The Truitt Law Firm, LLCThe Truitt Law Firm, LLC2024-02-13T19:57:25Zhttps://www.truittlaw.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1203242/2022/09/cropped-siteicon_image-32x32.jpgOn Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548992024-02-13T19:57:25Z2024-01-25T12:35:48ZMardi Gras in Louisiana blends culture, music and vibrant celebrations. Parades and parade floats are a central focus of the weeks-long party season. These marvels of creativity and tradition wind their way through the streets to captivate crowds with their elaborate designs and lively atmosphere.
While these floats add a unique charm to the celebrations, they pose specific safety concerns. It's essential for those attending the parades to be aware of how to enjoy these festivities safely. Understanding the risks and adopting safe practices near floats can prevent accidents and injuries.
Safety around parade floats
Always keep a safe distance from moving floats. While getting close for a better view or catching throws is tempting, encroaching on the float’s path can be dangerous. Float riders often throw beads and other trinkets, and excitement can lead to unsafe rushing toward the float.
Ensure children are always supervised and not running towards the floats.
Be cautious of float blind spots
Be aware of the blind spots around floats. These are large vehicles with limited visibility for the drivers and riders. Avoid standing or crossing too close to the front or sides of a float, where the driver may not see you. This is especially important in crowded areas with restricted movement and low visibility. Encourage your group to stay together and avoid areas that seem exceptionally crowded or close to the float's path.
Respect barriers and instructions
Parade organizers often set up barriers along the route for crowd control and safety. Respect these barriers and don’t attempt to cross them to get closer to the floats. They are placed strategically to ensure a safe distance between the crowd and the floats. Also, pay attention to any instructions given by parade officials or law enforcement. Their directives are intended to maintain safety and order during the parade.
Anyone attending specialty parades, such as Mardi Paws in Covington, should also ensure they keep pets safe around other dogs and people. Avoid using retractable leashes and keep a close eye on your pet. You should also pick up your dog's poop to help avoid others from slipping on it.
With all of this said, even the safest paradegoers can suffer injuries. When someone else’s negligence causes them, seeking compensation is possible. Working with a personal injury attorney familiar with how these laws work with Mardi Gras crows and festivities is advisable.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548782023-12-07T22:03:06Z2023-12-07T15:42:44ZSomeone who is going about their daily business can end up abruptly harmed by an outside party. Both businesses and individuals can cause major harm to others. People choose to drive while drunk or to commit acts of violence against other people. Businesses release unsafe products, hire unstable employees or maintain dangerous facilities where people end up hurt.
The law in Louisiana allows those harmed by the illegal behavior or negligence of others to seek compensation through the civil courts. A successful personal injury lawsuit can help compensate an individual for expenses related to injuries and property damage losses. Even if someone has already filed an insurance claim, a civil lawsuit could help if their costs exceed what insurance paid.
Many people may have a theoretical right to file a lawsuit. However, Louisiana has a very strict statute of limitations. As a result, people have a limited opportunity to seek justice after misconduct or negligence triggers financial losses because of the statute of limitations.
What is the personal injury statute of limitations in Louisiana?
A statute of limitations is a law specifically limiting certain legal actions. There are statutes of limitations that apply to criminal charges and also civil proceedings. If too much time passes, individuals and even the government can lose the ability to take the matter to court.
A personal injury lawsuit filed in Louisiana is subject to one of the strictest statute of limitations in the nation. Individuals typically only have one year from the date of someone's injury or an incident that causes property damage to file a lawsuit.
It is easy for those struggling to recover from a damaging situation to lose track of time. They may then find themselves unable to hold the other party accountable for misconduct or negligence. People who have suffered losses in Louisiana need to learn about their options as quickly as possible.
