McDuffey Law Firm LLC: December 2015

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

4 Personal Injury Law Myths

On the surface, personal injury law seems like it should be simple. If you've been injured due to the negligence of another, they should pay for your resulting medical bills and any associated pain and suffering - right? Unfortunately, personal injury law is usually not nearly this cut-and-dry. There are many different factors that can impact whether or not the negligent party will actually be required to pay for the damages, and many different details that must be addressed when filing a personal injury claim at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Because of these complications, misunderstandings surrounding personal injury law are incredibly common. Today, McDuffey Law Firm is here to clear up some of the confusion surrounding our legal field by dispelling some of these common myths.

Myth #1: If You Have Insurance, You Don't Need An Attorney

Unfortunately, this assumption is one of the most dangerous ones people can make. Having insurance does not mean you will not need an attorney's services. In fact, your attorney's most valuable service will probably be helping you stand up to your insurance company. Your insurance company is a business, and - like all businesses - they are out to make a profit. If they can find a reason to deny your claim, they probably will. At McDuffey Law Firm, we take over the communication with our clients' insurance companies and handle all the negotiations so that they do not have to.

Myth #2: Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer Is Expensive

Most people assume attorneys charge an exorbitant amount for their services, but the truth is that your personal injury attorney in Osage Beach MO should be incredibly affordable. At McDuffey Law Firm, we operate strictly on a contingency fee basis; that is, our fees are contingent upon us winning your case. If we do not win your case, we will not charge you a single penny for our services. Our clients can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to bring their case to a successful conclusion and that they will be able to easily afford our services when it's all said and done.

Myth #3: You Should Wait Until You Have Time To Assess The Damages Before Filing Your Case

Some people are tempted to wait a while before filing their personal injury cases, believing that they should first see the full extent of their medical bills, recovery time, and other expenses. However, it's critical that you not wait so long you let the statute of limitations expire, or else your case will be considered invalid. In Missouri, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the point of injury or the point when the injury should have been discovered. It is okay to file your personal injury case while still in the recovery process.

Myth #4: You Don't Have To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney If Your Only Sustained Minor Injuries

The assumption that you should only contact a personal injury attorney if your injuries are severe is a common misconception. The truth is that sometimes individuals with minor injuries are the most in need of an attorney's services, because their insurance companies are more likely to dismiss their cases. If they do agree to pay for damages, the payout amounts are frequently too low to cover even the most basic medical expenses. If you have suffered minor injuries, contact McDuffey Law Firm to evaluate your situation.

Questions About Personal Injury Law? Contact McDuffey Law Firm!

If you ever have any questions about your personal injury case, please don't hesitate to reach out to the team at our personal injury firm in Osage Beach MO. Thanks to our contingency fee structure, your initial consultation is always free. We look forward to working with you!

McDuffey Law Firm, LLC
www.McDuffeyLaw.com
Ph. (573) 302-7211
Fax. (573) 302-7215

5754 Parkside Village Ct.,
P.O. Box 368
Osage Beach, Mo 65065
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Thursday, December 24, 2015

17 Christmas Trivia Facts

Christmas is a time to celebrate all of the blessings in your life. It's a time to reconnect with family and friends after another busy year - a time to relax before charging into the year ahead. McDuffey Law Firm is here to help you prepare for your family gatherings this weekend by providing you with a few fun talking points. With these fun Christmas trivia facts up your sleeve, your friends and family are sure to be amazed and delighted!

Christmas Trivia Facts

1. The abbreviation "X-Mas" originated from the Greek's method of shortening the word "Christ" to "X."

2. The first artificial Christmas tree was made from dyed goose feathers.

3. If you received all the gifts described in the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," you would get 364 gifts.

4. The tallest Christmas tree on record measured 221 feet tall.

5. Purchases made for Christmas make up about 1/6 of all retail sales in the United States.

6. Georgia, Indiana, and Arizona all have towns named Santa Claus. Idaho has a town named Santa.

7. The twelve days of Christmas originated because it apparently took the three wise men 12 days to find the baby Jesus.

8. In 1836, Alabama became the first state to officially recognize Christmas as a holiday.

9. Oklahoma was the last state to declare Christmas as an official holiday. They waited all the way to 1907.

10. Poinsettias originated in Mexico.

11. The largest Christmas stocking in the world was 106 feet, 9 inches long and 49 feet, 1 inch wide.

12. Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, St. Nicholas, and Grandfather Frost are all alternative names for Santa Claus.

13. Christmas trees were first decorated with electric lights in 1895.

14. With over 100 million sales across the globe, Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" is believed to be the best-selling single of all time.

