Archive for December, 2009
Financial Senior Abuse
Many people are familiar with the term senior abuse, but many don’t consider financial abuse to be a crime. Sadly, this crime is on the rise.
The lousy economy these days has led to a new form of senior abuse – financial abuse, as younger members of a family start to take advantage of older relatives who may have a nest egg stashed away. We may not be aware of this happening because in most instances it starts slowly and without any fanfare. It may start with a request for a few dollars here and there and over time escalate into cash being taken out of a senior’s wallet or purse or from their bank account.
Maybe taking a few bucks from a senior doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if it continues, there is the potential to totally wipe out that person’s life savings. This is abuse, financial abuse. It’s a temptation to those who have very little money to spare in this economy. However, this is a form of stealing, even if the person the funds are being taken from is a family member.
Why is this particular form of elder abuse so easy to perpetrate? It largely has to do with the fact that since housing is in such a mess, many people who should be out on their own with the own homes are having to abandon that home and move back in with parents or other relatives. This isn’t the most ideal situation in many cases and causes a lot of stress and pressure for seniors who happen to be a part of those “new” living arrangements. In addition, a lot of younger individuals may not deal well with the loss of a job, family or home and turn to drugs and alcohol to handle matters. The potential for violence increases in circumstances like this. If that violence spills over to a senior, elder abuse takes on a whole other ugly façade.
Sadly, statistics show that about one in close to 25 cases of elderly people being financially exploited happened to be reported. The National Center on Elder Abuse extrapolates those figures to mean that there may be close to 5 million elderly financial abuse victims in the U.S. every year. That is a shocking statistic. It’s not just financial abuse that is going on either; at least five out of six cases that involve elder abuse deal with neglect and exploitation, and these go unreported as well. Many people who deal with elder abuse in the system are reporting a significant increase in elder abuse since the recession crept in.
In any situation where a senior is being abused, whether it is physically, emotionally, mentally, psychologically or financially, it’s best to speak to an attorney with experience in this area. Justice needs to be done for our seniors and the only way this will happen is by speaking to an attorney who understands the ramifications of elder abuse, and who is able to put a stop to it.
To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyer, Little Rock accident lawyer, Little Rock person injury lawyer,Little Rock malpractice lawyer, Little Rock injury attorney, Little Rock wrongful death attorney, visitArkansaslawhelp.com.
Sports and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Head injuries sustained as a result of sporting injuries are serious and have the tendency to be cumulative, resulting in major trauma for the victim.
People are probably familiar with the term “Shaken Baby Syndrome” and understand immediately what that means in terms of damage to a baby. The result of a baby being shaken causes the infant’s brain to be bruised irreparably. Here is how that works. Inside everyone’s head there is a fluid filled space in between the actual skull and the brain. Apply enough force to the skull, say blunt force traumas that happen in sports, and the brain slaps up against the hard skull. The end result here is something called a concussion.
The other term for concussion is bruised brain and we all understand that some bruises are much worse than others. Watching hockey, football, soccer, polo or other body contact sports will inevitably show the viewer at least one bone crunching thump to the skull by one player to another. If the player has been in a particular sport for a number of years – say hockey for 5 or more years – they are likely to have sustained numerous concussions. Many of those hits to the head may not be that serious, but over a period of time the damage builds up and manifests itself in interesting and problematic ways.
For instance, cumulative damage may end up manifesting itself as short term memory loss or even pseudo-Parkinson’s disease. An example of a well-known sports figure who sustained cumulative brain damage is Mohammed Ali. His precise diagnosis is actually pseudo- Parkinson’s disease which is the adult equivalent of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
While everyone agrees that something needs to be done to make the sport safer, it still seems that no one knows exactly what to do or is hesitating to do it. Tighter chin straps would help, better helmets and decent mouth guards that actually allow a player to breathe through them would all be a great start. However, none of this addresses the legal ramifications of negligence in “not” providing players with the proper equipment, even when team owners are aware of the consequences of using improper gear.
It’s no laughing matter to get concussions on a consistent basis as a result of using not so safe paraphernalia. It’s no wonder that many people involved in sports are seeking legal counsel about the ramifications of being provided with improper gear. Only a skilled personal injury attorney will be able to address what this may mean in terms of compensation for personal damages sustained while playing sports.
To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyer, Little Rock accident lawyer, Little Rock person injury lawyer,Little Rock malpractice lawyer, Little Rock injury attorney, Little Rock wrongful death attorney, visitArkansaslawhelp.com.
