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Jul 21, 2013 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Every driver should have auto insurance because it is required by law. However, there are a lot of things that many people just don’t understand about their policies. Unfortunately, this can lead to confusion and problems in the event that an accident happens.  Our Birmingham injury attorneys know that understanding your insurance coverage is important to protecting your rights and making informed decisions. A good place to start is to consider some of the myths and misconceptions about auto insurance recently discussed by the Digital Journal. Some Common Auto Insurance Misconceptions

Jul 18, 2013 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Over a weekend in early June, off-duty Alabama law enforcement officers in St. Clair and Bibb counties stopped traffic in several locations. The researchers asked the drivers to participate in a “voluntary” anonymous study. The study involved asking the motorists to answer several questions, provide a blood sample, provide a throat swab and undergo a breathalyzer test. The motorists who gave blood were paid $50.00 and those who gave the throat swab were paid $10.00.  The survey is called the “2013 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drugged Driving.” It aims to determine how many drivers may be driving drunk or with illegal drugs in their system. Our Tuscaloosa accident lawyers know that answering this question is important to determine how the safety of our roads. Yet, while the study may have a noble purpose, some have expressed concern over the manner in which it was conducted. Concerns Over Research Safety Study According to Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which is the group that coordinated the study, the public was “very receptive” to the study and the experience was “all very pleasant.”

Jul 15, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

Last year, the federal government offered up a $10 million federal transportation grant to cover street repairs, new sidewalks and bicycle lanes, plus bicycle paths in Birmingham, especially in the tornado-affected area of Pratt City. Our Birmingham bicycle accident attorneys recognize that these moves are ultimately intended to reduce injuries and fatalities for cyclists, who account for 2 percent of all traffic fatalities each year. Some of those dollars have already been put to good use, although we know at the outset that other projects will take years to implement. It may take even longer for motorists’ attitudes and awareness of cyclists to expand to the point that they consider cyclists a routine aspect of traffic, rather than an anomaly to be ignored or scorned.

Jul 10, 2013 - Truck Accidents by Cross & Smith

A federal law that would increase weight and size limits for large commercial trucks is being opposed not only by road safety advocates but also by trucking professionals. Our Tuscaloosa truck accident lawyers understand that members with the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, or OOIDA, are urging lawmakers to reject HR612, which would allow bigger, heavier trucks on the highway. The trucking association said there is no reason to extend the limits beyond the current threshold. When Congress passed its two-year highway bill, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (or MAP-21), members rejected a clause that would have boosted size limits for tractor-trailers. It did however call for comprehensive research to be conducted concerning the effect of truck weight and size on freeway infrastructure, safety and the overall economy.

Jul 7, 2013 - Personal Injury by Cross & Smith

It’s been just over two years since Alabama passed a law forbidding young athletes from continuing to play if a concussion is suspected. Our Tuscaloosa brain injury lawyers know that the measure failed to receive a lot of publicity when it passed. In some areas, officials say it’s going to take time to spread the word. There is no enforcement component of the law, but athletic facilities that fail to adhere may face a refusal of coverage by insurance companies. That certainly helps.

Jul 3, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

A crash recently in Central Florida claimed the lives of two developmentally disabled women, one in her late 70s and another in her 40s, who were being transported back from a day trip in a van when a tire blew out on the interstate, causing the vehicle to flip. Our Birmingham accident attorneys understand that in addition to the two women killed, two others, both staffers, were severely injured in the wreck. According to a spokesman for the agency, the van tires had been inspected prior to the trip. One of the tires was replaced when mechanics who, initially inspecting the vehicle for an oil change and windshield wiper replacement, noticed it had dry rot. However, it was a different tire that blew. The agency spokesman insists the vehicle was inspected after that tire replacement and was found to be “in good shape,” adding that the firm’s vans are routinely inspected, particularly prior to longer trips, such as this one.

Jun 27, 2013 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Laws related to cell phone use and education campaigns related to distracted driving usually stress the dangers of handheld phone devices. In fact, drivers may be required to use hands-free tools or urged to make use of Bluetooth and text-to-speech as a means of reducing the risk of a distracted driving crash. Unfortunately, recent studies indicate that hands-free devices may not actually be any safer than using a phone that you are holding onto. Our Tuscaloosa accident lawyers know that your brain is still focused on something other than the road whenever you are texting or talking, regardless of whether you have a hands-free device or not. The recent studies confirm not only that you face cognitive distractions from the use of a hands-free phone but also that texting via voice may be even more dangerous than sending a text the old fashioned way.

Jun 25, 2013 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Police, paramedics and EMTs are on the roads to respond to accidents and to monitor safe driving. What if, however, these first responders and law enforcement personnel are actually a safety-risk themselves? Police, EMTs, first-responders and paramedics have many electronic devices in their cars, are generally exempt from distracted driving laws and often depend upon using this technology while traveling through traffic at high speeds. Unfortunately, while these first responders may be immune from distracted driving laws, they aren’t immune from the risks associated with distracted driving. As the New York Times reports, one paramedic described the combination of technology use and high speeds as having the “potential for disaster.” Our Tuscaloosa accident lawyers know that such disasters have already happened, as there have been several documented accidents in which police or EMTs have caused serious accidents while using the technology in their vehicles.

Jun 23, 2013 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Recently, the NHTSA released estimates regarding the number of traffic fatalities in 2012. While the numbers have not yet been finalized, the news is not good. The NHTSA data shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of people who died in car wrecks over the course of the year. This is the first year-to-year increase since 2005. Our Birmingham accident lawyers know that the number of traffic fatalities has been steadily declining over the past six years, decreasing as much as 26 percent from near-record highs in 2005 up through 2011. Unfortunately, the 2012 increase indicates that it may be difficult to continue this downward trend. Still, if every driver makes a commitment to staying safe and if states continue to improve their driving regulations and safety enforcement, hopefully the traffic fatality rates can get back on the decline for 2013 and beyond. Preliminary Data Shows Significant Increase in Traffic Fatalities According to the NHTSA’s preliminary data, an estimated 34,080 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic accidents in 2012 as compared with just 32,367 in 2011. This would mean that the number of people killed in car accidents over the course of 2012 increased around 5.3 percent when compared with 2011.

Jun 21, 2013 - Motorcycle Accidents by Cross & Smith

Earlier this month on Highway 119 in Birmingham, three people died tragically in a crash involving two motorcycles and a truck, according to Jefferson County investigators. Our Birmingham motorcycle accident lawyers understand that two motorcycle passengers, a man and a woman in their 40s, as well as the 19-year-old driver of the truck, were pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle for unknown reasons, sliding into one of the motorcycles, causing both vehicles to go airborne over a guardrail and into a ditch. A second motorcyclist was forced to swerve and lay down his bicycle to avoid the crash, causing both himself and his passenger to suffer head injuries. While all of the details in this case are still under investigation, it would be interesting to find out whether the second motorcycle was equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), in light of a new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute. The research shows that motorcycles that have ABS are about 30 percent less likely to be involved in fatal crashes, as compared to those motorcycles that aren’t equipped with ABS.