The force of a serious car accident can put a great deal stress on the body. Without the proper restraint, drivers and passengers could suffer very serious injuries in the event of a crash. Since cars have made seat belts and air bags standard, auto accident-related injuries and fatalities have declined significantly. However, air bags and seat belts are only designed to protect adult-sized drivers and passengers. In order to have suitable protection, children must have proper car seats, booster seats and other restraints according to their size.

To maximize your child’s safety, make sure to choose the right car seat for your child’s age, weight and height. Here are some quick guidelines to keep in mind:

• Newborn-1 year: For infants, choose a rear-facing car seat.
• 1-3 years: Continue using a rear-facing car seat until your child reaches the maximum height and/or weight allowed by the manufacturer, and then switch to a forward-facing car seat with a harness.
• 4-7 years: Use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until your child outgrows it. Then, switch to a booster seat.
• 8-12 years: Use a booster seat until your child can fit a seat belt properly. With a proper-fitting seat belt, the lap belt will fit snugly against the upper thighs and the shoulder belt will fit snugly against the shoulder and chest.

In addition to using children under the age of 13 should always ride in the backseat. Riding facing forward in the front seat significantly raise you child’s risk of going through the windshield in a high-speed crash.

In Arizona, children under the age of five are required to ride in a car seat with a restraint. Drivers who violate this law face up to a $50 fine. However, this can be waived if the driver subsequently purchases proper restraint. Arizona is one of only three U.S. states without a booster seat requirement. However, the Arizona legislature is currently considering a bill that would require children between the ages of five and eight who are shorter than 4’9″ to use a booster seat. If passed, this could help lower the number of children injured in auto accidents every year.

The auto accident attorneys of Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience are here to help with all your personal injury legal needs. Please contact us for a free legal consultation.

When involved in an accident, the drivers involved are obligated legally to stop, offer assistance to the other driver and exchange pertinent information. But what do you do when another driver damages your car, then simply drives away? Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario for many Arizona accident victims. According to Arizona Department of Transportation statistics, there were more than 11,000 reported hit-and-run accidents in Arizona in 2010, and those accidents left more than 3,000 people injured and 44 dead.

There are a variety of reasons why a driver flee the scene of an accident. In many cases, the driver may not have enough insurance, or any insurance at all, to cover the costs of the accident. Often, hit-and-run drivers do not have valid licenses and would face huge fines, jail time and other legal consequences if caught. Regardless of why the driver failed to stop at the accident, hit-and-runs can leave accident victims in touch situations with property damage, medical bills and other expenses to cover.

However, hit-and-run victims aren’t left without recourse. If you’ve been involved in a hit-and-run accident, here’s what you can do in order to recoup accident-related expenses:

• Call the police. As soon as possible after the other driver has fled the scene, contact the police and file a report that states that you were involved in a hit-and-run accident. You will need this report in order to file a claim with your insurance company. When filing the report, please provide the police with any details you can remember about the accident, including location, time of day, physical description of driver, make, model and color of car and any plate information.

• File an insurance claim. If you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, you should be able to file a claim with your auto insurance company. When filing a claim, be sure to mention that the official police report declared the accident a hit and run.

• Contact an attorney. Reaching a settlement can be difficult in any auto accident and a hit-and-run accident is certainly no exception. An auto accident lawyer who encounters hit-and-run cases like yours on a regular basis can answer all of your questions and help guide you through the legal process to an equitable settlement.

If you or a loved one find yourself the victim of a hit-and-run accident, the attorneys at Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience Law can provide you with the legal representation and assistance you need. Contact us today for a free initial legal consultation.

Medical mistakes, including misdiagnoses, surgical errors or incorrect medications, can cost patients their health, not to mention their lives. According to the Institute of Medicine, as many as 98,000 Americans die every year due to preventable medical errors. Medical malpractice lawsuits, a form of personal injury lawsuits, are designed to protect victims of errors made by doctors, hospitals, clinics, pharmacists and other medical figures. However, a recent Arizona court ruling may make it more challenging for medical malpractice and wrongful death plaintiffs to prove wrongdoing on the part of the state’s medical community.

The medical malpractice lawsuit in question was on the behalf of Judy Benkendorf, an Arizona woman who developed blood clots in her lung following a 2003 surgical procedure to remove her cancerous left kidney. She was prescribed medication by doctors to help reduce blood clots, but she died two years later as a result of a massive brain hemorrhage.

Allen Benkendorf, Judy’s husband, filed a medical malpractice suit against the clinic who treated her, claiming that her death was the result of their negligent monitoring and adjusting of her blood clot medication. However, he was unsuccessful in blocking the testimony of Dr. Kurt Schroeder, the defense’s medical expert who testified that Judy’s death could have been attributed to a number of other factors, including her age, hypertension and possibility of stroke. The jury ruled in the clinic’s favor. Allen filed an appeal on the grounds that defendants must present alternate causes of injury that are probable, not just possible. His claim was struck down by the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Judge Michael Brown, writing on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel, said plaintiffs in medical malpractice lawsuits must prove that their injury was, beyond a shadow of doubt, caused by an act or omission on the behalf of the defendant. Defendants in medical malpractice suits, however, only have to prove that something else could have caused the injury.

However, Brown said that this ruling does not give medical malpractice defendants license to assert that anything else could have caused the injury without providing evidence that validates that claim. Also, plaintiffs still have the opportunity to cross-examine the defense’s witnesses and present evidence that negates their testimonies.

The long-term implications of this ruling, including how much of an advantage this gives doctors and hospitals, are yet to be determined. However, it does emphasize the value of having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side in medical malpractice cases.

The personal injury attorneys of Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience offer more than 50 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured patients. If you’re considering bringing a medical malpractice or wrongful death lawsuit, please contact us for a free initial consultation.

If a slip and fall accident occurs on your property, or on a property for which you’re responsible, knowing what to do will help you deal with any legal repercussions that may arise.

To be done immediately:

1. Get proper medical attention for the affected person. Make sure that the person who has fallen is assessed and given appropriate treatment. If the injury appears serious, do not move the victim. Perform any necessary first aid and call for emergency medical help.

2. Gather data. Collect contact information from both the injured party and any witnesses to the incident. Take photos of the scene. Write down details of the accident, citing specific materials, equipment and tools involved. Keep any evidence in a safe place. Damaged or broken materials should also be kept. These are usually the most decisive pieces of evidence for personal injury lawyers and accident attorneys.

3. Report the Accident. Get in touch with your property insurer as soon as possible and let them know what happened. Follow any instructions your insurer may give you.

To be done within 24 hours of the accident:

4. Get back in touch with the injured party. Express your concern for his or her well-being. Inquire as to whether the victim has received appropriate treatment and arranged for followup treatment. Do not accept or assign blame for the incident. If you find out that a claim has been or will be filed, notify your insurer.

5. If the victim is an employee, make him or her aware that a claim will be processed. It’s important to take care of workers’ compensation claims promptly and properly.

If you are involved in a personal injury lawsuit, contact the experts at Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience, PLC. With years of experience, as well as a thorough knowledge of the complex field of personal injury law, you’ll feel safe and secure knowing you have an experienced Arizona personal injury law firm help fight your legal battles. We can be reached at 480-833-8800 or 800-501-2782.