Dothan Military Injury Lawyer
Members of the Armed Services – Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard – work every day with the risk of injury. Hazards range from traumatic or repeated stresses to the body, to exposure to guns and large ammo fire, to environmental hazards such as drowning and extreme heat or cold.
One of the promises of military service is that the government will provide free medical care while on active duty and in retirement. Veterans with a service-related disability can qualify for VA Disability benefits that include monthly compensation and other assistance.
If you or your loved one is a veteran who has suffered an injury in an accident or in connection with their service, Gartlan Injury Law may be able to help you seek compensation for your losses. Our Dothan military injury lawyer can also help military retirees obtain the VA disability benefits they deserve.
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What Are Common Injuries Experienced by the Military?
We are blessed to have Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) in our region and service members based there living in our community along with their families. Military life is at once the same and totally different from civilian life. Members of the Armed Forces may be injured in the same kinds of personal injury accidents anyone can have, such as:
- Auto accidents
- Aviation Related Injuries
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Defective products
- Iraq War Fund Claims
You may need the help of a personal injury attorney to pursue compensation for injuries that occur in off-duty accidents caused by others such as car accidents. But workplace accidents among the active-duty military are different.
What Are Some Military Workplace Accidents?
Military duty requires physically strenuous work and potential exposure to violence, whether in controlled training scenarios or in active combat. Active military members are also exposed to adverse environmental factors, such as cold or hot weather, rugged terrain, or deep water with strong currents.
Numerous military studies have shown that disease and training injuries have historically resulted in significantly more hospitalizations and time lost than combat injuries. For example, recent Army statistics indicate that 25 percent to 29 percent of men and 58 percent and 62 percent of women are injured during basic training, according to Army Times.
Musculoskeletal injuries caused by accidents or other incidents or by chronic repeated stresses to the body (overuse) have been described as the single biggest health problem of the U.S. Military. Almost half of the military members experience a musculoskeletal injury each year, according to the Army. These include:
- Strains
- Sprains
- Stress fractures, particularly to lower extremities (knees, lower leg, ankles, feet)
- Back and shoulder injuries, often caused by lifting and carrying activities
- Osteoarthritis— worn cartilage and ligaments causing painful inflammation in affected joints
Other injuries common among active-duty military include:
- Hearing loss and tinnitus from exposure to excessive noise from weapons, explosions, aircraft, and other machinery
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the concussive effects of explosions
- Penetrating wounds from gunshot and other weapons fire, shrapnel
- Heatstroke and frostbite
- Disease, including a variety of cancers, caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, burn pits, contaminated water
- Psychological injuries, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance abuse
How Can an Attorney Help with a Military Injury Claim?
Attorney Aaron Gartlan, founder of Gartlan Injury Law, can assist and advise members of the military stationed at Fort Novosel, AL, (formerly Fort Rucker) who have suffered injuries in accidents, from defective products, or from the wear and tear of training for military service or combat deployment.
There are numerous considerations a knowledgeable military injury lawyer can address during a free and confidential discussion of your injuries. These considerations range from Feres Doctrine restrictions on legal actions to how the Medical Care Recovery Act (MCRA) applies to any settlement you receive from a third party.
A Supreme Court ruling known as the Feres Doctrine prohibits service members from filing claims against the government for damages due to injuries suffered while on active duty, whether they’re from a slip-and-fall accident in an office or a gunshot wound on a live-fire range. Over the years, attempts to create a law that lifts Feres Doctrine prohibitions have failed. However, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2020 included an exception to the Feres Doctrine that allows active-duty service members to recover compensation in cases of medical malpractice at Department of Defense medical facilities.
Attorney Aaron Gartlan also understands how establishing the facts of a serious injury or illness could impact your military career, even if you have fully recovered.
When the evidence shows you have been harmed by negligent medical care or you have been harmed or disabled in the course of serving your country, Gartlan Injury Law can help you seek the compensation available by law. A Dothan military injury lawyer may be able to assist you with:
- Personal injury claim against a non-governmental party whose negligence or recklessness has caused you harm.
- Medical malpractice claim, if you have suffered an injury or illness caused by the carelessness of a military health care provider at a covered military treatment facility. This is a claim filed with the office of the Secretary of Defense.
- Obtaining VA disability benefits and a proper disability rating if you have been denied disability benefits by the Veterans Administration. You could be entitled to VA benefits in the form of monthly payments as well as assistance with education, vocational rehabilitation, housing, medical expenses, and more.
Gartlan Injury Law is actively reviewing defective product claims for veterans and current service members who have experienced tinnitus, hearing loss, and other forms of ear damage due to their use of defective 3M Combat Arms Earplugs.
Minnesota-based 3M Company sold defective dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs to the military between 2003 and 2015. Due to a design flaw, the earplugs could slip loose without a soldier realizing it. As a result, tens of thousands of soldiers, including those stationed at Fort Novosel, Alabama; Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning), Georgia; and other military bases may have been exposed to the risk of severe ear damage and hearing loss.
Compensation recovered in a defective product claim may include payments for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Diminished future earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Punitive damages.
Contact Our Alabama Military Injury Attorney
Gartlan Injury Attorney, Aaron Gartlan, served as a field artillery sergeant in the Alabama Army National Guard during college and law school. He knows the impact of military-related injuries. Military service members and veterans who are injured in an accident or have suffered disabling illnesses face unique legal issues. Get help today from an experienced military injury lawyer at Gartlan Injury Law. An attorney can meet with you in full confidence to explain your legal options and represent you on a contingency fee basis. You will pay nothing for our legal services unless Gartlan Injury Law recovers compensation for you. To learn more, call 334-600-1835 or reach us online now for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.
