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Monthly Archives: April 2012

Prom & Graduation Season: Car Accidents in Tuscaloosa and Elsewhere

Apr 23, 2012 - Tuscaloosa by

Officials are already doing their part in pushing for prom and graduation safety — all we need now is the participation of area high school students. According to ABC 33/40, Central Alabama’s largest emergency ambulance service provider is working alongside other public safety agencies and Tuscaloosa County High School’s Pride Chapter to kickoff this year’s “Prom Promise.” The goal of Prom Promise is to reduce drinking and driving. It’s an all too common scenario, alcohol-related car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere throughout the state during prom and graduation season. Many of these types of accidents wind up with fatal results. Don’t let your teen become a victim. Ask them to make the Prom Promise and vow to be safe and sober behind the wheel during this year’s prom. “If we can stop at least one person from doing this on prom night, then all our efforts are worth it!” said Debbie Blake, the Operations Manager for NEMS Tuscaloosa.

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Alabama Personal Injury Expert Testimony and a Look at Newell Rubbermaid v. Raymond Corp.

Apr 18, 2012 - Dangerous Products/Liability by

You can sustain an injury doing almost anything. But when you suffer an injury because of someone else, how do you prove that they are at fault? One of the key components to proving certain types of Tuscaloosa personal injury cases is providing expert witness testimony. The law governing expert witness testimony is complex. Federal Rule of Evidence (FRE) 702 governs the admissibility of expert witness testimony in federal court i.e. necessary qualifications of an expert witness, requirement that expert’s testimony be based on reliable principles and methods. In Newell Rubbermaid v. Raymond Corp. a federal appeals court addressed, among other things, the admissibility of expert witness testimony. This case arose where Hashman (Victim) was working in a factory for Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. (Newell or Employer). The victim was required to use a Dockstocker forklift which was manufactured by Raymond (Manufacturer). As part of the design of this forklift, the rear of the machine had no guard door to protect the operator.

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Judicial Review in Workers’ Compensation Cases Discussed in Gilmore v. Director, Department of Labor

Apr 9, 2012 - Workers' Compensation/Work Injury by

The law surrounding workers’ compensation (WC) for federal employees is very complex. In many cases, a federal employee’s initial application for WC can mean the difference between receiving benefits or not. This is why it is so important to complete your workers’ compensation petition properly. Our experienced Tuscaloosa Workers’ Compensation Attorneys understand how important this is, and we can help protect your rights at each stage of the process. Gilmore v. Director, Department of Labor is an 11th Circuit workers’ compensation case that centers on jurisdiction and the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). “FECA is a comprehensive and exclusive workers’ compensation scheme for federal civilian employees who are injured or killed while performing their work duties. ” Gilmore v. Director, Department of Labor, No. 11-12747 (11th Cir. Feb. 6, 2012); see also Nobel v. United States, 216 F.3d 1229, 1234 (11 Cir. 2000).

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Alabama Personal Injury: Car Accidents Target of Distracted Driving Month

Apr 3, 2012 - Car Accidents by

This is the month! It’s the month to put an end to talking on your cell phone and text messaging behind the wheel. Why this month? Because it’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month 2012! It’s as good of a month as ever. Every year, throughout the entire month of April, the National Safety Council, our Alabama personal injury attorneys and safe driving advocates across the country work together to help to spread the word about the dangers associated with distracted driving and to encourage more drivers to hang up the phone, put distraction aside, and focus on the road. The truth of the matter is that distraction-related car accidents took the lives of more than 3,000 people in 2010. That’s 3,000 people who didn’t have to die. They were killed by the irresponsibility of drivers. Our Tuscaloosa injury lawyers understand that about 25 percent of all motor vehicle accidents involve a driver who is distracted by the use of a cell phone. That’s no surprise when you consider that using either a hand-held or a hands-free cell phone makes a driver four times more likely to get into an accident. Texting increases a driver’s risk for an accident by nearly 25 times. It’s so bad that using a cell phone at the wheel gives a driver the same reaction time as a driver who is legally drunk. Using a cell phone while driving reduces the amount of brain activity that is associated with driving by about 40 percent.

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Posted By: Chuck Kelley

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