Recent Blog Posts in April 2010

Every year, thousands of people become victims of burn injuries due to the negligence of others or as the result of a defect in a product such as gas cans, heaters, stoves, barbeques and electrical items. Always the treatment is expensive and often skin graft surgeries are necessary to treat the victim. If you or a loved one has suffered such an ordeal, San Francisco personal injury attorney, Nelson C. Barry III is an experienced burn injury lawyer who will fight to help you get the compensation that will help pay bills, provide financial security and make life more comfortable in the future.  

There are different severities of burn injuries. First degree burns are minor ones that involve the damage to the top layer of the skin followed by redness, pain and swelling which usually heals with minimal medical treatment. Second and third degree burns damage the underlying tissues followed by redness, swelling and peeling skin. They are often severe and require skin grafts, take a long time to heal and leave prominent scars. In addition, the victim usually suffers physically, mentally and psychologically. Another type of burn injury is through inhalation of smoke or heated gases or toxins that damage the lungs or in effect poison the body.

Common sources of burn injuries are -

• Automobile fires

• Chemical spills

• Defective products such as stoves and electrical appliances

• Workplace accidents

• Explosions

• Hot liquids

If you or your loved one has been a victim of burn injuries, you should contact a knowledgeable Personal Injury Lawyer such as Nelson C. Barry III, who not only has experience in dealing with such cases but also understands the special needs of injured victims.  

Trucks, especially 18-wheelers, are huge and often weigh more than 80,000 lbs. When truck accidents occur, they can lead to catastrophic injuries to those who are involved especially those of us in regular vehicles. Trucking companies are required to follow certain federal and state regulations; nonetheless, these rules are often bent or broken by truck drivers and their employers. This often puts other drivers in extreme danger.

Truck accidents occur due to a variety of negligent actions not just on the part of truck driver but also on the part of trucking companies. These companies are notorious for pushing the truck drivers to meet the deadlines. In order to meet the unrealistic deadlines, truck drivers deprive themselves of sleep and drive faster. Often the companies hire driver's that are not safe drivers or are inexperienced. Some companies do not ensure that the trucks are not overloaded. Others look away when their drivers do not properly update their log books because drivers are required to get 8 hours of sleep for every 12-13 hours they drive. Companies also push to keep their trucks on the road hauling loads as much as possible and this can result in delays in maintenance of important safety features such as brakes and suspension mechanisms.

However, of all these factors, truck driver fatigue is the leading cause of truck accidents.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a truck accident due to a driver's negligence or that of the trucking company, you should hire an attorney who has experience in handling truck accidents as soon as possible. Often critical evidence is lost forever within a few weeks of the accident. Also trucking companies and their insurance carriers often confront the victims in an attempt to pay them less than what they actually deserve for their injuries, medical bills and lost wages. So it is often necessary to have a competent San Francisco personal injury attorney on your side.

Nelson C. Barry III is an experienced Truck Accident Attorney.  He will educate you about your legal options and will fight the insurance company when they try to coerce you into a quickie settlement. We at the Law office of Nelson Barry are on your side and we use Mr. Barry's 31 years of experience to confront the trucking companies and their insurance carriers to pay you fair value for your case. We are known for our aggressive representation and for getting excellent results. Call us today for free initial consultation and let us get started on your case. At Law Office of Nelson Barry, we do not charge anything unless we win.

It is terrible when someone gets into a car accident especially when it is someone else's fault. Accidents should not happen to anyone; they often bring misery, pain and disruption of lives to the victims and their families. However, as long as drivers are driving too fast, driving too close, texting, talking on the phone or not paying attention for other reasons, many preventable accidents will continue to happen.

After an accident, there are certain important things that one should do. The first step is to get the police to do a report at the scene of the accident. If the police report confirms that it was the other person's fault, this usually will not be disputed by the responsible person's insurance company. The report will also have all the other necessary information; driver's license number, addresses, home and work telephone numbers, name of insurance companies and policy numbers and vehicle license numbers. If the police do not come to the scene, get this information yourself. Without a police report, witnesses who confirm that it was the other driver's fault are very helpful so be sure to get their names, addresses and telephone numbers. Finally, take pictures of the cars, the area where the accident happened and the people involved as soon as you can after the accident; preferably before the cars are moved. The police usually do not take pictures so your pictures may be the only ones ever taken.

If you have collision coverage, get your car repaired at one of your insurance company's "approved" repair shops. This way if there is any problem when you pick up your car, you can take it back until it is done right. Your insurance company will later collect the repair cost from the other insurance company so your rates should not go up.

Remember, no insurance company, even if it is your own, will offer you the full compensation for your losses. Statistically, accident victims with serious injuries receive three times the compensation with an accident lawyer than they do if they represent themselves. Nelson C. Barry III is a San Francisco car accident lawyer who has 31 years of experience. The initial consultation is always free as is his "no recovery, no fee" rule.

Consult an attorney early. It will not cost you anything and you will get advice that will most likely help you avoid mistakes that could cost you and your family money later.

San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney, Nelson Barry specializes in protecting people with serious injuries. He will make sure his clients are compensated for their losses such as property damage, medical expenses, income loss and for physical and emotional losses.