Driving is such a part of our lives that it’s easy to forget how dangerous the roads can be. According to federal statistics, more than 35,000 Americans are killed in auto accidents each year. Another 2.3 million are injured, some so seriously that their lives will never be the same. And the economic costs of […]

Studies show airplanes and helicopters crash far less often than cars. But when they do, dozens of lives can be lost in an instant. In fact, numbers from the National Transportation Safety Board show that the number-one cause of aviation accidents is human error. That includes accidents with commercial airplanes as well as the more […]

Bankruptcy lawyers help individuals and businesses file for bankruptcy — but thats not all they do. In addition to helping with the actual paperwork and providing representation in court, bankruptcy attorneys help their clients decide whether bankruptcy is the best choice for them, and if so, what kind of bankruptcy they should use. They also […]

Bicycles are more popular than ever as a form of transportation and exercise. But when drivers don’t see bicycles on the road, the resulting accident can be deadly. Regardless of who caused an accident between a bicycle and a car, cyclists are much more likely to die or sustain serious head injuries, multiple broken bones, […]

A birth injury is an injury to a baby or mother during the birthing process. These injuries can be severe, causing mental or physical disabilities to a child who might otherwise have been completely healthy. When medical professionals’ bad decisions cause birth injuries, they are a form of medical malpractice. But because they affect newborn […]

Business attorneys serve clients from small businesses to multinational corporations. At the local level, business lawyers help entrepreneurs choose the right business structures, follow regulations and strike deals, such as a lease for office space. For slightly larger businesses, attorneys can also give advice on mergers and acquisitions, managing money and people and entering the […]

Civil rights law protects individuals from discrimination and unfair treatment in public life. Both the federal government and the states have laws protecting individuals rights from interference by the government and businesses. For example, freedom of speech, freedom to own a firearm and freedom from job discrimination based on race are all protected by civil […]

Being accused of a crime can turn your life upside down. Being convicted can take away the things that matter most — your career, your family and your freedom. To protect them, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney. Hiring a defense lawyer evens the playing field between you and the government, ensuring that someone […]

Prescription and over-the-counter medications are supposed to help us live healthier lives. However, more and more reports show that some drugs actually harm patients health, or raise the risk of a potentially deadly health problem. Like all manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies are legally required not to offer us products that are dangerous, or lack sufficient warning […]

Under state law, all manufacturers of consumer products like toys, food and clothing must make sure their products are safe to use. If there’s a foreseeable danger from using the product, they have a duty to warn customers properly about that danger. When they fail in that duty and someone gets hurt, victims have the […]

Dogs may be trusted family pets, but they are also natural predators equipped with sharp teeth and claws. When a dog attacks a human being, it can kill or do serious physical damage, leaving behind life-threatening infections, broken bones and physical and emotional scars that may never fully go away. Victims may need several surgeries […]

Drunk driving in the United States takes a life every 45 minutes, and changes forever the lives of those left behind. Despite decades of driver education that makes these consequences clear, thousands of Americans continue to selfishly choose to drive under the influence. Whether or not the driver is criminally prosecuted, victims of drunk driving […]

Elder law is actually a group of interconnected legal issues focused on senior citizens. Elder attorneys handle the many legal issues affecting older people, including wills and trusts, age discrimination, federal benefits programs, disability law and elder abuse, neglect or exploitation. Elder attorneys can help prevent serious problems by taking care of end-of-life issues such […]

Entertainment attorneys handle a variety of legal tasks related to the business side of entertainment. Entertainment lawyers make a living negotiating the contracts that get movies, shows and albums made. These include deals between entertainment companies, financing deals with banks, and contracts with stars and support businesses. Frequently, they also handle the licensing and protection […]

Environmental attorneys help people and communities who have been hurt by pollution and abuse of the environment where they live. Typically, these plaintiffs are victims of large-scale contamination by nearby industries of the water they drink, the air they breathe or the land they live on. The results can affect entire communities, leading to abnormal […]

Family law is the branch of the law that protects families and children during times of change. Family courts handle cases of divorce, child custody, elder guardianship and adoption, among others. In cases involving children and dependent adults, almost all family courts in the United States are legally required to make their decisions in the […]

Immigration attorneys represent people seeking to live and work legally in the United States, or companies seeking to sponsor foreign workers. Immigrants and visitors do not always need a lawyer, but legal representation can greatly reduce the time needed to secure high-demand visas, such as H1-B visas for visiting skilled workers, or green cards for […]

Intellectual property law protects ideas, creative work and other property that cannot be touched, but is still very important to its owner. Intellectual property includes patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as information that may not be formally protected, such as a company’s trade secrets. Intellectual property attorneys help their clients apply for legal protection […]

During the dawn of the industrial age, Congress recognized that those who work at sea are at special risk of injuries at work. In response, it passed the Jones Act, which allows injured workers, or the families of workers killed on the job, to sue an employer at fault for the injury. It applies to […]

Medical malpractice is any mistake by a doctor so severe that it falls below the communitys standards of care. Not every bad outcome is medical malpractice, but when a decision was grossly negligent or unprofessional, victims should consider talking to a medical malpractice attorney. Experts estimate that failure to diagnose, incorrect medications, hospital-borne infections and […]

