Personal Injury Lawyer
Robbins & Associates, P.C.
December 28th, 2011
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an umbrella term that covers multiple symptoms pertaining to varying specific injuries.
Symptoms of a TBI may not always be instantly apparent. If you or a loved one is involved in an accident that results in an impact to the head, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately.
TBIs can often be diagnosed before the symptoms themselves become evident. Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include, but are not limited to:
- Abnormal behavior/personality changes
- Blurry vision/double vision
- Cognitive difficulties
- Dizziness
- Fluid/blood seeping from the ears or nose
- Loss of motor function control
- Memory loss
- Nausea/vomiting
- Respiratory problems
- Ringing in the ears
- Seizures
- Speech problems
- Numbness/tingling in the extremities
- Pupils that differ in size or don’t respond to light
TBI victims may require extensive medical care, including life-long therapy. Recovery from a TBI, sadly, is not always possible.
If you or a loved one suffered a TBI as a result of the negligence of another, you may be able to pursue financial compensation including money for medical expenses, lost wages, disability, and pain and suffering.
The Atlanta, Georgia, TBI attorney at Robbins & Associates, P.C., have decades of experience helping TBI victims and their families recover the money they need to move forward. Please contact us for your free case evaluation.
Posted in Brain Injury, Personal Injury | No Comments »
November 17th, 2011
In the state of Georgia, you can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) online or in person at one of the state’s Social Security Administration (SSA) offices.
When preparing your SSDI application, keep in mind that the denial rate of initial SSDI claims is approximately 75 percent in Georgia—about 10 percent higher than the national average. Claims may be denied for a number of reasons including incomplete application paperwork or insufficient medical evidence to support your claim.
If your initial claim is denied, you have the option of filing an appeal with the SSA within 60 days; if you fail to file an appeal in this timeframe, you will have to reapply for SSDI.
Even if you don’t work with an experienced Social Security attorney on your initial application, it’s advisable to contact an SSDI lawyer in the event that your claim is denied. The Atlanta Social Security attorney at Robbins & Associates has a thorough understanding of the SSDI application and appeals process, and our team has decades of experience helping Georgia residents file successful claims and appeals.
Due to the volume of applications and the high percentage of denials on first-time applications, the SSA suggests working with a knowledgeable social security disability insurance lawyer on SSDI applications and appeals.
If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and would like more information on the SSDI process, please contact the Social Security attorney at Robbins & Associates, P.C., for a free case evaluation.
Posted in Social Security Disability | No Comments »
October 17th, 2011
If your attorney was negligent in providing you with an accepted standard of representation and that negligence resulted in a weakened or lost lawsuit, you may have the grounds for a legal malpractice claim.
Legal malpractice claims often relate to:
- Breach of ethics
- Breach of contract
- Conflict of interest
- Failure to communicate settlement offers
- Fraud
- Omission of evidence
- Missing a filing deadline
- Settling without client consent
A successful legal malpractice claim must, among other factors, prove:
- An attorney-client relationship
- That the attorney failed to provide an accepted standard of care, skill and diligence in his or her representation
- That damages were directly caused by that failure
A key component in a legal malpractice case is demonstrating that you would have obtained a favorable resolution to your case should your attorney not been negligent. The experienced Atlanta legal malpractice attorney at Robbins & Associates has the knowledge, resources and tenacity to recover the financial compensation victims of legal malpractice are due.
However, it’s important to note that not every lost lawsuit or less-than-expected settlement will provide the basis for a legal malpractice claim. The Georgia legal malpractice attorney at Robbins & Associates offers free case evaluations and can advise you whether pursuing a legal malpractice claim is in your best interests.
If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and believe you may be the victim of legal malpractice, please contact the legal malpractice lawyer at Robbins & Associates, P.C., for your free consultation.
Posted in Legal Malpractice | No Comments »
September 26th, 2011
There are many reasons your workers’ compensation claim may be denied: filing after the time limit has expired, missing medical records, lack of adequate documentation, etc.
Regardless of the reason for a denied workers’ compensation claim, you still have options to pursue the money you need as you recover. However, to improve your chance for success upon appealing or requesting that your claim be reconsidered, it’s advisable to contact the Atlanta workers’ compensation attorney at Robbins & Associates.
Our experienced lawyer understands Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws. We can review the circumstances of your individual situation and recommend the best course of action.
If your workers compensation claim is denied, you will be sent a letter detailing the reasons for denial. Although you can request that your claim be reconsidered, you will likely not be approved without additional material to support your claim.
