Things You May Not Know About The Law

To say that the field of law is a complex one would be an understatement. There are so many complicated terms, and laws differ from place-to-place. For example dog bite laws in Arizona may differ from dog bite laws in Washington depending on if they are a statute state or not. States that are not statute states have a 'one-free bite' policy whereas others do not. Just to make matters more confusing! With that being said, in this blog post we are going to take a look at snapshots of useful information about the law that you may not know. So, let’s get started…

There is a time limit on personal injury cases

You may be aware of the fact that you can make a claim if you have been injured and it was not your fault. However, did you know that there is a time limit?

You typically have three years from the date of the accident to contact personal injury attorneys in Queens (or wherever you’re from), and court proceedings must be issued within this period. 

The only exceptions tend to relate to scenarios where the injuries have developed over time, such as industrial deafness. In these cases, there is no such thing as an accident date, as people often find themselves making a claim against someone they worked for over 20 years ago. Because of this, you will have three years from the date of your diagnosis instead.

You will also find it much easier to claim the sooner you do it. This is because the details will be fresh in your mind, and so there is less chance of you forgetting anything important. Not only this, but it will be easier for your solicitor to get their hands on pivotal pieces of evidence, such as witness statements. After all, if you wait a couple of years there is every chance that your witnesses may have changed their address or telephone number, or they may not be able to remember the incident very well.

You can use the law to erase the past

We all do things we regret. However, if you have a record, it can really hold you back in many different areas of your life. This includes in terms of your career, as well as purchasing a house, renting a property and so on. You may even feel like you are being targeted unfairly because you have been the victim of identity fraud.

No matter what applies, there could be a way for you to erase these bolts on your record. This is where an expungement lawyer comes in. These are legal professionals that are dedicated to clearing people’s records so that they can get back on with their life. You may think that there is no way for you to do this, but you never know! There are so many different laws that can work in your favour.

There is a type of lawyer for anything and everything

You decide that you need a lawyer…but what are all the different types of lawyers? Employment lawyers, bankruptcy lawyers, corporate lawyers, criminal lawyers, general practice attorneys, family attorneys, medical insurance lawyers, discrimination lawyers, wrongful death attorneys like GJEL, inheritance attorneys and much, much more. This listing of different types of lawyers just scratches the surface of the various professions which are accessible to you. No doubt you are going to have the capacity to gather what the attorney deals with by their name. A general practice attorney is someone that copes with little disputes. A Social Security Disability Attorney in Florida (or elsewhere) can help you with disabilities needs. If you want to work in law, you must explore the pay of every attorney, together with the abilities and qualifications needed, before deciding. If you are simply looking for a lawyer to assist you, you can be sure there is something that specialises in whatever sort of dispute or issue you are dealing with.

One woman received $640,00 for a hot coffee she spilled on herself

This is the case of “Liebeck v McDonald’s Restaurants” – more commonly referred to as McDonald’s Coffee Case. On February 27th 1992, poor Stella Liebeck spilt a McDonald’s coffee all over herself, and as a result one of the most unusual personal injury claims proceeded to take place. In fact, so unusual and shocking was this case that a documentary was even made about it. American premium cable channel HBO (Home Box Office) showed a documentary that delved into the case and looked at many myths surrounding it – one being that the woman was driving whilst the coffee spilt.

Stella Liebeck was originally awarded a monumental $2.9m. The reason she was given this sum of money was because McDonald’s had given her a coffee that was deemed ‘too hot’. However, in the end this fee was reduced. The conclusion was drawn that coffee is bound to be hot; after all it is made with boiling water! Nevertheless, in the end Ms. Liebeck still managed to receive $640,000 compensation.

The 79-year-old woman ended up in hospital for eight days because of the ordeal. On the day itself, Stella was at a McDonald’s in Gibson Boulevard. Her grandson was driving the car and once they had received their order from the drive-through they stopped because Stella wished to add some cream and sugar to her coffee. The coffee was placed in between her legs, and it unfortunately spilt all over her. As a result, Ms. Liebeck experienced third degree burns on areas of her skin. During her eight day stay in hospital she underwent skin grafting. She also lost 20 pounds in weight and had to undergo two years of medical treatment as a result.

It also could have been a much cheaper ordeal for McDonalds as well. Ms Liebeck’s lawyer tried to settle with the company for $20,000 initially in order to cover the expected cost of her medical expenses. But, the fast food chain offered a mere £800. In the end, they ended up paying 800 times as much as they had offered.

Hopefully, you have learnt a few things about the law you may not have known before reading this blog post. Of course, if you find yourself in a position whereby you need legal guidance, it is always better to use a professional service.