Articles Posted in Injury Cases

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Whether we walk to work or walk from our car into the grocery store, all of us are pedestrians at some point. And, pedestrian deaths are on the rise with last year reaching a 30-year high.  More than 6,000 people are dying each year in pedestrian accidents and thousands more are seriously injured.  Experts believe several factors are contributing to the increase in pedestrian deaths.  And while new vehicle technology claims to help prevent pedestrian accidents, recent testing by AAA shows otherwise. Continue reading

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According to a recent study, Nashville has the unlucky distinction of having two of the most dangerous roads (out of a list of 30) in the country.  Interstates 40 and 65 both made the list.  For our readers in East Tennessee, don’t feel left out; Interstate 75 was also included in the list so Knoxville is home to two deadly roads too.  These interstate exchanges are already dangerous but they almost certainly will become worse under new rules being proposed by the Trump administration. Continue reading

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Did you know that for children ages 5 and older car accidents are the number one cause of death?  Every single hour of every day, 150 kids will be treated in an emergency room for serious injury due to a car or truck accident.  I am proud to report Tennessee became the first state in the nation to enact a child restraint law.  Since 1979, Tennessee law has required that children be properly restrained in a car, truck or SUV. Because next week is Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week, we thought it would be a good time to review the requirements of Tennessee’s child restraint laws and give you some tips on how to keep your child passengers safe. Continue reading

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Fatal car accidents caused by aggressive driving have risen over 500% in the last ten years.  The worst of these road rage incidents make the news often accompanied by incredible videos of obnoxious drivers doing crazy things.  Let’s analyze this road rage incident that turned physical and was caught on video and assess how both drivers could have handled the situation better. Continue reading

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The New York Times published an article this week detailing how many hospitals, one of which is in Tennessee (LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis), have started suing their patients by the thousands for unpaid medical bills.  Many of the patients had insurance and the hospitals were suing for deductibles and co-pays.  According to the article, more than half of the reports to credit bureaus were a result of unpaid medical bills.  Of course, in addition to the cost of litigation and the underlying medical bill, this affects people’s credit rating and overall financial health.  Consider this from a study by the Commonwealth Fund:

43 percent had used up all their savings to pay their (medical) bills, 43 percent had received a lower credit rating as a result of their debt, 32 percent racked up debt on their credit cards, 18 percent said they had delayed education or career plans. People with lower incomes were particularly affected: 37 percent said they were unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat or rent as a result of their (medical) bills.

Clearly, medical bills can be devastating to many families – even those with medical insurance.  So how does this relate to a car accident or other injury-producing accident? Continue reading

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Yes, you can wear white after Labor Day. No, you should not celebrate the holiday without knowing its origins. (Following the bloody Pullman strike and other labor strife, Labor Day was created  by the federal government in 1894 as a recognition of the American worker’s contribution to this country’s prosperity).   Yes, you should be especially careful while driving  this weekend.  Labor Day is the second most dangerous weekend to drive – only Memorial Day weekend is more dangerous.  Read on for more safety dos and don’ts of Labor Day:

  1. Yes, you can still drink rose and fruity beer. No, you absolutely should not drink and drive.  Alcohol-related car accidents spike during the holiday weekend. Call a ride-sharing service or a taxi.  Use a designated driver or stay overnight but do not place yourself or anyone else at risk of an accident.  And if you see a vehicle being operated erratically, keep your distance if possible and contact police.
  2. Yes, you can take a road trip to the mountains, river, lake or anywhere else but be sure to use your seatbelt as it could save your life. Each year, seatbelts save almost 15,000 lives and experts estimate another 2,500 or more could be saved if everyone wore one.
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Davidson County, Rutherford County and other area schools are already back in session, Williamson County schools start this Friday and a number of private schools start next week.  Hopefully, everyone has done their summer reading and is ready.  Drivers also need to be ready especially since there have been some changes in Tennessee law.  Take our true or false quiz below to find out if you are an A+ driver. Continue reading

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John Day loves his jet ski.  At sunrise on almost any Saturday or Sunday for the last fifteen years, he has been out on to the water for an hour and a half ride.  I have long asserted that, as a result of all that time on the jet ski, John could be blindfolded and dropped at any place on Tims Ford Lake and he could drive straight home as he knows every nook and cranny of the 11,000 acres and 240 miles of shoreline of that lake.   Needless to say, after all those years, John is an experienced rider but even experienced riders, and certainly inexperienced ones, should know these facts: Continue reading

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I know, it is summer and we should not be talking report cards.  But, Allstate is out with its driving report card in which the 200 largest cities across the country are ranked based on their driving safety record.  The report considers things such as claim history and the number of hard braking incidents for every 1000 miles.  This year, Allstate has also identified the 15 riskiest roads based on number of accidents.  So did any Tennessee cities or roads make the list?   Read on to find out. Continue reading

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Tractor-trailer accidents are on the rise — up 10% from last year.  Despite the increase in deadly crashes (there were 4,657 fatal truck accidents in the last stat year)  the federal government is moving to relax safety regulations and delay the implementation of other new safety regulations.  One key safety provision at risk could result in our roadways becoming a lot more dangerous. Continue reading