Blog

 Posted on July 07, 2012 in News

A three-car accident in Maryland has left two people dead and a truck driver injured after a car caught fire on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on Saturday morning.

The accident took place around 3 a.m. on the Maryland side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. According to Maryland State Police, a 2009 Dodge vehicle appeared to have lost control, causing it to rear-end a Chevy Cobalt before slamming into the back of a tractor-trailer.

Police say the Dodge was traveling at a "very high rate of speed" when the crash occurred.

After hitting the semi, the Dodge caught fire. There were three occupants in the fiery vehicle; the backseat passenger managed to escape the wreck, but the driver and front seat passenger were trapped inside.

The driver and front passenger of the Doge died at the scene before medical crews arrived.Both the backseat passenger and the driver of the tractor-trailer were taken via medical helicopter to Prince George's Hospital Center. The trucker's injuries are believed to be non-critical; there has been no word on the Dodge passenger's condition.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 05, 2012 in Birth Injuries

Pregnancy can be a very scary thing.

The moment you find out that you're pregnant, millions of thoughts run through your mind on how to care for the baby growing inside you. What should I eat? How many times a month should I visit my doctor? What do I do if I think something is wrong?

You read all the books and follow your doctor's advice to the letter. But after all you've done to protect your baby, what do you do if, during the delivery, complications arise that ultimately cause immediate or prolonged harm to you or your baby? What options do you have afterward to investigate what caused the problem in the first place and who-if anyone-could have prevented it?

Not all labor problems can be prevented, no matter what the physician does to help. However, there are occasions where the oversight or impatience of your doctor, nurse, or hospital can truly affect the health of your baby as well as yourself. These oversights are what determine if you have a case for a Virginia birth injury malpractice lawsuit, as they can result in fetal distress. When your baby experiences distress, the results can include:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 04, 2012 in Birth Injuries

There's a lot to worry about when you first become pregnant – and unfortunately, there are as many different answers as there are questions. What vitamins do I really need? Should I not have any coffee at all? What if I drank a glass of wine at a party before I knew I was pregnant?

But many women don't realize there's another hazard they should be warned about: their blood sugar.

A recent British study sheds new light on the relationship between birth defects and diabetes. The study, which examined 401,000 pregnancies over a period of 12 years, found that nearly 7% of children of diabetics suffered some form of birth defect – a rate 3.8 times higher than in non-diabetic women.

More worryingly, birth defects were more likely when the blood glucose levels were high at the time of conception – meaning undiagnosed diabetics with elevated glucose levels would be unaware of the risks to their child even as he was conceived.

Until the precise relationship between gestational diabetes and birth defects is known, a mother should monitor her glucose levels just as closely as regular diabetic sufferers until the child is born.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 22, 2012 in Catastrophic Injuries

Losing a family member is always difficult, but it can be even more so when the death was sudden and unexpected, especially when that loved one's death was a result of another person's actions. When someone has acted with negligence or has purposefully committed an act which resulted in a family member's death, it is hard enough just coping with the sadness and anger.

With such emotions at the forefront, it can be challenging to deal with the negative financial realities created by this devastating loss. Medical expenses, burial costs, and loss of income are the biggest financial hits experienced by those who have lost a family member to wrongful death.

• Medical expenses. Typically, when one is a victim of a car accident, crime, or was in the wrong place at the wrong time when another person was acting in a careless manor, the person injured is going to need medical treatment. Aside from the initial costs associated with emergency care and possible surgery, ongoing hospitalization and medical treatment can be expensive-even with medical insurance.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 21, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

The medical bills are piling up, and your insurance company is refusing to pay for your DC truck accident neck injury. You've made the smart decision to get legal advice, but now you have an even harder one ahead of you: which attorney will get you the settlement you need for your injury costs and loss of income?

Finding The Best Fairfax Truck Accident Lawyer

The right lawyer can make or break your Fairfax truck accident case, so you'll want to be sure you've got the right law team on your side. While you're looking for representation, take note of the following items:

• Experience. Our team has helped countless victims of Virginia semi crashes, but not all lawyers have argued cases in court or taken on big-name, corporate law firms. Always ask a prospective attorney about the types of cases he has handled in the past, and read through his case results to make sure he has a good record of success (ours is here).

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 05, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

Many car accident victims who have suffered minor injuries are frustrated by their condition. If their injury was "minor," then why are they in so much pain? Why are they still paying for medical costs of their injury, and when will they be able to go back to work?

