Injury Cases

October 6, 2020

October Is National Pedestrian Safety Month

No matter where you live or your typical form of transportation, we are all pedestrians. When you get out of your car to walk through the parking lot to go into Target, you are a pedestrian. When you walk your dog through your neighborhood, you are a pedestrian. Your children or grandchildren are pedestrians when they get off the school bus. As such, pedestrian safety should be important to all of us, which is why the federal government has designated October as National Pedestrian Safety Month. Here are some important facts and safety tips you should know. Also, if you are the victim of a pedestrian accident, we have one piece of information that could mean the difference between you receiving compensation or not. Continue reading

September 23, 2020

Child Passenger Safety Week

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death for children, and this week is Child Passenger Safety Week to try and raise awareness about how to prevent child passenger injuries and deaths. When used properly, car safety seats can reduce the risk of death by 70% in infants under 1 year of age and 54% in children in the 1 to 4 age range. So if you are a parent, grandparent, nanny, babysitter or have any reason to be driving children around, take a minute and review these important safety tips. Continue reading

September 15, 2020

Share the Road: Pedestrian Accidents

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

This past Saturday at approximately 10:30 p.m., after leaving a political dinner, the South Dakota Attorney General called police to report he had hit a deer with his vehicle. The next day, police discovered that he had not, in fact, hit a deer but instead a pedestrian who was walking to his disabled truck. The pedestrian died. Right now, more questions remain unanswered than answered, but one thing is for certain: pedestrian accidents are on the rise, and here are some simple but effective ways we can help prevent them. Continue reading

September 3, 2020

Labor Day Safety Tips

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The unofficial end of summer is here. A lot of kids are back in school and this is the last hoorah before settling into a different season and, hopefully, some cooler temperatures. Like everything else associated with 2020, Labor Day is going to look different for a lot of folks. While your plans may not be the same as usual, good safety practices for driving, boating, swimming and outdoor picnics remain the same. Keep reading for your refresher because you don’t want to end up in the hospital because of food poisoning or an avoidable accident. Continue reading

August 26, 2020

International Day of the Dog

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Today is International Day of the Dog, but if your dog is like Lincoln Isaac Day (pictured above), every day is Day of the Dog. Other dogs are not as fortunate so animal advocates created International Day of the Dog to highlight dog issues and to encourage adopting a dog or donating money or supplies to a pet shelter, etc. Of course, as injury lawyers, International Dog Day is a great day to remind everyone of some important safety issues when it comes to dogs. Continue reading

August 13, 2020

Legionnaire’s Disease: Something Else You Might Need To Be Worried About Right Now

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Earlier this week, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s watchdog for public health, had to close some of its office space in Atlanta because Legionella bacteria had been discovered in the building, which had been shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. Apparently, the effects of the pandemic continue to know no bounds. So read on to learn more about the bacteria, where you are likely to encounter it and its risks (it can be deadly to one out of every 10 people infected). Continue reading

July 31, 2020

Boating Safety During A Pandemic

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

In Chris Janson’s summertime anthem “Buy Me A Boat”, he sings: “I know what they say; money can’t buy everything, maybe so, but it can buy me a boat.” Well Chris, maybe not during a pandemic. As folks look for ways to beat the heat and enjoy some socially-distanced fun, boat dealers are seeing historic sales. More than 70% of boat dealers are reporting they are completely out of inventory or extremely low. First-time boat buyers account for a lot of the boom, which has raised concerns about safety on the water. There is still plenty of boating season left, so if you are considering buying a boat and a truck to pull it, please forego the Yeti 110 iced down with silver bullets and read on to learn about some other key safety issues as well as liability and insurance issues.

July 24, 2020

Don’t Believe Everything You Read (Or Sign)

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Right now on Amazon, for $18.95, you can buy a large neon yellow sign with bold black lettering that that reads: “Not responsible for cars or personal property lost or stolen or for injury to persons, car or personal property on premises.” Just imagine, for less than $20, you can insulate yourself from all liability to anyone for anything. Why doesn’t everyone have one? Attempting to avoid blame or responsibility is nothing new. As my husband has aptly stated, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. But can individuals and businesses avoid responsibility for the harm they cause by simply posting a sign or having folks sign a broadly-worded release? Continue reading

July 16, 2020

Water Safety: Swimming Pools

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Mercy, it is hot. The heat index in Middle Tennessee is 105 and other parts of the State are under a heat advisory. A natural place to cool off is the pool. But let me tell you a scary story to remind you of the importance of pool safety.

One Saturday, when our daughter Kate was a toddler, I was making banana pudding and Kate was in the kitchen with me. After she wandered out of the kitchen, I noticed the quiet, which is always a red flag for parents of toddlers. I washed my hands and went to look for her. I went to the sunroom and the door to the pool was open. My heart stopped and I could not breathe. I raced to the door and blessedly found Kate sitting on the edge of the pool splashing the water with her feet – oblivious to the danger. Someone had left the sunroom door open and she had ventured out. It happened so quickly. Thankfully, Kate was fine. Even though she had successfully completed a water survival class, that scene is etched in my mind and it is still upsetting to think of what could have happened. After that, we made some changes to improve water safety at our house. Here are some tips that you should consider if you own a pool or regularly visit one: Continue reading

July 7, 2020

Car Accidents and Black Box Data

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

In airplane accidents, investigators and experts often refer to “black box data”, and that terminology has carried over and is sometimes used in the context of car accidents too. However, in car and truck accidents, the more accurate description of black box data is Event Data Recorders (EDR). Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple because some experts and manufacturers refer to an Event Data Recorder more specifically as an Airbag Control Module (ACM), Restraint Control Module (RCM) and System Diagnostic Module (SDM), etc. But regardless of what you call it, these devices can be invaluable in determining what happened in a car or truck accident. Read on to find out how EDRs came into existence, how they work, what information they record and why it is important to know what to do immediately after an accident so that this valuable information is not lost. Continue reading