Huntsville Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Every car accident creates a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. When there is an accident between two passenger vehicles, the occupants of the vehicles at least have the advantage of the safety of the passenger cabin to protect them. Seatbelts, crumple zones, and airbags all help to mitigate the injuries. But when a pedestrian is struck in a crash, they have none of these safety devices to protect them.

For one pedestrian couple, the simple act of crossing the street resulted in tragic consequences. The couple was stuck by a police car. The husband died as a result of his injuries and the wife suffered a brain injury and broken bones. The family of the couple is now seeking damages from the city. They are also questioning why the city has not disclosed the result of its investigation into the accident.

Everyday many parents in Alabama put the lives and safety of their school-aged children in the hands of school bus drivers. Of course the vast majority of school bus drivers are likely well trained and responsible. But unfortunately with the safety of so many children at risk on each but, one negligent mistake by a driver or a failure in his or her training can have very serious consequences.

A school bus accident in Alabama this morning was reported to have injured dozens of students, though fortunately none of the injuries were reported to be extremely serious. After the crash 21 of the 41 students that had been on the overturned bus were transported to area medical facilities, in both ambulances and private vehicles, for observation and treatment of their injuries. Most of the injuries were bumps and bruises, but there was a report of at least one student with a broken arm.

One student passenger and the driver of an Alabama school bus were transported to the hospital yesterday morning after a man who was allegedly driving under the influence, crashed into their school bus.

There is ever an acceptable time or place for a drunk driver to be on the road, but local news reports indicate that this accident occurred while the bus was taking students to school at around eight o'clock in the morning. It somehow seems all the more egregious for a drunk driver to putting lives at risk on a Tuesday morning as children are making their way to school.

Drivers in Huntsville should always be on the lookout for anything, or anyone in the roadway that could lead to an accident. Some situations may call for more vigilance from drivers than others. Railroad crossings, blind corners and other places pose unique hazards that can likely be foreseen by the drivers simply due to their knowledge of their immediate surroundings.

The same can also be said of the area around the University of Alabama at Huntsville, where a driver can expect to encounter many pedestrians as students make their way to and from classes. Unfortunately, one driver today apparently failed to notice a female UAH student as she was crossing the street in front of the library.

For most of us in Huntsville, every one of our mornings includes at least some time behind the wheel of our car driving to work or school. The daily commute is simply a regular part of our routine like having a cup of coffee or brushing our teeth. But if we were to stop and think about, our time on the highway is likely the most dangerous thing we do all day.

While safety equipment and motor vehicle designs have improved to help minimize the risk of serious injuries and casualties as the result of a car accident, car and trucks are still very heavy and powerful machines moving at relatively high speeds. An accident in Huntsville last week illustrates the potentially serious risks that accompany us on our daily commute.

A minor fender bender or mechanical trouble on the highway can be a serious inconvenience. It will unavoidable cause a delay and potentially having to deal with insurance companies and an auto mechanic. While these inconveniences are considerable, there is the potential for a much more serious and tragic result if other drivers fail to avoid a person who has stepped out of their car to evaluate the damage from the initial car accident or break down.

This seems to have been the case in the tragic deaths of an elderly couple on a busy Alabama highway. Having been involved in a minor accident which did not seem to cause any serious injuries, the couple got out of the car to survey the damage, it was then that they were stuck and killed by another car that had not been involved in the initial crash.

You do not have to drive very far in Huntsville to find a driver who is pecking out a text message on their phone while they are driving. Often this can be seen as a driver is cruising along at highway speed, glancing up occasionally to see if they are still on the road. As you are certainly aware, studies have indicated that texting while driving is on par with driving drunk in term of the likelihood of causing a serious car accident.

A new proposal in the Alabama legislature would make it the 36^th state to ban texting while driving a motor vehicle. The bill would make texting while driving a primary offense, meaning that a police officer would be able to pull a person over solely for the offense, rather that only being able to ticket individuals for texting while driving after already having pulled them over for something else.

Whether it is referred to as 'dead man's curve' or 'roller coaster road,' it seems like every community in Alabama has one intersection or stretch of road that everyone knows it particularly dangerous. It may have to do with poor sightlines, the layout of the surrounding streets, or even the condition of the road itself. Whatever the reason, these spots are known for the high number of serious car accidents the produce.

Several months ago, one Alabama town contacted the state in hopes to mitigate the danger of a particular intersection. There have been five fatalities at this particular intersection since July. The most recent were the result of a two-car accident this week which took the lives of three men and seriously injured another.