Two Dead in Jefferson County Crashes

Jon Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:40:00 GMT

On Saturday, August 27, 2009, the Birmingham News reported two wrecks which killed two people. The first involved a motorcycle and a pickup truck. This occurred on Second Avenue North in Jefferson County, Alabama. According to the News, the pickup truck driver did not see the motorcyclist and turned left in front of him.

How do these happen? Typically, motorcyclists are very careful drivers (not always, but in many cases). The problem, however, is motorists do not see motorcyclists. Given their small size and, many times, dark colors, cars have difficulty seeing them. Usually, the motorcycles have to have their headlight on. I'm not sure about this situation given the story, but what we need to learn from this is people need to be more careful when they are on the roads because motorcyclists and bicyclists have just as much right to the road as cars and trucks.

The second death occurred when a woman was getting her mail in Grayson Valley. An SUV collided with a car, flipped, and hit the woman. This collision happened on Watson Road. The drivers of both vehicles were sixteen years of age. Apparently, the driver of the car didn't see the SUV and pulled out in front of it.

What can we take from this collision? Maybe teenagers need more training before we give them the keys to a car. Many states have differing laws for teenage drivers. Some have to continue their training after getting their license. Some states don't allow teenagers to drive at night. With cell phones and texting proliferating, it is inevitable that teenagers will use poor judgment and use those devices in their cars. How can we stop that? I'm not saying that that was the cause of this fatality, but it is sure to happen in the future, and we need to consider these issues.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jon Lewis

Child Killed in SUV Pedestrian Accident; Family Thanks Attorneys Who Care

Betsy Boggs — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:06:50 GMT

The following letter to the editor was written by my sister after the death of her 11-year old grandson who was hit by an SUV in Kissimmee, Florida.

L. Trammell

Douglasville, GA

January 10, 2008

The Gadsden Times
Attention: Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

When tragedy struck my family in October of 2007 we turned to the only people we knew could help - lawyers. We all know this day and time that lawyers are not always thought of in a favorable light - some think they’re greedy, some think they’re shady dealers and underhanded, and some just down right don’t like them. But most would agree that they are needed often in our direst, darkest moments.

My sister, Betsy Boggs, and I both work for attorneys, and have for many years. We see a different side of the legal profession than most people do. But in October 2007, our family had an urgent need to get legal advice, and fast. My grandson was killed when he was hit by an SUV when crossing a highway in Kissimmee, Florida. He had exited his school bus that had missed the normal bus stop and was let out with other children down the street from their normal stop. In an instant our world changed. Was anyone at fault: the school bus driver, the person driving the SUV, the school board, the county for not having crosswalks for the children to cross safely? These are all questions we had and we could get no answers. My sister’s firm, Cusimano, Keener, Roberts & Raley in Gadsden, Alabama got involved immediately, and found local lawyers for our family in Florida to help us out and to get us answers.

The firm sent an investigator to Kissimmee immediately to talk with my daughter and her husband, to go to the site, and to interview any and all witnesses. He was compassionate and caring - in how he dealt with the family and the witnesses. He knew he had to act quickly. The investigator went above and beyond his job. He went to where the tragedy occurred - took measurements and video of traffic in the area - especially when children were being picked up and let off the school bus. Everyone in the firm acted immediately to help my family through this tragic, awful event.

It turns out in this situation, there was little insurance. Even though the settlement was very small, it did not affect the caring and compassion of these two firms.

These firms dropped everything they were doing to help my family. They cared--they did all they could to help. You see, an 11 year old child lost his life, a family was grieving and will continue to grieve. These law firms - Cusimano, Keener, Roberts & Raley and Maher, Guiley and Maher helped more than they will ever know. They found us answers. They helped my family find some peace and gave us the best gift they could have given - their compassion, their hearts and blessings. They were not greedy, money hungry lawyers.

So, the next time you need a lawyer please remember not all of them are like what you hear - most are real people, have real families and really do care. Both of these firms proved that to me and I’ll be forever grateful to them.

Very sincerely,

L. Trammell

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Betsy Boggs

Alabama Personal Injury Blog - pedestrian

Two Dead in Jefferson County Crashes

Child Killed in SUV Pedestrian Accident; Family Thanks Attorneys Who Care