When you’re injured while on the road, you might begin to wonder if it qualifies for workers’ compensation. Every situation is different, and you’ll want to speak with the workers’ compensation board in your state to truly understand what you’re entitled to. The following are some scenarios to help you understand.

Injured While Driving Home From Work

In most cases, if you’re injured while driving home from work, you are not entitled to workers’ compensation. You already clocked out, have left the property and are now on your own time. If you drive a company vehicle, however, you might be entitled to workers’ compensation, but only if you go straight from work to home. If you make any stops along the way, it could forfeit your right to compensation.

What if you work remotely? Coverage might depend on your contract and your agreement with your employer. For example, if you are a door-to-door salesman, and your agreement states the work day begins at the first home and ends at the last home, you wouldn’t be entitled to workers’ compensation between the last home you make a call at and your own home. If your agreement states the work day begins as you pull out of your own driveway and ends when you pull back in, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation on your way home.

Injured While at An Out-of-Town Conference

Imagine you have to go out of town to a conference for work. If you’re injured in a car accident, do you receive workers’ compensation? Again, it depends on the specifics of the situation and the agreement you have with your employer. If the conference is three days long, and your accident happens on the second day, you’re probably entitled to coverage.

If your accident happens on day five, it wouldn’t be within the time of the conference, and you probably wouldn’t be entitled to coverage. You most likely extended your stay for personal reasons, making the accident unrelated to your job.

Injured While Running Errands During Your Work Day

Sometimes you have to run errands during the day. Maybe you stop somewhere while on your lunch break, or maybe you take some time off to get those things done. In either case, you’re typically not given workers’ compensation benefits to cover injuries sustained in an accident while running personal errands.

If your errands include picking up paper for the office, you might be entitled to compensation. If you’re doing it as a gift for your boss, you may not have coverage, but if your boss asks you to pick up the paper while you’re out, you probably have coverage.

Getting Your Lawyer on the Case

Workplace accidents can be tricky when they involve car accidents, as a workers compensation lawyer, like from The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, can explain. Get a workers’ compensation lawyer on the case if you need assistance receiving the compensation you deserve.

The holidays are a great time to get away and enjoy time somewhere new and exciting. Holiday travels often lead to holiday injuries, unfortunately. If you plan to be on the road during the holidays, the following are five tips to help keep you safe.

1. Take Your Car in for an Inspection

Before you hit the road, be sure your car is in the best shape possible. Have a certified mechanic give it a thorough inspection. If you’re going to be driving in weather conditions your car isn’t used to handling, mention that to the mechanic. There’s a possibility you’ll need new tires or something else to ensure safety while driving in unique weather situations.

2. Learn How to Drive in the Snow

If your holiday travels are taking you somewhere it snows but you’re from a very dry climate, you may want to learn how to drive in the snow. For example, do you know if it’s ok to pass a plow truck while he or she is plowing snow and putting down salt? If you slip on ice and start spinning one direction, do you know which direction to turn your steering wheel?

3. Map Your Route

You should always know where you are going and which roads you are going to take. Doing this will help you plan gas refill stops, bathroom breaks, and food stops. You should also have alternate routes planned in case of road construction or other unforeseen circumstances. Give your route to someone back home so if something does happen, that individual will know where to look for you.

4. Take Frequent Stops

It’s important you don’t sit in the car for too long. This can cause circulation problems, but it can also give you a headache, make your back hurt or cause you to fall asleep behind the wheel. You shouldn’t put off a meal and you shouldn’t put off using the restroom — supposing there are facilities you can access on a regular basis. If you’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s still important to stop and stretch your legs every couple hours, which also gives you renewed energy to keep going.

5. Carry a Phone Charger

More than likely, you’ll have a cellphone with you, and possibly a charger you can plug into the car. What happens if your phone has gone dead and your car battery dies? A portable charger is a great tool to carry on any road trip. When you stop to eat, plug it in at the restaurant. When you stop to sleep, plug it in at the hotel.

Receiving the Help You Need

Even after you’ve done everything to stay safe while traveling for the holidays, there’s a possibility you could become injured while on the road. Contact a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from Patterson Bray to get the help you need in dealing with such a situation.

When charged with a crime, you have the right to an attorney. You’ll have the choice between a private attorney or a public defender. Public defenders are court-appointed whereas a private defense attorney serves individual and private clients. How can you find an attorney that you can trust with your representation?

Ask for Advice

Do you know anyone who has needed the services of a criminal defense lawyer? Ask those you trust if they have any suggestions. If anyone has hired a lawyer recently, find out what the outcome of his or her case was. Also, find out how hands-on the lawyer was or how much time he or she was able to give the case. When you ask friends or loved ones, they are less likely to suggest a lawyer that won’t be able to help you.