A personal injury lawsuit may be necessary even if someone hopes to receive insurance coverage in certain cases, as companies may only pay out what the courts mandate or apply very strict policy limits. Arranging a consultation with an attorney as soon as possible after an injurious situation occurs may help people more effectively establish whether they are in a position to take legal action after an incident causes injury and financial losses.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548752023-11-21T13:36:37Z2023-11-21T00:56:31ZDrivers in Covington, Louisiana may use the interstate highway system fairly frequently. Even if they’re not traveling very far, interstates are often the fastest and most efficient way to commute to work in the morning and back home again at night. I-12 runs east and west through Covington, and U.S. Route 190 runs north and south.
But there are some significant risks to using the interstate, which has a much higher speed limit than many surface streets. Oftentimes, these high speeds create the potential for very serious car accidents.
Why is speed so important?
Speed significantly impacts the severity of car accidents and increases the likelihood of a highway crash being fatal. Here's why:
Increased Impact Force: The force of impact in a collision rises exponentially with speed. When a vehicle is traveling at higher speeds, the force upon impact is greater. This force can lead to more severe damage to vehicles and an increased risk of injury to occupants.
Reduced Reaction Time: Higher speeds reduce the driver's reaction time. It takes longer for a driver to perceive a hazard, decide on a course of action and then execute that action when traveling at higher speeds.
Limited Control: Control over the vehicle decreases as speed increases. It becomes more challenging to maneuver or stop a vehicle quickly at higher speeds, especially in emergency situations.
Increased Severity of Injuries: Accidents at higher speeds often lead to more severe injuries or fatalities for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists involved in the crash. The increased force upon impact can cause catastrophic injuries.
Impact on Safety Features: Safety features like seatbelts, airbags and crumple zones are less effective at higher speeds. They might not provide sufficient protection or mitigate injuries as effectively as they would in a lower-speed collision.
Rollover Risk: Higher speeds increase the likelihood of a vehicle rollover during a crash, which significantly escalates the risk of fatal injuries.
To reduce the likelihood of a fatal highway accident, it's crucial for drivers to adhere to speed limits, adjust their speed based on road conditions and drive at a safe and reasonable speed that allows for adequate control and reaction time. But these safe drivers could still be injured by other negligent drivers. Ultimately, it’s important to have an experienced legal team while considering potential damages, evidence regarding who was at fault and the steps necessary to seek proper compensation in the wake of a crash.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548482023-10-16T15:13:12Z2023-10-16T13:00:18Z
When people think about injuries at retail establishments, they might think about what happens to workers. After all, employees could end up hurt due to repetitive stress from ringing people up or stocking shelves for hours. They may have to handle dangerous equipment in storage areas that could cause injuries. They could also get injured in attempted robberies and other situations involving criminal activity.
There are countless possible risks for retail employees, and many of those same risks may affect retail shoppers. Patrons of a business could easily end up injured during an attempted robbery or a shoplifting incident where someone runs out of the store and shoves someone out of the way. They could also end up hurt in a variety of other situations that the retail establishment likely could have prevented.
Injuries related to shelving
Attempting to reach the last box of cereal on the top shelf could lead to someone climbing up on a shelving unit not intended to bear their weight. The entire shelf might collapse, possibly resulting in severe injuries. People don't necessarily have to climb onto shelves to put themselves at risk of getting hurt. Items on shelves could potentially fall, hitting people and causing a range of medical issues. Particularly serious cases could lead to spinal cord or brain injuries.
Slip-and-fall injuries
There is a reason that someone slipping while shopping is a trope commonly used in stories. Slip-and-falls send roughly a million people to emergency rooms every year. Businesses that see a lot of foot traffic also have endless opportunities for unsafe conditions. Spilled items and the water tracked in from outside the business could cause someone to slip and fall. Particularly when the business does not maintain appropriate levels of staffing, spills and puddles could go unnoticed for hours, putting visitors at risk of broken bones or worse.
