It can be frustrating when you’re trying to do what’s right and other people around you are careless. When someone else’s carelessness results in your injury, that frustration can build. Now you might have medical bills and property damage to worry about on top of the annoyance of others doing the wrong thing. The following are some things you can do after this happens.

Refrain From Engaging in Conversation

The individual who caused your injury might try to engage you in conversation. While this may seem innocent enough, he or she could be trying to get you to admit to doing something wrong. For example, if someone hits you with a car while you are riding your bike in the bike lane, the driver could try to get you to say something like, “Oh, it’s not your fault. I should have been closer to the sidewalk.” This would give the driver evidence against you, showing that you admitted to doing something wrong.

Seek Medical Attention for Your Injuries

Don’t forgo medical attention for your injuries. Doing so could paint the picture that the injuries are not as bad as they really are. It could forfeit you the right to compensation because you won’t know how bad the injuries actually are and won’t know how much compensation to seek. It’s also for the best of your health to seek medical attention. Some injuries don’t look like much on the outside, but a doctor’s examination could uncover internal bleeding, broken bones or other serious issues.

Collect Evidence From the Scene

This may be best handled by your lawyer, but while you’re still at the scene of the accident, you can begin to collect evidence, assuming your injuries don’t prohibit it. Take pictures of the situation, including your injuries. Photos of the surrounding area can help to give a judge a good idea of what happened. If there are individuals who witnessed the carelessness that caused your injury, ask those individuals for contact information. Your lawyer may also uncover surveillance videos and other evidence that will show what happened.

Contact a Lawyer to Represent YouPersonal injuries can be quite serious depending on the circumstances. In most cases, the injured individual is eligible for compensation from the at-fault party. If you have found yourself in this situation, and you have injuries that could qualify for a personal injury lawsuit, contact a personal injury lawyer, like from Darrell Castle & Associates, to represent you.

A Small Estate Affidavit (SEA) is a legal document that allows property from a will to be transferred without it having to go through the probate process. This form can be completed to speed up the settlement of a small estate through probate. The affidavit is usually completed and filled in the County where the decedent resided. A SEA should be filed in the county where the decedent was domiciled or had a fixed place of residence in Texas.

A small estate affidavit form will generally list the parties involved, the property to be transferred, and other pertinent information. The affidavit is usually sent to the party or entity that is holding the property and acts similar to an order requiring them to release the property at the specified time. Parties involved must be careful to fill out a SEA form and read the statute to understand the Texas intestacy law.  They pay a filing fee and expect approval. But many SEAs are denied for problems that cannot be corrected, and the denied applicants lose their filing fees. 

In general, small estate affidavits are used when the deceased person’s property is small enough that it does not need to be managed through formal, traditional probate process. The process to file a SEA requires that the following (1) be sworn in: (A) two disinterested witnesses; (B) each distributee of the estate who has legal capacity; and (C) if warranted by the facts, the natural guardian or next of kin of any minor distributee or the guardian of any other incapacitated distributee; Further, the filing party must show the existence of the conditions prescribed by Sec. 205.001(1), (2), and (3); and include a list of all known estate assets and liabilities; the name and address of each distributee; and the relevant family history facts concerning heirship that show each distributee’s right to receive estate money or other property or to have any evidence of money, property, or other right of the estate as is determined to exist transferred to the distributee as an heir or assignee. Additionally, under Subsection (a)(3)(A) A list of all known estate assets under must be indicated and which assets the applicant claims are exempt. To prepare a SEA that the Court can approve, you will need to understand all of the rules and requirements.  The complexity of the Code poses many pitfalls for non-lawyers attempting to comply with the requirements. Therefore, an attorney’s assistance, such as an estate planning lawyer from Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC, in drafting a SEA may prevent the denial of an Affidavit that might have been approved if the Affidavit had been prepared correctly.

Several checklists found online can explain the basics of the SEA process. However, the lists do not cover everything included in Chapter 201 and 205. For example, a list may include what to do if decedent was married at the date of death:

1. State whether each asset was Decedent’s community property or Decedent’s separate property.
2. For each asset, give the facts that explain why the asset was community or separate property.

Or, in the case of exempt property.  If you are claiming that an asset is exempt property, allege the exempt status in the “additional information” column on the SEA form.

Following the SEA process correctly will allow for the judge to approve an affidavit under Section 205.003, and the affidavit shall be maintained as a local government record under Subtitle C, Title 6, Local Government Code. Once the judge has approved the affidavit, the documents and order are scanned into the case. A certified copy is issued to the filing party. This certified copy is used to transfer property. The clerk will then take the necessary steps to issue certified copies of the small estate affidavit and then record the certified copy in the public records.

Thus, SEAs may seem like the more efficient and cost saving way to transfer property, people need to be aware of the mistakes than can be made in the process and likely hire a legal professional to assist them.

Travelling for business or pleasure was a regular thing before the outbreak, and one favored way for people to vacation was by cruise. For a hefty sum, you received a hefty return where on these luxury ships you get opulent rooms, gourmet meals, entertainment and more as you travel to a dreamy destination. All the planning is done for you by the company, leaving you the easy task of just enjoying your trip.

Cruise ships unfortunately have the nasty reputation of being “petri-dishes” Since all those aboard a ship are subjected to confined spaces, it’s not difficult at all for bacterial infections to spread, especially the airborne Covid-19. Today, several cruise lines have made plans to begin operations again for the first time, but this has also gained great concern that these Vacation companies are leaving themselves open to personal injury lawsuits from sick passengers and their attorneys, like a personal injury attorney in Las Vegas, NV from Eric Roy Law Firm, as well as wrongful death lawsuits from those who would “eventually” die by contracting the virus on the ship.

