legal advice

COPD, or Cardiac Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a difficult disease for a person to manage. This is compounded by those who suffer from COPD and also need employment. Suffers of the disease often find it difficult to maintain employment as a result of how the disease impacts their body.

Cardiac Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a disease that qualifies for disability benefits under the Social Security Administration (SSA). The challenge with this type of disability case is proving to the Social Security Administration that you are disabled, because their definition of disability is very strict.

Defining Social Security Disability Benefits:
The SSA has a very rigid definition of who is disabled. To receive SSI or SSDI benefits a person must provide evidence that they are permanently disabled and this condition will last at least one year, or result in their death. No benefits are awarded for a partial or short-term disability.

Documenting a COPD Disability:
The most important thing for a COPD patient to do is to see a doctor on a regular basis. While at the doctor's office, this is your opportunity to help build your COPD disability case. Remember to win benefits you'll need to provide documentation of your disability. The notes and records your doctor maintains on file are critical evidence to help support your claim.

It is your responsibility to ensure your condition is being documented properly. Make sure your doctor is writing down your symptoms (and that the writing is legible). When talking to your doctor, be specific about your symptoms. For example if you are experiencing a shortness of breath, tell your doctor when it occurs, examples below:
- Carrying groceries
- Walking from room to room
- Standing for long periods of time (how long?)

COPD Chest Pain:
Another common COPD condition is chest pain. If you are experiencing chest paint, describe the pain to your doctor. Tell your doctor how long it takes to recover from COPD chest pain. This information is critical to support your COPD disability case and also helps ensure your doctor is able to adjust your treatment as needed.

As you can see your doctor's records will be one of the greatest sources of supporting evidence for your case. Too often qualified applicants are denied disability because they were unable to document their disability to the Social Security Administration's standards. It is important to remember that though you may seem to be disabled, if you do not provide the SSA with the evidence and documentation that they need, you will be unable to receive the benefits you are entitled to. If you are uncertain, or want to increase your chances of winning benefits you may want to contact a COPD attorney.

COPD Disability Attorney and COPD Disability Lawyer:
An experienced COPD disability attorney or COPD disability lawyer can be a great resource when applying for benefits. Disability lawyers and attorneys will be able to help you with your claim by assisting in gathering documentation and testimony if needed for your impairment and associated symptoms. Whether you need to apply for disability benefits or have applied and been denied, finding a lawyer with COPD disability experience can be the difference of winning benefits and being denied.

It has been figured there are an estimated 4.7 million dog bites and dog attacks per year. The number continues to grow year after year as designer breeds become more popular. It has been further estimated that more than 800,000 of the dog bite injuries require medical attention.

For dog bite victims, medical bills are often well into the thousands of dollars. In addition to the significant bills, dog bite injuries often leave significant wounds and traumatizing memories. It is common for dog bite victims to be scared of dogs following an attack. What used to be known as a lovable animal is now viewed as a vicious creature.

Dog bite lawsuits in Missouri usually mean following the common law. Some Missouri personal injury attorneys say Missouri follows the one bite rule. Pursuant to the one bite rule, if your dog has never bitten anyone before, you are not typically found liable the first time your dog attacks.

Previous vicious propensities or dangerous behavior may be enough to satisfy the Missouri dog bite law. Dog bite cases are extremely fact specific. In this situation, the Plaintiff must show the dog owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous or vicious propensities.

Missouri dog bite cases are sometimes filed as premises liability cases. In this situation, the Plaintiff would argue the biting dog created a dangerous condition on the premises.

In addition, dog owners can be found liable if their dog attacks while they are violating a law or ordinance. For instance, if the dog owner violates a leash law they could potentially be held negligent per se for said violation.

For example, in Jensen v. Feely, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, held negligence per se exists where there is a city leash law, and an unleashed dog bites someone.

In that case, an Independence, Missouri ordinance set out, "It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat to let such dog or cat run at large at any time." At large is further defined to include when any dog/cat is found on property other than its owner/keeper's unless it is leashed by a person capable of controlling the animal.

The Plaintiff was on a public street when Defendant's unleashed dog bit Plaintiff. Plaintiff sued to recover damages claiming negligence per se; Defendant denied liability.

Negligence per se does not require duty, breach, and causation be proven like a general negligence claim. Because an ordinance or law is implemented to protect a certain class of persons, like the plaintiff here, a violation of that ordinance that results in injury automatically creates a claim. This is because the ordinance in itself creates a duty and a violation of that ordinance creates the requisite breach.

