And Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. never collects any upfront lawyer fees, and only collects fees if we win your settlement. Call us at 317-881-2700 and speak with a friendly and knowledgeable company representative to learn more about our Indianapolis personal injury law firm, today.
Monthly Archives: February 2015
Smoke Detector Fire Safety Tips
Continue reading to learn how to properly asses your smoke alarm needs, and other easy ways to prevent house fire accidents, injuries, and losses.
Prevent House Fires
Having the right number of smoke alarms is key for optimal fire protection. The basic rule for this is one smoke alarm per floor of your home. However, it is also a good idea to install them in other areas of a home that are used frequently, like the garage or pool deck. If you wish to amplify your fire preventative maintenance methods, you could even install separate smoke alarms in all rooms that are slept in at night. Many house fires start late at night or in the early morning hours, so having an alert system where you sleep is often a life-saver. No one will ever have to worry about sleeping through a smoke alarm again.
Not only is the number of fire detector alarms in your home important for your protection, their installation process is as well. They must be installed properly and positioned correctly. This means installing them on the ceiling, where smoke rises, or 6 to 8 inches from the ceiling on a sidewall. Having them installed in the right positions promotes an earlier alert and response time for your family.
The best part about these important commodities is that they are 100 percent affordable for any budget, no matter how many rooms and floors you have in your home! Thirty years ago, a three bedroom home would have put you back $1,000 or more for smoke alarms; but now, you can find quality products on the market ranging from 10 to 20 dollars per unit. And installation services are affordable as well.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a house fire caused by the negligent or intent of another, contact a personal injury lawyer right away. Learn your rights following a serious smoke or burn injury, because you may be entitled to compensation for your damages.
Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.
Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for information about burn victims and their rights in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorney, Daniel Craven, is a licensed personal injury lawyer with decades of trial and litigation experience. He is happy to answer your questions about burn accidents, filing a personal injury claim, and more. Our law firm offers free initial consultations, so there are no out-of-pocket fees for speaking with an attorney in person. Call 317-881-2700 to speak with a licensed personal injury attorney about your recent burn accident in Indianapolis, IN .Are Bed Rails a Safety Concern for the Elderly?
as they try to step in and out of bed.
But there is a new buzz among nursing homes, hospitals, and homes about the potential dangers of bed rails. Are bed rails more of a hazard for the elderly, or are they perfectly safe and effective? Continue reading to learn more.
Improper Use or Manufacturing of Safety Rails
Defective products are far and few, but they do happen. In the case that bed rails are manufactured with defects, they cannot perform their intended purpose of protection and assistance. This leads to accidents resulting in cuts, scrapes, lesions, sprains, head injuries, orthopedic injuries, and more. Even when bed rails are in perfect condition, the same consequences can result from improper use of safety rails as well. In the case of improper use, a nursing home or hospital can be liable for a senior citizen’s injuries or wrongful death. In the case of a product defect causing injury or death, the manufacturer can be held legally accountable.
Bed Rail Injuries
It is scary to think there are enough bed rail accidents and injuries to have substantial statistics for them, but it’s true. More than 30,000 bed rail-related accidents were confirmed between the years of 2003 and 2011, and more than one hundred people died. And these were the incidents that were actually reported, as many were not. In 1995, the FDA issued safety warnings for bed rails, yet manufacturers were never legally required to provide safety labels on their devices. Since 2006, the FDA has introduced some proposed guidelines for hospitals and nursing homes to use when it comes to bed rail safety awareness.
Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer
If you suspect that an elderly loved one is being neglected or mistreated by their nursing home or residential caregiver, contact a nursing home neglect lawyer right away. You may be entitled to remuneration for your elderly loved ones’ damages or wrongful death. Stop nursing home neglect in its tracks by hiring a reputable attorney to prove your case and recover compensation that’s rightly deserved.
Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.
Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for information about nursing home neglect claims in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorney, Daniel Craven, has extensive litigation and trial experience. He is happy to discuss your concerns about nursing home neglect, residential care neglect, and more. Our law firm offers free initial consultations and never collects lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Call 317-881-2700 for more information about nursing home neglect lawsuits in Indianapolis, IN.Can I Sue a Person for Wrecking My Car and Injuring Me?
In this case, we will discuss the liability for a car accident and personal injury in a standard relationship scenario, like a friend, stranger, or relative. Continue reading to learn who would be at-fault for damages caused in a motor vehicle accident, in the case that someone else was driving the car other than the vehicle owner.
Negligent Entrustment
Negligent entrustment is a term that refers to the scenario of letting an unfit person drive your vehicle willingly. If you were to loan your car to someone that was not fit to operate a motor vehicle under law, then you would be responsible for any damages, injuries, and accidents they cause while driving it. An unfit person is anyone not legally permitted to operate a motor vehicle. This includes anyone who is underage, uninsured, unlicensed, under the influence of drugs or alcohol (including sleeping pills and pain medication), ill or sick, handicap or physically impaired, injured, a repeated reckless driving offender, or too elderly to drive.
Loaning Your Car
If you allow a “perfectly-fit” person to operate your vehicle, there are still liability set-backs in the case of an accident. If you loan your vehicle, or simply let someone drive with you as a passenger, and they cause an accident that results in vehicular damages and personal injuries, you would be responsible under law for these damages. However, there are exceptions to this situation, and it differs from state to state. But in most states, the car owner is the liable party in a case like this. In these states, as long as permission was given, the owner of the vehicle is accountable for any damages another person might cause.
Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.
Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 and schedule a free initial consultation with a seasoned car accident lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorney, Daniel Craven, retains extensive trial and litigation experience, and is happy to answer your questions about filing a motor vehicle accident claim in Indianapolis. Call 317-881-2700 today to learn more about your rights following a serious car accident in Indiana.How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?
Keep in mind that cheaper is not better when it comes to your legal protection. Be prepared to spend a good hunk of money on effective and reputable legal services. A reputable law firm’s attorney prices should be high but reasonable. Continue reading to learn about common billing practices and rates used by attorneys and law firms in general, and then more specifically, personal injury lawyers.
Lawyer Rates
There are several different types of fee arrangements and rates attorneys charge for their services. Some law firms will use just one type of billing method, while another might use multiple in combination. The most common are hourly rates, flat rate fees, retainers, and contingent fees. Here is a basic description of each:
Retainers
A legal retainer is an upfront payment, given in advance, to a lawyer for their services. Retainers are usually accompanied with hourly billing. Paid retainers are generally placed in a special trust account, and then debited as legal fees accrue. It is important to monitor legal retainers and billing statements as representation continues to ensure proper invoicing. Keep in mind that retainers are not refundable, with very few exceptions.
Hourly Fees
Charging by the hour is the most common billing practice used by attorneys and law firms. A lawyer can choose to charge clients by the hour, based on all the hours they put into a client’s case. The hourly-rate is either pre-set or agreed upon between clients and lawyers. Hourly rates will depend on a lawyer’s experience, location, overheads, and more. It is important to retain the legal services of an experienced attorney.
Contingent Fees
Contingent fees are the most common form of billing practice used by personal injury law firms and attorneys. This payment arrangement works by not charging clients any retainers or upfront fees, but collecting up a percentage of whatever monetary settlement they recover for them. Personal injury claims are complex and vary from case to case, so the percentage collected upon judgment will vary among lawsuits.