Siskiyou County Personal Injury Lawyers

Losing a body part, whether a fingertip or a whole limb, has immense physical and psychological effects on anyone. It can affect the way you move and work. Losing a limb can also impact your relationships and attitude in life. Patients who had amputations were more prone to anxiety, anger, hostility, and depression, as stated in a 2021 study from Frontiers in Psychology.

Severe traffic and workplace incidents involving heavy machinery can lead to traumatic amputations. According to John Hopkins Medicine, traumatic amputations account for around 45% of all amputations. The extreme force from these accidents can cut off body parts, especially the fingers or limbs. In some cases, the body part is so badly damaged that it needs to be surgically removed. Although it is possible to reattach the amputated body part, it may not function the same way it did before the accident happened.

Additionally, amputees experience a sensation of severe pain known as phantom limb syndrome. The causes of these syndromes are yet to be fully understood. However, it is believed that the body "remembers” the part that was removed, and so it also recalls the sensations, whether painful or otherwise,  that the amputated limb used to feel.

The following types of accidents can lead to amputations:

Injuries to the scalp, skull, and brain are among the most dangerous consequences of accidents. The brain is the control center of the body. It regulates our heartbeat, breathing, and practically all bodily functions, so any damage can cause life-threatening situations. Victims may be unable to walk or feed themselves. They won’t be able to work and enjoy the hobbies they once enjoyed. Our personal injury lawyers, who specialize in head injury cases, know the hardship injured victims and their families face and are committed to helping them.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common head injury. TBI is the result of a violent blow to the body. It is common in traffic and slip-and-fall accidents where the head hits a hard surface, such as the interior of a vehicle or the ground. Mild TBI can affect the brain cells temporarily, while more serious cases can result in bleeding, bruising, and other physical damage to the brain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 69,473 TBI-related deaths in 2021. Around 28% of these fatalities are among people aged 75 and older.

Symptoms of a TBI include, but are not limited to, the following:

Bruises, scratches, punctures, and vision loss are some injuries that can stem from blunt force to the eye area or penetrating trauma from accidents.

For example, a truck accident victim might crash against the windshield. The force of the impact could scratch the corneas or break the bones around the eyes. The broken windshield pieces might even puncture the eyeball.

Aside from traffic accidents, eye injuries are common among people exposed to various chemicals. According to Harvard Medical School, the eyes can be damaged by chemicals in aerosol, whether in liquid, solid, or powder form. Utility and factory workers who handle chemicals like solvents and cleaners are at high risk of chemical eye injury. Even those in agricultural settings are at risk.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 18,510 eye-related injury or illness cases were reported in 2020 among workers. Of these, 11,980 cases were due to contact with objects or equipment.

Victims with eye injuries should immediately seek medical care. Prompt action can significantly improve your injury’s prognosis. Early detection and treatment can also help prevent permanent vision loss. Our personal injury lawyers can connect you with top-rated ophthalmologists in Siskiyou County.

Accidents, particularly car collisions and slip-and-falls, often lead to back pain and injuries. The impact of colliding with a speeding vehicle or slamming onto the concrete floor in a fall can damage the back’s soft tissues or bones.

Here are the most common back injuries:

• Sprains and strains —  These affect the soft tissues of the back, particularly the ligament (sprain) and muscles or tendon (strain).
• Herniated disks — The backbone consists of 26 vertebrae. Soft disks cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. Herniated disks happen when a disk ruptures and its jelly-like center leaks, irritating nearby nerves.
• Fractured vertebrae —  Landing on your back is one way to break the backbone. It can cause severe pain and limited mobility.

Treatments vary depending on the type and severity of your back injury. Regardless of its severity, however, prompt medical care is important to prevent your injury from getting worse.

Some injuries have lasting consequences and are even life-threatening for the victim. Most of the time, catastrophic injuries leave the victim unable to fend for themselves, if ever they survive. They require constant care and medical treatment, which incurs high medical bills. There are also other costs, such as outfitting a home to accommodate their disability.

Aside from the financial burden of these devastating injuries, victims are also left with intangible losses, which our personal injury attorneys in Siskiyou County will consider when estimating the compensation injured victims can be entitled to receive. These include the following:

• Loss of consortium —   Disabilities may prevent them from having the same relationship with their spouse or children.
• Decreased quality of life — Many victims are unable to return to their lifestyle before the injury. In addition, many are in constant pain and rely on medication daily for long periods.
• Mental health issues —  Victims are more prone to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
• Isolation — Staying in the hospital or indoors for a long time often makes victims feel lonely and isolated, which can negatively affect their mental health and overall recovery. Meanwhile, some victims choose to self-isolate to avoid triggers such as loud noises.

Due to heavy pieces of machinery and constantly moving massive objects, construction accidents often lead to some of the most severe injuries. In California alone, the construction industry sector had 75 fatal workplace injuries in 2022, according to the BLS.

Some threats to construction workers’ safety are:

Slipping, tripping, and falling are also commonplace in the construction industry. Workers can trip on exposed cables or fall out of buildings. Typical injuries associated with these accidents are:

Electrocution is another risk construction workers face, which can lead to devastating construction injuries such as burns and nerve damage. They are often unaware of potential electrical hazards.

If you get injured while working in Siskiyou County, our personal injury lawyers can help you get worker’s compensation benefits. Under California law, workers are entitled to financial benefits to help them recover if they did not intentionally cause their injuries.

According to California Code CIV § 3342, the owner is responsible if a dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully in a private place. Dog owners will also be liable, whether or not they know of the dog’s past vicious behavior.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), more than 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs yearly. Around 800,000 people receive medical attention for these attacks. At least half of these victims are children.

Dog bites often lead to puncture wounds. If not treated immediately, these wounds can worsen due to infection. In some cases, dogs can transmit rabies to the victims, which could turn deadly. 

A dog may also "bite" someone if it snatches their clothing or slightly nicks them. Although the dog does not break the skin, these incidents can still lead to injuries if the victim falls. In these cases, the dog owner is still liable for their damages.

In addition to physical injuries, victims of dog bites also develop a fear of dogs and PTSD. These subjective losses are typically added to the victim’s compensation demand.

Healthcare providers determine the degree of a burn injury based on how much it has damaged the layers of the skin.

• First-degree burns affect the top layer of skin (epidermis). The affected area turns red and feels painful but doesn’t usually blister. Healing can take days and only often requires topical medications that can be bought over the counter.
• Second-degree burns damage the top and lower (dermis) layers. Victims typically experience intense pain, swelling, redness, and blistering. A second-degree burn will require a visit to the hospital for proper treatment.
• Third-degree burns damage all skin layers, from the top layer to fats. These injuries also destroy hair follicles and sweat glands, so even if the affected area heals in time, the victim won’t be able to grow hair or produce sweat there. Additionally, third-degree burns damage nerve endings, so victims only feel the pain in adjacent areas. Such damage requires intensive medical treatment. Healing may also take months or years.

Traffic and workplace accidents are among the most common causes of burn injuries. In some cases, defective products also cause burns. A defective appliance may explode while the victim uses it, causing second to third-degree burns. The victim can file a claim against the appliance’s manufacturer and retailer under the product liability laws of California. Victims don’t need to prove negligence in such claims — just that the defective product caused their injuries.

Our personal injury lawyers in Siskiyou County can also help you file a claim against these big companies. We’ll explain your legal rights and help you negotiate favorable compensation.

The spinal cord is a tube-like band of soft tissues that carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body and vice versa. Since it is integral to the body's functions, any damage it sustains can negatively affect the victim.

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) typically happen when the spine is bent or compressed. Any damage to the backbone, which protects the spinal cord, increases the risk of harming the spinal cord. Falls and motor vehicle accidents are some of the main causes of SCIs.

One of the most common results of spinal cord injuries is paralysis, which is the loss of feeling and control of movement. The types of paralysis are:

• Monoplegia — Affects one limb (either an arm or a leg)
• Hemiplegia — Affects one arm and one leg on the same side of the body
• Paraplegia — Affects both legs
• Quadriplegia — Affects both the arms and legs

If you've been in an accident that damaged your spinal cord, consult with our Siskiyou County personal injury attorneys as soon as you can. We can help you get treatment for your injury and make sure liable parties compensate you for your damages.