Law

How Filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Will Affect the Boy Scouts of America

February 21, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

After years of victims of child sexual abuse coming forward to speak against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the organization has declared bankruptcy. The filing is a result of multiple class-action lawsuits against the organization for failing to protect the young boys in their care, turning a blind eye to the abuse of an estimated 12,000 victims. But is bankruptcy enough for the victims?

What does chapter 11 bankruptcy mean?

When a business files for chapter 11 bankruptcy they are admitting that they are unable to sustain their business with their current trends. For the BSA, this means that they are unable to continue covering the damages and payouts to the sexual abuse victims suing them. Businesses going through chapter 11 bankruptcy are making a statement that they plan to reorganize their finances in order to repay their debts.

Bankruptcy court demands statements of assets, liabilities, and important aspects of the business to be released. It also means that the organization will halt operations until its finances are sufficiently reorganized.

This also means that there is now a deadline for victims to come forward. This has received strong criticism, since forcing victims to come forward before they are ready often leads to victims never coming forward at all. It could also reduce the amount available for compensation for individual victims who do come forward.

How are victims responding?

Sexual abuse has a unique impact on each individual victim, which presents in different reactions. A large number of victims who have come forward see the filing as a success; proof that the BSA knows it did something wrong and is going to pay for it. Some victims don’t care about the compensation and only care that the world knows about the scope of the problem. This group believes that even if it means each individual gets less of a payout, it’s worth it if more people come forward.

Another group sees the filing as a cop-out. Reducing the number of victims that are willing to come forward drastically reduces the amount the organization will have to owe. It will also limit the scope of the problem visible to the public.

How will this affect local troops?

Due to the financial independence of district-level troops, local troops are unlikely to be shut down. It is still unclear how operations will change at the national level, but the organization is sure to go through a change.

How has the BSA changed its policies relating to adult volunteers?

Adult members of the BSA are required to undergo training, review, and criminal background checks. Beyond this, a greater number of certified adults are being required to attend events and activities to ensure safety procedures are being followed.

Further Information:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/18/metro/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-filing-could-yield-key-evidence-abuse-cases-boston-lawyer-says/

https://time.com/5785874/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-sex-abuse/

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/boy-scouts-abuse-survivors-want-more-than-just-compensation-attorney-says/2313426/

Personal Injuries and Winter Driving

December 4, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Winter weather has hit America full force, and there are news stories to back it up. Nothing ushers in the seasons like hearing about dozen-car pile-ups and terrible drivers (I know this is Toronto, but terrible drivers are universal). These increasingly dangerous conditions make it important for you to be aware of your personal injury risks.

Low-Speed Collisions

Bumps happen. You can drive as slowly and carefully as possible and still end up in a rear-ending at a red light because the person behind you didn’t leave quite enough space on the icy road. If there’s no real damage, it’s often easiest to just exchange insurance information and carry on with your individual lives. Chances are you’ll bump into someone at some point and will want that good-forgiveness-karma.

If there is damage, either bodily or automotive-ly, you’ll want to talk to a lawyer. They will help you get their insurance to cover your damages and help you recover. Alternatively, if you were the one to cause the damage, a lawyer will help you negotiate with your insurance to make sure you pay the bare minimum.

High-Speed Collisions

High-speed collisions are always bad news. On freeways or otherwise, losing control while on an icy road can create widespread damage. These make up a large percentage of winter driving fatalities. Cars are unable to stop quickly in winter conditions and can behave unpredictably on ice. This is why it’s important to always take full precautions in dangerous conditions to avoid being slapped with a reckless driving charge.

Things happen quickly, and high-speed collisions are sometimes unavoidable. That being said, you can take precautions to keep yourself and those around you safe. These precautions include:

Purchasing (and installing) high quality winter tires
Avoiding driving in squalls
Driving slowly when conditions turn bad
Putting on headlights and hazards in low visibility situations
Replacing old windscreen wipers when they start to become faulty
Making sure to leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you
Giving driving your full attention

If you are involved in a collision and find yourself injured, following these precautions will help you to receive the full damages you are owed. Again, a good lawyer is key to ensuring you win your case.

