Advice for Anyone Involved in a Massive Traffic Pile Up

Car Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700

Car Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700

When two drivers are involved in a minor traffic collision, such as a fender-bender, it is basically cut-and-dry on who’s at fault for the accident. But what about major traffic collisions that involve numerous parties? This is the case for traffic accident pile ups and victims. It can be quite complex and confusing deciding who is at fault in a massive pile up, and how to get properly compensated for losses and damages that result from such accidents.

If you or anyone you love was recently involved and injured in a multiple vehicle collision, it is strongly suggested to get in contact with an experienced car accident injury lawyer for professional guidance. Continue reading to learn some basic advice for car accident pile up collisions, and what you should do if ever involved in one.

At the Scene

As soon as you are involved in a multiple vehicle traffic accident, the first thing to do is to remain calm. Of course, this is easier “said than done”, however, trying to remain calm will help you make better decisions on the spot, and protect you and your passengers from further harm. If you are capable of moving, check for injuries to you and any passengers, and if necessary, move your vehicle out of the way, or leave the vehicle if it cannot be moved. Find a safe spot to wait for authorities to arrive for assistance.

Car Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700

Car Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700

If you or any member of your party is injured, contact emergency medical technicians right away. Receive medical attention on the spot, and if needed, be transported to the nearest hospital for additional medical treatment. If you and your party do not require medical care, still remain at the scene to cooperate with responding law enforcement. It is important to have the accident officially on record with police for insurance and injury claim purposes.

When speaking with law enforcement, it is important to not say too much since your statements are being recorded. Recorded statements can be used against you during the claims process. Instead, be polite but brief, and only give facts about your observations and experiences. Do not give information about your opinions or what you “think” might have happened.

Talking to a Lawyer

If you are injured during the pile up, it is vital to discuss your case with an experienced personal injury attorney to determine your eligibility for compensation. But even if you and your lawyer intend to pursue a claim, for the time being it is easier to stick with your own insurance carriers to cover medical care and property damages. If you are injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, you have the right to recover funds for your subsequent damages and losses. A licensed accident lawyer can facilitate this process for you, safely and securely. An injury lawyer will look at multiple facets of the accident to develop your case and pursue a full and fair recovery, including what started the accident, who were the responsible parties, who you collided into as a result, and who collided into your vehicle.

During massive traffic collisions like these, it is expected for law enforcement to be distracted by the primary priority of tending to injured people and preventing further injuries from occurring. Because of this, they are not likely going to investigate any deeper into your case. For this reason, it is wise to take it upon yourself to gather any physical evidence you can, if you are well enough to, for future claims. This means taking photos of license plates, the vehicle in front and behind you, all the physical damages to your vehicle, and any injuries to yourself and your party. Ask the other drivers involved for contact information in case you need witness statements or other information.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call The Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for seasoned car accident injury lawyers in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorneys Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek are eager to help you recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after being injured in a car accident. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Call 317-881-2700 to speak with a friendly office attendant about filing personal injury car accident claims in Indianapolis, IN today.

Can Anti-Depression Medication Cause Birth Defects?

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Pregnancy is a very delicate time in a woman’s life, and sometimes one of the most challenging as well. This is truer for women who suffer from acute depression, or any related form of depression. Whether diagnosed before pregnancy, or during their term, women who deal with emotional and mental illness are likely to be prescribed an anti-depressant by their family doctors or psychiatrists. But many pregnant women want to know if such medications can cause complications for their unborn children.

Birth Defects and SSRI’s

Although studies have suggested that certain types of anti-depression medication can lead to birth defects, the most commonly talked-about are SSRI’s, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Because these studies only suggest a link between anti-depressants and birth defects in babies, many pregnant women are still prescribed these medications by physicians and medical facilities. The medical communities do not have conclusive evidence that proves anti-depression meds can cause complications with pregnancy and babies; so they are still recommending these prescriptions for pregnant women. There is, however, one anti-depressant medication that has been proven to cause several heart defects, as well as, a rare lung and heart condition in infants and newborns. Here are the most commonly prescribed SSRI anti-depressants:

• Paxil
• Zoloft
• Lexapro
• Celexa
• Prozac
• Luvox

The heart and lung condition that has been linked to birth defects is called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension or PPHN. This disease is a very serious condition that requires comprehensive medical treatment and intensive monitoring. An infant’s circulatory system might not be able to supply the needed oxygen to the soft tissue, even with treatment. This can result in brain hemorrhages, shock, heart failure, lung failure, and several other medical emergencies.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys 317-881-2700

Medical Malpractice Attorneys 317-881-2700

So why are doctors prescribing these medications to pregnant women when studies have shown these linkages? Why take the risk of potential birth defects and possible infant death for the sake of one’s depression? The answer is not so simple. It starts with the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration. They do not retain conclusive proof that birth defects or fatalities occur from these drugs; instead, they have only conflicting information about the link between the two.

