Document Library

On the page below you can find links to documents, reports, publications and discussions provided by Van Dorn & Curtiss.

The documents below are available to the public so that they can gain a better understanding of the legal challenges facing them, and why an experienced attorney is so important for success.

Contact us for a consultation today.

• Personal Injury
• Automobile Accidents
• Medical Malpractice
• Premises Liability
• Dog Bites/Pet Attacks
• Industrial Accidents and Worker’s Compensation
• Attorney Motions and Court Orders
• Van Dorn & Curtiss News
• CLE (Continuing Legal Education) Courses
• Choosing a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Claim
• General

Personal Injury

• Cote v. Ziebart - Judgment [PDF]
  Maine Superior Court Order Certifying a $175,000 Jury Verdict Award
• Personal Injury Interview With Ed Van Dorn [PDF]
  Personal injury interview between Rob Curtiss and Ed Van Dorn. They discuss what makes Van Dorn & Curtiss standout as a personal injury law firm in New Hampshire and Vermont.
• Personal Injury Victim's Handbook [PDF]
  This Handbook was written by Ed Van Dorn and is a must read for any person who was recently a victim of personal injury in New Hampshire or Vermont.
• Insurance Companies and Their New Dirty Tricks
  Recently, insurance companies have been developing new tricks to increase their profits. Among their new tricks are voiding policies once an insured makes a claims and pressuring claimants to find other means of benefits, such as disability.
• Personal Injury Victims and Traumatic Brain Injury
  Every year nearly 50,000 people die from traumatic brain injuries in the United States. Nearly 70,000 others suffer from impairment due to their injuries.For personal injury victims, their accident can be the most traumatic and difficult part of the life. Part of the job of a personal injury lawyer is to realize the accident and immediate aftermath isn’t the end of the victim’s struggles.
• Top Ten Worst Insurers In America - New report finds pattern of bad faith and unfair dealing by insurance companies
  When you purchase an insurance policy and pay your premiums, your insurance company owes you a duty of good faith and fair dealing. Some insurance companies will find ways to deny claims. A new report conducted by the American Association of Justice lists the top ten worst insurance companies for consumers.

Automobile Accidents

• Airbag Failure and Personal Injury
  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is set to examine reports of inadvertent airbag deployment and airbag failure in the Hyundai Elantra from 2001 to 2003. It is estimated that airbags were responsible for more than 250 deaths since 1990. Though airbags were available as early as the beginning of the 1980’s, it wasn’t until 1990 that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began tracking fatalities and injuries associated with airbags.
• Cell Phone Use and Car Accidents
  Distraction may cause a driver to underestimate the road conditions or not focus on how they are driving. We have seen cases where a distracted driver slammed directly into the rear of a parked car. There has been a lot of controversy lately regarding cell phone use and driver safety. Recent studies have shed some light on the whether cell phone usage does increase the risk of being involved in a car accident.
• Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims
  Being involved in a car accident can be a stressful and devastating event. There are nearly 3 million car accidents resulting in injury each year. Almost 2 million of these injuries can be lifelong injuries. Injuries can result in huge medical costs and missed time at work. Insurance is designed to protect car accident victims who suffer personal injury. Now what happens if you are injured in a car accident and the “at fault” driver doesn’t have insurance or they are underinsured?. If you are injured in a car accident and the negligent driver has no insurance, it may be in your best interest to file an uninsured motorist claim (UM) or an underinsured motorist claim (UIM).
• New Hampshire Auto Accident Lawyers - Vermont Car Accident Attorneys | Reader's Digest Report on Teen Driver's
  We see it every day in the news. A teen driver is seriously injured or killed in a car accident. Every time this happens it is a tragic event. Sometimes the teenage driver did nothing wrong; however, many times the tragedy could have been prevented. A new report by Reader’s Digest analyzes some reasons why so many teenagers are killed in car accidents and what can be done to prevent these tragedies.
• Study Finds Correlation Between Deaths on Rural Roads and Lax Seatbelt Laws
  This article discusses a recent study that found a connection between lax seatbelt laws and an increase in car accidents resulting in death.
• Steps You Should Take if You Are in a Car Accident
  Car crashes resulting in fatality or serious injury can put an enormous financial burden on the victim and their family members. Medical expenses and loss of income are two of the most frequent expenses related to car accidents. There are immediate steps car accident victims can take to make the post accident process a little easier
• Helmet Use, Inexperience and Motorcycle Accidents Resulting in Injury
  Wearing a helmet can save your life. Statistics show a reduced number of head injuries and fatalities among riders who do wear helmets. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmets saved more than 1,658 lives in 2006. In 2006, 4,810 people died in motorcycle accidents. The NHTSA estimates that there could have been as many as 800 fewer fatalities in 2006 if the victims wore helmets

Medical Malpractice

• Medical Providers Fail to Release Medical Records - A New Trend
  Increasingly, medical providers have failed to release patient medical records when requested. Medical providers are required by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act to release medical records upon request by a patient or their representative.
• Important Issues in Vermont Medical Malpractice Law [PDF]
  This brief article highlights some important issues in raising a medical malpractice claim in Vermont.
• Medical Malpractice - Quick Facts and Stats
  We depend most on doctors and other healthcare professionals. We pay them for their services, and in return we assume that we will receive expert treatment. While we all know that people sometimes make mistakes, a doctor’s error has far more serious repercussions than most. When we go to a hospital and receive medical treatment, the last thing we want to think about is what if the doctor makes a mistake. Still, medical errors are common and it is important to understand the issues involved in medical malpractice cases. The following are some basic facts and statistics regarding medical malpractice claims and trials.

