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Posts Tagged ‘Personal injury’

Accident Claim With A Specialist Solicitor

August 26th, 2010

Everyone has heard of an accident claim, but few people know how to deal with the traumatising experience when it comes. Life quickly becomes confusing and frustrating as you deal with physical pain and the bureaucratic red tape.

While there is no shortage of accident solicitors that deal with injury or accident claims, there is definitely a shortage of actual efficient and reliable ones. Choosing the wrong legal advice team for your claim can cost you money as well as in the final result, zero compensation.

Accident Injury Is Unpredictable!

Accidents can happen anywhere, so feel protected at all times. Whether at work, out socially, on business or just having some fun, accidents can quickly turn your life upside down and turn everyday chores and pleasures into frustrating tasks. Thus possibly requiring the help and pity of others.

Work becomes impossible, and you feel like a burden on everyone around you. You think back to life before the injury and wonder why it happened to you.

Don’t Blame Yourself

The first thing many people feel after an accident is the embarrassment and somehow personally become responsible for their injury. Such a mind-frame can quickly lead to depression, which can affect all those around you. It can also help to slow down the recovery process, preventing the possibility of an injury claim.

Don’t feel that somehow you don’t deserve compensation for your injury. If someone is responsible for your suffering then, you should seriously consider talking to a competent, experienced and reliable accident solicitor who has the power to earn you an impressive compensation settlement.

People are injured everyday due to negligence of others; don’t allow yourself to become just another statistic that’s left to recover without the financial aid you deserve.

Living With A Serious Injury

For many, the pain and debilitation after an injury is almost too much to handle. Life takes an unexpected turn as you spend your days, bed-ridden, stuck at home, or in physiotherapy, trying to regain your lost mobility and freedom.

You feel that you can no longer provide for your family, and simple things like playing in the back yard with your kids and going on vacation are no longer a viable options.

An accident injury claim is not a mere slap in the face and, through the haze of suffering, frustration and confusion, you want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ready For Some Action?

The first step is to find a personal injury solicitor who can be relied upon to produce a successful victory for your compensation claim.

There are all sorts of solicitors advertising their credentials and claiming to be the ‘hard-hitters’, but this is merely fiction.

The most critical step in an injury claim is choosing a competent and reliable solicitor to manage your case. When coming to this decision, there are several questions that must be addressed. You must be sure that the solicitor is experienced and has produced ‘good’ results for their previous clients.

You need to be comfortable with your accident solicitor and be able to speak freely and comfortably with them. With a comfortable, professional relationship established, a successful accident claim settlement will be within your reach.

Balls In Your Court

Always remember that there is a reason why you are reading this today to make an accident compensation claim for your accident injury. Don’t allow your situation to get the better of you.

Without proper consultation, an injured victim’s life may never get back on track. Taking the crucial steps of filing an accident injury can be the first step in turning everything around and getting back behind the steering wheel of life.

Don’t let your injury get the better of you; make those responsible, responsible! If someone else’s negligence is behind your pain, then take the necessary action and get what you deserve.

Accident Attorney

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The Duties Of A Personal Injury Lawyer

August 23rd, 2010

Individuals experience a number of problems within their lives; some of the most serious of these problems involve injury to their self or their property. In a situation in which you or your property has been harmed, the person or institution that caused harm is liable or culpable for the damages that have occurred. If you have been subject to harm in one of these situations you are going to need to contact a personal injury lawyer.

These lawyers have a number of responsibilities that they undertake when serving you the client and are generally held to a high standard ethical and legal standards. If you are going to contact a personal injury lawyer there are a couple of things that you want to keep in mind including qualifications, court records, cost and licenses to practice law.

A personal injury lawyer undertakes different responsibilities when setting forth to serve a client. The lawyer if responsible for interviewing and reviewing clients, judging the nature of the clients injury and the duress caused by the injury, draft necessary legal documents, offer legal advice and do the necessary research to adequately represent their client.

