Arkansas Injury Lawyer Blog

Do Driverless Cars Decrease Car Accidents?

July 13, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

The death of a driver who was using a driverless automobile is causing great concern as the number of driverless cars reach the road in substantial numbers. Over the past year I have read story after story describing the coming day when driverless cars take over the roads. A fellow attorney and I were just discussing last week whether driverless cars would make the roads safer and would reduce the number and severity of car and truck crashes. Whether safer roads will come or not, it is imperative that car and technology companies make sure their products are safe. I hope drivers do not come to rely on driverless cars and continue to stay alert and careful while driving.

According to the news reports, the driver died because the cameras on the Tesla Model S failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor trailer from the sky and didn’t automatically brake to stop the car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will investigate how Tesla’s Autopilot system performed at the time of the crash. Continue reading ›

Remembering our fallen soldiers and their loved ones today.

May 30, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

Paying tribute today to the honorable men and women who fought for our country, giving the ultimate sacrifice. Thinking of the families of our fallen heroes, and offering a prayer of peace to each and every family. Thank you all for your sacrifices.

Is it a car “accident” or car “crash”?

May 28, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

I recently read an article entitled, “We’ve Been Brainwashed Into Saying ‘Car Accident.’” As I read the article, I could not have agreed more. The dictionary definition of “accident” is “an event that is not planned or intended.”

While it is true that almost no one intends to crash their vehicle, people make choices that cause automobile crashes. Some choices that people make include drinking and driving, texting while driving, speeding, following too close, driving fatigued, and driving with known defects, such as faulty brakes. These are just some of the reasons or causes of car, truck and motorcycle accidents in Arkansas. For example, when an individual decides to drive drunk, he or she is making a choice. And if a crash occurs, it should not be described as an “accident.” Continue reading ›

Why you should be concerned about taking the drug called Xarelto.

May 26, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

Taking Xarelto, a drug manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutical, can be deadly.

If you have taken the drug Xarelto and experienced internal bleeding, you should contact your doctor and talk to him or her about your symptoms. Janssen Pharmaceutical markets the drug called Xarelto. Xarelto is an anticoagulant drug, also called a blood thinner, used to prevent blood clots in individuals. Anticoagulants often have a bleeding complication associated with its use, but medications can be administered to reverse the blood thinning effects. Xarelto is alleged to have a much higher risk because there is no known medication or cure to reverse its blood thinning effect. Blood thinners have been used for a very long time, but they have been used with the known fact that its effects can be reversed. Continue reading ›

Would you know what to do if your vehicle was submerged in water and sinking?

May 9, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

This is a post I hope you will never have to put into action. Would you know what to do if you found yourself inside of a vehicle surrounded with water and your vehicle was sinking? I recently saw a video of a car that had run off a parking lot into the water and the driver was saved by a good Samaritan that jumped into action and helped get the driver out of the car out before the car sank.

It is estimated that 400 people drown each year in the U.S. because their vehicle was submerged in water. Thankfully, most of us will never have to experience the terror we would feel if our vehicle was going down while we were trapped inside the vehicle, but having a plan of action, should you find yourself in this type of situation, could save your life. Every second counts when you’re in this type of situation.

According to information I read, experts say that you will likely have 30-60 seconds to escape your vehicle. After reading and educating myself about the problem, I have summarized some suggestions made by the experts.

What to do if this happened to you: Continue reading ›

Thirty fatalities are caused each day in the US, that are 100% avoidable.

April 28, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

These fatalities happen because a driver chooses to drive while intoxicated. A senseless, avoidable act.

Research tells us that an average person will metabolize one 12-ounce beer and one 5-ounce glass of wine in one hour. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each day an estimated thirty fatalities occur in the United States on our roadways involving drivers who choose to drink and drive. Tragedies caused by drinking and driving are 100% avoidable. When a person causes an accident because he or she chooses to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while being intoxicated, that person should be held responsible for any harm they cause another person or family. The Pfeifer Law Firm represents individuals and their families of those affected by drunk driving accidents. If you simply have questions, feel free to call us at 501-374-4440. Continue reading ›

Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are the most dangerous breeds of dogs according to studies

March 10, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 4.5 million dog bite cases are reported each year. DogsBite.Org reported in the past 11 years, 360 people in the United States were killed by dog bites. Pit Bulls were responsible for more than half of that number, killing 232 people. Rottweilers and Pit Bulls were responsible for three-fourths of the 360 deaths.

I represent many clients who are the victims of dog bites and dog attacks in Arkansas. It is my hope by writing this blog that I am able to bring a little more awareness to the number of dog attacks that happen, and how innocent lives can be forever changed through no fault of their own. Knowledge is power. One of the most important things I can say on this subject is that young children should not be allowed to play with any dog without an adult present, this includes the family pet. Studies show that over 50% of bites happen at home with a dog that knows the dog bite victim. Continue reading ›

Johnson & Johnson is Paying Millions to Plaintiffs for Withholding Information which Ultimately Caused Death and Damages to Individuals

February 26, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

A Missouri jury awarded $72 million to a family who lost their loved one to ovarian cancer at age 62. The cancer was linked to her many years of using Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene care. Johnson & Johnson did not warn its consumers that their talc-based products may cause cancer. The evidence presented at trial showed that the company knew of the risk of their cancer-causing products as far back as the 1980s and lied to its consumers by withholding that information.

The Missouri jury sat through a three-week trial and deliberated four hours, and ultimately found that Johnson & Johnson was liable for negligence, fraud, and conspiracy. The case style is Hogans, et al v Johnson & Johnson, et al, filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, Case Number 1422-CC09012.

Approximately one thousand cases have reportedly been filed in a state court in Missouri and approximately two hundred cases have been filed in New Jersey. Many other lawsuits involving talc are expected this year.

Healthy Day-Old Baby Boy was Mistakenly Operated on at the University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee

February 14, 2016 | Paul Pfeifer

I recently read a news account of a Tennessee couple that delivered a healthy baby boy at the University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. While in the hospital, one day after his birth, a nurse encouraged the mother to put her newborn in the nursery so she could get some rest. Later, a nurse entered the room and began talking to the parents about the care the baby would need at home following the the procedure that had just been performed. They were horrified to learn that a doctor had asked for the wrong baby – their baby – and the doctor performed a frenulectomy on their perfect and healthy baby boy. This procedure involved clipping the underneath skin of the baby’s tongue. One of the reasons this procedure is usually done is because the skin under a baby’s tongue is too tight and makes nursing difficult or impossible. This was not the case for their baby. The newborn was nursing and feeding well. The doctor admitted his mistake to the family. Some patients having this procedure may have complications down the road or may need speech therapy.

A recent study found that from 2010 to 2011 in Pennsylvania, wrong-site procedures, which are procedures performed on the wrong body part, wrong patient, wrong side, or the wrong procedure altogether, were reported to have occurred one time for every 63,603 procedures performed. A study reported 84 percent of orthopedic claims involving wrong sites resulted in malpractice monetary awards to the patient. Continue reading ›

Drunk Driving Accidents in Arkansas

December 29, 2015 | Paul Pfeifer

With New Year’s Eve approaching, all of us at the Pfeifer Law Firm encourage drivers to phone a friend or a cab company before getting behind the wheel of a car if you’ve had a drink. Plan ahead before you go out for the evening and line up a designated driver or call a cab if you plan to drink. There will be many late-night drivers on the roadways leaving parties and driving tired. Keep yourself and others safe by calling a friend or a cab if you’ve been drinking or just feel too tired to drive. Here are a few cab company numbers that you can program into your phone before heading out for the evening:

Yellow Cab
(501) 222-2222