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REMEMBER, YOU WON’T HAVE TO PAY ANY FEES OR COSTS UNLESS YOU RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR YOUR INJURIESGreenville Personal Injury Lawyers
Why Contact an Injury Attorney Immediately?
Why Contact an Injury Attorney Immediately?Accident injury lawyer Flora Templeton Stuart, with offices at 105 E Main Cross St. in Greenville and 607 E 10th Ave. in Bowling Green, has served the Central City/Greenville community for decades. For over 44 years, Flora Stuart has represented the seriously injured in car, semi-truck, and personal injury accidents for clients throughout Greenville where she has obtained multi-million dollar settlements. Our law firm has represented hundreds of accident victims in Greenville, Central City, and all of Muhlenberg County, which encountered an 11.7% increase in vehicle crashes between 2012-2016.
With an office on the square, Flora takes pride in being part of the Greenville community where she has been active visiting schools and community events. When you call Flora Stuart Injury Accident Law Firm, you get personal representation from a local attorney who cares. We are always close by to help our injured clients and can get to you quickly after an accident. We often travel to our clients when they cannot come to us, visiting them at our local office, hospital, or home. Getting medical care when you are hurt is crucial, so we refer our clients to excellent physicians while collecting lost wages and getting their medical bills paid. Obtaining maximum recovery is our priority so we investigate accidents with photographs, witness statements, to collect the money our clients deserve.
Learn about our 5-step process for getting you the maximum settlement, and find out what else sets us apart from other injury lawyers.
Our offices are in Bowling Green, Glasgow, and Greenville.
Call Us 7 Days a week, even on weekends At (888) 782-9090
Personal attention from start to finish. Putting my over 43 years of experience in representing clients hurt in car accidents to get you the recovery you deserve.
We only represent injured clients to achieve maximum settlements, including motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, slip & falls, and all serious injury cases.
A history of exceptional case results. As a member of the Trucking Litigation Group, our team has collected millions for our clients seriously injured by a semi-truck or commercial vehicle.
What Our Clients Say
Sandy
Michelle
Ellis
Bruce
Daniella
Jolin
Community Service
-
Inaugural BG Mardi Gras Madness
Co-Founded with
Kiwanis Club of BG -
BG Onstage Inc. Founder
Merged with SKyPAC 2019
Youth Theater -
Band Together BG INc. Founder
Raised over
$120,000 For Charity -
International Center of Kentucky
IC Board Vice Chair
IC Building Chair -
Bowling Green Noon Lions Club
President 2019-2020
Director 2020 - Present
Making A Difference In Greenville
As a member of the Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce, Flora is in your community helping in the schools, charities, and fundraising events. We frequently travel to schools in Muhlenberg County recognizing students for their achievements which include Greenville Elementary and presenting Muhlenberg North Middle School with Poppy’s Leadership Award Grand Prize. If you’ve been out and about, you might have seen her firm mascots, Poppy and Pixie along with Flora making a difference in your community.
Understanding Personal Injury
There’s one word to describe the feelings after an accident or injury—overwhelming. If you have never heard of a personal injury attorney or making a personal injury case, that’s good news. That means that you have never had to file a personal injury suit. But in the event of an injury, it is important to understand your rights under Kentucky law.
Greenville Area injury Statistics
Source: transportation.ky.gov
Every state has certain regulations pertaining to personal injury. In its simplest form, the term personal injury refers to a tort claim in which an injured party has a right to claim damages against an at-fault party. To make a personal injury claim, you must prove two things; fault and damages. Personal injury covers a long list of injuries. At Flora Templeton Stuart, some of the cases we handle include:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Every day, hundreds of Kentucky residents become injured in a motor vehicle accident. These accidents involve cars, trucks, large trucks, motorcycles, and pedestrians. According to the Kentucky Traffic Safety Data Services, the number of total reported collisions consistently tallies at over 150,000. Recent numbers show that over 20 percent of these accidents involve some sort of injury. While there has been a decline in the total number of accidents, these numbers are still too high.
Common injuries after a motor vehicle accident include:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Burns
- Mental health issues
Janice’s Story: $75,000 For Greenville Car Accident Victim
Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers recently represented a Greenville woman who was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident in Muhlenberg County, KY. Our client, Janice, was traveling east on Highway 176 when she was struck in the rear by a negligent driver. Janice’s vehicle was propelled into oncoming traffic and collided with a school bus carrying several children.
We were able to obtain a settlement of over $75,000 on behalf of our client—the policy limits of the at-fault drivers’ insurance. The settlement allowed Janice to pay off all of her medical bills and provided compensation for any wage loss resulting from the accident.
