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Gulfport Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Qualified Gulfport Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Ready to Win Your Case

Serving Clients in Biloxi and Pascagoula too

If you have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) following an accident, there is a lot you need to know. Understanding how to navigate the claims process can seem daunting, especially while trying to recover from a brain injury. You may be wondering who will pay for your injuries, time off work, property damage, etc. It’s crucial to concentrate on your recovery, which is why you should call a skilled Gulfport traumatic brain injury attorney right away.

First, and most importantly, you are not alone. Professional help is available in the greater Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula areas. There are top-notch medical professionals who can assist you through every stage of the recovery process.

Second, you may be entitled to a significant financial recovery. As you are undoubtedly learning, financial and non-financial costs can be substantial. Even if you expect to make a full recovery, you could easily incur tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages before you return to your normal life. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other non-financial losses are eligible for financial compensation in Mississippi as well – the economic value of these losses could very well exceed your direct financial harm.

Third, if you are entitled to financial recovery, it should cost you nothing out of pocket to recover the compensation you deserve. Your initial consultation with a Gulfport brain injury law firm should be free, and you should not be asked to pay anything unless you win just compensation. Your situation is challenging enough without wondering if your lawyer is treating you fairly. This form of contingency-fee representation ensures that your Gulfport brain injury attorney will always have your best interests in mind.

Personalized Service and Contingency-Fee Representation for Claims

At Smith & Holder, PLLC, our Gulfport brain injury lawyers provide experienced legal representation for accident victims diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. We take a personalized approach that ensures our clients receive the treatment they need and the compensation they deserve. And we do not charge any fees or costs unless we win.

Our experienced Gulfport TBI attorneys have experience in cases involving a variety of different types of accidents, and we represent individuals and families in cases involving all types of traumatic brain injuries. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with any of the following (or if you simply have questions and would like to speak with an experienced Gulfport traumatic brain injury lawyer), we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation:

• Concussion,
• Contusion,
• Coup-contrecoup injury,
• Diffuse axonal injury,
• Edema,
• Intracerebral hemorrhage,
• Penetrating brain injury,
• Skull fracture, and
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage

Even a seemingly minor brain injury can be serious and cause long-term problems. Don’t assume that your TBI is mild and that you don’t need medical treatment or representation by a skilled lawyer.

How Our Gulfport Brain Injury Law Firm Can Help

Pursuing a brain injury claim is complicated. You need an experienced legal advocate on your side who knows how best to proceed. When you retain Smith & Holder, PLLC, we will build the strongest case possible. We will immediately open an independent investigation, which includes:

• Gathering evidence that supports your claim;
• Identifying and pursuing all potentially liable parties;
• Compiling all your medical records and loss of earnings documentation;
• Determining the potential value of your claim;
• Hiring any necessary expert witnesses;
• Aggressively negotiating the best settlement possible;
• Meeting all legal deadlines; and
• Preparing your case for trial if unable to settle.

Don’t leave your case to chance. Your potential compensation is directly linked to the skill of your attorney. We have years of negotiation experience and can help you fight for the maximum compensation possible.

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs): Seeking Financial Compensation for TBI in Mississippi

Call an Experienced Gulfport Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one have been a victim, let a dedicated Gulfport traumatic brain injury lawyer from Smith & Holder, PLLC help you. To learn more about your legal rights in a free and confidential consultation, please call us or inquire online today. As an experienced injury legal team, we also have expertise in representing accident victims with other types of injury cases such as spinal cord injury and wrongful death claim. Our law office is located in Gulfport, Mississippi, and we are honored to serve Biloxi, Pascagoula, and all of Jackson and Harrison Counties with high-quality injury legal representation.

Gulfport Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

Dedicated Gulfport Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys Ready To Assist You

Serving Victims in Biloxi Also

Among all of the different types of accident-related injuries, perhaps no diagnosis is more distressing than a spinal cord injury. Your spinal cord is one of the most important – and most fragile – parts of your body. Even a relatively minor injury can have a lifetime of consequences.

With symptoms ranging from back pain to paralysis, spinal cord injuries (SCI) can take several different forms, and they can impact all levels of the spine. While injuries higher up the spinal cord tend to have the greatest potential consequences, all traumatic spinal cord injuries should be treated as potential medical emergencies.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, contact Smith & Holder, PLLC today.

Experienced Attorneys for Spinal Cord Injuries are On Your Side

At Smith & Holder, PLLC, we are committed to helping accident victims who have suffered severe traumatic injuries recover just compensation for their losses. We understand the life-altering effects of spinal cord injuries, and we know that recovery can be a slow, difficult, and painful process. We also know that it can be extraordinarily expensive, and that accident victims often struggle to recover the money they need to move on.