A 2006 FDA study, focusing on newborns whose mothers took anti-depressant SSRI’s in the second half of their pregnancy, revealed that PPHN was six times more likely in SSRI pregnancies than in pregnancies without SSRI usage. The FDA issued an advisory warning. However, three latter studies proved inconclusive results. As a result, the FDA retracted their 2006 warning derived from the initial study, and directed physicians to continue prescribing the drugs as they have before.

If you or a loved one has recently given birth to a newborn that is experiencing any relative symptoms of PPHN or other medical condition, and the mother was taking an SSRI or other anti-depressant during the second half of their pregnancy, contact an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer to learn your rights. You may be entitled to compensation for the mother and child’s damages. Be sure to trust a licensed and reputable medical malpractice attorney Indianapolis for accurate and effective legal counsel.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.at 317-881-2700 for information about medical malpractice lawsuits in Indianapolis, Indiana. Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek are seasoned personal injury lawyers with decades of trail and litigation experience. We offer free initial consultations to assess your claim and determine if you or your family is eligible for compensation, and we never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you! Call 317-881-2700 and speak with a friendly and experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Indianapolis, IN today.

Types of Damages Awarded for Victims of Injury

Indianapolis Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Indianapolis Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Under tort law, when a person is a victim of a civil wrong-doing, a court may award damages to compensate them for their injuries and losses. Assessing the amount of damages is often a difficult and complex process since so many variables influence the final determination. A court must consider the losses or injuries of a victim’s person, property, and overall quality of life. Courts take this responsibility seriously since the law intends to help victims get back to the same state of life they were in before their accident.

It requires substantial evidence on behalf of the victim to recover the full and fair amount of compensation for the total amount of damages and losses. Evidence includes medical records, police reports, expense records, witness statements, interviews, and much more. But when the process of assessing damages is over, there are certain categories of damages that may be awarded. Continue reading to learn what three types of damages are awarded to injured victims and what they each represent.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages are also called “actual” damages, since they are calculated by traceable and tangible losses. Compensatory damages have two subcategories: special damages and general damages. Special damages compensate victims for quantifiable economic losses, such as lost wages, hospital bills, medical expenses, legal fees, and property damage.

Special damages can also include incidental, speculative, and future damages if substantial evidence can prove future losses like prolonged therapy or loss of earning capacity. General damages, also referred to as hedonic damages, represent non-monetary losses, like pain and suffering. Pain and suffering can represent several losses, including mental anguish, loss of consortium, physical disablement, lost ability to work, reduced quality of life, wrongful death, grief, humiliation, damaged reputation, and more.

Punitive Damages

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Courts may also award additional punishable damages in special cases of egregiously offensive conduct. These are called punitive damages, or exemplary damages, and are more intended to reprimand the wrong-doer rather than award the victim (although the victim still receives monetary compensation). Punitive damages are awarded in cases where victims suffered losses as a result of anothers extreme maliciousness, brazenness, or flagrant negligence. They are intended to set an example, as well as,
reform the wrong-doer and deter others from
similar immoral behaviors.

Aggravated Damages

Aggravated damages are not a separate category of damages, but rather an extension of general damages that fall under compensatory damages. Aggravated damages are essentially the same as punitive damages, since they are awarded for cases of egregious invidious conduct, however, they are directly compensatory in nature. Punitive damages are meant to punish, whereas aggravated damages are meant to monetarily compensate a victim for aggravated injuries sustained by a defendant’s extreme malevolent conduct.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorneys

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 when you need experienced Indianapolis personal injury attorneys you can trust. Seasoned accident lawyers Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek, are eager to recover the full and fair compensation victims of wrongful injuries deserve. Our personal injury law firm provides free initial consultation and never collects attorney fees unless we recover a settlement for you. Get started on an effective path to restoring your life after a serious accident by calling our Indianapolis accident attorneys at
317-881-2700 to schedule an appointment today.

FAQS Regarding Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing Home Neglect Indianapolis Indiana

Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers 317-881-2700

Nursing homes are private institutions that provide shelter, food, and care for the sick and elderly. Since nursing homes do not actually provide complex medical treatment, they are not considered hospitals. However, many institutions could be considered as a medical care facility for certain purposes, depending on the statutes that govern their operation.

There are four different types of nursing home facilities that offer separate “levels” of care for residents. From the lowest level of nursing care to the highest, these include adult boarding homes, residential care facilities, intermediate care facilities, and skilled nursing care facilities. Depending on how a nursing home is classified, different standards will apply. For example, state and federal governments regulate skilled and intermediate nursing care facilities since they are generally participants in Medicaid and Medicare programs. All nursing care facilities are mandated to build and implement programs, written policies, and procedures forbidding maltreatment and abuse to its residents.

Overcome the Fear of Placing a Loved One in Nursing Care

If you are currently considering a nursing care facility for your sick or aged loved one, you may be afraid to commit out of fear that they may be mistreated, exploited, or ignored. For this reason, it is important to educate yourself in order to feel safer about placing your loved one in a nursing home. Also, be sure to research several facilities for a better chance at finding the institution that can properly meet and exceed their medical care or nursing needs.

