Personal Injury
New Hampshire’s Hands Free Law
New Hampshire now bans using hand-held electronic devices, notably cell phones, while driving. The hands free law went into effect July 1, 2015. Thirteen other states including Vermont, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey already ban the use of electronic devices while driving. The New Hampshire law also bans cell […]
Settlement of Personal Injury Cases: Settlement or Trial?
Is it true that the majority of personal injury claims settle prior to trial? Great question. Legal experts tell us that most personal injury cases settle before trial. But what are the real numbers on settlement of personal injury cases and who says? Only four to five percent of all […]
Motorcycle Accidents: Causes and Statistics
Car accidents happen every day. 11 percent of all motor vehicle accidents involve motorcycles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reports that motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to experience a fatal accident than those in passenger vehicles. While some believe most motorcycle accidents are caused by aggressive motorcycle […]
Broken Baseball Bat Hits Fan: Spectator Injuries & The Law
On Friday June 5, 2015, Tonya Carpenter watched the Boston Red Sox from second row seats between home plate and third base at Fenway Park. Her son and a friend accompany her. In the second inning, Oakland Athletics third baseman Brett Lawrie steps up to the plate, swings, hits the […]
Negligent Security: Property Owners Liable For Security Failure?
Two hockey fans get into a fight in a public restroom during a Boston Bruins game. Can the one injured seriously sue the TD Boston Garden for failing to provide adequate security? A Superior Court judge in Boston faced that question and, not surprisingly, different versions of what happened. The […]
Work Injuries: Responsibility in Temp Agency Scenario
A question I often receive comes from people who sustained work injuries while employed through a temp agency. For example, suppose an employee was at company “A” but sent there by a temporary employment agency when a computer printer dropped on their foot. After an emergency room visit and an […]
Distracted Driving: Eating While Driving
Distracted driving causes 80% of all motor vehicle accidents and 16% of highway fatalities. In studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or “NHTSA” texting and jabbering on the cell phone top the list of distractions. But eating while driving, something 86% of drivers admit to, also presents a […]
Video Surveillance: Used Fairly to Kill Personal Injury Cases?
Anyone with any type of personal injury claim knows or should know that insurance companies use video surveillance to look for behavior that might contradict the claim of injury. Often used in workers compensation claims, investigators armed with small video cameras follow those making injury claims, waiting to catch them […]
Impaired Drivers: Alcohol, Illegal Drugs, Prescription Drugs & Marijuana
The risk of getting into an accident is high enough. But the number of people driving on various substances doesn’t help. “In 2013-2014 20% of weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for drugs …” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – February 2015 One national study with a database of over 40 […]
Can You Sue a City or Town for Failing to Remove Snow Properly?
Can I sue the city or town for failing to remove enough snow? I got into an accident because the road was still icy. You “can” sue but the case has a snowball’s chance in you know where. Why? In the early days of U.S. legal history “sovereign immunity” literally meant […]
