Jan 18, 2019 | Personal Injury
When you think of personal injury, there are plenty of different things that might come to mind. From taking a tumble in a wet storage room, getting knocked on the head by falling lumber, or even something as simple as a kitchen burn. When it comes to personal injury, it can look plenty of different ways. But, one form of personal injury that many overlook, is injury to your character or mental state. Defamation cases cover defamation of character, slander, and libel. These three different forms of personal injury don’t show on the surface of your skin or in an x-ray. Instead, they hurt your character, business, mental state, or something of the like.
Defamation of character, slander, and libel all cover similar areas. However, there are some differences between the three that many don’t understand… Instead, they hurt your character, business, mental state, or something of the like.
Defamation, Slander, and Libel: A Different Type of Personal Injury
First off, what are these three types of personal injury?
Defamation of Character
Defamation cases cover a false statement, presented as truth, that results in damage to the reputation or character of the person the statement was made about. Maybe a coworker makes a comment that you’re an alcoholic, a thief, or a pervert. For whatever reason, your coworker has made up a lie about you. Now, their words are hurting your reputation and ability to perform your work duties properly. This is defamation of character.
Your coworkers, employers, and other staff are looking at you differently. Therefore, you might want to consider a defamation lawsuit. Keep in mind that these lawsuits are there for when your character takes a hit, not just if you’re angry. If someone comes to you, and you alone, and accuses you of something— that is not enough for a suit. Rather, it has to be a statement, presented as fact, to more than one person.
Slander and Libel as forms of defamation
Libel and slander are more specific when it comes to defamation cases. Slander, for example, covers statements made orally. Defamation can be in any form— from a speech, an email, a blog, or something of the sort. However, slander comes in one form.
Libel is also one aspect of defamation cases. Defamation cases of libel refer to statements put in writing of some sort.
Understanding Opinion and Intent
Two of the most important things to understand when it comes to defamation cases are opinion, and intent. While the lines are thin, there is a big difference between giving your opinion, and defaming character.
Opinion is something that you cannot prove true or false. Instead, it’s merely the way someone feels about you. If someone doesn’t like you, and tells other people that, it’s pesky, but not enough to warrant defamation cases. However, if someone goes around telling others that you break into cars, or assault your spouse— these are accusations of legal wrongdoing. Furthermore, if the statement is entirely false— it can defame you, and you have a case.
After deciding whether this person has either given their opinion, or defamed you, then you have to determine intent. This means that the person who made the statement must have known it was untrue. Or, maybe they told other people before questioning, or even if they were unsure of the truth.
Statements that are untrue can often affect your ability to uphold respect. Furthermore, they can also affect your ability to maintain your reputation, or even to receive promotions. Therefore, you should treat this issue as you would any other personal injury case. You can divide defamation cases into different categories. But, the issues that arise for the victim are all the same. Don’t let yourself fall victim to false statements without penalty.
Dec 23, 2018 | Accident prevention, Personal Injury
One of the most common pastimes for every holiday celebration, is to come together for a meal. No matter if you celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, or nothing at all— these later months are a great excuse to bring everyone together. While a family meal is almost always heartwarming, preparing that meal can bring along some unexpected dangers. Holiday kitchen injuries are quite common, but also quite easy to prevent. So, we’re here to help…
Holiday Kitchen Injuries: Keeping Spirits Bright and Unharmed
Burns
No matter what you’re cooking, burns are always a concern. However, during the holidays, we tend to cook more. Furthermore, we tend to cook larger portions, more frequently, and— with less experience. All of these things increase the chances of holiday kitchen injuries. To avoid burns, keep towels near the stove, wear long, tight sleeves, don’t cook under the influence, and never tend to hot pans or boiling water without an oven mit.
Cuts
You’re chopping vegetables for turkey stuffing, carving turkeys, slicing potatoes, dicing onions for gravy… Chances are, your kitchen set is being put to work this holiday season. As we’ve mentioned, you’re cooking (and cutting) more frequently. Therefore, you are running the risk of receiving one of those holiday kitchen injuries in the form of a cut finger, or worse. Our suggestion? Keep a first aid kit on hand, cut carefully— again, without alcohol in your system. Lastly, you might consider investing in a pair of cut-safe gloves to help further avoid injuries.
