Cochran & EdwardsCochran & Edwards2023-10-04T17:46:31Zhttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/feed/atom/WordPressOn Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=565162023-10-04T17:46:31Z2023-10-04T17:46:14ZHonda's recent recalls
Honda recently issued recalls for a few of its lawn mower and pressure washer product lines. So far, the injury-posing risk of these items has led to nearly 400,000 recalled units. Honda specifically recalled the following products:
Honda HRN216 lawn mowers
Honda HRX217K6 lawn mowers
Honda CCV170 pressure washers
Honda CCV200 pressure washers
Many businesses carried and sold the now-recalled products from Honda. According to recent reports, companies sold Honda's affected lawn mowers and pressure washers from May 2022 to June 2023. Some of the largest stores that sold these items included:
Honda Power Equipment
Northern Tool
Lowe's
Home Depot
Ace Hardware
The reason for these recalls
American Honda Motor recalled its lawn mowers and pressure washers due to a manufacturing issue. This problem can lead to product defect injuries caused by starter ropes retracting during mower and pressure washer start-up processes. Additionally, recalled Honda products with electric motors may not start.
According to Honda, this company received 2,197 incident reports about its affected lawn mowers and pressure washers. Of these issued reports, seven resulted in minor injuries. Currently, Honda's recalled products haven't caused life-threatening injuries or deaths.
Honda recommends anyone with these defective products to stop using them immediately. This company is offering free inspections and repairs to resolve these engine and camshaft-related problems. But you'll need to visit an authorized Honda Power Equipment dealer.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=561132023-08-21T15:35:33Z2023-08-21T15:33:42ZWhiplash
A collision's impact often dictates an accident's severity. If two cars collide at slow speeds, severe injuries are unlikely to result. When factoring in the speed and size of commercial vehicles, large trucks cause more severe impacts than two passenger vehicles. When high-speed impacts happen, it can result in victims suffering severe whiplash.
Broken bones
While bones are strong, they can only withstand so much force. Unfortunately, the force generated by colliding with a commercial truck often leads to bone breaks. Severe breaks cause displacements, occurring when bones separate. When truck accidents cause broken bones, victims may also need invasive surgery.
Injuries leading to amputations
Even with advancements in medical technology, doctors and surgeons can only do so much to help someone. If someone suffers extensive damage to their arms or legs after a truck accident, amputating the affected limbs could be the best course of action.
Traumatic brain injuries
If the force of an oncoming truck is severe, it may cause the heads of accident victims to strike off parts of their vehicles. Sometimes, this blow to the head can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Immediate signs of a TBI can include frequent headaches and having a tough time sleeping. This kind of injury can lead to potentially lifelong effects, including:
Mild to severe mood swings
Difficulties with your vision and hearing
Having problems thinking clearly
Hearing and vision-related impairments
Regardless of how you feel after a truck hits your vehicle, seek immediate medical attention. Receiving medical treatment also lets you obtain records of the damage a truck driver caused.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=561042023-08-07T16:27:02Z2023-08-07T16:27:02ZFemur fractures
While the femur is one of your body's strongest bones, it isn't immune from damage during motorcycle accidents. Femur fractures can happen when this bone slams down on a surface or gets rolled over by your motorcycle. Being such a vital bone for walking and riding, fracturing your femur can take months to heal.
Arm fractures
Your arms can help protect you from the impact of a motorcycle wreck. Unfortunately, the bones in most people's arms will fracture or break while providing protection during an accident. It's also common for wrist fractures to happen after motorcycle crashes.
Fractured feet
Motorcyclists who suffer fractured bones often damage their metatarsals. The metatarsals are five bones connecting your phalanges and tarsal bones. Even non-severe metatarsal fractures can take several weeks to heal. If you experience multiple fractures to your metatarsal bones, surgery could be a requirement before you fully heal.
Pelvic and hip fractures
Your pelvis and hips help provide mobility, especially while riding a motorcycle. Unfortunately, the pelvis can fracture in many ways. Vertical shift pelvic fractures happen when part of your pelvis violently moves upward. The impact of a surface or a moving motorcycle may also cause lateral crush fractures, occurring when you experience a crushed pelvis.
