Personal injury lawsuits are among the most common legal proceedings in America. In fact, legal blogs report the staggering statistic that a new personal injury claim is filed every two seconds. While some describe personal injury lawyers as “ambulance chasers” and assume they are creating legal issues where none would exist otherwise, most personal injury lawyers are not overly-litigious.

Personal injury lawsuits can take several forms, and attorneys assist their clients in receiving compensation for damage to personal property, inconvenience or injury stemming from defective products and physical and psychological injuries affecting the body. By far, the most common type of personal injury lawsuits are those dealing with physical injuries to the body. Personal injury attorneys assist average people facing uncomfortable, painful and debilitating personal injuries in receiving the compensation they deserve. Below are three of the most common personal injury claims.

Back injuries resulting from an automobile accident

Car accidents happen every day, ranging from minor fender-benders to serious, even fatal, crashes. In fact, there are more than six million automobile accidents recorded annually in the United States. Most people will be involved in a car accident at some point in their lives, and many of them will experience some time of physical injury due to the accident.

The impact of a car crash and the strain it puts on the human body is most often absorbed in large part by the body’s core, including the back. Many times, back injuries sustained during car crashes show no immediate symptoms. Rather, the pain and discomfort begin to manifest hours, days or weeks later. Common back injuries sustained in car accidents include sprains, fractures and slipped discs.

Slip and fall injuries

Commercial businesses and homeowners alike know the importance of maintaining safe conditions for family, friends, neighbors or customers. Still, over seven million slip and fall accidents are reported each year in the U.S. An astounding 20,000 people die annually from injuries sustained in these types of accidents. Slip and fall injuries are common because they can happen anywhere from the grocery store to a school to an apartment complex.

Slip and fall injuries often result in broken bones in the extremities, as well as in head wounds. While many slip and fall cases wind up in court, it can be difficult for a plaintiff to prove that the defendant was negligent and failed to remedy an unsafe situation. Sometimes, accidents just happen and no one is at fault.

Work-related injuries

With so many Americans spending the majority of their days at work, the workplace is rife with injuries. Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more than three million work-related injuries, and the actual number is estimated to be much higher since many employees fail to report their injuries for fear of retaliation.

Most often, work-related injuries are not one-off, traumatic injuries that take place in a matter of seconds. Rather, work-related injuries often stem from repetitive motion that causes undue stress on a particular part of the body. Carpal tunnel syndrome is, perhaps, the most well-known repetitive stress injury, but back and neck injuries resulting from frequent lifting are also common.

If you find yourself suffering any of these common injuries, you may wish to consult a personal injury attorney. If you find yourself on the receiving end of a personal injury claim, you may be forced to pay financial compensation. In either case, it’s important to know your rights and to seek out appropriate legal representation when necessary.

As there is only a finite amount of high quality land, it will always be a profitable investment even when the world’s economy appears to be turning upside down. When making a land purchase, always make sure it is a clinical process and not an emotional one. If you can hire professionals such as appraisers, engineers, realtors and real estate attorneys before the process begins, you will save yourself a lot of legal headaches down the line. Follow the tips below and you will hopefully purchase good quality property for a reasonable price.

Aims of Deal

Before buying any piece of land, you need to be 100% sure about the purpose of the purchase. For example, are you planning to build a retail space or office building? If so, is there any real competition in the area? If you are up against established rivals, you will have a hard time defeating them since they have a major head start and the advantage of being known in the area. Before signing on the dotted line, make sure that your plan for the land is a viable one or else you will be wasting time on a money pit.

Location

It is important for your land to be easily accessible by road or else transporting building materials during construction will be a time consuming and costly enterprise. The topography of the land also needs to be thoroughly investigated before making a purchase. It should be obvious that marsh land and low land need to be avoided as it is difficult to build anything safely on this kind of surface. If you want the land for agricultural purposes, it makes sense to check the soil type and quality. When buying land for commercial or residential reasons, it is a good idea to think from a landscaping view when evaluating the area.

Get a Copy of Covenants & Restrictions

You need a realtor or an attorney on your side to find out if there are any restrictive covenants as well as determining what you are allowed to build on the land. Zoning ordinances and regulations will define the way you use the land and you may have to change the zoning to fit your needs. For example, you may be looking at land that is zoned for a retail outlet but you wish to build an office building. Zoning ordinances can also limit the total height of the building or have a minimum parking space limit.

Even when you have reviewed the property, performed a cost analysis and are satisfied that the land you seek is worth the price, there is still the small matter of legal red tape. Never try to buy land for commercial use without a qualified team behind you or else long and costly legal battles could be the result.

You’ve heard it all before; buying a house is the biggest investment that you’ll ever make. This statement is usually followed by tips on what to look for in a house, how to get it assessed and how to choose a good neighbourhood. All of which is very important, but what about tips on how not to mess up your mortgage? You’d be surprised at the number of ways in which your mortgage can go wrong, from unwittingly locking yourself into high interest rates to scuppering your approval chances before you even begin your search.

Here are four common mistakes people make when applying for mortgages – and how to avoid them:

1)     Job-hopping

Our grandparents and parents might recoil in horror at the frequency with which we now change our jobs, but job-hopping is the norm these days. Unfortunately, while society deems it perfectly acceptable, lenders do not. They like to see a little stability before they put hundreds of thousands of dollars at risk. According to MSN Real Estate, lenders will consider you a bigger risk if you swop your industry for another (for example, if you go from mining engineering to freelance graphic design), than if you simply change companies. However, even this simple move is best deferred until all the documents have been signed, sealed and delivered.

