Houma Louisiana Personal Injury Blog

A wrongful death claim may be appropriate after a loss

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, January 24, 2020.

One of the hardest experiences to endure is the death of a loved one. But what can make it even harder is when another person's negligent actions resulted in the demise of your spouse, sibling, child or parent.

In some of these situations, the negligent party's actions may rise to the level where criminal charges are filed against them. But in far too many instances, there is no criminal component involved. That can leave family members impotent with rage because they feel that there will be no justice meted out.

Brain injury? Seek civil justice from the at-fault party

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Brain Injuries on Friday, January 17, 2020.

If your loved one suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after an accident, they may fully recover or continue to suffer lingering effects of the injury all of their lives. But immediately after the injury, their prognosis may be quite uncertain.

The severity of the brain injury depends upon the level of damage to the brain tissue. How long they lost consciousness is one factor. Also, if the coma was very deep, they may take quite awhile to resurface. Even then, they could struggle with amnesia about some or even all events of their previous life.

Cognitive problems associated with brain injuries

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Brain Injuries on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.

Traumatic brain injuries can make everything more difficult, including day-to-day decisions and basic reasoning. Brain injuries can also affect people's memory, judgment, concentration, organization and multi-tasking skills, ability to begin or complete tasks and other aspects of brain function.

Traumatic brain injuries are also very costly to treat. They may require surgery, and could require extensive rehabilitation. Depending on the severity of the injury, the victim may have to relearn how to do basic functions of life. The process can take years, and the results are never certain.

Mardi Gras: Go home with beads and not injuries

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes on Saturday, January 4, 2020.

With Mardi Gras season almost upon us, it's a good time to review some basic safety tips that can keep your family safer if you venture into the merry chaos that is Carnival in south Louisiana.

Whether you are a purist and head to New Orleans for the parades or enjoy the local celebrations in Terrebonne Parish, the same common sense principles and safety rules apply. Below are some tips to keep in mind as you enjoy the magic of Mardi Gras.

How to get compensation after a wreck with an uninsured motorist

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

When people drive their cars in Louisiana, there are many mistakes that drivers make, and as result there are many accidents that occur. These car accidents can cause significant damage and injuries. The damage and injuries can be very costly for the victims of the accident.

It is important that the victims of the accidents are made whole afterwards, and so the law requires all drivers to have car insurance. The insurance is supposed to pay for the damaged caused by the insured driver.

Crash statistics show potential for motorcycle accidents

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Thursday, December 26, 2019.

There are many aspects of riding a motorcycle that the rider can control, such as not taking risks and making sure they are not putting themselves in dangerous positions on the road.

However, the one thing they cannot control is the other drivers on the road. Due to the size of motorcycles many other drivers on the road may not see them and, unfortunately, may hit them. There are many motorcycle crashes each year. In 2018, there were 1,626 motorcycles involved in accidents and it is projected that 1,626 people will be in motorcycle crashes in 2019. Unfortunately, 79 people lost their lives in these accidents in 2018 and 1,168 people were injured in the accidents.

Determining damages in a wrongful death lawsuit

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Wrongful Death on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.

When people die young in fatal accidents, it can be more difficult for family members since there is no time to prepare for what life may be like without the loved one around. Such an unexpected death can also be very costly for the family as well. When people are younger they can be responsible for providing financially for their family members. So, in addition to suddenly losing their love and support, the family can also suddenly lose income they rely on to meet their monthly obligations. The loss of income is also permanent, unlike when people are injured for a period of time. Over the years that lost income will add up. This can make life difficult for the family for a long period of time.

However, the surviving family members of victims of fatal accidents may be entitled to compensation if the fatal accident was caused by another party's negligence. This compensation can include lost future income the victim would have earned. When making this determination, the jury or judge must look at the age of the victim, what they are currently earning and their future earning capacity, their health, normal life expectancy, education and many other factors. These can be complicated determinations that require the use of experts who can testify about what may occur in the future.

What are the different degrees of burn injuries?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Burn Injuries on Wednesday, December 11, 2019.

One type of injury that can be both painful and have major effects on people's lives is a burn injury. These can happen in many different ways and include both those caused by fire or other extremely hot objects, as well as chemical burns. Like other injuries, burn injuries can vary in severity.

The least harmful burn injuries are first degree burns. These burns affect only the outer layer of the skin and can cause swelling, redness and some pain. Second degree burns are burns that affect both the outer layers as well as the underlying layers of the skin. In addition to swelling and redness, blistering also occurs with second degree burns. Third degree burns are the most severe burns and affect the deep layers of the skin. These burns can result in numb skin as well as white and black burned skin.

Physical problems caused by brain injuries

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes posted in Brain Injuries on Friday, December 6, 2019.

The brain is like the central control center that interacts and directs the rest of the body to perform both conscious and unconscious tasks. Of course, because the brain controls the entire body, when people suffer brain injuries it can potentially affect the entire body.

The severity of brain injuries can vary greatly, but all brain injuries can have significant effects on the body. People can suffer paralysis, uncontrollable movements, have difficulties walking, difficulty carrying objects, vision problems, difficulties with fine motor skills, loss of bowel control, chronic pain, have seizures, difficulty talking or swallowing and many other problems. Over time, some of these functions may return, but when or if that occurs varies depending on the brain injury and how it heals.

Trucking fatalities reach a 29-year high

On behalf of The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes on Tuesday, December 3, 2019.

Sharing the road with commercial trucks makes many Louisiana motorists uneasy, and if you count yourself among them, know that your concerns are not unfounded. According to Trucks.com, while the overall number of road fatalities in the United States declined in recent years, the number of fatalities stemming from crashes involving commercial trucks has actually gone up.

More specifically, 37,133 people lost their lives in total on U.S. roadways in 2017, which is a 2% drop from the year prior. Fatalities resulting from commercial truck crashes, however, spiked 9% that year, with 4,761 people losing their lives in commercial-trucking-related car wrecks in 2017.