Further after they take the case, lawyers are obliged to argue the case in court if necessary and continue to offer legal advice.Corporations and individuals perform a number of different actions everyday that could put you in some sort of fiscal or physical danger. If you or your property has been harmed and someone or something is responsible for that harm, they can be held fiscal liable for perpetrating that harm.

If you have experienced a harm that requires you to take legal action for fair compensation, you are going to want to contact a lawyer that specialized in personal injury claims. The lawyer becomes an advocate for obtaining fair compensation for the losses they have experienced. Sometimes you will be offered an initial claim that might not fairly compensate you for your injury. It is always best to still contact a lawyer because nobody has the correct incentive to pay your more when it is just as easy to pay you less for your personal injury.

A sole practitioner is also likely to incur lower fees upon their clients because they experience a much lower overhead. They are also more likely to take on smaller cases because they are not designed to serve a number of larger multimillion dollar cases.

A small law firm might only include lawyers that specifically practice in a very particular area of individual injury law such as medical malpractice and thus can offer a number of different points of views on the specialty without alienating the client through too much filler. Larger law firms are going to have the most qualified lawyers and are the most likely to have the most prestige.

There is also the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Membership in these legal associations is a great indicator of the value of your lawyer.

Personal Attorney

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Whiplash Injury Collision Research Revealing Chronic Pain Even After Therapy

July 27th, 2010

Aches in the cervical spine, shoulders, head or the base of the skull that occurs after a motor vehicle collision are often known as “acceleration deceleration injury.” It’s a common term that most patients hear following an auto collision. Most patients with acceleration deceleration injury recover in a few weeks or at most, a few months. However, 15 to 20% of people develop chronic ache. Acceleration deceleration injury is not a trivial problem, because once it has occurred; only 70% have recovered completely by one year and only 82% have recovered completely by two years. In addition to cervical spine ache, there are many symptoms associated with the acceleration deceleration injury syndrome and include sleep problems, poor concentration and memory, blurry vision, ringing in the ears, fatigue, and weakness.

The therapy for acceleration deceleration injury syndromes depends on the stage and degree of the problem and which structures have been injured. Therapy can vary from chiropractic care, physical therapy, orthopedic intervention and more. In addition to soft tissue injury, ache that persists after four to six months is usually due to injury to the facet joints, one or more discs, or both. The diagnosis can usually be made by injections, MRI, and X-rays. Therapy is usually successful, but may require physical therapy, injections, and occasionally surgery.

The term whiplash is confusing to many. This is because it is both a mechanism of injury and the symptoms caused by a car accident. It is due to a traumatic event that causes the head to move suddenly in a whipping motion in one direction and then recoil in the other direction. The most common cause of whiplash is a motor vehicle accident in which one vehicle is struck from behind by another. However, it can occur when a car stops abruptly after striking a pole, a wall, or another car, and can also occur after a side impact.

Significant damage to ligaments, discs, and joints can occur even if the swings of extension and flexion are not excessive, but often the neck is forced to the extreme ends of normal range or beyond. Because the trauma is usually sudden, occupants of the car are not prepared for the impact. The muscles are relaxed, which allows more forces on the discs, ligaments and joints. Perhaps the most important fact about whiplash is that significant pain and structural damage can occur even in low velocity crashes.

It is the patient with constant pain without any other specific findings on examination or specialized tests that presents the most difficult problems for the patient himself or herself, the doctors, and the legal system in personal injury. In the first few weeks to months after motor vehicle accident, it is often impossible to determine the exact cause or causes of the pain associated with the injury. The symptoms and signs are not sufficiently specific in the case. In almost every instance, the muscles and ligaments have been strained and may be inflamed, painful, and tender. However after about three months, primary muscle or other soft tissue injuries usually have healed.

In a research study by Drs. Bogduk and Aprill, in 23% of patients, facet joints alone were the cause of pain, in 20% of patients the discs alone were the cause of pain, and in 41% of patients both the facet joints and discs were contributing. They were not able to identify the source of the pain in only 17% of their patients. The most common causes of persistent pain in whiplash are the facet joints and the discs. There is a poor correlation between the radiographic appearance of the joints and whether they are painful. Some joints which look bad are painless while other joints that look normal can be proven to be a source of pain. Only facet injections can determine whether the joint is painful.

