Lawrenceburg Personal Injury Blog

Are in-car features leading to more car accidents?

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in car accidents on Monday, December 23, 2019.

No matter what time of day a person is on the road or how long he or she is traveling, it is likely that person will be sharing the road with a distracted driver. Distraction is a widespread safety problem in Tennessee and beyond, with cellphones being the main reason for a growing number of car accidents. While texting, talking on the phone and even checking social media are dangerous for drivers, there is evidence that features in many vehicles can also lead to distraction.

Many new vehicles come with things like automatic braking, lane assist and other features that are supposed to help drivers stay safe and avoid accidents. While these features are important and helpful, they can also provide a driver with a false sense of security. This overconfidence can lead to a person taking his or her eyes off the road.

Adhering to traffic laws can prevent car accidents

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in car accidents on Thursday, December 19, 2019.

Possessing a driver's license is considered a privilege, not a right. Part of the responsibility of enjoying that privilege is an obligation to observe the traffic laws of the state. The laws in this state exist to help protect the lives of all Tennessee residents. Failure to comply with them can result in car accidents that cause serious or even fatal injuries.

A recent car accident occurred near Tennessee State University. It involved a collision between a pickup truck and a sedan at a busy intersection. According to witnesses, the pickup was speeding at the time of the accident and the driver apparently ignored a red light.

Dangerous products being bought from anonymous sellers

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in dangerous products on Thursday, December 12, 2019.

It used to be that if a person purchased an item that did not perform as intended or was in some other way defective, the purchaser could return it to the point of purchase and request a refund. If an injury resulted from the defective product, one could petition the seller for some form of retribution. Amazon is changing the way people in Tennessee shop and is also blurring the lines around who is responsible for the sale of what have been identified as dangerous products.

In one instance, a person purchased a dog collar from Amazon. She was walking her dog when the dog lunged after a small animal that was scurrying by. The collar broke and caused the leash to snap back and hit the woman in the eye. The injury resulted in her permanently losing the vision in that eye.

Part-time job may result in wrongful death lawsuit

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in wrongful death on Wednesday, December 4, 2019.

Working in a warehouse environment comes with occupational risks at the best of times, but these seem to increase as the holiday season causes an increase in the activity level at such facilities. A FedEx hub in Memphis has been the site of multiple deaths. The deaths may have been caused by possible misuse of equipment that might have been preventable and that may result in a wrongful death lawsuit.

FedEx is among the many companies who bring on extra help to assist with the increased workload during the holiday season. These workers have a right to expect that appropriate precautions have been taken to help ensure their safety while on the job. In a recent case involving the Memphis FedEx location, a 23-year-old man was transported to an area hospital following an unspecified accident at the facility. He later died as a result of his injuries.

Romaine lettuce again joins ranks of dangerous products

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in dangerous products on Wednesday, November 27, 2019.

The holiday season is here in Tennessee and many people will be spending time in their kitchens preparing holiday favorites. A recent announcement from the Food and Drug Administration may cramp the style of cooks this year. A popular salad green has joined the ranks of dangerous products and has been pulled from grocery store shelves in Tennessee and around the nation.

Romaine lettuce, a necessary ingredient for Caesar Salad and a popular ingredient for many other leafy green salads and recipes, has once more been cited as the cause of an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened many people in several states. There have been at least 40 cases of reported illness resulting from eating contaminated romaine. Of those 40, at least 28 have been hospitalized. There have been no reported deaths.

Dangerous products can dampen holiday spirits

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in dangerous products on Monday, November 18, 2019.

The holidays are quickly approaching and electronics top many people's wish lists in Tennessee. A popular gift item in recent years has been a digital photo frame that allows one to display some of those photos shot with the ever-improving smart phone cameras. One such frame, made by Skylight, may be among the season's dangerous products.

The AC adapter that is shipped with the frame is being recalled because of the possibility of electric shock. The problem appears to be with the plastic casing that encloses the prongs and the wiring. It has been reported that the casing could possibly break while plugged into an outlet, resulting in the exposure of live electrical wires.

How would you manage a brain injury after a car crash?

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for most of the traumatic brain injuries suffered in our country. If you should become a victim, you will need to focus all your efforts on recovery.

However, recovery may mean months, if not years, of expensive medical treatment, including rehabilitation. How would you manage?

Road construction and truck accidents a tragic combination

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in truck accidents on Monday, November 11, 2019.

Road construction in Tennessee can be an annoyance for drivers who are trying to get to a destination. This can be particularly true for truck drivers who have to keep to a schedule. The safety of construction workers is also a concern. As a result certain measures are put in place to try to protect workers from incidents, including truck accidents.

One of these measures includes the Tennessee Department of Transportation's campaign called Work with Us that was put in place in an effort to maintain worker safety. The campaign asks that drivers move over a lane and slow down when driving in a work zone. Two TDOT contractors were killed in a recent truck accident in a construction zone.

Employment law should be enough to protect against discrimination

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in employment law on Thursday, November 7, 2019.

Most young women in Tennessee are now members of the workforce in some capacity. Employment law lays out a framework of expectations and provides certain protections to employees. One such right is protection from discrimination due to issues such as race, gender or religion. A woman who worked for the startup company WeWork is filing a sexual discrimination case based on how she was treated during her pregnancies.

The woman in the suit claims that she was discriminated against during and after two pregnancies that took place while she was an employee of the company. She claimed she was demoted as a result of one pregnancy and had her role diminished in the other. Rather than referring to her post-partum absences as periods of leave, she claimed the management would refer to the absences as vacation or retirement.

Youth should be protected from dangerous products

On behalf of Boston, Holt & Durham, PLLC posted in dangerous products on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

Protecting the health of young people in Tennessee is a priority for parents, teachers, those in the medical profession and other caring adults. There is a product in the marketplace that may have the capacity to negatively impact the health of a large number of young people. Students in middle and high schools are particularly at risk. The dangerous products that kids are using in ever growing numbers are vaping devices, or e-cigarettes.

The products have been around for a while but their addictive nature has recently raised red flags. Vapes contain flavored liquid that is heated and inhaled as a vapor. In addition to flavoring, many liquids contain nicotine, which is the highly addictive substance found in cigarettes. Recent outbreaks of lung disease among young people have increased concern regarding the dangers involved.