Bone fractures typically cause many side effects, including pain, swelling and bruising. Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you're dealing with a bone fracture.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=561012023-07-10T19:24:50Z2023-07-10T19:24:50ZTop reasons for truck accidents
Many of the top seven causes of truck accidents are unsurprising. Some involve reckless driving, and others include circumstances undermining the vehicle's safe operation. Here are seven common causes of truck collisions:
Speeding
Fatigue
Poor Maintenance
Inclement Weather
Unfamiliar Routes
Blind Spots
Driver Intoxication
Operating a truck at high speeds is extremely dangerous. Drivers who violate traffic laws may be held responsible for any injuries caused to others as a result of their actions. However, moving violations are not the only form of negligent driving. Not properly maintaining the truck could lead to legal woes for drivers, their employers, and even third parties.
Legal matters after truck crashes
When someone's negligence leads to truck accidents, the victims may file a lawsuit or insurance claim to recover losses. While a driver might not think driving while excessively tired is not negligence, their behavior could put them well into the category of negligent drivers.
Someone who drives while intoxicated may face punitive damages for disregarding road safety. A driver that ignores slick road conditions and speeds or does not check blind spot before changing lanes could also face liability claims.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=560752023-04-18T19:59:17Z2023-04-18T19:59:17ZWhat is a trade secret?
In most cases, a trade secret refers to private information that gives the company a business advantage. The information has to remain a secret to keep that competitive advantage, so the company is expected to keep it private.
Trade secret misappropriation can happen when someone improperly obtains a trade secret. This can come in the form of bribery, theft, fraud or breach of a confidentiality agreement. There is also industrial espionage, which is when one company spies on another. It's also considered trade secret misappropriation if you coerce someone else to breach their duty to keep the information secret.
What does trade secret misappropriation look like?
A common instance of this crime is when individuals take confidential information home with them. Such action may violate their contract if they have a duty to keep the information private. A more dramatic example is when someone breaks into a company-owned computer and copies files containing trade secret information.
Those who acquire this confidential information themselves don't have to publish or disclose it for them to be liable for trade secret misappropriation. But it is also considered misappropriation when someone publishes the information if they know it has been improperly acquired. Business law around trade secrets is in place to protect companies from these actions.
Trade secrets are governed by state law. In most places in the U.S., a version of the Uniform Trade Secret Act or UTSA is used. Individual states have made their own slight modifications, but trade secret laws are largely uniform across the U.S.
Private information held by companies that give them a competitive advantage is known as trade secrets. When such information is improperly obtained or published, it is classified as trade secret misappropriation, which is prohibited by law.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=560792023-04-18T20:01:17Z2023-04-14T20:01:03ZNumbers never lie.
Before diving into some specific summertime hazards caused by defective products, consider some key findings of an annual report published by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
• Injuries caused by consumer goods resulted in 1.1 million trips to the emergency room in 2021.
• Children accounted for 44% of those 1.1 million injuries.
• May was the busiest month for children needing emergency medical attention, while adult ER visits peaked in July.
Which products present the most danger?
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) also reports which products present the most dangerous for children. For instance, in 2021, trampolines resulted in 10,148 injuries to children ages two and under. Another 61,317 children between the ages of three and 10, making them the most dangerous product for children within those age ranges.
Other dangerous products
Bicycles resulted in 60,790 ER visits for children between the ages of 11 and 17, making them the most hazardous toy for kids in that age range. Additionally, bikes sent 54,601 children between three and ten years of age to the ER. Playground equipment, such as the type found at your local park, caused injuries to 33,299 children in that same age group.
As children spend more time outside during the summer months, injuries become more common. While there is no way to prevent injuries completely, taking steps to ensure that your children use toys and other summertime products safely does minimize the risk of injury.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=560612023-04-10T16:26:30Z2023-04-10T16:26:30ZNeglected maintenance and defective repairs
Truck accidents that cause serious injury or death are investigated thoroughly by state and federal authorities, and experts are often dispatched to the scenes of these crashes to inspect the commercial vehicles involved. Their findings are passed to law enforcement and included in the final truck accident report, which often contains information that could be very useful in a personal injury lawsuit. Official reports could reveal that a truck had defective safety systems or crucial maintenance had been neglected. Certified inspectors also check crashed commercial vehicles closely for botched repairs.
Intoxication and fatigue
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations make toxicology testing mandatory after a serious truck accident, and the results of these tests could be used to prove impairment in a personal injury lawsuit if they reveal that the truck driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Trucks also have electronic logging devices that monitor truck driver shifts, which may provide evidence of fatigue that could be used to establish negligence.
