Birmingham Personal Injury And Criminal Defense Law Blog

The average person in the greater Birmingham area probably spends a substantial amount of time in their car every week. Commuting to and from work, as well as making trips for errands and the benefit of your family, can mean that you spend several hours every day behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

Given that their use is so prevalent, the average person tends to ignore the risk that comes with motor vehicles. However, just because you don't think about the potential for a crash doesn't mean the risk suddenly disappears.

What could potentially make a business owner liable for your slip-and-fall accident?

Most people are familiar with the idea that a business owner is expected to keep the floor reasonably clean. You would probably expect a grocery store, for example, to be liable if they let melted ice cream collect on the floor and someone was injured when they slipped on it. However, there are plenty of other ways that a business owner could be liable for your slip-and-fall accident.

In much of the continental United States, opioid abuse and overdose deaths are making the biggest headlines. In Alabama, however, the use of methamphetamines (meth) is drawing more attention from law enforcement. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official even called meth the number one problem in the state, saying that while opioids were "an acute problem," meth was a "systemic problem" that was deeply entrenched.

Much of the meth -- about 90% of what can be found in the state -- is coming in from Mexico by the hands of those involved with the Sinaloa drug cartel. The cartel has had a significant foothold in Alabama for some time. Police and other law enforcement officials recently had a chance, however, to clearly see what they're up against after Mexican officials managed to seize a multimillion-dollar meth lab run by the cartel. The discovery has focused renewed attention on the problem.

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.