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A potentially lethal trucking accident in Arkansas this past week highlights the danger we are all in when travelling the busy interstate highway system crisscrossing our state. Part of Arkansas 7 was actually shut down on January 8^th after an 18-wheeler hauling thousands of gallons of a caustic acid overturned just south of Jasper, Arkansas. Rescue crews and hazmat teams rushed to the scene to find what was labelled a “small” leak coming from the truck’s hazardous contents. The entire roadway was cordoned off to prevent exposure to this toxic chemical (used as a cleaner in industrial settings).

Cleanup crews quickly had the situation under control but had the leak been larger or the chemicals the big rig was hauling more volatile, the entire situation could have ended badly—not only for the trucker but for anyone within the area. Continue reading

Even Stiffer DWI Laws Don’t Stop Drivers from Drinking

People hurt in drunk driving accidents in Arkansas aren’t really concerned with statistics. Their ordeal is a very personal one. But according to accident and arrest figures collected around the country, Arkansas is the 13^th most dangerous state in the nation as far as drunk driving crashes are concerned.

That dubious honor springs directly from the high number of intoxicated drivers who knowingly get behind the wheel in our state and put the lives and livelihoods of innocent victims at risk every day. Between 2003 and 2012 a shocking 1,769 people were killed in drunk driving accidents in Arkansas. That’s an average of almost 200 deaths per year—deaths that are 100% completely preventable.

Distracted Driving Leaves its Mark on Innocent Victims in Arkansas

Statistics show that if you’ve been hurt in a car accident on the highway in Arkansas, there’s a big chance your injuries were caused by a distracted driver. Indeed, the number of people hurt in car crashes on      I-40, I-530, I-30 and elsewhere is skyrocketing as distracted and careless drivers simply ignore Arkansas traffic laws and take the fate of others into their own hands.

And while there’s very little you can do to protect yourself from being involved in a wreck caused by reckless drivers on the highways in Arkansas, you can take steps to minimize the stress of your recovery process by taking necessary steps to ensure you are getting the proper medical care for your injuries, knowing your rights, and knowing that your claim is being handled properly and efficiently.   Insurance companies have lawyers working on their behalf, and so should you.     Continue reading

We don’t often pay attention to the ground we’re walking on—especially when we’re shopping for dinner in a crowded supermarket. We’re thinking about menu options, trying to remember everything on the list (which we forgot at home), messing with coupon and loyalty apps on our phones, and wrangling kids through the congested aisles. But what we don’t see can hurt us. Slip and fall accidents in Arkansas grocery stores, supermarkets, and “Big Box” discount stores injure hundreds of hard-working people like you every year.  All it takes is one misstep and you’re out of commission for days, weeks, or even months.

What’s your family to do if you’re out of work? Can you pay $2,500 out of pocket for resetting a broken arm? Will you get the time off you need to heal correctly?

Slip and Fall Hazards in Arkansas Supermarkets

These types of stores are typically associated with higher rates of slip and fall accidents in Arkansas simply because there are more hazards inherent with:
1) The location of the buildings (usually not inside malls)
2) The infrastructure of the store itself (more refrigeration and water usage)
3) The types of product they sell (produce, seafood, frozen foods) Continue reading

There is a higher-than-average number of car accidents in Arkansas every year. The total in 2012 was 504—nearly 70% higher than the national average. That’s roughly 17 accidents per 100,000 people (compared to the national average of just 10.2 per 100,000). With the major highways and interstate traffic crisscrossing our state, the sheer number of cars on the road puts us at greater risk for collisions every time we get behind the wheel. But it’s one thing to suspect that risk and another altogether when nationally accredited agencies like the Federal Highway Administration single Arkansas out as an automobile danger zone.

So why are our roads so dangerous? Continue reading

Police investigators suggest that driver inexperience could have played a role in a non-fatal motorcycle accident in Arkansas on October 16^th in the town of Mena. Official reports show that a Crown Victoria sedan driven by an unnamed 16-year old crashed into a Harley Davidson motorcycle in front of the McDonald’s in Mena. The motorcycle was operated by a 63-year old male. His wife was on the back of the bike at the time. She was airlifted to Mena Regional Health System, then transported to another medical facility with an unspecified leg injury.

