PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS IN WINCHESTER, KENTUCKY

Personal injury refers to an injury to the body, emotions, or mind. Its legal definition does not include damage to personal property. When you need a Winchester personal injury attorney, the Maze Law Offices are within easy reach no matter where you are located. If you can’t make it to the office during regular business hours, our attorneys will meet you at your home, workplace, or hospital. Wherever is best for you, we will be there.

Let’s say you were hit by a Semi-Truck while driving on the interstate in Clark County.  A personal injury claim would cover any physical damage you sustained (cuts and bruises, broken bones, etc.). It may even compensate you for the psychological distress or PTSD you experience afterwards.

To win your personal injury claim, you need to prove both liability and damages. The court needs to see that the defendant is responsible, whether intentional or due to negligence. It also needs to see the nature and extent of your damages.

This situation is where experienced Winchester personal injury lawyers come in handy. Our professionals have the legal expertise needed to prove liability and damages. We will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve. If you have questions, you may call our office for a free consultation today!

WHEN YOU MAY NEED A WINCHESTER PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER

It is tempting to believe you can handle your auto accident or workplace injury claim alone. It seems straightforward enough: Fill out the claim forms, send them to the insurance company, and wait for the check to arrive.

People may tell you that attorneys are too expensive or that you’ll end up giving most of your settlement check to the lawyers. The insurance agent will be quick to tell you that you don’t need an attorney.

Before deciding to handle your case alone, consider these tips:

  • Did you suffer any injuries? Even seemingly minor injuries can have serious consequences later, and if you have not filed your claim correctly, you may not be able to recover compensation later.
  • Is there a question of who was at fault? Insurance companies always look for ways to deny claims, and the fastest way is to allege you were partially responsible for your own injuries or that someone besides their client shared the blame. Your attorney can help prove who was responsible and who should pay for the accident.
  • The case may go to trial. Unless you know your way around a courtroom, you should never try to represent yourself in a legal proceeding. The insurance company will have its own attorney in court to present its case. You should have someone just as able to present yours.

HOW MAZE LAW OFFICES CAN HELP

At Maze Law Offices, we can give you top-tier representation in a wide range of personal injury cases. These are only a few of the most common accidents that may lead to injury.

  • Vehicle accidents. With the number of Kentucky residents on the road today, vehicle accidents are the number one cause of injury and property damage. Vehicle accidents include vehicle versus vehicle, vehicle versus pedestrian, and even buildings.
    • Car accidents. These range from parking lot fender benders to multi-car pileups on the freeway. Car accidents can cause serious injury to drivers and passengers. It is not always easy to determine fault in a car accident, so you should contact an attorney as soon as possible after the incident.
    • Motorcycle accidents never end well for the motorcycle rider. Because they are small and lack protection for the rider, even if you are doing everything right, you can be seriously hurt due to someone else’s careless driving.
    • Truck accidents. Commercial vehicle accidents are particularly complex because more than the driver is involved. The trucking company, the shipping company, or even the manufacturer may be implicated in an injury accident.
    • ATV and off-road vehicles. ATVs must be used appropriately to be safe. However, if someone else’s negligence leads to an accident, you have the right to compensation for your injuries.
  • Premises Liability. Owners and landlords have a duty to keep their property safe for visitors and tenants. Failure to fix hazards that lead to injury is the fault of the property owner and results in liability.
  • Dog bites. If a dog bites someone, it is not the fault of the dog; it is the fault of the owner. If an owner fails to train or restrain a dog and injury results, the victim is entitled to compensation for their pain and injuries.
  • Workplace accidents. Workplace injuries can be complicated by uncertainty over whether workers’ compensation covers them or not. If you suffer an injury on the job, you need to discuss your next steps with a knowledgeable attorney like those at Maze Law Offices.

These are only some of the possible causes of injury and accident. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury due to another person’s carelessness or negligence, no matter what the circumstances, you may have a claim for personal injury.

Our team is here to help you get the compensation and justice you deserve if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s carelessness or negligence. Beginning with your insurance claim and proceeding to settlement or trial if necessary, we will be at your side through the entire process. Call us today to schedule your free and confidential consultation. Unlike many larger attorney offices you may see on TV, we live here and know this area, its people, and its laws.  Contact us today to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.

