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Mississippi Potholes More Than a Minor Nuisance

Many in Mississippi do not realize the serious danger that can be posed by potholes, particularly to those on motorcycles and bicycles or pedestrians.  Potholes can be as a big as a foot wide and several feet deep.  Even if you slow down to go over one, a pothole can cause a motorcycle or bicycle to tip over or a pedestrian to trip and fall.  The danger is amplified if you do not see a pothole.  The impact with a pothole on the tire of a car, truck or SUV can cause a tire blowout resulting in loss of control of the vehicle or even a rollover accident.

Potholes are typically caused by several factors such as constant driving over a tear in the asphalt or weather elements such as sleet and hail.  Rainwater is one of the biggest factors in creating potholes and causing them to expand in size.  Public entities like municipalities are typically responsible for repairing holes and cracks in streets promptly to prevent them from becoming potholes.  Because some cities do not repair the potholes littering their streets, pothole accidents are on the rise.

Potholes can have a substantial impact on a vehicle causing a tire blowout and/or loss of control of the vehicle.  Studies have shown that going over a pothole unexpectantly is like having a car hit you at over 30 mph.  This impact can result in a motorcycle or bicycle falling over resulting in catastrophic injuries or the driver of a car or SUV losing control of the vehicle.  The results of a pothole accident can be catastrophic injuries or even death.

Motorcycle accidents and bicycle accidents caused by potholes are extremely dangerous.  Because these vehicles have only two wheels, they are ill-equipped to handle going over a pothole at a high speed.  It is also important to realize that buses, trucks, minivans, and SUVs are at risk as well.  Even a larger vehicle can have its suspension, steering or tires damaged resulting in the loss of control of the vehicle and serious pothole accident related injuries.

Anyone who is aware of potholes should take pictures of the potholes in their neighborhood and surrounding areas.  It is important to make the city aware of such potholes so that they can be repaired which may prevent pothole accidents that can cause serious injuries or wrongful death.  If you have informed the city of potholes in your neighborhood, you should keep detailed records of any correspondence with city officials.  If you or someone you love is involved in a motor vehicle accident caused by a pothole, the photos and records of correspondence provide important evidence of the public entity’s knowledge of the hazardous pothole.

To reduce your chances of being a victim in a pothole accident, you should slow down and drive carefully over any potholes.  If you or someone you love suffers serious injury or wrongful death in a pothole accident, you should promptly contact a Mississippi personal injury attorney specializing in motor vehicle accidents.  At the Barrett Law Offices PLLC, we have roots that extend back over 75 years representing injury victims in Lexington and throughout Mississippi.  We offer a free initial case evaluation so that we can provide candid legal advice so call us today at (662) 834-2376.  NO RECOVERY NO FEE!

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Study of Cell Phone Bans while Driving: The Surprising Results

Distracted driving is widely acknowledged to be a leading cause of serious car crashes.  Mississippi like many states has passed legislation to reduce the risk of distracted driving car accidents caused by cell phones.  Mississippi prohibits text messaging while driving among new drivers with a learner’s permit, intermediate or temporary license.  Many other states have far more extensive bans on cell phone use while driving including bans on texting for all drivers or hands free calling only limitations.

While it was generally presumed that such legislative efforts would reduce cell phone related car accidents.  These assumptions are now being called into question based on the results of a surprising new study indicating that current hands free cell phone laws have not been effective in preventing auto accidents caused by mobile phones.  According to the results of the study, bans on cell phone use and texting while driving also have not resulted in a reduced risk of car accidents.

The study revealed that cell phone bans have not had a significant impact on auto accident rates despite declines in cell phone use while driving.  While the study authors are not suggesting changing the laws designed to limit mobile phones while driving, they are suggesting that states without cell phone bans avoid enacting new laws until further research can be conducted regarding the relationship between mobile phone use while driving and car crash rates.

The results of the recent study confirm prior research suggesting that cell phone bans do not prevent distracted driving accidents.  A prior study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute looked at cell phone related car accidents prior to and following cell phone bans in California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia and New York.  The study also revealed that there was not a significant change in the fluctuation of auto accident rates before or after the ban in the states that enacted the bans or neighboring states without bans.

The researchers in both studies are puzzled by the results of the studies.  There is wide agreement that cell phone bans result in a sharp decline in cell phone use while driving.  It is also widely agreed that there is a strong correlation between cell phone use while driving and car accidents.  Some have speculated that the bans have not resulted in fewer auto accidents because drivers simply switch to hands free calling.  However, studies have indicated that there does not appear to be in any difference in accident rates in states with hands free cell phone use laws.

