Toledo Personal Injury Lawyer - All Topics - Most Commented

Book recommendations for those dealing with tragic loss of loved one | Ohio fatal accident lawyers

Chuck Boyk — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:19:03 GMT

Dealing with an unexpected death or losing a loved one to tragic circumstances is devastating. Dealing with the emotions of loss, confusion, and grief can be hard even when the death is natural.

Our Ohio wrongful death lawyers see the devastation that Ohio fatal accidents can have on a family. Our attorneys encourage the surviving family and friends to talk about their feelings, and avoid bottling up any emotions.

We realize that sometimes it can be hard to talk to someone, especially if there are few surviving family members. Our Toledo, Ohio fatal accident lawyers recommend these books to help survivors cope with a loss, and learn how to talk to others about the pain they are suffering. Titles that can help you deal with the loss of a loved one include: This Thing Called Grief: New Understandings of Loss by Thomas Ellis, When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kusner, Spousal Bereavement in Late Life by Camille Wortman, and Lessons of Loss: A Guide to Coping by Robert A. Neimeyer.

The attorneys in our office have also written a book called The Ohio Wrongful Death Book that helps surviving family members navigate the complicated world of an Ohio wrongful death claim. If you or someone you know if suffering a loss due to a fatal Ohio accident, contact our office today for your free copy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

ATV accident case settles for $6.1 million

Chuck Boyk — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:21:54 GMT

A case involving an ATV accident that caused blindness to a little boy was recently settled in Pennsylvania for $6.01 million.

A nine-year-old boy was riding his grandfather’s ATV unsupervised, when a hunting dog escaped from his kennel and startled the boy. He then lost control of the ATV, flipped it, and the handlebar punctured the boy’s eye. The ATV accident caused permanent blindness.

Our Toledo, Ohio ATV accident attorneys want to remind riders to be careful while riding on ATVs, and also want to discourage parents from allowing their children under 16 from riding them at all.

In order to prevent an ATV accident, riders should not use the vehicles on a road – they are built to be off-road. Always travel at a safe speed, and never ride with a passenger. One of the most important factors in preventing a wrongful death from an ATV accident is using a helmet.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

How can dog bites be prevented?

Anneke Kurt — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:24:51 GMT

What can you do to prevent the devastating dog bites that our Toledo, Ohio personal injury attorneys see on a regular basis? Being smart around dogs could help you avoid serious personal injury.

Tips from the Human Society on how to prevent a dog bite include standing still instead of running away from an approaching dog, and refraining from waving arms or yelling at the animal.

If a dog is starting to attack you, the American Kennel Club instructs the victim to curl up on the ground in the fetal position, using the hands to cover the face and major arteries in the neck, and not to make eye contact with the dog.

The AKC also recommends leaving alone dogs that are sleeping, eating, or caring for their puppies in order to prevent personal injury from dog bites. Encourage children to ask permission before petting any dog, and never leave a child unattended with animals.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Anneke Kurt

Increased text messaging behind the wheel could increase number of car accidents

Chuck Boyk — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:36:30 GMT

While cell phone use behind the wheel has always been a main source of distracted driving, text messaging while driving has also become a popular phenomenon among young drivers, creating concern that it could lead to more car accidents.

A recent study by Findlaw.com found that nearly half of drivers 18-24 admit to texting or emailing via cell phone while driving. The study of 1,000 Americans also found that 27 percent of adults aged 25 to 34 and 19 percent of adults aged 35 to 44 admit to texting as well.

Ohio is the process trying to make texting while driving against the law, according to Toledo Legal News. The prospective law would cost a driver caught texting behind the wheel $250 in fines.

The University of Utah found that the risk for a car accident increases by 50 percent for those who text while driving. AAA reports that the risk for a car accident also double for those drivers who take their eyes off the road for only two seconds, and that 80 percent of car accidents involve some sort of inattention.

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys have seen time and time again the devastation that car accidents can bring to a family. We urge drivers to leave their cell phones alone while driving. If a call must be made or received, our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys encourage drivers to pull over to use their phones or use a wireless headset such as a Bluetooth.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, contact our office to order your FREE copy of The Ohio Accident Book. The book will teach you the proper steps to take after an injury, as well as inform you of your rights under Ohio law.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Car accidents decline as gas prises rise

Chuck Boyk — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:41:51 GMT

There is one upside to rising gas prices – the number of car accident fatalities has dropped 20% since this time last year, according to the National Safety Council.

Many believe that the high gas prices have prevented more people from taking to the roads, in turn lowering the overall risk for car accidents. The federal government reported that the miles traveled by Americans was 1.8% less in April 2008 than it was in April 2007.

Other reasons that the number of car accident fatalities has declined could be attributed to higher policing of speeders and drunk drivers, stricter teen licensing laws, or ticket programs, which punish those who do not wear their seatbelts.

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys see the overwhelming effects that car accidents and the related personal injuries can have on a family, and urge drivers to be careful on the roads, regardless of gas prices. If you or someone you love have been injured in a car accident, contact our office to order your FREE copy of The Ohio Accident Book to learn what you can do to maximize your recovery.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Allstate considered worst insurance company for consumers, car accident claims go unpaid

Chuck Boyk — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:46:07 GMT

By writing The Ohio Accident Book, our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys want to inform readers about insurance companies’ tactics to settle car accident claims for as little as possible.

That is why we found it interesting that the American Association of Justice, or AAJ, recently released a report ranking Allstate as the number one worst insurer for consumers, highlighting some of the damaging strategies the company uses against people injured in accidents.

