What Does Litigation Mean?

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Apr 13, 2021 5:14:08 PM

Answering this question seems like it should be as short as a simple definition. According to Dictionary.com, litigation is simply "1. the act or process of litigating or 2. a lawsuit."

While those definitions are accurate, they don't actually tell you anything. Filing a lawsuit triggers a series of mechanisms that help the parties work towards resolving a dispute.  While many people assume that lawsuits are always resolved before a jury or a judge in court, they are commonly settled by a out-of-court agreement between the parties involved thanks to the litigation process.

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Topics: Litigation

Distracted Driving Part 2

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Apr 13, 2021 5:05:40 PM

Last week, we took a look at what to do if you're pulled over for texting and driving in South Carolina — this week, we'll be discussing what you may be entitled to if you are involved in a car wreck where the at-fault driver was texting when the accident occurred.

While there are increasing numbers of high-profile campaigns to discourage distracted driving, the truth is that more people are texting behind the wheel in 2016 than ever before. This has led to an increasing number of car wrecks in which texting was a significant factor in the cause of the collision — and the rate of injuries is increasing, too.

If you've been the victim of a vehicular collision in which the person at fault was texting while driving, you may be entitled to compensation to help cover your medical bills, car repairs, and other problems that occur as a result of the wreck. 

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Topics: Personal Injury

Manage Your Social Security Benefits Online

Posted by Stacy Thompson on Apr 6, 2021 11:43:45 AM

Did You Know You Can Manage Your Social Security Benefits Online?

With a free my Social Security account, you can take advantage of many convenient and secure services online, at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Whether at home or on the go, you can use this account to complete most Social Security business online, without calling or requesting an appointment.

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Topics: Social Security Disability

Can I Work While On Social Security Disability?

Posted by Stacy Thompson on Feb 16, 2021 12:39:46 PM

If you're looking into applying for Social Security Disability, it can feel overwhelming and you may find yourself with a lot of questions. "What will the judge ask at my disability hearing?" is one that we hear often, and answered in a previous blog.

There's one more very common question we hear, and we'd like to take the time to answer that question for you today.

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Topics: Social Security Disability

Does Workers' Comp Pay for Vocational Training?

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Feb 16, 2021 10:41:01 AM

In most cases, employees filing for Workers' Compensation after a workplace illness or injury will be able to return to the same position after receiving medical treatment and perhaps taking time off to fully recover.

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Topics: Worker's Compensation

Health effects of Occupational Exposure to Asphalt

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Jan 26, 2021 10:37:35 AM

What Construction Workers Should Know About Asphalt Exposure

Over a half-million workers are exposed to fumes from asphalt, a petroleum product used extensively in road paving, roofing, siding, and concrete work. Health effects from exposure to asphalt fumes include headache, skin rash, sensitization, fatigue, reduced appetite, throat and eye irritation, cough, and skin cancer according to the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. This board wants managers, safety experts, and construction site operators to take efforts to address exposure to asphalt fume exposure.

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Topics: Worker's Compensation

Traumatic Brain Injury: Get the Facts

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Dec 29, 2020 10:17:25 AM

While traumatic brain injuries may make the national news headlines when it involves beloved NFL players, what's often lost in these news articles is the reality that traumatic brain injuries are shockingly common and have many different causes. These injuries can leave the injured and their loved ones wondering what they can do if they've suffered a traumatic brain injury in their own lives.

Today, we're going to take a few minutes to walk you through TBI, its possible effects, and steps you may be able to take to help your injured family member or loved one in their fight to protect their rights.

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Topics: Worker's Compensation, Veterans Affairs, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Traumatic Brain Injury

Can Mediation Help You Avoid Going to Trial?

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Dec 16, 2020 8:30:00 AM

In one of our previous posts, "What does litigation mean?", we briefly mentioned mediation as one of the steps you may utilize prior to a trial.

Can mediation help you avoid going to trial entirely?

The short answer is maybe.

We'll start by taking a look at the basics and process involved in mediation.

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Topics: Litigation, Mediation

Agent Orange: Know the Facts

Posted by Allison Sullivan on Dec 15, 2020 10:52:20 AM

At Bluestein Attorneys, we've worked with military servicemembers of all stripes — those just back from a new deployment, vets who served during the first Gulf War, Korean war veterans, Vietnam veterans... the list goes on. While many Vietnam veterans have heard about the herbicide Agent Orange and its use during their time serving overseas, did you know Korean war vets may also have been exposed? The long-term effects of Agent Orange have only recently been acknowledged and truly understood, and it's important for military veterans who are dealing with hard-to-pinpoint physical issues to know whether or not they may have been exposed during their time in service.

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Topics: Veterans Affairs

Toxic Firefighting Foam & the U.S. Military: What We Know

Posted by Tim Mercer on Oct 26, 2020 1:59:34 PM

If you, or someone you love, has developed cancer after being exposed to toxic firefighting foam, please call us right away.

 

 

In the 1960s, researchers for the U.S. Navy began testing a new form of firefighting foam that would extinguish flames quite rapidly. Just a decade later, in the 1970s, this type of foam was being used widely, across most military bases in the United States, as well as at a slew of airports, fire departments, and oil refineries. This foam, commonly known as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was designed to put out burning jet fuel.

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Topics: Veterans Affairs