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How Pedestrian Behaviors Can Help Prevent Accidents in Mississippi

Statistics show that more than 4,300 pedestrians are killed in traffic accidents each year in the United States, with the afternoon and evening hours being the most dangerous, and nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities occurring on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Obviously, pedestrians are much more likely to come out on the losing end when they are hit by a car which is basically thousands of pounds of steel and glass. While the driver and passengers inside the car are protected to a certain degree, especially when the car strikes a pedestrian, the pedestrian is completely vulnerable to injury.

Children between the ages of 5 and 10 are the most likely victims of a pedestrian-car accident, although those over age 65 also account for a large percentage of pedestrian accidents. Halloween is a particularly dangerous night for children, although New Year’s Day still holds the record for the highest pedestrian fatality rates. While many accidents between a car and a pedestrian are the result of a distracted or negligent driver, there are specific actions pedestrians can take to avoid becoming a casualty in a car-pedestrian accident.

Ways Pedestrians Can Avert Disaster

Pedestrians should strive to be fairly predictable when they are walking on busy streets, and understand that drivers are frequently distracted and probably aren’t watching out for pedestrians like they should be. Make sure you always walk in designated places, and cross only at crosswalks. You must obey all traffic laws and signs, and never attempt to cross the street on a red light simply because you don’t see a car coming, or it seems far enough away. If you are forced to walk in an area without sidewalks, make sure you walk on the side facing the oncoming traffic, and if there is little shoulder to the road, stand still when cars pass you.

Wear either light or bright colors to make you more easily visible, and if you walk at night, make sure you have a jacket or shirt with reflective tape on it. Walk defensively in the same way you drive defensively, meaning don’t talk on your phone, text, or use headsets or MP3 players which could cause you to miss the necessary sounds of traffic. Obviously, don’t walk when you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, even certain prescription drugs. Even if you have a green light in the crosswalk, look left, right and left again before you walk. Never assume that because you can see a driver he or she can see you as well. Drivers can be multi-tasking (never a good idea) while they drive, meaning they may be more focused on the burrito they’re eating, the radio station they’re fiddling with or the ringing cell phone on the dash than looking out for pedestrians.

If You’ve Been in an Accident

If you’ve been the victim of a pedestrian-car accident, you likely have serious, even life-threatening injuries which can takes months or even years to completely heal. Vehicles are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and those who ignore this law can face fine or prosecution if their negligence resulting in pedestrian injuries. It is important that you contact a personal injury attorney who has experience dealing with pedestrian accidents so you will have an advocate in your corner who will look out for your well-being. You need to be focused on getting better and getting your life back on track, and your attorney can focus on getting you the compensation you need to do so. You need help for your medical bills and your lost wages, so don’t delay in calling an attorney.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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How Red Light Cameras May Actually Cause Auto Accidents in Mississippi

The very first red light camera ticketing device was used in New York City in 1993. Since that time, some 24 states have implemented red light cameras while another 15 have banned them altogether. You may wonder why there is such a divided opinion on the use of these automated ticketing systems. Research and studies don’t seem to provide a definitive answer as to whether these systems cause accidents or prevent them as you will read both opinions almost equally. If you’ve been the victim of an accident you believe to have been caused by a red light camera, it’s important to have an experienced attorney who is well aware of the diverse opinions regarding red light camera accidents.

Red Light Cameras May Reduce Some Accidents

When referring to broadside car crashes, red light cameras may actually reduce these types of accidents. Broadside car crashes are caused when a car illegally enters crossing traffic, crashing squarely into the side of another car. Slightly more studies than not have shown this particular type of accident is a bit reduced through the use of red light cameras. The Washington Post, however, conducted a study of traffic accidents at intersections policed by red light cameras and found T-bone collisions actually rose 30 percent. The underlying theory is that motorists are less likely to run a yellow or flat-out red light if they are aware of the red light camera at the intersection, however this theory does not always hold true.

Red Light Cameras May Cause Accidents

Even though red-light cameras are occasionally credited with reducing broadside car accidents, they are almost universally given credit for increasing the incidence of rear-end accidents. This occurs when a person is headed through an intersection when the light is green, or has barely turned yellow. They realize there is a red light camera up on the pole and slam on their brakes in an attempt to avoid a ticket in the mail a week down the road. Unfortunately, the person behind them was not privy to that thought process, so plows right into the car whose driver made the sudden—and ill-advised—decision to stop instead of continuing safely through the intersection. In almost every study done, rear-end accidents increased significantly at intersections where red-light camera ticketing systems were being used.

Weighing the Evidence

Because a broadside crash will generally cause more severe injuries than a rear end accident—though not always—proponents of red light cameras believe there are less serious injuries when red light cameras are in place. However, the Washington Post investigation once more found to the contrary, stating that both injury and fatal crashes increases as much as 80% in intersections where red light cameras were used.

What is Spillover Effect?

When drivers change their behavior around other intersections in the area whether or not they are equipped with red light cameras, this is known as spillover effect, meaning that if the red light cameras change behavior—whether negatively or positively—then the behavior is also changed at non-camera intersections. The assumption is that if a red light camera at one intersection brings positive changes to driver’s behavior, then this positive behavior will spill over to all intersections in the area. The same would be true if you believe red light cameras result in negative driver behavior and more accidents.

The truth is, whether red light cameras increase auto accidents or decrease them, as long as they are bringing in the huge amounts of revenue they currently are, they will remain in full force. Municipalities find red-light cameras an easy way to increase city revenues without the need of a human body patrolling the area constantly on the off chance they will catch someone sailing through a red light. If you believe a red-light camera was directly responsible for your accident with injuries, a Mississippi personal injury attorney will be able to advise you as to whether it is likely you could receive a settlement through filing a claim.

Call and speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer from Barrett Law, PLLC.  Be sure to visit our web blog for more helpful information about your case or call us for a free consultation to answer your important questions.

The attorneys at Barrett Law, PLLC serve people throughout Mississippi including: North Mississippi, Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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Driving Tips to Help You Survive an Auto Accident in Mississippi

While the vast majority of auto accidents are unavoidable, a skilled driver can minimize the chances of serious injury to all those in the car by being aware of a few simple driving tips. In many cases, the difference between a horrifying wreck and a crash which is survivable could be the brake pedal you neglected to hit or the clearing you failed to look for. While defensive driving can involve making decisions which feel counterintuitive, keep in mind that an accident occurs in a fraction of a second, and learning how to anticipate other driver’s actions can help you survive the accident.

Remember What your Parents Told You—Steer to the Right

Metal, fiberglass and glass can be repaired, but sometimes bodies cannot. If there is a potential accident looming ahead of you such as a multi-car pile-up or a car driving the wrong way, your natural reaction should be to steer to the right. Yes, there may be a guard rail, a fence or a tree in your way, but keep in mind that none of those objects will be traveling at high rates of speed. If you turn to the left you may find yourself in a deadly head-on collision should you cross the median, and if you keep your car going straight, you will end up hitting the car in front of you, and the car in back will likely hit you, and so on. Most roadways have some clearance on the right hand side of the road, and this space is intended for driving emergencies, so use it in any way which will avoid a worse accident.

Accelerate, Don’t Brake

It is most people’s instinct to brake in response to a driving threat, but in some cases you could lessen your chance of serious injury by accelerating instead. When you brake at a high rate of speed, you have effectively limited your maneuverability and will probably still plow into the car ahead of you. Instead of braking, try to anticipate the other driver’s actions and look for an opportunity to accelerate out of the accident, possibly on the right hand side, if it’s clear. Although you are not trained to drive like a NASCAR driver, you may need to think like one in the face of an auto accident.

If a Crash is Unavoidable, Minimize the Damage

Your primary goal should be to avoid head-on collisions with another vehicle or a front-end collision at a high rate of speed into a large immovable object such as a concrete barrier. Do as much as you possibly can to control your speed in the event of an impending accident. Obviously, the faster you are driving, the more damage you will sustain. Your car is weaker, structurally speaking, on the sides, so avoid a side impact if at all possible. If you see another car headed toward you, accelerating might allow the car to hit the rear side of your car rather than dead center.

Don’t bend over or cover your head in response to an impending accident—the damage your neck will sustain when the air bag hits your head will be much worse than if you had remained upright. Never drive or ride in a car which is not outfitted with safety belts and other safety features, and make sure those safety features are regularly serviced. Store objects within your car where they will not fly up and hit you in the event of a car crash. Even small objects can become lethal flying projectiles during a collision. Above all, remain focused and calm and you vastly improve your chances of coming through an accident alive. If you’ve been the victim of an automobile accident, contact a Mississippi personal injury attorney from our law firm immediately to give us all the particulars of the accident so we can best represent your interests.

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Facial Injuries and Scars Following an Auto Accident in Mississippi

Facial injuries, which result from an auto accident, can lead to mild or severe scarring on the face, and such scarring can cause lifelong trauma. Not only will you deal with the physical trauma and pain of surgeries and skin grafts, you will also deal with the emotional trauma of having scars that can be seen by everyone in your life. Facial scarring can lead to severe depression and self-consciousness, and can severely limit the opportunities in life.

Typical Facial Injuries Following an Auto Accident in Mississippi

Although some injuries which are sustained during an auto accident are relatively minor and will heal with little visible reminder, other facial injuries are much more severe, and result in permanent, life-changing facial scars which are devastating to the victims. During a car accident, a victim’s face can be cut from flying glass punctured by parts of the automobile, scraped, burned and bruised. There can be fractures to the jaw and cheekbone, temporary or permanent nerve damage, severe injuries to the eyes and nose, and damage to the mouth and teeth. In addition to these facial injuries being potentially disfiguring, there is likely to be considerable amounts of pain involved as well. Recovery times following severe facial injuries can be long, expensive and grueling, requiring multiple surgeries.