Many acceleration deceleration injury patients have symptoms which seem unexplainable, such as headaches, ache in the shoulders, between the shoulder blades, or in one or both arms. These symptoms can significantly impact activities of daily living. There may be fatigue, dizziness, problems with vision, ringing in the ears, heaviness in the arms, and low back ache. There can be poor concentration or memory, change in emotions with irritability, depression or short temper, and sleep disturbance. Dizziness occurs in one-quarter to one-half of people with acceleration deceleration injury. Again, researchers are not sure of the cause. The most likely explanation is an injury to the part of the inner ear that regulates balance. Problems with memory and concentration can be due to the ache itself, depression, medications, or trauma to the brain. Visual disturbances occur in 10 to 30% of acceleration deceleration injury patients and blurred vision is the most common.

Fortunately, most people who suffer neck pain after a whiplash injury will recover by six months. However, a small percentage of people continue to have pain. Most patients destined to recover completely will have done so by three to four months, after which the rate of recovery slows markedly. By two years, essentially all patients have reached their individual maximum improvement. About 18% continued to have significant pain two years after the accident! Patients who did not get well tended to be older, had pain which began sooner after the accident, and/or had their head rotated to either side at the time of impact. They also found that patients who, before the accident, had a history of neck pain, arthritis of the neck, or headaches did not do as well.

Common sense would tell us the greater the ache and impairment, the larger the legal settlement or award might be. Rarely, patients may exaggerate their symptoms or be faking. However, a bigger question is whether the potential for money from a legal settlement can unconsciously prolong or worsen the ache. This is known as “secondary gain” and it is unconscious, not fraudulent. The science shows that personal injury litigation does not adversely affect outcome. In 1983, Drs. Norris and Watt reviewed 61 patients who were treated for acceleration deceleration injury injuries, 41 of whom had personal injury lawsuits. They found no change in symptoms after claims were settled. About ten years later, long after litigation had settled, only 12% had completely recovered, and 48% had ache which interfered with normal daily life. In another study from 1993, Drs. Parinar and Raymakers re-evaluated patients they had seen previously for legal opinions, not for therapy, 8 years after the initial consultation. They concluded that lawsuits did not influence the timing or degree of recovery.

Several years ago a group of patients were analyzed. They were referred for therapy by their attorneys because they were not getting better. The patients were treated with strengthening exercises, body mechanics training, medications, spinal injections and occasionally psychotherapy. No patient in this study needed surgery. Most of the patients did well with significant improvements in ache and function. Although most patients still had mild ache at the end of therapy, it was not enough to interfere with their daily lives. These very favorable results occurred although none of the lawsuits had been settled.

Injury Attorney

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Important Car Accident Claims Guide

July 25th, 2010

If you ended up included in a car accident, you might benefit from going over these recommendations about what for you to do after a motor vehicle accident, and by talking to a personal injury lawyer. It is a common misconception that people who have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident will not require lawyers.

In case you’ve queries or maybe are doubtful of whether the car accident would be the foundation of your worthwhile claim, then you ought to speak to an expert lawyer to study the details of the case and also provide you with legal advice. An experienced car accident attorney can help you to have the damages you ought to get for your injuries.

Motor vehicle accidents are categorized as the biggest cause of needless deaths and so the number 1 origin of personal injury claims in the United States. Numerous of the accidents transpired due to carelessness of one the drivers involved. When a car accident is caused by another party’s carelessness, individuals who are injured typically arrive at settlements with the liable party which offer a settlement for medical fees, pain and suffering, and various other damages. The majority of these auto accidents involved some form of carelessness.

In the event that your injuries have been brought about by a negligent driver, hazardous streets or even a faulty vehicle, an injury lawyer can assist you get the settlement you deserve. If you’ve been wounded and someone else is at fault, understand more about your rights and the choices that you have from an injury lawyer before you take action. Following becoming hurt in an auto accident it is essential to comprehend in what way a car accident claim will work when the injured particular person determines to pursue legal action.

