There are many different types of trucking accidents, but some of the most common include the following:

– Jackknife accidents occur when a tractor-trailer’s trailer swings out to the side, forming a 90-degree angle with the cab. This can happen if the driver brakes suddenly or if the trailer is overloaded. Jackknife accidents can be hazardous because they often result in the complete loss of control of the truck.

– Rollover accidents: Rollover accidents occur when a truck overturns onto its side or roof. They can be caused by several factors, including speeding, sharp turns, and improper loading of the truck. Rollover accidents are often severe because they can result in the truck driver being ejected from the cab.

– Rear-end collisions are one of the most common types of accidents involving large trucks. They occur when a truck rear-ends another vehicle, often because the truck driver was following too closely or was not paying attention to the traffic ahead. Rear-end collisions can be hazardous because of the size and weight of large trucks.

– Head-on collisions: Head-on collisions are another type of accident that can be particularly dangerous. They occur when a truck collides with another vehicle head-on. Head-on collisions often happen when a truck driver falls asleep at the wheel or drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

If you have been involved in any trucking accident, it is important to seek legal help as soon as possible. An experienced trucking accident lawyer can help you investigate the cause of the accident and hold the responsible parties accountable.

Who Is Liable For Trucking Accidents?

While anyone can be held liable for a truck accident, the party most often responsible is the truck driver. Truck drivers are expected to follow specific regulations to ensure the safety of other motorists. They can be held liable when they fail to do so, and an accident occurs.

Other parties that may be held liable in a trucking accident include the trucking company, the truck’s owner, or the manufacturer of the truck or its parts. If any of these parties contributed to the cause of the accident, they might be held liable.

If you have been involved in a trucking accident, contact us. We can help you determine who is liable for your injuries. Contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.

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Here are some statistics that about how dangerous parking lot accidents can be:

• Every year there are over 60,000 injuries and 500 deaths in the United States due to car accidents in parking lots and garages.
• Nearly one in five car accidents happen in a parking lot or garage.
• Parking lot accidents are most likely to happen between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. when people are communiting to home from work or school.

So why are parking lot accidents so dangerous? There are a few reasons:

• There are a lot of pedestrians in parking lots, and cars often have to back up or turn around, making it easy to hit someone.
• Parking lots are often full of obstacles like shopping carts, garbage cans, and other vehicles, making it difficult to see people or things in your path.
• People tend to drive more quickly in parking lots than on streets or highways, which increases the risk of an accident.
• People choose to drive distracted. It is important to never be on your phone while driving. Many times people try to argue that they were trying to route GPS. There is no excuse for using your GPS while driving; routing where you need to go should be done while your car is parked and turned off. 
• People only do one check before backing out or moving in a parking lot. It is too common for people to glance from one angle and decide it is safe. Always check multiple times while backing up, making turns, or proceeding in a parking lot to ensure someone is not behind or near your car.
• Drivers trust backup cameras and sensors. Although these are tools to help detect something if you cannot see it, it is still your responsibility to check your surroundings, and you should never solely rely on these pieces of technology.

When involved in a parking lot accident, there are a few things you should do:

• Call the police. Even if the damage seems minor, it’s important to have an official report on file.
• Exchange information with the other driver, including insurance information.
• Take photos of the damage to both vehicles.
• Get the contact information of any witnesses.
• See a doctor, even if you don’t think you’re injured. Some injuries, like whiplash, can take days or weeks to appear.

If you’re injured in a parking lot accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you understand your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.

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A pedestrian crosswalk is a designated area for pedestrians to walk across a road. In most cases, pedestrian crosswalks are marked by paint or lines on the pavement, and sometimes they also have signs or signals. 

Pedestrian crosswalk accidents are, unfortunately all too common. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), pedestrian fatalities account for about 16 percent of all traffic fatalities each year in the United States. And, of those pedestrian fatalities, nearly 70 percent occur at intersections or crosswalks.

While pedestrian crosswalks are designed for pedestrians’ safety, they are not guaranteed. Pedestrians can be wrong when using a crosswalk if they fail to yield to oncoming traffic, cross outside of the crosswalk markings, or jaywalk.

Jaywalking, in particular, is a significant problem when it comes to pedestrian crosswalk accidents. Jaywalking is defined as crossing a street outside of a designated crosswalk. It is illegal in many states, but that doesn’t stop people from doing it.

Jaywalking is dangerous because it puts pedestrians in the path of oncoming traffic, and drivers may not be expecting to see pedestrians crossing outside of a crosswalk. In 2016, there were nearly 6,000 pedestrian deaths in the United States, and about 15 percent of those were caused by jaywalking.

