Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers Blog

3 Steps to Take if You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

The possibility that your loved one is being abused or neglected while living in a nursing home can be difficult to come to terms with. You may feel powerless, guilty, and frightened for his or her health and well-being.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know how devastating that realization can be. You trusted the healthcare professionals and staff at the nursing home to provide your loved one with the absolute best care possible, but instead, he or she is suffering at their hands.

As soon as you suspect that mistreatment is occurring, it’s important that you take the following three steps:

1. Ask your loved one about what’s happening—If possible, speak to your loved one in private about his or her treatment at the nursing home. Although it’s common for residents to feel too intimidated or anxious to tell others—even their own family members—about their abuse or neglect, a private and honest conversation can help you learn more about what’s happening.
2. Speak with the nursing home director or manager—Bring up your concerns with a member of the management team or the director of the nursing home. In some cases, a single staff member can be responsible for abusing multiple residents, and altering management can save others from that same mistreatment.
3. Call an experienced Norfolk nursing home abuse lawyer—When residents are abused by nursing home staff, they and their families deserve compensation, but it can be difficult to get it without legal advocates on their side.

We’re ready to help you and your loved get the money you deserve for what you’ve been through. Call today for a free consultation.

Why Do You Need a Lawyer after a Brain Injury?

Brain injuries have the potential to change victims’ lives in dramatic ways. When a person’s brain is injured or damaged because of an accident, everything about them may change. Their cognitive abilities may be reduced, their physical coordination may be impaired, and their personality may change.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk brain injury lawyers know how devastating it can be for families when a loved one experiences the profound and life-altering changes associated with brain injuries. That’s why we do everything in our power to help those families get the compensation they need for their medical bills and lost wages.

It can be difficult to file and pursue a brain injury claim without an experienced legal team on your side. When you contact us, you can count on our legal team to take the following steps to protect your rights to compensation:

• We’ll collect evidence that proves the injury occurred due to someone’s negligence—As with many personal injury claims, brain injury claims require proof that they were caused by another person’s or party’s negligence. Our experience means we can quickly and efficiently find evidence that supports your claim—evidence the insurance company can’t ignore.
• We’ll negotiate to get your family maximum compensation—Even when insurance companies know they can’t easily deny a claim, they frequently offer victims and their families small payments to reach quick resolutions. We’ll calculate how much the injury will cost your family, and we’ll negotiate to make sure you’re offered an adequate settlement.

Call us today for a free consultation.

3 Common Types of Birth Injuries

Birth injuries are devastating for families, especially when they happen because of healthcare providers’ negligence. Women who are going into labor rightfully expect the absolute best care possible when they travel to hospitals to give birth, but they don’t always get the attention and consideration they deserve.

Whether doctors and other medical professionals are distracted, careless, poorly trained, or even acting maliciously, babies and their mothers can be harmed before, during, and after labor by the people they trust the most during this vulnerable time.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk birth injury lawyers have helped families who have been affected by a variety of birth injuries, including:

1. Cerebral palsy—Cerebral palsy affects movement and motor function, and it’s caused by abnormal brain development. It can be caused by birth injuries due to oxygen deprivation during delivery, exposure to in-utero injections, head injuries during childbirth, and undiagnosed or untreated brain bleeding and infections.
2. Erb’s palsy—Similar to cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy also affects movement throughout the body, but it’s caused by damaged nerves in the arms. It can be caused by the stretching or unnatural movements of babies’ necks during delivery.
3. Uterine rupture—Mothers can also suffer serious birth injuries. Uterine ruptures can occur during delivery, and it’s up to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals present during delivery to monitor and treat this condition if it occurs.

Get the legal representation you deserve if you, your child, or someone you love was hurt during delivery by a negligent medical professional. Call today for a free consultation to find out how we may be able to help.

What Can You Get Compensation for After a Bicycle Accident?

Bicycle accidents can be just as traumatic, painful, and disabling as auto and motorcycle accidents.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk bicycle accident lawyers know that bicyclists face many dangers when they head out on their local streets. Drivers are conditioned to be on the lookout for other cars, trucks, and SUVs. Motorcycles are loud enough to help capture their attention, but cyclists can prove to be more of a challenge for inattentive drivers, whether they are riding on rural roads or busy city streets.