The court in Jensen found that the ordinance imposes a duty of reasonable care to restrain dogs on public streets. Further the court found that this duty intends to allow those injured by a breach of such to seek compensation. This means the owner of an unleashed dog that bites where a leash law exists will generally be found liable for injuries resulting from violating the leash law.

As stated, there are several ways for a Plaintiff to succeed in a Missouri dog bite claim. Dog bite victims can potentially recover damages for their injuries, medical bills, pain, suffering, lost wages, and any damages that may arise in the future.

Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 011 into law earlier this month giving Colorado motorists access to a valuable avenue for paying for medical expenses in the event they are injured in an auto accident.

In the past four years since the legislature repealed the No-Fault Act (which previously required that you purchase medical insurance to cover your accident-related medical expenses) accident victims have found out all too late that they are unable to get medical treatment that they need after an accident.

Under the new law (now codified as C.R.S. Sec. 10-4-635, et. seq.) auto insurance companies must now offer $5,000 of medical payments ("med-pay") coverage to Colorado policyholders. This is an optional coverage which can be declined by those who do not want such coverage. It will not raise everyone's insurance premiums as insurance industry lobbyists have threatened.

However, most Colorado motorists would benefit from having this additional coverage added as a part of their auto insurance policies in some degree. The following guidelines should help you in determining how much Medical Payments coverage you should choose under your policy:

1. Motorists who do not have a separate health insurance policy in effect: If you do not currently have health insurance this auto med-pay coverage may be the only way you would be able to pay for your medical care after an auto accident - even if the accident was not your fault. Most doctors and medical providers will not see a patient if they do not have insurance unless it is a life or death emergency. If you are not covered by health insurance you absolutely should purchase med-pay coverage under your auto policy. In fact, I recommend that you purchase as much coverage as your auto carrier allows.

2. Drivers With Health Insurance That Excludes Coverage For Auto Accidents: In the last few years, health insurance companies have started to limit their responsibility for paying for accident-related medical care by excluding such coverage from their policy. This means that you will have to pay for accident related medical care out of your own pocket. Unfortunately, many people do not find out that they have such a policy until it is too late and they have already been injured in an accident. It is very important for you to read your policy and see if there is such an exclusion included. If so, you also need to purchase as much auto med-pay as possible.

3. Drivers With Large Deductible Health Insurance: Anyone whose health insurance does not step in and pay benefits until a high deductible threshold has been met should secure med-pay coverage to cover the out-of-pocket expenses or deductibles not paid by their health policy. For instance, many catastrophic health policies will not pay any of the first $10,000.00 in medical expenses incurred in an accident. These drivers should purchase enough coverage to cover this gap.

4. Drivers Whose Health Policies Limit Physical Therapy Coverage: Many group policies in Colorado limit the number of therapy visits that an insured can have for any one condition in a policy year. If your policy only allows 20 physical therapy visits each year, it may be helpful to have a small amount of med-pay coverage to ensure that additional therapy visits will not have to be paid out-of-pocket.

5. Drivers Who Want Zero Out-of-Pocket Liability: Even if you have a good health insurance policy with low deductibles - you can spend hundreds of dollars meeting your deductible or in co-pays. This new coverage will make sure that this gap in coverage is closed for those who elect to purchase med-pay coverage.

Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 011 into law earlier this month giving Colorado motorists access to a valuable avenue for paying for medical expenses in the event they are injured in an auto accident.

In the past four years since the legislature repealed the No-Fault Act (which previously required that you purchase medical insurance to cover your accident-related medical expenses) accident victims have found out all too late that they are unable to get medical treatment that they need after an accident.

Under the new law (now codified as C.R.S. Sec. 10-4-635, et. seq.) auto insurance companies must now offer $5,000 of medical payments ("med-pay") coverage to Colorado policyholders. This is an optional coverage which can be declined by those who do not want such coverage. It will not raise everyone's insurance premiums as insurance industry lobbyists have threatened.

However, most Colorado motorists would benefit from having this additional coverage added as a part of their auto insurance policies in some degree. The following guidelines should help you in determining how much Medical Payments coverage you should choose under your policy:

1. Motorists who do not have a separate health insurance policy in effect: If you do not currently have health insurance this auto med-pay coverage may be the only way you would be able to pay for your medical care after an auto accident - even if the accident was not your fault. Most doctors and medical providers will not see a patient if they do not have insurance unless it is a life or death emergency. If you are not covered by health insurance you absolutely should purchase med-pay coverage under your auto policy. In fact, I recommend that you purchase as much coverage as your auto carrier allows.

