The first person ever arrested for drunk driving was a man named George Smith. According to the History Channel, on September 10, 1897, Mr. Smith, a young taxi driver, got drunk and then drove his taxi into a building. 124 years and 6 days later, drunk driving continues to be a problem on roadways. That is why The Law Offices of John Day continues to offer safe ride homes, and we are excited about our current free rideshare program with Middle Tennessee State University. Continue reading
In Tennessee, for every 100,000 drivers, 10.19 engage in street or drag racing, and street racing is on the rise. In some areas of our State, police calls about street racing have more than doubled in two years. For example, in Memphis, in 2018, there were 843 calls about drag racing in 2018. In 2020, reported incidences of drag racing had jumped to 1,973. The Tennessee Legislature has recently enacted new legislation to combat this dangerous practice and we have some tips on what you can do. Continue reading
The rising death toll and enormous property loss arising from the collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium building near Miami, Florida will give rise to litigation. Families of those who die in the tragedy will file suit, hoping to find answers and obtain compensation for the loss of loved ones. Injured people will also take legal action, seeking money to pay medical bills, replace lost income, and lost property. The insurance companies who sold homeowner’s insurance to the condo owners will also file suit, seeking reimbursement of the losses they will pay to their insureds. Continue reading
As we start to put the pandemic in our rearview mirror, travel for the holiday weekend is expected to be 60% greater than last year. According to AAA, 37 million Americans are expected to make a road trip for the holiday, and Nashville is the fifth most popular destination behind only Las Vegas, Orlando, Myrtle Beach and Denver. So whether you are staying home in Middle Tennessee or going somewhere to enjoy the holiday weekend, you can expect the roads in and around Nashville to be busy. Here are top 10 tips for staying safe and sane. Continue reading
At this point, I wonder if anyone really does not know that distracted driving is dangerous. The media has covered it, public service announcements have been done, police departments have increased enforcement, our State legislature has passed stricter laws about it. Yet, distracted driving continues to be on the rise. For some of us, we just can’t seem to give driving our full time and attention despite knowing the dangers. In fact, according to one study, Tennesseans are the worst in the nation when it comes to distracted driving with distracted driving in our State being five times the national average. Read on for more stats and what you can do to protect yourself from distracted driving. Continue reading
Let’s face it, the pandemic is leaving an indelible mark on almost everything, so there is no reason to believe jury awards in injury and death cases will be any different. Jury and trial consulting firms have been conducting surveys since the inception of the pandemic and they have some theories on how the pandemic will affect the amount of jury awards, how it will impact medical malpractice cases and whether it will generally be better for the defendant or the injury victim.
In Tennessee, this unfortunately happens a lot. Tennessee is sixth worst in the nation for uninsured drivers. The next time you are out driving, consider this: one in every five vehicles you meet does not have insurance. Of course, this is why we are constantly encouraging people to buy uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. But today, we want to look at what happens if you drive without insurance in Tennessee and whether someone who does not have insurance can still pursue a personal injury case. Continue reading
As I type the title to his blog post, I am reminded of Seth Godin’s comment that resolutions do not work but habits and systems do, so maybe the title should be: New Year’s Legal Habits. In essence, it boils down to the difference between writing something down on paper vs. actually doing what you have written down on paper. One is much harder than the other and then, of course, you must first know what you should be doing, so we thought we would help with that part, at least for the legal side of things. You can decide for yourself if you want to lose weight, write the great American novel or learn how to make fresh pasta.
Another 709,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week and millions remain unemployed. And for others, they have kept their jobs but have been forced to accept pay cuts and other reductions in benefits. Needless to say, the pandemic has caused chaos for many families’ budgets. Of course, if you have less money coming in, the natural reaction is to look for ways to save money. When the car insurance bill arrives in the mailbox, many people wonder about simply not paying it or slashing coverage. So, we wanted to offer some advice on these issues and remind you what is required under the law and, most likely, under your car loan or lease agreement. Continue reading
No matter where you live or your typical form of transportation, we are all pedestrians. When you get out of your car to walk through the parking lot to go into Target, you are a pedestrian. When you walk your dog through your neighborhood, you are a pedestrian. Your children or grandchildren are pedestrians when they get off the school bus. As such, pedestrian safety should be important to all of us, which is why the federal government has designated October as National Pedestrian Safety Month. Here are some important facts and safety tips you should know. Also, if you are the victim of a pedestrian accident, we have one piece of information that could mean the difference between you receiving compensation or not. Continue reading
Tennessee Injury Law Center