Vigorous defenses
The damages awarded in truck accident lawsuits can be significant when the injuries suffered were serious, which is why the defendants in these cases usually mount vigorous defenses. If you are ever injured in a collision with a commercial vehicle and decide to file a lawsuit, you may be able to gather evidence of negligence from official accident reports, toxicology test results and electronic hours of service records.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=560642023-04-10T16:25:31Z2023-03-31T16:26:21ZGather and organize important documents
When preparing for the death of someone close to you, such as your parent or spouse, it's essential to gather important documents and have the information ready. These can include:
• Documents pertaining to a will or trust
• Social Security number
• Real estate deeds and titles
• Financial account statements
• Automobile titles
If planning for the future hasn't been done, it may be time to create an estate plan. Developing a will that names beneficiaries can tie up many loose ends. Consider using a trust if you're looking to avoid the probate process.
End-of-life preparations
A way to make your passing as easy as possible is to take care of the end-of-life preparations yourself. You can prepay for a burial plot and coffin, urn and cremation service and many other types of funerary services. If your loved ones or parents haven't taken this step, at least be sure that they have provided information in their wills about how they'd like their end-of-life plans carried out. Taking care of as much of the end-of-life preparations as possible ahead of time can make things easier for those left behind.
Prepare financial information
The next step is to clear up all of the elements related to finance, credit and insurance. To prepare your loved ones, make a list of all of your investment and retirement accounts and insurance policies along with their locations, account numbers and beneficiaries. Keep in mind that loved ones and beneficiaries will often need to provide a death certificate to the institution, so it's a good idea to get multiple copies of the death certificate.
Preparing for the death of a loved one can be emotional as it reminds you that someday they'll be gone. However, going through the estate planning process and preparing for these steps now will make it smoother to deal with in the future, allowing you to mourn without distractions.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=560592023-04-10T16:29:55Z2023-03-06T17:29:40ZDebt after death
In most cases, the assets in a person's estate are used to satisfy debts. The personal representative of the deceased person is responsible for making sure assets are distributed according to a will or the law. For example, the personal representative may first pay off the deceased's debts and then distribute the rest of the assets to beneficiaries or heirs.
Who receives what may depend on whether or not the person left a will and how many details the document contains. Representatives are often named when a person does estate planning with a legal professional.
Exceptions
There may be a few instances when another person shares debt responsibility with the deceased. Joint accounts and cosigned loans are two common examples.
For instance, if the deceased person shared a joint credit line with another family member, that individual still has some responsibility for the debt. The same is true if they bought a car when the decedent was alive and cosigned for the loan.
Also, there may be remaining liability for a deceased spouse's debts in community property states. However, Georgia is not a community property state. Many people also wonder about student loan debt of spouses. If a spouse who had a federal student loan dies, the loan is discharged.
It is common for spouses or family members to receive debt collection calls after the death of a loved one. If that happens, family members can tell the collectors to contact the personal representative of the deceased.]]>On Behalf of Cochran & Edwards, LLChttps://www.cochranedwardslaw.com/?p=560542023-04-10T16:38:04Z2023-02-25T17:37:21ZCauses of truck driver fatigue
It's essential to understand the causes of truck driver fatigue. Truck drivers often work long hours, leading to sleep deprivation and fatigue.
The monotony of driving long distances and sitting for extended periods can also contribute to fatigue. Furthermore, many truck drivers suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, which can further impact their ability to get sufficient rest.
Dangers of truck driver fatigue
The dangers of truck driver fatigue are numerous and can be fatal. When truck drivers are fatigued, their reaction time and cognitive abilities are significantly impaired, making it more difficult for them to make quick and accurate decisions on the road. This can result in truck drivers causing or contributing to accidents, such as collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
In addition to the risk of truck accidents, driver fatigue can also lead to increased stress and mental exhaustion, which can take a toll on a driver's overall health and well-being. This can result in long-term health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.
Prevention
To reduce the risk of truck driver fatigue and the dangers it poses, it's important that trucking companies and drivers take a proactive approach. This includes implementing measures such as limiting the number of hours a truck driver can work without taking a break, encouraging drivers to take regular breaks to rest and stretch and providing adequate rest facilities for drivers to use.
It's also important for truck drivers to take responsibility for their health and well-being. This includes getting enough sleep before starting a long haul, staying hydrated and engaging in regular physical activity to reduce stress and fatigue.
Staying safe on the road
Truck driver fatigue is a serious problem that must be addressed in the transportation industry. Trucking companies and drivers must take the necessary steps to reduce the risk of accidents caused by fatigue. By prioritizing rest and well-being, we can ensure that our roads are safer for everyone.]]>