Data published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that as many as 4.5 million individuals suffer dog bites annually in the United States. Those same NIH statistics reveal that at least 750,000 incidents are severe enough to warrant a victim seeking medical attention.

If your dog bit someone or you were bitten here in Jackson, would you know if you needed to report that incident?

Mississippi is unique from many other states in that it follows what essentially amounts to a “one free-bite rule.” It supports dog owners in their assumption that their dog is harmless unless it does something to prove it is aggressive or otherwise harmful to others. However, our state’s laws also empower local governments, including counties and municipalities, to decide which codes or ordinances they’ll have for dealing with dangerous dogs.

Losing a loved one is one of the most heartbreaking experiences in anyone’s life. Sometimes, you can lose them due to the reckless, negligent, or intentional acts of another person.

When that happens, the pain is often magnified. In these situations, you might hear the terms wrongful death or manslaughter. But what’s the difference between wrongful death and manslaughter?

While both involve a loss of life, they serve entirely different purposes within Mississippi’s legal system. Let’s break down the differences and see how they can affect your case.

Medical malpractice, when it occurs, often results in serious and lasting consequences for the victim. Whether it’s a misplaced object during surgery, a critical misdiagnosis, improper use of medical tools, or anything else, doctors and other medical professionals are expected to have the knowledge and training necessary to avoid these costly errors.

Trucks and truck drivers play a vital role in keeping our economy moving by hauling goods across the US every single day. Because of this, the trucking industry is heavily regulated to better ensure safety on the roads.

Still, in spite of these regulations, violations still happen, and when they do they often lead to truck accidents and legal disputes. Understanding the most commonly violated rules can shed light on the risks associated with trucking and highlight areas where enforcement may need improvement.

The ranking that no state wants to find itself on is the highest fatality rate per 100,000 people. Unfortunately, with a rate of 23.9, Mississippi is the leading state in this ranking. That is according to data compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Even though nationally, the fatality numbers are coming down, it is still a problem for Mississippi drivers.

To reduce those numbers, every driver needs to be aware of why car accidents are often fatal. All drivers owe a duty of care to everyone on the road. That means being responsible and following the rules of the road. It will help to avoid the most common reasons why fatal crashes occur.

Many animals have built-in defense systems. The armadillo can curl up in a ball and use its “armor” to deflect an attack. A porcupine will use its needles, and a skunk will use its pungent spray to ward off assaults. These are the kinds of defenses that happen automatically. Humans have a type of defense system, but it’s not as protective.

When a person feels threatened, their body goes into “flight or fight” mode. It is a genetic code that releases a rush of adrenaline designed to provide you with an energy boost to take on an attacker or run from danger. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, “Adrenaline (epinephrine) is a hormone your adrenal glands make to help you prepare for stressful or dangerous situations.” What happens to your body when you slip and fall?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can be among the most difficult types of injuries to recover from. Some can recover completely in a short time, while others never fully heal, even after a lifetime. Even a mild brain injury can have cascading effects that continue to affect the victim for the rest of their life, so when fighting for a settlement, it’s vital to take the potentially lasting effects into account.

This type of injury can occur any time there is an impact to the head, including in a motor vehicle accident, through abuse, a slip and fall, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to a TBI every year, and nearly 70,000 people died from these injuries in 2021 alone.

Lawsuits in the medical field are fairly common. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), nearly one in three doctors working today have been sued at some point in their careers. Much of this is due to the inherent risk associated with life-saving medicine. When someone is at the point of requiring a dangerous or risky procedure to survive, the odds of something going wrong or failing to effectively treat the problem dramatically increase. While it’s always devastating to lose a loved one, a difficult treatment failing to meet its lofty goals is not enough to win a medical malpractice claim.

When you make the difficult decision to place a loved one in a nursing home, you want to believe that the facility will provide attentive, compassionate, and professional care.

Unfortunately, not all nursing homes live up to this standard.

Poor care in nursing homes can take many forms. Many times, the aftermath of this abuse can be devastating for residents and their families.

What are examples of poor nursing care in a nursing home? Let’s look at a few scenarios that could mean your loved one is receiving substandard care in a facility.

According to a report by TruckInfo, there were more than 168,000 truck accidents in 2023. Roughly 32% of these involved injuries and around 3% resulted in one or more deaths.

These truck accidents can be overwhelming and complex, and victims are often left unsure of what steps to take next. The claims process for a truck accident can often involves multiple parties, detailed investigations, and negotiations with insurance companies.

Understanding how the process works can help accident victims protect their rights and pursue fair compensation.