Gastro-Issues
One of the lesser considered holiday kitchen injuries, is stomach issues. Once again, we’ll mention those inexperienced chefs in the kitchen. Maybe the turkey was not washed, prepped, and cooked up to standards. Furthermore, maybe a knife, or cutting board, handled raw veggies, slicing a pie, and cutting the turkey. With all of these things in mind, you can see how small, careless mistakes in the kitchen can lead to issues such as food poisoning.
Aside from food-borne pathogens, there’s also the issue of plain, old indigestion and overeating. Upset stomach, diarrhea, indigestion, heart burn… There are plenty of ways that holiday feast can come back to haunt you.
Holiday kitchen injuries are less common than you having a good time with friends and family. However, every year someone’s family member inevitably ends up with a nasty cut, burn, stomach ache, or something of the like. So, cook (and eat) safe… You never know what a moment of carelessness can lead to.
Dec 21, 2018 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death
A Christmas tree is a symbol of holiday spirit, and style, when the season comes around. People flock to tree farms in the mountains, Lowe’s garden section, and even just to your everyday grocery— and pick their perfect tree. We string up lights, hang ornaments, put presents below, and top it all off with a shiny star. While we take pride in our holiday cheer, and display it for all to see— our trees also have the potential of leading to Christmas tree fires. These are unfortunately quite common, there are also a few steps we can all take to prevent them. That’s where we come in… Below, you’ll find a guide to avoiding Christmas tree fires, and keeping your holiday safe, sound, and jolly…
Christmas Tree Fires: How to Avoid Emergency During the Holiday
Pick your tree methodically
When choosing a tree, assuming you get a real tree, keep an eye out for a few different things… For one, make sure the needles are fresh, bright green, and don’t fall off easily. Needles that aren’t well intact point to a tree that is drying out. You know your tree is going to stand for at least a week, if not a few. Therefore, finding the freshest tree possible will go a long way in preventing potential Christmas tree fires.
Water your tree
Many people don’t consider the upkeep that comes along with having a real tree. But, watering them is absolutely one of those steps. The biggest key to keeping a tree safe, and accident-free, is to keep it moisturized. While accidents inevitably happen, a very dry, brittle tree is much more likely to go up in flames— and fast. So, when putting up your tree, add a few inches of water into the stand. Furthermore, refresh that water around once a week.
Watch the placement
When deciding where to put your tree, consider the heat sources within your house. If you have a fireplace, radiator, wood burning stove, or something of the sort— make sure to place your tree at least three feet away from those hot spots. Preventing Christmas tree fires may come down to where you put your tree. Furthermore, make sure that tree isn’t blocking any essential exit point for your house. That way, if you find yourself plagued with a fire of any kind, your Christmas tree isn’t hindering your safety plan.
Dec 16, 2018 | Personal Injury
Winter activities for most of us consists of Christmas movies, hot cocoa, gift shopping, and avoiding the cold. While we often think of these activities as relatively safe, this is not always the case. Winter injuries are quite common if you consider the changes in environment. Snow, ice, frozen roads, black ice, and quite obviously, the cold. Winter injuries are more common than you think, and you don’t have to be out too long to end up with one. So, we’re here to bring awareness, and help you keep safe from potential injury during this jolly time of year.
Winter Injuries: Have a Merry, Safe Holiday
Quite obviously, the change in elements brings along quite a few dangerous friends. But, arguably the most dangerous to look out for— is ice. Ice is slippery, cold, hard, and can often come out of nowhere. For these reasons, it can be easier than you think to take a tumble, or even slide in your car. Therefore, ice related Winter injuries are quite common.
When you fall, you might find yourself with bruises, head injuries, sprains, strains, twists, broke bones, back injuries, and even spinal cord injuries— there’s really no limit to the type of injury you might incur from taking a tumble on ice. Consider buying slip-resistant shoes, keep your eyes peeled for ice on the ground, and shovel your walkways.
Car Accidents
Aside from the obvious black ice, there are plenty of other hazards on the Winter roadway— such as falling snow, freezing rain, sleet, and drunk drivers. These later months not only bring more dangerous elements, but more careless— and high volume, drivers as well. Therefore car accidents can be some of the most common winter injuries out there. However, there might not be too much you can do to prevent them— besides avoiding drunk driving, and avoiding the roads during dangerous weather.
Sledding
While sledding is a popular pastime, and memory, for most of us— it also brings about potential dangers. From stiff muscles, joints, colliding with others, and even trees— there are plenty of dangers. When sledding, or doing any other sort of Winter activity, choose your spot wisely. Avoid hills near busy walkways, heavy wooded areas, and potential traffic.
