Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Atlanta personal injury lawyer Richard Griffin was the featured personal injury expert on the Autoscoop television show (hosted by Adam Goldfein and Joyce Littel) on 04/11/08. The show focused on personal injury claims in which negligent drivers cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and herniated disc injuries.

It is hard to believe, but there are 1.5 million traumatic brain injuries every year in the United States. This means that every 15 seconds there is another traumatic brain injury. There are 52,000 deaths each year from traumatic brain injuries. There are 5.3 million Americans (2% of the U.S. population) who are totally disabled due to traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries is the number one cause of death and disability in people who are younger than 45 years old. 61% of all Taumatic brain injuries are caused by automobile collisions (car wrecks, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, etc.) Another 8% of the annual traumatic brain injuries are from on the job injuries which usually create worker's compensation claims. These statistics are frightening since that traumatic brain injuries injuries can affect everyone including our children.

One common type of traumatic brain injuries are concussions. Concussions are caused by sudden trauma to the head. Concussions can cause people to suffer from confusion, lack of concentration, memory loss, irritability, personality changes, insomnia (difficulty sleeping) loss of sex drive, loss of consciousness, etc. Many people recover from traumatic brain injuries, but for some it is a permanent loss that forever changes their way of life. This can sometimes be like the ripples that shoot across the lake when a stone is thrown into the lake. Often people suffering from traumatic brain injuries must learn how to perform their daily activities all over again. Daily activities like walking, talking, eating, grooming, problem solving, working a job, and hobbies and exercise can be a struggle.

Another common traumatic brain injury is called diffuse axonal brain injury. This traumatic brain injury is caused by the rapid acceleration and decleration of the brain inside the skull. The brain often slams into the skull causes nerves and cells in the brain to no longer work properly. This results in brain cells and nerves no longer functioning properly. With treatment the brain attempts to use other brain cells and nerves to do the function of the damaged cells and nerves. This process is called brain plasticity.

Brain injuries can shatter lives and leave the victim struggling to live their lives. If you cannot think properly and if you are in severe pain, then everyone's daily activities become a huge challenge. This impacts not only the injured victim of a car wreck or other accident, but also the family, friends, and co-workers that are part of the injured party's daily life. You only get "one bite of the apple" which means that you need legal representation to make sure you recover all that you deserve.

CONTACT US TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION: The Griffin Law Firm, P.C. at 404-303-8400 or 877-303-8440 for a free consultation to find out if you have a case or to have your legal questions answered. You can also use the "What Is My Case Worth?" button on this website or the contact us form so we can explain your rights. All information you submit to us is confidential

REASONS TO CONACT OUR FIRM:
(1) We can explain your rights and what types of claims you may have.
(2) We will answer your legal questions
(3) We will provide you with a settlement evaluatioin (what is my case worth?).

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Resources used for this article:
* [Iwata A., Stys P.K., Wolf J.A., Chen X.H., Taylor, A.G., Meaney D.F., and Smith D.H. (2004). Traumatic axonal injury induces proteolytic cleavage of the voltage-gated sodium channels modulated by tetrodotoxin and protease inhibitors. The Journal of Neuroscience. 24 (19): 4605—4613.]
* [Wasserman J. and Koenigsberg R.A. (2007). Diffuse axonal injury. Emedicine.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-26]
* Studies compiled by The Brain Injury Association.

Posted by Richard S. Griffin | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury Claims

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Studies have shown that 75% of Americans will talk on their cell phones while driving.(**) Cell phone use by drivers appears to be a major cause of car accidents in Atlanta, Georgia and around the country. These studies have found that drivers who are talking on their cell phones while driving are "distracted drivers".(*) Distracted drivers (drivers who drive while talking on their cell phone) have 28% slower reaction times than drivers not using their cell phones.(*) Drivers who were using their cell phones while driving reacted as slow as drunk drivers.(**) In both cases the delay in applying the brakes greatly increases your risk of rear-ending the car in front of you. There is also a greater chance that the cell phone using driver will be rear-ended by the car directly behind them since they delay applying the brakes and then suddenly slam on their brakes.(*) The reaction time was no faster for drivers who talked on the cell phone using hands-free devices. The distracted driver is one that often uses up the driver's "pool of attention".(*) Clearly this means that using your cell phone while driving may put you and the other drivers around you in danger.

Atlanta personal injury lawyers are now attempting to hold employers liable for accidents their employees cause while talking on the cell phone. Cell phone records are often obtained during the litigation process to find out the phone call was business related (for the benefit of their employer). Usually employers are only liable for injuries caused by their negligent employees if they are doing something for the benefit of their employer. Recently there were two personal injury lawsuits in Fulton County, Georgia that involved negligent drivers using their cell phone for a business purpose. Both of these personal injury lawsuits were settled with employers before trial (one for $5.2 million and the other for $750,00. (**) It appears to be only a matter of time before employers are routinely held liable for personal injury claims involving their employees driving while taking business cell phone calls. This liability is based on the premise that the employee is performing a service for the benefit of their employer at the time of the car accident.

The personal injury lawyers at Griffin Law Firm make sure that all possible liability policies and uninsured or under-insured motorist policies are pursued. Our personal injury attorneys have had great success in stacking insurance policies to make sure you recover as much as you deserve. People who attempt to represent themselves are truly at the mercy of the insurance company and often get offers that are way below the true value of the personal injury claim.

The personal injury attorneys at Griffin Law Firm specialize in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Our attorneys can not only maximize your recovery, but also explore all available insurance policies which may cover your claim. If you or someone you know has a personal injury claim, please do not hesitate to call us at 877-303-8440 or 404-303-8400 ext. 210 for a free consultation. You can also submit your case for a free settlement evaluation at our website at www.griffinlawfirmpc.com.

[The articles and studies discussed above are the following:
* [Men's Health Magazine (April 2008 issue) which cited the study performed by State University Of New York at Cortland by Joy Hendrick, PhD]
** [the Atlanta Journal and Constitution dated April 2, 2008]

Posted by Richard S. Griffin | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accidents

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