Slip and Fall Accidents
These accidents commonly happen in public arenas including grocery stores, restaurants, and parking lots. However, these accidents can and do happen at private residences. Whether an injury happens at a private residence or a public space, property owners have the same general responsibility. According to the CDC, over 800,000 people are hospitalized every year as the result of a fall. Premises liability laws outline exactly how responsible a property owner is for the safety of their guests, but generally, the owner must provide a place that is safe and free of hazards.
General Premises Liability
While slip and fall accidents technically fall under the premises liability umbrella, they happen with such frequency that they often get their own billing. When we say premises liability, we often think of the other premises liability cases.
This includes:
- Dog bites
- Sports accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Chemical exposure
- Apartment or office fires
Remember, property owners have a legal responsibility to ensure their home or place of business is safe. This includes controlling animals, providing proper safety devices for indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and meeting state regulations regarding fire safety. When a property owner is negligent, they put the lives and wellbeing of others at risk.
Wrongful Death
It’s hard to separate a “wrongful” death from any other type of death. Every death feels unexpected and wrong. But wrongful death claims cover cases where a person or entity’s actions (or lack thereof) directly result in someone’s death. It’s important to understand that the purpose of a wrongful death suit is not meant to compensate someone for the death of a loved one. There is an unnecessary, and inaccurate stigma that is often associated with wrongful death cases.
The point of a wrongful death suit is to offset the costs of a person’s death from the deceased’s family to the at-fault party. Unfortunately, when someone dies, the family has to consider medical bills, funeral and burial costs, and loss of wages. Whenever someone dies of unnatural causes, it’s important to consider a wrongful death suit.
Personal Injury Laws and Your Rights
After an injury, it can be difficult to understand what comes next. Serious injuries can leave you juggling medical bills, car repairs, along with just trying to get better. Thankfully, the law allows you to seek compensation by filing a personal injury suit. Every case is different and every insurer will consider a variety of factors when calculating the value of your case. Some costs are typical with most personal injury matters, including:
Medical Bills
Recent data shows that the average hospital stay costs over $10,000. The unfortunate reality is that many cases cost much more than this. And according to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, a High Tetraplegia spinal cord injury can cost over $2.5 million over the course of a person’s lifetime. Most people cannot afford these costs. The goal of a personal injury case is to recover all reasonable medical costs. In the case of serious injuries, this includes future medical costs, payable in a lump sum payment.
Lost Wages
Recent numbers show that workers lose millions of days per year as the result of workplace injuries—somewhere in the ballpark of 70 million. That doesn’t take into account injuries that happen off the job. Just in Kentucky, there were over 34,000 injuries due to motor vehicle accidents in a one year period. Unfortunately, most workers don’t have enough sick pay or savings to allow them enough time off of work to recover from their injuries. A personal injury suit can help you recover lost wages and in the case of serious injuries, future wages.
Pain and Suffering
Any injury is painful. It’s hard to adapt to a new normal. The body and the mind react to injuries in different ways. While these injuries may not have a direct monetary cost, it does not make them any less difficult to deal with. Pain and suffering awards usually depend on the severity of an injury and how much it affects a person’s day-to-day life.
Damages may include:
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Anxiety
- PTSD
Loss of Enjoyment
How much do you think about the things you enjoy every day? What if an accident prevented you from doing these things? Loss of enjoyment is a “soft” cost and will depend on the severity of the loss or more specifically, how the loss affects your quality of life.
Punitive Damages
Sometimes a defendant’s actions are so egregious that the court finds it necessary to punish that person for their actions. Punitive damages are also used to deter other people from repeating the same actions. These damages are added to your final judgment. Cases where punitive damages may apply include drunk driving, road rage, and homicide.
How Our Greenville Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You
After an injury, it’s normal to have a lot of thoughts running through your mind. For many people, talking to an attorney is not at the top of their list. However, it is something you should consider. While the law allows you to file a claim against the at-fault party, unfortunately, insurance companies don’t always treat victims fairly. Sadly, most insurance companies offer far less to non-represented parties than those that have an attorney simply because they know they can get away with it. A personal injury attorney can help you fight for your rights and seek a fair and just settlement.
At Flora Templeton Stuart, some of the things we do to help our clients include:
- Gather evidence: Your case will rely heavily on evidence. This may include pictures, medical records, or witness statements. It’s important to present this evidence the right way. How the insurance company views your evidence can make a big difference in the end result.
- Talk to your doctors: Your doctors are an important part of your recovery. As lawyers, it’s our job to build connections with care providers in the community. This allows us to help you find the doctor that’s right for you and work with facilities to delay payment until the end of your case.
- Negotiate a fair settlement: Insurance agencies can be difficult to work with. You have to understand that their priority is their bottom line. This means they will be looking for inconsistencies in your story and ways to pay you less. When you are talking to an insurance company it can be difficult to keep your emotions in check. We work with our clients to understand the value of their case and work with the insurance company to make sure you get what you deserve.