Those who get hurt in retail establishments can benefit from reporting the matter to management and then seeking proper medical treatment. Filing a premises liability lawsuit is often be an appropriate response for those with significant medical costs and other losses related to an incident at a retail establishment caused by another’s negligence.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548462023-10-02T14:58:41Z2023-10-02T02:52:56ZCycling is a hobby people of all ages can enjoy. It offers health benefits as a form of cardiovascular exercise. It can help people strengthen their bodies and can also provide very affordable local transportation. Unfortunately, cycling can be quite dangerous because those on bikes have to share the road with those in large motor vehicles. Drivers can make mistakes that put those on bicycles in perilous positions. Sometimes, they cause major collisions.
Even if a cyclist consistently prioritizes their safety on the road, they may eventually encounter a driver who doesn't abide by the rules of the road. In a crash between a bicycle and a motor vehicle, the bicycle and its rider will always be at risk, while the likelihood of the vehicle suffering significant damage is relatively low.
Drivers who cause crashes might be liable
When one party makes a mistake in traffic and causes a crash will usually be the party responsible for covering the cost generated by a collision. Someone could be at fault for a crash because they broke traffic laws. Failing to use turn signals, not stopping at a red light or exceeding the speed limit are all traffic infractions that put increase the likelihood of a collision occurring and lead to liability for the person breaking the law.
The police officer who responds to the scene of the crash may issue a ticket to the driver who caused the wreck. If the violation is a serious one, such as impaired driving, they may choose to arrest the driver at fault for a car-bike collision. The cyclist will typically have the right to file an insurance claim.
However, given how serious injuries and such crashes can be, cyclists may need far more than what a basic insurance policy will provide, as people can drive with only $15,000 in bodily injury liability coverage in Louisiana. Depending on the scope of someone's injuries and the insurance policy of the motorist at fault for the wreck, it could become necessary for an injured cyclist to take a driver to court to recoup their losses.
A personal injury lawsuit brought by an injured cyclist could help cover their medical expenses and reimburse the injured party for their lost wages. Although insurance coverage is subject to policy limits that determine how much compensation someone can receive, personal injury lawsuits allow for substantially more realistic claims.
A cyclist hurt in a crash caused by a driver in Louisiana may need to look carefully at their circumstances to determine if legal action might be necessary. Holding a driver accountable for the devastation of a car-bike collision can help ensure that an injured cyclist does not bear the burden of a collision alone if a driver caused their harm.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548452023-10-16T15:23:11Z2023-09-08T00:16:44Z
Teenage drivers are responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal car accidents. Drivers in any age group can, of course, cause fatal crashes. Unfortunately, though, teens cause a higher rate of fatal accidents than any other motorist age group does.
Why is this the case? Why are teenagers considered to be such dangerous drivers? There are numerous reasons that need to be considered when answering these pressing questions.
A lack of experience
Developing experience takes time. Young drivers need time to gain necessary experience and get used to making decisions behind the wheel. Many mistakes that they make happen because they just have not encountered a particular situation before. More experience reduces accident rates dramatically. But the unfortunate downside is that some of these drivers are bound to cause accidents as a part of gaining that experience.
Not understanding consequences
Inexperienced drivers tend to underestimate the consequences of their actions. They may know that something is technically unsafe – like street racing – but they assume that “it will be fine” just this once. Only in retrospect do they see how dangerous their decisions may have been.
Predisposition to distraction
Young drivers often get distracted when operating a vehicle. Maybe they’re riding with passengers and friends, who distract them with jokes, conversations or even arguments. Maybe they’re distracted by their smartphone or simply by listening to music in the car. Any distraction can reduce reaction times and cause a crash.
Aggressive driving behaviors
Finally, young people sometimes drive in particularly aggressive ways. This is especially common with young men. They are more likely to engage in street racing, break the speed limit, make aggressive passes, weave between traffic lanes and things of this nature. Aggressive driving styles often lead to accidents that could easily have been prevented.
