Automobile Accidents

• Approaching a Jury

  Robert Blanchard | August 29, 2006 12:55 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  For an attorney, the key to establishing credibility and delivering a persuasive opening statement is to approach the jury and begin trial in the frame of mind that you were in when you first met your client. I is mportant to be the open-minded, objective, skeptical person you were when you were unsure whether to take the case, not the confidant, closed-minded lawyer you have become learning...

• Fewer Auto Accidents Nationwide

  Robert Blanchard | June 12, 2006 10:52 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  Who would have thought that fewer auto accidents would have a downside?Fewer auto accidents and increasing repair costs are proving to be a double whammy for collision-repair shops in across the nation.Despite a 53 percent increase in vehicles on U.S. streets since 1980, the number brought in for collision repairs nationwide has declined.In 2004, the most recent year for industry figures, 17...

• SUV - Safer for Children?

  Robert Blanchard | April 10, 2006 10:02 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  A recent study analyzed injuries to children in accidents involving SUV's compared to regular cars. While many people justify the purchase of an SUV with the thought that they are protecting their family in case of a crash, it turns out that SUV's are not statisticallly safer for children. Part of the reason for this is the increased risk of rollover, which greatly increases the risk of injury....

• How Long Can Truckers Stay Awake?

  Robert Blanchard | March 01, 2006 9:27 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  As a form of regulatory chicken, Bush appointees in Washington want to let employers see just how hard they can drive their truck drivers. No mention of any concern for the safety of other people on the roadways, at least not from the Bush administration. To see the Petition filed in the Federal District Court by five groups who are concerned, click here.

• If You are Involved in a Car Accident...

  Staff Writer | November 08, 2005 2:01 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  The Florida Bar website is a great resource for useful information. They have compiled a comprehensive list of things to do if you are involved in an auto accident. Among the most important:With the exception of your exchange of required information, you should not comment on the accident. Keep your notes and opinions to yourself. Do not admit you were wrong or careless. Such admissions, made...

• Spinal Injuries in Motor Vehicle Accidents

  Robert Blanchard | September 27, 2006 2:38 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  Not all spinal injuries receive the immediate care they need at the scene of an accident. It may be helpful to understand the procedures that emergency personel should go through when presented with a possible spinal injury.Paramedics and first responders ascribe to the basic tenet of "do no harm." Their routine protocol is to use spinal immobilization for patients with major traumatic...

• Getting a Fair Shake from a Jury

  Robert Blanchard | August 29, 2006 12:51 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  With all the Republican and corporate propaganda that goes on every year without ceasing, it gets ever harder to get a fair jury trial in an injury case. The notion of the "frivolous lawsuit" has saturated jury panels across the country and has a negative influence in every jury trial nationwide. No doubt every plaintiff attorney that has had the pleasure of going to trial in the past few years...

• Accidents Causing TMJ

  Robert Blanchard | June 20, 2006 10:40 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  I have seen in some severe rear-end accidents that people can develop TMJ problems. This painful condition was described recently in an article I paste below. Further information on TMJ injuries can be found at this link.The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a gliding joint, formed by the condyle of the mandible and the temporal bone. The articulating surfaces of the mandible and temporal bone...

• Smoke Leads to Collisions

  Robert Blanchard | May 09, 2006 9:24 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  Gov. Jeb Bush has declared a state of emergency for Florida counties reeling from wildfires. I noted in the news reports that a number of motor vehicle accidents have resulted from the reduced visibility caused by the smoke from the fires. Parts of State Road 80 and U.S. 27 in western Palm Beach County were closed Monday morning for three hours after smoke from brush fires burning in Broward...

• Florida Bar Advice to the Public Needs Clarification

  Robert Blanchard | November 11, 2005 3:32 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  As part of public information provided by the Florida Bar about "what to in case of an auto accident," the Florida Bar website advises that guilty pleas in traffic infraction cases can be used in a civil lawsuit (as in a personal ijury case). However, Section 318.14(4) states: 318.14 Noncriminal traffic infractions; exception; procedures.-- (4) Except as provided in subsection...