What Happens If You Don’t Treat A Concussion?

A concussion can happen to anyone. Sports, games and activities can put anyone at risk of suffering a mild traumatic brain injury like a concussion. Those who play contact sports like football, baseball and wrestling are at a higher risk than others, but even a minor slip and fall on the sidewalk can turn into a concussion.

If you have experienced symptoms and signs of a concussion, never delay your care. Seek medical attention right away and talk to a doctor, as an untreated concussion can cause long-term medical problems, and may impact your future brain function.

If you have suffered a concussion or other head injury due to a car accident in Washington, you need to work with a car accident lawyer who takes the time to listen to your unique experience.

When you’re dealing with injuries caused by someone else’s carelessness, especially a concussion, it’s important that you have a dedicated Yakima personal injury attorney on your legal team.

Your lawyer can help you file a claim and seek the compensation that you deserve while staying on top of the latest case information to ensure that all of your needs are being met.

What Is A Concussion?

Concussions are mild head injuries caused by a blow to the head. Any significant impact to the head can result in a concussion, and concussions may also be referred to as "mild traumatic brain injuries". Often, concussions are caused by severe injuries to the head, such as skull fractures, blast injuries, sports injuries, and whiplash injuries.

Concussions can range in severity based on the severity of the impact to the head; however, concussions are generally classified as a less severe form of head trauma. An individual who has experienced a concussion will not necessarily lose consciousness.

What Are The Signs And Common Symptoms Of A Concussion?

If you have hit your head hard, whether on the ground, against a hard object, or even due to the impact of a crash, warning signs and symptoms can show up right away, or over the course of a few hours or even days.

Remember, rough physical activity such as contact sports can lead to a concussion, but an individual can suffer a concussion or similar traumatic brain injury by even taking a minor slip and fall on a sidewalk.

Signs and symptoms that you may have a concussion include:

• Persistent dizziness

• Nausea, with or without

• Loss of consciousness

• Slurred speech

• Confusion

• Irritability

• Double or blurry vision

What Happens If You Are Active While You Have A Concussion?

If you go back to work, sports, or any other strenuous physical activity after a brain injury occurred -- without first checking in with a medical professional -- you run the risk of making your symptoms even worse.

Second Impact Syndrome happens when someone returns to physical activity too soon after suffering a concussion and suffers another traumatic injury. A concussion, even a mild case, is a serious enough injury that you could have potential long-term side effects.

Always obey the doctor’s orders to mitigate the risk of making symptoms worsen by returning to physical activity too soon after the previous concussion. Proper concussion recovery can take time, and risking further damage to your brain tissue is the last thing you want.

What Should I Do If I Suffered A Concussion In A Car Accident?

Anyone who has suffered a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, and subsequently suffered a concussion, needs to get help from a medical professional right away.

Documenting your signs and symptoms and getting the treatment you need is the most important step to making a full recovery. Always see a doctor or go to the emergency room as soon as possible after getting into a car accident, especially if you are experiencing any of the concussion symptoms that you see above. These signs can be indicative of a severe head injury.

The next most important step is to call a lawyer about your accident. At Church & Page, we offer a free, no-obligation consultation for any car accident victim who has been injured or suffered damages from the crash– especially those battling with a concussion.

We’re compassionate to what accident victims have suffered, and understand that recovering from a serious injury such as a concussion can be life-changing.

Our lawyers will stop at nothing to fight to hold the at-fault party accountable, and will take the time to understand exactly how the crash happened so we can best pursue your case. When you’ve been seriously injured due to another person’s negligence, it is not an easy road ahead. However, having a strong legal team at Church & Page on your side can make a world of difference going up against insurance companies and their legal team.

How Can A Lawyer Help Me Recover From A Concussion?

If your concussion was caused by someone else’s negligence, whether via a car accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall, or other type of accident, a lawyer can help you seek justice by holding the at-fault party accountable and defending your right to compensation.