WINCHESTER PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS

Winchester has an estimated population of 18,548 in 2019 and is not much more than its 2010 census count of 18,368. The county seat of Clark County is nestled on the Kentucky River, directly east of Lexington, and offers a host of outdoor activities to draw in tourists.  Some of these well-known activities include fishing, kayaking, and hiking.  As many Kentucky residents know, Winchester is famous for being the home to Ale-8-One. As well, Winchester’s historic downtown area is home to unique restaurants and shopping, as well as many unique festivals, such as the Winchester Beer Cheese Festival.

Unfortunately, none of these factors make the residents of Winchester and Clark County immune to personal injuries. Injury accidents and car wrecks are a part of life everywhere- whether in a small town or big city.  When those injuries occur, accident victims should consult with our Winchester personal injury lawyers at Maze Law Offices to learn what the options are and receive a free case evaluation.

CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER IN WINCHESTER, KY

Unfortunately, Kentucky is no stranger to car accidents. In 2018, the state saw 134,285 road collisions that injured 33,914 people. A fair number of these crashes happened on Winchester roads including the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway.

Car crashes happen every day, even in a small city like Winchester, and they often result in serious injuries or wrongful death. According to the federal government, human error is the cause of the vast majority of traffic accidents. Human error can include such things as:

  • Driver inattention
  • Distracted driving
  • Insufficient attention to surrounding road or weather conditions

Other sources list different top accident causes, and many of those causes are also rooted in human behavior, including:

  • Speeding
  • Drunk driving
  • Distracted driving, including cell phone use
  • Running red lights, which caused nearly 900 deaths and more than 139,000 injuries in 2018
  • Driver fatigue

Texting while driving receives the most attention by far out of all forms of distracted driving. Kentucky law bans texting while driving for all drivers, and any cell phone use at all while driving for drivers younger than 18. Still, cell phone use is by no means the only type of distraction that causes accidents. Eating and drinking, adjusting the controls of your sound system, messing with the vehicle’s climate controls, and innumerable other activities can take a driver’s attention off of the road, leading to an accident. Driving while distracted is negligent driving, and the distracted driver likely will be liable for any injuries incurred by those involved in a resulting accident.

Kentucky has a no-fault system for automobile insurance, but it actually does not take much to escape the confines of a no-fault system. Under Kentucky’s no-fault laws, your auto insurance covers your medical expenses, lost wages, and any other out-of-pocket expenses no matter who is at fault for your accident. In theory, you cannot sue the other driver for damages. You also cannot collect pain and suffering or other emotional damages from your no-fault coverage. However, under the Kentucky no-fault law, if the other driver was at fault for the accident, you still can sue the at-fault  driver if your medical expenses exceed than $1,000, if you suffer a broken bone or permanent injury or disfigurement, or if a family member dies in the accident. The medical expenses threshold is so low as to make it possible to sue the at-fault driver in almost all accidents involving injuries these days, given the level of modern medical costs.

If you’ve been in a car accident in Clark County, KY, you likely have concerns about damage to your vehicle. However, you should also have concerns about potential personal injury. You may have suffered physical harm and emotional/psychological trauma.

For a reliable car accident lawyer in Winchester, KY, or Georgetown, contact our team today. We use our expertise and years of experience to help you through this stressful situation. With us, you can win compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, emotional and mental health damages, and more.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYER IN WINCHESTER, KY

Motorcycle accidents aren’t necessarily more common than other auto accidents. However, motorcycle crash victims are at higher risk. One report shows that, in 2017, motorcycle fatalities occurred almost 27 times more frequently than car fatalities. This risk is because motorcyclists don’t have as much protection. They are susceptible to severe injuries, including broken bones, burns/road rash, spinal cord damage, internal organ damage, and even disfigurement/amputation.

Motorcycle accidents tend to be more of a concern for those on the motorcycle than for the operators of other vehicles involved. More than 80% of motorcycle accidents leave the motorcycle rider injured or killed. While declining, fatalities from motorcycle accidents resulted in nearly 5,000 deaths in 2018, with an additional 89,000 injuries among motorcycle riders. The decline in fatalities from years past still left motorcycle riders representing a disproportionate percentage of traffic accident fatalities based on miles driven. Every year, motorcyclists are about 28 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than are the occupants of passenger cars.