What the Arguments in the Supreme Court Mean for DACA

November 14, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The Obama-era program DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, has been under attack from the moment it was announced in 2012. The program provides legal status for undocumented immigrants who arrived in America before the age of 16 and prior to 2007, allowing them to legally work, get drivers licenses, and attend universities and colleges. Over 700,000 people have utilized the program, many cautiously. The fear was due to the distrust of providing contact and personal identification information to the government while also registering as an undocumented immigrant. These fears have recently proven to be valid.

Tuesday’s Oral Arguments

After multiple attempts to end the program, the Trump administration found themselves as defendants in the case against the repeal of DACA. The plaintiffs, made up of DACA recipients from California, New York, and Washington D.C., are making the case that the repeal isn’t on legitimate grounds and would be damaging not only to the recipients who would face deportation, but also the communities they live in.

The supreme court heard arguments from Solicitor General Noel Francisco on the side of the defense and Theodore Olsen on the side of the respondents on Tuesday, and its reaction was not comforting to the response.

The current supreme court is relatively conservative compared to recent years, with a 5-4 conservative majority. While liberal justices Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsberg strongly criticized the basis of Francisco’s arguments, but justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch showed sympathy for the defendant.

The Arguments of the Defendant

Much of Francisco’s argument was based on policies of the Trump administration, mainly the idea that Obama’s implementation of DACA was illegal. Recent online statements by the president also suggested that the administration is taking a harder line on recipients, stating that many of them are “hardened criminals.” It should be noted that immigrants are only eligible for DACA if they have zero outstanding felonies and no more than three minor misdemeanors, meaning that no legitimate DACA recipient is a “hardened criminal.”

The defendants also argued that DACA was always intended to be temporary anyway, as shown by the two-year renewal requirements for recipients.

The Arguments of the Respondents

Olsen’s argument largely centered around the question of whether or not the Trump Administration’s decision violated the law, as the reasons so far given by the administration have had little basis in fact. The Department of Homeland Security policies that have led to this case has been centered around the idea that Obama violated the law when he signed DACA into law, which the liberal justices questioned.

The respondents argued that the case should be sent back until the administration could provide an “accurate, reasoned, rationally, and legally sound explanation” for the repeal. This argument led justice Alito to criticize him for wanting to extend the case for another unspecified period of time.

What Happens if The Ruling Ends DACA

If DACA is ended, hundreds of thousands of working, studying, and tax-paying residents of the US would face deportation. Beyond that, many of the recipients are now adults and have families with American-born children, which would likely be separated from them if they get deported back to a country they haven’t lived in since they were a child. The ruling would also show a troubling loyalty to the Trump administration, who hasn’t provided a clear and rational reason for its decision.

A ruling on this case is expected by June 2020.

Is Facebook Ads Targeting Discriminatory?

November 7, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Facebook Ads have pinpoint-specific targeting technology, letting advertisers narrow their audience down by location, age, gender, political affiliation, and interests, which has led to some controversy. Most recently, Facebook is the subject of a lawsuit claiming the company has allowed illegally discriminatory ad campaigns to run on their platform.

The Lawsuit

A federal district court in San Francisco is currently reviewing a complaint made by 54-year old Neuhtah Opiotennione, who is seeking a class-action suit against Facebook. Opiotennione is looking to highlight the discriminatory allowances still made by the company, specifically in ads for financial services. Credit opportunities are the one exception, as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) made exclusionary advertising on the basis of gender, age, race, religion, national origin, or marital status illegal for companies selling credit opportunities.

This law was put into place to protect historically discriminated groups who have had trouble getting approved for loans due to their demographics.

Opiotennione claims that this is still the case, regarding age and gender, as older women (Facebook defines “older” as over the age of 40) are often excluded from ads regarding financial services.

The Basis

Until 1974, women were not allowed to open bank accounts or apply for credit cards in America. 1974 was also the year the ECOA was implemented. Before this, ads for loans and credit cards were targeted specifically to men, removing access to better loans for women and, more specifically, unmarried women. Older applicants continue to have trouble getting access to financial services, and often get excluded from financial advertisements.

