Pedestrian deaths in traffic accidents nationally increased from 4109 in 2009 to 4432 in 2011, according to the United States Department of Transportation. Deaths to men numbered deaths to women (3086 versus 1345) and 19% of the deaths were a result of hit and run accidents. In Tennessee, 1221 pedestrians…
Rumor has it that some lawyers have "relationships" with tow truck operators. These tow truck operators encourage people involved in Tennessee car or truck accidents to hire their lawyer friend. The ethics of these type of relationships are questionable and, depending on the circumstances, are just plain wrong. However, from…
Tennessee law requires that appropriate action must be taken to initiate a Tennessee medical malpractice lawsuit (now known as a health care liability action) within one year of the date of the incident that causes an injury. Cases are initiated by serving a formal notice on the persons or entities…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminsitration (FMCSA) maintains several websites that permit residents of Tennessee and indeed the world to determine the safety record of trucking companies. Here is a list of the available sites and what information can be gathered from each site: The Safety and Fitness Electronic Records…
The recent train derailment in Quebec, Canada caused me to investigate how many train accidents we have had recently in Tennessee. In the first four months of 2013, there have been twelve incidents involving trains in Tennessee. Seven of those incidents involved derailments, the largest of which occurred…
Operators of buses, known in the industry as motorcoaches, place their riders at risk of serious injury or death if they operate the vehicles with tires that are overloaded or are overly worn or damaged. Also at risk are other motorists and pedestrians if the motorcoach experiences a tire failure…
Tennessee law provides that the negligent operator of a boat is responsible for injuries or deaths caused by the operator’s conduct. The boat owner is also held responsible for the acts of the operator if the operator had permission of the owner to use the boat and if the boat…
The horrible train derailment in Quebec, Canada resulted in the deaths of as many as fifty people and untold property damage. The Canadian authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, but several things seem to stand out. First, the 72-car train was parked and unattended at the time…
Federal law limits the amount of time that over-the-road truck drivers can operate a truck. Effective July 1, 2013, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of the United States Department of Transportation changed the hours of service rules in an effort to reduce driver fatigue and deadly accidents involving…
On July 8, 2013 the first of four back-to-back transvaginal mesh trials begins in a federal courtroom in West Virginia. The results of these trials have implications for Tennessee women who have been injured by transvaginal mesh products inserted in them for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. What…