In short, winter injuries are a possibility— but there are certain steps you can take to avoid being part of that statistic. Keep your eyes peeled, sled safe, drive as little as possible, and clear your walkways. By following these few steps, and creating your own safety routine, you’ll make it out of this holiday season without an injury in sight.
Dec 8, 2018 | Personal Injury
Basketball season is flush with excitement. From March Madness, to big wins, and celebrations with friends. During big games, and even small ones, fans find news ways to celebrate the win. But one method that is tried and true for fans, is court storming after a big win. While storming the court is a great way to join in with the madness, and to celebrate a big win, it can also produce injury…
Court Storming: Post-Game Celebration Injuries
If you think about court storming, you might begin to realize how dangerous the concept is. You’re jumping off the bleachers, or over a dividing wall, and into a stampede of people. In the heat of the moment, people might not realize how their actions could be dangerous. Running quickly, jumping and celebrating, and not paying too much attention to your surroundings. Due to the fact that most people are acting in this same way, there are a few common injuries.
Common Injuries:
Pushing and shoving
One of the main actions that can cause injury, is pushing and shoving. During these exciting times, fans may push towards the court and ignore the people around them. When you aren’t paying attention to the people around you, you might contribute to their receiving an injury. The people around you might be elderly, children, unsuspecting, or even just smaller in build. While anyone that is court storming could face injury, there are some parties which are more susceptible.
Stepping and kicking
Due to the quick movement of court storming, along with the pushing, there is the potential for someone to take a tumble. As thousands of fans rush towards the action, they might not look underneath their feet. Therefore, that little tumble can lead to some pretty serious injuries.
Tempers flare
While everyone is excited about the exact same thing, tempers can still flare quite easily in a confined space filled with chaos. If you bump into the wrong person, or knock someone over, they might get angry and try to retaliate. Someone might throw a punch, or shove you as well. Then, before you know it, this moment of celebration can turn into one of catastrophe.
No doubt, court storming will always be a favorite winning tradition. But, it is important to realize that some of these celebrations can cause serious injuries. So, have fun. But, remember to be mindful of potential injuries or danger— no matter the situation.
Aug 1, 2018 | Child Accidents, General, Personal Injury
If you face an injury on your friends’ property, you might find yourself in an awkward situation. After all, you didn’t mean to get injured, especially at your friends’ house. But, accidents do happen, as they say. So, what can you do when your health is at stake, you need medical attention, but you also want to do right by your friend? This situation is tricky, but we’re here to help…
Injury on Friends’ Property? How-to save your friendship, your wallet, and your health
Seeking medical attention
First things first, you need to decide whether or not you need medical attention. If you’re experiencing a lot of pain, or a visible injury, you might want to see a doctor as soon as possible. But, even if you don’t experience one of these two factors, but still feel like something isn’t quite right, go to a doctor and have them check it out. By doing this, you can get a gauge on your injury and decide who is responsible for the injury.
Homeowner’s insurance
If you decide that your friend, or the condition of that friends’ property, is at-fault for your injury— that’s where homeowner’s insurance comes in. Your friends’ homeowner’s insurance can cover the cost of accidents on the property. As for you? It is technically not your responsibility to cover the cost of an injury that isn’t your fault. While you are aware of this, it can be difficult to ask a friend to compensate for an injury. No one likes to talk money with their friends, but in the event of injury— it can be necessary.
Talking to your friend
One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with an injury on your friends’ property, is coming to them and asking that they compensate for the injury. This could lead your friend to feel betrayed, or that you’re doing this for personal gain. However, you must make them understand that you only need their homeowner’s insurance to cover medical costs. While this might be a difficult conversation to have, and an awkward one at that, it is absolutely necessary when facing injury. Remember that you are not targeting their personal funds, but merely expecting their insurance to assist with cost.
Receiving Assistance
As much as you may not want to handle this situation with your friend, your expenses may demand it. The cost of treating your injuries may become expensive, and affect your livelihood. In that instance, that homeowner’s insurance is not only important, but completely necessary. If you run into the scenario where your friend might not want to help at all, you might have to consult with an attorney. While we hope our friends would do what they can to help, in some cases, that might not be the case. So, we offer our services if you unfortunately might need them. Lastly, we offer our condolences for your lost friendship and injury.
