Archive for November, 2011

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30
Nov

Officials Say They Can’t Track New DUI Law

November 30, 2011

A new Tennessee state law designed to keep drunk drivers off  the road has proven effective when properly implemented, but many officers say it is difficult to implement. Channel 4 News reported Monday that certain DUI offenders are now required to install ignition interlock systems on their cars, but the state has no way of seeing which offenders have followed the orders.

The interlock system is a device that requires a driver to blow into the device to determine if alcohol is in their system before the car starts. Under the new law, offenders who have a blood alcohol level above .15 percent, a child in the vehicle at the time of the offense, or who caused an accident because of their drinking and driving could be required to install the device on their car. Currently, 3,567 drivers in Tennessee have interlock restrictions on their licenses, but only 1,890 have the actual device on their car.

Troopers say as of now the only way a driver who is required to have the device could be caught is if they are pulled over by law enforcement for another infraction.

The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorneys with Hughes & Coleman understand the need for these laws to protect sober drivers from those under the influence. Their experienced team of attorneys hopes the state will find a way to require DUI offenders to provide proof to the court that they have had the device installed on their vehicles.

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23
Nov

Memphis Boy Hit And Killed By Bus After School

November 23, 2011

A 6-year-old Memphis, Tennessee, boy was killed in the parking lot of his school Monday afternoon after being hit by a bus. According to News Channel 5, the accident happened at around just before 3:00 PM at Oakshire Elementary School.

Investigators believe the drizzling rain may have contributed to the accident that happened as the children were loading onto the bus to go to after school care. The deceased boy’s 10-year-old sister told police that the young boy had dropped a book moments before the accident. She continued that he fell and hit his head on the pavement before being struck by the bus. The front blind spot created by the hood of the bus blocked the 67-year-old driver from seeing the fallen boy before he began to move the bus forward. No charges have been filed against the driver despite the accident being avoidable if the arm on the front of the bus had been extended while stopped.

Statistics show that in 1999, 733 children ages 14 and under died, and in 2000, nearly 44,600 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for pedestrian-related injuries. These numbers have remained steady over the last decade.

The team of Tennessee Auto Accident Attorneys with Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers has years of experience in handling cases for victims who have been injured at no fault of their own by a vehicle. That is why they participate in safety events across the state to promote children’s safety.

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21
Nov

The Holiday Shopping Madness Brings Out Distracted and Inattentive Drivers

Drivers are hustling and bustling to the malls and department stores with shopping on their minds!  Over the Holiday Season, please be alert when traveling, especially around shopping areas.

 Lookout for drivers who are:

  •  Driving too fast
  • Running red lights
  • Rolling through stop signs
  • Following too closely
  • Looking at Holiday decorations
  • Talking on their cell phones
  • Texting while driving
  • Opening car doors into traffic 

 If you do have an accident, be sure to get as much identifying information as you can on the other driver and, if possible, take a photograph of the vehicles and people at the accident scene with a cell phone.

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21
Nov

How Does My Auto Insurance Work? I Have No Fault Insurance, Is That Enough?

This is an individual decision for each person and family but understanding how your auto insurance works is the first step in answering this important question. In Kentucky, the No Fault coverage of your auto insurance policy pays your own Medical Bills and Lost Wages up to certain limits regardless of who was at fault in the accident. Kentucky’s state minimum required no fault benefit coverage is $10,000 to be applied for medical bills and lost wage reimbursements.

The wage claim is payable up to a maximum of only $200 per week.

For example, if you have the Kentucky’s minimum required coverage of $10,000 in No Fault benefits (sometimes referred to as “personal injury protection” [PIP], or “basic reparations benefits” [BRBs]), when you have attained that much in paid medical bills and/or reimbursed lost wages your insurance company will no longer pay any bills or wages.  Even if you were not at fault in the accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance will not pay them either.

If you have no health insurance to pay medical bills when these benefits are exhausted you may have difficulty finding medical care for your injuries. Likewise, if you  earn more than $200/week after taxes you may have difficulty meeting your financial obligations since with this level of coverage you are not entitled to any more than $200 per week. Simply put, when the No Fault benefits are exhausted no additional bills or wages are paid.

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21
Nov

Being Injured in an Auto Accident Can Be Expensive, Are you covered?

In the event that you have incurred significant medical bills very quickly, you should immediately reserve PIP for lost wages, even if you are not incurring any, and then petitioning the PIP insurer to release the full PIP benefits to you through your attorney so that the attorney can use the PIP benefits to negotiate reductions in those bills.  It is important to use your PIP funds wisely because, for many people, this is the only money they have to get medical treatment and to prove the extent of their injury. 

 Beware of unscrupulous medical providers that may treat you until your PIP is exhausted then tell you that they can no longer help you and that you need expensive diagnostic testing and consultation with a medical specialist. 

 The best way to keep this from happening is to be an alert consumer of medical services.  Ask yourself whether you are improving with the treatment you are getting.  If the treatment doesn’t seem to be helping, or is making your condition worse, then you should talk to your doctor frankly and consider seeking a second opinion.  When you are injured, it is difficult to know what questions to ask and which direction to turn.  Consulting a lawyer can give you the help you need to maximize your situation.  Identifying your resources, of which PIP is just one, and properly managing those resources are just 2 of the services your attorney can provide.  We understand how frustrating and confusing it can be to be injured because I have been there.  The sooner you consult an attorney, the sooner you can relax and focus on getting the medical treatment you need.  Believe it or not, THAT is the best thing you can do for your claim!

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