If you have been diagnosed with a spinal cord injury following a vehicle collision or other accident in Gulfport, we are here to help. Our spinal cord injury lawyers are here to explain your legal rights in the language you can understand, and we are here to make sure you win the compensation you deserve. One of our injury legal team will meet with you personally in a free and confidential consultation. If you cannot travel we will come to you. And if you hire us to represent you, you won’t pay a dime until you receive a settlement or win a verdict at trial.

Common Causes of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries

Our practice involves representing individuals and families who are struggling to cope with the effects of all types of accident-related injuries. Regardless of what happened, if you or a family member has been diagnosed with an injury involving your spinal cord, you owe it to yourself to find out if you have a claim for compensation. As experienced Gulfport Spinal cord injury lawyers, we have the expertise in representing accident victims in the greater Gulfport area, and we handle cases including those involving:

• Automotive Accidents
• Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
• Premises-Related Accidents (including Slips, Trips, and Falls)
• Product Defects Liability – Related Accidents
• Trucking Accidents

These, including motorcycle accidents, sports, and recreation accidents in addition to other accidents, can cause many different types of spinal cord injuries. Our Gulfport spinal cord injury attorney helps accident victims who have been diagnosed with injuries such as:

• Anterior Cord Syndrome
• Brown-Sequard Syndrome
• Central Cord Syndrome
• Herniated Discs
• Penetrating Spinal Cord Injuries
• Paraplegia
• Quadriplegia
• Spinal Fractures
• Triplegia

Answers to FAQs: Spinal Cord Injuries from Vehicle Collisions and Other Accidents

Committed and Aggressive Advocates for Accident Victims

If you have questions about your legal rights, it is important that you speak with a Gulfport spinal cord injury attorney. Here are five reasons why accident victims in Gulfport trust legal team Chris Smith and Morgan Holder:

• Personalized Attention: We care about your case, and it shows.
• Direct 24/7 Access: You can reach your attorney directly 24/7.
• Attention to Detail: We focus on the details to maximize our clients’ recoveries.
• Unwavering Commitment: We do what it takes to win.
• Client-Focused Representation: If you aren’t satisfied, neither are we.

Contact our Gulfport Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer

To find out how much you are entitled to recover from the injury to your spinal cord, please contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation initial consultation. Contact us today to speak with our Gulfport spinal cord injury lawyers about your case, we are here to help you. Phone directly, or send our Gulfport spinal cord injury attorneys your contact information and we will call, text, or email you shortly. As an experienced injury lawyers, we also have expertise in representing accident victims with other types of personal injury cases such as trucking accidents, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and wrongful death claim. Our law firm is located in Gulfport, Mississippi and we are honored to serve Biloxi, Pascagoula, and all of Jackson and Harrison Counties.

Personal Injury

Injury Law Cases that Our Law Firm Handles

Car Accidents

Auto accidents can cause serious injuries, and even individuals involved in “minor” collisions will often require extensive treatment while experiencing prolonged pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an auto accident in Gulfport or Biloxi, you should seek medical attention immediately and speak with an injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle riders can experience serious injuries in high-side and low-side accidents. If you went down because a negligent driver merged into your lane, turned in front of you, or made any other mistake that left you with no place to go, we can help you seek full compensation for your medical bills and other losses.

Truck Accidents

Trucking accidents are among the most dangerous of all vehicle collisions. Rear-end collisions, overrides, underrides, and other types of commercial truck accidents can leave drivers and passengers with life-changing injuries, and they are often the result of truck driver or trucking company negligence.

Premises Liability

Premises-related accidents, including slips, trips, and falls, can happen suddenly and unexpectedly, and they can cause a variety of different types of traumatic injuries. If you slipped or tripped on someone else’s property, if you were injured on an elevator or escalator, if you fell down a dangerous set of stairs, or if you were injured in any other premises-related accident, we can seek to hold the property owner fully accountable for your injury-related losses.

Product Liability

Product liability claims are unique from other types of injury claims in that proof of negligence is not required. We represent individuals and families in product liability cases involving appliances, building materials, children’s toys, tools, machinery, vehicle components, and other dangerous and defective products.

Wrongful Death

If you have suffered the tragedy of losing a loved one in an accident, we offer our deepest sympathies. We are prepared to fight tirelessly to help you and your family achieve justice and find closure, and we will use our extensive experience in insurance settlements and litigation to seek maximum compensation for your loved one’s wrongful death.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries often cause permanent physical limitations, and even those who are able to recover from their injuries will often experience a lifetime of pain and suffering. If you have been diagnosed with any type of spinal cord injury a result of a traumatic accident, we can help you recover the compensation you will need to cope with your injury now and in the future.

Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse is a tragic reality for far too many aging residents of Gulfport and Biloxi. Nursing homes that allow abuse to occur need to take responsibility for their shortcomings. Elderly victims deserve to be fully and fairly compensated for the physical, emotional, and financial effects of their abuse.

Mississippi Personal Injury Law FAQs

Call the Personal Injury Law Firm in Gulfport for a Free Consultation.

If you would like to learn more about your rights after an accident, we encourage you to get in touch. We are here to help, and we are happy to help you make informed decisions in a pressure-free environment. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced injury lawyers, please call us or contact us online today. We are located in Gulfport, Mississippi and are dedicated to serve Biloxi, Pascagoula and all of Jackson and Harrison Counties.

Gulfport Car Accident Lawyers

Trusted Gulfport Car Accident Attorneys Ready To Help You Win Your Case

Under Mississippi law, if you are injured in an accident that is someone else’s fault, you are entitled to receive just compensation for all of your accident-related losses. This includes the financial costs of your injuries (such as medical bills and lost wages), as well as non-financial costs including emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Our experienced Gulfport car accident lawyers know while some car crash accidents are more serious than others, all accident victims should take appropriate action to assert their legal rights. In many cases, accident victims’ losses will be far greater than they realize, and taking legal action is the only way to ensure a just recovery.

At Smith & Holder, PLLC, our Gulfport car accident attorneys help accident victims and their families win the financial compensation they deserve. We are experienced Gulfport auto accident lawyers who are passionate about helping people stand up for their rights, and we take a thorough, creative, and detail-oriented approach to every case we handle. Whether you are entitled to compensation for your current and future losses or you need help seeking justice after the death of a loved one, we are here for you when you need us. And you can rest assured knowing that we only have your best interests in mind. Contact us today.

A Nation Behind the Wheel

We are a country of people constantly on the road. Nearly 90% of Americans get behind the wheel at least occasionally, putting about 276 million vehicles on the road. These vehicles make around 186 billion driving trips, spend 70 billion hours driving, and travel about 2.62 trillion miles per year. So do more vehicles on the roads also mean more accidents?

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) keeps track of not just crashes, but who is in them and how much damage they cause. Thanks to technological improvements and a greater emphasis on safety, the number of fatal crashes per capita is much lower than people think. Although our population has grown steadily since 1975, the rate of crash deaths per 100,000 population is about half of what it was forty years ago.

However, there are still 6 million crashes in total every year. The resulting property damage and medical treatments for those involved cost Americans over $230 billion per year. And many of these victims will need the assistance of a personal injury legal team to help them recover.

Your Trusted Gulfport Car Accident Lawyers

With offices in Gulfport, we represent clients in auto accident cases throughout the Gulfport area. From Interstates 10 and 110 to Routes 49 and 90, we handle cases involving all major highway accidents as well as collisions on local urban, suburban, and rural roads. Regardless of what happened, you owe it to yourself to find out if you have a claim for compensation. Our Gulfport auto accident attorney is happy to help you understand your rights in a free and confidential consultation.

Experienced Representation for All Types of Car Accident Claims

Distracted Driving Accidents

Distracted drivers cause hundreds of thousands of accidents every year. From texting and talking on the phone to communicating with backseat passengers, all types of distractions have the potential to lead to dangerous collisions. It only takes a momentary lapse in concentration to cause a devastating collision, and we routinely hear from people who have been seriously injured due to other drivers’ careless mistakes.

Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving is a serious issue in the greater Gulfport area. Drunk driving is extremely dangerous. Yet, far too many people continue to make the incredibly poor decision to drink and drive. There are several telltale signs of a drunk driving accident. And if an inebriated driver is to blame for your injuries or your loved one’s death, our proven Gulfport car accident lawyer can help you collect just compensation.

Fatigued and Drowsy Driving Accidents

Driver fatigue is another all-too-common factor in serious auto wrecks. Fatigue can cause impairments similar to alcohol intoxication, and the obvious dangers of falling asleep behind the wheel should be enough to keep drowsy drivers off of the road. Unfortunately, they aren’t, and many people suffer tragic losses in accidents caused by drowsy driving.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions can result from a variety of factors ranging from distracted driving to an approaching vehicle swerving in an attempt to avoid another accident. These are among the most dangerous types of auto vehicle accidents, and victims of head-on collisions will often face exorbitant medical bills, significant limitations, and a lifetime of pain and suffering. Contact our highly skilled Gulfport auto vehicle accident lawyers to discuss your case.

Intersection Accidents

Accidents at intersections can result from a variety of factors as well, and they can also be extremely dangerous. Along with head-on collisions, other common intersection accidents include side-impact (or “T-bone”) and rear-end collisions.

