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Aug 15, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

With the start of the new school year comes the beginning of school-sponsored sports — something in which Alabama students, coaches and parents take great pride. However, our Birmingham personal injury lawyers know that such activities sometimes come at an enormous risk to the students involved, particularly if all precautions aren’t taken prior to the start of the season. While some states like Illinois are just now beginning to kick off discussions about insurance for student athletes who may incur catastrophic injuries, it is already required in Alabama by both the Alabama Independent School Association and the Alabama High School Athletic Association, with coverage capped at $1 million.

Aug 12, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

Our Birmingham personal injury lawyers handle cases involving Alabama ATV crashes. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that there have been nearly 300 ATV-related deaths in Alabama from 1982 through 2011. Nearly a third of those occurred within the last three years of that time frame, and 80 were children under the age of 16. There is no state agency that regulates ATVs. The state is one of only four in the country with no ATV laws. That almost changed in 2/car-accidents/alabama-traffic-accidents-likely-to-increase-with-economic-recovery/, but the effort sputtered out. The only formal restriction is that ATV’s may not be driven on sand dunes or on beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Still, even in states that have stricter laws, sometimes it’s not enough to prevent tragedy.

Aug 7, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

Kevin Pearce was a skilled snowboarder. So skilled, in fact, it was believed he stood a strong chance to claim the Olympic gold medal from Shaun White, recognized to be the reigning king of the sport. But our Birmingham brain injury lawyers know that was before a training run crash in Park City, Utah on Dec. 31, 2009. He suffered massive trauma to his body, and his brain. He lapsed into a coma. Some thought he might die. He survived, but he emerged a different athlete, and a different person.

Jul 28, 2013 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

We just recently passed the halfway mark of the 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers. It was July 15, and while you may have let out a sigh of relief, just know that it’s not over yet. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), this is the middle of the most dangerous time for our teens to be behind the wheel and out on our roadways. Our Tuscaloosa car accident lawyers understand that there are 2 million teenagers in the United States who are under the age of 18 and are currently within their first year of driving. Break that number down, and it’s more than the population of Houston. These drivers are always at serious risk — but never more so than through the long summer months. Yearly, there are close to 1 million teen drivers who are involved in a motor vehicle accident. When you break that down, that means we’re seeing close to 3,000 of these accidents on U.S. roadways each and every day.

Jul 25, 2013 - Construction Accidents by Cross & Smith

Falls continue to be a serious problem on the job — on all jobs. These kinds of accidents are most common on construction sites, but they can happen in all workplace settings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 600 workers killed and another 213,000 seriously injured because of fall accidents in 2009. Our Birmingham construction accident attorneys understand that the highest frequency for fall-related deaths was experienced by those in the construction industry. On the other hand though, fields including transportation and material moving, healthcare support, building cleaning and maintenance, and construction and extraction occupations are at a particularly high risk for fall injuries.

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.