2)     Skipping the pre-approval process

Pre-approval is not a guarantee that you will get a mortgage; but it does significantly improve your chances. Pre-approval is better than pre-qualification because your finances are vetted more thoroughly (Mike Sheridan – realtor.com). Pre-approval considers your credit record, employment history, debt, and assets. If you don’t meet pre-approval requirements you can bet that you won’t meet mortgage approval requirements. If you are pre-approved, you are also more likely to close a sale because sellers will know that you’re not just wasting their time and that the chances of you not qualifying for finance are slim.

3)     Going with the first lender that comes your way

You wouldn’t buy the very first house you see without comparing it to several others, would you? So why would you choose the first lender you visit without comparing it against others? While lenders have to operate within certain regulations, their services still differ widely. You should visit three to five lenders and get quotes so that you can compare everything from interest rates to closing costs.

4)     Not locking in your mortgage rate

Mortgage rates fluctuate on a daily base; a favourable rate today might rise to an unfavourable rate tomorrow. You can wait about and gamble on locking in at the right time, but if you dither long enough you risk losing everything.

In an article for Fox Business, Kayleigh Kulp cites mortgage expert Polyana da Costa, who says that different lenders have different relock policies, which is another reason you need to shop around before you commit. Basically, the favourability of your rate could depend on you choosing the right lender.

Buying a home certainly is a major financial commitment, so it makes sense to do all that you can to ensure that you get the best financing possible. This requires research on your part, and perhaps a little advice from a home loan expert.

Sandy Cosser writes for a South African-based personal financial services provider that specialises in home loans, pre-approvals, bond calculators and second bonds.

Travelling by sea has evolved from being a means of getting from one land mass to another to become vehicles of leisure and travelling. Buying a boat is expensive and can take you a long time before you save enough. There are many financing options that can provide you with boat finance but you need to consider some things before picking on a lender who will give you a loan at the best rates and terms.

Do Some Research

Before you go for boat finance, you need to know how much money you will need. To do this, you need to know how much the boat you desire costs and how much you have saved so far. You can easily go online and research about the different types of boats and the asking price. Decide whether you want a new boat or a second hand one.

Many public and private companies out there will extend loans to at an interest. Each institution has its own rates and repayment terms that you need to find out and compare. Having an idea of what each lender provides is important because you will get to enjoy the best deal. The interest you pay on the initial amount will depend with the period of the loan, type of boat you are planning to buy, your credit status, collateral and more.

Nowadays financing institutions provide 24-hour customer support. If you feel that you need more information on a given product, you can access the helpline at any time of day and night, making it convenient for you. Ask the representative to give you more information about the advantages and disadvantages of various packages and whether the loan rate is static or it changes with time.

Come Up With an Estimate

Using the online loan finance repayment calculator, you can come up with the total amount of money you need to pay back. This is determined by the amount borrowed, the repayment period and the rate of interest. Calculation is easy because it can be done online at the click of a button.

Know Your Financial Status

The most important thing you need to keep in mind when looking for boat finance is your financial status. The lending organization will look into your repayment history to find out whether they can trust you with their cash. Having a source of income or a stable job gives you an upper hand. Take out a loan that will meet your requirements as well as allow you to repay the loan and interest without draining your earnings.

From this discussion, it is now clear that applying for boat finance needs to be done with careful preparation in order to get the best deal. Make sure you get a company that is trustworthy and has a good reputation.

Cycling is a great pastime for fun, health, and recreation. There has been an increase in the availability and uptake of boutique and high end bicycles in Australia. There are a number of specialist insurers that focus on bicycle insurance.

The first simple answer to this is that expensive bicycles are as easy to steal as cheaper ones – and that is easy. The next is that lightweight carbon fibre compound and other expensive alloy and composite materials are almost always impossible to repair. A frame broken in a driveway accident will usually require replacement. For an $8000 bike, that is not a happy proposition.

Aside from a clumsy to carry profile, and perhaps the proliferation of security cameras in city areas, there is not much to prevent a determined bicycle thief from making off with an expensive lightweight bike. Most expensive racing and off road bicycles are light, which makes them a favourite and easy target – easy to carry off and high value. Determined criminals know that parts are worth a lot of money, and so they are not shy to opt to break or cut a frame or remove a wheel to take the remainder of the unit. As with vehicle theft – the parts can end up being combined with those of other stolen units.

Bicycle insurance is still regarded as a relatively new kind of insurance product. It is important to read all of the fine print, do research, and seek the advice of a professional insurance advisor. As with vehicle insurance, the location where the bike will be parked and stored makes a difference. Different cyclists have very different insurance needs based upon the kind of cycle usage. If the bike is ridden to work daily and parked in an underground carpark, then the insurance profile will be different than that for a bike that is only used for professional racing. Transport on car racks involves certain breakage risks, and any bike that is left in a car park or driveway is at risk of both theft and damage by vehicles.

One way to insure a bicycle is with standard home and contents policies, or for professional cyclists there may be business type insurance policies that cover the bike as a part of insured equipment. However, there are some sound arguments for using a specialist bicycle insurer and bicycle specific insurance policy. As noted above, expensive bicycles have expensive parts or accessories, and there are often limits on what will be covered by home and contents policies. There can also be significant variability between the cost of insurance policies, and so shopping around is essential.

Joanne Lemke is a final year creative writing student at UOW, who is looking to break into the corporate copywriting space once she graduates and hopefully go on to eventually some day write a book around her other passions, namely business and financial changes.