My Civil Advocate

The bite of a tiny deer tick is the source of Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can make life miserable. The effects of Lyme disease vary greatly from individual to individual and may progressively worsen the longer the condition goes untreated. Diagnosing Lyme disease is tricky since the disease's symptoms and the emergence of a "bull's-eye" rash; to memory loss, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and panic attacks; to severe symptoms affecting the neurological system, heart, eyes, joints, and bladder... among many others. Lyme disease has the potential to be a major disruption in a person's life if left untreated, or if treatment is delayed. If Lyme disease interferes with your ability to work, you may be able to qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD). Lyme disease dos not have a specific disability listing in SSD's "blue book" of impairments; someone with advanced Lyme disease is far less likely to obtain automatic approval. However, ad...

If you have been involved in a car accident, your immediate focus should be on your physical health. Right away, you should begin the process of documenting your injury if you are considering filing a personal injury claim. Here are some tips: First, visit a doctor as soon as you can. Delaying a doctor's visit after you've been in an accident can give the insurance company all of the ammunition it needs to deny or minimize your claim (the assumption is that you must not be that hurt if you could put off seeing a doctor). You will want to communicate with your doctor openly and inform them of any pains, bruises, or bumps that have occurred as a result of your accident. Discuss your daily activities with your doctor. If you experience pain and discomfort while completing your normal daily activities, let your doctor know and get documentation. It is critically important to keep all follow up appointments after your initial visit. If your doctor recommends physical therap...

Typically, cosmetic surgeries such as face-lifts, tummy tucks, breast augmentation, liposuction, and rhinoplasty, among other, are elective procedures aimed at enhancing one's appearance. In the eyes of the law, an error committed during cosmetic surgery is on a level equal to those that occur with other types of surgeries- in some cases rising to the level of medical negligence when a patient is harmed. To pursue a medical malpractice claim in a cosmetic surgery case, the following elements must come into play: The existence of a doctor-patient relationship. In some case of cosmetic surgery, the doctor-patient relationship is generally not in dispute. To have surgery performed, there is an implied relationship. A breach of the "medical standard of care," which is defined as the kind of care that similarly skilled cosmetic surgeon would have provided under comparable circumstances. Establishing the medical standard of care- and how it wasn't followed- will re...