Premises Liability

• Commercial Premises Security Liability
  Commercial property owners may have a heightened duty to protect the public against the criminal acts of other people. If a commercial property owner knew, or should have known that their property was unsafe, they may be responsible for a third party's criminal acts.

Dog Bites/Pet Attacks

• Roland v. LeBlanc - Judgment [PDF]
  U.S. District Court Order Certifying $2.1 Million Dog Bite Jury Verdict
• Dog Bite Law: A Quick Overview
  Dog bites and pet attacks are an all too common part of personal injury law. Each year there are an estimated 5 million victims of dog bites alone, 800,000 of which require some form of medical treatment. Though most dog bites are minor, some can be so severe that they result in the loss of human life. Dog owners have a responsibility to protect the public against potentially dangerous animals

Industrial Accidents and Worker’s Compensation

• Worker’s Compensation Process and Pitfalls
  When a family member is injured on the job it is a potentially disastrous situation, especially if that family member is the sole provider. The loss of a family member’s entire income can leave the family in dire financial straights. The Worker’s Compensation system, also known as Worker’s Comp., is designed to prevent these types of tragedies. The main purpose of the Worker’s Comp. system is to provide medical coverage, disability if the victim is unable to return to work, and if necessary, retraining and rehab to help the victim return to work.

Attorney Motions and Court Orders

• Hilley v. Healey - Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment [PDF]
  This memorandum was written by Cristina Rousseau and was upheld by the New Hampshire Superior Court.
• Hilley v. Healey - Court's Order on Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment [PDF]
  Read the New Hampshire Superior Court's order upholding Cristina Rousseau's memorandum in opposition to the defendant's motion for summary judgment.

Van Dorn & Curtiss News

• Newsletter - December 2007 [PDF]
  Included in this newsletter are articles that discuss current trends and issues in personal injury law in New Hampshire and Vermont.

CLE (Continuing Legal Education) Courses

• NHTLA Lien On Me Featuring National Expert [PDF]
  New Hampshire Trial Lawyers Association presents Lien On Me - Hallow-Lien Edition Featuring National Medicare/Medicaid Lien Expert, Jason A. Wolf.
• What is CLE?

Choosing a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Claim

• Choosing the Right Lawyer for Your Serious Personal Injury Claim
  Not all law firms are created equal. Don't fall for the big advertisements; make sure that your personal injury attorney has a track record for success in the courtroom.
• 22 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney
  Important factors that you should consider when hiring an attorney to represent your personal injury claim.
• Ethics and Personal Lawyer Advertising
  Sometimes with lawyer advertising, especially with personal injury lawyer advertising, it can be difficult to be informed. The ABA laws governing lawyer advertising are partially directed to protect the legal consumer from false claims or misrepresentations about a lawyer’s services. Still, many lawyers push the envelope with advertising and lawyer ethics.

General

• Doctors Struggle with Insurance Claims Process: Healthcare Costs Rise
  Doctors are also struggling with insurance company tactics and their quest to increase profits. Just as the insurance companies blame lawyers for pushing up healthcare costs through lawsuits, the insurance companies claim doctors are pushing up costs by “over treating” patients and ordering expensive procedures.
• Letter From Leahy & Denault [PDF]
  A letter from one of many attorneys that Van Dorn & Curtiss works with on New Hampshire personal injury claims.

Free Consultation

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FAQs

Personal Injury

• Am I eligible for a personal injury lawsuit?
• How do the attorneys determine how much my personal injury claim may be worth?
• When I meet with a personal injury attorney for my first consultation, what information should I provide?

Automobile Accidents

• I was in an automobile accident and the payout offered by the insurance company seems low. What should I do?
• I was injured in a car accident and it was the other driver's fault.  They didn't have insurance...what can I do?
• I was injured in a car accident and my car sustained very little visual damage.  The other driver was at fault and their insurance company is denying my claim.  They say because there was so little damage to the car, I am lying about my injury...what can I do?

Wrongful Death

• I recently lost a loved one in an accident.  What are my rights?
• How do I bring a wrongful death claim?
• What is a survival action?

Medical Malpractice

• Is it true that legislators are attempting to limit medical malpractice recovery in New Hampshire?
• What are some specific types of medical malpractice?
• My spouse recently died while being treated at a hospital.  I think the hospital did something wrong, but the hospital won't release the medical records...what can I do?

Premises Liability

• Are hotels responsible for criminal acts that take place on their property?

Dog Bites/Pet Attacks

• My child was bitten by a neighbor's dog and the neighbor refuses to pay the medical bills. What should I do?
• How many people are bitten by dogs each year?

General

• I am represented by a personal injury attorney, but I do not think they are doing a good job.  Can I hire another attorney?
• What is lost earning capacity?
• What is loss of quality of life?

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