El Dorado Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents - Most Commented

Tragic Highway Accidents

Sach Oliver — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:15:30 GMT

This is a sad, and sorrowful story, but a realistic one. Two people lost their lives in separate highway accidents in south Arkansas this week. One took place on Sunday, and the other, on Monday. Unfortunately, the importance of driving safely is increasing on the roads today.

The first accident was a young boy, only thirteen years old. He, with two others, was driving down the highway, while reportedly passing vehicles in a no-passing lane, when they collided with a truck. The two passengers with the boy survived, and were both taken to the Magnolia Hospital. The two passengers of the truck were also sent there.

The second accident happened at 5:30 PM, when a man lost control of his motorcycle, and careened into a field. Sadly, he died on the scene. Motorcycles are so dangerous, we must all be careful when riding or driving around a motorcycle.

These are horrible accidents that remind us of how vital it is to drive ever so carefully. Bless the souls of the families that have lost loved ones, and continue to drive safely.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sach Oliver

Primary Seat-Belt Law Approved In Arkansas

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:06:00 GMT

The Arkansas House voted 60-31 on Wednesday in favor of a bill that would make seat-belt violations a primary offense.

Arkansas, like Missouri, now has a secondary seat-belt law, which means officers are able to issue citations for the violation only after stopping the vehicle for another reason. There are 26 states that currently have primary seat-belt laws, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Under the bill, by Sen. Hank Wilkins IV, (D-Pine Bluff) violators will be subject to a $25 fine. But it won’t be reflected on their driving record. Wilkins says the change will save lives and make Arkansas eligible for $9.5 million in federal funding.

A spokesman has said the governor will sign the bill.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Basic Car Insurance Information

Frank Bailey — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:07:39 GMT

Car insurance is complicated. Attorneys don’t always understand policies that are filled with fine print. How can consumers be expected to understand what kind of insurance they are buying. This article is intended to offer some basic understanding of a car insurance policy.

Liability insurance provides money to cover damages you cause to other people or their property due to your negligence. The laws of most states require that every driver have this coverage. The problems come when the policy has minimum limits. In Arkansas that is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. In many, if not most accidents, this is not enough to cover all injuries with today’s rising cost of medical care.

Consumers can purchase higher limits for a minimum amount. Some insurance companies or agents do not disclose this because the additional coverage means the insurance company will possibly have to pay more money out if you are the cause of a serious injury. If you only have minimum limits, the company is protected. It only has to pay the minimum limits, and you may be on the hook for the rest.

We recommend to all our clients that the safe thing to do is to have higher limits even if it costs a little more. What are higher limits? $100,000\300,000 is a good place to start. It doesn’t cost that much more, and will cover all but the most serious of accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Why Uninsured or Under-insured Motorist Coverage is Necessary

Drew Dixon — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:59:42 GMT

With the cost of treatments for many injuries rising, people involved in accidents do not always have enough insurance to pay their bills after an accident. Almost every state requires a driver carry some liability insurance, but the sad truth is that not everyone does and chances are the ones that do are under-insured. It is estimated that the uninsured motorist population in the U.S. has grown to more than 15%. In fact, in some states such as California it is estimated that as many as one third of drivers do not carry insurance.

What that means is that nearly one out of every eight serious accidents in the U.S. is caused by an uninsured driver. And when an accident is caused by an uninsured driver, the victim may have to rely on their health insurance through work to pay their medical bills. And more often than not the victims lost wages and property damage go unpaid and uncollected.

A solution to this growing problem is the added insurance coverage for "uninsured" and "under-insured" motorists. When you select this on your policy you are covered when the tortfeasor either does not have insurance at all or doesn't carry enough to pay your medical expenses. With this in mind I would recommend that you contact your insurance provider and add both "uninsured" and "under-insured" motorist coverage because you never know when you might be in an accident.

Image source: Wikimedia commons

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

Cell Phones and Driving is Deadly

Frank Bailey — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:37:34 GMT

Evidence continues to mount that talking on a cell phone while driving is deadly.

Friday’s edition of the Baxter Bulletin carried a story about the driver of a trolley who was killed when the trolley she was driving struck the rear of a parked train. Passengers saw the driver talking on a cell phone moments before the collision.

How many people have to lose their lives before something is done about this dangerous practice?

We know of studies and studies that show talking on a cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk. In our courts we are entitled to punitive damages if we are injured by a drunk driver. Shouldn’t we also be entitled to punitive damages if we are hit by a driver talking on a cell phone?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Nighttime Crashes Linked to Lack of Seat Belts

Drew Dixon — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:55:11 GMT

This past Monday the National Highway Safety Administration released a report stating that more than two-thirds of young drivers and passengers killed in nighttime car crashes weren't wearing seat belts. This report should be an important reminder to all of us that teenagers don't always listen to parent's advice.

