Have You Suffered a Truck Accident?

Truck accidents can be the most devastating of all vehicular accidents.  The weight of an eighteen wheeler truck, taking for granted that the weight has not exceeded the legal limits, is 40 tons; or 80,000 pounds.  The average length of an eighteen wheeler is 70-80 feet long.  Now envision that an automobile weighs approximately 4,000 pounds.  The most popular automobile in the United States is the mid-sized, which measure only 16 feet long.  If you factor in Alaskan road conditions, weather conditions, poor visibility, etc., you can correctly assume that it is going to take an eighteen wheeler much more time to come a stop and the impact can be catastrophic.

Every year there are more trucks and automobiles on the roads.  So naturally, there are more accidents reported each year accordingly.  When a passenger vehicle comes into direct contact with an eighteen wheeler the consequences will most likely be serious.  This can become much worse when an eighteen wheeler is hauling hazardous material.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an eighteen wheeler accident you may be able to receive monetary compensation for your injuries associated with this accident.  There are circumstances when the accident is the result of neglect or failure to exercise reasonable care.  The truck accident attorneys at Pentlarge Law Group are equipped with the expertise to discern if there are indeed grounds for a lawsuit and develop the an effective approach for pursuing it.

It is never advisable for an individual person to take on a lawsuit of this magnitude on their own.  The legal system is complicated if not hopeless for someone to navigate through without the knowledge of legalese.  This is a time when you need the guidance of a professional attorney that has handled thousands of cases similar to yours.

A liable injury is basically any type of injury where a person has received physical harm.  In a case as serious as an eighteen wheeler vs. a passenger vehicle it could easily be debilitating and long-term.  There may be loss of the person’s ability to maintain their job, mental anguish and rehabilitation involved.  These are all situations that an experienced attorney from a reputable company will be very capable of handling.  By arming yourself with one of our experienced, client-focused, truck accident attorneys your chances of recovering financial damages will be greatly improved.

Oftentimes these lawsuits never even reach a courtroom.  With proper representation, your case may be settled quickly just by negotiation between the parties concerned.   If your injuries are determined to have been caused by the neglect, then that individual is liable.  In this instance, it is the insurance companies that provide the defense and their objective will always be to pay out as little as they can.

Time is of an essence, there are time limitations for filing your lawsuit.  The amount of compensation is determined by the strength of your case. The attorneys at Pentlarge Law Group can ascertain the merits of your truck driving accidents case and will keep you informed all along the way with honesty, integrity and dedication.

Have You Been Involved in a Car Accident?

Trying to navigate the roads of Alaska safely can sometimes be a difficult task.  You can take every precaution possible, but there are always outside forces that can interfere with your safe journey.  If you have been in an auto accident lately, you know that they are huge hassles that can land you in a long lawsuit.  No matter what the magnitude of the accident is, the lawyers at Pentlarge Law are here to help you or your loved ones during the difficult lawsuit process.

A growing trend in our society is attempting to text while driving, even though we are all aware of how dangerous this is.  Even if you look down for only a second or two, that is enough time to cause a serious accident that could result in major injury.  If you or someone you know has been a victim of an accident where the other party was texting while driving, Pentlarge Law can help you get the most out of the lawsuit.

Another one of the major automobile accident causers is driving while drunk.  There are many consequences of partaking in this dangerous action including major injury to you, friends, or strangers, or even death.  The attorneys at Pentlarge Law are here to help you if you have recently been involved in an accident involving drunk driving.  They have an experienced staff that knows exactly what they need to do to get you what you deserve in the lawsuit.

Speeding is dangerous no matter where you live, but in Alaska on the ice or snow covered roads it can be devastating.  You may think you are in complete control of your vehicle, but it only takes seconds for your wheels to lose traction on the slick road.  If you are speeding when this occurs, you could end up totaling your vehicle and perhaps putting other people in harms’ way as well.  So it is important to slow down while travelling on those icy roads because getting somewhere a few minutes earlier isn’t worth your life or a legal battle if you injure or kill someone else.

The attorneys at Pentlarge Law in Alaska are willing and ready to handle any automobile accident case that you may be involved in.  Their staff has plenty of courtroom experience that will enable them to be well prepared to take on your case. Car accidents can be very traumatic experiences that you do not want to have to go through on your own.  So if you need help getting out of a difficult situation involving an automobile accident, let the attorneys at Pentlarge Law do all of the hard work for you.

Uninsured Motorists

Sadly, new statistics are showing that nearly fifty million Americans have gone without health insurance for at least part of this past year.  That number is up from 46 million people in 2008, federal health officials are currently reporting.

The people included are not only those Americans living in poverty, but also those considered to be middle income people, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the way our economy has shifted in the past two years, with the recession, a lot of people have cut out the added cost of carrying medical insurance for themselves and their families in order to keep food on the table and gas in their cars.

What does this have to do with Car accidents and injuries? Because in addition to that statistic, and on an even scarier note, thousands upon thousands of drivers on the nation’s roads right now don’t carry auto insurance, despite the laws in all but two states that require us to have it.   If you don’t have medical coverage for you and your family and you end up getting involved in a car accident with an uninsured motorist, you are in a world of trouble.  Not only physically, but the financial devastation that will follow all of the medical bills may last longer than the pain of the initial injury.

