How You Should Handle a Truck Accident in Orange County

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Being involved in any kind of accident can be the start of months and sometimes years of legal complications. When the accident involves a truck, however, that can take the complication factor to a whole new level.

WHY TRUCK ACCIDENTS ARE SO COMPLICATED

Trucks are heavier, which means they cause more damage

Commercial trucks can weigh up to 30-40 times what a standard passenger vehicle does. This means that anyone involved in an accident with a commercial truck is far more likely to sustain serious injury as well as a greater level of damage to their vehicle. It is rare to ever have a simple fender-bender with a commercial truck but even if you did, the damage is likely to be far more severe than getting into the same accident with a smaller passenger vehicle. Even when traveling at slow speeds, trucks are capable of completely totaling a passenger vehicle and causing extensive injuries.

More parties are involved

When you are involved in an accident with another passenger vehicle or multiple passenger vehicles, the only people involved in settling any claims are the drivers and various insurance companies. When you become involved in a truck accident, however, the number of involved parties increases. The majority of commercial truck drivers drive for a company that owns the truck and in some cases, they may even be carrying cargo for an entirely different company. Since the cargo they are carrying affects the weight of the truck, the cargo may even be a contributing factor to an accident.

WHY YOU NEED A TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER IN ORANGE COUNTY

Truck accidents are costly, so no one wants to be held liable for them. They can immediately become shell games in which all parties begin trying to place liability on another party. Drivers are also subject to more stringent regulations, so when an accident occurs, it is not uncommon for insurance companies to try and place responsibility for the accident on the driver. If that happens, you will be left trying to seek compensation from the driver rather than the company they were working for.

Commercial trucking companies have the resources to hire a fleet of lawyers to try and avoid taking responsibility for the accident. If you have been involved in a truck accident in Orange County, you need a truck accident lawyer in Orange County to give you the muscle you need to get the compensation you deserve.

Personal Injury and Bicycle Accidents: What You Should Know!

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Sunny weather lends itself well to outdoor activities such as bike riding. All over America, people ride their bicycles to get to and from work or for pleasure. Because California traffic is typically heavy, accidents involving cars and bicycles are common. If you have been involved in a bicycle accident or just want to learn more and what to do visit one of the following links below:

Information on Washington Laws Regarding Personal Injury Claims

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The state of Washington has specific laws regarding personal injury claims. These apply whether you go through an insurance company or file a lawsuit with the court. Here are a few details about personal injury law in Washington.

Statute of Limitations

Each state has a limit of time where you can file a lawsuit for personal injury. In Washington, that period, called the statute of limitations, is three years. In other words, you have within three years’ time to file your lawsuit or else it will not be heard by the court, and you will not be able to receive compensation for your injuries.

For more information on personal injury in Washington visit http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/laws-washington.html#

Comparative Fault Rules

There are times when a person who isn’t is determined to share some percentage of the fault, which means they are partly to blame for their injuries. Washington is one of the states in the United States that has what is known as a “pure comparative negligence” rule. This means that the amount that you receive in compensation is reduced if you are found to be partially at fault for your injuries. For example, if you were involved in a car accident and were injured and sued was awarded $10,000 in compensation, but the judge or jury determined you were 10 percent at fault, you would only receive $9,000.

Anytime a personal injury suit goes to trial; the court must apply the comparative negligence rule when awarding damages to the plaintiff. Also, you can also face additional adjustments to your compensation for your injuries if an insurance adjuster is involved.

Strict Liability for Dog Bites

In the states of Washington, when it comes to dog bite personal injury cases, there is strict liability, which means that the owner is automatically responsible for their dog biting or attacking someone. This is in place in spite of the “one bite” rule, which only applies when the dog has a history of biting. In Washington, the owner is always responsible, even if their pet has never had a history of aggression. As a result, the dog owner must pay for personal injuries sustained by any person who is bitten or attacked by their dog.

No Damage Caps

In personal injury cases in Washington, there is no cap on the monetary amount of damage the plaintiff can collect. In fact, the state views damage caps as being unconstitutional.

If you have suffered a personal injury as a result of a car accident in the state of Washington, you need immediate legal assistance. Contact local personal injury attorneys in Vancouver, Washington to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and other damages.

What is Willful Blindness?

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Willful blindness is a concept in federal law that says you cannot make yourself willfully blind, that is, ignore, an obviously illegal situation you are involved in.  And if you do, you do so at your peril.  Consider the prosecution of Annette Bongiorno, the 66-year-old secretary of master Ponzi schemer and investment fraudster, Bernard Madoff.  Bongiorno was a high school graduate with no skills other than shorthand and typing. She handled the books for hundreds of investment advisory accounts, most of them fraudulent.  But, as she told a federal judge, she did what she was told by Madoff and didn’t know what was going on.

However, the judge determined that she should have known that her boss’s financial success was a sham. She was told to fabricate and backdate some fictitious trades, which she did on her boss’s orders.  She claimed that she never figured out the truth of what was going on.

While this may be true, one cannot escape criminal liability by simply being an ostrich with one’s head in the sand, as she was.  She was charged in federal court with conspiracy, securities fraud and other charges.  As a secretary, she received a six-figure salary and bonuses.  As the judge said, she was not a “coldly, calculating, knowing participant” in the fraud, but rather  “…a pampered, compliant and grossly overpaid clerical worker.”  She “willfully blinded herself” to the illegal acts she was being told to carry out.  As evidence that she was not a knowing participant, she preserved incriminating records for years that she might have destroyed, suggesting that she did not understand the fraud.

But because this was a staggering $17 billion fraud, she faced life in prison.   The prosecutors sought 20 years. However, a fair and thoughtful judge sentenced her to 6 years.  While this is a far cry from what the prosecutors wanted, it’s still serious time. But as the judge stated, “She relied on Madoff’s blessing, rather than apply her good sense and moral compass.”