You are also likely to have many questions regarding your concerns and more, and you are not alone. Below you will find a few of the most frequently asked questions regarding nursing home abuse and neglect. Use this information to protect your loved one against mistreatment and more, and ensure a loving and enriched retirement for those you love so much.

What Behaviors are Considered Neglect in a Nursing Home?

When a nursing care facility fails to provide sufficient services that are essential to the health and safety of their residents, whether intentional or not, they are guilty of neglect. These services include food, shelter, safety, supervision, clothing, medical care, and more.

If a Resident Complains or Accuses a Nursing Home of Mistreatment or Neglect, What Will Happen Next?

Every state has a system in place for reporting allegations of nursing care abuse, exploitation, or neglect. This system involves an investigation that consists of interviews with the alleged victim, their family, and the staff. If maltreatment is suspected, Adult Protective Services will enter the scene and provide their assistance. It is important for the victim and family to retain the services of a licensed personal injury attorney before the investigation begins. This will ensure just compensation for any losses and damages caused by the mistreatment or neglect.

What are the Rights of Nursing Home Residents?

The law, both federal and state depending, provides nursing home residents several rights. These rights include, but are not limited to, being free of verbal, mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. They also have the right to not be subjected to purposes. Although a resident can be retrained by doctor’s orders if they pose a threat to themselves and others, unnecessary physical or chemical restraint intended for disciplinary purposes is illegal. Nursing home residents also have a right to a safe and comfortable environment at all times, proper medical care, and sufficient food, clothing, hygienic cleaning, and more. Talk to a nursing home neglect lawyer for details about resident rights’.

Can a Resident Still Sue a Nursing Home for Maltreatment if They Have No Contract With Them?

If a nursing home resident does not have an official contract with the facility, and they are subjected to maltreatment or neglect, they still have the legal right to pursue a lawsuit and injury claim against the facility. There are numerous legal theories that allow nursing home neglect victims, or survivors of victims, to sue the home even without a contract.

Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for information about nursing home neglect and abuse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorneys Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek have decades of trial and litigation experience representing victims of nursing home abuse. They offer free initial consultations to hear your story and determine your eligibility for filing a claim, and never collect attorney fees unless they win your settlement. Call us at 317-881-2700 to schedule an appointment with a seasoned nursing home abuse lawyer in Indianapolis, IN today.

How to Avoid Bicycle Accidents While Riding Roadside

Bicycle  Accident Lawyer 317-881-2700

Bicycle Accident Lawyer 317-881-2700

Cyclists and bikers are involved in thousands of motor vehicle accidents each year. Although bike-riding is a fun and healthy activity for the whole family, it can make a person much more vulnerable if riding on the side of the road. This is especially true for those who frequently ride alongside busy streets and roadways. No matter how much experience and awareness a person may have as a cyclist, no one can never predict or trust the actions of others on the road. For this reason, protection and safety are vital.

Continue reading to learn how to be safer while enjoying the pleasures and perks of roadside cycling.

Bike Safety

By applying safe bicycling habits and practices, a person can avoid accidents and injuries from taking place. In order to avoid one of the most life-threatening injuries from occurring is wearing a helmet. Head and neck injuries are very serious and can even cause death in severe cases. By wearing a helmet, a rider can protect their cranium in the case of a sudden impact or fall. Helmets are basically bike safety rule number one.

For those who enjoy night riding, it is strongly suggested to wear proper reflective gear, as well as, reflective lighting on spokes and handlebars. By illuminating a cyclist, car and other traffic can spot the rider and avoid hitting them or causing them harm. Anyone can purchase reflective biking gear at any local sporting goods store or superstore. They are relatively inexpensive and come in a wide array of colors, sizes, and products.

Following all cycling rules, as well as all rules of the road, are important parts of safe biking. Bicyclists are not only responsible for following the cycling rules while riding, the must also obey all traffic signal and laws as well. This is especially important for those who commute to work or school on bike. Designated bike lanes should always be used on public roadways for protection against fast-moving traffic. Bikes will simply never be able to compete with a car, so if they come into contact with one another, the car will not suffer nearly as much damage as a bike and cyclist. By staying in the bike lanes, a person can avoid coming into the contact with traffic, or backing up traffic.

Bicycle Accidents in Indianapolis

If you or a loved one was recently injured negligently in a bicycle accident, contact a licensed and experienced personal injury law firm right away. Don’t let the statute of limitations run out before you have a chance to collect compensation for your damages. If you were truly injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, or the negligence of the city, you may be entitled to remuneration for your losses. You can recover for lost wages, time off work, medical expenses, hospital bills, pain and suffering, and much more.

The Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for details about bicycle accident injury claims in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seasoned attorneys, Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek are happy to answer your questions and concerns about a recent bicycle accident. We offer free initial consultations to assess your case and determine your eligibility for compensation. And we never collect lawyer fees unless we win your settlement! Call 317-881-2700 and speak with an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer today.