The Benefits of a Structured Settlements

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

When an insurance company is obligated to pay out a large settlement to a victim of an accident, they will sometimes negotiate a payment arrangement in place of paying one lump sum upfront. These periodic payments from an insurance company are referred to as structured settlements, and they are a common method for paying accident victims. Payments are spread out over a long period of time, and paid in increments until the settlement cap is reached. Although there are some noted issues with structured insurance payments, there are several benefits that make them an appropriate option for a wide variety of accident victims.

Continue reading to learn more about structured settlements, and how accident victims can benefit from them.

Financial Management

Structured settlements are beneficial because they allow for responsible financial management. When an accident victim is recovering from serious injuries, it can be stressful and confusing for them to manage their finances. With a long-term payment plan, an accident victim can better organize their finances and budget their money more responsibly, all while coping with their recovery at the same time. Accordingly, a structured settlement can be beneficial in terms of tax liabilities.

Sometimes, structured settlements can come at a disadvantage. For those who are knowledgeable in finances, it could be a downfall to receive a structured settlement if they are interested in using the payout for investment purposes. Some structured settlements qualify for certain tax advantages.

Additional Benefits

One of the most revered benefits of a structured settlement is having access to more money. A victim is usually granted more money over a long period of time, and less money in a lump payout. The same goes for saving money on taxes. Another benefit is that a structured settlement is like receiving additional income every year.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for trusted personal injury representation in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned accident attorneys work around the clock to ensure our clients’ rights to compensation. We offer free initial consultations to access your case and determine your eligibility for remuneration; and we never collect attorney fees unless we prevail for you! Call 317-881-2700 to schedule your free initial consultation with an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer, today.

Can Birth Injuries Be Caused By Labor Inducing Drugs?

Child Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Child Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

When a woman is past her due date, her obstetrician may decide to induce labor to avoid delaying the birth any longer. When childbirth is delayed, both mother and child can face certain risks. Not only can the unborn baby can grow too large, it can experience distress, which can lead to serious complications. Other times, a doctor may order a patient to be induced in the case that an epidural has slowed or stalled labor. Epidurals are pain-relieving drugs given to women in labor, but they can sometimes impede the labor process.

Side Effects

Complications can always arise during labor, but when medications are utilized, the risk of complications increase. There are multiple types of medications used to manually initiate labor in women during pregnancy. One of the most common and well-known labor-inducing medication is called Pitocin. Pitocin, along with all other types of labor inducing drugs, may cause side-effects in both mother and child. Common side effects for mothers may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and painful contractions. For infants, they may cause a slowed or irregular heartbeat, bleeding in the eye, and even seizures. Some side effects can be serious, but most go away as the medication wears off in the bloodstream.

Birth Injuries

As for birth injuries, they can occur when mistakes are made during the labor or delivery process, especially during unexpected complications, such as breaches, limited oxygen, and more. Doctors may use medical instruments like forceps or vacuums to dislodge or re-position an infant during labor. Improper technique or mistakes while handling such situations can cause harm to the infant, including bruises, orthopedic injuries, and Brachial Plexus damage. In this case, a woman and her child would have rights to any losses or damaged suffered as a result.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Law Firm Indiana

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to discuss your personal injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. We are seasoned accident attorneys who offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Call 317-881-2700 to schedule an appointment with an experienced Indianapolis personal injury lawyer, today.

Can I File a Personal Injury Claim for Whiplash?

Whiplash Injury Claims 317-881-2700

Whiplash Injury Claims 317-881-2700

If you were recently injured in an accident that was not your fault, and as a result, you are now suffering from whiplash, you CAN pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault party or their insurance company. But in order to do so while fully protecting your rights, you will need to hire a personal injury lawyer immediately after the accident happens. Choose a licensed and experienced accident law firm to review your case and determine if your claim is valid. If they conclude that you do have rights to compensation, you can hire them without paying a dime until they recover for you. In the meantime, it is wise to understand whiplash injuries and claims to better prepare yourself for the legal process. Continue reading to learn more about whiplash, and how to get started on filing a claim for compensation.

Whiplash Injuries

The term, whiplash, is not a real medical term; however, it is a colloquial reference to the common injuries incurred after an accident that causes abrupt jolting of the head or neck. Motor vehicle accidents are among the most common that result in this type of injury. Although the cause for whiplash is unknown, the implications are evident. Victims generally complain of a series of varying symptoms, including extreme soreness or stiffness in the neck, headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, and burning sensations in the arm and leg described as pins and needles. In many cases, the signs of whiplash are not apparent right away, and instead, show up days or even weeks later. This, coupled with the fact that this area of the body is highly complex and delicate, makes it difficult to treat whiplash injuries.

Whiplash Claims

The most important part of a whiplash injury claim is to seek medical attention immediately after an accident, as well as, immediately after you begin to notice signs of injury. Head and neck injuries are very serious, regardless of how little pain you feel at first. So getting proper medical treatment should be your first priority. But also, these medical documents will act as a record to prove the validity of your injuries and subsequent damages and losses. You should also keep all of your related medical records, bills, invoices, and receipts for medical materials, to prove your financial losses. Your personal injury lawyer will assist you in collecting and organizing all of the evidence needed to represent your claim. This includes police reports, witness statements, expert testimonies, and more.

Indianapolis Whiplash Lawyers

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for head and neck personal injury claims in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned accident attorneys offer free initial consultations to review your claim, and never collect lawyer fees unless we recover a settlement for you. Call 317-881-2700 to get started with your Indianapolis injury claim, today.