You ought to remember that something you say to any individual following the incident will probably be used as evidence and isn’t regarded hearsay, for that reason it is essential that the information you produce is as precise as can be. Even if perhaps you believe you don’t have injuries following an auto accident, you ought to make sure a police report is filed, that you call your insurance firm, and speak to an injury lawyer. If that you are injured in an accident, a skilled auto accident lawyer can help secure the settlement.

Legal Advice

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San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer Gets Victims Fair Cash Settlements

July 24th, 2010

Learn how the San Diego personal injury lawyer gets victims fair cash settlements in different industries. This article helps employees become knowledgeable about compensation for accidents and injuries.

Shipyards

Risks of painful wounds in ship building work are unequaled because harm can rise from several sources. The combination of two or more sources makes it harder for an attorney to investigate and list the causes of the injury. Four components that characterize the shipyard workplace risks are physical closeness to a source of high temperature, ingesting toxins or corrosive fumes, adjoining moving portions, or descending from an altitude. Throw in carelessness by company directors and the number of impediments to a thorough investigation rises and knowledge of a proper compensation takes longer to figure out.

Any combination of factors can conspire to cause an injury even if workers follow all work rules. Extreme working conditions mean ship building accidents will tend to produce a permanent disability. The upper torso of injured workers seems to sustain its share of damage. The dangerous nature and complexity of ship building should make its employees want to seek professional legal advice should a workplace injury occur.

Semiconductor Chip Manufacturing

Manufacturing of certain electronic components exposes plant workers to poisonous compounds. Ingredients to make chips provide source matter for chemical compounds. There are some semiconductor plants operating in California. Almost 75,000 employees worldwide are exposed to hazardous chemicals at their workplace across all the semiconductor industry. Determining compensation is hampered because of the time lag between initial injurious contact with carcinogenic ingredients and manifestation of illness.

Carcinogenic causes can create their effects years after first exposure. Offspring of a few plant workers exposed are reported to be afflicted with birth deformities. Other workers say they are suffering negative effects in their respiratory and digestive system. Determining justice and reparation when cause and effect do not follow instantly is hard enough. Add in the legal case is filed against an industry whose critics say has little incentive to improve medical safety in its most risky job tasks in its plants. Critics describe the semiconductor industry as a mission critical, politically powerful behemoth baby that is still growing, still in its baby diaper stage of life, not fully grown in terms of maturity and market capitalization.

Transportation

Injuries made by vehicular wrecks can staggeringly affect a human body. Trailer trucks come in large sizes and travel swiftly. Most people will not see vehicles larger than trucks on the roads. Weight plus high velocity can make driving treacherous. A death or disablement can wreak mayhem on the ability of a family to survive.

Trauma injuries caused by vehicular crashes can tremendously affect a human body. Trailer trucks are biggest and fastest vehicles that most people are likely to encounter on the highway system. Combining weight with high speed creates a potential hazard. Death and disabilities can wreak havoc on the ability of a family to cope.

Ways a San Diego personal injury lawyer gets victims fair cash settlements can vary. Each industry job has distinctive risk attributes and even the politics differs. This article provides a perspective on the challenges lawyers face when seeking reimbursements for their clients.

Injury Attorney

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Advice On Picking The Right Personal Injury Attorney

July 22nd, 2010

So, you’ve hurt your back in an accident that wasn’t your fault, now what? One of your options is to pursue the responsible party for compensation. The best way to do this is to hire a personal injury attorney. They are trained to present your case in court to reach the best possible outcome.

The legal system can be intimidating for those who are inexperienced. If you are fighting your case on your own you may not be aware of what paperwork needs to be filed or what procedures are going on in the courtroom. Personal injury lawyers are familiar with legal proceedings and can guide you through the process.

It’s not a bad idea to contact an attorney anytime you are injured in an accident where you aren’t at fault. It’s your legal right to make a claim of compensation on the person you believe is liable for your injury.

A good personal injury attorney can help you get the money you are entitled to. They know the right way to go about filing your claim and how to increase your chances of success. There are numerous personal injury attorneys in your community. They offer counseling at affordable rates.