Multi-Vehicle Collisions

In a multi-vehicle collision, sorting out liability presents additional challenges. Who triggered the accident? Were multiple drivers to blame? If so, who is responsible for your accident-related losses? With our extensive experience in auto accident settlements and litigation, our highly skilled Gulfport auto accident attorneys can swiftly navigate these difficult questions and help you secure a maximum financial recovery.

Rear-End Collisions

In the vast majority of rear-end collisions, the driver who does the rear-ending is at fault. We can work with accident re-constructionists and forensic experts to establish liability for your injuries, and we can work with trusted medical professionals to calculate all of your current and future losses.

Side-Impact (“T-Bone”) Accidents

Side-impact accidents often involve violent collisions, with drivers and passengers routinely suffering severe traumatic injuries. If you suffered broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord injury, or any other serious injury in a T-bone accident, it will be critical for you to seek full compensation for your financial and non-financial harm.

Sideswipe and Merging Accidents

Sideswipe and merging accidents are typically the results of driver negligence. In many cases, one driver simply fails to look before changing lanes or merging. In others, the at-fault driver may attempt to look but neglect to check his or her blind spots. Or a driving distraction or other impairment may prevent the driver from noticing an approaching vehicle.

Speeding and Reckless Driving Accidents

From speeding to following too closely, all forms of aggressive and reckless driving will potentially support claims for financial compensation. If you were injured or a loved one was killed in any type of accident involving any form of driver negligence, we encourage you to contact our dedicated Gulfport auto accident attorneys promptly for a free, no-obligation consultation.

DUI Accidents

DUI accident claims are different from most car accident claims because the defendant driver is typically more culpable than most drivers who cause accidents. This results in two possible legal consequences:

• Punitive damages may be available.
• The dram shop law may be applicable.

Punitive damages are awarded, if at all, in addition to ordinary damages. They are most likely to be available when the defendant caused the accident in a manner that is particularly morally culpable. Although the vast majority of cases do not result in an award of punitive damages, DUI accidents are particularly likely to justify such an award. A court must consider many factors before deciding to award punitive damages.

Of course, it is always possible that the defendant was driving without insurance and that the damages he caused far exceed the amount of your uninsured motorist coverage. Even if he was driving with insurance, your damages could be far greater than policy limits. In this case, you might be able to sue a bar that sold him alcohol prior to the accident (if he was visibly intoxicated when he was served) or a social host who served him (if he was under 21 years old).

FAQs: Understanding Your Rights after a Car Accident in the Gulfport area

Contact Our Gulfport Car Accident Law Firm to have a Free Consultation

To learn more about your rights in a car accident or other accident and find out if you are entitled to financial compensation for your accident-related losses, please contact our established and winning Gulfport car accident attorneys to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach us by phone or email and we will be in touch as soon as possible. Our experienced legal team is also ready to help clients with other types of injury cases such as semi-truck accidents and product defects liability. Our injury law firm is conveniently located in Gulfport, Mississippi, and proudly serves all of Jackson and Harrison Counties.

Gulfport Truck Accident Lawyers

Compassionate Gulfport Truck Accident Attorneys Ready To Fight For You

Accidents involving semi-trucks and other large commercial trucks are among the most dangerous types of vehicle collisions. These accidents result in serious and fatal injuries at a disproportionately high rate. In the vast majority of cases (97% according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)), it is passenger vehicle occupants who suffer the consequences of truck drivers’ mistakes.

Truck accident cases present some unique and challenging legal issues. While these cases often involve claims against the trucking companies that employ negligent and reckless drivers, there are various other issues that can play a role in trucking collisions as well. Large commercial trucks are also extraordinarily complex. And when multiple vehicles are involved, it takes a detailed and thorough forensic investigation to determine who is liable for the victims’ injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, don’t hesitate to contact Smith & Holder, PLLC today.

Commercial Trucking Accident Statistics

While the overall number of auto accidents is on a downward trend, the number of commercial trucking accidents has increased by 52% since 2009. The more disturbing number, however, is the fatality rate in these accidents. According to the non-profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), nearly three-quarters of these fatalities were passengers in smaller, personal vehicles like cars and SUVs. But why is this the case?

Size of Vehicles Involved in a Crash

One of the most obvious answers to this question is simple physics. Commercial trucks often weigh 20 to 30 times as much as passenger cars. In addition, most are also taller with more ground clearance, which can result in smaller vehicles being pulled under these trucks in crashes. The increased size and weight puts the average car or truck at much greater risk for catastrophic damage in an accident. The larger size of commercial trucks also make evasive maneuvers like sudden braking or turns much more difficult. The truck driver may see the danger, but when they are driving something so big, they may not be able to stop or react in time to avoid a crash.

