Category: Personal Injury

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 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 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.

Jun 14, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

Dogs can be wonderful pets and great companions for kids and adults alike. Unfortunately, dogs can also cause serious injuries if the animal is aggressive or not properly trained. Dog attacks can lead to lacerations, cuts, bruises, broken bones, amputations, scarring, disfigurement or even death. Our Birmingham dog bite lawyers know that the number of bite incidents has remained relatively stable over the past decade. However, as Time Business and Money reports, the amount of money paid out by insurance companies as a result of dog bite incidents has increased significantly. Today, more than a third of all dollars paid out in homeowner’s liability insurance claims is paid to cover dog bite damages.

May 1, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

A new report reveals that 2011 was a dangerous year for cyclists. Our Birmingham personal injury lawyers have learned that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just released statistics revealing a nearly 10 percent spike in the number of pedalcyclists killed on U.S. roadways. Pedalcyclists would include any rider of a non-motorized, two-wheeled vehicle, which could include unicycles and tricycles. Mostly though, we’re talking about bicyclists. Although we’re looking at figures from 2011, comprehensive statistics were just released by the federal government and are the most recent available. The snapshot they provide is troubling.

Mar 18, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

A company that manufacturers traveling play yards for infants and toddlers has agreed to pay a hefty civil fine in order to resolve allegations that it failed to report defective child products or remove them from the market. Our Birmingham personal injury lawyers understand that the defect resulted in hundreds of reports of the product collapsing on infants and young children. In all, there are about 350 reports of collapsed play yards between January of 2000 and July of 2009. Of those, nearly two dozen resulted in injuries. Those included scrapes, bruises, bumps – and at least one concussion. When you’re talking about a child that young, even seemingly minor falls or impacts to the head have the potential to do serious and lifelong damage.

Mar 16, 2013 - Personal Injury by Cross & Smith

Often when we’re talking about spring break safety in Tuscaloosa, it’s a warning to pace yourself with the booze or to always have a designated driver. Those things are important. But our Tuscaloosa personal injury lawyers want you to recognize that you may face danger just about everywhere, as more than a dozen spring break revelers recently learned while relaxing in Gulf Shores. According to reports, about 15 to 20 college students from Texas, were spending a sunny afternoon on the deck of a beach house, situated on the sand near the city’s West Beach area. Suddenly, the floor collapsed from underneath them. The call came into emergency crews that a number of those who had fallen had severe neck and head injuries. A number also had broken bones. Six of those who had fallen were rushed to the hospital. Thankfully, officials say the injuries are not expected to be life-threatening. That in itself appears to be nothing short of a miracle, given the fact that there were also reportedly people under the deck as well. Neighbors said the home had been packed for several days with spring breakers. Spring break isn’t the only time this sort of thing has been known to happen. Just last year at a home in Colorado, 15 people were out on a second-story deck when it collapsed. Amazingly, no one was seriously hurt. A similar incident in a nearby town injured a dozen people – two of them critically – occurred just a few […]

Feb 5, 2013 - Birmingham by Cross & Smith

A transit bus recently caught fire in Birmingham with three passengers on board, culminating in an explosion that rendered the vehicle totally destroyed.  While our Birmingham burn injury lawyers have learned no one was hurt, it’s a fitting coincidence that the incident happened in the midst of National Burn Awareness Week, Feb. 3-9. The fact is, this was a dramatic example of the burn risks that are all around us. The American Burn Association (ABA) notes that the most common type of burn injuries are attributed to scalding, usually in the home or in assisted-living situations. The most vulnerable individuals are babies, young children, elderly adults and people with disabilities. When these vulnerable individuals sustain a scald injury, they are more likely to have to be hospitalized. They have a greater likelihood of complications, such as infection, and they tend to have a longer, tougher recovery.

Jan 7, 2013 - Personal Injury by Cross & Smith

On December 29, 2012, the News Sentinel reported on an Alabama man who had recently been fitted with a bionic hand. The advanced medical device has allowed him to return to work just one year after he lost his limb in an industrial accident. Our Tuscaloosa injury attorneys are glad to hear that this man is recovering, and now thriving, after such a serious injury. In the United States, around 1.7 million people live with limb loss according to the National Limb Loss Information Center. Around 20 percent lose their limbs as a result of traumatic accidents. Many are faced with having multiple prosthetic limbs over the course of their lives. The story of the Alabama man with the bionic hand provides hope that advances in medical technology will allow more people who lose limbs to get their mobility back, provided that they can cover the costs of paying for medical advances.  The Bionic Hand According to the News Sentinel, the Alabama man fitted for the new bionic hand is one of just a few thousands who has the Touch Bionics i-Limb model. The prosthesis is one of the most technically advanced devices available and it is controlled by the muscles that would normally control the human hand if it had not been amputated. Each of the fingers of the hand can move independently and can bend at the joints so it is possible for the user to grab objects just like a normal human hand.