When drivers look away from the road, they may change lanes into the paths of motorcyclists, cut them off at intersections, or drift into bike lanes. All of those actions can cause bicyclists to crash, and in some cases, bicyclists are even struck directly by vehicles.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a bicycle accident, it’s important to have a legal team on your side that can help you get compensation for:

• Medical bills—Bicyclists commonly suffer broken bones and may even experience head injuries. They frequently face long paths to recovery, and they may need surgeries and physical rehabilitation. We’ll fight to help you get the money you need to get better.
• Lost wages—Any serious, painful, or debilitating injury can make it impossible to work for a prolonged period of time. We’ll calculate how much money you’ve lost due to your bicycle accident, and we’ll negotiate with the insurance company to get you full compensation.

Don’t let a bicycle accident that wasn’t your fault put your family in a financial bind. Call Lowell Stanley today for a free consultation.

How Can a Lawyer Help after a Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycle accident victims often face uniquely challenging paths to recovery. Because motorcycles have no built-in safety features, riders are responsible for protecting themselves every time they head out on Virginia’s highways and interstates.

But even the safest, most well-equipped riders still face significant risks—especially when other drivers aren’t paying attention or aren’t used to looking out for people who travel on two wheels instead of four.

Motorcycle accidents can cause injuries to every part of the body, including the brain. That means many injured riders face recoveries than can take months, years, or even indefinite periods of time. And while they’re recovering, their medical bills are mounting, and they may be unable to work and earn the paychecks they and their families depend on.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk motorcycle accident attorneys help victims by:

• Proving the accident wasn’t their fault—Insurance companies are hesitant to accept claims if they believe victims were partially or fully responsible for accidents. Our legal team knows how to collect evidence that shows motorcycle accident victims were hurt by other negligent parties.
• Negotiating to get maximum compensation—When insurance companies know they can’t deny a claim, they often offer lowball settlements. We fight to help victims get full compensation for their current and future medical bills and lost wages.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a motorcycle accident, you need an experienced law firm on your side. Leave the paperwork and communication with the insurance company up to us while you focus on getting better.

Call today for a free consultation.

2 Steps to Take if You’re Injured by a Defective Product

Our lives are heavily dependent on the safety of consumer products. The beds we sleep in, the cars we drive to work, and the appliances we use to cook our food are all parts of our daily lives. We trust the manufacturers of those products to test them thoroughly and to keep us out of harm when we purchase and use them.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to make sure every product that a manufacturer releases is 100-percent safe, but some manufacturers allow inherently flawed and dangerous products onto the market to maximize their profits. To make matters worse, this can also happen with medical devices, including those that are implanted inside patients’ bodies.

When medical devices fail due to design or manufacturing flaws, patients face serious health risks and complications. If you or you someone you love ever faces this situation, you should:

1. Call your doctor immediately—Symptoms of a defective medical device include pain, reduced mobility, inflammation, bleeding, and illness due to materials breaking off and entering the bloodstream. Your doctor can diagnose your condition and provide evidence to link it to your medical device.
2. Call a Norfolk defective product lawyer—If evidence indicates that your injury or illness was caused by your medical device, you need heavy-hitting legal representation on your side. Medical device companies are well-protected from a legal standpoint, but we know how to tip the scales in our clients’ favor.

Call Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation. We’re here to help you get the money you deserve for your defective product injury or medical-device-related illness.

3 Steps to Take after a Dog Bite Injury

Dog bites have the potential to cause severe, disabling, and even life-threatening complications in victims. That’s why it’s important to take every dog bite seriously, whether it results in a seemingly minor cut or laceration or a deep puncture wound or contusion.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk dog bite lawyer knows that most canines are harmless and friendly. But dogs can bite without warning—including dogs that have no history of aggression. Many dog bite victims are in shock after being bitten, and they may delay taking the necessary steps for protecting their health and their rights to compensation.

