by lexis on January 18, 2012
One type of injury that keeps many car accident lawyers busy are those caused by road debris. Headlines like these from the past eight years are all too common:
- Bridge steel rod falls onto roadway, damaging two vehicles
- Man in custody after his Ford pickup truck loses load, killing one and injuring others on Interstate 5
- Fatal five-vehicle collision caused by a metal shelving unit falling from truck bed
- Unsecured particleboard sheet smashes through following car’s windshield on I- 405, leaving driver blind
- Woman traveling on Highway 202 suffers critical head injury after a piece of metal kicked up from the road crashes through her windshield
- Flying sheet of ice from truck severely injures Chicago motorist
- Man and his five-year-old child critically injured when tow truck swerves to avoid loose tarp on the road
- Woman and her young niece nearly killed when plywood sheet flies off truck and into her windshield on Highway 101
According to AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, road debris causes 25,000 crashes every year and some 80 to 90 of them result in fatalities.
When a driver’s car or truck load, or a part from the vehicle, dislodges while driving and hits the roadway, you have a recipe for a serious road hazard. Even smaller items may be dangerous when they fall off a vehicle at highway speeds. Many accidents have been caused from erratic avoidance maneuvers.
“Although vehicle-related road debris crashes are generally less severe than other crashes, individual incidents can be catastrophic,” says Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Many of these vehicle-related road debris crashes are preventable, as many of these incidences occur as a result of—
- Road debris from truckers and motorists with improperly secured loads
- Motorists not reporting to authorities when they encounter debris on the road
Where does all this road debris come from?
Three types of vehicle-related road debris constitute the majority of this hazardous litter:
- Tire treads
- Waste hauler garbage
- Lumber and construction materials
Common examples of accident-causing road debris include -
- Particulates
- Asphalt
- Concrete
- Pebbles
- Screws/nails
- Auto parts
- Tire tread
- Lumber
- Construction supplies
- Animals
- Vehicles
- Money bags
- Rocks/stones/boulders
- Ice and snow
- Grease and engine oil
- Plants, branches, sticks, twigs
- Food
- Furniture
- Mattresses
- Trash
- Glass
- Nails
Liability in road-debris-related accidents
If you have been injured from road debris in Florida, contact a local West Palm Beach auto accident lawyer, who can determine if you have a solid case against another vehicle owner, a municipality, the state, or an insurance company. Any one of these parties may be held liable for roadway debris that strikes you or your vehicle.
by lexis on December 8, 2011
If you are in an accident, you should seek the assistance of New York City auto accident lawyers. While there are many attorneys outside the city and even the state who can help you, hiring local counsel will ultimately benefit your case.
Top seven benefits of hiring a local attorney:
- Knowledge: All aspects of the law are complicated and hiring a local attorney means having someone with deep knowledge of how the legal system works in your area. This knowledge can make the filing process less stressful and time consuming.
- Community ties: One of the greatest benefits of hiring a local lawyer if you sustained a New York car accident injury is that he or she probably has ties to the community. This means he or she has developed important relationships with other attorneys, court officials, and judges.
- Convenient location: New York City car accident lawyers who are local are more convenient for clients. Having a skilled attorney is of little use if he or she is geographically inaccessible.
- Familiarity with local roads: Lawyers who practice locally are familiar with New York City roads and intersections and may be able to provide you valuable input on what caused your accident.
- Timely meetings: Filing in a timely manner is essential to having a successful case. Local lawyers are more likely to be punctual and arrive at court on time. Additionally, a local attorney knows the specific hours of operation of the county court and filing deadlines.
- Personalized advice: Sustaining a New York City car accident injury can be a devastating experience. A local attorney can provide you with personalized legal assistance so you can leave the accident in the past.
- Expert witnesses: Lastly, lawyers in your area can provide you with local expert witnesses who can add valuable evidence and testimonies to your case.
by lexis on November 23, 2011
The number of ways a person can suffer a personal injury is limitless. You can slip on ice in a parking lot, be attacked by a dog in a park, or assaulted in an ill-lit garage. No matter the injury, if it is caused by the wrongful actions of another, you have a right to seek compensation.
Personal injury cases are the most common type of lawsuit in America today. Some ways that a personal injury may arise include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Wrongful death
- Motor vehicle accidents including Maryland auto accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Slip, trip, and fall injuries
- Dog bite and animal attack injuries
- Workplace accidents
- Product liability
- Uninsured/underinsured motorists
- Pharmaceutical products/Drug injuries
- Nursing home neglect
- Dental malpractice
- Construction accidents
- Intentional assault and battery
- Pedestrian injury
- Bus accidents
- Train accidents
- Trucking accidents
- Birth injuries
- Legal malpractice
- Libel
- Slander
- Toxic exposure
Your time to file a claim for your personal injury is limited
Under the Maryland statute of limitations, your right to file for the damages you suffer due to the wrongdoing of another party is limited. Depending on the type of case you have, you must file within the designated time or forfeit your right to sue.
Some examples of the Maryland statute of limitations are as follows:
- Assault—one year
- Legal malpractice—three years
- Libel—one year
- Medical malpractice—three or five years depending on when the injury is discovered
- Personal injury in general—three years
- Product liability—three years
- Property damage—three years
- Slander—one year
- Trespass—three years
- Wrongful death—three years
Depending on the facts of your situation, a Maryland personal injury attorney may be able to extend the time of the statute of limitations for your case. In some cases it is the date of discovery and in others the date of the actual injury that begins the running of the statute.
If you or a loved one suffers any type of injury, it is in your interests to contact an attorney as soon as possible to avoid conflicting with the applicable statute of limitations.