At the start of the outbreak, with several high profile cases of ships with infections being prohibited from entering their destination countries, cruises have been cancelled en masse and they have gained overall, a new reputation as a surefire way to contract the virus while facing complications in enjoying the planned vacation amenities that one was promised.

Suing a cruise line is generally very difficult, not only are cruise lines not governed by the Occupational Saftey and Health Act (OSHA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), these also lines create their own legal protections through waivers that make you sign almost everything away short of your soul. The result is that you become restricted to where and how a lawsuit can be filed, the damages you can receive, the claims you can make and in some cases the contract will waive your right of a class-action lawsuit.

This isn’t to say that one can’t sue a cruise line as several companies have faced lawsuits for their handling in early-2020. One should be cautious as nowadays one can expect companies to have learned their lesson and to have reinforced their legal defenses.

Whether or not that these companies are reinforcing their sanitation practices and distancing guidelines is yet to be determined.

A pedestrian who is involved in a motor vehicle accident is defined as any person on foot, walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting, or lying down, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2017, 5,977 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes and an estimated 137,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal, crash-related injuries. 

According to crash statistics from 2018, location, time of day, alcohol, and other factors may play a role in a pedestrian death.

• 17% of all traffic fatalities were pedestrian deaths
• 81% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban areas, 19% occur in rural areas
• 76% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in the dark
• 26% of pedestrian fatalities occurred from 6 pm – 9 pm
• 69% of the pedestrians killed in traffic crashes were males
• 48% percent of all fatal pedestrian crashes involved alcohol, either for the driver or the pedestrian
• 19% pedestrians killed were struck by a hit-and-run driver

The growing number of drivers distracted by mobile devices is also partly to blame. About 10% of fatal crashes involve a distracted driver, and about 3% of drivers on the road on any given day are talking on cell phones. 

The increasing number of larger vehicles on the road may also play a factor. The Governors Highway Safety Association said the number of pedestrian fatalities involving SUVs increased at a rate of 50% from 2013 to 2017 compared to passenger cars, which increased by 30%. 

Older adults and children may be at a higher risk of pedestrian fatality. Pedestrians aged 65 and older accounted for 20% of all pedestrian deaths and an estimated 10% of all pedestrian injuries in 2017. That same year, one in every five children under the age of 15 killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians. Over the past 10 years, the average age of those killed has increased, from 45 to 48. 

The pedestrian fatality rates of major cities were generally higher than the national average. In 2018, the highest was in Los Angeles with 117, followed by New York with 112 and Phoenix with 110. Seattle had the fewest numbers of pedestrian fatalities with 8, followed by Boston with 9.

 Drivers should stay extra vigilant for pedestrians, especially at night, in poor lighting conditions, or during inclement weather. Pedestrians are encouraged to walk on the sidewalk when possible and make themselves visible to motor vehicles.


A lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix, AZ from the Law Office of Paul Englander, PLC, can investigate fault, look into applicable insurance coverage, and evaluate claims for injuries and damages. A consultation should be free, and there should be no fees unless a settlement is obtained.  

Working in the construction industry can be very dangerous. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 21 percent of the worker fatalities caused in 2016 took place at a construction site. There’s a reason hard hats and closed toed shoes are always required, even when walking through the area. Usually, most injuries sustained at the construction site fall into the following categories:

• Falls from scaffolding or other height
• Strikes from falling or hanging objects
• Electrocutions
• Other negligent acts

Since one out of every five workplace injuries occurs on a construction site, you should be prepared in the case of an on-the-job injury. This includes understanding what steps to take after the accident occurs.

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention 

The moment you are injured at the construction site, you should immediately see a healthcare professional who can assess your injuries. Even if you cannot sense any injuries during the aftermath of the incident, it’s still a good idea to seek a medical opinion. In many cases, internal bleeding or concussions could take several days to appear. The sooner you seek medical care, the better.

Step 2: Determine If You Can Claim Workers Compensation 

If you were injured while on-the-job, you will most likely be eligible for workers compensation. These benefits work on a no-fault system, meaning you will receive payout no matter who caused the injury (even if it was your own negligence). These benefits will typically pay for part or all of your medical bills, lost wages and any long-term disability that resulted from the accident. However, using workers compensation comes with one caveat—you are not able to hold the company liable for your injuries.

Step 3: Determine If You Can Bring a Civil Lawsuit

Even if you receive workers compensation from your employer, the extent of your injuries still may not be covered. In some cases, you may want to pursue a civil lawsuit against the at-fault party. If this party is not associated with your employer, you will be able to file this lawsuit on top of your workers compensation benefits. You could be eligible to pursue a civil lawsuit if your injury was the result of negligence on the part of a subcontractor or vendor since these individuals are usually contracted by your employer and considered third-parties. Additionally, you can bring a civil lawsuit against an equipment manufacturer, if there was a malfunction due to poor design or manufacturing.

If you’re unsure if you have a case outside of your workers compensation benefits, reach out to a personal injury attorney, like a personal injury lawyer in Washington, DC from The Lawfirm of Frederick J. Brynn, P.C. They will be able to assess the situation and determine what damages you are eligible to receive.