15. Every year in the U.S., around 30-35 million real (that is, living) Christmas trees are sold.

16. Apples, nuts, and dates were used as the very first Christmas decorations.

17. There are two islands named "Christmas." One is in the Indian Ocean, and the other is in the Pacific Ocean.

Merry Christmas From McDuffey Law Firm!

From our Lake of the Ozarks personal injury lawyer to the rest of our team, everyone at McDuffey Law Firm wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas! Please be careful and stay safe while you are on the roads this year. If the worst should happen and you should find yourself in need of a personal injury attorney in Osage Beach, MO, we hope you'll keep McDuffey Law Firm in mind.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

6 Types Of Medical Malpractice Cases

Medical Malpractice.

It sounds scary and intimidating. It almost sounds like evil doctors are out to harm the patients who place their health and (sometimes) their very lives in their trained and theoretically capable hands. However, it's important to realize that in the vast majority of all medical malpractice cases at the Lake of the Ozarks (and around the rest of the country), the doctors had only good intentions. Unfortunately, good intentions are sometimes not enough to prevent harmful outcomes.

McDuffey Law Firm is here to protect patients and their families who have suffered unnecessary pain and/or avoidable hardships at the hands of a medical professional. In today's blog, we want to take a closer look at the real truth about medical malpractice cases and what can contribute to them.

Types Of Medical Malpractice Cases

1. Misdiagnosis
Medical malpractice cases can sometimes arise as a result of a misdiagnosis. If doctors and/or their staff misdiagnose a patient's illness or condition, the patient may receive improper treatment. At best, this improper treatment won't have any beneficial impact. At worst, it could cause adverse and potentially serious side effects. This can be especially dangerous when the patient's condition has been misdiagnosed as one that requires particularly intensive treatment, such as cancer.

2. Improper Prescriptions
Improper prescriptions typically go hand-in-hand with misdiagnosis, but not always. Unfortunately, taking the wrong medication can prove very dangerous for patients. Prescription medications often come with several potential side effects, but patients take them because of the benefits they should provide. If a patient takes the wrong medication, he could potentially suffer all of the negative repercussions without receiving any of the positive benefits.

3. Surgical Errors
We're all human, and we all make mistakes. Unfortunately, surgeons who make mistakes in the operating room can impose serious harm on their patients. While surgery is certainly necessary in some situations, it almost always poses at least a minor risk. Patients undergoing surgery are trusting their bodies and their physical well-being to their doctors. Mistakes the doctors make while in the operating room could have serious repercussions, including internal bleeding and even death.

4. Failure To Diagnose
In some cases, medical malpractice does not result from a misdiagnosis or direct error on the healthcare practitioner's part. Medical malpractice cases can also arise when doctors fail to recognize and diagnose the condition their patient is experiencing. This failure to diagnose can become especially critical when the condition missed is something life-threatening, such as cancer.

5. Childbirth Errors
Birth is a major undertaking for both the mother and the child. While the vast majority of births occur without any complications, there are countless factors that can contribute to dangerous complications. Birth-related medical malpractice cases can result from negligence during prenatal care as well as childbirth. Because there are two lives at stake (the mother's and the baby's), it is especially important that friends and family remain aware of the potential for birth-related medical malpractice.

6. Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia errors are sometimes the most dangerous of them all. Because of its sedative nature, errors involving anesthesia can result in permanent brain damage and even death. The errors contributing to anesthesia-related medical malpractice cases can occur at any point in the process, from before administering the anesthesia (such as failing to obtain the patient's pertinent medical history) to after it has been administered (such as failing to monitor the patient's vital signs and react accordingly).

Your Medical Malpractice Resource

If you believe you may have the grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit, contact our medical malpractice attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks immediately. Our team can help you evaluate your case and determine how best to proceed. Your initial consultation is always free. Our personal injury firm in Osage Beach MO operates on a contingency-fee basis, which means that we will not charge you a penny for our services unless we win your case. Call 573-302-7211 to schedule your consultation today!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

What You Need To Know About Product Liability

As a consumer, you have a legal right to safety when using commercial products. If you are injured while using a product in the way it was intended to be used, you may be able to seek legal recourse for your injuries. With the representation of an experienced personal injury attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks, you may be able to build a solid case. McDuffey Law Firm is here to help you gain a better understanding of product liability law and what factors into these types of cases.

Why Product Liability Law?

Product liability law exists to protect consumers. Manufacturers, retailers, and designers are legally responsible for ensuring that their products are safe and ready for consumers to use. If a consumer is injured while correctly using a product, the manufacturer can be held liable for their injuries. (If a consumer was injured while misusing a product, he may not be able to seek any recourse.)

Types Of Product Defects

Generally, a product can be considered defective if it meets one of two primary criteria:

The product contains an inherent flaw or faulty design.
The product fails to warn consumers of potential dangers.

Faulty Design

Design or manufacturing errors can occur at any point in the process; they could result from a problem on the assembly line, an issue with some of the materials used, or an error anywhere along the production line.

Failure To Warn

If consumers may be subject to unnecessary risks when using a product in a certain manner, manufacturers are legally obligated to warn consumers of these potential dangers. These warnings must be displayed in a clear and "easily noticed" manner.

Examples Of Product Liability Cases

Product liability cases focus on many different types of products, but here are a few examples of some common cases:

Defective Children's Products
Dangerous Pharmaceuticals
Unsafe Industrial Equipment
Hazardous Materials
Unsafe Agricultural Equipment
Dangerous Power Tools

Think You May Have The Grounds For A Product Liability Case?

If you have been injured while using a product or industrial equipment, contact our product liability attorney in Camden County immediately. During your FREE consultation, we can evaluate your case and help you determine how best to approach the proceedings. Visit our website or call us at 573-302-7211 to learn more about how we may be able to represent your case.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Client Testimonials For McDuffey Law Firm

Our Lake of the Ozarks personal injury law firm was built on the belief that every individual deserves access to the same high-quality legal representation as major insurance companies, and we strive to deliver this level of service to our clients every single day. Thanks to the individual attention we provide each of our clients, we have been able to achieve award-winning results.

However, we don't expect you to take our word for it. At McDuffey Law Firm, we believe that a referral from a former client is greatest form of compliment. Here is a quick look at what some of our clients have to say about our personal injury attorney in Osage Beach, MO.

Client Testimonials for McDuffey Law Firm

“Hiring Tim was the best decision we ever made. We initially went to an attorney in Kansas City who did nothing on our case. He told us we had a difficult case. The insurance company never made an offer before trial. Tim tried the case, and we won. He was masterful in front of the jury. I can’t imagine what our lives would have been like without him.”

- Vicky, Edwards MO
Medical Malpractice

My husband and I were seriously injured when we were hit by a drunk driver. We initially hired a lawyer out of St. Louis. He did nothing on our case. Tim understood how serious our injuries were and how overwhelmed we were being out of work and having hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Tim took our case to jury trial and won! At one point we would have been willing to settle our case for the defendant’s $50,000 insurance policy. Instead, with Tim’s help, we ended up with a multi-million dollar verdict.
- Virginia, Macks Creek MO
Car Accident

“My husband was seriously injured in a tractor trailer accident. We called several of the advertising firms out of Springfield. We even hired one. After a year of doing nothing on our case, my aunt recommended Tim to me. Tim took over the case and within a few months had found evidence which got us a settlement. I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t gone to see Tim.”
- Rhonda, Lebanon MO
Semi-Truck Accident

Thanks for your assistance and cooperation on our case. I enjoyed our time together and especially appreciated the way you handled your relationship with me. I enjoyed learning from you and I especially appreciate you sharing about your faith and family.
- Brad, St. Louis MO
Medical Malpractice

Before I contacted the McDuffey Law Firm, I contacted my neighbor whose whole family I have had the pleasure of knowing for over 50 years. The son is now the head of a large and successful law firm in Kansas City. After explaining my accident to him, he recommended I contact Tim McDuffey. I found everything in his recommendation to be true. I was, and am, completely satisfied with the professional manner with which your firm handled my case.
- Royce, Sunrise Beach MO
Trip and Fall

After being seriously injured on the job, I consulted several law firms to discuss my case. Two of these internet site law firms who were highly regarded as the “best” work comp firms claimed there was no case and would not proceed any further. I called the McDuffey Law Firm and sat down with Tim. Mr. McDuffey not only informed me that we had a workers’ compensation case but, that we had a potential case against the co-worker who injured me. In the end, we received far greater compensation than I could have ever imagined. Trust me when I say this, do not waste your time anywhere else. McDuffey Law Firm is the best.
- Steve, Camdenton MO
Workers' Compensation

McDuffey Law Firm Will Be Here For You

We understand that no amount of money can make up for the serious injuries you or your family may have sustained at the hands of another, but we aim to ease your recovery process by alleviating some of the financial stressors you may be facing. As a contingency-based practice, we never charge our clients anything for our services unless we win their case. This "no win, no fee" structure allows our clients to feel confident that when they hire our Missouri personal injury attorney, they will receive the best service possible.

If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer at the Lake of the Ozarks, we encourage you to schedule your free consultation. Call (573) 302-7211 to book yours today!