Traffic Accidents

A traffic accident occurs in the United Stated every 10 seconds; it should be no surprise that most personal injury claims arise from traffic accidents.  If you have been involved in a traffic accident, you may be facing medical bills, lost wages, and/or permanent disabilities.  The law requires drivers who share the road with other drivers to operate their car in a safe manner.  Under Minnesota’s no-fault laws, if you were involved in a car crash, you may recover damages from your insurance company, regardless of your degree of negligence.  In certain circumstances, you may recover for pain and suffering as well.  If you are involved in a traffic accident, it is important to exchange information with the other driver and summon an ambulance if you are seriously injured.  If you’ve been injured in a traffic collision, attorney Michael E. Douglas can help you get the compensation you are entitled to.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when a health care professional conducts him/herself in a negligent or careless fashion and injures a patient.  Since patients that seek medical care often experience serious symptoms before seeking treatment, victims of medical malpractice get caught up in a bad situation that is made worse, which can result in catastrophic injuries or even death.  If you are the victim of medical malpractice, you are probably worried about your future and whether you will be adequately compensated for your significant losses.  It is important to hire a qualified attorney to ensure that you receive fair and adequate compensation for your losses.  You should call me for a free case evaluation.

Social Security Disability

If you are elderly or have a disability, I can help you obtain social security benefits. Many factors must be considered in determining whether you qualify for social security.  For example, if your income is too high, you may not qualify.  However, there are certain types of income that are not considered in determining your eligibility.  For example, some government benefits including scholarships are not considered income for the purpose of determining eligibility.  If you are denied Social Security benefits, an appeal should be filed.  Due to the complex issues that may arise during a benefits hearing, I would like to give you free advice pertaining to your claim. 

Premises Liability

Under premises liability law, property owners are expected to maintain their properties in a reasonably safe condition.  The law imposes this duty on property owners to prevent foreseeable injuries that can result from hazards caused by poor maintenance.  For example, when someone visits a friend or goes shopping, they expect that the property owner maintains the property in a safe condition.  If you sustained injury caused by safety problems or a lack of maintenance, you may be able to bring a lawsuit against the person in possession of the property.  Since premises liability claims are difficult to prove, I recommend you seek advice from a qualified personal injury attorney.  If you believe you have a premises liability claim, call me for a free consultation and case evaluation.

Wrongful Death

When an individual or corporation’s negligent or wrongful conduct results in the death of a loved one, the survivors of a wrongful death victim can bring an action to recover their loses.  Among the losses that survivors can face are the loss of an expected inheritance, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, lost wages, medical expenses, and funeral expenses.  In the case of egregious conduct on the part of the wrongdoer, punitive damages may also be available.  If you would like to discuss your case with an aggressive, hard-working attorney, call me for a free consultation and case evaluation.

Dog Bite

When someone’s animal attacks, it is important to get everyone to safety and seek immediate medical attention.  Animal attacks usually involve very serious injuries, including scars, lacerations, cuts, abrasions, blindness, or even death.  Even if the injuries sustained in an animal attack do not seem serious immediately after the attack, the injuries can become infected, which may require additional medical attention.  If you have been injured by someone’s animal, call me today for a free, no obligation consultation.

Back / Spinal / Neck Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can occur when someone slips and falls on their neck or back, disrupting or puncturing the spinal cord.  The sections of the spine that are most susceptible to injury are the cervical and lumbar spine.  Such injuries are devastating and typically cause victims to lose feeling in certain parts of their body or suffer other significant symptoms, including paralysis.  Symptoms associated with a spinal cord injury are typically incurable and last for the victim’s entire life.   Considering the significant burdens associated with a spinal cord injury, you should contact me so I can help you seek compensation for your injuries.

Whiplash

Whiplash injuries are the most common injuries that people sustain during a car accident.  Whiplash occurs on impact, when the victim’s head violently moves forward.  This forward movement puts stress on the vertebrate and neck muscles.  The brain then signals the head and neck to jerk backward to relieve the stress.  Whiplash injuries can be extremely disruptive to a car accident victim’s everyday life, causing headaches and muscle pain.  Whiplash injuries can even lead to psychological problems and difficulty concentrating.  A victim’s prognosis depends on the extent of the injuries sustained in the automobile accident.  The victim’s recovery time can range from a couple of weeks to more than a year.

Defective Medical Devices

Every day, many Minnesotans rely on medical devices.  The manufacturers of these products are in the best position to make their products safe and prevent injures.   For this reason, manufacturers are legally responsible for making sure that the medical devices it produces are reasonably safe and come complete with a set of warnings and instructions.  Despite this responsibility, every year many new medical devices with hidden dangers are put on the market and injure Minnesotans.  Common examples of defective products include defibrillators, pacemakers, and stints.  Under the law, manufacturers can be held legally and financially responsible for injuries caused by defective medical devices, including injuries that arise from a design defect, unique defect, or a failure to warn of hidden dangers.  Pursuing a products liability action against a medical device manufacturer is an expensive and complex matter, requiring help from scientific and medical experts.  For this reason, you should contact me for assistance with your products liability matter.

Defective Drugs

Every year, many drugs are put on the market.  Most of these new drugs increase the length and quality of people’s lives.  However, a few drugs come with unknown dangerous side effects that can result in suffering, injuries that require surgery, or even death.  Due to industry pressure, the testing process for new drugs has been streamlined.  As a result of the streamlined process, dangerous drugs are approved and put on the market more often.  Some known defective drugs include Vioxx, Fen-Phen, and Fosamax.  If you have been injured by a defective drug, I can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.