It can cost several thousand dollars in legal time and expenses to handle even a minor car accident. Cases with major injuries such as broken bones, scarring, hospital stays or even death, may cost tens of thousands of dollars to properly and aggressively handle, especially if the case goes all the way to trial. This is especially true in cases of medical malpractice and product liability.

Personal injury attorneys understand, however, that accident victims may not be able to afford such high legal fees just to receive the compensation that they deserve. In fact, many people are most vulnerable after a car accident or slip and fall because they are forced to miss work and lose wages. For this reason, many attorneys agree to take the case for free unless and until there is a settlement or jury verdict. At that time, the personal injury lawyer will take his share of the settlement according to your contingent fee agreement. The overwhelming majority of attorneys, including my office, charge 1/3 of the total settlement fee. Some attorneys now charge 40% of the total settlement. This 1/3 fee is not written in stone and it is not a law.

A 1/3 contingent fee became the standard and it is what most attorneys adhere to for personal injury cases. 1/3 may be a very small amount of money or it may be a very large amount of money. Generally, the 1/3 is a fair and accurate representation of the time and effort that went into preparing and winning your case. Also, the 1/3 reflects the fact that your personal injury attorney takes the risk that he or she may never receive any money. If the case is lost or some other circumstance prohibits recovery for your case, then your lawyer worked for nothing. To avoid making costly errors, bodily injury attorneys are very particular about the types of cases that they take and will only take your case if it seems fairly certain that another party is liable to you and that that party has insurance. For example, a personal injury attorney is unlikely to take an auto accident case in which you appear at fault.

The contingent fee is not a law written in stone and you should talk to your personal injury attorney about the fee. Under certain circumstances, I have reduced my contingent fee for my clients, particularly in large cases where the potential settlement was high. Also, if you are fortunate enough to be in a position to pay your attorney his or her legal fees without the need for a contingent fee agreement, then you may be able to pay your attorney in that manner. An attorney will be much more likely to take a tricky or difficult case if you can pay the hourly wages and costs because the attorney does not risk a financial loss if the case is unsuccessful.

Michelle Matson was struck while riding home on a bicycle by a driver who was speeding and subsequently fled the scene. She was nearly killed in this accident with serious injury to her skull and spine. She feels little effort was made to investigate the accident or apprehend the driver who nearly killed her and left the scene. As a result, Ms. Matson's life was turned upside down and she has no legal recourse to recover for her pain and suffering and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. The question must be asked why no thorough investigation was conducted? The article points out that absent death or catastrophic injury, little investigation will be conducted into a bicycle accident.

There is no doubt that this problem exists in Rhode Island as well. While bicyclists have a right to use the road under the same rules as motorists, the assumption is that bicyclists merely get in the way of operators of motor vehicles. Bicycle riders must maintain the absolute care and lookout for all of their surroundings, yet the law puts little requirement on vehicle operators to take such care. Auto accidents involving pedestrians and bike riders are almost always serious because bikes offer such little protection to riders. The law must seek ways to better protect bike riders and more thoroughly investigate accidents.

The reasons behind a spike in fatal car accidents on April 15 is not quite as clear, however. Some of the suggested reasons for this finding is that stressed drivers are more error prone drivers. The lack of sleep and/or concern over the filing of taxes can lead to distracted and disoriented drivers which leads to an acute spike in the number of accidents.

In case you didn't have enough reason to dread tax day...

The comments section to the story included many questions as to fault in this accident, in particular, whether the owner of the Hummer should be held responsible. The answer is absolutely, yes. Not unlike my recent post discussing sudden illness and auto accidents, in which I explained that a person needs to be aware of their medical condition and accepts the risk of causing an accident because they fall ill, a person needs to be aware of the overall condition of their vehicle. Similarly, if our vehicle malfunctions in such a way as to cause injury to another person, then we are responsible for not properly maintaining the car. Driving an unsafe vehicle or ignoring loud noises or other warnings that the car is not operating properly is negligence and a person is definitely responsible if that negligence leads to another's damages.