Your First Steps in an Accident Claim

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Getting injured in an accident is a confusing and stressful time for anyone, including the loved ones in your life. It is common to feel a sense of incomprehension and uncertainty after suffering serious injuries in an accident that was not your fault. That is because your first priority was getting the proper medical attention you needed. And as soon as you are medically stabilized, you are faced with another priority: getting your life back on track. This can be very difficult to do, however; which is why it is strongly encouraged for accident victims to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim. You can recover financially to help pay for hospital bills and medical expenses, and even make up for lost wages and time off work.

Continue reading to learn what your first steps should be if you want to pursue a personal injury claim for your recent accident.

After Medical Stabilization

Once you have been treated medically, and you are in a place where you can make important decisions, you are ready to pursue a personal injury claim. Just remember, medical attention should always come first. And it is equally important to retain as much documentation of your primary medical treatment, hospital stay, and post-medical treatments. In fact, this is the first task on your list of steps.

First…

Collect all evidence and documentation (or as much as you can) concerning the accident, including pictures of the accident scene, surrounding obstructions or hazards, witness testimony, video footage, and police reports. Also collect all documentation regarding all of your medical treatment, including doctors’ statements, medical reports, surgeries, medications, and more. All of these documents and evidences will be used to prove the validity of your claim.

Next…

Write a personal report documenting and describing everything you’ve experienced, including the accident, your feelings, your injuries, your hospital experience, lost wages, time of work, medical bills, mental anguish, emotional issues, problems with your recovery, conversations you’ve had with the at-fault party, and anything else you can remember. This will help you remember all the facts, which is useful for building your case.

And Then…

Contact a personal injury attorney to begin developing your case. Be sure to choose an experienced law firm whose lawyers are well-versed in the type of accident you were involved in, as well as, experienced in trial and litigation. They will provide an assessment to determine how strong a case you have, and then move forward with filing the claim according to your state’s requirements. And personal injury attorneys generally work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning they do not collect lawyer fees unless they recover for you.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Law Firm

Personal Injury Law Firm Indiana

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 if you would like to file a personal injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned accident attorneys are eager to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Call 317-881-2700 to schedule your consultation with an experienced Indianapolis personal injury attorney, today.

3 Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing Home Neglect Claims 317-881-2700

Nursing Home Neglect Claims 317-881-2700

Putting our elderly loved ones into a nursing home is not an easy decision to make. But it is common to feel uncertain about nursing home care. Most families fear that their elders will experience loneliness and segregation, but what we don’t think about is another common nursing home issue: abuse. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is a real problem in our country, so it is important to always be on the lookout for warning signs that your loved one is a victim of abuse.

If they are, they could be entitled to financial compensation to make up for their losses and damages accrued as a result of the abuse. There are several, if not infinite, ways for a resident to be abused in a nursing home. However, there are 3 primary types of nursing home abuse you should be aware of if you have loved ones in nursing home care. Continue reading to learn these common types of nursing home abuse, and what to do if you suspect your loved one is a victim.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the act of intentional, non-accidental harm to a resident. It is the most evident form of abuse that can occur in a nursing home. The signs are easy to see, and a victim’s behavior is likely to change as a result. Common types of physical abuse include:

• Hitting
• Punching
• Punching
• Choking
• Shaking
• Aggressive Handling
• Force-Feeding
• Over-Medicating
• Burning
• Misuse of Restraints
• Confinement

The signs of physical abuse is easy to detect, and include bruising, flesh wounds, scarring, orthopedic injuries, and other visible forms. But there are other signs of physical abuse that are not so evident, such as fear, anxiety, depression, verbal regression, and more.

Financial Abuse

Although this is not commonly thought of, nursing home residents often find themselves victims of financial abuse, and many other times, they are completely unaware until it’s too late. Financial abuse to nursing home residents can come at the hands of employees or even fellow residents. Here are common examples of financial abuse in a nursing home:

• Stealing Cash or Property
• Unauthorized Cashing of Checks
• Misusing Credit Cards
• Identity Theft
• Forgery
• Deceiving Victim into Signing Legal Documents
(i.e. power of attorney, contract, will, etc.)
• Abuse or Improper Use of Conservatorship

Signs of financial abuse could come in the form of unexplained cash withdraws, missing belongings, unaccounted for bank charges, change in credit score, additional names on bank accounts or legal documents, unpaid bills, overdrafts, forged signatures, or abrupt changes in wills.

Emotional Abuse

Some forms of abuse are harder to see, and this is the case with emotional abuse. And even though it is more difficult to detect, it is just as damaging as all other forms of abuse. Generally, signs of emotional abuse are present, but only detectable if you are looking for them. Common types of emotional abuse in a nursing home include:

• Yelling
• Insulting
• Threats
• Harassment
• Ridiculing
• Infantilizing
• Isolation

Signs that a resident is being emotionally abused by staff or other members of the home can come in the form of anger, agitation, anxiety, depression, social withdraw, unwarranted fears, regressive behaviors like rocking or nail-biting, self-inflicted wounds, non-communicative, and more.

Indianapolis Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Craven Hoover Blazek Personal Injury Law

Craven Hoover Blazek Personal Injury Law 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for help filing a nursing home neglect claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned personal injury attorneys are eager to help you and your family recover compensation for the damages and losses accrued as a result of nursing home abuse. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Call 317-881-2700 to schedule an appointment with an experienced Indianapolis accident attorney, today.