Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers Blog

Be Careful When You Talk About Your Auto Accident

Car accidents are painful, stressful, and often traumatic for victims. It’s natural to want to share your experience with others, including your coworkers, the insurance adjuster, and even your social media friends and followers.

But it’s important to remember that insurance companies are always looking for ways to reduce or deny payments to victims like you. The adjusters that work for insurers will go to great lengths to collect evidence that implicates people who file compensation claims for their own accidents.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk car accident attorneys know how invasive adjusters can be, and they often twist victims’ words and use them against them.

You can protect your rights by keeping these rules of thumb in mind:

• Stick to the facts when talking to the adjuster—Insurance adjusters often seem friendly on the phone or in person, but they’re often looking for direct or indirect statements that indicate fault for crashes. If you haven’t hired an attorney yet, stick to the facts when talking to the adjuster. Otherwise, let your lawyer handle all communication with the insurance company.
• Don’t post about your accident or injury claim on social media—Social media posts can be saved forever and even used as evidence in claims and court cases. Keep all information or opinions concerning your accident and your case off social media to make it that much harder for the insurance company to deny you the money you deserve.

When you call us, we’ll do everything we can to maximize your chances of getting the money you deserve—and that includes advising you on what to do and talking to the insurance company on your behalf. Contact us today for a free consultation.

How We Can Help If You Were Hurt by a Medication

The number of drugs approved for sale and usage in the U.S. in 2017 reached a 21-year high, with 46 new medications getting the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Every year, dozens of new drugs are released to the consumer market. And while most of those drugs are safe due to rigorous testing, some aren’t. That’s because drug manufacturers don’t always test their drugs as thoroughly as they’re supposed to. And in some cases, drug companies are aware of potentially dangerous complications, but they don’t report them to make sure their drugs get FDA approval.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we believe that multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies should be held liable when their negligence or greed causes innocent victims like you to suffer serious drug-related side effects or injuries.

When you call our Norfolk drug injury lawyers, we’ll take the following steps to build a strong claim for you:

• We’ll prove the drug caused your health problems—Drug companies are skeptical of injury reports associated with their drugs—especially when the injuries aren’t consistent with publicized side effects. But other information, including FDA recalls/warnings and scientific studies, can establish a link between your health problems and the drug you took.
• We’ll prove the drug manufacturer was negligent—When a potentially dangerous drug gets released, there’s a good chance its manufacturer was negligent. Whether the drug company skipped steps in the testing process or obfuscated evidence that the drug you took could cause harm to patients, we’ll hold it accountable for its negligence.

Trust our experience—we know drug injury claims, and we know what it takes to win. Call today for a free consultation.

Why Do You Need a Lawyer after a Defective Product Injury?

Whether it’s a product from a store or a medical device implanted into your body, the last thing you expect is for that product to harm you.

Most people assume that consumer and medical-grade products are thoroughly tested and made with user safety in mind, but that’s not always the case. Every year, thousands of people are seriously harmed by products that were designed or manufactured with serious and potentially dangerous flaws.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our network of Norfolk defective product lawyers know how helpless victims often feel when they’ve been hurt by items they thought were safe. Consumer and medical product manufacturers are often billion-dollar corporations, and that can leave victims believing that it’s impossible to get compensation.

However, with an experienced legal team on your side, you can level the playing field. When you call us, you can count on our attorneys to help in the following ways:

• We’ll prove you were harmed by the defective product—To be eligible for compensation, you must first prove the product in question injured you or caused complications. We’ll collect medical records and even call on expert witnesses to leave no doubt about the origin of your health problems.
• We’ll prove the product was dangerous—Whether it was due to a poor design, cut-rate manufacturing process and materials, or lack of warnings and information provided to consumers or medical professionals, we’ll prove that the product that harmed you was dangerous and liable to cause injuries and health complications.

You don’t have to suffer alone after a defective product injury. Call us today for a free consultation.

What Compensation Is Available for Medical Malpractice Victims?

Going to the hospital or your doctor’s office is supposed to be part of the process of getting better and recovering from your illness or injury.