Should your claim be denied, you also have the right to ask for a hearing with the Georgia Board of Workers’ Compensation. Although you have up to a year to request this hearing, time is of the essence in gathering the additional medical records, witness accounts, expense reports and other material you may need if your initial claim was denied.
The representation of a workers’ compensation attorney can be instrumental in the process of assembling the evidence required to strengthen your claim while allowing you to focus on your rehabilitation.
If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and would like to learn more about your options after a workers’ compensation denial, please contact the workers’ compensation attorney at Robbins & Associates, P.C., to schedule your free case consultation.
Posted in Workers' Compensation | No Comments »
August 8th, 2011
If you were injured in a car accident caused by another driver, you will need to prove two things in order to win your case and receive the compensation you deserve:
- The other driver was at fault for the accident, either due to negligence or through deliberately reckless actions
- You sustained injuries directly related to the negligent actions which caused the accident
In many car accidents, it may not be obvious who was at fault based on the damage sustained to each vehicle. Therefore, it is important to have a police officer sent to the scene to fill out an accident report. The police officer will evaluate the accident scene for evidence such as skid marks, examine the damage to each car, and take statements from each driver involved. Based on this investigative work, he will fill out an accident report which will generally indicate an opinion as to who is at fault. If the police officer’s accident report indicates the other driver is at fault, it will make it much easier to prove your case in court.
There are certain situations where determining fault in a car accident is fairly easy. If you are rear-ended by another driver, it will almost always be the other driver’s fault. In rear-end collisions, the car that hit you is considered to be at fault since he is required to drive at a sufficient following distance to stop safely at all times. Similarly, if you are injured in a car accident where you were driving straight and the other driver was making a left turn, it will rarely be your fault since the driver making a left turn is required to wait until it is safe to complete the turn before doing so.
In order to prove that your injuries were caused by the car accident, you will need testimony from the doctor who treated your injuries. Your doctor will also need to testify as to the extent of these injuries. For example, if you are going to require ongoing treatment for the rest of your life, you will need a larger damage award than if your injuries were completely cared for in a one-time medical procedure.
The Atlanta car accident lawyer at Robbins and Associates has been protecting the rights of injured accident victims for more than 30 years. We have the skills and experience to help you prove that the other driver was at fault for your car accident, and we will fight aggressively to help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Please contact Robbins and Associates today to schedule your free initial consultation. We serve clients in Atlanta, Georgia.
Posted in Car Accident | No Comments »
July 18th, 2011
Throughout Atlanta, it is the owner’s duty to exercise reasonable care in the maintenance of their premises and to warn a visitor of any known dangers. If this duty of care is breached and you are injured as a result, that owner can be held financially liable.
Property owners must take the appropriate measures to mop wet floors, clean broken glass, and fix uneven staircases and other such obstacles. If they are not able to fix these hazards immediately, they are responsible for posting sufficient warnings to notify visitors of the danger.
If the Property Owner Was Negligent
A dangerous condition, such as a wet floor in a grocery store, which is not attended to by staff and does not contain safety warnings, can cause serious injuries. This scenario is certainly the grounds for a dangerous premises claim. Keep in mind that businesses are liable for the negligence of their cleaning crew.
If you slip and fall on a wet floor, you should complete an accident report at the time of the incident, citing:
- What happened
- Who witnessed the accident
- The conditions that caused the fall
- Any other pertinent information such as poor lighting
If you slipped and fell on premises in Atlanta, please contact the Atlanta slip and fall attorney at Robbins & Associates, PC today to schedule your consultation.
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June 27th, 2011
Medical errors occur when some aspect of a medical plan does not go as intended, or when the wrong plan was implemented from the beginning. Often times, medical mistakes are caused by negligence on behalf of the medical professional, and there is nothing you can do. But taking precautions ahead of time can help protect you against medical malpractice. Here are some tips:
Preventing Medication Mistakes
- Make sure that all of your doctors and the pharmacist know every medication, supplement, vitamin and herb you are taking.
- Make sure your doctor knows about any allergies you have, or adverse reactions you have had to a medication.
- When your doctor writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it (because if you can’t, the pharmacist may not be able to either).
- Request information about your medicine in terms you can understand (both when your medication is prescribed and when you receive it).
Preventing Surgical Errors
- Make sure that you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree and are clear on exactly what will be done.
- Performing surgery at the wrong site is rare, but it does happen. Be absolutely sure the nurses and surgeon are aware which part of your body to operate on.
