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Parents and Passengers Affecting Teen’s Risks for Car Accidents in Alabama, Nation

Feb 7, 2012 - Car Accidents by

Teens are at high risks for car accidents in Montgomery, Alabama and elsewhere. Their inexperience behind the wheel hinders their ability to safely navigate our roadways. But did you know there are things you and your teen driver may be doing that can be increasing those risks? According to two new studies released in the Journal of Adolescent Health, passengers and parental involvement can make or break your teen’s safety behind the wheel. Both of the recent studies concluded that comprehensive graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) programs and parental oversight are effective ways to help to reduce the risks of teen car accidents. One of the studies looked at the driving habits of nearly 200 teenage drivers in 15 different states with graduated drivers licensing (GDL) programs. After analyzing their driving behaviors, researchers concluded that teens who had parents who were involved in monitoring the young driver’s habits were less likely to act dangerously behind the wheel. The teen drivers with parents who stayed aware of their teen’s whereabouts and their driving habits were typically safer behind the wheel.

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Super Bowl Sunday Second Deadliest for Drunk Driving Accidents in Tuscaloosa, Nation

Feb 2, 2012 - Car Accidents by

The Super Bowl is this Sunday! Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. While neither of the teams are from Alabama, people throughout the state are sure to pile in front of the TV to enjoy the biggest football game of the year with friends and family members. Some of us will be gathering at house parties. Others will be getting together at local restaurants and bars for Super Bowl parties. What none of us should be doing is getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Super Bowl Sunday sees more drunk driving car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere than any other day of the year aside from New Year’s Day. This year’s drunk driving prevention campaign is called “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,” and it’s being put on by the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT), law enforcement officials nationwide and the Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a subsidiary of the USDOT, there have been roughly 180,000 football fans have already signed up to be a designated driver this season. These drivers are the key to safer roadways, especially on Super Bowl Sunday.

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School Bus Accident in Alabama Sends 20 Students to Hospital

Jan 30, 2012 - Bus Accidents by

A recent school bus accident in southeast Alabama sent 20 students to local hospitals. According to The Washington Post, the bus accident happened just after 7:00 a.m. as the bus made its way to Goshen’s Elementary and Goshen’s High Schools. On the school bus at the time of the accident were 40 students. Twenty-one were transported to ambulances to local hospitals and Troy and Luverne. Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas says that the weather contributed to the accidents. He says that weather conditions were poor and it was raining hard when the bus flipped. Still, an official cause of the accident has yet to be released by authorities. Some reports indicate that the rear tire of the school bus left the roadways shortly before it overturned. “It’s just an unfortunate accident. Right now we’re focusing on providing support to the students and their parents,” said Dr. Mark Bazzell, the superintendent of Pike County Schools. Our Alabama school bus accident lawyers understand that there are about 9 billion school bus trips that are made every year. Less than 450,000 school buses make these 9 billion trips. On these trips are nearly 25 million students. The trips are made to and from school, athletic events, camps and religious events. It is estimated that more than 25 school-aged bus riders are killed in these types of accidents every year. Hundreds of others are injured.

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FMCSA Passes Final Rule to Help Reduce Risk of Trucking Accidents in Alabama, Nation

Jan 24, 2012 - Truck Accidents by

Ray LaHood, the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, recently announced a final rule that employs the most recent facts and stats of driver fatigue to help reduce the risks of accidents. The new rule is to help ensure that truck drivers get enough rest before setting out on our roadways and endangering innocent motorists. The newly-enacted rule is being used to revise the hours-of-service (HOS) safety requirements for commercial truck drivers, which was previously written by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). “Trucking is a difficult job, and a big rig can be deadly when a driver is tired and overworked,” said LaHood. LaHood added that this rule will help increase roadway safety, help reduce the risks of accidents and potentially save lives. To help spread the word and ensure this rule is effective, the FMCSA conducted a number of public listening sessions across the U.S. where trucking company owners, truckers, police officers, safety advocates and the public could share questions and concerns.

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Check the CPSC Recall List Often to Avoid Child Injury in Alabama in 2012

Jan 18, 2012 - Personal Injury by

Now, that the holidays are over it’s a good time to make sure children’s toys are not dangerous and do not cause child injury in Alabama and elsewhere. Be sure to check out the latest recall list from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to make sure none of your Christmas presents are dangerous. Our Alabama personal injury attorneys are here to offer you these latest child items on the recall list. Be sure to check this list now and to check it periodically throughout the year to make sure that you and your family are safe from any hazardous consumer products. Many common household items and children’s toys can be found on the recall list. Stay informed to help prevent injury in your home. Land of Nod Recalls Bed Frames: Nearly 2,000 Land of Nod Bed Frames have been recalled by Blake Bed Frames. Allegedly, the child’s torso can get dislodged in the gap between the footboard’s top rail and the mattress. This can cause an entrapment hazard. One report of these incidents has already been reported. Blake model bed frames fall under this recall. They were sold in both full- and twin-sized beds. The words “The Land of Nod” and “Blake” can be found on the bar code sticker on the bed. The beds were sold from The Land of Nod stores in both in Washington and in Illinois. They were also sold on the website from September 2009 through October 2011. If you have one of these […]

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Nationwide Ban on Portable Electronic Devices Proposed to Reduce Risks of Car Accidents in Tuscaloosa and Elsewhere