The main goal of an insurance company is to settle a car accident or personal injury claim for little or no money, therefore increasing the company’s profit. Allstate instructs their employees to use what they call the “boxing glove” approach, an aggressive strategy designed to deny claims at any cost, according to the AAJ. This strategy, along with the “deny, delay, defend” strategy is what has caused Allstate to rank so poorly among competitors.

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys have seen time and time again innocent car accident victims who don’t have proper legal representation receive a fraction of the compensation they are entitled to. Having an attorney working on your side will ensure that you are fully compensated for your personal injuries. Our attorneys know the traps that insurance companies set, and we know how to avoid them. Learn about the importance of having an attorney on your team as well as the other rights you are entitled to by ordering our FREE Ohio Accident Book by contacting our office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Construction Woker In Critical Condition After Fall

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:07:00 GMT

A construction worker is in critical condition after falling from a scaffold onto Interstate 75 Wednesday.

Edmond Gourdon, 42, of Covington, La., was taken by medical helicopter to University Hospital in Cincinnati, after falling from the Kyle Station road bridge on to the highway, Ohio State Highway Patrol officials said.

According to troopers, Gourdon was standing on scaffolding beneath the bridge when he fell, landing in a construction zone.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Cincinnati office is investigating the accident, which can take up to six months to complete.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Will full coverage insurance protect you in a Findlay, Ohio car accident? | Findlay, Ohio car accident attorney

Chuck Boyk — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident lawyers see cases where an Intrafamily Exclusion is deeply written in an auto policy, which denies coverage if the Ohio car accident is caused by a family member. Many families do not know that their full coverage policy contains this exclusion - even though they pay extra money for what they think is full coverage.

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident lawyers urge drivers to double check with their insurance agents to see if this clause is present in their policy. If it is, make arrangements to change coverages. An Ohio car accident is jut that - an accident. Everyone should be entitled to compensation after an Ohio car accident, regardless of who causes it.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Toledo, Ohio car accident, contact our office to receive your FREE copy of The Ohio Accident Book.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Sandusky, Ohio car accidents can happen even close to home | Sandusky, Ohio car accident lawyers

Chuck Boyk — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:14:00 GMT

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 33 people die and 16,000 are injured each week in the United States in non-traffic car accidents. Non-traffic fatal car accidents include accidents such as vehicular backovers, children being strangled when a motorized window goes up, kids passing away after being left in a hot automobile and suffering from hyperthermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and car fires.

KidsandCars.org, a non-profit organization that advocates for kids and automobile safety, was happy to see the statistics finally gathered and released, since they have been rallying to have the government gather info on fatal car accidents and injuries that do not happen on the roads.

Our Sandusky, Ohio car accident lawyers urge parents to be extra careful with their kids around cars, regardless if you are on the road or in your driveway. If you or someone you know has been injured in or around a car, contact our office today to order your FREE copy of The Ohio Accident Book.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Injured on the job in Sandusky? | Sandusky, Ohio workers compensation lawyers

Chuck Boyk — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:17:00 GMT

Our Ohio workers' compensation attorney Dale Emch discusses Ohio work injuries in his most recent Toledo Blade column, "Legal Briefs." If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, contact our office today for your FREE copy of The Ohio Work Injury Book. General legal questions to be considered in "Legal Briefs" can be sent to Ohio car accident lawyer Dale Emch at demch@charlesboyk-law.com or to 405 Madison Avenue, Suite 1200, Toledo, Ohio 43604.

Dear Dale: Assume someone has a worker's compensation claim with an allowable diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy along with a psychiatric diagnosis. Can the worker be declared to have reached maximum medical improvement for the back injury and still keep open the psychiatric claim?

Answer: The quick answer is yes.

The worker's compensation system in Ohio is designed to pay for injured workers' medical bills and replace a portion of their wages if the injury renders them unable to work. Sometimes a worker sustains more than one injury and those injuries can resolve at different times.

You referred to maximum medical improvement, which indicates a familiarity with the worker's compensation system. Those folks speak a language that leaves the uninitiated scratching their heads and wondering what was just said. Maximum medical improvement means that the worker's injury is about as good as it's going to get. That doesn't mean the person has completely recovered, just that the doctors believe the person has healed to the extent possible.

Before workers reach maximum medical improvement, they can receive compensation called temporary total disability. (See, it's more lingo. People who spend a lot of time in the worker's compensation world speak in abbreviations like TTD and MMI.) Temporary total disability pays injured workers a portion of their wages while they're recovering. Once they reach maximum medical improvement, workers who haven't fully recovered may be eligible to receive compensation for any permanent injuries.

So, in your scenario, the worker you're speaking about has a back injury and a psychiatric issue related to the workplace accident. If the worker's back has improved to the extent possible - even if recovery isn't 100 percent - that portion of the claim can be resolved. If the accident led to a permanent back problem, the worker would be eligible for a payout based on the percentage of impairment or, if the injury renders the worker unable to gain sustained employment, the worker could receive compensation to replace his or her wages.

A resolution can be reached on the back injury while keeping the psychiatric claim open. If the workplace accident caused psychiatric problems that render the worker unable to work for a period of time, the person could receive temporary total disability. Or, the worker may be able to work, but needs to have any mental health treatment covered.

The worker's compensation system can be confusing at times, but there are resources that provide good information. The state's Web site can get you started. The address is www.ohiobwc.com.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk