Alabama Injury Lawyer Blog

Looking around Alabama, I see many opportunities to reduce the number of injuries and even deaths that occur in the course of our daily activities. From Huntsville to Birmingham all the way down to Mobile, I’ve heard so many personal injury horror stories it’s amazing that more people aren’t hurt or killed simply by going about their life.

From cleaning gutters without taking the proper safety precautions to home electrocutions as a result of not installing ground fault circuit interrupter devices, many of these accidents can be prevented with a little forethought. And I won’t even go into industrial accidents and work-related injuries.

Even with all this, something got me thinking the other day when I heard a very grim statistic in the news. Did you know that Alabama is number two in the nation when it comes to gun-related deaths? We shouldn’t be surprised, since the number of gun accidents directly correlates to total gun ownership. Although most gun owners in our state are conscientious, we could still do a better job in regard to gun safety.

As a Birmingham personal injury lawyer, I must state that there are few events more devastating to a family and a community as a child hurt or killed by a family’s firearm. These are not toys, though kids don’t always know the difference, especially the young ones. Gun ownership is a right, but that right comes with a huge responsibility to your family, your neighborhood and society in general.

If you don’t believe me, take a look at the statistics. According to the National Education Association Health Information Network, the rate of firearm deaths among children under the age of 15 is nearly 12 times higher in the United States than in 25 other industrialized nations combined. And sadly, American children are 16 times more likely to be murdered with a gun than in all these other countries combined.

Some people may say they can’t prevent gun-related homicides involving kids, but there is an area that needs real attention. Deaths from family-owned firearms. Fact: American kids under 15 years old are 11 times more likely to commit suicide using a gun, and nine times more likely to die from a firearm accident than children in those other industrialized countries.

How do the numbers stack up? Louisiana has the highest rate of gun deaths -- almost 20 per 100,000 of the population -- with Alabama a close second at about 17 gun-related fatalities per 100,000 people. No surprise there, since 57.2 percent of Alabama households have guns, according to a spokesperson for the Violence Policy Center. Alaska, Mississippi and Nevada are the runners up in this gloomy assessment of firearm safety.

The bottom line, Alabama: Unload your guns and lock them up when not in use. Gun owners are the first line of defense against the senseless tragedies we read about in the news every day.

Alabama ranks second in gun deaths, TimeDaily.com, June 16, 2009

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Gun-related Injuries , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

Tags: Accidental Shooting, Children, Death, Firearm Safety, Gun Deaths, Gunshot Wound, Personal Injury, Teen Suicide, Toy Gun

Bookmark:

A former school board member and bank president from Marshall County was sentenced this week for a 2005 DUI accident that sent a 16-yeal-old girl to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Conrad Hamilton, 65, who pled guilty this past March to felony assault, ran a stop sign at Alabama 69 and Fourth Street NE on Christmas Eve and smashed into the vehicle in which Tiffany Hill was riding.

The accident left the Arab High School student unconscious and on full life support with severe brain injuries. According to reports, she was in the hospital for three weeks, 10 of those in the ICU. Upon returning home, her parents noticed a tremendous change in the girl. Her brain trauma had left her with the mental capacity of a seven-year-old and required her to be on medication to prevent seizures.

Because of the accident, Hill missed the second half of her sophomore year and had to repeat the grade, as well as enroll in special education classes. According to recent reports, she still has some short-term memory loss and although she graduated high school, she has a hard time with reading and comprehension. She also experiences bad headaches everyday.

I’ve counseled clients who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence and the stories are too sad to relate. Many times, the penalties that our legal system hands out are insufficient from the family’s standpoint. This is why it is so important to retain a skilled legal professional. As an experienced Birmingham personal injury attorney, I aggressively represent my clients to the utmost of my abilities.

In this case, the judge said he had a difficult decision to make, because the defendant was not only remorseful, but also a respected member of the community. Nevertheless, Mr. Hamilton made a conscious choice to drive drunk that December night and the judge let that fact, along with the young victim’s extensive injuries, guide his decision.

In the end, the judge sentenced Hamilton to a suspended six-year jail term with the Alabama Department of Corrections; three years probation; six months in the county jail; 500 hours of community service; fines and court costs; and an order to complete a Marshall County Court Referral program.

The judge also added another 12-month jail sentence at the end of Hamilton's probation, saying that whether or not Hamilton has to serve the additional 12 months would depend on his conduct during the probationary period.

It’s a shame that the victim and her family had to wait three years for closure in this case, yet their pain will continue regardless of the punishment the court recently handed down, which is why I have made it my mission to help clients with similar personal injury stories.

Hamilton sentenced to six months in the Marshall County Jail, TheArabTribune.com, June 8, 2009

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Brain Injuries , Car Accidents

Tags: accident, brain, defense, dui, ICU, jail, medication, mental capacity, personal injury, seizure, sentence

Bookmark:

Summer is here and soon school will be letting out. Every Alabama family knows with summer vacation comes that annual trek to the amusement park. Whether it’s a facility in Huntsville or Bessemer, Auburn or Dothan, for most folks the thought of broken bones, closed-head injuries or even accidental death are hardly things that come readily to mind while strolling down those colorful and noisy midways.

As a Birmingham personal injury attorney, I enjoy some controlled excitement from time to time, but a recent article got me thinking about theme park safety. Amid the smell of cotton candy and sounds of children having a great time, there could be danger lurking. Exercise caution the next time you go.

Some people worry all the time about being injured on roller coasters, but most don’t give it a second thought. But beneath their glossy, candy-colored exteriors, rides may be shoddily maintained, which can easily turn a roller coaster ride deadly. And although amusement park owners point to an impressive-sounding 0.00057-percent industry accident rate, experts say that number is misleading because the actual accident reporting is left to the parks themselves. Underreporting may be the norm since the more they report, the more fines they incur and the more trouble they get into.

The most chilling news is that not all amusement parks are inspected equally. Some states, Alabama among them, do not regulate rides at all. Others such as Mississippi and Washington, D.C., regulate traveling carnivals but not permanent ones. Among the safest states are Florida and Pennsylvania, both of which employ full-time inspectors who do nothing but evaluate amusement rides for safety.

Unfortunately, better legislative attention only comes following a tragedy. In California, legislation to regulate theme parks was introduced after a 1997 disaster at Waterworld USA, where a waterslide collapsed and killed one high school student while injuring 32 others after they attempted to climb on together. As a result, California now has permanent theme park regulations.

Drowning is not the only threat at water parks. A 22-year-old broke his neck after going down head first on a waterslide at a New Jersey park. The six-foot-two, 225-pound man either hit the bottom of the pool with his head or simply the force of hitting the water snapped his neck back. Regardless, he is now a quadriplegic -- the park settled his personal injury suit for $4 million.

According to experts, waterslides can turn riders into human projectiles hurtling at speed up to 25 miles per hour and requiring levels of physical competence that are simply unnecessary for riding even the scariest roller coaster. While the physical challenge is clearly part of the fun, it also increases the level of risk. The danger lies many times in the illusion that a water ride is safe, and because parks sell their rides as amusements that are entertaining and fun.

10 Things Theme Parks Won't Tell You, SmartMoney.com, May 29, 2009

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

Tags: amusment, injury, law suit, roller coaster, theme park, wrongful death

Bookmark:

A multiple-vehicle accident in east Montgomery, AL, on the afternoon of May 14 caused two public school buses to collide, and resulted in one child being sent to the hospital with neck and shoulder injuries. The collision occurred on a service road and included two other passenger vehicles.

According to police, three individuals were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries. Two Montgomery County Public School students and a third person from one of the passenger vehicles were transported by ambulance. The personal injuries included one student’s hand, while a second student suffered from injuries to the neck and shoulders. There was no immediate information on the third victim.

As an Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer, I can tell you that these types of accidents happen quite often. And while reports of this accident say the injuries were minor, this is not always the case. Not to mention that even minor injuries can become a source of constant pain and discomfort for years to come. The only way to be sure your rights are protected is to enlist the help of a qualified personal injury attorney. This incident involved children, which is all the more concerning.

It all happened when the two buses belonging to Montgomery County school system were traveling from Georgia Washington School to Baldwin on a service road around 2:40 p.m. Based on reports, it appears that second bus hit the first bus from behind, thus starting the chain reaction accident. After being hit, the first bus slammed into the rear of a Mazda passenger car, which itself rear-ended a pickup truck in front of it.

A spokesman for the school district said there were approximately 15 students on each bus at the time. Another bus was dispatched to the scene to pick up the remaining children, who were then taken to Georgia Washington school to be evaluated before being sent home.

While the exact reason for the crash has yet to be determined, the injuries were real and police are continuing their investigation. Regardless of the severity of an accident, if you or a relative has received injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence, you should consult with a qualified legal professional, such as the staff at Eversole Law. We offer free initial consultation to help you understand your rights in cases of personal injury.

Minor injuries in double MPS bus crash, WSFA.com, May 14, 2009

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Car Accidents

Tags: Accident, Bus, Crash, Head Injury, Multiple, Personal Injury, Vehicle

Bookmark:

Authorities recently arrested an Alabama truck driver who allegedly caused a fatal multi-vehicle pileup in Missouri almost ten months ago. The highway crash, which caused three deaths and more than a dozen injuries, was the result of a seemingly simple distraction from a ringing cell phone. The regrettable thing is that the Muscle Shoals resident reportedly had a clean driving record. Yet his actions have irreversibly altered the lives of many victims and their families.

