Whenever anyone suffers a personal injury, it causes hardship and heartache. Catastrophic injuries are those that are life changing and alter a victim’s quality of life. Some of the most common catastrophic injuries are: Severe burns. Catastrophic burn injury can affect both the epidermis and the dermis, the layer of fat beneath the skin, and could even potentially reach the bones, muscles, and organs. Burn injury victims not only suffer severe scarring and disfigurement, but permanent nerve damage, impaired range of motion, and chronic pain. In many cases, victims are unable to fully heal from their injuries, though medications, skin grafts, physical therapy, and surgery can help. Traumatic brain injuries. Blunt force trauma to the head is typically the most common cause of a traumatic brain injury, which could cause swelling, bleeding, inflammation of the brain, and severe bruising. These types of injuries can produce both serious short-term and long-term effects. Some of the long-term symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include cognitive impairment, trouble understanding language, memory loss, mood swings, depression, and impaired senses. Spinal cord injuries. The spinal cord is incredibly delicate and important, given that it sends signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Therefore an injury to this part of the body can result in devastating consequences, including a complete or partial loss of movement and sensation. Traumatic orthopedic injuries. This covers…continue reading

We almost at the start of summer and Connecticut residents are out and about enjoying the beautiful weather. When you make your plans, remember to be careful as many popular activities can be dangerous. If you are injured in one of the following summertime activities, be sure to consult with an experienced New Haven personal injury lawyer to see if you might be able to secure compensation for your injuries. Bicycles For cyclists, the greatest danger lies in road biking involving a vehicle crash. Unlike car passengers who have all kinds of safety features to protect them, bicyclists have only their helmets. However, even when biking on car-free bike paths, there is a possibility for injury if the path is not well maintained.  Motorcycles For the dedicated motorcycle enthusiast, there are few things more satisfying than taking that bike out for a long, leisurely ride on a summer’s day or night. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are as vulnerable to severe injury in the event of a traffic accident as bicyclists. Like cyclists, motorcyclists are not protected from an impact by their vehicle, but because they can travel at much higher speeds, they may suffer even worse injuries. Boating Boating accidents injure thousands of individuals every summer and also cause large amounts of property damage. If you have been injured by a bad boat driver, you can certainly explore the possibility of…continue reading

It’s no secret that even the friendliest of dogs can sometimes attack causing personal injury. With 70 million dogs living in households across the country, $4.5 million Americans suffer dog bites each year. An Oklahoma woman was recently mauled to death by her neighbor’s dogs. In the state of Connecticut, the dog bite law is strict liability. This means that when the dog you care for harms another, you are responsible for the injuries. There are very few exceptions. Dogs show their stress in their behavior by licking their lips, pulling back ears, whites of the eyes showing. growling/barking, turning their head/body away, stiff body and resisting following their owner’s commands. Here are a few tips to stay safe around dogs: Ask the owner first before petting a dog. Avoid dogs who are barking or growling. Avoid a dog who is sleeping, eating, or chewing a toy. After you receive permission to pet a dog, let it sniff your closed hand. If an unknown dog approaches you, stay stiff and quiet. If you or a family member suffered a dog bite, you may need a New Haven personal injury lawyer. Contact our firm immediately.

Kids play outside and get hurt; it’s part of growing up. Sometimes, however, there may be negligence involved. Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control show that each year in the United States, hospital emergency rooms treat over 200,000 children with playground-related injuries. The most common playground injury is a fall. Follow these steps to help prevent your child from being injured. 1. Inspect playground equipment. Before your children start climbing, swinging, sliding, and hanging, make sure you give all playground equipment a quick safety check. 2. Keep your eyes open. Actively watch your child playing – you might be able to prevent something! 3. Watch out below! Take your children to a playground with shock-absorbing materials such as mulch, synthetic turf, rubber, wood chips, pea gravel, etc. A fall on these surfaces is far more cushioned than one on grass, dirt, concrete, or asphalt. 4. Check the mirror. Keep all necklaces, scarves, drawstrings, and purses off the playground as they pose a strangulation hazard. 5. Mind your manners. Teach your children that shoving, pushing, and crowding on the playground can be harmful. Make sure each child has enough space to play. The New Haven personal injury lawyers at The LoRicco Law Firm wish everyone a safe trip to the playground!