Recent Blog Posts
Even Though Bike Helmets Were Not Designed to Protect Against Impacts from Cars, Research Shows That Cars Negligently Drive Closer to Cyclists Wearing Helmets
During the COVID-19 lockdown, bicycle and associated equipment sales reportedly skyrocketed, likely due to bikes offering people the ability to get out of the house, while still staying relatively safe in terms of minimizing their exposure to the virus. However, what many people do not realize is that bike helmets are not designed to… Read More »
New Study Shows That Distracted Driving Laws Decrease Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes for Teens
According to a new study, laws that prohibit teenage drivers not only from texting, but from using hand-held phones in any way and engaging in all distracted driving behavior work to decrease fatal auto accidents amongst 16- to 19-year-old drivers. Specifically, according to the study, states like Rhode Island that have “primary” texting bans… Read More »
Contaminated, Carcinogenic Chemicals Found in Dangerous Amounts at Providence, RI Construction Site
On September 7, the Providence Police FOP and Rhode Island State Police Troopers Association cancelled construction work on the 6/10 Interchange site – one of the state’s largest infrastructure projects – over concerns regarding the presence of contaminated soil containing carcinogenic chemicals that have produced tumors in experimental animals, and could not only harm… Read More »
The Many Factors That Have Turned Pedestrian Collisions into A “Health Epidemic”
The growing pedestrian safety crisis is now being referred to as “health epidemic” given that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of pedestrians killed by cars hit an all-time high in 2018; up almost 50 percent since 2010, reflecting a “systematic” problem as opposed to poor individual decision-making or random… Read More »
COVID-19 Wrongful Death Lawsuits Filed Against Employers
As the number of individuals infected with COVID-19 continues to rise, so too do the number of lawsuits filed against employers who fail to take reasonable actions to protect their employees in the face of this devastating pandemic. In particular, a number of families have brought wrongful death lawsuits against employers of their loved… Read More »
Addressing Work Injuries During COVID-19, Including Those Suffered by Teleworkers
According to a new report assembled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Liberty Mutual, and the National Academy of Social Insurance, the top 10 causes of most serious workplace injuries (i.e. those that caused employees to miss work for more than five days) cost US businesses more than $1 billion per week, or… Read More »
Injuries at Dorm Parties: When Colleges Can Become Liable “Social Hosts”
Every year, too many college students are injured at campus parties that include alcohol, even though the students are well below the legal age limit. Whether an incident involves sexual assault or a severe accident, host liability law dictates that property owners can be held responsible for these incidents and subsequent injuries that occur… Read More »
Recent Data Shows an Increase in Distracted Driving from Truck Drivers, Car Accidents, And Catastrophic Injuries
Recent data from ELD and fleet management technology has revealed that, during the pandemic, truck drivers have been engaging in an increased amount of distracted driving and speeding on the roads. This includes a 20 percent increase in speeding events that involved trucks going more than 11 miles per hour over the speed limit…. Read More »
When The Police Injure You, Can You Bring a Civil Lawsuit?
Protests over police brutality and the tragedy involving George Floyd, who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes, have erupted all over the country, including here in Providence, where, in June, the Governor decided to activate the Rhode Island National Guard. June 2 in particular was reported… Read More »
According to New Study, Driverless Cars Won’t Ever Prevent Most Accidents, So Why Are We Ignoring the Warning Signs?
According to a new study published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, even though approximately 94 percent of all car accidents are due to human error, autonomous vehicles can only prevent approximately one-third of them. This is because – although the vehicles can better identify hazards, as well as prevent accidents caused by… Read More »