Facebook has already received backlash for its advertising practices, forcing them to rename their “ethnic” demographics option to their “multicultural” demographics option. They eventually removed the option altogether for housing, credit, and jobs related ads. Following a different recent lawsuit, the company also removed large amounts of targeting options from financial and job opportunity advertisements, but still allows options for “people ages 24-40” and “men ages 20 and older.”

Facebook’s Response

Facebook has responded to the criticism by bringing up their past changes to targeting options and emphasizing their devotion to community inclusivity. Whether they’ll change their guidelines is currently unknown.

Disability Discrimination is Worse Than You Think

November 5, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The Americans with Disabilities Act was first signed into law in 1990, and the protections it provides have failed to keep up in some areas. Disability discrimination and harassment continue to run rampant in workplaces, and the rights of disabled workers seem to remain stagnant.

Pay

One of the ways disabled workers are being (legally) discriminated against is in their wages. According to a loophole in the 1938 Fair Labors Standards Act, some employers are able to pay as little as three cents per hour. This is due to the act’s allowance of firms to pay based on productivity or ability. For the employed disabled population, these wages can trap workers in menial jobs with no opportunity for upward mobility. Justification from the employers for such employment conditions generally follows along the lines that they’re providing training and that the employee otherwise wouldn’t have a job.

Culture

Discrimination within the job often extends to colleagues and managers. It can come in the form of harassment involving the person’s disability (which is illegal), or continually finding reasons why other employees should advance in the company while keeping the disabled employee in their position. Discrimination from workplace culture is often unintentional, but still wholly damaging to a person’s life and career.

Barriers to Entry

For those looking for a job, disabled applicants are at an immediate disadvantage. Some jobs have barriers to entry such as requiring a driver’s license, which immediately excludes a large portion of the disabled population. If the employer can prove why it is a requirement then it is perfectly legal.

Beyond job requirements, the application field itself may be getting less friendly towards disabled workers. Company HireVue has recently come under some fire for it’s interviewing AI. The software analyses interviewee responses, posture, body language, and facial expressions to judge how they would serve as an employee in the position in question. While the software might work well for a field of equally abled candidates, it fails to adapt to differently-abled candidates.

Everyone will be disabled at some point in their life. Whether it’s from an accident, medical procedure, pregnancy, or simply old age, everyone will experience needing additional resources to complete day-to-day activities. With that being the case, you’d expect there to be more protections in place.

How Your Violent Charge Gets Classified

October 24, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

When defining violent charges, it can be hard to see where the lines cross from simple assault to assault to battery. It’s important to know the difference between the penalties for each and to know how to avoid charges that are more severe than necessary.

Assault

Simple

Simple assault describes instances that involve a minor injury and/or minor threat of violence at most. It is the most minor of assault and is usually charged as a misdemeanor. There are certain protected classes of people for which those who assault them are given harsher sentences. Members of this protected class often include police officers, mental health workers, social services workers, and disabled and elderly persons.

Aggravated

Aggravated assault describes instances in which serious harm is done or threatened the victim. It can result in serious injury and is especially dangerous with the use of a deadly weapon. Use of a deadly weapon opens up a separate case in some states and can lead to serious criminal charges including, but not limited to, jail time, fines, and/or community service. Aggravated assault is considered a felony offense with consequences of up to 20 years in prison. If the assault was against a protected class or used a deadly weapon, jail time and other penalties can be increased.

Sexual

Sexual assault, as well as aggravated sexual assault, involves the threat and/or action of non-consensually engaging in sexual acts with a victim. They are usually defined as felony offenses, and consequences can range from one year to a lifetime in prison. Additional penalties often include court-ordered rehabilitation while in prison.

As with other forms of assault, penalties increase if the assault is committed against a protected class, a minor, or use of a deadly weapon occurs.

Battery

The difference between battery and assault has become less relevant over the years, with many charges being labeled as “assault and battery,” as opposed to either one individually. Semantically, where assault covers the threats of violence, battery covers the followthrough and actual physical violence.