Immediately Following Your Mississippi Auto Accident

Following your auto accident emergency personnel will first address the immediate medical concerns such as ensuring your airway is clear, controlling your facial bleeding, preventing infection and dealing with your pain. Once these immediate issues are taken care of, your doctors will take the greatest care to minimize future scarring or disfigurement. You will likely be sent to X-ray to determine if there are any fractured bones in your face, you will receive stitches for any open lacerations, and may be sent for a CT scan which can rule out brain trauma. Surgery to treat broken facial bones can include the use of specialized titanium plates and screws, and immediate plastic surgery may be called for to reduce scarring and bone deformities. If the nose was the damaged part of the face, plastic surgery will re-sculpt the nose in an effort to make it look as close as possible to the pre-injury nose.

What Victims of Facial Injuries Lose

Victims of facial injuries will likely be unable to work for at least a period of time, losing income and possibly even their job. Not only are they vulnerable to present lost income, but future lost income as well. Because our identities are so closely tied to our appearance, any type of facial disfigurement can cause emotional trauma. Additionally, our American society is so tied to the perception of beauty, that we have been programmed to believe our outward appearance defines us in a way little else does.

People who are considered by society to be extremely pretty or handsome can have even more difficulty dealing with a facial scar or disfigurement because it alters everything they have learned to believe about themselves. Victims of facial injuries and scarring can experience frustration, anxiety, fear and depression when learning to deal with their injuries, all of which lead to a loss of enjoyment of life. The individual who has suffered facial trauma may lose their ability to socialize with others or engage in their normal, daily activities.

Where to Get Help

Unfortunately, first impressions do matter, and if you are a victim of facial injuries which led to scarring and permanent disfigurement, you are well aware of this. You have likely suffered through multiple painful and expensive surgeries, and you need to be fairly compensated for your medical bills as well as your lost wages and pain and suffering. It’s important that you find speak with an experienced Mississippi auto accident attorney from our law firm who will fight aggressively for your rights and get you the settlement you need and deserve.

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Have You Been Injured in an Airplane Crash in Mississippi?

Often the most devastating losses can result from a plane crash, yet many times the cause of the crash is a mystery. Aviation accident law is, as you can imagine, somewhat of a specialty, covering both major airline crashes as well as general aviation crashes such as small private planes, hang gliders, charter flights, helicopters and hot air balloons, to name a few.  Both negligence and product liability may come into play following an airplane crash which resulted in death and serious injury. Investigations may prove there was no pilot error involved, and, if this is the case, then the evidence will need to be meticulously sifted through in order to determine whether the plane suffered a specific defect in design or manufacture.

The reality is, planes generally don’t malfunction unless there was some type of equipment error and jet planes can actually be considered among the safest and most reliable modes of transportation. Smaller aircraft tend to perform less consistently, usually because of faulty maintenance. If you’ve been injured or had a loved one killed in a plane crash, you will need an attorney who can peruse the flight logs and the planes maintenance records when performing an investigation of the accident. Your lawyer becomes an investigator in cases involving airplanes, and will work closely with the National Transportation Safety Bureau in an effort to zero in on the agency at fault and prove liability.

Crash Statistics

While it is considered to be over four times safer to fly in an airplane than to drive a car, airline accidents usually have much more tragic consequences. If you discount terrorist threats, your chances of being in a commercial airplane crash are one in 7 million, meaning you could fly every single day for hundreds of years and avoid being in an accident.  Because of greatly improved aviation safety standards, even if you are in a plane crash, your chances of survival are much greater than in the past.

Causes of Aviation Accidents

As stated, pilot error and faulty equipment are the two primary causes of aviation accidents, however in some cases the accident and subsequent injuries are caused by violations of the FAA, structural issues of the aircraft, negligence of airline employees or air traffic controllers and dangerous or defective manufacture or design of aircraft. Pilot error is often divided into three sections: straight pilot error, weather-related pilot error and mechanically-related pilot error.

Injury Causes and Types

Obviously when a huge metal object falls from the sky and hits the ground there will be injuries and death to the people inside. Some of the more common injuries are actually the result of luggage or items which fall from the overhead bins onto passengers during an airplane crash. Even absent a crash, turbulence, flaws in bin designs or employee negligence can also cause objects to fall form the overhead bins and strike passengers, causing minor to serious accidents. Other crash victims will sustain permanently life changing injuries including burns, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and minor to severe disfigurement.

The Expertise of Your Mississippi Airplane Attorney

A knowledgeable airline attorney will have access to medical professionals and expert crash witnesses which will enable them to help you through your injuries, allowing you to obtain the compensation you need and deserve. Airplane attorneys are also well-versed in the FAA regulations which must be strictly followed by airlines and their pilots. Your attorney will ensure the evidence in your case is properly preserved, and will determine the exact cause of the accident as well as whether there was negligence involved. If there was, in fact, negligence in your airplane accident, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. Don’t hesitate—call our law firm so you can put all your energies into healing and getting your life back on track.

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