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Large Damage and Major/Serious Injury Cases

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Workers' Compensation

Revisiting the Going and Coming Rule in Iowa

FAQs

Motorcycle Accidents

After a motorcycle crash what is the most important thing to do?

Why is saving the helmet important following an accident?

After the collision what should I do with the motorcycle?

Construction Site Accidents

No one is using fall protection on the construction site. What should I do?

The fall protection equipment being supplied on the job site isn't what I want to use. What can I do?

Does OSHA require locking type snaphooks on pole strap systems used by linemen after 1 January 1998?

Large Damage and Major/Serious Injury Cases

What bills and expenses can I include in my personal injury case?

How do I know if I’m being overcharged for medical charges?

I don’t think we need a lawyer at this point but we do need information about what to expect with my son’s brain injury. Where can I go for information?

Workers' Compensation

In what state am I entitled to benefits? I drive a truck for a living. I live in Iowa, they dispatch me out of Indiana and I wrecked the truck in Utah.

Is it alright to trust the insurance companies case manager?

What is my shoulder injury case worth with surgery?

MOTORCYCLES, TRUCKS AND AUTO WRECKS

After the wreck the other driver admitted it was his fault, but now he's recanting! Can he do that?

WORKPLACE INJURIES

If after returning to work I reinjure myself will I be entitled to additional workers' compensation benefits?

Why is it important to tell my supervisor about being injured?

If I'm hurt at work what benefits am I entitled to receive?

WHAT IS FAULT AND NEGLIGENCE?

What do the lawyers mean when they talk about negligence? They also use the word "fault" and I'm not sure what that has to do with how much I'm going to recover.

If while driving under the speed limit, I rear-end someone in a rain storm will they consider me at fault for the accident? I've seen two PI lawyers who say the driver was at fault. What should I do?

School treats and peanut allergies. Must the parents who provide school treats pay medical expenses for student's allergic reaction?

PROPERTY CASES

There was an ice storm that hit my area of Iowa and a limb from my tree hit my neighbors garage. it only put a small hole in the overhead garage door and dented the rain gutter. to what extent am I liable for that damage? is it my responsibility to pay for repairs or is that her insurances responsibilty? Is this an act of God?

TRIAL PRACTICE

How can I find the name of a small business owner who's closed but never delivered furniture I paid for?

What does it mean to be a trial lawyer?

I'm a young lawyer, inexperienced but eager to learn. I joined my state trial lawyer association and signed right up for the LISTSERV. There are all sorts of lawyers who give advice and guidance. Is there anything I should be worried about?

DEFAMATION - LIBEL AND SLANDER

My ex-boyfriend is threatening to release a very sensitive and privately made video tape and is refusing to destroy it or to cooperate with it's destruction. He has even threatened to show the contents to others. What can I do to protect my privacy?

A woman with whom I had an affair threatened me with sending some of the very graphic pictures we took together to my wife. Is there anything I can do legally to stop this? The pictures were obtained willingly and include both of us in some of them. She has also told me that she might send them to my workplace and to an internet site. Are some of these actions legal and others not? She says that since the pictures were not obtained without my consent and since there is no extortion or blackmail there is nothing I can do. This part is true - she just wants to hurt me and nothing else. Is she able to do this legally or not?

What do I need to prove? What can you do if a former employer gets the word out that you stole from them and makes remarks about your personal life, all which are untrue. What are the main elements of a defamation actiion?

BEING A CLIENT

I'm on long term disability (LTD) and am being told benefits are going to stop because my diagnosis has changed. The insurance company refuses to tell me why. Am I entitled to know why? Is there something wrong with me asking for an explanation?

What is the best way to communicate with my lawyer?

What if my lawyer doesn’t return my phone calls or email questions?

General

Where can I contact Miller Fall Protection?

Motorcycle Accidents

The motorcycle definitely has its attractions: the feel of the wind whipping through your hair, the hum of power between your thighs, the exhilaration caused by the way it turns. It’s small, it’s sleek, it handles like a dream.

Of course, the motorcycle has its drawbacks, too. Since they’re smaller than cars, motorcycles are harder to see. Some drivers fail to yield the right of way. In 2006, approximately three-fourths of motorcycle accidents involved another vehicle and most were caused by the other driver. Additionally, since the motorcycle is open (lacking sides, doors, windshield), its riders are far more likely to experience significant personal injury, including severe brain or spinal cord injuries, broken bones, loss of limb, abrasions, and even death. The costs of medical care to treat injuries but especially a brain injury can be enormous. The NHTSA has studied the number of motorcycle accidents along with severe injuries as well as the costs. Injuries from wrecks where no helmet are worn can be especially severe.