2. Drivers With Health Insurance That Excludes Coverage For Auto Accidents: In the last few years, health insurance companies have started to limit their responsibility for paying for accident-related medical care by excluding such coverage from their policy. This means that you will have to pay for accident related medical care out of your own pocket. Unfortunately, many people do not find out that they have such a policy until it is too late and they have already been injured in an accident. It is very important for you to read your policy and see if there is such an exclusion included. If so, you also need to purchase as much auto med-pay as possible.

3. Drivers With Large Deductible Health Insurance: Anyone whose health insurance does not step in and pay benefits until a high deductible threshold has been met should secure med-pay coverage to cover the out-of-pocket expenses or deductibles not paid by their health policy. For instance, many catastrophic health policies will not pay any of the first $10,000.00 in medical expenses incurred in an accident. These drivers should purchase enough coverage to cover this gap.

4. Drivers Whose Health Policies Limit Physical Therapy Coverage: Many group policies in Colorado limit the number of therapy visits that an insured can have for any one condition in a policy year. If your policy only allows 20 physical therapy visits each year, it may be helpful to have a small amount of med-pay coverage to ensure that additional therapy visits will not have to be paid out-of-pocket.

5. Drivers Who Want Zero Out-of-Pocket Liability: Even if you have a good health insurance policy with low deductibles - you can spend hundreds of dollars meeting your deductible or in co-pays. This new coverage will make sure that this gap in coverage is closed for those who elect to purchase med-pay coverage.

Dead men tell no tales, but Death Records can sure say a lot. They have come a long way since their humble beginning back at the turn of the 20th century. Today, Public Death Records form the set of Vital Public Records jointly with Birth, Divorce and Marriage Records. Public Records are much like reputation, you own it but you don't really have a say in it.

The details surrounding the death such as time and place of death, burial and funeral information, personal particulars of the deceased and some degree of his spouse's, children's and parents' are found in people's Public Death Records. It's also customary to put up an obituary alongside the death notice especially if the deceased was a distinguished figure in his lifetime and obituaries often show up as part of death records.

Some of the information contained in Public Death Records is actually quite private and people are known to be sensitive about it. That's why there can be restrictions on their accessibility and use, death records being public records notwithstanding. Other than that, Public Death Records are by and large freely available from government agencies and private sources alike.

People make use of Public Death Records for a multitude of reasons and purposes most predominant of which are catching up on long lost friends, tracing family trees and researching specific individuals. They are also widely used in Genealogy and other historical studies and are a primary resource for the Police and other enforcement bodies in their criminal investigation work.

Different states have different laws governing the access and use of Public Death Records. Furthermore, the death record databases of the various states are not linked. That means if it is not known which state precisely is the subject's state of residence, a state by state search would have to be conducted in order for the search to be exhaustive. Having that said, records within each state however are uploaded onto a central state repository.

They may be named differently but each of the states has a Statistics, Data or Records department or main office from which public records can be requested. With computerization and the internet, other down-line agencies within the states are expectedly also tasked and equipped with this function. Actually, Death Records Online is by far the most convenient and popular way of retrieving Public Death Records.

In cases where time is of the essence, retrieving Free Public Death Records from public offices is not a good option as they typically require queuing and waiting time. In any case, people are generally better off with commercial information providers as their superb service more than justify their fees, provided they looked in the right places and found the right one.

Incidences of divorces are increasing at an alarming pace today. It breaks the heart of many to see the families crumbling and an overall happy atmosphere being turned into a hell. Many consider the side effects of a divorce far more harming to the kids than anything else. This however is only one side of the coin. Sometimes, divorce is the only option where the couple can separate on friendly terms and carry on with their lives once more. The legal angle for this, can however, be taken care by the divorce lawyer New York who guides you while charting the unknown territory. They provide anybody with their services despite your financial status and the family set up.

