Little Rock Highway Accidents
Car Wreck Attorneys in Little Rock, Arkansas
Highway accidents often turn catastrophic due to the high speeds of all parties involved. In Arkansas, many highways and interstates have speed limits of 65 or 70 miles per hour. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there is an 8% increase in highway traffic fatalities for every five miles per hour increase on state highways. Moreover, highways in the Little Rock area are heavily used by large commercial trucks that pose threats not only of high speeds, but also of increased damages to those involved due to their size and weight – some weighing nearly 80,000 pounds. If you have been injured on a highway in the Little Rock area, our Little Rock car accident lawyers are available to speak with you today. We are a large regional personal injury law firm, serving those injured throughout the South for over 30 years.
Proving Liability for a Highway Accident
Highway accidents are common because highways are some of the most traveled roads in Pulaski County. Little Rock has several highways that serve as major pipelines around and through the city. Highways 5, 10, 300, 338, 365, and 367 all run through Little Rock, as do Interstates 40, 440, 30, and 530. In order to recover after a car accident on a highway or interstate, you will have to prove that another party acted in a negligent manner, such as speeding, following too closely, or making an improper left turn. To satisfy your legal burden of proof, the following elements must be established against the at-fault party.
First, you must show that the at-fault party owed you a duty to drive safely. Next, you will need to show that the at-fault party breached that duty in some way. This is usually established by showing the at-fault party broke some type of traffic violation such as driving above the highway speed limit. Third, you must show that the at-fault party’s breach of that duty caused the accident to occur. For example, did the at-fault party’s speeding directly and proximately cause the wreck? Did the at-fault party’s failure to maintain a safe lookout cause you to run off the road? Finally, you must show that you suffered actual damages as a result of the collision.
In an Arkansas auto accident case, there are typically two categories of damages – compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages are awarded for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are tangible losses such as lost wages and medical bills. Non-economic damages are determined based on how the accident and your injuries affected your life. Here, a jury will look at the pain and suffering, mental anguish, permanent disability, and loss of enjoyment of life you endured, to name a few. Punitive damages, on the other hand, are awarded solely to punish the at-fault party for particularly egregious conduct. Under Arkansas law, punitive damages are only awarded if the defendant knew or should have known that his or her actions would naturally and probably result in injury and he or she continued the conduct with malice or in reckless disregard of the consequences.
Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in the Little Rock Area Today
Many times, the innocent parties that are involved in highway accidents are left with disabling injuries that require extensive medical treatment, not to mention time off work. The Little Rock lawyers of Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz are here to help you recover all that you are entitled to under the law after your accident. We serve injured people all across Arkansas as well as Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Mississippi, including in Little Rock, Jonesboro, Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Caruthersville, Hayti, Oxford, Starkville, Grenada, Columbus, Tupelo, Meridian, and Jackson. Call us toll-free at 800-529-4004 or complete our online form to set up a free consultation with a car crash attorney today.
Most car accidents are preventable and occur as a result of errors by one or more drivers. To prove liability, you will need to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the driver owed you a duty of care, which was breached, and that your injuries resulted from the driver’s carelessness. Damages that may be available in these cases often include medical expenses, lost income, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.
Truck drivers are required to follow numerous detailed regulations, including rules related to hours of service, keeping a logbook, and maintenance procedures. Many of these regulations are intended to protect other people on the road from harm. In some states, if a driver violated a law that was enacted to protect the public, the violation can create a rebuttable presumption of negligence. Trucking companies are also required to follow a number of regulations, including rules related to background checks of drivers and proper supervision. They often may be held directly or indirectly liable for a truck accident.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates applications for disability benefits. Although many people pay into this system throughout their lives, many legitimate claims are initially denied, and this process may be less straightforward than claimants expect. The SSA uses a five-step sequential evaluation to determine whether to grant benefits to an applicant. Each step is considered in a set order. We can present your case in a persuasive manner and help you appeal a denial of a meritorious claim if needed. This could include representing you in a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Workers’ compensation functions slightly differently in each state. In Tennessee, for example, businesses that employ five or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you are injured on the job, you may recover benefits, such as medical costs and disability. Neither your employer’s nor your own culpability for your injuries will prevent you from collecting these benefits. However, it may still be a struggle to obtain benefits from your employer’s insurer. We can help you navigate this challenging process.
If you were harmed by a health care professional’s failure to use the appropriate level of care in providing treatment to you, you may be able to recover compensation. Most medical malpractice lawsuits require retaining an expert to determine the accepted standard of care and explain what the defendant did that fell short of this standard, as well as how the inappropriate conduct caused the patient’s injuries.
When you buy a toy, car, medication, or other product, you do not expect to be hurt. If you are injured, you may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit. There are three types of defects that may be actionable: manufacturing, design, and marketing (also known as failure to warn). Manufacturers may be held accountable under multiple different theories, including strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty, and concealment. For example, if you take a drug that causes you to develop cancer, but you were not told that a potential side effect of the drug was developing cancer, you may have grounds to hold the manufacturer strictly liable for its failure to warn you of the risk.
Nursing home residents are often elderly or disabled, and thus they are especially vulnerable to neglect, physical abuse, and exploitation by staff members. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are understaffed or employ staff members who are inadequately trained to deal with potentially frustrating situations. Nursing homes are required to protect their residents from physical, mental, and emotional harm by providing a safe environment, as well as adequately training and supervising staff. A failure to do so may be grounds for a nursing home negligence lawsuit for damages.
Property owners have a duty to keep their property reasonably safe. In most situations, this includes an obligation to inspect the property for dangerous conditions and fix them or provide warnings about them so that visitors are not harmed. One type of dangerous condition, which may present a particular problem in apartment complexes or shopping centers, consists of inadequate security measures such as broken locks, poor lighting, or a lack of security guards. A failure to take security measures when appropriate may allow third-party criminals to assault, rob, rape, or otherwise harm visitors and tenants. You may be able to recover damages if you can prove that the defendant knew or should have known about a history of attacks similar to yours and taken appropriate security measures to reduce the risk of further incidents.
Consult a Personal Injury Lawyer in Memphis or the Surrounding Regions
If you are dealing with a devastating injury or medical condition, the Memphis personal injury attorneys at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz can evaluate and explain your options. Our firm has 30 attorneys and more than 100 staff members, and we serve injured people in many areas of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, including Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Starkville, Oxford, Hayti, and Caruthersville. Contact our office toll-free by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation with a personal injury, workers’ compensation, or Social Security Disability lawyer. Once you have learned more about our vigorous advocacy for the rights of the injured, you will realize that NST is the way to go.
4 Shackleford Plaza Suite 211
Little Rock, AR 72211
Phone: 501-381-3391
Fax: 501-891-5036
425 W Capitol Ave, Ste. 780
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-435-0000
Fax: 501-406-1849
