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Motorcycle Crashes Carry a Higher Risk of Amputation


Few injuries are more life-changing than amputations. Although any type of motor vehicle accident carries an amputation risk, this is considerably higher among motorcyclists whose limbs are nor afforded the protection of a metal frame. 

When riders crash at a high speed, they may lose a limb. Their legs are particularly vulnerable. A traumatic amputation is the loss of a limb in a violent impact. This is a very serious accident and the high loss of blood at the accident scene means it’s vital to get medical attention as soon as possible.

In other cases, a limb may be so badly damaged in a motorcycle crash in Virginia that surgeons have to amputate later. 

If you lose a limb, your life changes overnight. Your mobility is curtailed and you may not be able to do the same job you had before an accident. You will often have to learn how to use a prosthetic limb. It’s important to hold the driver who caused the amputation accident responsible in a lawsuit. 

Why Are Amputations a Greater Risk for Motorcyclists? 

Motorcyclists’ legs and arms are very vulnerable. If they crash they are likely to fall off their bikes and make contact with the road. In some cases, vulnerable riders are hit by other cars and trucks as they lie in the highway. 

When a rider’s legs scrape along the road, his or her injuries are often very serious. That’s why it’s important to wear protective clothing. Always wear leathers or other clothing that meets safety standards. During the summer, we often see riders wearing shorts, flip flops and other inappropriate clothing. What you wear can protect you from painful injuries like road rash and amputations. 

In recent years more middle-aged riders have bought motorcycles and are on the roads of Virginia as the baby boomer generation invests in bikes. They are more vulnerable to serious injuries if they are involved in crashes. Research suggests more riders are losing limbs in wrecks. 

In 2008, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a paper entitled Lower-Extremity Injuries in Motorcycle Crashes.

The report noted an increase in motorcycle wrecks with injuries from 1997 to 2006. The number of riders involved in crashes increased by 61 percent from 1997 to 2006. 

The report found riders involved in crashes sustain more leg injuries. Bone fractures are the most common type of injuries  compared to soft tissue injuries. Overall, an estimated 81 percent of motorcyclists with isolated lower-extremity injuries were discharged home following acute hospital care.  

Virginia recorded spikes in fatal and serious motorcycle crashes in recent years. In 2018, 88 riders died in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles stated 629 motorcycle riders suffered from serious injuries. In all there were 1,792 crashes involving motorcycles, making up 1.4% of all crashes. However, motorcycle wrecks comprised 8.5% of all serious injuries and 10.7% of all traffic deaths.

Call a Virginia Motorcycle Injury Lawyer After an Amputation Accident 

Amputations are extremely serious and debilitating injuries. People who lose a limb often feel depressed and helpless and face a long struggle to come to terms with their disability. At the Smith Law Center, we are aware of everything you go through. We are aware motorcycle accidents carry a higher rate of amputation. Our experienced Virginia trial lawyers will fight to get you the justice you deserve. We have won many $1 million-plus settlements and verdicts. Please see our injury results page.

 

 

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If you or a relative had a severe reaction to military housing mold, it might be time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Mold is everywhere, and can be dangerous. Researchers have linked mold to serious respiratory illnesses in some individuals.

Smith Law Center may be able to help if a property owner failed to keep you safe from mold in your military housing. We are one of Virginia’s oldest and most successful firms. We know how to hold negligent property owners responsible, especially when the military is involved.

Call us at (757) 244-700 or contact us online to set up a free consultation. There’s no fee for learning more about Virginia mold laws, your rights, and your legal options.

Mold in Military Housing

Black mold in military housing became widely known when Reuters published an investigation in 2018. Since then, the Department of Defense and the housing providers were supposed to take steps to improve the situation.

Unfortunately, a 2020 audit by the DoD Office of Inspector General found many issues, including the need for mold remediation, still persist.

Monetary Awards in Military Housing Toxic Mold Cases

If the property owner lets toxic mold run wild and continue to cause you harm, talk with our toxic mold attorneys about filing a lawsuit.

You may receive financial compensation for:

Service members and their families do not receive different types of damages than civilians. These are civil lawsuits in traditional courts of law.

Military Housing Mold Toxicity Symptoms

The Institute of Medicine discovered there was evidence connecting exposure to indoor mold with:

  • Upper respiratory tract symptoms;
  • Coughing;
  • Wheezing;
  • Asthma symptoms in individuals with asthma; and
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals with weak immune systems.

There is also limited evidence that mold causes respiratory illnesses in healthy children or causes people to develop asthma.

Understanding Exposure to Toxic Mold in Military Housing

The topic of toxic mold is complicated. This Is in part because the term “toxic mold” isn’t accurate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains mold isn’t toxic or poisonous. However, some molds are toxigenic, which means they produce toxins called mycotoxins.

Mold is common in military housing because it’ll grow anywhere there’s moisture. That includes on and inside walls, carpet, upholstery, wallpaper, and heating and air conditioning systems. This is especially pronounced in humid conditions such as those present in Virginia.

Some people have no difficulties around mold, even large infestations in their homes. Other individuals are sensitive to molds, including those that produce mycotoxins. Someone can have a severe reaction when exposed to a large amount of mold indoors.

People may be more likely to experience mold toxicity symptoms if they have:

  • Allergies,
  • An underlying lung disease,
  • Immune suppression,
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,
  • Asthma, or
  • Another chronic respiratory disease.

Common Types of Military Housing Mold

When you’re trying to learn more from the CDC and other resources, you’ll see the word “fungus” a lot. Mold is a type of fungus, which is something that exists all around us. Fungi are living organisms different from animals, plants, and bacteria. There are over 200,000 types of fungi and over 100,000 types of molds.

If you discovered mold in your military housing, it could be Cladosporium, Penicillium, Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus, or many other types. Stachybotrys is what everyone knows as black mold. Aspergillus is a common indoor fungus, which releases mycotoxins and can cause illness. Your symptoms may resemble common allergy or asthma symptoms.

Who is Liable for Military Housing Mold?

Since 1996, most military housing has come under the management of private companies:

  • Belfour Beatty Communities: Fort Eustis and Fort Story/li>
  • Lincoln Military Housing: Dahlgren, Little Creek, Naval Station Norfolk, Northwest Annex, Oceana, Portsmouth, Quantico, and Yorktown/li>
  • Hunt Military Communities: Fort Lee and Langley AFB

Outside of Virginia, Lendlease and Corvias Military Living are two more housing providers. Together, these five companies formed the Military Housing Association.

Military families living in on-base housing must take their complaints to their private management company — not the military. The company is responsible for providing habitable conditions and making repairs, including mold remediation.

If you’re unsure about your rights, review your state law and local ordinances about mold. In general, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to provide a habitable unit, which means it has to be safe to live in. A unit isn’t safe if it’s causing a tenant health issues due to mold.

The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires landlords to disclose if there’s mold in the written report of the move-in inspection. If a tenant discovers visible mold in the unit, then the Act requires the landlord to remove the mold and relocate the tenant until it’s gone at no additional cost to the tenant.

Unfortunately, many families find their housing providers aren’t receptive to complaints. Attorney Stephen M. Smith has handled many mold lawsuits against military housing providers who fail to abide by their lease terms and the law when it comes to mold remediation and other hazards.

Other Hazards in Military Housing

Many service members and their families deal with uncomfortable, if not hazardous, conditions in privatized military housing, including:

Lead Paint: Lead-based paint can cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures, organ damage, and in extreme cases, death.

Asbestos: Exposure to asbestos harms a person’s lungs, and can lead to lung fibrosis (scarring), lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Radon: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It naturally forms underground, however cracks and gaps in buildings lead to over-exposure indoors.

Poor Water Quality: Dozens of military sites have water with detectable levels of harmful chemicals.

Other issues involve rodent or insect infestations, pesticides, and faulty electrical wiring.

What Happens When a Lot of People Get Sick?

Sometimes mold exposure impacts a single individual or family. However, when the mold spreads throughout military housing, it can impact hundreds or thousands of people.

Occasionally, a large enough group of people are injured to allow for a class action or mass tort lawsuit. A class action lawsuit is one where a class representative acts as the plaintiff on behalf of the group of hurt individuals. Not every victim participates in the lawsuit. There are rules about when a group is big and similar enough to create a class action.

Mass tort lawsuits are different. When there are fewer plaintiffs who have their own set of circumstances, each person files a lawsuit. For efficiency’s sake, one or a couple of law firms may represent most plaintiffs, and the lawsuits are consolidated in a federal court.

Call the Military Housing Mold Lawyers at Smith Law Center for Help Right Away

Mold cases come about in a few ways. You or a loved one may start getting sick, and after weeks or months of struggling to find answers, you finally realize your military housing has a mold infestation. In other cases, you struggle with visible mold and then become ill.

Once you connect the illness with the mold, it’s time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Reaching out to an attorney early helps you build a strong compensation claim. We know how to collect evidence, identify who is liable, and craft a successful argument for a settlement or court award.

Attorney Stephen M. Smith has decades of experience handling injury claims and has been internationally recognized for his work. He has litigated cases involving catastrophic injuries and complex legal and scientific issues. In 2019, he was inducted into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame.

You’re in good hands when you come to Smith Law Center for help. Reach out online or call (757) 244-7000 to schedule your 100% free consultation.

Military Housing Mold Lawsuits: FAQs

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Use the simple form below to send a message directly to our lawyers. We will respond within 1 hour or less during business hours.

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