Though seat belt is on the rise nationwide, the fatality figures of teens killed in nighttime crashes continues to raise concern as the Arkansas State Police launches it's annual "Click-it or Ticket" program. Total seat belt use rose to 82 percent last year, up slightly from 81 percent in 2006. Twelve states had rates above 90 percent, while Arkansas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were all below 70 percent in total seat belt usage.

However, recent rise in total seat belt usage does not transcend to nighttime teenage drivers. Sixty-eight percent of drivers and passengers between the ages of 16 and 20 who were killed in car crashes at night in 2006 were unbuckled, claimed the National Highway Safety Administration. And Another statistic showed that 57 percent of the young motorists killed during the daytime were also not wearing seat belts.

The problem isn't just with teens though. The percentage of unbuckled drivers and passengers who died at night is well over 60 percent through the age of 44, and it declines to around 50 percent for people older than 44.

If you would like more information on statistics related to seat belt usage and tips for teaching your teenagers proper techniques for driving check out www.teendriving.com.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

What is Enough Insurance?

Frank Bailey — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:05:26 GMT

Today I see the average price of regular gasoline went up to $3.78 a gallon. This is beginning to make a difference in the types of cases we see.

Consumers are buying smaller cars, but in a crash mass always wins. For example, think about who wins when a bug hits your windshield at 55 mph. That is an extreme example, but think of a compact car hitting a pick-up truck or a semi…injuries are catastrophic even with seat belts.

Many of the people who are injured today do not have enough insurance to even begin to cover their medical expenses, let alone their lost wages, or their pain.

In Arkansas the minimum liability coverage is $25,000. That may have been enough 30 years ago, but with today’s high cost of medical treatment; $25,000 is a mere pittance.

We urge our clients to purchase high limits of uninsured and underinsured insurance on their vehicles. That way, if someone hits them and only has $25,000 in coverage, our clients insurance will kick in and cover the full cost of the collision.

What do I mean by high limits? I think $300,000/$500,000 is pretty good, but if you want to be safe, most insurance companies offer umbrella coverage on top of the basic coverage for a relatively small premium.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Cell Phones; Are Hands Free Safer?

Frank Bailey — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:21:31 GMT

Many studies show that talking on a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk…even if the phone is a hands-free model. A study from researchers at the University of Utah, published in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors, reached that same conclusion. An earlier study at that University found that motorists who talked on hands-free cell phones were 18% slower in braking and took 17% longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. These are scary figures that could make the difference between life and death.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2004 found that drivers using hand-free cell phones had to redial calls 40% of the time, compared with 18% for drivers using hand-held sets. The researchers suggested that hands-free sets may therefore provide drivers with a false sense of ease.

Another study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that almost 80% of accidents involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds of the crash.

If this isn’t enough to make you think twice about talking on a cell phone and driving, I don’t know what will.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Cell Phones Cause Accidents

Frank Bailey — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:32:44 GMT

How dangerous are drivers using cell-phones? Employers are taking steps to limit use of cell-phones according to new studies. In April 2008 the Insurance Information Institute published an excellent article on cell phones and driving.

It is hard to believe as of February 2008, in the United States alone, over 254 million people subscribed to wireless communication devices… (Cell phones) compared to a little over 4 million people in 1990.

The danger of talking on a cell phone while driving is two fold. First, drivers lose their concentration on the highway, and second they take their eyes off the road when they are dialing or text messaging.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis found that in 2006 that 5% of drivers talk on hand held cell phones while driving. Other surveys found that 73% of drivers talk on cell phones while driving.

If you have been injured by a driver while they were talking on a cell phone in addition to actual damages, there is some authority you may also be entitled to punitive damages.

Keep watching this blog for more information about cell phone use and driving.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Tragic Accident in Pine Bluff, 15 Year Old Girl Dies

Sach Oliver — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:16:24 GMT

Patrol Sgt. Megan Stressing-Miller hit 15 year old, Samia Akins, with her 1997 Chevrolet Camaro. This is truly a tragic accident.

Patrol Sgt. Miller was off duty and on her way to work when she struck and killed the young girl. The initial police report says two other girls ran across the four lane road and Akins was following them. More information needs to be found to determine exactly what happened.

Officers investigating the death say Akins was wearing dark clothes in a poorly lit area and gave Mrs. Miller no time to break or avoid her. Akins died that night at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Police say Miller remains on active duty as troopers investigate the crash.

Under Arkansas Law streets and highways are available for the use of both pedestrians and motorist. The driver of a motor vehicle must anticipate the presence of pedestrians on streets and highways and use ordinary care to avoid injuring them. Pedestrians are required to anticipate the presence of motor vehicles and to use ordinary care for their own safety. Arkansas Model Jury Instruction

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sach Oliver