But for some Americans, stepping into a healthcare facility is the beginning of a healthcare nightmare—and it’s often due to negligent physicians, surgeons, and other medical providers.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk medical malpractice lawyers know that all providers in Virginia and throughout the U.S. are required to abide by strict guidelines and regulations when they treat patients. But we also know that those guidelines and regulations aren’t always followed—and that puts patients like you at risk of suffering serious injuries and illnesses.

If you were hurt by a healthcare provider, you may be eligible to receive compensation for:

• Medical bills—In addition to the medical bills you’ve already accumulated for the negligent treatments or procedures, you also may be eligible to get money for future treatment—especially if it’s necessary to treat complications arising from the substandard care you received.
• Lost wages—Medical malpractice often means short-term or long-term disability. And when you’re not working, you’re not earning the paychecks you and your loved ones depend on every month. You shouldn’t have to deal with missing the paychecks you deserve because of a medical provider’s negligence.
• Pain and suffering—Suffering from illnesses and injuries because of negligent healthcare providers can be stressful and traumatic. It’s our goal to make sure you’re fairly compensated for what you’ve been through.

Call us today for a free consultation. We’re here to help.

Insurance Companies Don’t Always Treat Injured Motorcyclists Fairly

If you were recently injured while riding your motorcycle, you may be facing a long road to recovery. Motorcycle accident injuries can be devastating and disabling, and many victims suffer from long-term pain and reduced mobility.

Getting compensation for accidents that are caused by other people’s negligence is frequently difficult, but it can be even more challenging for motorcyclists. That’s because insurance companies often believe that motorcyclists are at fault for their own accidents—even when evidence suggests that other parties were to blame.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk motorcycle accident lawyers know how unfair this is, and we’ve seen many motorcyclists get the runaround from insurance companies because of stereotypes and stubborn beliefs.

When you get in touch with us, you can count on our legal team to provide the following services:

• Proving the accident wasn’t your fault—Insurance companies are notoriously tough on motorcyclists. We’ll collect enough evidence to leave no doubt about who caused your accident.
• Handling all communication with the insurance company—It’s not always enough to collect and submit evidence of who caused the crash. Insurance companies frequently use adjusters to find ways to reduce or deny claims. We’ll communicate with them on your behalf, so you can have peace of mind and focus on getting better.

Don’t be a victim for a second time after being in a motorcycle crash. Get an experienced legal team that knows how to win and that cares about your recovery. Call today for a free consultation.

Why Do You Need a Lawyer after a Dog Bite Injury?

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know that many dog bite victims are hesitant to pursue injury claims after being hurt by other people’s animals.

In many cases, victims may not believe their injuries are serious enough to warrant filing claims for compensation, while others may not want to press the matter—especially if they know the owner of the dog that bit them.

But dog bite injuries can be serious, even if they don’t appear that way in the hours or days after they occur. It’s common for dog bites to cause infections and damage to nerve and tendons, and the complications can cause victims to become permanently disabled.

Having an experienced Norfolk dog bite lawyer on your side from day one can protect your rights. When you contact us, you can count on our legal team to:

• Prove that the dog that bit you wasn’t properly restrained—Virginia’s dog ordinances require that dogs be properly restrained or leashed when they’re in public or in areas where they could pose threats to others. We can investigate the attack and collect evidence that proves the dog’s owner failed to abide by city or local ordinances.
• Prove that the bite caused your injuries—Proving that a dog wasn’t enclosed or leashed isn’t always enough to get a favorable outcome—insurance companies also want proof that the dog bite caused severe pain, suffering, or disability. We’ll use medical records and even expert testimony to conclusively link your injuries to the bite.

The longer you wait to get an attorney on your side, the more difficult it may be to find crucial evidence. Call today for a free consultation.

Why Do You Need a Lawyer after the Wrongful Death of a Loved One?

The grief and pain of losing a loved one are difficult to deal with, especially if their passing means that you and your family will be without the emotional, familial, and financial support that they provided. But if your loved one died as a result of another person’s or party’s negligence, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. However, doing so can be difficult without an experienced legal team on your side.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, a Norfolk wrongful death lawyer from our firm can help if you feel like you have nowhere else to turn after the loss of a loved one. Facing a future without your loved one can be frightening, but getting compensation for his or her death can help you begin building a future for yourself and your other family members.