Personal injury attorneys have years of experience and education that will be helpful to you in a court of law. They are your best chance at getting a favorable judgment.

An attorney can only help you if you move swiftly after the accident. Contact a personal injury attorney soon after the incident. This is necessary because they need time to carry out an investigation and collect evidence to support your claim in court.

There’s no time to waste, when you are trying to get justice. You can find qualified personal injury attorneys on the phone book or online.

Be selective when choosing an attorney. Find out about their background and record of wins/losses. You want to find the best one you can to represent your case in court.

Accident Attorney

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The Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorney Helps Locals In Times Of Need

June 8th, 2010

An Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorney Helps Locals In Times Of Need. You really need to consult with a lawyer to help represent you. Do not attempt to handle the case. Turn it over to a legal professional who is used to dealing with insurance companies.

Do not deal with the insurance company yourself. They only have one purpose; offer you the lowest settlement possible. They are out to protect their interest not your interest. Seek a legal pro to take on your case.

The Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorney is the person to contact. He or she will get you the best settlement possible. And if the settlement is not to your liking he or she will be happy to take your case to a jury trial.

You will not have to pay money unless you win a judgment. Yes, you will have to pay your attorney out of the settlement. But you will receive a larger settlement than if you tried to handle the case yourself.

You want an attorney that is more concerned about your overall well being than his or her part of the award or settlement. A good attorney is also results focused. But a good lawyer is in fact also client focused.

The right attorney will make sure you get the right medical attention. He will find out about your life before the accident. If there is something you cannot do or are limited in doing because of your injuries he will certainly use that to negotiate a fair settlement.

The negotiation is his but it is your choice to refuse or accept the settlement. You can rely on his sound advice however to make sure you are deciding from a good knowledge base.

An Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorney is available to help you if you have been injured in an accident. Even if the accident was partly your fault make sure to get in touch with an attorney immediately.

Injury Attorney

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Should I Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer From TV?

June 1st, 2010

After being hurt in an accident one of the most intimidating tasks you face is choosing an attorney to represent you. Accident victims are bombarded with television ads, billboards, yellow page ads, and in some instances, even direct mail advertisements. All of these ads have a few things in common. The attorney usually states they will “fight aggressively” for you, or that they’ve gotten their clients huge settlements, and sometimes they even have flashy nicknames or catch phrases. Ignore the ads.

When looking for a personal injury lawyer the best way to ensure you are going to be getting good representation is to ask questions and watch out for red flags. The first red flag is whether or not you get to meet with an attorney for an initial consultation. Many firms tell you that the case is screened by a “case manager” or a “case specialist”, or sometimes even a paralegal. These firms will sometimes try to have you to sign up over the phone without even letting you talk to an attorney. They will send an “investigator” to bring papers for you to sign and will work hard to get you to sign up as quickly as possible. Ignore these firms. If the attorney will not even give you the courtesy of an initial consultation, imagine how much time the attorney will spend on the case. These firms generally assign huge numbers of cases to each attorney and consequently, the attorney’s cannot dedicate very much time to each case.

Another red flag is that the attorney tries to have you pay some up front costs or retainer. Unless you elect to pay the attorney by the hour, personal injury attorney’s work on contingency, meaning that they are paid their fees out of the settlement or verdict. Sometimes, an attorney will request you give them a certain amount of money to cover the costs of the case. This may be a red flag; in that it may indicate that the attorney doesn’t have enough capital to front the costs of the case, which brings me to my next topic. Ask questions.

It is important to be an advocate for yourself, and in being an advocate, you must ask questions. Ask the attorney how many cases each attorney handles at any given time. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the attorney handling that many other cases on top of yours. Also, ask the attorney if they will be personally handling your case, and if they will not, ask to meet the attorney who will be handling the case. Make sure that you are comfortable with that attorney. Ask how frequently you can expect to hear from the attorney, not the paralegal or case manager, but the attorney. Find out how much trial experience the attorney handling your case has, and more importantly, the percentage of cases that the firm files a lawsuit on. This is important because, while most cases settle before going to trial, it is imperative that insurance companies know the attorney is willing and capable of filing a lawsuit if necessary, it is the only way they are willing to offer top dollar on the case. Simply filing a lawsuit doesn’t mean that the case will go to trial. Finally, don’t limit your questions to the attorney. Ask around. Ask friends or family members who have used an attorney if they would recommend their attorney. If you know any attorneys ask them, or ask your doctor who they would recommend. The bottom line is that you must trust your lawyer, if at any point you don’t feel as though you are connecting with them move on.