Motorcycle Injuries Critical
It’s important to note that since people are now taking to the road by way of motorcycle, thanks to the economy, motorcycle injuries are on the rise.
While traveling to and from work and other places by motorcycle may be a smart way to save money on gas and registration, it’s just not like riding in the relative safety of a steel enclosure like a car, that has “some” safety features like bumpers, air bags, seatbelts, crumple zones and the like. Being out there in the wind with no protection tends to put a biker’s safety at a great deal of risk.
The odd thing is that even with the increase in motorcycle accidents, many people seem to be unaware or oblivious as to what types of injuries a motorcycle accident may cause. Many of the injuries for those that survive may result in a lifetime of therapy and treatment. Many also result in death. For those that do survive, it is crucial to speak to a skilled personal injury attorney to recover compensation for your injuries.
Some of the injuries that are a result of a motorcycle accident are spinal cord damage, brain and head trauma, badly broken or shattered bones and the usual cuts, scrapes and bruises. The more serious injuries, of course, are spinal cord and head trauma. The spinal cord may be crushed as a result of the accident and since the cord is largely responsible for sending brain signals to and from our organs, this is a serious trauma.
In many instances, a crushed spinal cord may result in paralysis. Whether or not that results in being permanently paralyzed is mainly a function of how quickly the proper medical treatment was implemented. Some bikers regain the use of their body parts if they are treated promptly and get the right medication.
Traumatic brain injuries are more problematic in that they cause the brain to be slammed from one side of the skull to the other, resulting in bruising and swelling. This is a life threatening injury and often results in permanent cognitive impairment. Most patients who sustain an injury like this suffer from memory loss that ranges from mild to severe, severe headaches and impaired thinking. Brain damage may be permanent.
When it comes to broken bones, a motorcyclist may sustain anything from a clean break at one location to a more serious situation when the bones in their legs or arms are crushed. Crush injuries that are severe enough often mean amputation to save the biker’s life.
Always remember that even if an injury seems to be minor on first blush, it may turn out to be more serious down the road. Always make sure to consult with a personal injury attorney with extensive experience in this area. They will know immediately if your injuries have the potential to develop into something long-term. External injuries are usually indications of more serious internal problems.
Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyer, Little Rock accident lawyer, Little Rock person injury lawyer, Little Rock malpractice lawyer, Little Rock injury attorney, Little Rock wrongful death attorney, visit Arkansaslawhelp.com.
Motorcycle Crashes on the Rise
There isn’t much question that motorcycle crashes are on the increase. One only has to read the local news to see that.
Virtually every weekend someone is killed in a motorcycle crash. Whatever caused the accident, bad roads, bad weather, motorist inattention or even speeding; the statistics are mounting at a rapid pace. Just recently across the nation one weekend witnessed the deaths of at least 20 bikers for a variety of reasons. Sadly, in many of them, speeding was the critical factor that ultimately caused the deaths.
Overall statistics for biker deaths in America are quite alarming. For instance, in 2006 there were 4,837 motorcycle fatalities. In 2007, that figure went up dramatically to 5,154. That means that motorcycle fatalities accounted for 13% of all road fatalities in 2007, which was up from roughly 11% in 2006.
Typically most of the fatalities involved motorcyclists aged 20-29. And the more troubling statistic is the fact that roughly 25% of these people who died had invalid licenses. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that motorcycles have the potential to be death traps for the inexperienced.
Speeding while on a motorbike is literally an accident looking for a place to happen. In one recent weekend incident, a biker slammed into the back end of a parked car at the side of a highway so hard, the car wound up on a guardrail. You can only imagine what condition the biker was in when the police finally dislodged his remains from underneath the car.
For those that do survive a motorcycle crash the injuries could range from scrapes and road rash to broken bones, traumatic brain injury, herniated discs, paralysis and death. Not exactly the kind of thing anyone wants to hear when they love riding their bikes. However, that is the reality of life and at times, life as a habit of biting people hard when they least expect it.
No matter what the reasons are for the accident you may have been involved in, you will need a skilled personal injury attorney to help you get damages. Those reasons may include negligence on the part of another person, improperly maintained roads, reckless driving on the part of another, or an improperly maintained bike.
All these things need to be factored into a motorcycle personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death suit. Talking to your experienced personal injury attorney will make things clear on how to proceed with a potential lawsuit.
Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyer, Little Rock accident lawyer, Little Rock person injury lawyer, Little Rock malpractice lawyer, Little Rock injury attorney, Little Rock wrongful death attorney, visit Arkansaslawhelp.com.
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