The divorce lawyer charges an affordable fee from you, which puts at rest your doubts regarding the messiness of your case. And yes, the time factor is also taken care of by the divorce lawyer New York because they understand its value. Proceeding in a stepwise manner they ask you the about the grounds on which you want separation. There are other aspects where you can go for the divorce. For instance, if you have been abused or neglected by your spouse. In this case, you are made to fill an application seeking the divorce immediately. Other issues like the custody of the children (if any) or the status of the joint accounts etc can be duly looked into by the divorce lawyer New York. There are other grounds on which a couple can seek the divorce which includes the instance of physical or mental cruelty, adultery or desertion.

In most of the divorce cases, the client has to maintain his balance and poise and thus co-operate with his divorce lawyer. In these cases, mostly tough questions are posed to couples seeking divorce. Therefore, both the concerned parties have to take care of each little detail that will come in handy during their presentation in the court. A properly certified divorce lawyer who knows his task quite well should be contacted for this purpose. Besides this, the lawyer must possess human qualities of compassion, patience and an eye for the proper presentation of their client's case. A good knowledge of law and an expertise of years helps in going to each and every detail of your life. This comes in handy in the court for the effective presentation of your case. Divorce lawyer New York is specially hired for his/her proven expertise while handling your case in a proper manner.

One can hire the services of some of the best lawyers' in New York by visiting the internet. You will find the address and contact number of one of the best divorce lawyer by visiting the internet. Usually, the divorce lawyers charge expensive fee form their clients, but the divorce lawyer New York charges you a fair amount as the fee. The human angle is duly cared for as he or she has already dealt with such cases with professionalism and compassion which is simply unmatched. Bid a bye to your divorce related worries now with divorce lawyer New York. Hey, we already see you smiling that long lost smile once again.

Natural disasters have caused havoc in more than ten states in recent weeks. Tornadoes swept across Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina causing damage and loss of life. Twisters were also reported in Texas and out West in California and in Wyoming. California has also seen wildfires. Earthquakes have shaken Nevada. As if these events aren't enough, the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway and forecasters say we will likely experience a well-above average season.

No one can predict when an emergency or disaster situation will occur, but if caught unprepared, a person faces a much greater burden and expense in resolving his or her legal affairs. It is with this in mind, that USLegal has created an online LegalLife Resource Center as a public service. It contains free and vital information to assist individuals in understanding and organizing the legal aspects of their lives.

Here are also five recommendations to assist you in being better legally prepared for natural disasters and other life emergencies:

1) Review your home, auto and life insurance policies and understand your coverage and policy limits. Specifically go over sections pertaining to physical damage caused by fire, hail, wind, tornadoes, flooding, rain, storms, hurricanes and earthquakes. Standard homeowner policies typically cover damage from wind, but not flooding or storm surge. Sometimes flood insurance can be purchased separately. Most standard homeowner insurance also does not cover damage caused by earthquakes. Check with your insurance carrier to determine if a separate earthquake insurance policy can be purchased. Comprehensive auto insurance will likely cover physical damage to vehicles caused by storms and earthquakes. Make sure to review benefit amounts in life insurance policies and update beneficiaries if needed.

2) Create a life document file which is a collection of important legal papers. A life documents file can include identification records such as birth certificate and social security card, contracts, deeds, insurance policies, medical records, photos, and a financial assets inventory. Maintaining records together in one place is beneficial in the event you need to grab them and go in the event you need to evacuate your area quickly. See the following link to learn how to create a Life Documents File:
http://www.uslegalforms.com/life-documents.htm.

3) Draft Will, Living Will, and Power of Attorney forms. Tragically, inclement weather events and earthquakes can cause injuries and take lives. Preparing essential legal forms ahead of time can help ensure that your wishes are carried out and lessen the burden on family members. You can prepare legal forms on your own by downloading state-specific documents from USLegalForms.com or consult an attorney in your local area to have documents prepared for you.

4) Store your important papers in a secure place such as a home safe or bank safe deposit box. Since these are vital records with lots of personal information, maintaining them in a secure location is necessary to prevent the misuse of your information.

5) Tell someone you trust about the location of your important documents. It can be an attorney, relative or close friend. Situations may arise where you are unable to communicate and a least one person should know the location of your important papers. You might also keep a back up copy of important records with an attorney if you have one or with a family member who resides in another geographic location.

Divorce . . . ranked second (only to the death of a spouse or child) as one of the most stressful life events according to a well-established research study*, often turns rational, respectful, caring couples into angry, spiteful adversaries during the legal divorce process. The result can have far reaching, damaging emotional effects for husband and wife, as well as their children for many years to come.

