The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C. Blog

Orthopedic injuries are painful injuries that can keep you out of work, and jeopardize your ability to earn money and take care of yourself and your loved ones. These injuries can affect your arms, legs, fingers, toes, elbows, wrists, shoulders, knees, hips, feet, ankles, neck, back, and spine. You may need to undergo surgery for your orthopedic injury. However, not all surgeries go according to plan. While there are risks involved with any surgery, sometimes mistakes are made—and those errors can have devastating outcomes. Some common types of orthopedic-related medical malpractice claims can include:

• Failure to appropriately treat fractures
• Complications resulting from replacement surgeries
• Loss of a limb
• Complications from knee surgeries and arthroscopic surgery
• Development of blood clots after surgery
• Injuries to vessels during surgery
• Nerve damage or nerve injury during surgery

Mistakes made during surgery are unacceptable. They are much harder to understand, especially when those mistakes affect your well-being or the well-being of a loved one. Feelings of frustration and helplessness are common. At the Shelnutt Law Firm, our experienced lawyers take every case very seriously. We are dedicated to your claim and will fight to recover the damages you deserve. If you or a loved one lives in the Gadsden area and has been seriously injured or killed an accident, please contact our offices today.

While the most common cause of a traumatic brain injury is a blow to the head, this serious injury can also arise in a variety of ways. You can suffer traumatic brain injury without actually hitting an object. This injury may be the result of internal damage including: A lack of oxygen or blood flow to your brain

• Poisoning
• Tumor
• Infection
• Violent tremors (such as "shaken baby syndrome")

In the United States, more than 1.4 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury every year. This severe injury can significantly affect your mental, physical and psychological well-being. There are often serious long-term effects such as changes in personality, memory loss, personality changes, difficulty with mobility and participation in daily activities. A traumatic brain injury also affects the people around you in terms of family upheaval, loss of wages and the inability to earn future wages, and the soaring cost of medical care. At the Shelnutt Law Firm, our experienced lawyers take every case very seriously. We are dedicated to your claim and will fight to recover the damages you deserve. If you or a loved one lives in the Gadsden area and has been seriously injured or killed an accident, please contact our offices today.

Teens play hard. And among this demographic, sports injuries are a common occurrence. Teens can become injured playing team sports, practicing individually, playing school sports under the supervision of a coach or fooling around at the gym or community center. Injuries can range from cuts and bruises to a serious spinal disc injury, and even death. A large percentage of sports injuries are preventable. They can be caused by:

• Incorrect training techniques
• Improper equipment
• Physical awkardness caused by rapid growth during teenage years

There are two main types of sports injuries—overuse and acute traumatic. An overuse or chronic injury is caused by repetitive strain or excessive training. An acute traumatic injury is typically caused by a single blow from blunt force. Both types of injuries can result in further injuries and ailments, but overuse injuries are the ones that tend to be misdiagnosed or under-treated the most, since athletes often disregard persistent, trivial pain. To help reduce the risk of teenage injuries, athletes can:

• Wear correctly-fitted helmets to prevent head injuries
• Wear athletic supporters, or a protective cup if you are a man. Women should wear supportive sports bras to help prevent injury to breast tissue
• Have a medical professional examine any swelling, numbness, pain, tenderness, stiffness, or loss of flexibility
• Report any accident or injury to a doctor and coach – no matter how minor it may seem
• Refrain from playing sports during an injury, as this can make it much worse
• Play at the level of your experience; know your limits and do not over-exert yourself

At the Shelnutt Law Firm, our experienced lawyers take every case very seriously. We are dedicated to your claim and will fight to recover the damages you deserve. If you or a loved one lives in the Gadsden area and has been seriously injured or killed an accident, please contact our offices today in Gadsden, Alabama.

It’s a heartrending reality that many people die in accidents every day—even every minute. But what’s worse is when those deaths could have been prevented. When a person dies because of someone else’s negligence, it is considered a “wrongful death.” This misconduct may have been performed by another person, a company or an entity. It can arise from a variety of circumstances, including:

• Medical malpractice
• An automobile or airplane accident
• Criminal behavior
• Occupational exposure to hazardous materials
• Death during a supervised activity

Damages awarded for wrongful death suit belong to the decedent's immediate family members. This includes surviving spouses and children, and sometimes parents. A suit for wrongful death may only be brought by the personal representative of the decedent's estate. Actions for personal injury, conscious pain and suffering, or expenses incurred prior to the decedent's death are also brought by that representative. The damage awards belong to the estate and may pass to different parties as stated in the decedent's will. At the Shelnutt Law Firm, our experienced lawyers take every case very seriously. We are dedicated to your claim and will fight to recover the damages you deserve. If you or a loved one lives in the Gadsden area and has been seriously injured or killed an accident, please contact our offices today in Gadsden, Alabama.