If you’re a pedestrian, it’s important to use crosswalks correctly and obey all traffic laws. And if you’re a driver, be extra cautious when driving near crosswalks, especially if pedestrians are nearby.

So, who has the right-of-way at a crosswalk?

Pedestrians generally have the right-of-way when crossing the street at a marked or unmarked crosswalk. This means drivers must yield to pedestrians and not pass other vehicles stopped at a crosswalk to avoid stopping pedestrians.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if a pedestrian is crossing the street outside a crosswalk when a crosswalk is available or against a traffic signal, the pedestrian does not have the right-of-way. In this case, drivers are not required to yield and may proceed through the intersection as usual.

Additionally, even when pedestrians have the right of way, they still need to exercise caution. Just because a driver is required to yield doesn’t mean that the driver will see the pedestrian or be able to stop in time. Pedestrians should always look both ways before crossing the street, even if they have the right-of-way, to ensure that it is safe to do so.

How To Stay Safe Crossing The Street:

• Put your phone away. Do you cross or begin to cross a street while being distracted.
• Look both ways before crossing the street, even if the crosswalk has a traffic light. Also, check behind and in front of you, as looking left to right will not give information if someone is coming up from a different angle. 
• If there is no traffic light, yield to oncoming traffic before entering the crosswalk.
• Always use a crosswalk if there is one.
• Make sure that all vehicles have stopped before proceeding across the street.
• Don’t assume drivers will yield to you – always be aware of your surroundings.

Following these simple tips can help reduce your risk of being involved in a crosswalk accident. Remember, pedestrian safety is always a shared responsibility.

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First, it is important to get medical help if you need it. Even if you feel fine, it is always best to get checked out by a doctor. If you have any serious injuries, be sure to get them treated as soon as possible.

Next, you will want to contact your insurance company and start the claims process. This can be daunting, but it is important to do it as soon as possible. The sooner you start, the sooner you can get your life back to normal.

Taking some time for yourself after a car accident is also important. This can be a very stressful time, and it is important to give yourself time to heal. Take some time off work if you can, and spend time with loved ones. Relax and recharge, and you will be ready to face the world again in no time.

Physical Recovery:

As stated above, seeking medical attention is crucial, even if you feel fine. Often adrenaline can mask pain and injuries sustained in an accident. A doctor will properly assess your condition and rule out any serious injuries. Once you have been cleared by a medical professional, follow their instructions for care. This may include rest, ice, heat, physical therapy, or other treatments.

If you have injuries requiring more extensive treatment, follow your treatment plan and be patient. It can be difficult to be sidelined by an injury, but giving your body the time it needs to heal properly is important.

Medical attention is also important because it documents your injuries. Do not skip seeking medical attention.

Emotional Recovery:

The emotional fallout from a car accident can be just as debilitating as physical injuries. It is not uncommon to experience symptoms of PTSD or anxiety after an accident. If you are struggling emotionally, reach out for help from a therapist or counselor. Talking about your experience can help you process what happened and start to move on.

In addition, you can take some practical steps to make a recovery easier. Make sure you exchange insurance information with the other driver involved in the accident. If you or a witness can, take photos of the damage to both vehicles. Keep a detailed record of any medical appointments, treatments, and expenses related to the accident. This will be helpful if you need to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.

Sadly, most people will experience some form of car accident in their lifetime- whether it is a fender bender or a major collision. No matter the accident’s severity, it can be a traumatic and overwhelming experience. Knowing the steps, you need to take to recover physically and emotionally from a car accident is important. If you are a victim of a car accident, contact us. 

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What Should You do After You Slip and Fall?

Slip and Fall accidents are injuries that can lead to life-altering changes. Business owners may try to fight liability when a slip and fall injury occurs on their property. Business owners may also try to claim negligence or downplay the seriousness of your injury.

A fall can occur inside and outside and result from cracked or uneven flooring, wet floors, improper lighting, or weather. Weather conditions like ice, snow, or black ice can cause severe injuries in the winter months. Most slip and fall injuries occur in grocery stores, parking lots, and on sidewalks that have been improperly maintained. Property owners should be responsible for damages resulting from wrongly kept areas that led to dangerous conditions on their property, where the owner knows about areas of concern.

