Personal Injury

Merkel & Cocke, P.A. recently obtained a $1.1 million judgment on behalf of a client in a fatal truck accident case. This award was for the maximum amount of compensation available through the trucking company’s insurance policy. Charlie Merkel, Christopher Winter, and Yeager Bass represented a family who was hit by a logging truck. Our…

Legal words and phrases can be very confusing. Accident victims often don’t even hear many of these words and terms until after they’ve been injured, even though judges, other lawyers, and insurance adjusters use these terms on a regular basis. Knowing what these terms and phrases mean can help you better understand what your attorney…

The older population has historically been at an increased risk of dying after suffering a hip fracture or other vertebra fracture. This is often associated with complications that can occur while the person is immobilized during the recovery process. New findings have discovered that people ages 50 and older can have an increased risk of…

In February 2021, actress Ashely Judd suffered a crushing injury that almost cost her leg and her life. Thankfully, there were people who heroically helped move her to a hospital where she was able to get the medical care she needed. Even after her surgery, she will still need extensive physical therapy. Ms. Judd is…

Traumatic brain injuries dramatically change lives. Victims who suffer moderate to severe TBIs lose cognitive, physical, and emotional abilities. Many TBI victims need to treat with neurosurgeons, psychologists, physical therapists, speech therapists, and other medical professionals. There is some promising news for diagnosing a TBI according to a recent ABC story. In a January 2021…

A day that began as a fun family outing on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma on June 6 for the Free family quickly ended in tragedy when a nine-year-old boy died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Andrew Brady, the youngest child in the Free family, spent most of the day on the back of the boat. Towards…

When you live in a state for a long time you come to know local dangers well. In fact, they tend to just blend into the background of everyday life, and you forget they exist. Those visiting the state are much less likely to be aware of these risks unless they encounter one. When you’re…

There are multiple ways in which you can apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) but one of those methods (in-person) is not available because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Dozens of Social Security offices across the country have closed to the public because of stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines. Even though the Social Security Administration…

In personal injury cases, the focus is mostly on the person who was injured – but not entirely. The spouse of a victim of a car accident, medical malpractice, a fall, or any other accident also suffers because the accident victim is unable to completely fill their marital role. If a spouse dies, the surviving…

Traumatic brain injuries among adults are usually due to vehicle accidents and violent actions. A study however, by Brain Injury reveals that many underage minors visits an ER because their TBI was due to a consumer product. CNN, which analyzed the study, revealed that the top reasons children have non-fatal TBIs include: Falls from beds,…