Traffic Volume

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps data on commercial trucking activity in the United States, and in all categories, the numbers are trending upward. There are well over ten million registered large/commercial trucks in the U.S. traveling nearly 300 billion miles. In addition, our country’s economy depends on these trucks to deliver nearly 70 percent of all freight per year. This means that annually, trucks transport around $671 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods every year. More volume means that accidents are more likely to occur.

Experienced Legal Representation for Injured Parties of Truck Accidents

At Smith & Holder, PLLC, our Gulfport truck accident attorney has the experience required to help semi-truck accident victims and their families secure just compensation. If you are entitled to financial recovery, we can make sure you win the compensation you deserve. With an aggressive and detail-oriented approach that leaves no stone unturned, we can conclusively establish who was at fault in your accident and make sure you seek maximum compensation for your injury-related losses.

With offices in Gulfport, we represent truck accident victims throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. Whether you were injured in an accident involving a delivery truck in Gulfport, or you lost a loved one in a fatal semi-truck accident on I-10, our highly-skilled truck accident legal team can do what is necessary to assert your legal rights. Our injury legal team will work quickly to negotiate a favorable settlement. And if a fair settlement is not on the table, we will meticulously prepare your case for trial. Let a proven Gulfport truck accident lawyer of Smith & Holder, PLLC help you through your case.

Common Factors in Truck Accidents

Truck Safety Violations

Commercial truck operators are subject to strict federal safety regulations that govern everything from cargo weight limits to the number of hours drivers can spend behind the wheel. Safety violations in the trucking industry are alarmingly common, and they are to blame for a significant number of vehicle collisions.

Cargo Loading Errors

Cargo loading errors can cause truck wrecks in a variety of different ways. Improperly-balanced cargo can cause a truck to jackknife under heavy braking, and overloading a truck can prevent the driver from stopping in time to avoid a collision. Lack of pressurization of liquid cargo can cause truck drivers to lose control as well. These are mistakes that can, and should, be avoided. And individuals injured in accidents caused by cargo loading errors will often be entitled to significant financial compensation.

Truck and Trailer Defects

While a defect in any type of vehicle can be extremely dangerous, the risks of a defect are magnified for large commercial trucks. Trucks, tractors, trailers, and their individual components all have the potential to be defective, and everything from tire blowouts to failing cargo straps can cause dangerous trucking accidents.

Inadequate Truck Maintenance

Along with truck defects, inadequate truck maintenance is another common factor in commercial trucking accidents. Commercial trucks need to be serviced at regular intervals, and signs of potential failure should be addressed as soon as possible. Faulty brake jobs, failure to replace worn tires, failure to perform engine and transmission service, and various other types of maintenance issues can all easily lead to serious collisions.

Inexperienced and Untrained Truck Drivers

Due to the complexity of large commercial trucks and the dangers of failing to maintain control on the road, all truck drivers must have adequate training and experience. Unfortunately, many trucking companies hire inexperienced drivers – some even hire drivers who are not properly licensed. And these poor hiring decisions often have drastic consequences for motorists on the road.

Speeding

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), speeding is the most-common driver-related factor in fatal trucking accidents. Speeding trucks are more difficult to maneuver and they take longer to stop. Each of these factors can easily result in a serious or fatal collision.

Following Too Closely

Following too closely (or “tailgating”) is another driver-related factor that plays a role in a significant percentage of commercial 18-wheeler accidents. Heavy trucks need extra stopping distance. And when you add in the fact that many truck drivers are either distracted or drowsy behind the wheel (or both), it is not hard to see why tailgating trucks are often involved in rear-end collisions.

Failure to Stop or Yield

Failure to stop or yield is another common driving mistake that becomes even more dangerous when the vehicle involved is an 18-wheeler or other large commercial truck. Too often, running red lights, failing to yield the right-of-way at highway interchanges, and other risky mistakes have tragic consequences for other drivers and their passengers.

Other Forms of Truck Driver Negligence

Similar to accidents involving passenger vehicles, if a trucking accident is the result of the truck driver’s negligence, any victims injured in the collision are entitled to seek just compensation for their injury-related losses. Along with speeding, following too closely, and failing to stop or yield, other common forms of truck driver negligence include braking too harshly, driving while distracted, driving while fatigued, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and failing to look before merging.

Negligence by Other Drivers

When seeking financial compensation for a tractor truck accident, it is important not to solely focus on the truck and truck driver as potential factors in the collision. In many cases, other drivers will be to blame as well – from forcing truck drivers into dangerous situations to failing to react appropriately in order to avoid a multi-vehicle collision.