Dropping Rates/Rising Rates

Violent crime charges are serious and varied. Penalties change drastically when factors such as the aggressor and/or the victim being a minor come into play, whether it is a recurring charge, and the degree of the damages done. Fortunately, violent crime in the United States has seen a drastic drop since its peak in the early 90s, with a drop from 758 violent crime cases per 100,000 people in 1991 to just 368 cases per 100,000 people in 2018.

While violent crime rates as a category are dropping, unfortunately, some cases of assaults are on the rise, largely sexual assault. Some of this is due to the FBI updating its outdated definition of rape to focus on consent rather than force, therefore classifying more crimes as rape, but there does seem to be a considerable upward trend since 2013. According to the National Criminal Victimization Survey, estimated rapes (beyond just what is reported) have drastically increased since 2013.

No matter what the trends say, violent crime can ruin a person’s life completely. Whether you have been unfairly punished or were a victim of a violent crime, it is important that you know how to put your experience in legal terms.

Elder Fight Club: Worse and More Common Than You’d Think

October 21, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

A recent story out of North Carolina revealed an illegal fight club being run by nursing home workers, forcing dementia patients to fight each other as the workers watched and recorded. It’s a horrific look into the mismanagement and abuse present at one nursing home but fails to recognize the common nature of such abuse.

While the specifics of the case may be rather particular, elder abuse, and nursing home abuse, in particular, is rampant across the country. Elder abuse can come in many forms, from emotional to physical to financial, and it’s estimated that as many as 1 in 10 elders has experienced some form of abuse. This is due to their often vulnerable and isolated nature, and the desire of for-profit institutions to cover up any allegations of abuse by their staff members and residents. Abuse can be in the form of:

Physical violence
Sexual assault
Unnecessary drugging
Failure to provide the correct medication
Failure to provide food
Causing emotional stress through humiliation or intimidation
Failure to meet hygiene needs

24.3% of all elders living in nursing homes report having experienced abuse since moving to a nursing home.

While physical and emotional abuse are crippling to both elders and their loved ones, elder negligence is just as destructive, and it affects 14% of all elder abuse victims. Neglect is more likely to happen at home than in a nursing home but is still more common than it ever should be. Neglect occurs when an elder’s basics are not met, which can happen either intentionally or by accident. Many families simply are not equipped to take comprehensive care of a dependent elder. This is why nursing homes are such an important part of our communities, and why they need better oversight.

Elders have basic human rights, and should never be treated like they are less than. Elders who have been abused usually show certain signs, including:

Unexplained bruising
Bedsores
Unexplained bleeding
Unexplained behavioral changes
Loss of possessions
Overmedication

Elder abuse affects the entire community and can be perpetrated by nursing home employees, fellow residents, or even family members, male or female. If you or your loved one is the victim of elder abuse, it’s important that you report the abuse to try and slow the rampant abuse present in our country.

Why the $50 Billion Opioid Settlement is Laughably Small

October 18, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The years-long legal battle with pharmaceutical companies regarding their part in the ongoing opioid epidemic might be coming to a head today, as the top six companies being held accountable negotiate a potential settlement. Should that settlement be agreed upon, it’s estimated to reach close to $50 billion. But given the damage opioids have done to the country, is $50 billion enough?

Brief Background

Starting in 1996, Purdue Pharma heavily marketed its drug OxyContin, an opioid, as a non-addictive painkiller with more power than acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Obviously, only one of those claims is true. Since then the prescription opioid market has boomed, making manufacturers ungodly amounts of money and distributing highly addictive painkillers to millions of Americans. Between 2006 and 2012, 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills were prescribed and distributed.

Due to increased first-hand experience of the dangers of over-prescription of opioids, numbers of prescriptions began dropping. Numbers peaked in 2012 with 255 million prescriptions, but have lowered to 191 million in 2017. While this looks like a significant drop, prescription rates are still much higher than they need to be.

In an interactive map released annually by the CDC, users can see numbers of prescriptions per 100 people in a county for any year from 2006 to 2017. Bell County, Kentucky, was lucky to see a drop of over 50 prescriptions per 100 people between 2012 and 2017, unfortunately, that just dropped the number from 281 to 228 prescriptions per 100 people. For context, Bronx County, New York, only had 26.4 prescriptions per 100 people in 2017, a drop from 38.1 in 2012.