Jan 1, 2012 - Car Accidents by

All states should ban the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices, recommends the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). During a meeting this month, NTSB officials suggested that all electronic devices should be illegal for all drivers. The meeting was held to discuss the 2010 distracted-driving accident that happened in Gray Summit, Missouri, in which two people were killed and dozens more were injured. Investigators concluded that the driver who allegedly caused this accident was making phone calls and text messaging just seconds before the accident, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. The NTSB doesn’t have the authority to enact such laws, but its recommendations carry significant weight with congressional and state lawmakers and with federal officials. In the state of Alabama, only novice drivers are prohibited from talking on a cell phone. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, only novice drivers are prohibited from texting behind the wheel, too. All other drivers are free to engage in whichever electronic distractions they choose. These laws are to help reduce the risks of distraction-related car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere for novice drivers but do nothing to protect older drivers and other individuals sharing our roadways. Our Alabama car accident attorneys understand that not all states have matching texting and cell phone bans. In 35 states, drivers are prohibited from texting at the wheel. Even less states ban drivers from using a cell phone at the wheel. As laws currently stand, enforcement is difficult because officers have a tough […]

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Drunk-Driving Car Accidents in Alabama Expected to Increase Significantly through Holidays

Dec 27, 2011 - Car Accidents by

In Alabama, there were nearly 850 fatalities resulting from alcohol-related car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere in 2009. Nearly 300 fatalities were the result of drunk-driving accidents that year, according to Alcohol Alert! The number of roadway fatalities resulting from drunk-driving accidents is typically more prominent in December when residents and visitors set out on road trips to visit friends and family members for the holidays. An increase in traffic will increase your risks for an accident, but the increase in drunk drivers we see during this time period increases your risks even more. For this reason, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has launched this year’s ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign to crack down on drunk driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Safety is our focus year round at DOT. But this holiday season, we’re stepping up our efforts to get drunk drivers off our roads and reminding Americans ‘drive sober, or get pulled over,’ ” said USDOT Secretary LaHood. “We’re making gains in our fight against drunk driving, but we cannot and will not let up.” Our Tuscaloosa drunk driving car accident attorneys understand that 2010 statistics illustrate a decrease in the total number of fatalities result from drunk-driving accidents. Still, there’s a sizable number of fatalities in December alone. These types of accidents are the cause of one out of every three fatalities on U.S. roadways each year. In 2010, there were nearly 10,500 people killed in the U.S. because of […]

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Safety Tips: New Year’s Travel Increases Risk of Accidents in Alabama

Dec 23, 2011 - Car Accidents by

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 285 people will die over the Christmas Day holiday period. This long holiday weekend is considered by officials to be the time from the evening of December 23rd to the end of December 26th. During this time, the NSC also estimates that approximately 28,700 people will be injured in car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere. New Year’s will be just as dangerous. Our Birmingham car accident attorneys understand that the holiday season serves as a common backdrop for fatal car accidents across the country. This year, there are roughly 92 million Americans who will be traveling farther than 50 miles from home for holiday destinations. This is a near 2 percent increase in the number of travelers from 2010. The increase in traffic increases motorists’ chances for a severe car accident. Please drive safely and cautiously to ring in the New Year injury and accident free. In 2009, there were nearly 250 people who died in car accidents during the Christmas holiday, compared to the near 410 that died in 2008. The NSC recommends that all motorists wear a seat belt when traveling over the Christmas holidays.

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More Fatal Car Accidents in Alabama in 2010 than Previous Year

Dec 20, 2011 - Car Accidents by

The holidays are right around the corner and our risks for car accidents in Birmingham have skyrocketed. From 2009 to 2010, Alabama actually saw an increase in the number of fatalities resulting from traffic accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just put out the new 2010 Motor Vehicle Crashes Overview. These are the full stats regarding traffic accidents that occurred throughout the year. They’re also the most recent traffic statistics available. The overall report says that there was a decrease in the total number of traffic accidents fatalities from 2009 to 2010 throughout the country. The report also says that we experienced the fewest fatalities on U.S. roadways since 1949. While this news may be good, there is some bad that comes with it. While the total number decreased, a few categories of fatal accidents saw a significant increase, including fatalities among large truck occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. And the overall number of fatal traffic accidents increased in 20 states as the economy continues to recover. Our Birmingham car accident lawyers note that while the numbers were relatively low throughout the year, they started to increase as the year progressed. This leads officials to believe the risks for car accidents will rise as our economy recovers because travelers will feel more comfortable splurging on road trips. Despite the decreased number, motorists are asked to remain cautious and alert at the wheel.

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Tuscaloosa Nursing Home Abuse: Do your Part During Holiday Visits

Dec 5, 2011 - Personal Injury by

We expect our loved one’s nursing homes to provide the best quality of care and resources available, especially through the holiday season. It is important for families to seek a home that is able to provide safety and security. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect in Alabama is an all too common occurrence. Nursing homes have a responsibility to take the proper measures to provide a hazard-free and comfortable living environment. Accidents and forms of neglect and abuse in a nursing home can lead to long-lasting psychological, mental and physical injury and too often results in death. Our Tuscaloosa nursing home neglect attorneys understand that owners and employees of these facilities must follow state and federal laws to ensure the safety of residents. These laws help to protect residents’ safety, environment and well-being. All too often, these standards are not met and without your interactive relationship with the facilities, the dangers can go unnoticed or unreported. Be an active member in your elderly loved one’s life and in their stay at a nursing home.

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"My father-in-law was involved in a horrible traffic accident. The firm was great at handling all of his questions. In the end they got him a great settlement, but the thing he remembers most is that the people at the law firm cared about him as a person. I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of legal services."
Posted By: Jaimie Copeland

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