Handling hospital bills and insurance claims is technical and requires knowledge of the laws. Are you tired of not getting answers and feeling like you’re getting the run-a-round?

If you are injured in a motorcycle accident in the central Iowa area, Steve Lombardi of the Lombardi Law Firm, an attorney with motorcycle accident experience located in Des Moines, can help you find the best way to handle the situation. With 26 years of experience in the courts, he is very knowledgeable about the state and national laws and well equipped with the best way to approach the courts to get the result you will need.

Despite the risks, the sales of motorcycles and scooters have gone up. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), over one million motorcycles and scooters were sold in 2005, an increase of 4.5% from 2004—and those numbers only represent MIC members. There’s a strong suggestion that the recent appeal of motorcycles and scooters is related directly to the increasing price of gas, since two-wheelers get better gas mileage than most cars. Some bikes get 58 to 60 miles a gallon. There’s even a 50CC scooter that gets 82 miles per gallon. When the price of gas is three, three and a half, four dollars a gallon and rising, who wouldn’t want to save a buck?

The real question is: are the risks worth it? In 2006, approximately five thousand people were killed riding motorcycles. The number of non-fatal injuries were significantly higher. In Ohio, for instance, there were 4,427 crashes in 2005: 3,757 resulted in injury and 177 were fatal. In Iowa, according to Scott Falb, DOT driver safety specialist, at least 66 people were killed in motorcycle accidents by late December, 2007, the most deaths in 25 years.

One large cause for concern, of course, is the number of older motorcycle riders. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the median age for buying a motorcycle in 2003 was 41.0 years, compared to 32.0 in 1990. As the numbers of buyers have increased in the 40-49 and 50+ brackets, the number of accidents in those age ranges has likewise gone up. People age 45 and older made up more than 45 percent of the casualties in Iowa in 2007. And there are valid reasons for such a dramatic increase in injuries and fatalities in those age brackets. First, since more people own bikes, there will be more accidents. More importantly, however, older riders are more likely to suffer from deteriorated senses, lowered skill levels, decreased reaction speed, and a lack of balance (which is essential for riding a motorcycle).

In motorcycle crashes, injuries are common around the head and neck area. Many states have accordingly mandated helmet laws (think of them as being similar to safety belts in cars). Iowa does not mandate helmets but permits its riders to choose to wear or not. Statistics obtained from the 1994 Motorcycle Statistical Annual, Motorcycle Industry Council, however, show that the numbers of injuries and fatalities were actually greater for states with mandatory helmet laws.

Helmet laws or no helmet laws, all age issues aside, the bottom line is that the number of motorcycle-related fatalities has increased dramatically since 1997. The fatality rate per 100 million was 20.99 in 1997; by 2004, that number had almost doubled to 39.89 (2,116 deaths in 1997 compared to 4,008 in 2004). Take into account that there are almost 2 million more registered motorcycle riders in the country but that, comparatively, the number of vehicle miles traveled has not increased, and it becomes clear that motorcycle riders face a severe problem. When you ride a motorcycle, you face a significant risk of being seriously injured.

If you should find yourself involved in a motorcycle accident in the central Iowa region, don’t wait. Call personal injury attorney Steve Lombardi at 515.222.1110 as soon as you can. In the state of Iowa, personal injury claims must be brought to court within two years. More importantly, it’s essential to have an experienced attorney on your side to fight for your rights, to help you recoup lost pay, and to help you pay for the medical bills incurred by a potentially severe injury. You have the right to be justly compensated for injuries caused by the negligence of another.

Frequent Questions for Motorcycle Accidents:

Web Resources for Motorcycle Accidents:

ABA Link to Lombardi Law Blawg
Description: blawg on Injuryboard.com. Come here to see what tips he gives about the law, politics and his common sense approach to the application of law as to support the common man and woman who work for a living. Don't be fooled by those trying to distort personal injury law for their own financial gain. His blawg dispenses a common sense approach to the laws intended for the working person's benefit. Stay alert, stary informed and stay tuned... visit us daily.
Des Moines Injury Board Blawg
Description: Discussions about most anything of a personal injury nature. Including motorcycles, cars, trucks and mass transit wrecks or accidents.
Motorcycle Accidents at Injury Board
Description: Discussions about most anything of a personal injury nature including motorcycles.
Injuryboard Help Centers
Description: A help center for motorcycle related accidents.
Motorcycle Safety Tips
Description: Some news you can use when riding a two-wheeler across town or our country.
Biker Chick News
Description: A rider from Iowa who blogs about motorcycle issues.
Biker Law
Description: Norman Fernandez and I don't always agree but we respect the other's right to have and to speak an opinion.

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