Because teens are inexperienced, they often cause injurious accidents in addition to those that prove fatal. If you’re ever involved in a car crash caused by a teen, know that you can seek civil restitution for your losses without compromising their ability to maintain a bright future.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548272023-10-16T15:35:32Z2023-08-28T15:57:38Z
Any vehicle can crash, and most collisions are, terrifying. However, some types of collisions usually result in worse outcomes for individuals. Motorcycle crashes can be particularly severe because of how small a motorcycle is when compared to an SUV or other large four-wheeled vehicle. Motorcycles themselves also offer very little protection in the event of a collision.
Those who regularly ride have an interest in protecting themselves from the worst-case scenario, which might include another driver doing something very unsafe that leads to them getting hurt in traffic. There is one motorcycle safety tip that people often share that could potentially save someone's life in traffic.
What is the most important safety tip for a motorcycle rider?
Obviously, there are many ways that a motorcycle rider can improve their safety, from consistently checking the systems on their motorcycles before a ride to investing in the best protective gear possible. However, the biggest risk factor for a crash is outside of a rider's control.
They have to minimize the chance that another driver will make a mistake and hurt them. The most effective way to do that is to pretend to be invisible. If a motorcycle rider adjusts every behavior on the road to act as though others cannot see them, they could potentially avoid a situation where someone hits them due to improper surveillance or distraction. Other drivers obviously can see motorcycles but frequently fail to actually watch for them. When a rider assumes that people will ignore them rather than assuming the opposite, they can potentially protect themselves from severe injury or worse.
Pretending to be invisible might entail several different practices
Adjusting behaviors to act invisible can require small changes to how someone rides. Motorcycle riders might maintain more space between their vehicle and others. They might pause for a bit longer at an intersection, especially a four-way stop. They may even choose to plan an alternate route so that they can avoid particularly dangerous maneuvers, like turning left at a very busy intersection.
While safety tips can only go so far to minimize crash risk, they can potentially make a significant difference for someone who is out for a ride and worried about personal safety. Finding ways to address common causes of motorcycle collisions may help people reduce their risk of a major crash.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=548162023-10-16T16:11:21Z2023-08-25T23:49:43ZCollisions are a natural byproduct of having millions of cars on the roads across the country. Crashes occur every day in Louisiana, and some of them are far more severe than others. Motor vehicle collisions can leave vehicles completely unsafe to drive and/or can put people in the hospital indefinitely because of their injuries. They are also a leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
Those involved in a crash can sometimes rely on insurance to help them fix their vehicles and/or obtain medical care. However, quite a few people involved in serious collisions in Louisiana have costs that go well beyond what they can collect from an insurance provider. They may need to go to court to pursue appropriate compensation under personal injury or wrongful death laws. Establishing that someone was negligent can be an important part of that process. The three scenarios below are all potential examples of how negligence causes car crashes.
Drivers do something that is obviously dangerous
One of the more common forms of negligence that can lead to a personal injury lawsuit against a motorist involves doing something that is clearly unsafe. They may have violated traffic statutes by traveling at a speed far over the posted limit. They may have engaged in street racing or driving the wrong way down a one-way street. When someone's actions would seem clearly unsafe to the average, reasonable adult, particularly if they violate traffic statutes, the motorist at fault was negligent.
Drivers fail to do something necessary
Negligence can involve omissions or a failure to act as easily as it can involve making an unsafe choice. Distraction at the wheel can be a major contributor to negligence, as motorists may fail to do something that everyone recognizes is necessary for safety, like stopping at an intersection. Failing to adjust one's driving practices when the weather is bad by slowing down and increasing the stopping distance between vehicles could be another example of negligence by omission.
Drivers don't maintain their vehicles properly
Modern vehicles are incredibly complex and have computers that play a crucial role in the vehicle's operations. The days when people could primarily maintain vehicles in their own garages have long since passed. Newer vehicles almost always require professional maintenance because of the complexity of the systems and software designed by their manufacturers. When people are out on the road driving vehicles with bad brakes or other obvious maintenance issues, they have ignored factors that the average person understands increase their risk of a collision.
