Can Victims of COVID-19 Sue for Personal Injury?
Coronavirus has impacted thousands of lives directly, and even more lives indirectly. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have died from the virus, it is natural to wonder what your options might be, legally and otherwise. Though the virus is still new to the United States and there is much to learn about its relationship to the legal system, it is possible you could have a case in a personal injury suit if you or someone else become a victim of COVID. If you can prove negligence on the part of someone else is the reason you or someone else contracted the virus, you may be eligible for compensation. Always consult a personal injury lawyer with many years’ experience if you’re ever considering filing a lawsuit for something like this.
Why You May Want to Consider a Personal Injury Lawsuit for Your COVID-19 Diagnosis
Being infected with coronavirus can do even more than damage your just to your physical body. Due to medical bills, you may be in debt. Additionally, because the virus is so contagious and so little is known about how to limit its spread, you likely will miss a lot of work after being infected with COVID. That can cause a loss of income and create financial strain in your family. You may also be left with some emotional stress or trauma from having such a high-profile and confusing virus.
What You Should Do if You’re Considering Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
If you’re considering pursuing legal action, it is important that you contact a personal injury lawyer with lots of experience in arguing and winning cases having to do with disease. You could be entitled to compensation if an experienced lawyer can prove that you or your loved one contracted the coronavirus due to negligence on behalf of your employer, a business owner, or someone else in your life. Having COVID-19 can seriously affect your life in numerous different ways, so it is important to hold whoever was culpable accountable if you can. Contact Herrman & Herrman, PLLC.
Will COVID-19 Delay My Personal Injury Claim?
When it comes to accessing personal injury claims, time is always a huge factor –when did it happen? When was it reported? When did the evidence show up? And so on. With everyone on quarantine and every law firm on lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s only natural to feel a little bit of concern. Nonetheless, since personal injury laws are essentially out to help people who have sustained an injury following the harmful conduct of others (whether intentional or out of negligence), there must be a way around it.
What then? If you have a pending compensation to claim or feel you deserve, here are the things to keep in mind as regards to the COVID outbreak and your personal injury claim.
When exactly did the incident happen?
The pandemic is sure changing the norms but some things will certainly remain the same afterward. One of those is the time the personal injury was sustained. A portion of the personal injury law allows for at least 3 years for the first case of personal injury to be reported. Therefore, you may want to keep that in mind. Is the case new? Have you been suffering from it for a long time? Have you filed an official report before the pandemic? You need to answer all these questions correctly.
Do you have documented evidence?
Again, Covid-19 won’t change this. If there is no evidence that the doctor’s faulted the medical law or that your neighbor’s dog truly attacked you, the path to justice maybe grey. I don’t think you want that so that gathering all proves as soon as you can. Whether the incidence is recent or occurred shortly before the quarantine began, you must document all the evidence that will help your case.
You will Need a Lawyer – So Get One
How soon you will process your compensation depends largely on your attorney. And with COVID in the air, you will need them now more than ever. And if you have one already or started the proceedings before the pandemic, then it will be in your best interest to frequently engage them this period (they just might have other 500+ personal injury cases) and also make sure you are asking all the right questions. While this might not be the best time to switch Lawyers, also keep the option open if you need to.
Personal injury suit always comes with lots of clauses unknown to the plaintiff at the beginning. Therefore it’s always advised that you leave no room for assumptions because how fast you will process your claim after the pandemic will depend largely on the steps you are taking now.
Contact Herrman & Herrman Today For Help With Your Case!
With over 100 years of combined experience among the legal team of Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., our Texas personal injury attorneys have successfully resolved over 20,000 cases. When representing injured Texas residents, we fight for justice against wrongdoing and aggressively pursue the best resolution to complex personal injury claims.
If you or a loved one was injured, please contact us for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., is a locally based law firm focused on holding negligent individuals and companies accountable for their wrongdoing. We are not a personal injury mill that advertises nationwide. We provide individualized advocacy in attending to all aspects of claims that involve. Our firm has offices in the following locations: Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi South Side, Brownsville, McAllen, San Antonio, Houston, and Ft. Worth, TX.
We remain by our clients’ side, handling all aspects of their claims and attending to all legal, medical and financial needs. That dedication is combined with experience, legal knowledge, and insight from a former insurance adjuster and several former insurance defense attorneys. Whether our clients are suffering from physical pain from an accident or the emotional grief of death, we treat clients with compassion. We put their mind at ease during difficult times by answering their questions concerning the length of their claim, medical bills, financial compensation and their overall need for a lawyer.
Texans Back on The Road After Lockdown: Traffic Changes Due to COVID-19
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging on in the United States, Americans are getting back on the road. At the beginning of the American response to COVID, the streets and highways almost emptied. Driving miles dropped by over 40% in March at the beginning of stay-at-home orders. Since then, it has picked back up. Traffic patterns have changed throughout 2023, ebbing and flowing along with new updates about the pandemic’s threat. Since traffic has returned to the Texas roads, here are some standard safety tips for highly trafficked roads.
