Arkansas Injury Lawyer Blog

The Center for Lifelong Learning at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is offering a series of four motorcycle safety courses Nov. 7 as part of the Center’s fall schedule of personal enrichment courses.

Courses will be led by certified Goldwing Road Riders Association Leadership Training Instructors and Rider Education Instructors. According to the seminar information,
the training is designed to encourage safe and enjoyable motorcycling for all riders. The seminar information quotes the instructor as saying:

“When motorcycles are involved in an accident, it doesn’t matter much what kind of bike one is riding,” she said. “Serious injury or death is a real possibility. Making the roads safer for all motorcycle enthusiasts through training is one of GWRRA’s primary goals.”

Information concerning this seminar can be found on the UA-Fort Smith website.

Motorcycle safety has become more and more important. The number of people injured in motorcycle accidents has increased for over a decade. In 2007, approximately 103,000 people were injured in motorcycle accidents. Arkansas has some great roads to ride and we all need to be mindful that an Arkansas motorcycle accident can be very serious. Usually, inattention by the driver of the automobile is the reason why motorcycle accidents happen in Arkansas. If you or a family member suffers injuries in an Arkansas motorcycle accident, it is important that you contact an experienced Arkansas motorcycle lawyer to make sure your medical bills get paid and your rights are fully protected.

New laws are now in effect that the Arkansas legislature hope will reduce Arkansas traffic accident and personal injuries. A simplified

For drivers under 18:

-No using cell phones while driving.
-Only one minor may be in the vehicle with you unless they are siblings or live with in the same house.
-Driving between 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. is prohibited, unless driving to or from a school, work or church related activity.

For drivers age 18-21:

-Talking on a cell phone is allowed if a hands-free device is used.

For drivers over 21:

-Using a cell phone to talk is unrestricted.

The laws setting these new restrictions say the first offense will result in a warning, with a possible fine after that.

Arkansas car accidents and truck accidents often occur because drivers are inattentive and careless. These laws are designed to limit traffic accidents caused by teenagers. It is important that teenagers and their parents understand these new laws and the reason for their passage.

Arkansas car accidents take a heavy toll on families and any law designed to lessen the frequency of traffic accidents is important. In the last few years, my law practice has represented many people who were the victim of inattention caused by cell phone use while driving. I work hard making sure victims of Arkansas car accidents receive full compensation for their injuries. If you or a family member has been involved in an Arkansas car accident, please contact an aggressive and experienced Arkansas personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights.

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has fined Chesapeake Energy Corp. after well drilling fluids were spilled.

The ADEQ issued the order fining the natural gas driller $8,400 for the Sept. 8 incident. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality says there was evidence a layer of drilling mud had been deposited in the tributary and that agency representatives were not allowed to inspect the site when they arrived at the site.

This incident exemplifies the new problems that are associated with the scale of drilling taking place in the Fayetteville Shale areas in Arkansas. Problems ranging from pollution causing personal injury or property damage to drilling site injuries to industrial and truck accidents have increased due to the drilling activity. If you have suffered property damage or a personal injury, please contact an Arkansas lawyer to discuss what can be done to compensate you for your damages.

Sixty Arkansas hospitals have applied to receive funding for trauma care that will come from a tobacco tax. As our previous post regarding the Arkansas Trauma system points out, the system is designed to save the lives of Arkansas accident victims. The following is a list of hospitals that have applied to date:

LEVEL 1

Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock
Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, Memphis, Tenn.
Regional Medical Center, Memphis, Tenn.
St. John's Hospital, Springfield, Mo.
UAMS Medical Center, Little Rock

LEVEL 2

Baptist Health Medical Center, Little Rock
Conway Regional Medical Center, Conway
Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Pine Bluff
St. Joseph's Mercy Health Center, Hot Springs
St. Vincent Infirmary, Little Rock
Saline Memorial Hospital, Benton
Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith

LEVEL 3

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, Paragould
Ashley County Medical Center, Crossett
Baptist Health Medical Center, Arkadelphia
Baptist Health Medical Center, Heber Springs
Baptist Health Medical Center, North Little Rock
Baptist Health Medical Center, Stuttgart
Baxter Regional Medical Center, Mountain Home
Christus St. Michael Health System, Texarkana, Texas
Johnson Regional Medical Center, Clarksville
Mercy Medical Center, Rogers
North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, Harrison
North Metro Medical Center, Jacksonville
St. Bernards Medical Center, Jonesboro
St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, Fort Smith
St. John's Hospital, Berryville
St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, Russellville
White County Medical Center, Searcy
White River Medical Center, Batesville

LEVEL 4

Arkansas Heart Hospital, Little Rock
Bradley County Medical Center, Warren
Chicot Memorial Hospital, Lake Village
Community Medical Center of Izard County, Calico Rock
Crittenden Regional Hospital, West Memphis
DeQueen Medical Center, DeQueen
Desha County Hospital, McGehee
Dewitt Hospital, Dewitt
Drew Memorial Hospital, Monticello
Five Rivers Medical Center, Pocahontas
Forrest City Medical Center, Forrest City
Fulton County Hospital, Salem
Helena Regional Medical Center, Helena-West Helena
Hot Spring County Medical Center, Malvern
Howard Memorial Hospital, Nashville
John Ed Chambers Memorial Hospital, Danville
Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Walnut Ridge
Little River Memorial Hospital, Ashdown
Mena Regional Health System, Mena
Mercy Hospital Turner Memorial, Ozark
Mercy Hospital, Waldron
NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, Jonesboro
North Logan Mercy Hospital, Paris
Ouachita County Medical Center, Camden
Ozark Health Medical Center, Clinton
Physician's Specialty Hospital, Fayetteville
Piggot Community Hospital, Piggott
Pike County Memorial Hospital, Murfreesboro
River Valley Medical Center, Dardanelle
St. Anthony's Medical Center, Morrilton
St. Vincent - North, Sherwood
Stone County Medical Center, Mountain View

The new Arkansas Trauma system should save lives of Arkansas personal injury victims and decrease the delay in treatment of catastrophic injuries from car accidents, motorcycle accidents, workplace accidents, train accidents, and other types of personal injuries. If you or a loved one has been the unfortunate victim of an accident in Arkansas, please contact an experienced Arkansas injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights so you can receive compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages.

A natural gas line break and explosion occurred at an Arkansas apartment complex. A construction company was dredging a pond at the complex when a backhoe hit a gas line. This incident caused an explosion and fire. Fortunately, there were no personal injuries reported due to the gas explosion.

Officials are investigating whether the company contacted Arkansas One Call to before work was started to determine the location of utility line. Arkansas law requires that a call be made before work begins.

Natural gas explosions often cause serious injury and even death. These explosions are often the result of negligence. If you or a family member have suffered from a natural gas explosion please contact an injury attorney as soon as possible. It is necessary to investigate these accidents quickly to determine the cause.

Arkansas is the only state without a trauma center to deal with people who suffer a personal injury. Currently, the Arkansas Legislature is debating a plan to institute a trauma system. Unfortunately, a similar plan was defeated in 2007. Hopefully, this will not happen again.

According to government statistics, 15,000 people are hospitalized with injuries in Arkansas. Of those, 2,000 people die from their personal injuries and 6,000 suffer permanent disabilities each year. Arkansas has the third highest death rate in the country from motor vehicle accidents. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 25 deaths per 100,00 people annually in the state compared to a national average of 15.2 per 100,000.

It is time that the Arkansas Legislature act and develop a trauma system to help people who suffer a personal injury in Arkansas. State health officials state publicly that a trauma system would prevent an estimated 2,000 disabilities and save 200-600 lives of Arkansans who don't get appropriate care fast enough.

In my personal injury law firm, I have seen clients transferred from one hospital to the next to get to a hospital that can handle their injuries. I also have clients that were forced to travel hundreds of miles to get appropriate medical treatment for their personal injuries. In the proposed trauma-system bill, hospitals and emergency rooms would be linked statewide ensuring that the trauma patients are taken from the accident scene directly to the closest facility that is best able to treat the specific injuries. This will save valuable time in the treatment of personal injuries.

Would you like to get better gas mileage? Studies show that nitrogen tire inflation has many advantages over oxygen tire inflation. Noted improvements with using nitrogen include: better gas mileage, longer tire life due to better tire pressure retention, better vehicle handling and improved fuel economy, and cooler running tire temperatures. It is also said that using nitrogen in your tires is better for our environment. Every little change each of us makes could make a big difference on our environment in the years to come. Read more about the benefits and facts of nitrogen versus oxygen, including how Americans could save up to 3.7 billion gallons of fuel per year at the official Get Nitrogen Institute Web Site.

On the flip side, there is obviously still some debate regarding the use of nitrogen in tires. It is human nature to resist change. Just because compressed air has always worked, do you feel like that is the best option, or has it just been the only option? The jury is still out on nitrogen versus compressed air, but in the meantime, with our economy suffering, we are all trying to figure out how we can best save money. Every little bit helps, right? Let me address a few of the benefits and give you the facts about those benefits, then you can make your own decision.

Benefit 1: "Proper inflation leads to longer life of the tire due to cooler tire temperatures."
Fact: By maintaining a consistent, proper tire inflation, you create less heat, leading to longer tire life. If your tire does not get as hot while driving on the pavement, the rubber on our tires last longer.

Benefit 2: "Better handling and safer driving."
Fact: Keeping your tires at a consistent tire pressure will allow for safer driving due to better handling of your vehicle. Unfortunately, many accidents are due to underinflated tires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that up to 80 deaths and 10,000 injuries could be prevented each year if all vehicles were equipped with tire-pressure sensors.

Benefit 3: "Better for our environment."
Tires with longer life due to cooler tire temperatures means we are having to dispose of less tires per year, which in turn is better for our environment.
To find out where to recycle tires near you, or other environment-saving tips, visit the official Earth 911 website.

After having shared that information with you, let me say that I put nitrogen versus oxygen to the test. I took my wife's car in for the 75,000 mile tune-up, and I asked that they fill her tires with nitrogen. It was $20 to fill all four tires. We recently took a road trip in her Honda Accord, and instead of the usual 336 miles we were getting with a full tank of gas, we got 380 miles. We have not ever gotten this many miles from one tank in the past, so I have to think that the nitrogen in the tires (in addition to the tune-up of course) played a part in our getting better gas mileage. Her tire pressure has not fluctuated. The psi has consistently stayed the same. The facts that I researched have thus far proved to be true for us.

I hope this blog has been helpful. If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident due to someone else's negligence, you should understand your rights. You have a certain amount of time, depending on what type of accident/injury it is, to act on those rights. Call me today at 501.374.4440 at Pfeifer Law Firm, P.A. and I will personally explain your rights and answer any questions you may have.