Weinstein & Scharf, P.A.

In the past few years, a string of school bus accidents has led school and government officials to raise questions about the safety of school children. As of now, there are only six states in America that require large school buses, weighing over 10,000 pounds, to have seat belts. California, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Florida have adopted this law to safeguard students against serious injuries in the event of a school bus crash.

Large commercial trucks are always present on the roads and highways of America, and they are accountable for over 500,000 accidents every year. The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) also states that commercial truck accidents account for 98% of annual traffic fatalities that involve automobile drivers. While it is a good idea to try to avoid driving behind or beside a commercial truck such as an 18-wheeler, it is impossible to avoid doing so at times.

A wrongful death claim may be filed by the survivors of a victim who was killed by the negligence of another person or entity. Every state has different legislation regarding wrongful death claims and the amount of compensation that can be granted. In order to be successful in recovering compensation, those filing for a wrongful death claim must be able to prove that the actual cause of the fatality.

The State of Florida enacted a new rule that requires insurance companies to send a person with actual authority to make a fair settlement into mediation. This new rule will help those filing for personal injury claims and will hopefully lower the number of claims that have to go to court. Starting on January 1, 2012, the new Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rule 1.720 was put into practice in Florida.

A study by the University of Southern California took an in-depth look at 900 motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles and 3,600 motorcycle traffic reports. The study drew different conclusions about the factors that cause motorcycle accidents and provides useful information for avoiding accidents and injuries.

A personal injury claim is the best way to seek compensation from negligent parties if you have been injured in an avoidable accident. Most people don’t realize, however, that there is a time frame in which their claim must be filed or they will lose the right to sue. The statute of limitations defines this time period for different types of personal injury cases, and may differ depending on what state your injury occurred in.