Take these three important steps after a dog bite:

1. Get medical treatment – Dog bites can cause serious bleeding and put victims at risk of infection and nerve damage. In some cases, dogs may even carry deadly diseases like rabies. Getting treated right away protects your health and creates a record of your injury.
2. Get contact information from the owner of the dog that bit you – To pursue a dog bite claim, you must be able to locate the dog’s owner. You may be able to get contact information from the owner himself or from witnesses who saw the bite occur.
3. Get a lawyer – The sooner you have a law firm working on your case, the better your chances will be of getting maximum compensation. The insurance company may begin working on its defense immediately, and having a lawyer on day one can help tip the scales in your favor.

Don’t let your rights go unprotected. Call us today for a free consultation from an experienced lawyer who knows dog bite laws in Virginia.

3 Reasons to Get Immediate Medical Attention after An Auto Accident

The aftermath of a car crash can be a confusing and overwhelming time. You’re in pain and in shock, and it can be difficult to think clearly—let alone plan for how the accident may affect your future. But the steps you take now can have a major impact on your health and your right to pursue compensation, and the first and most important step is getting medical attention.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk car accident lawyers stress the importance of getting prompt treatment at emergency room or urgent care clinic after a crash for three reasons:

1. It provides immediate treatment for your injuries – The sooner you get treated for the injuries you suffered in the crash, the better your prognosis will be. Delaying treatment means more pain, more complications, and prolonged time away from work.
2. It rules out internal injuries – Car accidents can cause victims to suffer injuries that aren’t visible and may not be obvious for some time. Internal bleeding and organ damage can be ruled out or diagnosed and treated if you get prompt medical attention.
3. It creates valuable evidence for your claim – To be eligible for compensation, you must prove your injuries were caused by another careless driver. Seeing a doctor right away creates important medical records that the insurance company won’t be able to deny when we negotiate on your behalf.

After getting medical treatment, your next step should be getting an experienced law firm on your side. Call us today for a free consultation—we’re here to help.

How Much Money Can You Get from Workers’ Compensation?

For many injured workers, it’s not enough to know that they might be eligible to receive a percentage of their income via Virginia’s workers’ compensation system. They need to know how much they’ll get with every check.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know that most families are on tight budgets, and while getting some income is better than none, taking even a small pay cut can have serious consequences for their households.

There are three major types of benefits, and each pays out different amounts for different amounts of time to recipients:

• Temporary disability benefits – Workers who will miss more than seven days of work are eligible to receive these benefits, which are limited to two-thirds your average weekly wage and capped at $1,043 per week in Virginia.
• Permanent total disability benefits – If a doctor confirms that your disability is permanent and will affect your ability to work for life, you will continue to receive your temporary benefits for the rest of your life.
• Permanent partial disability benefits – Some injured workers can receive additional benefits if they suffer permanent disabilities in certain body parts, including eyes, ears, arms, legs, hands, and feet. Affected workers receive two-thirds of their previous wages for a time period calculated by the level of function lost in the affected body part.

If you’re confused or wondering how you can maximize your disability payments, you’re not alone. It can be difficult to navigate the workers’ compensation system and maximize your income, but an experienced Norfolk workers’ compensation lawyer knows how to get it done. Call us today for a free consultation.

How Can a Drug Injury Lawyer Help You Get Compensation?

Developing an injury or illness after taking a prescription or over-the-counter medication can be devastating. The drug you took was marketed as being effective for treating the health problems you suffer from, but instead, it only made you feel worse. You may even be facing disabling or life-threatening side effects and complications.

Despite the serious nature of your drug-related injury or illness, we know that you may be reluctant to file a claim for compensation. After all, how can you possibly stand up against a multi-billion-dollar drug corporation and its teams of lawyers?

The answer is having an experienced and qualified Virginia drug injury lawyer on your side. When we take on your claim, you can count on us to:

• Prove the drug manufacturer knew of the drug’s risks – Whether the manufacturer used misleading data or failed to properly disclose potential side effects and complications, we’ll make sure their negligence is known when you have our legal team on your side.
• Prove the drug caused your injury or illness – By collecting medical records and utilizing expert witnesses and testimony, we can conclusively link the health problems you’ve suffered with the medication you took.

Having a lawyer on your side can maximize your chances of getting the money you deserve after illness, injury, or complications caused by a drug. Call Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.