Arkansas Injury Lawyer Blog

Accidents in Arkansas Causing Personal Injuries

September 29, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

Little Rock, Arkansas has been ranked in the top ten most accident prone cities. According to an article in a popular health magazine, Little Rock ranked fifth in the number of accidents that occur each year. This finding appears to be based upon statistics from the Bureau of Labor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association.

As someone who deals with Arkansas accident victims, this finding is quite troubling. Arkansas accident injuries include car accident injury, on the job injury, slip and fall injury, motorcycle accident injury, truck accident injury, dog bite injury, medical injury, and nursing home abuse injury. Arkansas personal injury victims have a right to have their medical bills paid, lost wages paid, pain and suffering fairly compensated and be fully compensated for their damages.

If you or a family member has suffered a personal injury in Arkansas, please contact an experienced Arkansas personal injury lawyer to make sure your injuries are fully and fairly compensated.

Jury Service in Arkansas Personal Injury Lawsuits

September 5, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

A recent article in the New York Times was disappointing. The story outlined problems with Courts getting enough people to show up for jury duty and the resistance to people wanting to serve on jury duty. This problem has a negative impact on people who suffer a personal injury or car accident in Arkansas. Jurors must be reminded that the Seventh Amendment to the Constitution states:

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

The article points out that angry jurors are a concern for plaintiffs in civil suits because the plaintiff brought the suit and is more likely to be blamed by the jurors for any inconvenience that jury duty caused them. I often remind jurors about their civic duty and thank them for their service. The right to a jury trial should always be cherished.

New Driving Laws Designed to Reduce Arkansas Car Accidents

August 4, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

New laws are now in effect that the Arkansas legislature hope will reduce Arkansas traffic accident and personal injuries. A simplified

For drivers under 18:

-No using cell phones while driving.

Unsafe Bus Companies – An Accident Waiting to Happen in Arkansas

July 31, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

Bus companies that the federal government has ordered to stop operating due to serious safety violations frequently change their name and continue to operate.

A Government Accountability Office report which found that unsafe bus companies did not even bother to change their business addresses or phone numbers when they submitted new paperwork to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

On August 8, 2008, a bus carrying a group of people crashed in Sherman, Texas, killing 17 people and injuring 15 others. Investigators concluded that the company that operated the bus was the reincarnation of a motor coach company that had been deemed unsafe and ordered out of service by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration two months before the accident.

Arkansas Personal Watercraft and Boating Law to Reduce Personal Injuries

July 21, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

An accident on Lake Hamilton two years ago led to a new Arkansas law that sets the minimum age of 16 for a solo operator of a personal watercraft in Arkansas. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission provides a good summary of the changes:

To operate any motorboat powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more (including a personal watercraft):

A person under 12 years of age:

Arkansas Pilot Crashes Plane

July 10, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

The person flying a Cessna 150 which crashed near Mayflower, Arkansas had held a student pilot’s license, but it had expired on June 30th and was not re-issued, according to the FAA.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Witnesses told an Arkansas television station that the airplane seemed to lose power shortly after takeoff. An FAA spokesman indicated that they would have the final determination as to whether the pilot was able to legally operate the aircraft. He was the only one on board at the time on the accident.

If you or a family has been involved in an airplane crash in Arkansas, please contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible so your legal rights can be fully protected.

Arkansas Fayetteville Shale Driller Fined for Spill

July 8, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has fined Chesapeake Energy Corp. after well drilling fluids were spilled.

The ADEQ issued the order fining the natural gas driller $8,400 for the Sept. 8 incident. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality says there was evidence a layer of drilling mud had been deposited in the tributary and that agency representatives were not allowed to inspect the site when they arrived at the site.

This incident exemplifies the new problems that are associated with the scale of drilling taking place in the Fayetteville Shale areas in Arkansas. Problems ranging from pollution causing personal injury or property damage to drilling site injuries to industrial and truck accidents have increased due to the drilling activity. If you have suffered property damage or a personal injury, please contact an Arkansas lawyer to discuss what can be done to compensate you for your damages.

Arkansas Hospitals Apply for Trauma System

July 6, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

Sixty Arkansas hospitals have applied to receive funding for trauma care that will come from a tobacco tax. As our previous post regarding the Arkansas Trauma system points out, the system is designed to save the lives of Arkansas accident victims. The following is a list of hospitals that have applied to date:

LEVEL 1

Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, Memphis, Tenn.

Arkansas Boating Accidents

June 6, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

Arkansas boating accidents and fatalities are up this year. There have been 21 reported boating accidents. Further, there have been six deaths because of Arkansas boat accidents. At this same time last year Arkansas had 12 accidents with four fatalities. In 2008 there were 86 reported boat accidents with 14 fatalities, 44 personal injuries and estimated property damage of almost $280,000.

It is important to pay close attention to your surroundings and always keep a proper lookout while boating on Arkansas lakes and rivers. Arkansas boat law mandates that any individual born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, must complete a boater education course before they may operate any powerboat or personal watercraft. However, the course is open to boaters of all ages and educates individuals on water regulations and safety.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission makes it easy for boaters to complete the Boating Education course. Individuals may take the course at home through a DVD, online or through a class. If you or a family member suffers a injury in a boat accident please contact an Arkansas personal injury lawyer as soon as possible so a full and accurate investigation of the accident can take place.

Arkansas Accident Victims Win in Supreme Court

June 3, 2009 | Paul Pfeifer

The Arkansas Supreme Court declared a portion of the 2003 tort reform law unconstitutional. The Arkansas Court found that the law violates the Arkansas Constitution separation of powers clause.

The Arkansas Justices decided questions over the provisions regarding the negligence or fault of non-parties when considering liability and regarding evidence of damages for the costs of necessary medical care, treatment, or services.

This is a very important decision for Arkansans who suffer a personal injury. This change will stop the negligent party from escaping liability by blaming a non-party for the personal injury. The decision also allows an personal injury victim to recover the full amount of damages in a Arkansas personal injury lawsuit. The case will help Arkansas accident victims receive reasonable personal injury settlements. If you or a family member has suffered a personal injury please contact an experienced Arkansas personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to make sure your rights are protected.