The facts of this case, however, suggest that additional defendants will also be responsible. There may be several potential defendants for a product liability claim in connection with this auto accident. The personal injury attorney should explore how and why the wheel came off of this vehicle. Were defective lugnuts or wheel bearings on this vehicle? I have seen other online articles suggesting that the wheels of a Hummer H2 can come off at high speeds which leads to question whether the Hummer is designed defectively. If so, GM may find themselves a party to this lawsuit.

Additionally, one would have to see if the Hummer was recently serviced or repaired. Perhaps it was recently inspected and the inspection facility failed to identify the problem with the wheel. When a strange and tragic accident like this occurs, there are inevitably hundreds of questions. Yes, the driver of the vehicle will be liable for damages, but so too may other defendants as the facts of this loss are uncovered.

My deepest condolences to the family.

Personal injury cases do not ordinarily settle quickly. The injured party has to obtain medical treatment for several months or more and then the attorney has to undergo a lengthy process of negotiating with the insurance company. Furthermore, if the insurance company is unreasonable, the case may need to be litigated. During this time, the injured party may be out of work and may have medical bills and/or other expenses piling up. In comes, a pre-settlement funding company offering to lend you the money to pay those bills so that you do not have to wait for your injury settlement. The catch - some of these companies charge as much as 200% interest!!! Yes, 200% interest. It is no surprise to find out that this type of loan arrangement was first conceived of by an indicted loan shark out of Las Vegas. And as of right now, the practice is legal. Rhode Island, however, now has a bill pending that looks to cap such loans at an interest rate of 21%. I certainly hope that it passes because these loans are predatory and victimize accident victims.

I sadly had one client, who I represented for an auto accident, fall victim to this type of loan. I begged the client not to take out this loan because I knew that the contract was awful and the loan was essentially a scam. Nevertheless, he convinced me by saying that he might lose his apartment if I did not sign the paperwork. I conceded. He took out a mere $500 and when his case settled a few months later he owed $947 in interest and fees. He paid almost double to the lender after less than six months.

I have also had clients ask if I can forward an advance on the personal injury settlement. The answer to that question is always NO. It is not because I am uncaring, it is because our rules of ethics as lawyers clearly forbid such advances. I know that some attorneys in Rhode Island will loan money off of your settlement and I even know of an attorney who charges interest on such loans - but I assure you that it should not be done and you may want to reconsider who is representing you if they so readily violate the rules of ethics.

I understand that it can be very difficult when you are out of work due to an accident and bills and expenses pile up. Talk to your attorney and he or she may be able to make some phone calls to help alleviate the bills or delay payment until your case is ready for settlement. The right personal injury attorney should also work quickly to make sure that your case is resolved when it is ready and that it is not unnecessarily delayed. Always talk to your attorney and see if something can be done before you make a serious mistake in taking a loan out with one these companies.

The last year was the best yet with a record number of new clients and cases and some terrific results for my clients in personal injury, entertainment law and criminal defense. I am proud to describe just a few of the great results and projects that I was involved in over the past year alone:

In Personal Injury:

• $150,000 for a fractured femur following an auto accident;
• $100,000 for a fractured ankle (my client was previously unrepresented and the insurance company made a high offer of $20k... within 6 months of my taking the case and filing suit, the insurance company paid the policy limits of $100k);
• $100,000 for nerve damage to client's elbow following an auto accident.

In Entertainment Law

• Worked as lead counsel on two films, one on a micro budget of $20k and another with a mid-range budget of $350,000;
• Lead counsel on a reality television show currently in production in Rhode Island;
• Secured synchronization rights for one of my artists songs on a nationwide television commercial;
• Negotiated and secured a four album recording deal with a major record label;
• Negotiated and secured the film option for a novel written by a New York Times bestselling author.

