personal injury

Niagara Falls Radioactive Waste: What Residents Need to Know About Local Contamination Risks

Published on: September 8, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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Niagara Falls residents are raising the alarm after radioactive waste was found in the backyards of at least 120 homes throughout the region.

Earlier this year, New York State Department of Health Commissioner James McDonald issued a statement acknowledging the severity of the situation.

“What we are dealing with here, which I think is very concerning which is chronic, long-term exposure, because that is really what increases the risk for cancer and other health concerns, so we are taking this very seriously; that is why my team is working this, really, quite frankly, night and day on this thing,” McDonald said.

Uninsured Drivers and Accidents

Published on: September 1, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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Serious accidents can have serious repercussions.

Under ordinary circumstances, securing compensation often feels like an uphill battle. You could have the strongest case in the world, and that often is not enough to stop the insurance company from trying to shortchange you. But when the other driver does not even have coverage, trying to break even, let alone reclaim your former financial independence, could feel downright impossible.

However, you may have more options than you expect. Here is what you need to know about:

When A Driver Lies After An Accident

Published on: August 25, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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New York law is clear.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident that was not your fault, you have a legal right to take action against the person or party who caused your crash. However, where your no-fault policy will often pay benefits without asking too many questions, the courts are another matter. Judges and juries care about liability, because liability determines who, if anyone, should have to pay your damages. This could be you, another driver, or somebody else altogether.

A lying defendant can make an already-difficult process more frustrating.

Car Crash and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Published on: August 18, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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A traumatic brain injury is caused by a sudden, violent blow or jolt to the head.

Most traumatic brain injuries have an obvious source: often a car crash, slip-and-fall, or other serious accident. Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are serious injuries, but they vary considerably in symptoms and presentation. Some TBIs are borderline unnoticeable, while others can cause a temporary loss of consciousness. In a worst-case scenario, an untreated brain injury could lead to a coma or even death.

The 2 Types of TBIs

Broken Bone Settlement Amount

Published on: August 11, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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A broken bone is a serious injury.

If you have broken a bone in an accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to take action against the person who caused your injury. Filing a personal injury lawsuit provides an opportunity to recover compensation beyond your insurance policy’s limits, but calculating the value of a settlement is anything but easy.

Since broken bones can range in severity from being almost-unnoticeable to painful and debilitating, they do not have a single, agreed-upon value. Instead, your potential damages are largely dependent on how your injury has affected your life.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Published on: August 4, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

Car accidents really can happen in the blink of an eye.

If you live in New York, no-fault insurance provides something of a financial cushion. However, a standard policy is rarely enough to cover all the costs of a life-altering accident. If you have sustained serious injuries in a crash that was not your fault, you could be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or party who caused your collision.

Here is what you need to know about:

How Much is a Herniated Disk Worth?

Published on: July 28, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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A herniated disk is a painful and potentially life-altering injury.

If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disk after an accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to take decisive legal action against the person or party who caused your injury. A personal injury lawsuit cannot undo an accident, but a successful settlement or court-ordered award could provide the compensation you need to start building back.

Herniated disk settlements often run into the tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes even higher, but there is no standard set amount for an award. Instead, your damages are calculated in accordance with the severity of your injuries, the extent of your financial losses, and the all-around impact on your quality of life.

What to Say When Talking to an Insurance Adjuster

Published on: July 21, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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You cannot always avoid adjusters after a car accident, but that does not mean you should ever let your guard down while talking to the defendant’s insurance company.

Here is what you need to know about:

The Insurance Company’s Motivations

Symptoms of Whiplash You Should Not Ignore

Published on: July 14, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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Whiplash is caused by the forceful and rapid back-and-forth movement of the head.

Although whiplash is common after car accidents, the diagnosis itself has long been controversial. Much of this controversy is a façade created by the insurance industry. Since whiplash cannot be confirmed through medical imaging or laboratory tests, adjusters are much more likely to challenge these kinds of claims than others. In some cases, they might accuse victims of either lying about or exaggerating their symptoms.

For survivors, though, one of the first and greatest challenges in winning a whiplash settlement is simply getting diagnosed. Unlike most physical injuries, whiplash is not always noticeable, at least not at first. Symptoms can take hours, days, or weeks to appear. Oftentimes, these early-warning signs are so subtle that they are either ignored or attributed to a pre-existing condition.

How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take?

Published on: July 7, 2026 | By Dietrich Law Firm P.C.

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If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, the prospect of spending months in court for an uncertain outcome could seem like a bad investment. Personal injury cases can take months to resolve, sometimes even years.

However, filing a lawsuit does not always mean committing to trial.

In fact, most lawsuits are never tried before a judge and jury. Instead, they are often resolved through negotiation. Settlements are not reached overnight, but compromise is sometimes preferable to the risk of a full-blown trial.