Aldridge & Aldridge Law Firm Elizabethtown, Kentucky Personal Injury Attorney | Hardin County Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney 2021-05-10T18:47:13Z WordPress Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[Is an infection from a bite something to worry about?]]> 2021-05-10T18:47:13Z 2021-05-10T18:47:05Z Early warning signs of infection The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discuss the warning signs of a capnocytophaga infection. This is just one of many types of bacteria that lives inside a dog's mouth. Unfortunately, a dog's mouth is not the most cleanly place. It hosts many bacteria, some of which can pose potentially lethal danger to you. Most infections will show signs within hours or days of the initial bite. However, some infections can take as long as 14 days to start showing symptoms. This means you can easily think you are out of the woods when in reality, you are not.

The immediate area of injury

Pay attention to the area around the bite, first. It may look red, swollen and tender to the touch. It could hurt if you press it. It may also weep pus or other fluids. These are all signs of infection. As the days go on, you may also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and gastrointestinal cramping and distress. You may experience headache and confusion, too. Flu-like symptoms may follow, such as joint pain or full body aches. You must seek medical attention immediately after a bite injury. Otherwise, you risk an infection taking root and causing serious health problems and complications.]]>
Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[Your brain may try to trick you after a car accident]]> 2021-05-07T20:59:30Z 2021-05-07T20:59:20Z an estimated 4.4 million Americans sustain some type of injury in car crashes on U.S. roadways every year. Your brain may inadvertently try to trick you after a car accident. That is, the way your brain responds to stress may mask injury symptoms, causing you not to realize you have suffered bodily harm until hours or days later.

How your body's stress response works

Your brain only has a couple options for dealing with stressful events: fight off the danger or run away from it. Either way, your brain tells your heart to increase blood flow to your muscles. It also uses your adrenal system to produce hormones that decrease your sensitivity to pain. Put simply, until the stressful event subsides and your body processes return to normal, you may not experience the normal symptoms that often accompany car accident injuries.

Why you need medical care

Even if you feel little or no pain and have few other symptoms, a car crash may leave you with life-threatening internal injuries or other bodily damage. If you wait until symptoms appear, doctors may not have sufficient time to diagnose and treat your injuries. Delayed treatment may also contribute to additional injuries or other medical complications. Because you cannot override your body's automatic stress response, you may not be able to trust your brain to alert you to an accident-related injury. Consequently, even if you think you have escaped a car crash unscathed, it is critical for you both to seek emergency medical care and protect your right to financial compensation.]]>
Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[What are the 3 areas of plea negotiation?]]> 2021-04-20T22:59:57Z 2021-04-20T22:59:49Z charge, sentence and fact.

How are these different?

Charge bargaining and sentence bargaining are the two most common kinds of plea bargains. With a charge bargain, the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lower charge in order to avoid facing a jury on higher charges. For example, if a defendant agrees to plead guilty to manslaughter, the defendant may avoid a jury trial on murder. Sentence bargaining is very similar to charge bargaining, only the sentence stays the same while the amount of time the defendant spends in jail goes down. The least common kind of plea bargain is a fact bargain. Not all courts allow fact Bargains. Fact bargaining involves the defense admitting to specific facts in return for the prosecution not allowing other facts to come to the jury's attention.

Why would taking a plea bargain be a good idea?

A lot goes into figuring out whether or not a plea bargain is a good idea in your case. Keep in mind that prosecutors can only recommend a plea agreement to the court and the court may still decide not to accept it. It is also a good idea to discuss accepting any potential plea agreement with your attorney to ensure you understand all of the logistics.]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[What is parallel parenting?]]> 2021-04-09T16:53:53Z 2021-04-09T16:53:44Z parallel parenting.

How is this different from co-parenting?

Co-parenting involves the parents coming together for the benefit of the child. For instance, even if the parents do not get along they will be able to put their feelings aside long enough to throw a joint birthday party or go to a dance recital. In some circumstances, the parents may get along well enough to bring new partners to these events. With parallel parenting, the parents are never in the same place at the same time. So, for example, the parents may decide to throw two completely separate birthday events for the child. One parent may go to the dance recital and the other parent may attend the post-dance recital pizza party.

How does this help?

Separating the parents from each other as much as possible helps shield the child from whatever the conflict between the parents is. The idea behind joint parenting is to give the child equal exposure to his or her parents. Removing the conflict is in the best interest of everybody involved. Additionally, successful parallel parenting can indeed graduate to a more traditional co-parenting arrangement after some time. However, some families find that a permanent parallel parenting arrangement is best for everybody.]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[Kentucky highway fatalities increased in 2020]]> 2021-03-26T23:39:10Z 2021-03-26T23:39:02Z similar elements.

Contributing factors

Some believe fatalities rose because fewer motorists shared the roads rather than in spite of the sparser traffic. Many drivers seemed more inclined to take risks behind the wheel — perhaps perceiving the empty roads as an opportunity to have some fun. Many of 2020’s fatal crashes also involved alcohol, aggression or driver distraction. In fact, alcohol was the highest cause of deaths: More than 57% of Kentucky’s fatal 2020 crashes involved alcohol. Drivers who were speeding or driving aggressively contributed to another 32% of crashes, while almost 20% of fatal car wrecks involved motorists who drove distracted.

Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities

While 2020 was a dangerous year for those driving and riding in passenger vehicles, it was also deadly for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Of the 778 traffic fatalities seen in Kentucky in 2020, 74 involved motorcyclists. Another 97 involved either pedestrians or cyclists. The governor’s office has plans to implement “historic safety improvements” in 2021 and plans to focus on areas of particular concern. More specifically, the office is focusing on reducing the number of motorists who drive aggressively, distracted or under the influence.]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[How much does a Kentucky DUI affect auto insurance rates?]]> 2021-03-22T17:41:52Z 2021-03-22T17:41:37Z insurance premiums increase by about 80%. In Kentucky, you should expect a large rate hike after a DWI or DUI. However, it typically rises an average of 63%.