A police investigation into the motorcycle accident in Mena, Arkansas discovered that the individual driving the automobile made an improper right turn at the entrance to the restaurant, cutting into the motorcycle’s path of travel. The automobile driver was cited by responding police officers and has been declared at-fault for the crash.

Continue reading

Police are investigating a deadly car accident in Arkansas that left one man dead and a young boy seriously injured earlier this month. The crash, like so many on Arkansas’ highways, involved an 18-wheel big rig—though an accident reconstruction specialist suspects the driver of the smaller vehicle may likely have been at fault. Indeed, certain clues—including eyewitness testimony—suggest that this may have been a tragic distracted driving accident in Arkansas.

The Details of the Fatal Car Accident in Arkansas

On October 2^nd a car driven by 27-year-old Little Rock man crossed the center line of Highway 65 near Salmon Lane in Harrison. The Toyota Corolla he was driving collided head-on with an 18-wheeler traveling in the opposite direction. The crash killed the man in the Corolla instantly and left his passenger (a 15-year-old juvenile being transported to a correctional facility in Illinois) seriously injured. The boy, who was wearing manacles and a belly chain at the time of the collision, was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Continue reading

A tragic chain-reaction truck accident in Texarkana left two people dead and two more injured when three big rigs and a passenger van collided on I-30 late last month. The crash happened on September 27^th when a loaded Mack truck failed to stop in time to avoid slowed traffic near I-30’s junction with I-49. The big truck slammed into another 18-wheeler that was then pushed into the back of a passenger van. The van, in turn, was sandwiched between that truck and the one in front of it.

When the dust finally settled, the driver of the Mack (a 65-year-old veteran of the road) and the driver of the van were dead. Two more people were rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

Multiple Vehicle Crashes Involving Big Trucks

Crosswalks can be dangerous places to walk. They’re “danger areas” where foot traffic intersects with car and truck traffic and, all too often, these alleged “safe zones” are the scenes of terrible pedestrian accidents in Arkansas. A pedestrian, rightfully so, feels a sense of safety while walking within a crosswalk. My family and I walk in our neighborhood often, and I would say about 40% of the time people will stop when someone is standing on the street, waiting to cross at a crosswalk. The other 60% of the time the cars will zoom right past and expect you to wait. Not exactly how a crosswalk is intended to be used. Some pedestrians understand and follow the rules of the road when it comes to crosswalks, therefore the pedestrian doesn’t think twice that someone else wouldn’t, so the walker will walk within a crosswalk and expect the car to stop. After all, it’s the law. Right? Unfortunately sometimes a person behind the wheel of a two-ton vehicle has the mentality that they are bigger and the person will just have to wait for them to pass. This is when terrible accidents happen. In big cities, such as New York or San Francisco, pedestrians walk as soon as the “Walk” light changes, and the vehicles know they are to stop, period.

When a two-ton vehicle hits an unprotected pedestrian—even at slow speeds—the physical damage can be tremendous. Nowhere in Arkansas is that danger more concentrated than in Arkansas’ biggest college town: Fayetteville. There is no protection for the pedestrian, so any contact with a moving vehicle can result in life-changing injuries or death. Continue reading

Fatigued Driving Accidents in Arkansas are Crimes
Most of us have been there: our hands on the wheel, our eyelids getting heavier. But fatigued driving kills hundreds of people nationwide every year. So why do we still do it? And, more importantly, how can we prevent potential fatigued driving accidents in Arkansas before they injure innocent victims?

Is Fatigued Driving Really a Problem in Arkansas?
Is it really that dangerous to drive when you haven’t had that much sleep? After all, multiple nationwide studies have found that at least 1/3 of drivers have driven at some point in their lives when they’ve been too tired to safely operate a motor vehicle.

Turns out fatigued driving is very similar to drunk driving.

The NHTSA conducted an in-depth study that found fatigued driving is every bit as deadly and destructive as driving while under the influence of alcohol. Fatigued drivers suffer many of the same impairments as drunk drivers including:

• Delayed reaction time
• Inability to accurately judge distances
• Blurry vision
• Impaired judgement Continue reading