Birmingham Personal Injury And Criminal Defense Law Blog

When a semitruck and a passenger vehicle collide, the passenger vehicle usually takes the brunt of the damage. The semi's sheer size and weight, plus its longer braking distance, make it a force that will usually tear through an ordinary car.

Unfortunately, the number of fatal truck accidents has been steadily climbing since 2009. In 2017, the last year for which figures are available, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that there were 30% more fatalities involving large trucks than there were back in 2009.

Parents who have kids going off to the University of Alabama this fall might not be thrilled to learn that it came in second behind Syracuse University in The Princeton Review's latest list of the top 20 party schools in the country.

The annual ranking is part of their yearly publication, The Best 385 Colleges. It's based on a survey of 140,000 students at these colleges on various aspects of college life, including:

• Academics
• Extracurricular activities
• Town life
• Social scene

As kids, we were constantly cautioned, "Don't run!" as we raced around the slippery tile or cement surrounding the pool at a park, country club, hotel or a neighbor's house. As adults, we find ourselves yelling that same admonition to our kids, grandkids and even children we don't know.

Falls on slippery surfaces are just one kind of injury that people of all ages can suffer in and around swimming pools. However, it may be more difficult to hold a property owner liable for a slip-and-fall accident than for something like a dangerous mix of chemicals in the pool or the failure to cover a drain.

As of July 1, Alabama law enforcement officers have new weapons at their disposal in the form of additional penalties for charges of driving under the influence (DUI). A DUI charge can be brought against anyone that an officer reasonably believes is driving while intoxicated on drugs or alcohol.

Now, anyone arrested for drunk driving has to agree to have an ignition interlock device on their car -- even before conviction -- if they want to keep their license. The ignition lock must stay in place for a minimum of six months if an individual enters a pretrial diversion program. While many states make use of ignition locks to keep repeat drunk drivers off the road, most don't require first-time offenders to have them. Alabama officials, however, take the view that the interlock devices are most effective when used on first-time offenders.