Safety Tips for When Texans Get Back on the Road After Pandemic
Across the state, Texans are getting back on the road during the coronavirus pandemic. In the beginning of the Texan response to COVID, the streets and highways almost emptied. Driving miles dropped by over 40% in March at the beginning of stay-at-home orders. Since then, it has picked back up. Although in parts it can seem that the COVID-19 threat is gone, it is not, and you should continue to act vigilant as you get behind the wheel to drive across state, across country, or even down the street. If you are in a situation where you must drive a long distance while the pandemic is still threatening the country, there are a few safety tips you should keep in mind and always follow in order to keep yourself and others protected.
Stay Vigilant & Focused While Driving
Since the roads during the pandemic can surge in periods of lower case counts, you should make sure you keep your wits about you. Stay extra vigilant when you’re on the Texas highways and streets. There could be more people feeling safe enough to travel, which means not only extra Texans on the road but people from out of state traveling through Texas, too. To make sure you limit distractions, avoid using your cell phone, lower the radio volume, and make sure you look at the directions ahead of getting behind the wheel, so you don’t need to fiddle with a GPS.
Only Travel If Necessary
Another thing that will keep you safe on these more trafficked streets in Texas during the pandemic is only driving if it is essential. If you live at home with an older or sick relative, they are considered high-risk individuals. In this case, you should consider postponing travel or reevaluating your travel plans to see if they are essential. While case counts may be low at some periods, it’s still important that everyone does their part to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of our lives, and traffic is no different. When you return to the roads during or after the pandemic, remember that traffic patterns may surge in some periods, and you should keep the above safety tips in mind.
Know Your Destination
Before you hit the road to drive to your intended location, you should get to know your destination in the context of coronavirus. Has this location or state seen a spike in cases recently? Have the hospitals and citizens been taking appropriate precautions? You should also read up on any travel restrictions and regulations, such as mandatory self-quarantine periods when coming from certain states. Make sure you adhere to all state-level regulations in order to keep yourself and the citizens of those states safe.
Think of Your Living Situation
The next precaution you should take is to think about your current living situation and make the appropriate choice when deciding to travel. If you live at home with an older or sick relative, they are considered high-risk individuals. In this case, you should consider postponing travel or reevaluating your travel plans to see if they are truly necessary.
Bring the Right Gear
No matter where you are travelling, it is important to bring all the right gear with you to protect yourself and others from germs and the spread of the virus. Bring plenty of cloth washable or medical-grade disposable face masks to wear at all times in public. Additionally, bring plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to clean off your hands and all surfaces you come into contact with. This may seem excessive, but especially if you are in a new place around new germs, it is important to be vigilant.
CONTACT HERRMAN & HERRMAN P.L.L.C. AT 361.792.3669
Our firm is equipped with over 100 years of combined experience handling personal injury cases across Texas. Our outstanding record of favorable settlements and verdicts includes over 20,000 successfully resolved cases. Once we take on a case, we are relentless, and you can rely on us to pursue full compensation for you.
- You can trust our attorneys to be compassionate and professional.
- We will fight hard to obtain a fair settlement for you.
- Our firm represents the injured and families who have lost a loved one due to others’ negligent acts.
- We serve as counsel in a range of injury cases – including car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian accidents, premises liability cases, product liability cases, and medical malpractice claims.
- We have the ability to dispatch the Herrman & Herrman Accident Investigative Team to the crash scene to start an investigation and preserve critical evidence.
If you were hurt in an accident and are seeking legal help, let the attorneys at Herrman & Herrman help you – in the comfort of your own home! If you would like to discuss your legal issues with any one of our attorneys, we can simply meet with you by phone.
Contact us now at (361) 792-3669 or fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation and learn more about how we can meet with you remotely to review your claim.
*This blog was written with the most up to date information and this information is subject to change as more information about the virus is found and released.
We all have a duty to keep ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe right now. This means temporarily reshaping the way we live our lives to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). At Herrman & Herrman, we are taking this duty seriously and are practicing the “social distancing” guidelines recommended by health officials. To ensure you still have access to us, our lawyers are available to meet with you remotely so we can answer your legal questions and discuss your case.
Across the nation, people are limiting in-person contact as much as possible to help slow the spread of the virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to provide important guidance about what we all can do to protect ourselves and others from exposure. (Visit the CDC website for the most up-to-date information and recommendations.)
During this challenging time, our attorneys remain available to talk about your legal issues over the phone or via free video conferencing services such as:
- GoToMeeting
- Facetime
- Skype
- Zoom
If you are ready to speak with a lawyer now, please contact us to schedule your free consultation. Our team can meet with you remotely and get started on your case immediately without having to talk in person.
COVID 19 Prevention: Social Distancing
Health officials are recommending social distancing measures and face coverings to cut down on close contact and airborne transmission. This will help minimize the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Please make sure you review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more information about other steps you can take to protect yourself and others from exposure to this virus.
General Info About (COVID-19)
More and more information about the virus is coming out daily. Please stay up to date on information and symptoms by checking the CDC’s website.
This virus spreads easily and sustainably! You can get COVID-19 through direct interaction with someone who is infected, or “by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.” A person can be contagious even before they show symptoms, which may become apparent 2-14 days after exposure. Some of the common symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Herrman & Herrman in the Community: Reusable Mask Giveaways in South Texas
Herrman & Herrman is giving away face covers to stop the spread of COVID-19 when out doing essential business. Please, share this information if your friends need face covers.
Stay tuned on Facebook for updates on face mask availability.
