New Orleans Personal Injury Law Blog

Thanks to the internet and social media, there are so many places Louisiana residents can list items they no longer need for sale. It can be a great way to earn a little side cash for the sellers, and a good way for buyers to find the products they want at a fraction of their regular retail price. The problem is, most people who post items in second-hand marketplaces do not pay attention to recall notices, so these items may cause others to suffer injury or death.

How big of a problem is this? Who is responsible if the recalled item sold second-hand causes harm to its new owner or his or her family members?

It goes without saying that people should avoid getting behind the wheel after having consumed alcohol. Yet many may question exactly how long one should wait until it is safe for them to get behind the wheel again. The answer to this question may be difficult to define for the average driver, yet for those who drive professionally, the standards are quite clear. Thus, if you are involved in an accident with a truck or bus driver (and you suspect alcohol may have played a factor), pinpointing whether the driver was in violation of the law might not be overly difficult.

The standards detailing the prohibition of alcohol use by commercial vehicle drivers are set in the Code of Federal Regulations. Beyond prohibiting drivers from drinking on the job, the law also states that they are not to be allowed behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle within four hours of having had a drink. In addition, drivers are not allowed to possess wine or beer while working (even if they are not consuming it). The only exceptions to this rule would be when one is transporting alcohol or transporting passengers who are allowed to carry alcohol.

When people are commuting in Louisiana and come across a construction zone they may be frustrated to have to slow to a snail's pace, especially if they are in a hurry to get somewhere. However, speeding through construction zones and ignoring special instructions posted on road signs can be incredibly dangerous and cause unnecessary accidents. 

One way that people can plan ahead for delays in their commute due to construction is to check local news channels or even map their route on a mapping app to locate delays. Often, the news will share major construction projects that could affect the regular commute for motorists and apps will usually signify why a delay is occurring. When people factor in enough time to travel to their destination despite slowed traffic from construction, they can remain patient and level-headed when they encounter a project area. 

Unbeknownst to you (and likely many others in New Orleans) is that every time you take to the road, you may be surrounded by drivers engaged in a potentially dangerous activity. This activity may be just as likely to lead to a car accident as drunk driving or using a cellphone while behind the wheel, as countless people engage in it without realizing the risks they are creating. We are talking about eating while driving, and you (just as many of those that our team here at Bruno & Bruno has worked with in past have been) may be surprised at just how likely it is to have played a factor in your accident. 

Like most, you may view eating as being such a natural action that you would not even classify it as a distraction. Yet take a moment to think about the actions that go into eating. You have to grasp whatever it is that you are eating, you must look at what you are eating as you direct it towards your mouth, and finally, you have to pay at least some attention to what you are doing in order to avoid spills. When doing this while behind the wheel, one's effort and attention (although likely inadvertently) is pulled away from the road ahead.