It’s not against the law for you not to have health insurance, but it is against the law to be driving a vehicle without proper motor vehicle coverage. There is no way to gauge the severity of a likely accident, and sometimes you don’t even realize that you need to go to the hospital until days later when the whiplash sets in and the shock wears off.  Sometimes even small car accidents that seem like insignificant fender benders can amount to months and months of therapy for problems in the neck and back area.  These types of injuries can be a huge financial nightmare considering that you’ll be not only paying for the expense of countless hospital visits, but also medications, and possibly surgeries in the long run.  It is imperative that you have your case reviewed by an experienced attorney if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

Again the flip side of this coin is that you may be one of those law abiding citizens that has adequate insurance coverage on your vehicle, but you opted for liability only and you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage.  Now your car is totaled and you are the one responsible to pay to replace it!  This is why we have lawyers to back you up and make sure that you get the money that you rightly deserve!  Unfortunately, there will always be people that try to skate outside the law when it comes to mandatory requirements, but by hiring the right type of lawyer, one that is experienced in dealing solely with these types of cases, you can let them handle the headache so that you don’t have to.

I get a lot of phone calls from people recently hurt in accidents because their medical bills begin piling up.  It can be a worrisome situation.  Dylan Buchholdt, an attorney at Pentlarge Law Group, has prepared this blog to address these issues for you.
Regards,
James B. Pentlarge

“MEDICAL BILLS” BLOG                                                                                                        By:  Dylan Buchholdt
If you are physically injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent driver then more likely than not you start to incur medical expenses.  Depending upon how badly you are hurt, you may face ambulance charges, hospital emergency room charges, and follow-up medical expenses within hours of the car crash.  Unless you have been involved in a prior motor vehicle accident, you will likely wonder how the medical bills will be paid, particularly if the other driver is at fault for causing the car crash and your injuries.
Most people want the at fault drivers insurance to immediately begin paying their medical bills as they incur them.  Unfortunately, this rarely happens.  Ultimately the at fault drivers automobile insurance will have to pay your medical bills.  However, they only have to pay them at the time the case is finally settled or at the time they are made to pay by a jury verdict at trial.  Because the at fault drivers insurance is not your insurance, the at fault drivers insurance usually refuses to pay your medical bills while you incur them.  They prefer to wait until settlement or a trial, perhaps in the hopes of forcing you into a early settlement at the prospect of mounting medical bills.
If you have medical payment coverage as part of your personal motor vehicle insurance (or if you are riding as a passenger in a car that has medical payment coverage) then your own insurance company will likely be first in line to pay your medical expenses relating to the motor vehicle accident – up to the limits of your coverage.  For example, if your car insurance contract provides for $5,000.00 in medical payment coverage then the first $5,000.00 of your medical expenses will be paid for by your insurance company subject to your insurance company verifying that the medical expenses are reasonable, necessary, and arising from your car crash.  Should your medical expenses exceed the amount of medical payment coverage available, then you will need to make other arrangements with your medical providers to make sure that their services are paid for.  This may involve having your employee health insurance plan pay the bills subject to your agreement to reimburse the plan out of any potential settlement or jury award.  If you do not have health insurance then you may have to make other arrangements (e.g. signing a medical lien or paying out of pocket).

Although you might feel strongly that this process does not make sense, this is the normal process.  Ultimately, your medical expenses are a component of your damages that you can pursue with the other driver’s insurance company.  With Pentlarge Law Group’s help you can fight to ensure that all of your medical expenses are paid by the other driver’s insurance company.   We help injured Alaskans.

Workers’ Compensation Cases

Many people have been contacting Pentlarge Law Group about their workers’ compensation cases.  We do not handle workers’ compensation cases but I thought I would post a bit of information to help those of you who are looking for an attorney.

You have a workers’ compensation case if you have a job related injury.  Job related injuries occur not only when you are injured at work, but, whenever your injury arises out of or in the course and scope of your employment.  If you think you have a job related injury and believe you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, you should see a workers’ compensation lawyer or call the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board and ask to speak with a technician.

It is important to know that some work place injuries can lead to both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim against a negligent third party.

In some cases, a job related injury is caused by the negligence of someone other than your employer or a coworker.  In such circumstances, you may have a claim against the negligent party who injured you in addition to your workers’ compensation case.  This is called a third party claim.  If you feel you have a job related injury caused by the negligence of some third party, feel free to call us so that we may determine if the circumstances are appropriate for us to set up a free in-office consultation

If your workplace injury does not involve the negligence of a third party, you may only have a workers’ compensation claim. Here is a link to the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board website:  http://www.labor.state.ak.us/wc/.  The website provides valuable information and reading material which may help you with your claim.  Specifically, posted on the website is pamphlet entitled Workers’ Comp and You – Info for Injured Workers which may provide valuable insight for your reference: Go to http://www.labor.state.ak.us/wc/wc-brochure.pdf.  There are important time deadlines which you must follow, so be sure to get the information you need.

At Pentlarge Law Group we consider Workers’ Compensation Law to be a specialty area legal practice and we do not handle workers’ compensation cases.  The majority of lawyers who do handle Workers’ Compensation Law cases specialize in handling them.  You may contact the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board to obtain a list of lawyers who handle workers’ compensation cases.