Automobile accidents in which drivers or passengers are seriously injured or killed are always terrible. When there is doubt about the cause of an accident, which may be hidden by vehicle damage, an experienced trial attorney can research and investigate the real cause of harm. Here are two actual cases.

Safety-Check Failure
Three disabled residents returning from a picnic outing were killed when ejected from their van, which overturned in a crash. A jury awarded compensatory damages and punitive damages to the decedents' survivors when investigation revealed liability on the part of the group home. Research showed that the group home was negligent in hiring the driver, who had extensive criminal and traffic-violation records. He also failed to conduct a safety check on the van, which had a flat tire, prior to departure because he was driving under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs.

Negligent hiring
After a driver who was struck from behind an 18-wheel truck suffered brain damage, examination revealed that the truck driver's employer and a professional driving organization had failed to conduct criminal-background checks, which would have revealed the driver's two previous accidents and felon status. The injured driver and his wife received a negligence settlement from the trucking company following the first day of trial.

Whiplash Injury

Whiplash, a common and potentially serious soft-tissue injury resulting from auto accidents, occurs when the head is snapped violently backward and then forward. It can injure intervertebral discs and joints, as well as nerves, ligaments, and muscles. Although insurance companies often trivialize such injuries, they can be serious and painful.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, more than 800,000 American drivers and passengers suffer whiplash annually, with total associated medical and lost work-time costs amounting to $5.2 billion.

To reduce whiplash-injury potential, adjust car headrests per owner's manual guides, practice defensive motoring, and avoid speeding or unsafe drivers. Properly restrain all children.

Physicians use x-rays and physical examinations to diagnose whiplash, which may be treated with medications as well as with surgical or physical therapies. Whiplash injuries may take weeks to appear.

Anyone who is involved in an auto accident and suspects whiplash injury should consult a physician and an attorney.

Referrals

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