As a Birmingham Personal Injury Attorney, I have encountered many stories just like this one. This case shows how many individuals can be affected by the actions of just one person, and why it is important to retain the services of a qualified legal professional to represent your interests. The plaintiffs are just now preparing themselves to face the ordeal all over again in a court of law, nearly a year after the actual incident.

What happened that mid-July afternoon was a disaster in the making. According to reports, Jeffrey R. Knight, 49, was driving a 2005 Freightliner loaded with scrap aluminum. By his own admission, Knight told investigators that he had been distracted by a cell phone.

A highway patrol report quotes Knight as saying, "I reached across the dash to get my cell phone. I flipped the phone open, looked back at traffic, and I was there right at the last car (in the line of cars stuck in traffic). I didn't see any brake lights or emergency flashers. After I hit the first car, I just remember holding the steering wheel and seeing cars going to my left and right."

The aftermath told the story. The truck ran into, and over, a line of 10 vehicles that had backed up on eastbound Highway 40 (Interstate 64) just west of Interstate 270. Three people died and 15 were injured.

Two of those killed were Amish from northeastern Missouri who were headed to a funeral in Tennessee with a hired driver. Lydia Miller, 55, died the day of the crash, and Alvin Mast, 88, died two days later. Charles "Keith" Cason, a 55-year-old copier salesman on a business trip, was in the first vehicle to be rear-ended by the truck. He died immediately, according to authorities.

Knight, who until that day had a clean driving record, was charged April 8 with three counts of second-degree involuntary manslaughter, which alleges that the deaths resulted from "criminal negligence." According to authorities, each count is punishable by up to four years in prison.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, the legal professionals at Eversole Law are ready to help you.

Alabama trucker, distracted by cell phone, charged with crash that killed 3 here, STLToday, April 15, 2009

Investigation continues six months after deadly pileup, STLToday.com, January 13, 2009

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Car Accidents , Personal Injury , Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death

Tags: Automobile Accidents, Injury, Manslaughter, Truck Crash, Wrongful Death

Bookmark:

Several employees at Frit Car in Brewton were injured on the job the afternoon of April 3 after being overcome by fumes inside the railway tank car they were servicing. Fortunately, someone was able to call for help, resulting in the Brewton Fire Department and Escambia County EMS responding to the scene, backed up by officers from the Brewton Police and Alabama Department of Public Safety.

Commercial and industrial accidents can be deadly and victims can suffer permanent bodily injury, and sometimes death. As a Birmingham Personal Injury Lawyer, I have experience representing the interests of my clients following a tragic accidental death or injury, such as these people endured.

Of the four, two of the workers were flown by LifeFlight to outlying hospitals, while a third was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, according to Brewton Fire Chief Lawrence Weaver. The fourth worker, who was not severely injured, received treatment at the scene.

According to reports, rescue personnel determined that the chemical fumes were isolated to within the rail car itself and that no other company employees, or the general public, were in danger from further exposure. Apparently, the four were exposed to a high concentration of fumes from a rubber solvent compound that is used to coat the inner walls of the tank.

Depending on the particular situation, a construction, commercial or industrial accident could result in personal injury or death. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of an accident on the job, we at Eversole Law recommend that you contact us immediately to protect your rights.

BREAKING NEWS: Workers injured at Frit Car, BrewtonStandard.com, April 3, 2009

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Worker's Compensation

Tags: industrial accident, injury on the job, workers compensation

Bookmark:

The Alabama House of Representatives voted last Thursday to place tougher restrictions on teen drivers. The new bill will require 16 and 17 year old drivers to be off the roads by 10:00 p.m. on the weekends and 11:00 p.m. on the weekends. The new law is designed to make Alabama roads safer. The bill was proposed after a number of recent fatal accidents on Alabama roadways by teen drivers. According to the sponsor of the bill, Mac Gipson of Prattville, teen drivers make up fifteen percent of all highways deaths but only six percent of drivers are teens. Thus, teen drivers account for a disproportionate amount of fatal accidents on Alabama highways.
I am concerned that this law will give law enforcement more reason to target younger looking drivers, and I am not sure of its effectiveness. I do know, if this law was around when I was a teen, my love life would have suffered greatly. I think a more appropriate measure would be to mandate longer permit periods and better driver's education programs. If a teen were to get his driver's permit at 14 and have two years of driver's education, fatal accident on Alabama roadways involving teenagers would decline without the draconian measures advocated by the Alabama legislature.

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Car Accidents

Tags: Accident Prevention, Fatal Car Crashes, Teens & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

I am an Alabama wrongful death lawyer and attorney who focuses his practice on personal injury and wrongful death. We are centrally located in Birmingham, Alabama so that we may regularly serve the entire state of Alabama conveniently. If you have lost a loved one in an accident or by some other negligent means, you deserve to get full compensation for your lost. Many wrongful death cases settle without going to court for millions of dollars. My firm will vigorously defend your rights and obtain the maximum compensation for your loss. We serve Alabama wrongful death clients throughout the state of Alabama in cities like Birmingham, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Fultondale, Gardendale, Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Dothan, Mobile, Guntersville, Moody, Leeds, Fort Payne, Boaz, Pell City, Scottsboro, Pelham, Arab, Decatur, Florence, Cullman, and in counties like Jefferson, Shelby St. Clair, Walker, Montgomery, Madison, Escambia and throughout the state of Alabama. If you have lost a loved one as a result of someone's negligence, you owe it to yourself to call a law firm that focuses it's Alabama practice on wrongful death cases. We will not rest until we collect the maximum amount possible under the law. Do not settle a case without first speaking to an Alabama wrongful death lawyer and attorney.

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

Bookmark:

Eversole Law focuses its pratice on helping those who have been injured in an Alabama trucking accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in an Alabama trucking accident, you owe it to yourself to call the Alabama trucking accident lawyers and attorneys of Eversole Law. Our firm will fight to the very end for your rights. Do not settle any claim without first speaking to knowledgeable Alabama truck accident lawyers and attorneys at Eversole Law. You can bet the trucking company and it's insurance carrier has attorneys and lawyers working for them, you should too. Do not settle for less, go with the best. My firm is here for you 24/7.

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Truck Accidents

Tags: Truck Crash Lawyers, Trucking Accident Attorneys, Trucking Accidents

Bookmark:

My office protecst the rights of the injured; whether it be in an auto accident, slip and fall case, dog bites, or those injured on the job. As an Birmingham, Alabama worker's compensation lawyer and attorney, my office represents clients injured on the job throughout the state of Alabama. If you have been injured while at work, or while performing job related work, you have a right to workmen's compensation. If you have been injured on the job, do not settle any claim without first speaking to an attorney who focuses their practice on Alabama worker's compensation. An experienced workmen's comp. lawyer and attorney will be able to get the maximum award you are entitled under Alabama's workmen's compensation laws. The companies and insurance carriers have lawyers working on against you, you should have a qualified Alabama worker's compensation lawyer working on your side as well. DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS THAN YOU ARE ENTITLED! Call my Alabama worker's compensation firm today for a free evaluation. And remember, there is no fee unless we collect on your worker's compensation claim.

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury , Worker's Compensation

Bookmark:

I am a Birmingham, Alabama personal injury lawyer and attorney serving clients throughout the state of Alabama, in cities like Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, Trussville, Pelham, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Gardendale, Fultondale, Fort Payne, Scottsboro, Guntersville, Florence and all across the state of Alabama. I represent Alabama personal injury clients in slip and fall cases, car and auto accidents, nursing home abuse, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, tractor accidents, medical malpractice, failure to diagnose cases, wrongful death, workers compensation, dog and animal bites, insurance disputes, brain injuries, and birth injuries. If you have been injured in Alabama, you need an Alabama lawyer who focuses his practice on Alabama personal injury law. The insurance companies have millions of dollars and hundreds of attorneys working for them, make sure you hire an Alabama personal injury lawyer to protect your rights.

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Personal Injury

Tags: Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer, Birmingham Personal Injury Lawyer

Bookmark:

I am a Birmingham, Alabama personal injury and car accident lawyer and attorney. I represent clients throughout the state of Alabama who need help protecting their rights. Insurance companies have millions of dollars and hundreds of car accident lawyers working against your claim. If you or a loved one have been injured in a Alabama car accident, you need to contact an Alabama car accident attorney who focuses his practice on personal injury and car accidents. My firm will work endlessly to obtain maximum compensation for your injuries. Eversole Law represents personal injury and car accident victims in Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Hoover, Cullman, Bessemer, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Florence, Fort Payne, Anniston, Gadsden, Scottsboro, Decatur, Trussville, Gardendale, Fultondale, Moody, Leeds, Pell City, Pelham, Priceville, Guntersville, Dothan and all across the state of Alabama. We will not rest until those responsibile for your personal injury and car accident are held accountable.

Posted by Steven D. Eversole | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Car Accidents , Personal Injury

Tags: Alabama Car Accident Lawyer and Attorney, Alabama Personal Injury Law, Automobile Accidents, Car Crash

Bookmark: