serious damage from this motion. Whiplash is literally a sprain or strain of the neck that damages the joints, discs, ligaments, and nerve roots in your back and neck. The symptoms can take up to 24 hours to appear. This is normal, and it’s not a victim’s attempt to claim erroneous pain “after the fact.” Symptoms can include headaches, neck pain, pain in the back, shoulders, and shoulder blades, numbness and pain in the arms, and dizziness. It can also impact your cognitive ability, causing a “brain fog” sensation that impacts both memory and concentration. All of these symptoms can have a significant impact on your ability to function normally. They should not be ignored or dismissed. These injuries do not show up on X-rays. Normally, it takes a CT scan or an MRI to detect it. Whiplash is one of the many injuries and complications that can occur after your first post-accident doctor visit….
Read MoreAm I Taking Unfair Advantage of a Property Owner if I Pursue a Slip-and-Fall Case?
June 13, 2013 | Adriel B. VillarrealMany of our clients are often concerned about whether or not they are being fair when they file a slip-and-fall claim. Most of our clients are good people who would be the last ones to ever take advantage of anyone! It’s true that some slip-and-fall accidents are just that: accidents. Property owners are not responsible for all of them, and if that’s true in your case a good personal injury attorney will certainly advise you of that fact. However, some slip-and-fall injuries are caused by negligence on the part of property owners. Property owners have a legal obligation to maintain safe conditions on their premises, and they do not always follow through. Here are some examples of this kind of negligence: A restaurant spills grease on the floor and fails to clean it up. Freshly mopped floors in a grocery store are not clearly marked with a warning sign. Ice or snow on a walkway that should have been properly shoveled and salted before business hours began. A broken hand rail that ought to have been properly maintained causes someone to trip and fall down a flight of stairs. A loose floor tile, floor board, or bit of carpeting that was neglected for months causes someone to slip and fall. If you have…
Read MoreClick It or Ticket Campaign
June 12, 2013 | Jon P. EricksonMinnesota was a part of a national “Click It or Ticket” campaign over Memorial Day weekend. You may have noticed electronic freeway billboards advertising this “Click It or Ticket” effort. The campaign has been sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA} for more than 20 years. They have seen seat belt use go up to where they now estimate that 86{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of drivers nation wide now buckle up. The state of Washington leads with an average 97.5{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} seat belt usage,with Minnesota at about 95{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3}. Since 2005, the state of California has erected more than 600 traffic signs supporting seat belt usage. The California Office of Traffic Safety claims that this public service message approach has worked, and Californian seat belt usage is now up to 96.6{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3}. My hope is that Minnesotans will continue to get the message, and by next year will be at the top of seat belt usage nationwide. BUCKLE UP!
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