Do an Online Search

You can find out a lot about local lawyers on the internet. Search for lawyers in your local area who practice in the same area of law that your charges are in. Once you find a handful of lawyers, browse their site for practice information. Many lawyers have testimonials on their website. If you’re curious about reviews, research their firm or name. Most likely they will have clients that have reviewed them before.

Visit the Office

Once you narrow down the lawyers on your list, set up a consultation. During your consultation, you can ask the attorney questions about his or her experience. If you find a lawyer who has had cases like yours in the past, he or she will know how to build your defense. Do not be afraid to ask about pricing ahead of time. Most criminal defense lawyers charge by the hour. Be upfront about your budget and do not let yourself be surprised by the price later.

When you visit the office, you can also gauge how communicative the lawyer will be. Is he or she easy for you to talk to? A good lawyer will be open to talking to you, answering your questions and hearing your input about a case.If you’ve been charged with a crime, a private defense attorney is more likely to be able to build an effective defense for your case. Do not hesitate to set up a consultation with a criminal justice lawyer, like the ones at May Law, LLP, as soon as possible. The sooner that you begin the process, the more time you will have to build a solid case.

Are you confused about the difference between revenge and legal punishment? If you are, you are not the only one. For centuries revenge and punishment have been intertwined and used interchangeably by writers and in legalese. While the phrases were once used synonymously, modern language finds the connotations are rapidly diverging. Here are a few of the differences.

Rational Action

Most people would agree that revenge is an active emotional response to a situation. The reaction to the situation can be instantaneous, heated, or overwhelming. Sometimes, revenge simmers and becomes a dark force taking over someone’s life. Justice is considered to be at the opposite end of the spectrum. Legally, the court’s actions are designed to be rational, joyless,, and methodical. Seeking to create an unbiased reaction to a situation that is equal to the demand by community standards for fairness, the sentence of justice is considered unbiased and neutral.

Emotional Closure

When an individual is injured by the actions of another, there is a need for emotional closure. Some believe an eye should be taken for an eye, while others want to be made whole. Neither solution is perfect, but rather than allowing a vigilante form of justice to prevail, the courts can step in and demand a financial reward to the plaintiff that allows an emotional closure. This monetary punishment is called “compensation,” and is sought to replace any vengeance or hostile acts against the defendant.

Social Phenomenon

Society demands punishment for individuals that harm others. Whether it is intentional or unintentional impacts the legal outcome, but every injury needs to be paid for. This social phenomenon allows the victim to become empowered and feel that the wrong he or she endured has been made right. The system is not perfect, and it is only acceptable when society agrees on culturally inspired resolutions to a problem.

Justice Argument

There is a type of justice reserved for horrific injuries intentionally caused by an individual with no thought for the safety of another – punitive damages. Although some argue punitive rulings are vengeful actions by the court, other individuals claim the terrible acts of the defendant were so reprehensible that simple compensation is not enough to keep the offender from doing the same thing again. Punitive damages do send a strong message about what is socially acceptable.If you are injured through no fault of your own, contact a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from Johnston Martineau, PLLP, as soon as possible. He or she can help you understand your rights to receive compensation for your damages.

Personal Injury Lawyer

One of the first things you might ask after deciding to pursue a wrongful death case is, “How long will the case last?” Unfortunately, there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer, as every case is different with a unique set of circumstances. One case could last six to nine months, and another could last three or four years. There are some factors you can look at that will help you determine the length of your case.

Liability

The court will probably take a nice long look at the individual or entity liable for your loved one’s death. You won’t have a case if nobody is determined to be at fault, so this can actually play in your favor. If there are multiple parties at fault, you may be able to sue all of the parties, possibly recovering more than if you were to only sue one party. While this is often a benefit to you and your family, it could take a while for liability to be settled on.

Discovery

Your lawyer and the opposing party’s lawyer will take some time to uncover evidence needed to prove the case. Your lawyer will probably collect medical statements, witness information, photographic evidence and other items that will help you prove the liable party caused your loved one’s death unnecessarily. The other party will also collect items to try and show he or she wasn’t at fault for any death.

During discovery, both parties are required to hand over all the documents, statements and admissions for the other party to read through. This helps both sides be prepared when they head to court. It could also help you and your lawyer discredit some of the “evidence” the other party presents.

Witnesses

It could take some time for witnesses to come forward in your wrongful death case. Perhaps someone is afraid of getting killed themselves. Perhaps he or she didn’t know exactly what happened, and doesn’t want to share the little bit of information he or she does know. Other witnesses might have trouble with the law and are afraid of coming forward, and others might be minors. All of these issues could delay a case, but there are ways around each of them.

Getting Your Case Started

As you can see, there are a lot of things that might make a case last longer or be resolved more quickly, and this is only the beginning. To learn more and to get your case started, contact a personal injury lawyer, like from Darrell Castle & Associates, today.