Choosing a lawyer is a decision that should not be taken lightly. It’s good to visit a few before making your selection. Don’t be pressured into hiring a lawyer until you are confident you are selecting the attorney who will get you the best recovery and treat you respectfully throughout.

Accident Attorney

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What Type Of “Damages” Have Been Suffered As The Result Of An Accident?

May 13th, 2010

When dealing with a Las Vegas Injury Law case, perhaps the most key element of this is to determine what “damages” one has suffered. Sometimes it is cut & dried, where they have missed five months of work, at $5000 per month, therefore $25,000 will be the amount they seek to recover. But there is often more to that. How to determine what is relevant to the computation of damages truly breaks down to the experience and success of that specific attorney. That is why hiring a good attorney right away is critical.

Factors to Consider

One key factor to determine is what your damages are, and also what they will likely be once you have recovered from the injury. What is your state of recovery once your injury has improved to it’s best point? How has this trauma affected you and your family? From there, it is all about details.

Medical bills - you’ll need a total of how much you’ve spent. Your job - how much time has been lost there? Were you required to use up your sick leave for this? Keep in mind, even if you have sick leave, you are entitled to lost wages. Are you going to be able to return to work or be permanently disabled. Will this injury keep you from being able to do your job? Then there’s your personal life: will you able to return to doing everyday activities with your family or your friends? Was any part of this accident considered your fault? How much fault is being assigned to the other party?

Did you experience a Significant Loss as a result of this accident?

It is imperative that you distinguish between whether you suffered an injury, only, or a significant loss was incurred. In cases where there is no permanent injury, and your time out of work is insignificant, there will be little monetary compensation. It is sometimes frustrating when a defendant has exhibited careless or negligent behavior, but because of the nature of your injury, you may not be entitled to much compensation. In comparison, a permanent injury resulting in lifelong disability, such as being confined to a wheelchair, will dramatically increase your chances for a hefty financial recovery, regardless of whether a portion of the accident was your responsibility.

Although no amount of money will replace what a seriously injured person has lost, having money to compensate for the loss can help. At the end of the day, it comes down to this: how has the injury affected your life? And, what kind of “damage” picture can an experienced injury attorney prove to the insurance company or to the jury?

Legal Advice

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Auto Accident Injury Attorney - What To Look For When You Are Choosing A Car Accident Lawyer

May 10th, 2010

Are you thinking about employing an auto accident injury attorney? This article is going to take a look at 2 things you should look for in a car accident attorney.

After being in a car accident you may be feeling exceedingly vulnerable. It may feel like a lot of people are pressuring you. Mainly you will feel pressure from the insurance company. They might try to get you to sign settlement papers right away or they may not even want to give you a settlement. This is exactly why you are in need of an auto accident injury attorney. Now let’s go on to look at those 2 things you need to look for in a car accident lawyer.

Specialty In Automobile Accident Law

When you desire to get the most cash out of your auto accident settlement I recommend that you find an auto accident injury attorney. A attorney that specializes in auto accident law is what you need to find. There are going to be a lot of different lawyers attempting to get you to let them fight for your car wreck case. You will find that a problem with a wide spectrum attorney is that they may not remember every little details that they should be remembering in a certain part of the law.

2nd Experience And Performance

There is another thing that is extremely important to look at when you are trying to find an auto accident injury attorney. This is the matter of experience and you should at all times look at someone’s track record. While this is not something to fully rest your decision on, it is important. You do not want to be the first person that someone takes to court. Make sure that you find someone that has done a good job on their past cases and that knows the law.

Injury Attorney

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