By: Darrell Castle Pain and suffering is one of the many determining factors in how much compensation you’ll receive when you’re injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault. Pain and suffering is the legal term for physical, mental and emotional stress caused by an injury. The physical stress is obvious after a car accident. The mental and emotional stress can be things like fear, insomnia, grief, worry, inconvenience and a loss of life enjoyment. For example, let’s say you LOVED to run. You’re someone who trains almost daily to run in marathons regularly. It’s — by far — your favorite hobby. One day you were driving down Poplar on the way to work and as you passed an
Tennessee saw a substantial rise in traffic fatalities during the first quarter of 2012, and law enforcement has started taking extra precautions. The Commercial Appeal reports that fatalities due to car accidents across the state have risen nearly 30% since the same time last year. However, with exactly the same fatality rate in the first quarter of 2012 as it had in 2011, Shelby County and the Memphis area dodged the alarming trend. The increase follows a long period of decline in road crash fatalities. 2011 had the lowest recorded fatality rate in Tennessee since 1962. Law enforcement plans to increase their presence on road in the coming months and look not only for reckless and aggressive driving, but for
According to The Commercial Appeal, the entire congregation of Great Commission Church in Memphis is working to get out of debt. The group has a total of over $2.3 million in non-mortgage debt. To get rid of it, they’re selling their possessions, creating emergency funds, and settling the smaller debts first. As a bankruptcy attorney, I always say you should get out of debt by any means necessary. So I think it’s great that this group is taking practical steps to get rid of their debt. Debt is a terrible thing. It can hurt your marriage and family. It can keep you from pursuing your dreams. It can hold you back for your entire life. I also know that sometimes
City workers in Memphis – who took a hard loss this summer from pay cuts – will have one relief in coming weeks: they get six pay periods off from paying health care premiums. If you work for the city of Memphis, that means you might save as much as $70-$150 each pay period. Here are the weeks you’ll see a change:   September 2 September 16 September 30 October 14 November 23, and March 30   This relief comes from a surplus in health care funds following the pay cuts made this summer and changes to benefits in 2010. But many city workers don’t feel relieved. The extra funds have been taken in part from higher insurance costs that
If you are struggling with debts you can’t pay and are contemplating bankruptcy, it might help to remember you are not alone. Economies all over the world face instability. Consider Kodak. They’ve declared bankruptcy and on Wednesday had to remove their name from the theater used for the Academy Awards just 10 days before the Oscars. American Airlines, NBA star Allen Iverson, and entire countries like Greece all have debts they can’t pay. Fortunately most Memphis consumers deciding whether to file bankruptcy don’t have to worry about the rioting in the streets or what the Academy Awards viewers will think. In fact, bankruptcy no longer has such a shameful reputation. It happens every day to thousands of people and businesses
A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis pinpointed 2019 as the year when Memphis employment may reach its high peak set in 2007 before the Great Recession hit. The report states, “The slow recovery in housing prices, combined with the large fraction of homes in negative equity, has suppressed local consumer demand and will likely continue to hamper Memphis’ economic performance.” Back in June, 10.3 out of 10,000 homes were foreclosed – two times more than the national rate.  Also, a high 31% of Memphis homeowners owe more money on their house than its market value, compared to the 24% of nationwide homeowners. Throughout the city, 607,100 full-and part-time jobs were filled, but that falls below the
According to The Commercial Appeal, Memphis police began increasing their presence on major highways and interstates this past March. Their efforts stem from citizen concern over reckless driving and dangerous speeds in Memphis. In particular the north and south loops of I-240 have posed problems. These areas of the interstate are infamous for speeding cars and risky behavior behind the wheel, so police have concentrated the increased enforcement in those areas. Memphis has a serious problem with reckless driving on major highways, and hopefully a more active police presence will help put a stop to it. — If you or a loved one are injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, our Tennessee car accident attorneys can help.
For the last few years, the city of Memphis has been investing in more options for cyclists and pedestrians. Now those investments will include a path across the Mississippi River. The Harahan Bridge trail will connect the Main Streets of Memphis and West Memphis and cost roughly $30 million to complete. Supporters compare the project to the Shelby Farms Greenline as a way to help people in Memphis be more active and less dependent on cars. They also hope it will boost the economies of both Memphis and West Memphis. As Memphis becomes more bike-friendly, bicycle injuries will also likely rise. Major cities that offer bike share programs and ample bicycle paths have seen a rise in bike usage but
Yes. This is completely real. There’s something called the National Truck Driving Championships – and Memphis’ own FedEx came out on top in a number of events at this year’s competition, held from August 20-24 in Salt Lake City. Twelve drivers representing FedEx placed in the top three in their respective divisions – including three event champions. Hosted by American Trucking Associations (ATA), this annual contest allows competitors to duke it out using a variety of trucks. Winners get bragging rights and some impressive trophies. But this isn’t a high-speed race. It’s actually known instead as the “Super Bowl of Safety.” According to ATA: The Championships are a great incentive for professional truck drivers to operate safely, because they must
Last week we announced that our Memphis personal injury firm is accepting Medtronic INFUSE® Bone Graft injury cases. But what is INFUSE® and how is it hurting people? Here’s what you need to know: Medtronic INFUSE® Bone Graft is a device used in surgery to help rebuild bone. It delivers a particular kind of protein to the affected area to speed up bone growth. It’s meant to be used in lower back surgery, but doctors use it for a lot of other surgeries, too – like surgeries on the upper back, neck, and spine. Using INFUSE® in these other surgeries can be very dangerous. It isn’t approved by the FDA, and it runs the risk of causing bone overgrowth. Overgrowth