Dayton Personal Injury Blog

Are you obeying all of your city’s bicycle rules?

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

Dayton has a rich history of bicycle appreciation. For example, George P. Huffman, a Dayton business owner, began making Huffy bicycles in 1892. Around the same time period, Wilbur and Orville Wright opened a shop in Dayton that sold refurbished bicycles. The profits from that shop helped them pay for experiments for their famous flying machine.

Dayton has attracted bicyclists for many years. However, bicycle laws have changed since the 1800’s. Although the state of Ohio sets many of the rules bicyclists must follow, cities can set some of their own rules as well. If you plan to bicycle in Dayton, it may be beneficial to make sure you are adhering to the city's requirements. Some of the following are rules that you might not realize you are required to follow.

About slip and fall accidents

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in Premises Liability on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

A common type of personal injury lawsuit that is filed in Ohio pertains to the slip and fall. These types of occurrences can be caused by a wide range of conditions. For example, ice on the sidewalks during the winter months or the inadequate maintenance in a grocery store can be both cause people to slip, fall and incur an injury.

As far as who is responsible for slip and fall accidents, the owner of the property on which the injury occurred can be held liable. The owners or possessors of a property can typically deemed legally responsible for the injuries incurred if the incident took place on their property and they failed to take the necessary actions to prevent or correct the issues that resulted in the accident.

Dealing with the complexity of a truck crash

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in truck accidents on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

Ohio drivers may face a range of risks when they get behind the wheel. Every year, thousands of people across the country lose their lives or suffer serious injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents. Many of these crashes were themselves entirely preventable, caused primarily by distracted, drunk and otherwise negligent driving. While car accidents are already complicated and accident victims may struggle in the aftermath, this effect can be exacerbated when a large truck is involved in a collision.

There are several reasons why truck accidents can be particularly complex for victims. In the first place, the size and mass of semi trucks often means that the damage done is far greater. People, especially those in other, smaller vehicles, are far more likely to be fatally injured in a truck crash than a car accident. In addition, one truck accident can lead to a cascade of problems as the collision may involve a range of other cars on the highway. Each case becomes more complex as additional vehicles and victims become involved.

Rest is the only remedy for fatigued driving

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in motor vehicle accidents on Monday, May 20, 2019.

When polled about road safety, most drivers in Ohio and around the country say that drowsy driving is extremely dangerous. However, a worryingly high percentage of them also admit that they routinely get behind the wheel after not getting enough sleep or stay on the road despite clear warning signs of dangerous fatigue. Almost one in three of the motorists recently polled by the American Automobile Association confessed that they had driven drowsy within the last 30 days.

The problem is serious because fatigue impairs drivers in much the same way alcohol does. Motorists who fall asleep behind the wheel are unable to brake, steer or take any kind of evasive action. Professionals at the National Sleep Foundation say that a motorist who hasn't slept for 24 hours is as impaired as a person with a blood alcohol concentration higher than the national drunk driving limit.

What motorcycle techniques help improve rider safety?

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

When you throw a leg over your motorcycle and go for a ride, you need to be properly prepared. The road is not a native motorcycle environment; rather, it is a domain constructed for cars and trucks.

The driver’s mindset is geared to share the road with other cars and trucks and not motorcycles. Motorcycles are far smaller than most other vehicles, and in general, drivers are not on the lookout for motorcyclists. You need to protect your life, so you should ride with a rated helmet, a jacket with body armor and gloves at a bare minimum.

Texting and driving will raise your insurance

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC on Monday, May 13, 2019.

You probably know the dangers of texting and driving by now. You’ve seen the ads on TV warning you of the dangers of distracted driving and read the distracted driving horror stories in the news. While we all know that using our phones while driving is bad, we all do it from time to time whether it’s programming an address into the GPS, changing the playlist or just sending that quick text.

Aside from the accident causing potential of distracted driving, texting and driving can lead to a traffic citation. Did you know that a traffic citation can not only cost you money in fines but also raise your insurance? It’s true.

Drivers who use opioids double their crash risks

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in motor vehicle accidents on Monday, May 6, 2019.

As Ohio residents know, there is an opioid epidemic in the U.S. Researchers estimate that 214 million opioid prescriptions are issued each year. Though most opioid medications come with a warning not to drive or operate heavy machinery when using them, many drivers are ignoring this. About 7% of all fatal auto accidents are now caused by opioid use. This is a 6% rise from what it was prior to the start of the epidemic in the 1990s.

A new study published in JAMA Network Open finds that drivers impaired by opioids double their risk for being in a fatal crash. To arrive at the conclusion, researchers analyzed 18,321 driver pairs who passed away in two-vehicle accidents that occurred 1993 and 2016. The data was gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Details made public about student drowning in school pool

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in Premises Liability on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

It is a parent’s worst nightmare to hear that their child was killed. It is even worse to learn that the death was preventable and that it occurred at one of the only places a child should be guaranteed safety: school.

This was the horrible reality that one mother faced in 2017 when she learned that her autistic son had drowned in a school pool during a scheduled “fun day.” The details of the fatal incident were only recently made public, and they show that through the combined negligence of six school staff members and overly lax school district policies, an unsupervised boy drowned in an overcrowded pool when he probably shouldn’t have been swimming in the first place.

What counts as distracted driving in Ohio?

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

Distracted driving is one the leading causes of accidents in Ohio and across the country. You may have noticed other drivers engaging in various types of dangerous behavior while behind the wheel, such as texting, looking at Facebook, streaming movies or inputting an address into a GPS program. You probably also noticed that these distracting behaviors can lead to dangerous driving, such as swerving and driving at erratic speeds.

Ohio recently took steps to make laws tougher on distracted drivers and to increase the penalties for people caught texting and driving. Now, drivers will face penalties associated with a moving violation, as well as a fine. However, instead of paying the additional fine, drivers can choose to take a course about safe driving. The intent of this course is to educate offenders about the dangers of any type of distracted driving.

Responsible ownership may prevent many dog bites

On behalf of The Attkisson Law Firm, LLC posted in Dog Bite on Monday, March 11, 2019.

Children love dogs. For many children, saying the word "dog" and imitating its sound are among the earliest accomplishments of communication. However, living dogs are not the same as stuffed animals, and careful parents teach their children how to behave to avoid upsetting or aggravating a canine. Unfortunately, not every dog owner undertakes the same kind of training for his or her animals, and your child may have paid the terrible price for a dog owner's negligence.