Unfortunately, these negative effects are widespread in American society as current statistics indicate that 50% of first marriages end in divorce, and 60% of couples who remarry become casualties of divorce. Traditional legal divorce proceedings, which usually pit husband against wife in a "win at all cost" manner, no doubt play a large part in the stress levels that couples experience.

A New Trend in Marriage Dissolution

There is a relatively new alternative to traditional divorce called Collaborative Divorce which minimizes the psychological trauma as well as the financial expense of divorce. Both parties and their respective Collaborative Family Lawyers sign a participation agreement in which they agree to work together to achieve a satisfactory settlement in a cooperative manner. The participants agree not to go to court and to voluntarily disclose relevant information. Settlement is achieved through four-way conferences, informal discussions, and other non-litigation alternatives.

Both attorneys spend their time and effort to settle the case instead of preparing for and conducting a trial. Collaborative Divorce requires that all parties cooperate, and act in good faith with integrity and honesty. This means the process moves forward much more quickly -- requiring less time from each attorney -- resulting in lower legal fees. Nonexistent are the traditional, adversarial divorce tactics couples engage in such as exaggerated accusations, delays, "wearing the other side down", etc.

Comparison of Contested Divorce Litigation and Collaborative Divorce

Common Questions:

I am so upset and angry right now, how can I talk to my spouse about collaborative divorce?

The Collaborative Law process uses the attorney's roles and structured agendas to make talking to your spouse easier. Couples who see the benefits of Collaborative Divorce -- both emotional and financial - put their emotions aside during the very structured meetings. Couples who behave irrationally, or cannot overcome extreme anger may not be candidates for Collaborative Divorce.

In Collaborative Divorce, will I still get a lawyer who will vigorously represent my interest?

Yes. Attorneys are trained to advocate their clients' interests no matter what the circumstances. If you are not satisfied, you are free to hire another attorney.

What if we sign an agreement and later my souse doesn't abide by it?

Final agreements reached through Collaborative Law are drafted into a court order which, when signed by the judge, becomes an enforceable decree. How do I know if Collaborative Divorce or Traditional Divorce is best for me?

Consult a family law attorney who practices Collaborative Law and offers traditional divorce services.

Collaborative Divorce may be an option for many of the millions of couples who divorce each year and want to avoid court, save money, and have both parties' needs met. Typically, it results in a less emotionally destructive and more dignified divorce for all involved. Indeed, the most important difference between divorce resolved in court versus a Collaborative Law Divorce is not the outcome, but what happens along the way. And we all know from experience in other aspects or our lives that we have to live through the journey to get to our destination.

Getting your hands on free police records has suddenly become something that everyone wants to do. The reasons vary from checking out the credentials of a new day care provider to investigating a possible lover that you have met online.

Regardless of the reason, obtaining a criminal background check on someone is often a process that is of utmost importance. This is especially true when it comes to ensuring the safety of yourself or a member of your family.

When someone gets arrested, it is often added to what people refer to as their "public record". While this is definitely true, the real confusion begins when you try to figure out how to get your hands on such records in order to do a do it yourself criminal history report.

The only real sure fire method is to actually petition the courthouse of the jurisdiction where you believe that the person you are investigating has committed a crime. There are however, a few things that you will have to keep in mind.

1. You are not entitled to these records - In order to view someones criminal history, you will often be forced to fill out what is called an "application for information". Once this is filled out the officials will either approve or deny your request. If you are approved, it will be your responsibility to go through these records one by one until you find exactly what it is that you are looking for.

2. You may have to look in more than one place - These type of records are specific to the jurisdiction in which they occurred. Therefore, in order for you to get a comprehensive reporting of someones criminal indiscretions you may have to travel to several courthouses to make sure that the information that you have is complete and accurate.

3. Sometimes do it yourself is not best - Keep in mind that some things are best left to people that know exactly what they are doing. Many times when seeking to get free police records the reasons for seeking such records are of extreme importance. Often times the results will directly relate to the safety and well being of either ourselves or someone that has entrusted their safety to us.

While it is true that getting a criminal background check is a solid and reliable way to verify the character of someone that might give you a feeling like something is wrong. The information that you obtain very well could be worthless if you are not looking at the whole picture. Free police records that you can find on your own may very well leave out some very important pieces to the puzzle. For this reason i always advise to do your homework to ensure that the information that you are getting is both complete and 100% accurate.