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the abdomen with a median survival rate typically measured in months. The only known cause is exposure to asbestos, a substance that was widely used in industry through most of the twentieth century, despite its well-known dangers. Asbestos use is now strictly regulated, but because the disease takes ten to […]

Automobile accidents can have a devastating effect on victims and their families. At their most serious, crashes can leave their victims with catastrophic injuries, lifelong disabilities or even a wrongful death. For many families, the situation is made worse by financial pressure. Victims can be taken out of work for weeks, months or even for […]

Unfortunately, it’s true that motorcycle accidents are deadly. Federal statistics show that motorcyclists are 35 times more likely than drivers to die in a crash. However, statistics also show that most motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle are the other drivers fault, mainly because other drivers fail to see motorcycles until it’s too late. The results […]

Nursing homes exist to care for people who are so sick or disabled that they can no longer live independently. Unfortunately, those conditions can create opportunities for dishonorable people to take advantage of patients who cannot speak up or fight back. Physical abuse, financial exploitation, neglect and worse have all been reported at nursing homes. […]

All drivers have a legal obligation to watch for pedestrians and yield them the right of way. When they don’t, the results can be devastating, pitting an unprotected human body against a speeding two-ton metal object. Most pedestrian accident cases are caused by inattention, impatience or law-breaking by drivers. But when it comes time to […]

A personal injury is any injury that was caused by someone else’s wrongful actions. Those wrongful actions can be crimes, but more often, they are actions caused by negligence, a legal term for failure to take reasonable actions to protect others from foreseeable harm. For example, a driver who causes an accident by playing with […]

Under state law, everyone in charge of a property open to the public has a legal duty to remove hazards on that property. If they cannot, they must post warnings to passers-by within a reasonable amount of time. That’s true in private homes with guests as well as in stores, restaurants and other businesses. In […]

Real estate law covers every aspect of buying, owning and selling land and buildings. Owners and developers hire real estate lawyers to help them get the right permits to build on their land, meet legal requirements like environmental studies, and later sell the improved property. Individuals hire attorneys to protect themselves when they buy and […]

Securities fraud is the act of providing false information to investors, who are fooled by the fraud into making bad investment decisions. The Enron scandal was a type of securities fraud, perpetrated by highly placed people inside the company. However, securities fraud can also be committed by stockbrokers, accountants or other third parties. Securities fraud […]

The Social Security Disability program is supposed to help people who can no longer support themselves because of serious health problems. However, a large number of applicants each year are wrongly rejected — in fact, the majority of claims are denied. Appealing that rejection can take months or years, and during that time, applicants must […]

An injury to the spinal cord is a catastrophic injury because it typically causes at least some permanent, irreversible disability. The tissue of the spinal cord controls important physical and nerve functions. And like brain tissue, spinal cord tissue can never grow back. Victims of spinal cord injuries may be left paralyzed or lose important […]

Sports are supposed to be healthy and fun, but a sports-related injury can be life-threatening. Injuries from rough sports or falls can leave the players with brain injuries, paralysis and other life-changing disabilities. All sports involve at least some risk, but when the danger is unreasonable and easily corrected, those in charge have a legal […]

Tax attorneys help their clients with all aspects of taxation. Most often, tax attorneys help clients identify ways to minimize their taxable income while still achieving their financial and business goals, or advise them on the tax consequences of a financial change. While most people don’t need an attorney to do their taxes, some tax […]

Toxic torts is a nickname for litigation claiming that chemical exposure caused a serious disease in the person suing. The toxic exposure may come from environmental pollution by a nearby business; contaminated food or medicine; exposure to an unsafe chemical at work; or consumer products. Because these issues tend to affect large groups of neighbors […]

A traumatic brain injury is any blow to the head that disrupts the brains normal functions, even for a moment. The mildest traumatic brain injuries are concussions with no lasting effect. But at their most serious, traumatic brain injuries can leave their victims permanently disabled, unable to function without help. Victims may never be able […]

Accidents with large commercial trucks are among the most devastating types of motor vehicle accidents. Because trucks are so much larger and heavier than passenger cars, they can literally crush the smaller vehicles, causing deaths and catastrophic injuries to people inside. When the crash was caused by bad decisions from the truck driver, trucking company […]

A wills and estates attorney handles the complicated process of sorting out legal and financial issues at the end of a life. Attorneys help people protect their families and their assets by writing wills and setting up trusts that simplify inheritance issues. After a death, a wills and estates attorney helps family members carry out […]

When people are hurt on the job, they can be taken out of the workforce for months while they recover. During that time, they and their families may struggle to make ends meet, especially if the accident meant high medical bills to pay. Most workers can pay these costs by claiming workers compensation benefits through […]

A wrongful death is any death caused by the careless or illegal actions of another. That includes acts that are not crimes, such as failure to watch the road carefully enough. Under state law, family members of a wrongfully killed person may sue the wrongdoer to recover compensation for their losses. That includes compensation for […]