In Criminal Defense

• Full dismissal of multiple DUI cases;
• Full dismissal of two felony assault cases - one before trial and one by jury verdict;
• Reduced 2 counts of Third Degree Sexual Assault to misdemeanor simple assault on the morning trial was scheduled to begin (Client was facing ten years in prison and instead plead to one year of probation);

These are just some of the highlights to a great year! In addition to these cases I have successfully helped hundreds of other clients in the past year in all three areas of law. I am so grateful to past and current clients who continue to tell their friends and family about my office aiding in my growth and success. I can never thank you enough. Here's to another thirty successful years!!!

Most professional and high quality day care centers will have insurance in case accidents occur. Day care center negligence might include:

• Improper supervision of children (i.e. allowing them to play dangerous games);


• Failure to provide required medication;


• Unsanitary conditions leading to sickness;


• Defects in the building (i.e. broken stairs) that lead to injury;


• Accidents from unsafe toys or equipment;


• Injuries caused by one child on another.

These are examples of negligence that can occur even in well cared for facilities with highly trained staff. In such cases, your child is entitled to recover damages for past and future medical bills as well as pain and suffering. If the injury is very serious or catastrophic, this money can be used to help pay for necessary medical expenses over the course of a lifetime.

Some daycare negligence cases are more obvious and upsetting. Verbal, physical and sexual abuse has and may occur in a day care center. Be sure that NO level of verbal or physical abuse is acceptable regardless of the reason or the circumstances. If you would not slap your child to discipline him or her, your daycare center is certainly not allowed to do so.

These are almost always serious cases because of the long term mental and physical implications that may occur. My firm is experienced in representing parents whose children were injured while in the care of another and I am happy to speak with you for free if your child was hurt while at a daycare facility.

There are several theories of liability available in a foodborne illness case. Essentially, food poisoning lawsuits are product liability cases. The argument is that the product released from the manufacturer was in a dangerous and defective condition when it left the hands of the producer and remained in that dangerous condition when it was received by the consumer. We then have to show that the consumer used the product in the manner it was anticipated (this obviously refers to eating the product in food poisoning cases) and that the product caused the food poisoning and associated injuries.

You can also proceed with a food poisoning case under the more common theory of negligence. As in any other case of negligence, with a food poisoning case, the plaintiff looks to prove that the defendant owed the consumer a duty of care and that through its negligent actions breached that duty of care resulting in ultimate harm to the consumer. For example, a restaurant buys eggs that are not tainted with bacteria and are safe to consume. They leave the eggs outside of a refrigerator, however, for several days and then use the eggs in the preparation of a dish. Because of their negligence in not properly handling the eggs, they have grown salmonella which was transferred to the consumer while eating the prepared dish. By ignoring all state law and well known food safety handling guidelines, the restaurant committed an act of negligence and would be liable.

There are a number of serious complications in winning a food poisoning case. The primary difficulty comes in determining what food led to the illness. Humans eat 3-4 times a day and foodborne illness can sometimes take 24 hours to show symptoms. Looking back on your day it may be difficult to identify what food was the direct cause of the poisoning. Furthermore, even if you know what food caused the illness, it remains the plaintiff's burden to show that the specific food was contaminated and led to the illness.

In some cases, the Rhode Island Department of Health will receive several complaints about a particular food or food source and will begin an investigation which can aid in proving that the food was contaminated. In more difficult cases, your food poisoning attorney may order independent laboratory testing of the suspect food. Of course, this requires that you still possess an uneaten sample of the food. Finally, if there is no direct evidence to link the food with the sickness, your food poisoning attorney may file a lawsuit against the food producer or manufacturer to try and obtain its history of similar complaints. If the defendant has a poor record of food handling and safety, it will help build your case against the defendant.

Based on the above problems, you can see that it is imperative that you call a foodborne illness attorney right away if you sense that you were the victim of food poisoning. Time is absolutely critical in these types of cases. If you feel that you are the victim of food poisoning, try to retain or preserve some of the suspect food (if possible), keep any and all receipts showing that you purchased the suspect food and contact your doctor and/or the Rhode Island Department of Health right away.