- Represent you in court: Our goal is to settle your case out of court. But this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the insurance company never comes to the table. When this happens, the only option is to take the matter in front of a jury. Dealing with a personal injury case can be an emotional experience. You want someone who has your best interests in mind and who will be an aggressive advocate for your rights.
- Close out your case: At the end of the case, there is still work that needs to be done. This includes insurance releases, medical bills, and final payments. Our job is to take care of all the paperwork and negotiate final billings so you can focus on your recovery.
Greenville Personal Injury FAQ
Are you considering consulting a personal injury lawyer as a result of injury or harm you received? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about personal injury in Greenville.
- We can negotiate with the negligent party’s insurance companies for a just settlement
- We can bring a personal injury lawsuit in civil court for a just settlement
Why should I consult a personal injury lawyer?
Insurance companies have an arsenal of methods to keep them from paying you as much as your claim is worth. They may try to paint you as the negligent party, rather than their insured. They may state that your injuries are less significant than they are. They can simply delay a claim until you’re desperate, and willing to settle for a low amount.
Conversely, they can offer an early settlement—but one worth far less than it should be—just so you’ll jump at it. They realize that injured people often have medical bills piling up and sometimes cannot work, so their financial situation may cause significant stress. Insurance companies use it to their advantage.
If an insurance company won’t pay a just claim, it is sometimes possible to take them to court. Personal injury suits in court can also be brought against negligence parties, whether an insurance company is involved or not.
If you are eligible for SSDI, you can file the paperwork yourself. However, you can benefit from working with an attorney. SSDI claims are often denied. Sometimes the denials are for relatively minor reasons, such as incomplete paperwork or the wrong form. But the denials mean you won’t get benefits, no matter how relatively trivial the reason. If your case is denied, a lawyer can appeal the denial. If the appeal is successful, you’ll receive benefits.
What should I tell a personal injury attorney about my injury?
If you suffered injury or harm, you can schedule a free first consultation with a personal injury lawyer. At that time, the lawyer will take the time to hear what happened, who caused it, and how you were injured. Personal injury lawyers will give you advice on steps to take.
Most of them take cases they believe are winnable, and many work on a contingency fee basis. Contingency means they are paid out of the eventual settlement you receive, so you don’t pay anything unless your case is successful.
Personal injury cases can only be brought if another party caused the injury or harm. If you have evidence of another party causing the harm, take care to bring it to the initial consultation.
Potential forms of evidence include:
- Police report of a car, motorcycle, pedestrian, or truck accident
- Pictures of the accident scene, from a smartphone or camera
- Surveillance footage of the scene, if available
- Eyewitness testimony
- Records of your injuries, from an emergency room, doctor, or medical facility
- Pictures of your injuries, taken with a smartphone or camera
- Records of how the injury affects your life, including work records and medical records
Before the initial consultation, write down how you were injured, where, and by whom or what. Describe how the injury has affected you, including your ability to work, your family life, and your ability to do things you enjoy.
Then, tell the lawyer all these things. If you do not have evidence, don’t worry. Lawyers may work with investigators, who can determine the cause of accidents and other harm.
What injuries do personal injury cases cover?
The determinant of a personal injury case isn’t the type of injury, but whether another party is liable for the injuries. Nearly any injury can occur in a personal injury case, including:
- Cuts
- Bruises (contusions)
- Sprains
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Internal injuries
- Loss of limb(s)
- Burns
- Loss of sight or hearing
- Internal organ damage
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Soft tissue injuries
How are victims in a personal injury case compensated?
Kentucky law allows personal injury victims to receive damage compensation in the following categories.
- Medical bills – Including bills for doctor’s visits, emergency room visits, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, prescription medication, and more
- Future medical bills – If doctors expect your injury to need future medical treatment
- Wages lost from work – If your injury caused you to lose time from work
- Future wages lost from work – If experts believe that you will either need to work at a different job or less
- Loss of future earnings capacity – If you can’t work at a previous job because of your injury
- Property damage – If your injury resulted in damage to property, such as a car or home
- Pain and suffering – For physical pain, mental and emotional distress and anguish, and other noneconomic losses
How much will I receive in damage compensation for my injury?
It’s not possible to predict how much a specific case will receive in damage compensation, because many factors are at play. However, some general observations can be made about how insurance companies and civil courts arrive at damage compensation amounts.
Economic losses are calculated straightforwardly, by adding the amount of economic loss you’ve suffered. Your attorney will add together your medical bills (including necessary transportation), for example, plus any time lost from work and any property damage. Time lost from work is calculated by multiplying the amount of time lost by your average wages.