Having a lawyer on your side can make a big difference when it comes to pursuing compensation for the following reasons:

• A lawyer can prove your loved one’s death was preventable—There are many factors that go into fatal accidents, injuries, or incidents, and it’s not always easy to determine who was at fault or whether deaths were preventable. Our legal team knows the ins and outs of wrongful death claims, and we know what evidence to look for and present to leave no doubt in the insurance company’s mind.
• A lawyer can help you get maximum compensation—Even if you’re able to prove that your loved one’s death was caused by negligence, the insurance company may offer only a small settlement—if anything at all. After we’ve established your loss was due to negligence, we’ll fight to maximize your chances of getting the full amount you deserve for things like lost income, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.

Contact us today for a free consultation. We know what you’re going through, and we want to help.

Don’t Delay If You Were Injured at Work

Workplace injuries can be painful, debilitating, and disabling. And without taking the right steps after suffering one, you may be left unable to return to your job for the foreseeable future, putting your income and even your career at risk.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk workers’ compensation attorneys have helped many people just like you who were hurt at work, and we know how important it is for victims to take the proper steps to help protect themselves and their families.

One of the biggest concerns that workplace injury victims should have is the passage of time. It’s crucial to seek help right away for the following reasons:

• Waiting too long to report your injury can make your employer suspicious—The more time that passes between your injury occurring and the injury being reported, the more likely it is that your employer and its insurance company may be suspicious of your claim. Report any workplace injuries immediately to begin the workers’ compensation process as soon as possible.
• Evidence is harder to come by if you wait too long after an accident—Getting approved for workers’ compensation benefits often requires evidence that injuries happened on the job. But if you wait too long, evidence may disappear, and your own recollections of what happened may become muddled or inconsistent.

We’re ready to begin building your claim today. Call now for a free consultation to see how we may be able to help with your workers’ compensation case.

2 Overlooked Causes of Auto Accidents

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. for people of all ages. That’s why law enforcement officers are always on the lookout for drivers who violate driving laws, including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, or failing to stop at stop signs and traffic lights.

But a significant number of car crashes are caused by factors that drivers aren’t always aware of. Two of those factors include:

1. Overconfidence—It’s easy to feel like you’re completely safe on the road, especially when you’re driving a route you’re extremely familiar with and you’re already taking all the necessary safety precautions. But just being overconfident is enough to increase your risk of being involved in a crash, as it means you may actually be less aware of your surroundings.
2. Fatigue—Whether it’s sleepiness, physical exhaustion, or mental drain, fatigue is common among Virginia’s drivers, and it’s a significant factor in crashes. It’s important to avoid driving if you feel mentally or physically exhausted, as fatigue can affect you the same way that alcohol impairment can when you’re behind the wheel.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know that no two car accidents are the same, and the causes of crashes aren’t always obvious. That’s why our Norfolk auto accident attorneys carefully evaluate claims to collect and analyze evidence that proves the other driver was at fault.

Don’t call just any law firm if you were hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault. Get our experience on your side—call today for a free consultation.

What Should You Do if You Suspect You’ve Been Injured by a Drug?

Prescription medications are supposed to help you heal and manage your symptoms—not make you feel worse or put your health or even your life at risk.

Many new medications are approved for usage in the U.S. every year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And while all medications are supposed to receive extensive safety testing before being released to the public, sometimes drug manufacturers fail to properly test their products or they may even hide known adverse effects to improve the chances of their drugs being approved by the FDA.

When that happens, innocent victims like you can suffer serious injuries and health complications. If you or someone you love was hurt by a prescription medication, taking the following two steps can help you protect your health and your rights to compensation:

1. Call or visit your doctor as soon as possible—While you should never stop taking a medication without first speaking to your doctor, you also shouldn’t wait to find out if the medication is causing your health problems. The sooner you can see your healthcare provider, the sooner you’ll be able to pinpoint what’s harming your health.
2. Call a Roanoke drug injury lawyer—Drug injuries can cause victims to require expensive medical treatment while putting them out of work indefinitely—and sometimes permanently. Having an experienced legal team on your side means you’ll be able to maximize your chances of receiving compensation for your drug injury-related expenses.

Get in touch with Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers today to find out how a drug injury attorney can help. Just fill out a free consultation form.