Whether a driver's actions or the condition of their vehicle cause a crash, the people affected by their negligence may have the option of filing a personal injury lawsuit. Requesting compensation for lost wages, medical bills and property damage expenses is a rational response to negligence causing otherwise preventable harm.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=546482023-07-26T16:12:00Z2023-07-10T16:00:03Z
The roads in and around New Orleans are dangerous at any time of day. It only takes a momentary lapse in judgment or focus on the part of a driver for catastrophe to occur. There are certain times when crash risk is higher, such as when the weather is terrible.
High winds and wet roads tend to have a negative impact on people's ability to drive safely. However, there don't need to be unusual circumstances for people to get into a crash. During the average day, there are actually specific times when more crashes occur than at other times. Researchers looking at collision reports, thankfully, are in a position to identify the most dangerous times of day to be on the road.
Late night and late afternoon are high-risk times
According to an analysis of crashes in 2022 provided by Louisiana State University, the most dangerous times of day around New Orleans include the late afternoon hours through the early morning. When looking at how many of deadly crashes in the state occurred at certain times, specific hours had higher risk than others.
The hours between 4 pm and 8 pm each saw roughly 5% of the deadly crashes in the state. The rate of deadly crashes surges between 8 pm and 9 pm, with more than 7% of the fatalities occurring during that hour. Between 9 pm and 1 am, each hour hovers around 5%. 2 am to 3 am also saw 5% of the deadly crashes in 2022, and then rates dropped to between 3 and 4% for the morning and early afternoon.
What does this mean for motorists?
Regardless of someone's lifestyle, it is nearly impossible to consistently avoid being on the road during the afternoon rush hour and any time after until the early morning hours. But, drivers may want to reduce how much time they are on the road during those high-risk times, and they may also want to redouble their focus on safety when they know that their collision risk is higher than average.]]>On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLChttps://www.truittlaw.com/?p=546052023-07-26T14:48:29Z2023-06-12T12:02:24ZVarious roads and interstates in Louisiana experience far higher collision rates than most other thoroughfares. When looking at the overall number of collisions that occur, the number of vehicles involved and the severity of the consequences for the affected individuals, certain roads are clearly more dangerous for the public than others.
When talking about the most dangerous roads in Louisiana and the New Orleans area, Interstate 10 or I-10 almost inevitably comes up. In fact, experts looking at statewide crash reports named I-10 East between Exit 231A and 239B as the most dangerous section of road in the entire state. Between 2018 and 2020, there were 13 deadly crashes on this 4.7-mile section of highway, more than on any other single stretch of road in the state.
Why is I-10 such a dangerous route?
The volume of traffic
As one of the highways that stretches all the way from the West Coast to the East Coast, I-10 is a major corridor. It brings heavy traffic through the state of Louisiana that just so happens to travel through New Orleans, resulting in very heavy traffic density at relatively high speeds. Drivers coming from Texas or Alabama may enter the state on I-10 and may cross through the state as quickly as possible if their destination is elsewhere. There are also plenty of commercial trucks traveling through and across Louisiana that use I-10 as part of their route. So much traffic and so many commercial vehicles inevitably cause a large number of crashes, many of which are very severe.
Extreme and multi-car collisions
High speeds, big differences in vehicle sizes and bad weather can all combine to produce absolutely devastating collisions. I-10 sees more than its fair share of multi-vehicle collisions and deadly crashes. Sections of the interstate outside of urban centers may not have much lighting, and the interstate can become even more dangerous during times of inclement weather.
Motorists often can't avoid driving on I-10 entirely unless they want to substantially lengthen their travel. However, they very likely can be a bit more cautious on I-10 if they understand the level of risk they have on that route in particular. Understanding where crash risk is highest and why may help drivers make safer choices about which routes they take.]]>