If you are expected to have economic losses in the future, either from medical bills or wages lost from work, your lawyer will get expert testimony about what the likely figures are. Doctors, for example, testify about the recommended course of treatment for your injuries. Costs are calculated for the treatment. Doctors may also testify about your ability to work, as may your employers.
All these costs, both current and future, are tabulated to arrive at one part of your compensation.
Catastrophic injuries have an immediate, lasting negative impact on the victim’s life. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury, for example, can both make the person unable to walk again. Injuries that exert significant and lasting harm to an individual, such as loss of an eye or a limb, may result in higher settlements or judgments.
Courts may award higher amounts than insurance companies. Insurance companies want to protect their profits and their insured, while juries may show more sympathy to you, the plaintiff.
What events cause personal injuries?
Almost every kind of accident or event has the potential to injure or harm another person. Common causes of personal injury include the following:
Vehicle accidents – A total of 41,884 vehicle collisions caused injuries on Kentucky’s road during the most recent year. Another 1,152 caused fatalities. Seventy-two percent of fatal collisions involved cars, while 9 percent involved trucks and 7 percent involved motorcycles. The Greenville area saw 12 deaths and about 260 injuries in just one recent year.
Pedestrian accidents – Nationwide, 137,000 pedestrians go to emergency departments for injuries every year, and 5,977 pedestrians die in collisions, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Kentucky, more than 1,000 times per year, a vehicle hits a pedestrian—the overwhelming majority of times it causes an injury, and about 10 percent of the time these accidents prove fatal.
Premises liability accidents – Owners and landlords of public premises (stores, malls, rental apartments, hotels, theme parks, sporting arenas and more) have a duty to make sure their premises are safe. If they are not, the owners and landlords can be liable. In Kentucky, if a private homeowner invites you over, they must warn you about any hazards on the property and fix any known issues that can cause harm. means they must warn visitors of hazards on their property and fix any known issues to prevent accidents from occurring.
Premises liability injuries include those sustained while tumbling down poorly maintained stairs, tripping and falling in a store if liquid spills and is not cleaned up or surrounded with warning signs, in swimming pool accidents, from malfunctioning theme park rides, and more.
Dog bites – Dogs bites can do serious harm, especially to small children or to any person attacked by a large, aggressive dog. Kentucky’s dog bite laws operate under strict liability, meaning that a dog’s owner is strictly responsible for injury the dog causes. The victim does not have to prove negligence.
This differs from laws in other states, where liability may depend on whether the dog behaved aggressively before or the owner took reasonable care in controlling the dog. You do not have to prove either of these things in Kentucky; the owner is still liable.
How long do I have to bring a personal injury case?
If you are injured in a personal injury case, you must bring a lawsuit within a certain period of time, known as the statute of limitations. Courts will not hear cases filed after the statute of limitations is up.
The standard statute of limitations in Kentucky is one year for personal injury cases. For traffic accidents, it’s two years. The time starts on the date of the injury. In other words, if you were injured on March 2, 2020, you have until March 2, 2021, to bring a case. But don’t wait. During that time, evidence can disappear and memories can fade. The sooner you call us, the better off you’ll make your case.
What if my loved one died as a result of injuries?
If a loved one dies as a result of injuries suffered, Kentucky law offers redress in the form of a legal suit known as wrongful death. Essentially, wrongful death relies on roughly the same negligence standard as personal injury—another party must have caused the injuries leading to death—and is tantamount to a personal injury suit, but for a person who is no longer alive to bring a suit.
In Kentucky, a wrongful death suit must be brought by the personal representative of the deceased’s estate. If there isn’t one when the injured person dies, the court needs to appoint one if a wrongful death claim is to be brought.
The compensation, however, is oriented toward surviving family members, generally spouse, children, or parents (if there is no spouse or children). They can sue for damages for the loss of care, companionship, support, and guidance they received from the deceased.
The estate can seek funeral and burial expenses.
If you need more information or advice, call our Greenville personal injury lawyers today.
After an injury, Contact the Greenville Personal Injury Attorneys at Flora Templeton Stuart
Nobody knows how they will react to an injury until it actually happens. Unfortunately, most accidents are impossible to predict. They tend to take you by surprise. When an unexpected injury leaves you struggling to understand what comes next, you want someone by your side who you can trust.
At Flora Templeton Stuart, we work to meet all of our clients’ needs. Different people need different things. Sometimes this is a play-by-play status update of the case, and sometimes it’s simply having someone to listen.
Our team understands the difficulties that you face, and we are here to help with what you need. Not many firms can claim the experience we have working with personal injury victims. We know the system, and we know what clients need to achieve results. If you have questions, we’re here to help. Contact our office at (888) 782-9090 or visit us online for a free case evaluation.
Flora Templeton Stuart Accident Injury Lawyers
105 E Main Cross Street
Greenville, KY 42345
(270) 641-0128