Reach out to us and find out how much you may be entitled to recover for your:

• Bone fracture
• Burn injury
• Eye, ear, or nose injury
• Facial injury
• Internal organ damage
• Soft tissue damage
• Spinal cord injury
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Other injury requiring medical intervention or surgery

Fatal Accidents

Trucking accidents are particularly likely to result in a fatality because the mass and momentum of a truck far exceed that of an automobile. If the victim dies from his injuries, any personal injury claim that has been filed must be converted to a wrongful death claim. Depending on the circumstances, a wrongful death claim may be filed by:

• the personal representative of the victim’s estate;
• the victim’s surviving spouse;
• the victim’s surviving parent or child; or
• any of the victim’s surviving siblings.

When the surviving spouse files a wrongful death claim, damages that belong to relatives are split 50/50 between the spouse and the children (if there is more than one surviving child, the children share their 50 percent portion equally). If the victim has no surviving spouse or children (in the case of a child victim, for example), a surviving parent or sibling may file the claim, and these damages will be divided between the surviving parents and children.

The victim’s probate estate will receive any damages awarded for medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, and compensation for damaged property. Relatives will be compensated for psychological suffering (such as loss of companionship) as well as an amount for future income lost due to the victim’s untimely death.

Answers to FAQs: Seeking Financial Compensation for Serious and Fatal Truck Accidents in Mississippi

Contact our Gulfport Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a commercial truck accident in southern Mississippi, we encourage you to contact our Gulfport trucking accident lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our Gulfport truck accident attorneys will fight aggressively to win the compensation you deserve. To schedule an appointment in Gulfport, please call us or get in touch online today. We are also ready to help clients with other types of personal injury cases such as auto vehicle accidents and product defects. Our law firm is located in Gulfport, Mississippi and we serve all of Jackson and Harrison Counties with many types of legal representation.

Gulfport Wrongful Death Attorneys

Knowledgeable Gulfport Wrongful Death Lawyers Ready To Serve You

If you recently lost a family member in an accident, seeking justice for your loved one’s death is an important step on the long road to recovery. No one deserves to lose their life due to someone else’s negligence, and no family deserves to face a future without the care, companionship, and support of someone they lost too soon. Our Gulfport wrongful death lawyers are here to help.

In Mississippi, seeking financial compensation after a fatal accident involves filing a claim for wrongful death. In these cases, eligible family members (or the personal representative of the victim’s estate) file a lawsuit to recover compensation for the financial and non-financial losses resulting from their loved one’s death. While wrongful death cases have many similarities to personal injury claims, they involve a number of unique aspects as well. As a result, it is important to hire an experienced legal team that is willing to fight for the compensation you and your family members deserve.

Experienced and Compassionate Gulfport Wrongful Death Attorneys

At Smith & Holder, PLLC, we are committed to helping families secure just compensation for wrongful death in Gulfport, Biloxi, and throughout Mississippi. We understand the devastation that comes with losing a loved one unexpectedly, and we know the last thing you want to do right now is to spend your time-fighting in court. When you hire our firm to represent you, our experienced Gulfport wrongful death lawyers will work closely with you to understand your situation and make sure we seek maximum compensation for your tragic loss. We will work tirelessly on your behalf so that you can focus on being with your family.

Due to the severity of the consequences involved, insurance companies, product manufacturers, and other large corporations will vigorously dispute virtually all claims for wrongful death. To overcome their aggressive tactics, you need lawyers who know the law and who are prepared to do what it takes to win the compensation your family deserves. At Smith & Holder, PLLC, our proven Gulfport wrongful death attorney takes a strategic and detail-oriented approach to every case we handle. And while many of our cases settle, we do not hesitate to fight for justice at trial when necessary.

Wrongful Death Law Firm Handling All Types of Fatal Accidents and Injuries

Car Accidents

Mississippi has the highest rate of motor vehicle collision deaths per 100,000 population of any state in the country. Each year, hundreds of local residents lose their lives in fatal collisions that are the result of driver negligence and vehicle defects. With extensive experience in auto vehicle accident insurance settlements and litigation, our Gulfport wrongful death attorneys can act quickly to investigate your loved one’s accident and pursue the maximum compensation available under the law.

Motorcycle Accidents

Due to the limited protection of a motorcycle, even slow-moving accidents can be fatal to motorcycle riders.

When bad drivers make poor decisions, even the safest motorcycle riders can be left helpless to protect themselves. Distracted driving, following too closely, merging without looking, and numerous other common driving mistakes can all have fatal consequences when motorcycle riders are put in harm’s way.