Will I Lose My Driving Privileges? Loss of driving privileges is mandatory, ranging from 90 days to five years. If your job depends upon driving, you must get this penalty eliminated at a license revocation hearing. An Alabama DUI attorney such as the ones at The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C., is skilled in preserving driving privileges for those charged with DUI. Is There Really a Way to Fight a DUI/DWI Charge and Win? 
 The attorneys at The Shelnutt Law Firm know just how to obtain and use existing evidence and how to present it to the judge to defend you and your rights. We know the weaknesses of the system and legal angles you would never know about that could get your charges reduced or dismissed altogether. Will I Have to Go to Jail for a DUI/DWI? 
 DUI penalties carry jail sentences of up to ten years, so, jail is not mandatory. A jail sentence can be devastating to your career, reputation, credit history, and may limit future opportunities. A skilled DUI attorney might get your sentence reduced or eliminated. Do I Really Need a Lawyer or Can I Just Show Up in Court on My Own? 
 You really do need a lawyer because DUI attorneys know the law in a way that you cannot. We know how to handle these cases, and we know what your legal rights are following this charge. A DUI attorney can find evidence, or lack of it, and prepare a case that could get your charges dropped from your record. Defending yourself when your credibility is so low is not the wise thing to do. Please contact The Shelnutt Law Firm serving Birmingham, Anniston and Gadsden, Alabama for a confidential, no-cost consultation to learn more about the charge of DUI and your legal options.

If you are disabled and want to file for Social Security Disability income you can do so either online at the U.S. Social Security Administration site or at any Social Security Office. The application is long and requires a lot of information. Filing online takes time and the system times out during periods of inactivity. It is helpful to have the forms sent to you so that you can have all the information ready. Claim processing can take several months. Your claim is reviewed for completeness. It will be returned to you if any information is missing, delaying your filing date. Next, it's reviewed to be sure you meet basic eligibility criteria, such as having worked at least 40 quarters. If eligible it's sent to a medical review committee to ensure that your disability meets the criteria for your specific diagnoses. This process takes three to six months. If denied you'll have 60 days to appeal. Your appeal must be filed correctly and timely. While your appeal can be filed online, consider that your application wasn't convincing, so you might need to include some key elements that you don't know about. Upwards of 70% of all initial claims are denied. A disability claims lawyer knows the successful claim requirements for various disabling conditions, and can make the difference between getting an approval or another denial. Please contact the Shelnutt Law Firm, the experienced disability claims attorneys serving residents of Birmingham, Anniston and Gadsden, Alabama for a free consultation.

Seeing another car speeding toward you in your lane can be a terrifying experience. At high speeds you may have less than one second to decide what to do. Statistics show that "every inch off-center" can lower the impact significantly. This is the difference between colliding head-on and hitting off-center by turning your vehicle to the right The farther to the right you can pull before impact, the less damage and possibly fewer injuries you can expect. If you feel you will be involved in a wrong-way automobile crash, avoid the impulse to pull to the left. If the other driver decides to act, he will likely pull to his right to avoid you. If you're pulling left you’ll be headed right for him. Decelerating will decrease the impact. If you have to hit something, hitting softer objects, like a bush, will lessen the impact. Many intoxicated people get going the wrong way making them unpredictable. If you suspect intoxication, pull to the shoulder and just stop until they’ve passed. Use your turn signal whenever possible to let the other driver know what you’re doing. If you are the one going the wrong way, pull over and stop. Turn your care around when safe. More tips from professional drivers:

• Scan the road 1/4 mile ahead, continuously.
• Check all mirrors every 30 seconds.
• Assess the scene ahead.
• Decide what to do.
• Do it.

If you have been involved in a wrong way automobile accident please contact the Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C., serving residents in Birmingham, Anniston and Gadsden, Alabama today to schedule a no-cost, confidential consultation with our experienced auto accident attorneys.