Even though the report came out decades ago, The Hurt Report, an in-depth, multi-year study of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents, still is considered the most thorough study of motorcycle accidents and their causes. That report concluded that about three-fourths of motorcycle accidents involved a collision with another vehicle, usually a passenger vehicle. Federal statistics tend to support that finding, even much more recently. The top cause of fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes remains the same as it was then — crashes at intersections where the passenger vehicle turned left in front of a motorcycle that was going straight. An industry site that put out a list of the top 10 causes of motorcycle accident causes largely agreed with federal statistics and included:

  • Cars or other vehicles turning left in from of motorcyclists
  • Cars changing lanes into the motorcyclist, with inattention or failure to check the blind spot by the car’s driver as a top reason
  • A car striking the motorcyclist from behind
  • Running into an opening car door.

Aside from bodily harm, these injuries can lead to severe emotional trauma. They can also cause you to miss work and lose out on wages.

If you are a victim of a motorcycle crash, call us today! Our team is ready to provide the best legal representation available.

TRUCK ACCIDENTS

Federal statistics tell the story of the costs that truck-car accidents inflict upon the occupants of the cars involved. In 2018, 531,000 large commercial trucks, including 18-wheeler tractor-trailer rigs, were involved in reported traffic accidents in the U.S. In those crashes, 4,951 people were killed and an additional 151,000 people were injured. Out of those who were killed in tractor-trailer crashes in 2018, more than 70% were either drivers or passengers in other vehicles.

Similarly, out of those injured in crashes involving tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles, 72% were occupants of other vehicles and 26% were occupants of tractor-trailers. An additional 2% of those injured were not even in a vehicle at all. Most of those were pedestrians and bicyclists. Due to the immense size and weight of commercial vehicles like big rigs, it is no wonder that those in smaller passenger vehicles bear the brunt of those crashes.

This problem is not limited to 18-wheelers on the interstates and other roadways. Delivery trucks or vans as well as garbage and recycling trucks also  cause grave injuries and destruction when they are involved in crashes. Both are a god bit larger than even the largest passenger vehicle, and both spend most of their time on residential streets. Recycling and garbage trucks range from 40,000 to 64,000 pounds and tend to be large blocks of heavy steel because of the purpose for which they are designed – picking up garbage. When these trucks are involved in a collision with a passenger vehicle, which weighs an average of 4,000 pounds, but could be as little as 2,400 pounds, it is not hard to guess which vehicle will suffer the most damage. The same goes for the occupants of passenger vehicles. Federal data for 2017 records 107 traffic fatalities involving garbage and recycling trucks, as well as more than 1,400 injuries. Most of those deaths and injuries are suffered by the occupants of the passenger vehicles involved.

Delivery vans — and over the past year, everybody has seen such vehicles just about every day, delivering orders of who-knows-what made online — also pose a danger for all the same reasons as tractor trailers and garbage trucks. Federal statistics for 2017 show vans or box trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds were in 1,885 fatal accidents, as well as an additional 22,000 crashes involving injuries. While not as large as garbage trucks or 18-wheelers, delivery vans are typified by what might be the most popular delivery vehicle, the 11,000-pound Mercedes Sprinter. Used by Amazon, FedEx, UPS, Purolator, and other services, the Sprinter weighs almost three times as much as the average passenger vehicle.

DOG BITE INJURIES

Americans love their dogs. In fact, there are more 78 million dogs nationwide living in households as pets. The majority of those dogs never bite anybody, but statistics make it clear that many of them do. Each year there are about 4.7 million people bitten by dogs. Of those, about 800,000 require at least some medical treatment. In addition, there were 59 deaths from dog bits nationwide in 2019, with most of those involving multiple dogs. Two of those dog-bite deaths occurred in Kentucky. While only a small number of dog bites each year end with someone’s death, injuries from dog bites can be quite serious as well as expensive. Nationwide, insurance claims related to dog bits totaled $797 million in 2019, with costs per claim reaching $44,760.

SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENT LAWYER IN WINCHESTER, KY

Businesses and homeowners have a legal responsibility to ensure their property is safe. If they fail to meet this responsibility and cause harm to you as a result, you may be entitled to compensation.

“Slip and falls” are a prevalent type of personal injury case.  In the legal field, we call this area of injury law- Premises Liability.   What many people should know about premises liability cases is that the claim is rarely ever taken out against the homeowner or the business owner.  Typically, the compensation and payment for your injuries and medical expenses is paid for by big insurance companies.

If you are a victim of a slip and fall, call us today! Our team will get to work immediately. We will help you prove fault and accurately assess the damages to which you are entitled. You’ll get the compensation you need to cover medical bills, lost wages, etc.

Importantly, your consultation is absolutely free and confidential.  There is never an upfront cost to you, and we never charge you a dime unless we win your case.

