Experienced Arkansas Personal Injury Attorneys Help Our Siloam Springs Clients Pursue Compensation After an Accident
A serious accident turns an ordinary day upside-down. Your plans evaporate in an instant. Instead, you face unpaid medical bills, time away from work, pain and injury, and mountains of paperwork. You may face daily questions you are unprepared to answer. Will you ever return to your previous life? When will you go back to work – if ever? How will you pay your bills or support your family?
If these questions sound familiar, you’re not alone. Talk to the team at the Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, P.A. today at (479) 361-3575 to schedule a free, confidential consultation with an experienced attorney.
Arkansas Personal Injury Statistics
Injuries occur in Arkansas homes, workplaces, roads, and other areas every day. Many of these injuries are preventable.
Common injuries that appear in personal injury claims include auto accidents, workplace injuries, injuries from defective products, dog bites, and even wrongful death.
Auto Accidents
Car accident injuries and death spiked in Arkansas in 2020 and 2021. While rate have slowly fallen since, hundreds of Arkansas residents still suffer serious injuries and deaths on the state’s roads each year.
In 2023, the Arkansas Department of Transportation recorded 596 deaths from auto crashes on Arkansas roads. This number is lower than 2022’s total of 637 deaths.
Through the end of July 2024, ARDOT recorded 339 deaths on the state’s roads. Hundreds of roadway users also suffered injuries in crashes in 2024 and previous years.
Common auto accidents include:
- Car accidents,
- Drunk driving collisions,
- Motorcycle accidents,
- Truck and bus accidents,
- Pedestrian crashes,
- Bicyclist collisions.
Workplace Injuries
According to the National Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), approximately 27,800 work-related injuries occurred in Arkansas workplaces in 2022. This number represents an increase over the 26,000 injuries recorded in 2021.
Among these workplace injuries, 11,100 cases involved injuries severe enough they forced a worker to miss at least one day of work. This number is higher than the 9,900 such cases recorded in 2021. In 2022, 3,800 injured workers need a transfer to a new job or restrictions on their current work to allow their bodies to heal from a work-related injury.
Manufacturing and construction remain among the most dangerous industries for on-the-job injury. However, these injuries may occur anywhere. In 2022, service industry businesses like restaurants, salons, landscapers, and similar companies reported 15,300 workplace injuries – an increase of 1,800 such injuries over the previous year.
Slip and fall accidents are common in workplaces. These accidents can also occur in shops and other locations as well. Falls, burns, and exposure to toxins or electrical current are also common causes of workplace injuries.
Defective Products
A hidden defect in a consumer product can cause serious harm. Defects may be part of how a product is made or how it is designed. A product can also be defective if it doesn’t come with adequate safety instructions or warnings.
Injuries from defective products have increased nationwide in recent years. In 2023, approximately 12.7 million people visited emergency departments nationwide after suffering injuries from defective products. According to the National Safety Council:
- Stairs, ramps, landings, and flooring products are the number one cause of product-related injuries. Beds, pillows, mattresses, chairs, sofas, and sofa beds also rank highly.
- Children age 0-4 have the highest risk of injury from defective products. Common injuries to this age group come from soaps and detergents, television sets and stands, and cooking appliances like ranges and ovens.
While children and the elderly tend to experience more defective product injuries, anyone can be injured by a hidden defect in a consumer product. When this happens, it’s important to seek advice on your legal rights. You may be able to hold the manufacturer or seller accountable for failing to make the product reasonably safe or to disclose dangers.
Dog Bites
Dog bite injuries are surprisingly common. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 4.5 million dog bite injuries occur in the United States each year.
While most dogs do not bite, any dog can bite. Dogs are more likely to bite if they are under stress, feel threatened or cornered, or are protecting puppies or territory. Young children are more likely to be injured by a dog bite, as their size and impulsiveness is more likely to make a dog feel threatened.
Deaths from dog bites are relatively rare, but high costs are common. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that in 2021, insurers paid more than $881 million to address medical costs and other losses from dog bite injuries.
Fatal Injuries
A person injured by another’s negligence can file a personal injury claim to seek compensation for the harm caused. But what happens if the injury proves fatal, and the injured person is no longer alive to bring their claim?
In these cases, the surviving family estate representative can file a claim for damages. These are known as “wrongful death” claims. They seek compensation when an injury proves fatal. We discuss wrongful death claims in more detail below.
Common Injuries in Siloam Springs Personal Injury Cases
When serious injuries occur, your life can change in an instant. Common injuries that appear in Siloam Springs personal injury cases include:
- Head, neck, and back injuries,
- Brain, spinal cord, and nerve injuries,
- Damage to internal organs,
- Broken bones,
- Amputations and crush injuries,
- Drowning, electrocution, and similar damage,
- Psychological injuries like post-traumatic stress.
Both physical and psychological injuries deserve prompt medical treatment from qualified professionals. Treatment helps you reach the maximum recovery possible after an injury. It also documents what happened, allowing you to make a case for the full amount of compensation you need.
The Basics: Arkansas Personal Injury Claims
To navigate a personal injury claim in Siloam Springs, you’ll need to understand the basics of personal injury law. For answers to specific questions, talk to an experienced attorney as soon as possible.
Time Limits on Personal Injury Cases in Arkansas
Arkansas’s statute of limitations sets a time limit on filing personal injury claims. Typically, you have three years from the date of injury to file your claim. If you don’t file your claim within three years, you lose your opportunity to do so.
Medical malpractice cases have a slightly shorter time limit. Under Arkansas Code section 16-114-203, you have two years from the date of injury if you were injured by medical negligence.
There are some exceptions to these time limits, but they are narrow. Speak to an attorney as soon as you can to understand how the limits apply to your case.
Types of Compensation in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases
Compensation in personal injury cases typically focuses on two types of losses or “damages.”
Economic damages cover financial losses. They focus on money you spent, money you couldn’t earn because you were injured, or money you’ll need to spend in the future because of your injuries. Common economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and the cost to repair or replace damaged property.
Non-economic damages cover losses that aren’t financial but that do impact your daily life. Common non-economic damages include compensation for pain and suffering, the loss of enjoyment of hobbies or activities you once participated in, and the anguish associated with permanent scarring or disfigurement.
In a wrongful death claim, the surviving family members and the deceased person’s estate can seek compensation for similar damages as a personal injury case. For instance, they can seek repayment of medical expenses, coverage of lost wages from their deceased loved one, and damages for any conscious pain and suffering their loved one experienced.
Families and estate representatives can also seek damages for their own losses. Compensation that may be available in a wrongful death claim includes:
- Funeral and burial expenses,
- Compensation for the suffering family members endured when they lost their loved one too soon.
When a wrongful death claim succeeds, compensation for family members’ losses is paid directly to the family members. These funds do not become part of the estate, which means they are not divided according to the terms of any will or other estate plan. Damages paid to cover the estate’s expenses, such as the cost of a funeral, may be paid directly to the estate.
Bringing a wrongful death claim can feel overwhelming when you’re already struggling with grief. Yet it can also help you determine exactly what happened to your loved one. The claim can also help you hold negligent parties accountable for the devastation caused by their actions.
Talk to an Experienced Siloam Springs Injury Lawyer Today
After a serious injury, even ordinary daily activities can become a struggle. You need help and guidance in this difficult time. A knowledgeable Siloam Springs personal injury attorney can help.
To learn more, talk to the team at the Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, P.A. We’ll help you understand your legal rights and options so you can make an informed choice about your future. To learn more, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential case evaluation.