You must document and snap photos of what happened and when. Notice and document any pain, broken or swollen areas. If you can move, inform security. Suppose you cannot move and have a severe injury; request medical attention. Also, it is essential to document how and why the floor is wet and why areas are uneven or broken. Have someone take photos of the area to verify the issue that lead to you falling. Questions asked may include: Did you miss a step? Was there a defect on the ground where you fell? Were you using a handrail, or was one unavailable or inaccessible? Were you distracted when you fell? After answering all of these questions, consult with a personal injury lawyer. A lawyer can help you understand your rights and options under the law and can assist you in filing a personal injury claim against the responsible party. A personal injury lawyer will also battle insurance and the business owner for any negligence or rejection of the claim. Insurance will try to downplay someone filing for a slip and fall indecent on their own, so contacting a lawyer will ensure all evidence is accounted for and shown. The faster you can get proof, like surveillance video, the better.

In some cases, the business owner may be held liable for your injuries if the business’s negligence caused them. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, it is vital to contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case. Contact Roberto Hernandez today to get the representation you deserve.

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A delayed diagnosis can be fatal for a variety of reasons:

1. The condition may worsen over time and become more challenging to treat.
2. The delay may give the disease a chance to spread, making it more difficult to fight.
3. Delays in treatment can lead to complications that may be life-threatening.

Common Types of Diagnostic Mistakes

• Missed Diagnosis- This can happen when the doctor mistakes a patient as healthy or does not take the health concern seriously
• Incorrect Diagnosis- misdiagnosis: When the patient is diagnosed with the wrong illness or condition
• Delayed Diagnosis- When the appropriate diagnosis has been found, but after a substantial amount of time has already passed

Misdiagnosis can often lead to delayed treatment or even dangerous and unnecessary treatments. It is crucial to speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible if you believe you have experienced a situation with medical malpractice.

Nurse Malpractice

If you’ve been the victim of a misdiagnosis by a nurse, you may be wondering if you can sue for malpractice. The answer depends on several factors, including the severity of the misdiagnosis and whether it resulted in any injury or harm.

Nurse Malpractice may include

• Failing to monitor a change in vital signs
• Failing to respond to a patient’s needs on time
• Failing to notify a physician when needed
• Failing to administer correct medications or dosages

In general, nurses are held to the same standards of care as other medical professionals. They must exercise reasonable care and skill when diagnosing and treating patients. If they fail to do so and harm the patient, they may be held liable for medical malpractice.

What is the Statute of Limitations for Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim?

The statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. Depending on your state, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims can change from when the injury occurred. There can also be limitations on when the injury should have been discovered. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. It is important to speak with a medical malpractice attorney in your state as soon as possible.

Contacting a Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you have concerns about the treatment you received, you may be entitled to compensation. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you understand your legal rights and options and take steps to protect your interests.

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About 1 in 25 drivers have admitted to falling asleep while driving. If a driver falls asleep while driving, it often results in complete loss of control of the car and leaves the driver with almost no time to react and avoid a car crash. However, a driver doesn’t have to fall asleep, so drowsy driving is deemed dangerous. Drowsiness behind the wheel can cause the following:

• Significant decrease in the ability to focus on the road
• Little to no reaction time to avoid accidents
• Reduced ability to use proper judgment

If you are ever in a situation where you miss an exit, start yawning profusely, feel your eyes begin to get heavy, forget the last few miles you drove, hit rumble strips, or start drifting from your lane due to drowsiness, pull over immediately and get some rest. Do not return to the road until you have gotten rest. These are all warning signs that your sleepiness has become unsafe for you and other motorists. If you ignore these red flags and continue to drive, you will eventually crash into another vehicle.

If a driver was aware that they were drowsy and chose to stay on the road, any injured victims have the absolute right to seek as much compensation as necessary from the negligent driver. If you have been involved in a drowsy driving accident, call your local car accident expert attorneys to know your rights and the best course of action.

Most Common Drowsy Drivers

The most dangerous drowsy drivers are commercial drivers that operate large trucks. It almost feels sometimes that it is encouraged to have commercial drivers drive through their drowsiness. With strict deadlines, boring or monotonous work shifts, the comfort of sleeping in their trucks, and most changes happening in the late hours of the night to avoid traffic, it’s not to our astonishment that commercial drivers are involved in drowsy car accidents. Instead of these drivers obtaining the proper amount of rest, they resort to the consumption of coffee, energy drinks, and in some cases, drugs to cope with their exhaustion. Commercial drivers need to be fully aware of the devastating consequences of semi-truck accidents, as many of them result in life-threatening injuries or death. 

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Distracted Students

Many students (roughly 80%) in middle and high school engage in unsafe street-crossing behavior, such as wearing headphones and hoodies, talking to their friends, or just looking down at their phones. Distracted crossing of roads is a key factor in many pedestrian injuries.

Unsafe Drivers

Nearly one in three drivers are spotted making unsafe maneuvers to drop off or pick up students. We have also noticed that about one in ten drivers arrives/pull up to the school distracted by their mobile devices.

