New Orleans Personal Injury Law Blog

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. 

Having a baby is often an exciting time in a woman's life. If this is your first child, you are likely a bit anxious or nervous as well as excited. Even if you've already given birth one or more times in the past, you no doubt understand that every pregnancy is different and problems can arise at any time. This is one of many reasons it's so important to attend prenatal visits on time.

Whether you are working with a licensed obstetrician or midwife during pregnancy, as a trained medical team member, he or she should know how to recognize possible signs of fetal distress. Appropriate action depends on various factors and events that happen to be unfolding in a particular set of circumstances. If a medical team member is negligent, you or your infant may suffer serious, even life-threatening injuries.

When you are driving in Louisiana, you may encounter pedestrians often, especially when you are in cities or residential areas. Most busy intersections in cities have traffic signals and signs that indicate when you need to stop your vehicle to yield to a pedestrian. However, it is not always as clear in residential neighborhoods or on rural roads. You may have a hard time determining who has the right-of-way when there are no active traffic signals.

The Louisiana State Legislature provides details on the sections of the traffic code that apply to interactions between drivers and pedestrians. According to this governing body, you must always give the right-of-way to a pedestrian who is in a crosswalk in places where there is no functioning traffic signal. This statute includes crosswalks that are in your path on the road where you are driving as well as those on a road you want to turn onto.