While the results of this study are somewhat confounding, distracted drivers cause many Mississippi car accidents.  The recent study also revealed that drivers are distracted as much as 50 percent of the time.  If you have been injured by a distracted driver in Mississippi, the experienced Mississippi car accident attorneys at Barrett Law Office offer a free no obligation initial consultation so call us today at  (662) 834-2376.

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Drowsy Driving Poses Serious Danger of Mississippi Auto Accident Fatalities

Most drivers have had the scary experience of briefly dozing off behind the wheel only to awake in a panic as one’s vehicle drifts off the shoulder of the road. Studies show that the average motorist is getting fewer hours of sleep each night. Driver fatigue is a leading cause of serious Mississippi auto accidents resulting in life-altering injuries and wrongful death. Sixty percent of drivers in the U.S. admit to driving while drowsy and 37 percent have fallen asleep while driving. There are few driving practices more dangerous than following asleep for a three-second micro nap traveling at freeways speeds. While dozing for that short period at 65 miles per hour, a vehicle will travel the length of a football field before you realize that you dozed off.

Drowsy driving is as great a risk of causing serious auto accident as drunk driving including AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving causes as many as 100,000 accidents annually and results in forty thousand injuries and in excess of 1,500 fatalities. While drowsy or fatigued driving in Mississippi presents a danger similar to drunk driving, the practice of drowsy driving is not viewed with the same public condemnation.

Fortunately, a growing number of technologies are being developed to prevent drowsy driving or fatigue based accidents. One common form of technology that is being used by several car manufacturers to reduce the risk of fatigue related accidents is lane avoidance systems. Although there are multiple versions of these auto accident avoidance systems, generally they sound an alarm if a driver appears to be drifting into another lane. There are even accident avoidance systems that provide a more customized approach based on a driver profile including sleeping patterns, length of trip, medications and other data that impacts the tendency of a driver to be involved in a fatigue based auto accident in Mississippi.

There are a number of strategies that can be used to avoid drowsy driving including:

• A driver should travel at times that are consistent with one’s normal waking hours
• You should get a minimum of six hours of sleep at night before taking a trip
• If you are feeling tired, pull over and take a nap.
• You should schedule regular breaks every couple of hours on the road.

Even when a driver does not fall asleep, fatigue can adversely affect one’s driving ability by causing blurred vision, impaired concentration, slowed reflexes and poor judgment or decision making. Mississippi drowsy driving car accidents are especially tragic because they are entirely avoidable. At the Barrett Law Office, we have deep roots in Mississippi. We have been fighting for the rights of auto accident victims throughout Mississippi for over 75 years. Our experienced Mississippi auto accident attorneys offer a free case evaluation so contact us today at (662) 834-2376.

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Mississippi Car Accidents Caused by Inadequate Lighting

A lack of proper lighting on roadways in many urban areas and heavily traveled freeways can be highly dangerous to navigate at night. Without adequate lighting, pedestrians and motorists would certainly face many more challenges sharing Mississippi roadways without injury or death occurring.

The purpose of roadway lighting is to promote the safe movement of drivers and pedestrians at night so as to avoid accidents. Vehicle lights often are inadequate for drivers to safely navigate their surroundings or provide sufficient aid in avoiding collisions.  When roadway lighting is proper, it enables motorists and pedestrians to see quickly, distinctly and with certainty all significant obstacles and the road alignment ahead.

Inadequate lighting can cause Mississippi auto accidents because drivers are unable to see blind curves, bad grading on roads, a lack of barriers in the center or on the sides of the road, steep shoulders and unlit intersections.  Poorly lit rural roads are the site of 60 percent of fatal accidents in our country.  Lighting that is used on roads can be broken down into 4 separate categories:

  • High-Mount Lighting: These fixtures are designed to illuminate the sidewalks and streets of an area and are normally about 20-30 feet tall.
  • Medium-Mount Lighting: These fixtures are designed to help illuminate sidewalks at even a closer level. They are normally about 8-15 feet tall.  They are usually decorative and fit in with the design of the local area.
  • Low-Mount Lighting: These fixtures are designed to caution people regarding a specific obstruction or potential hazard and illuminate areas of interest on the street.
  • Focal Point Lighting: These are fixtures that illuminate special points of interest. They light up works of art or billboards.