The broad scope of the bill raises additional concerns. Drivers who were not at fault for an accident may be required to submit to blood and alcohol tests against their wills. The concern is that police, who would otherwise lack probable cause, may arrest a person for drunk or impaired driving, although they were injured through no fault of their own. Even if the driver is not drunk or impaired, being forced to submit to a blood or alcohol test after a serious auto accident can be traumatic and upsetting itself.

The bill is pending, however, in light of another tragic and fatal auto accident that occurred in Rhode Island over the St. Patrick's Day weekend. Corey Johnston has been arraigned in the drunk driving killing of Domenic Izzi after Corey was driving the wrong way on Route 95 causing a head-on collision. It is unclear from news reports if Corey Johnston submitted to a chemical test, but he is being charged with drunk driving, death resulting.

Should the proposed bill pass the Rhode Island legislation, police would be able to force a person such as Corey Johnston, to a blood test thereby confirming their physical state at the time of the accident. As tragic accidents like this appear on a regular basis in the paper, public sentiment may push this law or a similar law through the legislation.

It seems an odd study because most people would be unaware that a slip and fall recently occurred at a restaurant unless the injuries were incredibly severe. Nevertheless, it does demonstrate the importance of properly caring for a property or appropriately warning visitors of dangers on the property. The study did reveal an astonishing fact, namely that more than one million patrons are injured in slip and fall accidents at American restaurants each year! Slip and fall accidents are often serious resulting in broken bones, head injuries and in some cases spinal injuries. This means a potentially large loss in damages and a huge increase in insurance premiums.

A property owner is responsible for injuries to visitors on their property caused by the owner's negligence or failure to warn. In other words, if the property is not properly maintained (i.e. broken railings, loose steps, holes and craters in the pavement, etc) and leads to a person's injury, then the owner will likely be responsible for the personal injury damages including but not limited to medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. A property owner may not be held responsible if he or she can show that they made reasonable efforts to warn visitors of the danger or if he or she was genuinely unaware that the danger existed.

Slip and fall accidents are complex cases and often require litigation and an experienced personal injury attorney. Litigation is the result of the defense arguing that the property was not defective or because the severity of the injuries results in a battle over appropriate settlement amounts. For whatever reason a case like this may end up in litigation, you need to hire an attorney who is experienced in trying complex slip and fall cases. My law office has this experience and is ready to fight for all of the money that you deserve.

It is not as uncommon as one may think that a driver passes out or falls asleep at the steering wheel while driving leading to a serious car accident. I recently settled a claim for a client under almost exactly the same circumstances. In my case, an elderly man suffered a heart attack on Phenix Avenue in Cranston, drifted over the center lane and struck my client, an elderly woman, head-on. She suffered very serious injuries as a result of the accident.

In these situations, the driver who blacks out or passes out at the wheel, is civilly responsible for the damages sustained in a car accident. Even though they were not actively negligent in causing the accident, and even though it occurred through no "fault" of their own, they will be responsible to the injured party. Every time that we get behind the wheel of a car we are responsible to everyone else on the road and we must ensure that we are physically healthy and alert enough to operate a vehicle. Even if the illness is unforeseeable, the burden remains on each driver to operate their vehicle in a safe and courteous manner at all times. It is not unlike the driver who, despite his or her best efforts, loses control of their car in the snow, or the driver whose brakes fail leading to an accident. In these circumstances, the at-fault driver was not "actively" negligent. Nevertheless, they have breached their duty to operate the vehicle safely and are, therefore, liable for any and all damages. Insurance companies will accept liability under these circumstances and pay the claims.

Arbitration is compulsive under the Rhode Island Rules of Civil Procedure, however, the decision is not binding. What this means essentially is that either side (plaintiff or defendant) can force the two parties to at least try arbitration, but neither side is compelled to accept the award if they are dissatisfied. You can have your case removed from the arbitration process if the amount in contention is in excess of $100,000.00.

Arbitration can be a highly effective tool for resolving difficult cases without the huge amount of money and time that a full civil trial that would require. At an arbitration, both sides will agree on a neutral party to serve as "judge". Each side submits an arbitration memorandum complete with their argument, exhibits, affidavits and any other evidence that they would like to present or have considered by the arbiter. Then there will be an actual hearing during which time each side will state their case while presenting evidence and witnesses. It is a very informal "trial" in that sense. Arbitrations can be either simple with one or two witnesses or they can be incredibly complex with several witnesses, including experts and dozens of exhibits.