Truck Accidents

Semi-truck accidents claim thousands of lives across the United States each year. Jackknifes, rear-end collisions, overrides, underrides, and other types of accidents involving large commercial trucks result in death at disproportionately-high rates. And in almost all cases, the victims are occupants of passenger vehicles. If you lost a loved one in a truck accident on I-10 or any other road in southern Mississippi, we can help you assert your family’s legal rights.

We can also apply our knowledge of federal and state trucking standards to show how the trucking company’s violation of the law requires it to provide compensation to your family.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Whether going to the beach or commuting to work, walking, jogging, and cycling are ways of life for many Gulfport and Biloxi residents. Tragically, drivers often fail to respect the risks of endangering pedestrians and bicycle riders, and fatal accidents are far too common. If your loved one was killed in a pedestrian or bicycle accident, the negligent driver deserves to be held fully accountable. Our trusted Gulfport wrongful death lawyers want to help make sure justice is served.

Falls

Falls are among the leading cause of death on many types of job sites, and unexpected falls can result in fatal injuries regardless of a person’s age or physical abilities. Slips, trips, and falls from height can easily cause spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and other catastrophic injuries that can lead to death. In many cases, these accidents are the result of faulty construction or inadequate premises maintenance.

Dangerous and Defective Products

Fatal accidents involving dangerous and defective products occur far more often than any of us would like to believe. While manufacturers recall millions of products every year, many of these recalls come too late, and there have been several documented cases of companies knowingly putting their customers at risk for fatal injuries. If you believe that a dangerous or defective product may have caused your loved one’s death, we can help you assert your family’s legal rights.

Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Inadequate nursing home care is to blame for countless residents’ deaths every year. Sadly, the full extent of the problem is not known. Nursing homes will often attempt to hide their mistakes, and this leads to many instances of death in nursing homes that go unreported. If you have any reason to suspect that your loved one may have been a victim of abuse or negligent care in a Gulfport or Biloxi nursing home, we urge you to contact us for a free consultation.

Other Fatal Accidents

Our bodies are fragile, and the reality is that it does not take much to cause a fatal accident. Whether your loved one was killed in an accident at work or suffered a fatal injury under any other circumstances in which someone else may have been to blame, you deserve to find out if your family is entitled to financial recovery. When you engage our firm to represent you, our committed Gulfport wrongful death lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of your loved one’s death, and we will help you make an informed decision about pursuing a claim for wrongful death.

Wrongful Death FAQs: Understanding Your Family’s Rights under Mississippi Law

Contact Our Gulfport Wrongful Death Lawyer about Your Family’s Rights

For more information about the steps involved in filing a wrongful death claim in Gulfport and the surrounding areas, and to find out how much you may be entitled to recover for your loved one’s untimely death, please contact us to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach our Gulfport law offices by phone or send us your information online and our Gulfport wrongful death attorneys will be in touch as soon as possible.

Gulfport Product Liability Lawyers

Respected Gulfport Product Liability Attorneys Ready To Win Your Fight

The products we buy are supposed to make our lives better. From children’s toys to kitchen appliances, and from frozen foods to medications for older adults, we expect the products we buy to be safe and contribute to helping us lead healthy, fulfilling, and enjoyable lives. Unfortunately, far too often, the products we buy are not safe for their intended use. Whether due to faulty design or mistakes during the manufacturing process, each year companies sell millions of products that are dangerous and defective. Products are also frequently sold without necessary warnings, leaving purchasers and users exposed to a variety of unexpected potential hazards. If this is your experience, you need one of our Gulfport product liability lawyers from Smith & Holder, PLLC. Don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Understanding the Mississippi Product Liability Act

The Mississippi Product Liability Act governs all personal injury claims based on defective products brought in Mississippi.  The basic framework is that an injured person must show that the product is defective through either a manufacturing defect, a defect in warning or instruction, design defects, or the breach of an express warranty; that the defect in the product rendered the product unreasonably dangerous; that the defect and unreasonably dangerous condition of the product proximity caused the damages for which recovery is sought; and that the defective condition existed at the time the product left the control of the manufacturer, designer, or seller. Within this framework, injured persons may face additional context-specific hurdles depending on the type of claim begin made.

However, product liability claims are often more difficult to prove than other types of claims for financial compensation. Why? Because the companies facing liability will vigorously dispute any allegations that they have designed, manufactured, or sold a defective product. They will challenge any evidence that their products are defective, and they will use aggressive litigation tactics to try to convince victims and their families to give up on pursuing their legal rights.

At Smith & Holder, PLLC, our injury lawyers do not back down in the face of conflict. We are passionate about fighting for our clients, and we pursue aggressive and creative case strategies that are custom-tailored to the facts of each individual client’s case. We know what it means to suffer a catastrophic injury or lose a loved one due to a product defect, and we are committed to making sure that all of our clients receive maximum compensation for their injury-related losses.