If you have been hurt due to someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket to repair your damages and recover. At Church & Page, we fight for your right to compensation for accident-related expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings, and even your pain and suffering.

Schedule a free, no-obligation with Yakima and Kennewick personal injury lawyers Church & Page today to get started recovering from your accident-related concussion.

What Is Personal Injury Protection (PIP)?

How Can I Open A Personal Injury Protection Claim After An Automobile Collision?

Do you have Personal Injury Protection (PIP)? Adding this specific type of coverage to your car insurance policy is a wise decision. If an accident strikes, this coverage will help you pay damages that otherwise you’d likely need to pay out of pocket, or through your health insurance. Personal Injury Protection coverage is additional coverage that one adds to their car, motorcycle or truck insurance policy. This type of protection is designed to help you pay for certain damages should you become involved in any type of accident with your insured vehicle. Personal Injury Protection coverage can help pay for hospital bills, medical costs, lost income and even funeral expenses, up to a certain amount.

An auto accident can bring sudden financial hardship on an unsuspecting victim. No one ever anticipates that they will get into an accident, so being proactively prepared in case one occurs is a smart idea. In Washington state, purchasing PIP car insurance is not required by law and for most states, drivers are only required to carry liability car insurance. However, it’s a wise decision to add this coverage to your auto insurance policy as it will certainly come in handy should you become injured after a car accident.

PIP insurance is available to be used by anyone in your vehicle who was injured at the time of the accident. Personal Injury Protection is a form of no fault insurance, so regardless of who is to blame for the car accident, the coverage will still apply.

This differs from other coverage like bodily injury liability coverage, which is used to pay for damages of the opposite party when you are at fault for the accident. PIP insurance kicks in before your health insurance does, and is used first for paying medical bills or funeral and burial expenses after an accident. Once the funds from the Personal Injury Protection are exhausted, health insurance will cover the rest of the expenses related to the accident.

What Are The Benefits Of Having Personal Injury Protection?

There are a multitude of benefits to having this special type of coverage. Depending on the specifics of your auto insurance policy, accident victims who have PIP coverage are able to have their hospital expenses and medical expenses paid for a maximum of three years following the accident, or up to $10,000. Without PIP coverage, an accident victim may face financial hardship while trying to heal from their accident.

When you have Personal Injury Protection, you don’t have to pay a copay or deductible when you visit the doctor’s office. And, remember, since PIP coverage is a no-fault type of coverage, you and your passengers are covered regardless of who caused the accident. With more and more accidents happening every day, many Washington drivers are adding Personal Injury Protection coverage to their insurance policies just to be safe.

How Can I Open A Personal Injury Protection Claim After An Automobile Collision?

If you have suffered car accident injuries in Washington and need to open up a Personal Injury Protection claim, first contact your insurance company. For your PIP insurance claim, you’ll need to formally report the accident and provide them with certain information. We’ve outlined steps for you to follow below, but if you have any additional questions you can reach out to our law firm for help.

Next, ask your insurance company to confirm whether or not you have Personal Injury Protection coverage. Your insurance company representative will be able to tell you the amount of coverage you have available to use. Be sure to get the claim number and contact information for the claims office, as you’ll need to speak with them as well.

Once you call the claim’s office, discuss your claim with the adjuster and ask them to send you an application for PIP and an Attending Physician’s Report right away. This information is crucial, and should be filled out and returned to the adjuster as soon as possible.

For those who had to miss work to heal their injuries, there’s an additional step you must take in order to receive PIP coverage for your lost wages. Have your employer fill out a Salary Verification Form, and return it to your adjuster.

The doctors and health care providers who are taking care of you after the accident will need your claim number, adjuster name and the contact information of your claim office, so be sure to complete this step promptly as well. Since your PIP coverage will cover the cost of your medical treatment to a certain extent, you need to let your doctor know to bill your insurance coverage directly. It’s wise to get a report for your treatment also, as this may come in handy further down the line.