Within 2 weeks the arbiter will make his decision in writing. The decision will include a dollar amount along with some thoughts and notes on the topic to explain why the arbiter came to the decision that he did. Arbitration is a relatively quick and painless process that might result in a speedy aid to ongoing litigation. If your case is going to arbitration or may be eligible for arbitration speak to your personal injury attorney to discuss the process.

Once the investigation began, it was quickly discovered that there were dozens of complaints of patient violations at Pawtuxet Village, many of which were related to improper medication and dosing and improper transfer of patients. Some of the complaints also dealt with abuse and involuntary seclusion of patients.

For the meantime, the Rhode Island Department of Health has ordered Pawtuxet Village to stop admitting new clients. Inspectors said they found several quality-of-care issues at the facility, including problems with pain management, fall prevention, pressure ulcers, and range-of-motion issues.

These are very serious allegations. Unfortunately, all of these problems are classic examples of nursing home abuse and neglect. Overmedication, the primary complaint in NBC 10's investigation, is a serious problem in nursing homes because it is means by which they keep the patients "quiet" and "under control." A sedated and overmedicated patient is unlikely to complain or require much attention. Instead the become like "zombies" - the same term that the family who lodged the initial complaint against Pawtuxet Village used for the condition of their father.

Senior care centers and retirement homes have a major responsibility to care for the health and wellbeing of our elderly. Unfortunately, many of them ignore this responsibility because too many patients do not have actively involved families to speak out about these injustices and because too many patients are too sick of body or mind to be able to speak up for themselves.

The executive in the commercial should hang his head in despair that he has to try and obtain the money and damages he deserves from a company that has a claims process intent on frustrating, delaying and under-cutting claimants entitled to damages.

Why is Allstate the worst company to deal with if you have been in a car accident? Despite the insurance companies contractual obligation to protect their insureds by paying claims for which they are liable, Allstate endlessly delays the process and when forced to make an offer of settlement, often makes an offer far below the value of the claim. Even when a lawsuit has been filed, Allstate will drag out the litigation process often taking the case all the way to the end before making a reasonable offer. They reject the offers of arbitrators or mediators if the award is above their valuation of the claim. Why do they do this? Insurance companies make money by investing the premiums paid into it. The longer that an insurance company can hold onto that premium money, the better the return on their investment. They also employ these tactics because they know that they can wear out many plaintiffs who will accept less than fair value for their claim merely to "get it over with."

When new clients come to my office following an auto accident with an Allstate insured, I tell them that there is a good chance of litigation if they do not want to settle for little money. You have to fight companies that employ these kinds of tactics and if you have been injured by an Allstate insured, you need to hire an attorney who is able and ready to fight these tough cases. Contact my office right away for a free consultation. I like Dennis Haybert as an actor myself, but don't let him convince you that the "good hands" company is anything but the worst.

The statistics for school bus related accidents are quite alarming. When accidents occur, they are often very serious or fatal because of the extreme weight and size of a school bus. Also, the number of people injured in a single accident is much higher due to the capacity of a school bus. Each year thousands of people are injured in school bus accidents.

School bus companies and drivers have a very large responsibility because they are carrying small (and often impulsive children). Stop signs and bus monitors have become commonplace over the last 10-20 years to prevent accidents involving children and school buses, but they still occur. Some of the causes for school bus related car accidents include:

• Poor driver training
• Insufficient care and maintenance of the bus
• Overcrowding of the bus
• Driving in dangerous or inclement weather (much like in the above mentioned Ohio case)
• Driver distraction from children inside the bus
• Aggressive driving or speeding

School buses are one of the largest large vehicle carriers in the United States. Every day tens of millions of students are transported to and from school on buses. Accidents, sometimes serious, can and will occur. If your child was injured in an accident involving a school bus, contact my office right away.