Wilson North Carolina Personal Injury Law Blog

What are the consequences of speeding?

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Traffic Violations on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

When you get behind the wheel, it's critical to turn your attention toward the rules of the road. Not only does this help keep you safe, but it also allows you to avoid trouble with the law.

There are many consequences of speeding, including but not limited to:

Moving violation: If you're pulled over for speeding, you're likely to receive a ticket with a hefty fine. Furthermore, depending on how fast you were driving, you may also be facing a license suspension.
Greater risk of losing control of your vehicle: The faster you're driving, the more difficult it is to maintain control of your vehicle. This is why there's a speed limit in the first place.
Danger to others on the road: For example, if you're speeding in a city setting, there's a greater chance of striking a pedestrian or bicyclist.
Increased risk of severe injury or death: An accident at high speed is more likely to cause serious injuries or death when compared to a low-speed crash.
Increased insurance premium: If you show your car insurance company that you're a dangerous driver, such as by receiving a speeding ticket, they're likely to increase your premium.

Distracted driving statistics: These should keep you on your toes

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

When driving, it's critical to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. Any distraction can take your mind away from the task at hand, thus increasing the risk of an accident.

The Zebra, a well-known online insurance broker, recently conducted a distracted driving study. By consulting with 2,000 drivers on driving behaviors and attitudes, they're able to share the following statistics:

37 percent of respondents between the age of 18 and 34 said they feel a high level of pressure to respond to work-related messages while driving.
Parents with young children in the vehicle are more likely to become distracted than those with no young children.
33 percent of female drivers said they have taken photos while driving.
10 percent of iPhone users said they have watched YouTube videos while driving.
16 percent of iPhone users say they never become distracted while driving. This increases to 23 percent for Android users.
Distracted driving is the cause of approximately 58 percent of accidents involving teenage drivers.

Important aspects of Social Security Disability

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

For people with disabilities or debilitating injuries, assistance may be necessary, ranging from physical to financial help. Thankfully, there are measures in place to provide this assistance.

Social Security Disability is a program in place that is assisting many different people. For those seeking to apply for this benefit, there are a few important things to understand.

Surgery may be necessary to treat a traumatic brain injury

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accident on Wednesday, August 7, 2019.

If you or a loved one suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a motorcycle accident, it's critical to receive immediate medical attention. An experienced doctor will assess your injury, order the appropriate tests and implement a treatment plan that gives you the best chance of making a full recovery.

While not always the case, surgery may be necessary to treat your injury. This is typically suggested to address one or more of the following health concerns:

Bleeding in the brain: A traumatic brain injury has the potential to cause bleeding in the brain, which is an emergency situation that requires immediate surgery. If the bleeding isn't stopped in a timely manner, it will result in irreparable damage or death.
Repairing a skull fracture: A severe skull fracture typically requires surgery. The same holds true if there are bone fragments lodged within the brain.
Too much pressure: A traumatic brain injury can result in increased pressured in your skull. Opening a "window" by allowing surgeons to cut and remove a piece of bone relieves some pressure, while also giving your doctor the opportunity to drain cerebral spinal fluid.
Blood clot: A blood clot in the brain can damage tissue and cause unnecessarily high pressure. If not immediately treated, it can result in brain damage or death.

Dense fog can cause a car accident

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Thursday, August 1, 2019.

Dense fog is a potentially dangerous weather condition for drivers. Since it reduces visibility, it's imperative to adjust your driving style to prevent trouble.

Here are some of the many things you should do if you find yourself driving in dense fog:

Slow down: The slower you drive the easier it is for you to react to sudden situations, such as a vehicle that pulls out in front of you.
Avoid distractions: This holds true in all weather conditions, but you definitely need to keep it in mind when navigating a foggy roadway. Taking your eyes off the road for any reason increases the risk of an accident.
Use your headlights: This improves your visibility, while also making it easier for other drivers to spot your vehicle. Just make sure you're using your headlights -- not your high beams. Your brights will reflect back into your eyes, making it more difficult to see.
Beware of dangerous drivers: Even if you're taking the necessary steps to enhance your safety, other drivers may not do the same. There will always be people who speed and drive recklessly, regardless of the weather conditions.

City driving: Follow these tips to avoid trouble

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

City driving calls for a different approach than highway driving. Rather than moving at a high rate of speed, you're in stop-and-go traffic with many other vehicles. Add in bicyclists and pedestrians, and it's easy to see how an accident could occur.

Here are a few city driving tips you can follow to avoid trouble:

Know the speed limit: Driving too fast in an urban setting is extremely dangerous, as you're in close quarters. Excessive speeding doesn't give you a lot of time to slow down in the event of an emergency, such as a pedestrian sprinting into traffic.
Maintain a safe following distance: In stop-and-go traffic, a safe following distance is a must. If you're only inches away from the vehicle in front of yours, you don't have much time to stop in a hurry.
Focus on the road: In slow-moving traffic, you're more likely to look for things to pass the time. This can include searching for your favorite song on the radio, texting your loved ones or conversing with passengers. All of these distractions take your attention away from the road.

Driver accused of causing fatal motorcycle accident

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accident on Friday, July 19, 2019.

Standing seawater is often lurking on Route 12 in the Outer Banks. Sand ends up on most of the roads near Carolina bays. Loose gravel lines the byways in the Great Smoky Mountains. Wherever bikers go in North Carolina, they could run into trouble at any time.

If geographic causes were not enough, a startling number of motorcyclists are injured or killed in collisions with cars and trucks. Visibility is a big factor in the causes of motorcycle accidents, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is occasionally related to deaths and injuries.

3 mechanical issues in semi-trucks that may cause accidents

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. on Sunday, July 14, 2019.

While traversing North Carolina highways, you may sometimes feel like a little fish in a big pond. Semi-trucks careen through city after city, providing necessary services to residents.

However, when something fails mechanically with one of these big rigs, it can have significant consequences for those on the road with them. Three main mechanical issues may lead a semi to careen out of control and take one or more cars out with it.

Top tips for driving safely on the highway

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

Some people prefer to drive on the highway, while others avoid it at all costs. Regardless of who you are, there's a good chance you'll find yourself on a fast-moving interstate at some point.

The following tips will help keep you safe when driving on the highway:

Maintain a safe speed: It's easy to speed excessively on the highway, especially when those around you are doing so. This increases the risk of an accident, so make sure you follow the speed limit at all times.
Stay in the right lane: The left lane is for passing only, so you'll want to spend the majority of your time in the right lane. This is the safest place to be on the highway.
Use your turn signals: When moving at a fast pace, you want to give other drivers a clear idea of your intentions. Using your turn signals is the best way to do so.
Share the road: It's not always easy, especially when other drivers are being aggressive, but sharing the road will help keep you safe. For example, sharing the road with commercial trucks is a must, as these vehicles are everywhere.

Mecklenburg County accident shows limits of rear guards

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Truck Accident on Thursday, July 4, 2019.

Trucks have been the lifeblood of American commerce for more than a century, and North Carolina has been a key place for the making and use of trucks in all eras. It has also been the place of birth for a lot of safety innovations, as higher speeds and greater cargo volumes led to the need for more restraints on vehicles out of control.

None of these innovations are perfect, however, especially as vehicles become lighter and faster as well. Underride crashes, involving cars or smaller trucks sliding beneath the end of a tractor-trailer. These violent, traumatic events led to the development of rear-guards, often noticeable on interstate highways as the welded bars that hang from the bottom of a trailer bed.