Personal Injury Attorney
Nerina Smart

Like pedestrians and motorcyclists, bicyclists are also very vulnerable when hit by a vehicle. Bicyclists involved in car accidents can suffer life-threatening or long-term injuries. Those injuries can prevent the victim from returning to work, making the damages extensive. A highly experienced personal injury attorney from The Law Offices of Nerina Smart, P.A., will be a strong advocate for an injured bicyclist.

As the most common type of personal injury claim, The Law Offices of Nerina Smart, P.A. handles all types of car accidents. When another driver fails to act in the same way another reasonable driver would have done, negligence may be present. The driver may have exhibited careless or reckless driving behaviors or may have failed to follow the basic rules of the road.

Because rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are relatively new but increasingly popular, cases involving rideshare companies are also experiencing growth. For this reason, it is imperative that you have solid legal assistance following a rideshare accident to ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries.

Trucks are so much larger than passenger vehicles. The injuries to those hit by a truck are likely to be severe—or fatal. Truck accidents are especially complex because there are a number of potential defendants following a truck accident. The truck driver could be liable if he or she was impaired, distracted, or overly fatigued. The trucking company could be liable if they failed to conduct a thorough background check, put an inexperienced driver on the road, or looked the other way when the driver exceeded allowed hours. The maintenance company could be held liable if it failed to conduct routine maintenance on the truck, particularly the brakes and tires. If poorly loaded cargo caused the accident, then the loading company could be held responsible. Finally, the manufacturer of the truck could be responsible for the accident if a defective truck part was responsible for the accident.

Motorcyclists may unfairly be seen as reckless or hard-living. This is actually far from the truth for the vast majority of motorcyclists. Having an experienced personal injury attorney that can skillfully combat those stereotypes can be crucial in obtaining a fair settlement for your motorcycle accident. Motorcyclists, like bicyclists and pedestrians, are particularly vulnerable to auto accidents and are likely to have severe injuries to deal with due to the negligence of another.

Unfortunately, many drivers do not fully watch for pedestrians. Elderly pedestrians, along with the very young, are especially vulnerable groups. An elderly person may not be able to cross the road quickly, leaving them vulnerable to speeding or careless drivers. Young children often pull away from their parents and dart across the street, so drivers must be especially vigilant when driving in the city. Because pedestrians may have very serious injuries, having a strong personal injury attorney is necessary to ensure a fair outcome.

A wrongful death claim occurs when the victim of a personal injury dies as a result of those injuries. Family members may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault party for future lost wages of the deceased, funeral costs, loss of inheritance, loss of guidance (for children of the deceased), and loss of consortium.

Premises liability concerns accidents that occur on another’s property due to a dangerous condition that the owner knew—or should have known—existed. The owner of private property that has a dangerous hazard on the property such as a known aggressive dog, could be held liable for injuries sustained on the property. Owners of public places like grocery stores, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. are also liable for injuries to the public when a hazard exists for sufficient time that the owner or employees should have known about it. Slip and fall accidents from a spill in a grocery store, or an attack in the parking lot of a hotel due to poor security are also examples of premises liability claims.

Consumers expect that products they purchase will perform as advertised and that there will not be hidden dangers associated with the products. When an injury occurs as the result of a defective or dangerous product, the victim may file a product liability claim.