On Nov. 14, authorities reported that officials filed criminal charges against a driver in connection with an Aug. 19 accident in Sedgwick Couny that resulted in the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child. The accused individual is a 25-year-old man, reportedly.
To protect against the dangers associated with driver fatigue, federal regulations limit the number of consecutive hours commercial truck drivers can be behind the wheel. However, there are no laws restricting how long a non-commercial driver can drive, nor are there laws requiring that drivers get a good night's rest before operating a vehicle.
As we've discussed before, property owners have an obligation to ensure that their premises are safe for visitors. Negligent maintenance, supervision or security could lead to injurious accidents, and Kansas residents who have been injured because of a property owner's negligence may need to bring a premises liability claim to receive compensation for damages.
A serious auto accident can result not only in painful physical injuries; many people are left psychologically traumatized. It's not uncommon for crash victims to experience extreme anxiety and fear whenever they try to drive again. In other cases, an unexpected set of circumstances could trigger a crash-related panic attack, and some people develop insomnia after an auto accident.
Occupants of passenger vehicles that collide with large trucks are far more likely to suffer serious injuries than motorists in crashes that involve only cars or other passenger vehicles.
After an injury on someone else's property, the first things on a person's mind are likely the pain and resulting medical costs of the injury itself. Questions of whether the property owner was at fault may come later. With that in mind, let's consider the circumstances in which a property owner or business has failed to protect visitors or tenants from injury.
As the owner of a small business, you undoubtedly run a tight ship. In order to keep your bottom line in check, you strive to be financially prudent. One way savvy business owners can keep a firm grip on the company's purse strings is to not waste funds on "avoidable" litigation. Such litigation is that which could have been "avoided" if certain preliminary measures had been taken. These measures are akin to playing good defense. By adopting a good defensive strategy, you can potentially save your business potentially thousands of dollars in lengthy litigation and keep your focus on running and expanding your profit margin.
Drunk driving continues to be a major threat to life and limb in Kansas and Missouri. Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded in 1980, and since then, according to national data from 2012, the annual number of DUI-related deaths has been reduced by half. Still, more needs to be done, both in terms of driver education and justice in civil and criminal courts.
A fatal head-on collision recently took the lives of two drivers near Tonganoxie. The exact cause of the accident was still under investigation at the time of a local report, though the Kansas Highway Patrol has provided some details.
Collisions with large commercial vehicles change people's lives in ways they never could have imagined. Suddenly a person seriously injured in a truck accident needs major medical treatment and perhaps is unable to work. If the victim normally contributes to a household income, then the financial damage of the crash may extend to the entire family. All of these problems are in addition to the pain and suffering experienced by the injured person.
