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A “minor brain injury” may be viewed as one that does not affect you or anyone in your family. Virtually any real brain injury, even if not readily apparent to bystanders, can be deeply disruptive in the lives of both the injured person and the entire family. Cognitive symptoms can involve difficulties with memory, concentration, and attention span. Emotional symptoms may include irritability, anxiety, depression, and mood swings. That is not minor.

However, head injuries that are not obviously catastrophic are not often taken very seriously. Patients are discharged directly home without any prescription and formal rehabilitation. Since there…

If you have a non-catastrophic injury in a car or truck accident, or if you are helping someone who has a more serious injury, here are ten things to do after the crash.

  1. Call 911. Even if the other driver begs you not to call the police and offers immediate cash payment, call the police. Do not let the other driver talk you out of it. Give the officer accurate and detailed information about what happened They will create an accident report, which can be valuable for insurance claims and legal purposes.
    Obtain a copy of the police report
…

Ankle fractures are a common and potentially debilitating injury that can significantly impact mobility and quality of life. Ankle fractures are injuries that occur to the bones of the ankle, namely the tibia, fibula, and talus. These injuries can range from simple stress fractures to complex breaks involving multiple bones and joint surfaces.

In personal injury law practice in Atlanta, we often see ankle fractures resulting from trips, falls, and direct impact in car and truck accidents.  There are several types of ankle fractures, categorized by the location and extent of the break. These can include lateral malleolus fractures…

Life can throw unexpected challenges our way, and sometimes, it takes away something as precious as a limb. Leg amputation is a life-altering event that can result from accidents, medical conditions, or traumatic incidents. However, amidst the difficulties, countless individuals who have survived amputations have shown remarkable resilience, courage, and determination to rebuild their lives.

Leg amputation injuries are among the most severe and life-changing injuries that can occur, with profound physical, emotional, and financial consequences. The physical and emotional consequences of losing a limb are obviously profound, affecting mobility, independence, and overall quality of life.  Leg amputations can…

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are among the most devastating physical injuries one can suffer. We have had SCI clients whose first reaction was to wish for death rather than life with paralysis.

In our law practice over several decades, we have represented numerous spinal cord injury survivors. Most had benefited from rehabilitation services at Shepherd Center or Emory Rehabilitation Hospital, both of which are near us in Atlanta. All these clients were injured in motor vehicle crashes or falls. One client who had been a high-powered government executive before an accident made him quadriplegic initially wanted to just turn his…

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was long used in insulation, fireproofing, and a variety of industrial applications. Thousands of years ago, it was used for candlewicks, mummy wrappings, table cloths. By the 19th century, its use exploded because  resistance to chemicals, heat, water and electricity made it an excellent insulator for the steam engines, turbines, boilers, ovens and electrical generators. Asbestos mining was done all over the world, often employing child labor to extract the mineral.

As early as ancient Roman times, people began to notice lung ailments among slaves who wove asbestos fibers into cloth.…

The minimum liability insurance required for large trucks in interstate commerce was set at $750,000 forty years ago in 1981 at the beginning of the Reagan Administration. Everything else has gotten more expensive in the past forty years. Nothing costs the same since then–not the truck, the repairs, the gas, or the tolls, so it is completely unrealistic for the truckers to have the same insurance as they did forty years ago.

If adjusted for the Consumer Price Index, it would be $2,203,415.84 today. People who are injured by trucking negligence need to pay their medical bills so trucking safety…

Ken Shigley
Shigley on board of Institute for Continuing Legal Education

Kenneth L. Shigley , an Atlanta personal injury attorney, continues on the board of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education(ICLE), on which he has served since 2008. Mr. Shigley previously served as Chairman of the Board. He is also a former president of the State Bar of Georgia and received the “Traditions of Excellence” Award from the Bar in 2019.

The Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education is a not-for-profit educational service of the State Bar of Georgia and is responsible for providing continuing legal education for…

History is replete with episodes of epidemics  that devastated cities, nations, and civilizations. Bubonic plague, cholera, smallpox and influenza have killed untold hundreds of millions in waves of devastation over the millennia. Now we see the approach of a Category 5 hurricane of a pandemic called COVID-19, praying that it will not be as bad as predicted.

The worst effect will the many deaths and serious but not fatal illnesses. Prediction vary wildly of how many Americans will be infected, how many of those will become ill, and how many will die. But it is becoming clear that for at…

On June 7, 2019, Ken Shigley was presented the Tradition of Excellence Award by the State Bar of Georgia General Practice and Trial Section. It is a lifetime achievement award given annually to four lawyers and judges with long experience. Many  prior recipients of the award were more illustrious and deserving. Mr. Shigley’s acceptance remarks follow:

The Calling to Become a Virtuous Lawyer

Good morning and thank you. Those of us receiving this award may have one thing in common. We have outlived our severest critics as well as many dear friends and loved ones.

Forty-two years ago yesterday, Judge…