The damages from the epidemic have had a wide-ranging impact on the American economy, which the Washington Post estimates have cost the US upwards of $631 billion.

What Makes up the $631 Billion

Dangerous drugs come with a variety of costs, from treatment to decreasing work efficiency to wrongful death. The Washington Post story breaks down part of their estimate to the costs of treatment and wrongful death, $205 and $253 billion, respectively. The remaining costs relate to decreased work efficiency, absenteeism from work and family, and drug-related incarceration.

Due to these high numbers, the $50 billion settlement doesn’t even cover half of the losses estimated to have hit federal, state, and local governments ($186 billion).

How Prescriptions Lead to Damages

Opioids are highly addictive, which is known to the CDC, doctors, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, PBMs, pop-culture icons, and just about anyone who has been alive in the past 10 years. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop doctors from prescribing doses that are higher and more ongoing than recommended for safe usage.

Worker’s compensation and workplace injuries are places where addiction and damages start for a lot of people. Injuries that occur due to physical work can require weeks, months, or even years of physical therapy to fully recover, and pain can often slow down or stop the employee from returning to work. Opioids give the opportunity to return to work quickly without the pain. Unfortunately, the prescriptions provided by workers’ compensation are often much higher than recommended, with workers refilling prescriptions for over 90 days after an incident. According to the CDC, 45% of opioid claims were due to injuries that had been sustained over 2 years prior.

The chemical dependence of the brain on opioids and natural tolerance build-up over time makes long-term prescriptions dangerous and less effective than advertised. According to the National Safety Council, patients who have been using prescription opioids for over 3 months are highly likely to already be dependent and have a built-up tolerance. The CDC notes that this is detrimental to the economy, as workers with a pain medication disorder miss an average of 29 days per year, almost 3X the 10.5 day average for regular employees.

While workplace injuries are the root of many opioid addictions, any injury or surgery can lead to addiction. Those who have sustained moderate to severe auto accident injuries and need to get back to work are likely to be prescribed opioids, as are those who have undergone minor surgery. I got all four wisdom teeth out just over a year ago and got a nice bottle of 15 Vicodin for my struggles; I ended up disposing of at least 4 of them once I had recovered and no longer felt like I needed serious painkillers. Point being, patients in pain cannot be trusted to deny opioids of their own free will. This is why doctors and pharmaceutical companies need to be held accountable for medical malpractice when refillable prescriptions are given for non-chronic pain (and even chronic pain, given the human ability to build up tolerance).

What’s the Proper Response

As shown in cases like lawsuits against JUUL for advertising addictive nicotine products to children, holding companies accountable beyond settlements is incredibly difficult in America. $50 billion is an astronomical amount and would greatly help state and local governments treat and fight opioid addiction, but is only a fraction of the amount that opioids have already cost the country. Ideally, protections would be put in place and enforced to ensure only those who desperately need addictive and destructive substances and provided with them. Ideally, the people responsible for pushing opioids as non-addictive and constructive for chronic pain despite all evidence to the contrary would be put in jail and would have all assets stripped away. But then again, ideally, we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.

Divorce or Legal Separation: Pros, Cons, and Differences

October 17, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

It can be difficult to see where to go when your marriage is in trouble. All options can seem daunting or set in stone, and each relationship is unique. When a marriage is seemingly beyond repair there are two main options for the couple: divorce or legal separation. Divorce is largely for couples who see no opportunity for repairing their relationship, while separation, legal or otherwise, gives the couple an opportunity to try and repair their marriage with the assistance of distance. If you’re looking into options for how to proceed with your relationship, it’s important to understand the implications of both options.

Legal Separation

There are various degrees of legal separation, from separating living spaces and finances to dividing areas of shared living space and filing joint taxes, but the process is often similar to that of filing for divorce. While the process varies from state to state, legal divisions of assets consistently need to be approved by the court. Even if it is not required by the state, having legal assistance while dividing property and assets is highly recommended. It should also be noted that legal separation is required by some states before the divorce procedures can be completed.

