Memorial Day is a day to remember and be grateful for those brave men and women who have died while serving our country in the military. It is also the unofficial start of summer. Beach trips, parades, lake outings, pool parties and barbecues are on a lot of folks’ agenda. Here are ten safety tips to help keep your weekend fun and injury-free: Continue reading
Articles Posted in Motorcycle Accidents
A Driving Safety Tip You May Not Know
The summer driving season is just around the corner. Time for vacations, trips to summer camp and the like. Gas prices are expected to remain low. In fact, the federal government is expecting gas to be at its lowest since the summer of 2004. So, the roadways will likely be busy and, unfortunately, dangerous. Here are a few tips for making sure you and your family stay safe including one you might not know.
- The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security offers licensed Tennessee drivers the ability to add emergency contacts to their driver’s license online. So, if you are involved in an accident, emergency workers can quickly contact your spouse, parents, legal representative, etc. If you are unconscious, this could save valuable time in a medical emergency as your contact could provide medical history, information on any medications you are taking, etc. In addition, not only will your loved ones be alerted to the emergency quicker but they can begin helping quicker. For instance, maybe at the time of the accident you were on your way to pick up your daughter from school, if your spouse is quickly alerted to the accident, he could get someone to your daughter promptly. The process is simple. Just go to www.dl.safety.tn.gov. The 7th star on the page is a link for Manage Emergency Contacts. Click it, fill out the requested information and hit submit. Now, your emergency contacts are linked to your driver’s license number.
- Register your vehicle and your tires with the manufacturer so that you are kept updated on any recalls. Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversaw a record number of recalls. If your vehicle and tires are not registered, the manufacturer cannot notify you directly. Vehicles and tires are only recalled if there is a safety defect or if they fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. So, recalls are serious business. At www.nhtsa.gov, you can search to see if there are any recalls affecting your vehicle, tires, child safety seats, etc. You can also sign up for safety alerts.
Fundamentals Win Games and Lawsuits
Almost any coach will tell you that fundamentals win games. While lawsuits are definitely not a game, they are about winning. So just as a good baseball coach will instruct you to field a grounder with your glove on the ground and your bare hand above the glove, we want to tell you four fundamentals you can do to help win your lawsuit. Continue reading
Unbelizable Facts About Driving in Belize
Over Spring Break, we were blessed to get to vacation in Belize. On our last day of vacation, we took a catamaran to Caye Caulker. While walking through the village, we noticed the island’s traffic laws posted on the wall. While Title 55 of the Tennessee Code dealing with motor and other vehicles has 53 Chapters, Caye Caulker on the other hand has a very limited set of regulations. Beyond requiring a license, registration and insurance, drivers are prohibited from driving on the airstrip runway, the beach, the football field and any unauthorized piers. The Tennessee Legislature might take a tip or two on brevity from the Caye Caulker Traffic Control Committee.
Some other interesting fact about driving in Belize: Continue reading
Trying To Be Cheap When Purchasing Insurance Could Cost You
Last week, a question was posted on Avvo (a legal Q & A site) seeking advice about what should be done following a car accident. The questioner was worried about getting sued, and the primary source of his anxiety was because he had substantial assets including investment accounts but he only had $100,000 in automotive insurance coverage. In particular, he wanted to know if he should hire his own lawyer separate and apart from any lawyer hired by his insurance company? Before I get to that, let me start with something more important. Continue reading
Winter Weather Driving and Car Insurance
Well it is finally here: winter weather. If you have to get out and about in it, here are some winter driving tips along with a very important piece of advice about your insurance. Continue reading
Still Driving Despite 17 DUIs and a Suspended License: How to Protect Yourself From Folks Like This
Earlier this month, a Shelbyville woman was arrested for her 17th DUI. No, that is not a typo– seventeen DUIs. According to reports, the habitual drunk driver was arrested yet again after she crossed the center-line and crashed head-on into another vehicle injuring the other driver.
Of course, given her driving record, this woman should not have been driving and, in fact, her license was suspended. But she was nonetheless out on the roadways again and almost certainly she was not insured. Tragically, this is not an isolated occurrence. Fifty to seventy-five percent of drunk drivers will continue to drive on a suspended license. If the drunk driver does not have any insurance, where does it leave the innocent victim injured by this woman’s criminal conduct? Continue reading
National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week: 5 Tips For Staying Awake and Alive
More than 1/3 of Americans have reported following asleep at the wheel, and drowsy driving causes roughly 100,000 accidents each year, claims roughly 1,500 lives and results in 71,000 injuries. In fact, driving while sleepy can impair your performance as much as alcohol.
While drowsy driving can affect anyone, some folks are more at risk than others and include: Continue reading
Feel Free To Complain
Some people are natural born complainers. Like this one from Middle Class Problems on Twitter: “A pecan from my maple and pecan slice has tragically fallen into my fresh coffee. Worst day ever.” (If you have never checked out Middle Class Problems, you should.) But some of us are loathe to complain. We do not want to be perceived as demanding, obnoxious, whiny, needy, etc. Or, we don’t complain because we think it will not do any good. But from my perspective as a personal injury lawyer, there are times when it is critical to complain. Below are 5 times you should complain freely and without hesitation. Continue reading
So More People Are Dying in Tractor-Trailer Accidents. What’s the Big Deal?
This seems to be Congress’ position on the issue. Because in the past year, they have decided to weaken a number of important safety measures despite the fact that the death toll in truck-involved crashes has risen 17 percent from 2009 to 2013 (which is the most current data) and despite the estimated cost of tractor-trailer and bus accidents is roughly $99 billion dollars a year. Yes, that is billion with a B. And, that is just economic cost. It does not reflect the emotional suffering the victims and their families suffer as a result of these accidents. So, let’s take a look at just a few steps that Congress has taken in favor of the trucking industry and against the rest of the motoring public. Continue reading