When a semitruck is in a collision, sometimes it can cause a jackknife, which is when the cab and trailer fold in toward one another. The two parts of the up to 80,000-pound vehicle form a 90-degree angle, which is not only dangerous, but also looks unnatural and scary. In very bad accidents, the angle is even smaller, which can cause the cab and trailer to collapse into themselves.

Jackknife accidents are dangerous for semitruck drivers and regular vehicle drivers alike. Commercial truck drivers are in danger during a jackknife because the trailer hitting the cab can be deadly. Drivers of the surrounding regular vehicles are also in danger if they are in the path of the trailer, cab, or truck as a whole while folding. Even though the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that less than five percent of fatal accidents involve jackknifed tractor trailers, they are still serious scenarios to be aware of.

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, there may be grounds to file a personal injury claim. If this is the case, there are several steps you’ll need to take to work towards receiving the compensation you need to recover. In many personal injury cases, insurance companies are involved. What you may not realize, however, is that the type of claim you file could change depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident.

If you’ve been injured, you may need to file either a first-party or third-party claim. In some cases, you may need to file both. Understanding the difference is an important part of building a successful case for yourself. Our attorneys will not only explain the difference, but we’ll make sure the appropriate claim is filed for your unique situation, so your chances of maximizing your compensation increase.

Residents in nursing homes often need around the clock care. While those in charge of care may face certain challenges, this never means they can violate the residents’ rights. For example, when taking care of residents with dementia or other forms of memory loss, the resident can become confused or agitated. Acting out verbally and physically are both situations the staff may have to deal with. However, this doesn’t allow the staff to cause any harm to the resident. Sometimes, some nursing homes resort to using restrains to stay in control of the resident. While there may be some situations where retrains may be used to protect the resident from harm, there are many ways that a nursing home can use restraints that are in violation of the resident’s rights.

If you’re concerned about your loved one’s treatment in a nursing home, seek help immediately. Your loved one deserves to be in a safe environment where they’re getting the care they need. Then, you can start seeking your legal options with a lawyer at your side.

To protect citizens and maintain order within the state, legislators revisit old laws and create new ones. A number of new Kentucky law changes are coming in 2020. As a resident of the state, it’s important to be aware of the changes so you have an idea of how they could impact you.

The Law Office of Todd W. Burris knows about these new law changes and we’re here to share the information with you. While it’s likely you’ll hear about more laws as the year progresses, the ones we’ll discuss here involve the tobacco purchase age limit, vision requirements for drivers, and updates to the ignition interlock device system.

The winter months are notoriously treacherous for drivers on the road. But there are constant cycles of people taking care of it. Snow plows clear the roads and salt trucks help melt the ice. When people are walking outside, the sidewalks and parking lots they need to get through may be slippery with ice and cause them to fall to the ground, resulting in an injury. If you or a loved one has suffered from a slip and fall injury, a premises liability lawyer can stand at your side and fight for you to get compensation.

Parking lots can be hard to navigate, especially during the holiday season. Not only are they packed with cars, but there’s also people walking with children and carts, and they’re probably not paying attention to cars because they have other things on their minds, like their shopping lists.

Whether you’re trying to get into or leave a spot, things can get serious very quickly when an accident occurs. Low speed accidents can be dangerous and cause serious injuries, especially when a pedestrian is involved. Thankfully, most parking lot accidents are not serious and go unreported, but they still happen.

Kentucky has some of the most dangerous roads in the country. In 2017, there were 22,846 people injured in traffic accidents and 664 were killed, according to a report by the Kentucky State Police. The report also stated that compared to the national average, the roadway death rate of our state is slightly higher. The cause could be road hazards that are common in our state. Keep reading to find out what might be causing so many car accidents.

Deer and other animals

Animals are dangerous obstacles on rural roads. As the state with the seventh highest rural road fatality rate, Kentucky back roads have plenty of animals to look out for.  In 2017, there were over 6,000 collisions involving deer and other animals in Kentucky. Most collisions were not fatal, but they still prove to be a road hazard to be aware of.

Drunk driving takes countless lives every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence in 2016. But the number of drivers who reported they drove while drunk was much higher at 111 million. That means that under 1% of drivers were arrested when they drove drunk.

The problem here is that so many people are driving under the influence, but very few are actually getting reprimanded for their dangerous actions. Police officers can only be in so many places at once. So what is to stop all these people from driving drunk, even though they clearly know that it’s wrong?

As the number of residents in nursing homes rise, the amount of staff either stays the same or lessens. This makes it nearly impossible for you or your loved one to get proper care in a long-term facility. Even though you expect all basic needs to be met, that’s not always the case.

Nursing home staff has a hard enough time meeting the minimum of basic needs for all patients, and dental hygiene can be no different. Other parts of care are prioritized above oral care, which leaves many teeth unbrushed and unattended.

Falls in nursing homes are a frequent problem. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported as many as 20% of nursing home falls resulted in serious injuries, up to 6% caused fractures. In the same report, the CDC estimated 3 million people 65 and older will live in nursing homes by 2030. By those numbers, at least 600,000 will be seriously injured by falls in a nursing home in the future. A resident will fall on average 3 times per year, including people who cannot walk. We put our trust in long-term care facilities to take care of our loved ones, so why are there so many falls?