Higher insurance premiums

So, how much more might your annual insurance coverage cost you once you have a conviction for drunk driving? If your driving history was otherwise pretty standard, you may wind up paying another $1,022 for insurance coverage after a Kentucky drunk driving conviction. Before your conviction, you may have paid about $1,611 a year for car insurance. With the conviction, expect to pay closer to $2,633 a year to insure yourself.

Non-renewals and cancellations

In some cases, your current insurer may decide to cancel or not renew your insurance policy because it views you as more of a liability because of the drunk driving arrest. Your insurer may also decide to gouge your rates until they become difficult to manage. For these and other reasons, it is smart to get quotes from several insurance companies following a drunk driving conviction.]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[4 things to do if you’ve been in an accident]]> 2021-03-06T19:37:24Z 2021-03-06T19:37:15Z affect your personal injury claim. Now is not the time to let your emotions and thoughts to overwhelm your capacity to remain calm and rational. As overwhelming and frightening as things may seem immediately after an auto collision, a calm mind and the following actions can make it easier and less confusing to manage the aftermath and protect your right to compensation.

Safety first

Check yourself and passengers for potential injuries. Some injuries may exhibit little to no symptoms that do not accurately reflect the severity, i.e., internal bleeding, concussions and mild TBIs. Before you leave the scene of the accident, make sure you and your passengers receive appropriate medical attention to rule out trauma and expedite treatment.

Notify the authorities

If you have injuries, it is important more than ever for you to contact the authorities to make an official statement about the accident. Also, having law enforcement and emergency responders on the scene can help provide credibility to your personal injury and insurance claims.

Exchange information

If the scene is safe and you are able, exchange contact and insurance information with all parties from the accident. If there are witnesses, you may want to get their contact information as well. Their input may be necessary as evidence to help substantiate your accident claim.]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[The process of acquiring a protective order in Kentucky]]> 2021-03-01T04:46:14Z 2021-03-01T04:46:06Z Types of protective orders Kentucky has two types of protective orders, according to the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence: the domestic violence order and interpersonal protective order. Domestic violence orders cover family members and those unmarried couples who live together or have a child together. Interpersonal protective orders are for people outside those categories but who have been in a dating relationship, sexually assaulted or stalked.

Steps to getting a protective order

As the Lexington city website details, there are four steps to the protective order process. First, any person may petition a county courthouse. This involves descriptions of the most recent, abusive acts from the respondent and any injuries entailed. In the interest of immediate safety, a judge reviewing this report may grant one of the two forms of protective orders. They may deny the petition if the situation does not legally qualify for a protective order. If they approve an order, a county sheriff delivers the temporary order to the respondent along with a notice of the coming hearing. The hearing is where the judge listens to both parties before deciding whether to award a long-term protective order. These orders may prevent violent contact by restricting distance, physical contact, or messaging through media. An order may last up to three years. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911 for emergency services, but protective orders may keep someone safe over a longer period—even during divorce.]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[What types of damages can you recover in a personal injury lawsuit?]]> 2021-02-13T00:04:17Z 2021-02-13T00:04:08Z three types of damages in your lawsuit:
  1. Economic
  2. Non-economic
  3. Punitive

Economic damages

Economic damages refer to those things for which you accumulate bills, both now and in the future. Common economic damages include the following types of expenses:
  • Ambulance or life flight
  • Hospitalization
  • Surgeries
  • Prescription drugs
  • Physical and occupational therapy
  • Medical equipment
  • In-home care and services
Your loss of income, both now and in the future, also make up part of your economic damages.

Non-economic damages

While your economic damages are fairly easy to determine, your non-economic damages are less so. Why? Because they consist of your subjective losses, such as the following:
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Mental and emotional anguish
  • Dealing with disfiguring scarring
  • Dealing with the loss of a limb
  • Dealing with paralysis or other disability
  • Loss of your ability to fully enjoy your life

Punitive damages

In rare cases, the court may award you punitive damages in addition to your economic and non-economic damages. Punitive damages financially punish the defendant for especially reckless or egregious conduct in causing the accident that, in turn, caused your injuries. All in all, your personal injury lawsuit can gain you more than enough money to compensate you for your present and future losses.  ]]>
On Behalf of Aldridge Law Group <![CDATA[Which mistakes should you avoid with auto accident claims?]]> 2021-02-03T04:04:40Z 2021-02-03T04:04:32Z common auto insurance filing mistakes. Protect your right to receive compensation with sound knowledge.

Neglecting to take images

Hopefully, you took plenty of images of the damage your car and all other vehicles involved in the collision sustained. If you did not snap photos of the weather and street signs around the accident immediately after the incident, go back to the scene and take care of that, assuming the weather remains the same. Take images of remaining skid marks, debris and injuries you sustained.

Making an unnecessary claim

Think twice before filing a claim. If your vehicle sustained minor damage that does not equal your deductible amount, it may not make sense to file a claim. Even if the repair costs only slightly exceed your deductible, you may still want to consider paying for the repair yourself. You do not want to risk an increase in your premiums.

Not gathering adequate evidence

If you cannot take more photos of the collision scene, you may still gather supplemental evidence to build and protect your claim. For instance, calculate the current value of your car's amenities and features, ensuring that the appraiser takes that cost into account. Research your vehicle's current value, minus depreciation. That way, you know if a claims adjuster offers you a subpar claim amount. If you received a police report after the accident, submit that as evidence, too. Navigate your auto insurance claim carefully. Hopefully, you restore your vehicle and peace of mind with these tips.]]>