Gulfport Product Liability Lawyers for Cases Involving Dangerous Products

Appliances and Home Products

We use countless products in our homes every single day. From kitchen applies and clothes washers to cleaning solvents and hot water heaters, all of these products have the potential to cause serious harm if they malfunction or do not operate as intended.

Building and Construction Materials

Defective electrical wiring, gas lines, and other building and construction materials have the potential to cause serious harm as well. From electrocutions to house fires, when these products fail, construction workers and homeowners can suffer catastrophic and life-changing injuries.

Cars, Motorcycles, Trucks, and SUVs

Some of the largest product recalls in modern history have involved defective vehicles and vehicle components. Airbags, brake pedals, electronic systems, engines, transmissions, tires, seatbelts, and other components all have the potential to be defective. And when they are, they can cause serious accidents and accident-related injuries.

Children’s Products and Playground Equipment

Baby slings, cribs, car seats, toys with small parts, playground equipment, and various other types of children’s’ products have all been the subject of products liability claims in recent years. If your child was seriously or fatally injured in an accident that you suspect involved a defective product, we want to help your family recover.

Electronics

Our lives are increasingly revolving around electronic products. Many people use a cell phone and computer for several hours each day, and toys and tools are increasingly incorporating electronic components. From fires to auto accidents and trucking accidents resulting from faulty GPS directions, electronic products can cause harm in a variety of different ways. The companies that make and distribute defective electronics deserve to be held fully accountable.

Medications

Defective medications can be extremely dangerous to individuals of all ages. Ineffective medications can leave patients without the treatment they need, while medications that cause overdose can trigger potentially life-threatening reactions. Inadequate warning labels, unsafe packaging resulting in child poisoning, and various other issues can support defective medication claims as well.

Sports and Recreation Equipment

Pool floats, items with ropes and other choking hazards, unsafe sports goals and gymnastics equipment, and rock climbing gear are just some of the types of sports and recreation equipment that can cause dangerous accidents if they are sold with defects. Even when these products are sold with labels stating that the user “assumes the risk” of injury or death, accident victims will still often be entitled to seek financial compensation.

Tools, Equipment, and Machinery

Defective hand tools, power tools, earth moving equipment, forklifts, and other types of equipment and machinery can present extreme risks for workers and homeowners. If you or a family member has suffered a head injury, back injury, broken bone, loss of limb, or any other catastrophic injury as a result of a defective tool or piece of equipment or machinery, you may be entitled to a significant financial recovery.

Other Products

The types of products that have the potential to be defective are far too voluminous to list. If you or your child has been injured, or a loved one has been killed in any accident involving any type of product, it will be worth your time to speak with a Gulfport product liability lawyer about your legal rights. At Smith & Holder, PLLC, our Gulfport product liability lawyers are happy to discuss what happened and help you make informed decisions in a free, no-obligation initial consultation at our law offices in Gulfport.

Contact us today to find out how much you may be entitled to recover for your:

• Bone fracture
• Burn injury
• Eye, ear, or nose injury
• Facial injury
• Internal organ damage
• Soft tissue damage
• Spinal cord injury
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Other injury requiring medical intervention or surgery

Q&A with Our Mississippi Product Liability Lawyers

5 Reasons to Choose Smith & Holder, PLLC for Your Product Liability Claim

When you need help recovering from an accident or injury caused by a product defect, your choice of legal representation matters. So, why should you choose the Gulfport product liability attorneys at Smith & Holder, PLLC?

• A Creative Approach to Complex Legal Issues – We approach every case with an open mind and commitment to doing whatever it takes to win just compensation.

• Uniquely-Personalized Legal Representation – When we represent you, our focus is on helping you secure maximum compensation for your accident-related losses.

• Direct Access to Your Attorney – When you contact us, you will have the opportunity to speak directly with your attorney.

• Attention to Detail – From collecting key evidence of liability to ensuring that every last penny of your medical expenses is covered, we will focus on the details to help you win the compensation you deserve.

• Free Consultations and Contingency-Fee Representation – With the assistance of our Gulfport product liability attorney, it costs you nothing to learn about your rights, and you do not pay anything unless you win just compensation.

Get Started with Your Case Today; Call our Gulfport Product Liability Lawyers

If you would like to speak with our Gulfport product liability attorneys about filing a product liability or other personal injury claim in Gulfport or Biloxi, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. We also serve clients with other types of injury matters such as spinal cord injury, brain injury, and wrongful death. To schedule an appointment at your convenience, please contact us and tell us how our Gulfport product liability attorneys at Smith & Holder, PLLC can help now.