Spinal cord injuries can occur in any number of situations from car and motorcycle crashes to more common accidents like slips and falls. In many cases, liability (financial responsibility) can be assigned to an individual or corporation (such as the store in which the slip occurred or the job site at which the victim fell). However, even when victims win shockingly large insurance settlements after paralysis accidents in Arkansas, they may still be faced with expensive long-term care that can bankrupt family savings accounts and leave survivors feeling helpless.

If you’ve been involved in an accident at work, on the road, or even in a parking lot and are facing the effects of a spinal cord injury, it’s helpful to know just how much your recovery is likely to cost in order to calculate a fair insurance settlement or a potential court award.

Types of Accidents and Injuries Likely to Cause Paralysis

The death of a driver who was using a driverless automobile is causing great concern as the number of driverless cars reach the road in substantial numbers.  Over the past year I have read story after story describing the coming day when driverless cars take over the roads.  According to the news reports, the driver died because the cameras on the Tesla Model S failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor trailer from the sky and didn’t automatically brake to stop the car.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will investigate how Tesla’s Autopilot system performed at the time of the crash. Continue reading ›

Fatal Drunk Driving Accident in Arkansas Leaves Two First Responders Injured

A fatal drunk driving accident in Arkansas earlier this month left two members of an ambulance crew seriously injured and claimed the life of an intoxicated automobile operator. The crash happened on Interstate 40 near Little Rock Arkansas at around 5 AM on the morning of March 1^st.

A car, operated by a local woman, was traveling at speed the wrong way down I-40 when it crashed head-on into the ambulance. The driver was killed instantly. Chemical testing after the crash revealed that the woman had a Blood Alcohol Content level of 0.164—twice the legal limit in Arkansas.

Visibility is a key component in pedestrian accidents in Arkansas. If drivers cannot see pedestrians, it’s often difficult or impossible to avoid them. However, failure to see a pedestrian doesn’t always negate a driver’s legal responsibility and liability in these cases. Indeed, the way Arkansas traffic laws are written, it is always the driver’s responsibility to be on the lookout for pedestrians and they must always yield the road to these individuals—even when visibility is reduced.

Arkansas Crosswalk Laws

Arkansas traffic laws require that motorists stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. If they fail to do so, they could be subject to legal action and be forced to pay financial damages to victims and/or their family members. However, that law may be a bit confusing for motorists and pedestrians because it encompasses both marked and unmarked crosswalks. So what’s the difference?

Motorcyclists in Arkansas face all kinds of dangers every time they hit the road. From distracted drivers who fail to yield to bikers in dreaded “left cross” collisions to drivers who squeeze motorcyclists off the road (or worse) when making right turns without looking in their rearview mirrors. Nationwide crash data shows that the type of injuries that motorcyclists suffer in these crashes is often as varied as the types of collisions themselves. But you can’t always calculate the risk of serious—even fatal injuries—from the type of collision.

Indeed, a recent fatal motorcycle accident in Arkansas demonstrates that one of the rarest dangers a motorcyclist can face (being struck from behind) can often be one of the most lethal.

Fatal Motorcycle Accident on Highway 82 Could Have Been Caused by Driver Inattention

According to the CDC, 29 people die every day in the US in alcohol-related crashes.    That translates to one fatality every fifty minutes.

Recently in Pulaski County a 38-year-old driver was the victim of a fatal wreck caused by an intoxicated driver who rear-ended her vehicle at a high rate of speed.   A passenger in the vehicle was injured and taken to Baptist Hospital for treatment of her injuries.    The intoxicated driver of the Chevrolet Corvette was traveling on Highway 67 when the collision occurred.   This deadly collision was 100% preventable.

More facts about drunk driving can be found on this website.

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)

That danger is real and it creeps up on you before you even set foot inside:

• Cracked pavement
• Potholes
• Garbage and other debris
• Misaligned steps
• Uneven thresholds

Each and every one of these hazards can result in a painful sprain, torn ligament, or broken bone. Continue reading ›

A terrifying car accident in Fayetteville in March of this year left five people injured. However, the car crash didn’t happen on the highway or at a busy intersection—it happened inside a coffee shop.

On March 22^nd patrons of Baba Boudan’s Espresso Café were in line waiting for their favorite coffee beverages when an SUV smashed through the wall, burying itself completely inside the building. In the chaos that ensued, rescuers pulled five injured victims from the rubble, all of whom are expected to survive.

Arkansas car accident investigators with the local police department pieced together details of the crash from physical evidence at the scene as well as eye witness testimony. It appears as if the driver of the SUV (an unlicensed teenager) lost control of the vehicle after swerving to avoid a minor car crash in the roadway ahead. It’s unclear why the young driver was traveling so fast through a busy commercial area but the vehicle “plowed” right through steel barriers designed to keep pedestrians on the sidewalks (and inside the retail storefronts) along this stretch of street safe.

Nursing homes and other assisted living facilities in Arkansas generally have a poor track record when it comes to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of residents and temporary patients. It seems like you hear stories of understaffing, neglect, and outright abuse in Arkansas nursing homes on a weekly basis. But many elderly individuals and family members don’t understand that objective physical abuse isn’t the only qualifier for mistreatment. Indeed, Arkansas law allows for individuals to file claims, complaints, and even seek criminal prosecution in cases involving:

• Neglect
• Carelessness
• Recklessness
• Mishandling
• Medication errors
• Dehydration
• Malnutrition
• And even mistakes

Continue reading ›

A disturbing case of discrimination in the workplace in Arkansas has made national news as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission files a lawsuit against one of the country’s largest retailers:  Walmart. The agency is alleging that the company discriminated against a pregnant woman, failing to give her the concessions at work that she was entitled to under the law. Of course, a spokesperson from Walmart has denied that claim and issued a blanket statement that the rights of all its employees are paramount. But with Walmart’s seemingly checkered Civil Liberty’s record and history of antidiscrimination lawsuits and settlements, it’s hard for that statement to stand on its own.

Discriminating Against Pregnant Women is Illegal

The suit was filed after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated the claims of a woman who worked for Walmart in 2015. Continue reading ›