Pros

The benefits of legal separation change from couple to couple, and what works for one couple might be disastrous for another. Legal separation can give the couple some space to sort out their problems, it can provide a non-permanent solution for couples who still love each other, and it can help both parties maintain benefits. Some employer-provided health insurance will cover legally separated spouses. Military benefits often extend to separated spouses, as well. Some may receive tax or social security benefits if they remain married, but these are best researched by each couple individually, as tax laws surrounding this area are complex.

Cons

Legal separation can be complicated, with all of the difficulties of divorce without all the court-mandated guidelines for life after separating. This means that child custody decisions might be slowed down or made more difficult without court-mandated mediation, along with other aspects of property divisions. Should the separation have no end in sight, whether the end is repairing the marriage or filing for divorce, the parties would not be legally allowed to remarry.

Divorce

Divorce, or absolute divorce, describes the legal termination of a marriage. It requires legal action and court approval. A number of problems in a marriage can lead to divorce, including but not limited to:

Having different values regarding money
Getting married without thinking through the implications
Infidelity
Different values regarding parenting
Abuse, physical or sexual
Substance abuse

All states offer no-fault divorce, meaning no one party will be legally blamed for causing the grounds for the divorce. 33 states currently offer options for filing for divorce with at least one party being at fault.

Pros

If the relationship is over, it is better to end it and move on than to separate but hope something comes back. Both parties will be legally allowed to remarry and will no longer have to file joint taxes. Couples without children can move on with their lives without ever needing to speak again if that’s what they want.

Cons

Filing for divorce can be time-consuming. If your state requires a waiting period or period of legal separation, it could easily take over a year before you even begin filing the serious divorce paperwork. Mediation on child custody cases are often required, and topics of alimony and child support are keeping the family law business alive. Absolute divorce will also cut off dependent spouses from social services they may rely on, such as military benefits. Just because you’re getting divorced doesn’t mean you don’t still care about your spouse.

Marriage is a commitment that isn’t always beneficial for those involved. This is why divorce rates rise during periods where couples tend to spend more time together. Divorce and legal separations are serious decisions and shouldn’t be taken lightly, but should be considered if your marriage is feeling damaging.

This Is Your Brain on Auto Accidents

October 16, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The potential traumas of collisions on your brain and spinal cord

Auto accidents, even minor collisions, pose a risk to your head and back. Not only can damage to your central nervous system be difficult to heal, but it can also be life-altering and expensive. This is why it’s important to know how to recognize, catch early, and fight for damages after a collision-caused brain or spinal injury.

Recognizing the Symptoms

Head and spine trauma are common injuries in auto accidents, but that doesn’t mean they’re minor. This is why both doctors and lawyers alike highly recommend visiting a medical professional and/or a chiropractor as soon as possible after a collision. Professionals can see issues before symptoms even begin with the help of MRIs and years of professional experience. If you were recently involved in a collision and are experiencing symptoms such as

Dizziness
Nausea
Blurred vision
Loss of consciousness
Seizures
Numbness in extremities, or
Slurred speech,

you should seek medical attention immediately. If you were in a major collision and are feeling multiple of these symptoms, you may have suffered a catastrophic injury.

Spinal Injuries

Injuries to the spinal cord can have lasting and devastating consequences, including nerve damage and paralysis. Spinal injuries can occur in many locations along the spine, but are normally centralized around the neck and are a result of whiplash. Other injuries include slipped or herniated discs and fractured vertebrae. Spinal injuries are often eligible for high damage claims due to their severity and chronic nature.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Traumatic brain injuries describe instances where head and brain injuries cause physical and/or chemical damage to the brain cells, often resulting in permanent damage. TBI is not necessarily life-threatening, but repetitive injuries can dramatically increase the risk of terminal damage. Causes can be whiplash, being hit, falls, and collisions. TBI can lead to behavioral changes and can severely impede everyday life, which is why recovering damages after suffering from TBI is vital for getting back on your feet.

Fighting for Damages

Head, brain, and spinal injuries can occur from any auto collision, which is why you should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after learning about your injuries. Damages are available whether you were involved in a car, motorcycle, or trucking collision. Most personal injury lawyers have FAQs on what to do immediately after a collision to maximize damage claims and ensure the smoothest litigation process possible.