Call Church & Page If You’ve Been Injured In An Auto Accident In Washington

If you have been injured in a auto accident in Washington and need help filing a Personal Injury Protection Claim, contact Church & Page today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

What Is A Summary Judgment?

When cases go to trial, it is no secret that the opposing parties involved in the proceedings usually do not agree with one another. It all boils down to your word versus theirs and, of course, whatever the evidence from the accident proves. However, sometimes a plaintiff and defendant do actually agree on certain facts regarding the case and there is no genuine dispute to be had. Similarly, in other cases, the evidence is so overwhelming that there’s no room for any dispute. In these situations, a motion for a summary judgment may be made.

When the facts of the case are not disputed by the plaintiff and defendant, it makes it almost purposeless to take the issue to trial. It changes the scope of the lawsuit greatly. When the facts are not disputed, a “movant” can proceed forward with a summary judgment motion. This is typically either the plaintiff or the defendant. Regardless of who files the motion for the summary judgment, this person will be required to prove a few things for the motion to be successful–if the movement is granted at all.

Read on to learn how summary judgments work within personal injury law, especially if you are involved with a civil lawsuit at the moment. Our team of Washington car accident attorneys can help, and will stop at nothing to get you the best possible outcome for your personal injury cases.

What Must A Movant Prove For A Summary Judgment?

If a plaintiff or defendant acting as a movant is granted a summary judgment, they will have to prove a few things. The party seeking summary judgment must prove that there either isn't material fact that could reasonably be disputed in this particular case, or that because of these undisputed facts, the movant is eligible to summary judgment under the law.

This may seem confusing for those who do not have specific legal expertise in this field. For example, if two people are involved in a car accident, one might assume that one ran through a stop sign and therefore caused the car crash to occur. Let’s say, in this instance, security camera footage proves that one person did in fact run through the stop sign, and hit the other car involved. The person who got hit could then file for a summary judgment because, due to the clarity of the evidence, it can not be held that the party opposing the claim did not run the stop sign or hit the car.

If a summary judgment is relevant to your case, the right lawyer will provide you with advice and the best possible steps to take to move forward successfully with your accident case.

What Happens When A Summary Judgment Is Granted?

After the motion for summary judgment is made, it remains to be seen if the summary judgment is actually granted. If the summary judgment is granted, this might actually end the civil suit before it even has to go to trial before a judge. It's also important to note that in some cases partial summary judgment may also be granted. In this situation the judge will rule on some claims while other claims will still need a full trial.

The trial can be concluded at this point, since there is no reason to go to trial if either both parties agree, or the evidence is so strong that nothing can be disputed.

Luckily, if the summary judgment is granted, you do not have to deal with the stresses of trial or the headache of the litigation proceedings. If it’s applicable in your car, truck or motorcycle accident to file for a summary judgment, our lawyers will advise you to.

This is one of the many reasons why it is incredibly important that you schedule a free consultation with a Washington accident lawyer following a car accident, or any other type of personal injury.

With the right direction and legal advice, you can walk away from your car accident case with everything you need to get your life back.

How Much Is A Consultation With A Car Accident Lawyer In Washington?

Not all car accident and personal injury lawyers in Washington offer a free consultation to those in need. But, at Church and Page, we never charge for your initial case evaluation. Our hardworking accident attorneys are just a phone call away, and will stop at nothing to get you the compensation you deserve after a car accident.

In your free initial case evaluation, we’ll listen attentively to the details of your unique accident case, listen to how you were hurt, and provide you with advice moving forward. We will investigate your incident in order to identify all possible witnesses, all law enforcement investigations, and all insurance coverage available. We even work with your medical providers to verify medical expenses and confirm that all the treatment you have received because of your injury is properly considered by the insurance companies, and work with your employer to obtain all documentation needed to prove your claim for lost wages.