Inadequate lighting that is common in rural stretches of roadway can result in car accidents that cause catastrophic injury or wrongful death.  Despite a far lower volume of traffic in rural areas, these less traveled road typically have much higher auto accident rates in Mississippi and throughout the U.S.  These roads often have long dark stretches with virtually no lighting.  The lack of traffic and residential or commercial development can make these areas completely absent of lighting that permits drivers to navigate upcoming curves or obstructions in the roadway.  This complete lack of lighting also creates a substantial risk of trip and fall accidents for pedestrians.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident that was due to inadequate lighting on the roadway, we invite you to call our Mississippi personal injury law office today.  Public entities may be responsible for a lack of proper lighting.  Our experienced Mississippi car accident lawyers conduct a thorough investigation of our clients’ Mississippi car accident cases to identify all possible negligent parties including other drivers, public entities and defective vehicle manufacturers.

Our origins fighting for the rights of Mississippi car accident victims were established in 1933.  If you or your loved ones have been injured in a Mississippi car accident or your loved one has been the victim of wrongful death, we offer a free case evaluation so call Barrett Law Office PLLC at 662-834-2376.

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Avoiding Mississippi Auto Accidents during Summer Travels

Summer is rapidly approaching which means more vehicles on Mississippi roadways traveling more total miles.  We will probably see an increase in the number of auto accidents on our roadways because of the increase in drivers on vacation excursions.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data reveals that there is an average of 41,000 deaths on the nation’s highways due to auto accidents.  A lot of these accidents can take place in the summer around the holidays like Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.  Most of these accidents are totally avoidable.

There are some things that you can do to be pro-active about avoiding auto accidents in Lexington, Jackson, Memphis or elsewhere throughout Mississippi:

  • You should get regular maintenance checks done on your car.  Parts including brake pads wear out.
  • Drivers should always pay attention to the whole roadway and other vehicles rather than simply looking at the car immediately in front of the driver.
  • Safe driving requires making adjustments for changing weather conditions.  If it starts raining, you should slow down. Oil that has accumulated on the road can make the road extremely slippery in wet conditions.
  • Travelers should plan their trip so that they know where you are going and are not trying to study a map or directions.
  • A driver should use his or her flashers and slow down if the driver gets in trouble.
  • Drivers should always remain positive and focused on their driving.  It is never a good idea to become embroiled in a conflict with someone that is expressing road rage because it is both dangerous and unproductive.

Here are some don’ts when it comes to driving safely so that you avoid serious auto accidents on Mississippi roadways:

  • You should NEVER drink and drive.
  • A driver should never speed even though other drivers are exceeding the speed limit. You should simply let other drivers go around you.
  • Many serious auto accidents in Mississippi are caused by not permitting enough following distance.  Tailgating is never a safe practice.  Drivers should always try to maintain at least one car length of distance between themselves and others on the road.
  • You should turn you cell phone off.  Distracted driving is very dangerous so wait until you stop or pull over to the side of the road to talk or text.
  • Safe driving means avoiding erratic driving.  When making maneuvers like changing lanes take your time and look carefully so that you do not cut off other drivers.
  • All drivers should abstain from driving if they are tired or have been taking medications.  Drivers who fall asleep behind the wheel are one of the major causes of auto accidents in Lexington, Jackson, Memphis and throughout Mississippi.
  • You should slow down and pay especially careful attention near intersections.  It is a safe driving practice to look both ways even if you have a green traffic light because you cannot assume that other drivers will avoid negligence and stop.

Any driver even one who exercises extreme vigilance and caution can still be involved in a serious Mississippi auto accident.  An auto accident is a stressful and dangerous incident even in the best situation and can frequently result in catastrophic injuries and permanent disability.  An accident as minor as a fender-bender can land you in the emergency room with serious injuries.

It is important that if you are involved in a auto accident on Mississippi roadways that you know your rights.  Auto insurance companies often deny valid auto accident injury claims or offer ludicrously inadequate auto accident injury settlements.  These grossly inadequate settlements may not be sufficient to even cover your medical bills let alone the total value of your damages.  Our Mississippi auto accident attorneys help clients just like you obtain the settlement or judgment that they deserve. We provide relief from the headaches of dealing with insurance companies so that our clients can focus on their recovery and their family.  The Mississippi personal injury attorneys here at the Barrett Law Office in Mississippi can help. Please contact us today for your free no obligation consultation. We will answer your questions and help you during this stressful time.

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