Category Archives: Personal Injury
Iowa Supreme Court Reviews “Continuing Storm Doctrine” in Personal Injury Cases
Iowa property owners have a legal responsibility to keep their premises reasonably free of hazards that might injure invited guests. For example, a store owner must exercise “reasonable care” to clear its parking lot of snow and ice following a winter storm. But what about during the storm? Can the owner be held liable… Read More »
What Happens When an Iowa Jury Returns an Incomplete Verdict?
In an Iowa personal injury lawsuit, the plaintiff is entitled to a trial by jury. This means the jury is charged with deciding who is legally responsible for the underlying accident. If there are multiple defendants–or if the defense maintains the plaintiff’s actions contributed to the accident–it is also up to the jury to… Read More »
Iowa Court of Appeals Upholds $127 Million Personal Injury Verdict
Most personal injury claims are the result of reckless or negligent behavior. But sometimes, personal injury cases are the result of criminal activity. While the criminal justice system focuses on punishing the offender and protecting the public at-large, a civil lawsuit provides victims with the ability to seek compensation directly from their attackers. Defendant… Read More »
Proving Negligence for a Fatal Car Accident
Losing a child in an auto accident is a parent’s worst nightmare. It is therefore understandable that the grieving parents want to hold a negligent driver responsible. But it’s important to understand that it is evidence, not grief, that decides a personal injury lawsuit in Iowa. And even when the victim is no longer… Read More »
How Does a Liability Waiver Affect My Personal Injury Claim?
A common barrier to personal injury claims in Iowa is the liability waiver. Everyone has come across one of these waivers at one time or another. It is basically a document that purports to absolve one party–usually the one that drafted the waiver–of any legal responsibility in the event the other party is injured…. Read More »
What Happens If I Wait Too Long to File a Personal Injury Claim?
There are many personal injury cases that effectively end before they even get started. A major reason this happens is the plaintiff waits too long to come forward and pursue their claim. For instance, many car accident victims do not realize there are strict time limits under Iowa law to sue a negligent driver… Read More »
Is an Iowa County Liable for Accidents Caused by Roadside Hazards?
If a private landowner places a hazard on their property that injured a third party, the victim typically may seek damages under the principles of premises liability. But what about hazards on land owned by the state or a municipality? In Iowa, the courts have long recognized a “public-duty doctrine,” which basically says that… Read More »
Is an Employer Responsible for an Auto Accident Caused by a Commuting Employee?
If you are seriously injured in an auto accident, you may be able to seek compensation against not only the negligent driver, but also their employer. Iowa courts generally permit such recovery under the legal principle of “respondeat superior,” which translates from Latin to mean “let the principal answer.” Basically, if the driver is… Read More »
How to Determine Liability in a Bicycle Accident
Bicycle accident injuries are often much more severe than injuries sustained in a regular car accident and may include burns, broken limbs, head injuries, and life-long disabilities. If you were injured in a bicycle accident in Southeast Iowa, you know better than most, the implications a single accident can have on your life. From… Read More »
Do You Still Have a Case if You Choose to Forego a Motorcycle Helmet?
Iowa is one of three states that does not have a motorcycle helmet law in place, and while many bikers celebrate this fact, it is a fact that can cause more harm than good. Helmets, like laws, are in place to protect people, and it is universally accepted that they are successful in their… Read More »