General Steps to Prevent Medical Errors
- Vocalize your questions or concerns
- You have a right to question anyone who is involved with your care.
- Do not assume that everyone knows everything they need to.
- Whenever you are being handed from one health care professional to another, such as from your doctor to a hospitalist, ask the person doing the hand-off what the new health care professional needs to know. Then you can make sure it all gets communicated, even if it was not written down.
- Ask a family member or friend to come with you to the doctor’s office or hospital; they can speak up if you are unable.
- Find out why a test or treatment is needed and how it can help you (you may find you are better off without it).
If you suffered a medical error in the Atlanta area, please contact the Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer at Robbins & Associates, PC today to learn how we can get you the money you deserve.
Posted in Medical Malpractice | No Comments »
May 27th, 2011
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance program paid by Atlanta employers, providing compensation to workers who are injured on the job or suffer a job-related illness.
If you were drunk or using illegal drugs at work or your injuries are self-inflicted, your workers’ compensation case can definitely be affected, but it does not automatically disqualify your benefits.
Positive Drug Tests
After you suffer an occupational injury in Atlanta, your employer may require you to take a drug test to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in your accident. If you have a positive drug test, your employer can use that against you and argue that you were impaired and caused the accident. But even if a drug test is performed immediately after an accident, the results do not necessarily prove that drugs were in your system at the time of the accident (although a positive alcohol tests immediately after the accident will probably disqualify your claim).
For example, if you smoked marijuana the week prior to your accident, the substance is probably still in your system and you could have a positive drug test. Your employer will have to prove that the marijuana was the cause of the accident.
If you were denied workers’ compensation benefits in the Atlanta area because you were drunk or using drugs on the job, you may still qualify for benefits, depending on your situation. Please contact the Atlanta workers’ compensation attorney at Robbins & Associates, PC today to discuss your claim.
Posted in Workers' Compensation | No Comments »
April 26th, 2011
If you are involved in a car accident, one of the first major concerns is how you will pay for repairs to your car, as well as any necessary medical expenses. One way in which insurance companies determine reimbursement and other issues is by determining fault in the accident. If one person was entirely at fault for the accident, he will have to bear the brunt of the costs. However, if fault belongs to both parties, costs in the state of Georgia are determined based on comparative fault.
Proportional Comparative Fault
Fault for an automobile accident can fall upon one person who was particularly negligent. However, in many cases some fault can fall upon both parties. This is called proportional comparative fault, and in Georgia the threshold for proportional comparative fault is set at fifty-one percent. This means that if a party was at least fifty-one percent at fault for the accident, he or she is not entitled to damages.
Determining Fault
In some cases, it is clear who was to blame for an accident. In others, however, fault is less clear-cut, especially when dealing with proportional comparative fault. In these cases, if often falls to the courts to decide who is entitled to damages, and how much.
In cases where a court proceeding is necessary to determine fault, a competent, experienced car accident attorney can make all the difference. For the best representation, please contact a car accident attorney at the Atlanta offices of Robbins & Associates, P.C. We will do everything in our power to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Posted in Auto Accident, Car Accident | No Comments »
March 25th, 2011
Car accidents are traumatic enough, but a car accident suffered while you are on the job can be even more stressful. It also presents additional legal challenges, making it even more important to consult with an experienced car accident lawyer.
Definition of an On the Job Car Accident
Numerous circumstances can lead to an on the job car accident, including:
- Performing your job while using a company car
- Running errands or performing job duties while driving your own car
- Driving during a business trip
- Driving to or from a business meeting or other work-related event
On the job accidents do not have to involve a company car. They do, however, have to occur while you are performing job-related duties. A car accident that occurs during your regular morning commute is not considered an on the job accident.
Sources of Restitution
If you suffer serious injury, or if your car is severely damaged in the course of an on the job car accident, workers’ compensation is the first source that can provide funds to help cover these costs. If you were performing your job when the accident occurred, workers’ compensation should provide a certain amount of coverage. However, in cases of severe injury or disability, workers’ compensation might not prove sufficient to defray your expenses.
When workers’ compensation does not provide sufficient assistance, a standard insurance claim against a third party who caused the accident could provide additional reparations. In cases like this, it is important to have an experienced car accident lawyer on your side.
For an experienced workers’ compensation and car accident lawyer, please contact the offices of Robbins & Associates, P.C., experienced workers’ compensation and car accident lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia. We will provide the best possible guidance regarding your on the job car accident claim.
Posted in Auto Accident, Car Accident | No Comments »
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