Inexperienced Drivers

School zones contain many high school students with newly acquired licenses. This can be a major risk factor for school zone collisions as about 55 percent of school zone accidents in the U.S. occur when a teenager is behind the wheel.

School Zone Speed Limit

Speed limits in school zones are usually reduced during specific hours only. Some drivers do not pay attention to these changes in speed limit resulting in unintentional speeding in school zones that put other drivers and students at risk of injury.

Lack of Sidewalks and Traffic Control

In rural school zones, it is common for them to not have any sidewalks. In fact, over a quarter of high schools lack the proper amount of pedestrian crossing assistance such as traffic lights or pedestrian crosswalk signals. These devices have been tested and the results show over a 15 percent decrease in pedestrian collisions.

With the school year coming to a close, our expert attorneys are trying their best to educate people for the next one to come. If you are fully aware of the aforementioned reasons for school zone collisions, you may be able to prevent an accident throughout the next school year. The roads have become a more dangerous place in this post-pandemic world and children should not be paying for our irresponsibilities.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a school zone accident and have sustained significant injuries, contact our lawyers at The Law Firm of Roberto Hernandez to get the best legal representation in the state of Utah. Call today to receive a free consultation on your case, as we are here ready to fight for you so you can focus on fully recovering before next term.

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Below are some questions you can ask yourself to help make that decision.  

Is the law firm willing to have a consultation?

No one likes feeling like just another number. Have you ever gone into a large department store and felt like you were just another fish in the sea? Maybe you had an issue or a customer complaint. Did it feel like the associate you talked to cared about your problem? We all have felt like this at one time or another. 

The feeling of not being important is the last time you want from your law firm. One great way to determine the best lawyer for you is if they are willing to make time for you. Asking for a consultation is an excellent step in the right direction.  

How experienced is the law firm dealing with your type of accident? 

When you reach for the phone, take a moment to do some research online. By visiting various law firm websites, you can learn more about the firm and the types of accident cases they handle. During your consultation, you can also ask about the firm’s experience and if they have a good track record of fair settlements for their clients.  

What does their team look like, and how is communication handled?

It is always a good idea to learn about the firm you consider hiring. This includes having a meeting with your prospective attorney and their legal staff. Ask if the attorney has any legal assistants or paralegals that will also be helping with your case. If you are the type of person who likes hands-on care, see the people you will be working with. Ask what kind of communication you will be getting from the law firm. How frequently are they going to be updating you on your case progress? Will you have reasonable access to speaking with the attorney?  

Finding the Right Injury Law Firm for You

Remember that attorneys are no different than any other specialty. For example, if you hire the wrong contractor, your renovation may cost too much or take too long to complete. It is hard to beat the type of impression you get from a one-on-one consultation. If you have been injured this winter, consider contacting The Law Offices of Roberto Hernandez for all Utah injury cases.  

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What Insurance Companies May Look For

Perhaps you have seen movies or television shows where insurance companies or opposing counsel hire investigators. These people are given the task of determining if the victim of an accident is faking or exaggerating their injuries. This doesn’t just happen on TV, and social media is usually the first place these investigators will begin digging. Below are some items that will be on the look to find on your profiles.

Pictures Taken Out of Context

Let’s say, for example, you post a picture of yourself enjoying a family barbeque. Maybe even a simple picture of you smiling or quickly standing up can be incriminating. They say a picture can say 1,000 words but remember not all of those words are taken within the content. Maybe the photo makes it look like you are standing when you are not. Or perhaps what appears to be a smile are you wincing in pain. Insurance companies won’t always give you the benefit of the doubt, so stay on top of what photos of you are online while your case is active.

Updates Where you Admit Fault

Once family and friends find out you have been in an accident, their first question is usually, “what happened?” The question and your answer are almost always innocent, but your response can hurt your injury case. Take, for example, posting a picture of your totaled car after an accident.
Someone replies on the picture saying, “wow, I’m so sorry, are you Ok? What happened?” To save time and answer more than one person at a time, you provide a status update detailing your recollection of what happened during the accident. Even if you feel the other party is entirely at Fault, how you write your response may not make that apparent. Any doubt or admittance can hurt your case in the future.

Take Time to Talk About It

Your injury attorney can also help provide guidance on best practices for social media while you are injured. It doesn’t hurt to bring it up the next time you speak with a legal professional. This is especially important if you are active on social media, an influencer, or someone continuously scrolling Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for fun.
Take a minute to explain to family and friends your situation. Ask them to please keep these matters private and not over-share online.

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