OTHER PERSONAL INJURY CAUSES

Personal injuries can be caused by as many different factors as you can imagine. The fact is, personal injuries can happen anywhere, in many different ways, and liability for resulting injuries will depend upon the unique circumstances. Among the primary causes of personal injuries aside from those mentioned above are:

  • Premises liability: Premises liability is what is known in government statistics as “property liability,” meaning that liability for the injury arises from the owner’s failure to maintain the property in a safe condition. Premises liability can include such diverse types of events as slips and falls, dog bites, negligent or inadequate security, swimming pool injuries resulting from inadequate or improper maintenance, or dangerous property conditions at retail locations or restaurants. Such property liability accidents are among the leading causes of accidental injuries annually. Premises liability in Kentucky can apply in instances where you were invited onto the property or were hired to be there, including when you patronize a business open to the public, even though you were not personally invited onto the property; the owner of the property knew or should have known about an unsafe condition on the property and failed to correct that condition, or corrected the condition in such a way that did not correct the danger; and the failure to remedy the dangerous condition caused your injury.
  • Hit and run accidents: The definition of a hit and run accident is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: A driver causes and accident, whether with a pedestrian, another vehicle, or of any other kind, and then leaves the scene without providing contact information. It does not matter if the other driver is involved in an accident while you both are driving your cars, runs into your parked car, or runs into you while you are walking. If the other driver flees without leaving contact information, that is hit and run. Usually, your only chance of obtaining compensation for such an accident lies in getting information on the identity of that driver, either by getting a license plate number, descriptions or other information from witnesses, traffic cameras, or security cameras near the scene of the accident.
  • Bicycle accidents: There were 857 traffic fatalities among bicycle riders in 2018, and every year there are about 450,000 bicycle-related injuries nationwide, as well. It does not matter whether bicycle riders are commuting to work, riding for exercise, or just out for some recreation, all bicycle riders using the roads enjoy the same rights – and bear the same responsibilities – as any other vehicle on the roads. Unfortunately, with their complete lack of the kind of physical protection that motor vehicles give their occupants, it is virtually guaranteed that bicyclists involved in traffic accidents are more likely to be injured, often seriously or even fatally, than are the occupants of a car or truck. A bicycle is legally equivalent to a motor vehicle on the roads, meaning that liability for an accident operates on the same principles as a traffic accident between motor vehicles: Liability for damages rests with the driver (or rider) whose negligence causes the accident. the negligent driver is liable for the damages suffered by the non-negligent driver. Determining what those damages are likewise will follow the same general principles as those that apply in calculating damages from any other traffic accident.

If you have suffered a personal injury in Clark County and believe another person might have been at fault, you should seek advice from a local attorney to help find out what options you may have. It is possible there are provisions within a liability insurance policy which may be able to pay for your injuries and other damages, depending upon the circumstances of how you were hurt.

HOW TO FIND THE BEST PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY

Just because a major law firm advertises with a big electronic billboard on the freeway doesn’t make it the best one for you and your family. How can you find the right attorney to protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve?

  • Personal contact with your lawyer. When you call the office, do you get the attorney handling your case or just an assistant who can’t remember your name? At Maze Law Offices, you will always talk to the same attorney every time.
  • Your case is crafted to your needs. A big, impersonal firm handles every case the same, filling out identical forms and making identical settlements. Maze Law Offices will meet with you and ask what you want to get out of your case, whether it is a trial, a settlement, or just peace of mind.
  • Reviews and testimonials. Maze Law Offices has dozens of personalized testimonials from satisfied clients. Our clients are happy with us, and we’re proud to let them tell you in their own words.

We offer our potential clients free consultations and same-day appointments, so you never have to wait to talk to an attorney. We will answer your questions immediately, and you won’t leave without all your questions being answered.

CALL OUR PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER IN WINCHESTER, KY

Most personal injury claims in Kentucky have a statute of limitations of one year. Others, like car accident claims, have a statute of limitations of two years. Regardless, it is crucial to file your claim ASAP. This step will drastically improve your chances of winning and getting the compensation you deserve.

Our professional legal team can further improve your chances thanks to our legal expertise. For years, we’ve helped residents throughout Winchester win their claims. We guide you through the entire process and know what it takes to prove liability and damages.

Don’t leave your case up to unqualified attorneys or the crazy TV lawyers. Get the compensation you deserve by contacting Maze Law Offices today! We always offer our clients free case evaluations to help them decide how to proceed. Our consultations are kept strictly private and there is never an upfront cost to you.

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