Need an oil spill lawyer? We will fight for you!
› $150,000,000 verdict in personal injury case
The words “fuel economy” pack more appeal for American car buyers than any other time in automotive history. Motivated by financial strains to cut costs and inspired by the Green Revolution to reduce fuel consumption, millions of Americans are turning to smaller and smaller car models. But are mini and micro size cars, which are so common on European streets, safe for people to use on American roads and interstates?
Dozens of accident victims and their lawyers made their way to Washington, DC, and the halls of Capitol Hill last week, urging lawmakers and the Obama administration to protect their ability to pursue medical claims against Chrysler and General Motors.
In February, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety raised the bar on the auto industry, announcing that it would require automobiles to withstand 4 times their own weight in a static roof crush test to qualify as contenders for the institute’s highest vehicle safety ranking. The test, also known as strength-to-weight ratio, has made the IIHS “Top Safety Pick” rating a little harder to earn. But that is good news for the consumer, as the auto industry covets good IIHS grades. Car manufacturers generally will work harder and make the improvements they need to make in order to earn higher IIHS rankings.
Consumer and safety advocates nationwide are praising President Obama’s reported nomination of Chuck Hurley to serve as the next leader of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – the government agency that sets the standards for automobile roof crush strength. Actually, setting roof crush standards is not something the NHTSA has done much of since 1971 — the year it established the alarmingly weak standards that are still on the books today. Safety advocates hope that Hurley will overhaul the weak standards, which were written so many decades ago, by the auto companies and for the auto companies.
KGTV of San Diego recently published the tragically characteristic story of Luis Pena, a California border patrol agent whose truck rolled over a year and a half ago while he was driving one night while on duty. His truck’s roof caved in, compacting Pena’s body and crushing his spine.
One side of Carol Stanley’s fight to balance the scales of justice is her work with the Crime Victims Task Force. As we explained in the previous segment, Carol is working with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office to make the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights enforceable, much the way it is in several other states. The other side of her work involves meeting with her state legislators to amend a law and make it easier to prosecute acts of violence that result in traumatic brain injury.
Bobbie Wakefield was driving her employer’s van along I-35 in Duluth, Minnesota, when she ran into something akin to a brick wall. She had struck a street sweeping vehicle operated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The vehicle was traveling 22-23 mph on an interstate where the minimum speed is 40 mph without an “early warning” vehicle traveling behind it.
Legal experts say that a woman whose pet chimpanzee attacked and mutilated her best friend could face a civil law suit. The state of Connecticut may also face a lawsuit for failing to take action.
55-year-old Charla Nash of Stamford, Conn. suffered extensive debilitating injuries to her face and hands when her friend’s chimp attacked her unexpectedly. Nash had arrived at her friend’s house to help her lure the chimp back inside the house when she was attacked outside of the house.
Montgomery, Ala. – Beasley Allen attorneys filed a personal injury lawsuit today in the Circuit Court of Etowah County, Alabama, on behalf of Terry Franklin against Zurich North American Insurance, Inc., Foxes Lounge, and Clayton Morgan. According to the complaint, Franklin was driving a tractor trailer on Highway 278 when defendant Morgan, driving a pick up truck in the opposite direction, attempted to make a left turn and collided with the plaintiff. The incident occurred on May 15, 2008. Franklin was severely injured in the collision and seeks compensatory and punitive damages in addition to legal fees.
For years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers have resisted even the slightest boost in roof crush standards. Now, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has stepped in to raise the bar on roof strength standards.
![[ Beasley Allen Law Firm Logo ]](http://www.southerninjurylawyer.com/wp-content/themes/system-unity/images/logo.png){kind=logo}