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Nov 22, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere over the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend are expected to take the lives of more than 430 people, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). An additional 43,500 people are expected to be injured seriously enough to require professional medical attention during this time. Distracted driving, drunk driving, aggressive driving, speeding and driving too fast for road conditions can all increase your risk of being involved in a serious or fatal accident. Drivers are urged to be cautious and alert on our roadways to avoid one of these accidents. Travel preparations may be one of the best ways to avoid an accident. Know exactly where you’re headed and have a plan. Thanksgiving is defined as the holiday weekend from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23rd to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 27th. While this year’s fatality prediction is nearly 20 percent lower than the average number of deaths over the last six Thanksgiving holidays, drivers are urged to be alert and cautious on our roadways to help avoid an accident. The Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend is more than 10 times more dangerous than any other similar non-holiday period. Our Tuscaloosa car accident attorneys understand that the increase in travelers equates to higher risks for a crash. This year, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is predicting that roughly 43 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles for their Thanksgiving Day vacation. This number is up nearly 5 percent from the 41 million who traveled […]

Nov 15, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

We gained an extra hour of sleep with the recent daylight savings time change. But the change also ushered in more dangerous roadways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging drivers to be more cautious on our roadways as the sun sets even earlier. Only about a quarter of travel happens during the evening hours, but more than half of all fatal car accidents in Tuscaloosa happen during this time. Pedestrians are at serious risks during this time as well. The NHTSA reports that about 4,100 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2009. Nearly 60,000 more were injured. About 25 percent of these accidents happened between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Another 13 percent happened from 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The NHTSA asks drivers to drive slowly and cautiously after the sun goes down. Many drivers have a tough time adjusting to the new low-light conditions. Our Tuscaloosa car accident attorneys understand that pedestrians are more difficult to see near our roadways during the evening hours. For this reason, pedestrians are asked to be proactive and to either carry a flashlight or to wear reflective tape to be more visible to motorists. Pedestrians should use sidewalks when available and only cross at intersections and crosswalks. Remember, vehicles can be unpredictable. Be cautious on our roadways and don’t rely on traffic signals and signs.

Nov 10, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

“Drivers have a tendency to underestimate the impact being tired has on their driving ability, which puts themselves and others at risk,” says AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety president and CEO Peter Kissinger. A recent survey concluded that more than 95 percent of drivers feel that drowsiness is completely unacceptable behind the wheel. Ironically, about a third of all these surveyed individuals admit to jumping in the driver’s seat while feeling sleepy. AAA reports that drowsy driving is a factor in about one out of every six fatal car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere. Drowsy driving is also reported to be a culprit in about one out of every 10 car accidents resulting in injury. AAA conducted this study and recently released the findings just in time to coincide with the National Sleep Foundation‘s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. During this week-long campaign, AAA and the National Sleep Foundation will be teaming up to raise awareness about this very real and very dangerous driving behavior. Drowsy Driving Prevention Week takes place from November 6th through the 12th, according to WAFF48. Our Alabama car accident attorneys understand the dangers that sleepy drivers present. What’s most troubling about these drivers is that many of them are unaware of their drowsiness and the risks they’re putting motorists at on our roadways. Accidents resulting from drowsy driving can oftentimes turn deadly. These types of accidents can be easily prevented by following just a few preventative measures.

Nov 3, 2011 - Pharmaceutical Litigation/Dangerous Drugs by Cross & Smith

Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Thursday that it has agreed in principle with the United States government on a $3 billion settlement of investigations of the company’s sales and marketing practices. The agreement is expected to be completed next year, and the settlement will be paid through the company’s cash resources, it said. The case dates from 2004, and included investigations of possible price irregularities and the development and marketing of the diabetes drug Avandia. The company said the tentative settlement covers both civil and criminal liabilities.

Oct 27, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Our Alabama child injury attorneys would like to wish you a safe and Happy Halloween. We’d also like to share some information with you to help keep the entire family safe on the 31st. There are dangers lurking on Halloween night and with just a few safety precautions, we can all have a safe Halloween. Child injury is four times more likely to happen on Halloween than during any other night of the year. While kids look forward to suiting up in their Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating and carving pumpkins, parents worry about the real dangers of the holiday — including pedestrian accidents.

Oct 21, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Teen drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone and from text messaging behind the wheel in the state of Alabama, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. This state law isn’t going to completely eliminate their risks of a serious car accident in Alabama however. According to a recently released study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, there are a number of additional habits that can put your teen at risk on our roadways. “This research serves as a great reminder for parents to stay involved in the learning process,” Peter Kissinger, president and chief executive of the foundation. Our Alabama car accident attorneys understand teens are about 50 percent more likely to get into a traffic accident during their first 30 days behind the wheel than they are after driving for one year. Teen drivers are about twice as likely to get into an accident during the first six months of driving than they are after two full years of driving experience. The learning process of teen drivers is so important and parents should be fully involved in this process. Parents and guardians may be some of the most influential people in shaping a teen driver’s abilities behind the wheel.

Oct 11, 2011 - Workers' Compensation/Work Injury by Cross & Smith

Just a decade ago, more than a dozen coal miners were killed because of multiple explosions that happened during the Jim Walter Resources coal mine accident in Brookwood, Alabama. The disaster is the most catastrophic mining accident that happened in the U.S. in the last 20 years. The explosions were caused by methane gas, which is a common danger underground, according to NPR. One miner was trapped alone after the first explosion. A dozen rescuers were killed in a second explosion. Our Tuscaloosa workers compensation attorneys understand how dangerous mining work can be. Mine owners have an obligation to keep work sites safe for employees. The properties have to be secure for all others who may visit, regardless of whether they’re entering the mine or not. After the accident was examined, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) hit the mining company with nearly $450,000 in fines. These fines were later reduced to $5,000.

Oct 10, 2011 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

Workplace injuries and accidents kill about 4,500 people a year – 15 so far this year in Alabama – and cost U.S. businesses billions. Elizabeth Maples is the deputy director for the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Ryals School of Public Health. It is one of 17 national academic research and teaching centers chartered by the legislation that created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) in 1971. The center offers graduate-level courses on how to identify, prevent and fix workplace hazards. “Others include Johns Hopkins University, Harvard, the University of South Florida and the University of Washington,” Maples said. “We are in good company.”

Oct 4, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Our Alabama pedestrian accident attorneys remind residents that International Walk to School Day is this week. You don’t have to be in school to participate either. Take the hike to schools with your child or get outdoors after school and take a walk with them. The idea of the event is raise awareness about pedestrian dangers, to encourage kids to get moving to get healthy, to campaign for more walkable streets and to help to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. While we want our children to get outside and play and we want them to do it safely. To help to encourage fitness-related activities, to increase self- confidence and responsibility, parents are urged to speak with their children about pedestrian safety. These tips can turn into lifelong safe traveling habits and can help to decrease their risks of being involved in a pedestrian accident in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham or elsewhere in Alabama.

Sep 27, 2011 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently released a report that analyzed pedestrian accidents in Alabama and elsewhere. The aim was to come up with a number of ways that officials can help reduce the risks of pedestrian accidents in communities nationwide. Fortunately, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) may be one step ahead of the game as it has already constructed a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to help reduce the risks of pedestrian accidents. Our Alabama pedestrian accident attorneys recognize that this plan is backed by excellent intentions. But there’s no decreasing the risks for these types of accidents until this plan is put into motion and motorists start to react accordingly. The plan aims to promote pedestrian safe roadways in the state and to minimize the impacts of future projects on non-motorized travelers. ALDOT also is establishing a list of recommendations for pedestrian and bicycle facilities.