Determining the Type of Wrist Injury You Have

To answer these questions, you and your doctor should first determine what kind of injury you have suffered. Your doctor should order an x-ray of your wrist and hand to discover whether you have:

• A sprain. A sprain is a tearing of the ligaments in the wrist that does not involve any injury to the bones. Usually a sprain involves only a partial tearing of the ligaments, but in severe cases, the wrist ligaments may be completely torn.
• A strain.Strains are tearing of the muscle fibers in the wrist and arm. This is normally due to sudden pressure on the joint or a violent twisting of the arm.
• A fractured or broken wrist. A broken wrist injury in DC can mean that any of the bones from the base of the palm to the ends of the arm have been fractured. These breaks can range from small cracks to complex fractures that require surgical repair.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 18, 2012 in Catastrophic Injuries

It is understandable that you would want to get justice for a loved one who is in a coma. Many people feel powerless to help a family member who has been incapacitated by a car accident injury in DC, and one of the best things these people can do is file a case on the injured person's behalf.

Coma Victims and Statue of Limitations in Virginia

In Virginia, there is a two-year statute of limitations on filing a personal injury case. Coma victims fall under a special exception: they may file suit up to two years after awaking from a comatose state. However, some accident victims may be so severely injured that they remain in a coma for months or even years, piling up medical costs that they cannot possibly be responsible for on their own.

When this happens, the family of a coma victim must seriously consider filing a suit on the victim's behalf. Surviving family members are not only experiencing great personal difficulty, they will also be under the strain of hospital bills and the loss of the victim's income to the household.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 16, 2012 in News

Traffic was backed up for several hours on Memorial Circle after a car accident in DC sent six people to the hospital on April 5.The chase began around 4:00pm in Tysons Corner. According to Arlington County Police, Fairfax County police officers had identified a vehicle that they suspected had been involved in a reported grand larceny. Officers pursued the SUV, and the vehicle sped off in an attempt to evade capture.In the course of the chase, the SUV led officers onto the George Washington Parkway, into the District and into Arlington National Cemetery before coming to a halt when the SUV crashed on Memorial Circle. According to local newsagents, the SUV lost control and rolled over several times while trying to navigate around Memorial Circle.A photo posted to Twitter confirmed that the SUV, which was resting on a grassy area just off the circle, had sustained severe front-end damage. Several Arlington fire trucks and medical emergency vehicles arrived on the scene of the wreck to treat six injured passengers that had been riding in the SUV. There has been no update on the victims' conditions.Cars came to a standstill around the accident area at rush hour, and 7Y buses toward Federal Triangle were backed up for 20-25 minutes due to stopped traffic on the Memorial Bridge.Fairfax County Police, U.S. Park Police and Virginia State Police all sent officers to assist in the chase. Although Arlington County Police did not pursue the SUV, they responded to control excess traffic in the District after the crash occurred.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 10, 2012 in Brain Injuries

In March 2010 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report regarding traumatic brain injuries in the United States. The "Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Death" report released on March 17, 2010 looked at data collected from 2002-2006 to identify the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries and the age groups most susceptible to serious injury. Overall, the report found that the number of traumatic brain injury cases treated in our nation's emergency rooms increased from 2002 to 2006.

The Traumatic Brain Injury Numbers are Significant

According to the CDC report, approximately 1.7 million people in the United States suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Traumatic brain injuries are a contributing factor in almost one third of all injury related deaths. Each year approximately 1,365,000 people seek emergency room care, 52,000 people die, and 275,000 are hospitalized because of brain injuries. Many of these TBIs are caused by falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, and other causes including medical malpractice induced brain damage.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 03, 2012 in Brain Injuries

If you have suffered a brain injury, you have likely experienced both mental and emotional symptoms. Maybe you're having mood swings, or trouble recalling simple information. This is fairly common after a traumatic blow to the head – especially those caused by car accidents, violent assault, or serious falls.

Common Symptoms Following A Brain Injury

A Virginia brain injury victim will often experience symptoms that are specific to the right or left side of the brain. The two halves of the brain control different functions, so depending on the site of your injury, you may even have trouble doing math or processing visual information. However, there are a number of mental processes that are spread out over the two halves of the brain, so an injury to any part of the head or neck may cause:

• Reduced thinking speed
• Trouble recalling information
• Confusion
• Inability to concentrate
• Attention deficits
• Fatigue
• Cognitive problems

Continue Reading ››