Automobile Accident

The Dangers (and Potential Liability) of Driving While Old

February 23, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

A recent article on Law.com made the argument that, in addition to DWI and DUI, there should be another three-letter acronym describing another category of dangerous car accidents: DWO, Driving While Old. As millions of Baby Boomers age, car accidents caused by older drivers may occur with greater frequency, something experts believe could result in interesting legal cases arguing over liability to injured third parties. To find out more about the dangers of driving while old, keep reading.

GM Appears To Have Dodged A Bullet In First Ignition Switch Lawsuit

January 26, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What exactly is a wrongful death claim?”

It was a case that experts on both sides of the legal spectrum have been anxiously awaiting and it ended in a victory, of sorts, for General Motors. The automaker just concluded the first of likely hundreds of lawsuits involving a faulty ignition switch that the company was aware of for years yet did nothing to fix until details emerged publicly recently. Many expected the first case, one of several bellwether cases that were hand picked by plaintiffs, to end differently. Though it’s good news for GM, at least for now, experts say the car company shouldn’t be so quick to breathe a sigh of relief.

The Dangers of Aggressive Driving

January 5, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Matt Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

What is aggressive driving?

Dangers Posed By Tired Truckers Set To Receive Increased Attention

December 15, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Everyone knows about the dangers associated with distracted driving. Commercials and public service announcements routinely warn drivers of the importance of focusing on the road in front of you and not on other distractions, usually cellphones. A subset of distracted driving that seldom gets the attention it deserves involves tired drivers. Drivers who are exhausted are just as if not more dangerous than those busy texting. Thankfully, a new push by federal lawmakers appears designed to bring increased attention. To find out more, keep reading.

What to know about Uber and Lyft driver liability

November 19, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can I wait a few months to pursue a personal injury claim?”

Were you, or someone you know, in an accident that involved an Uber driver over Halloween? Ride sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft are extremely popular on holidays like Halloween and New Year’s Eve. These companies offer an effective and safe way to get home after a fun night out with friends. But what happens if you are in an accident while utilizing one of these ride-sharing services? What happens if you are in an accident while driving your own vehicle, but the accident is the fault of the Uber driver? Does it matter if the Uber driver is driving her car for personal or business reasons? These issues have been rapidly evolving in the insurance/legal world, but are still largely unknown to the general public.

Seat Belts May Soon Appear On A School Bus Near You

November 10, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

It’s a question that many people, especially parents, have long wondered: Why don’t school buses come with seat belts? Everyone knows that seat belts save lives and states have long passed and enforced strict laws that require occupants of passenger vehicles to wear seat belts. So why has the rule not been extended to school buses, a mode of transit designed to ferry some of our most precious cargo? There have long been several reasons advanced by opponents, including cost, but these may no longer matter, as the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has come out in favor of installing seat belts on school buses.

More Than A Dozen People Die Due To Keyless Ignition Systems

October 22, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Automakers continue to incorporate newer and more sophisticated technology into vehicles, the goal being to make driving easier. Though some of the changes are certainly beneficial (better seatbelts, safer airbags, blind spot warning technology, etc.) others can have serious consequences if used incorrectly. One seemingly benign advancement which has proven to be deadly in some particularly tragic circumstances is the keyless ignition system that now appears in the vast majority of new vehicles.

Caution flag is out for spectators choosing to sit close to the action

July 7, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question ” I have been injured on another person’s property. What should I do now?”

Those NASCAR fans who stayed awake into the early morning hours of July 6^th to catch the conclusion of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway witnessed Austin Dillon’s horrific last-lap crash. Dillon’s No. 3 car went airborne into the track’s “catch fence” and broke into pieces, sending debris flying towards fans seated near the finish line. Amazingly, Dillon emerged from the car with only a bruised forearm and tailbone, and of the 13 spectators hit by debris, only one was taken to the hospital (and that spectator has since been released).

Settlement Mills IV: The pros and cons of settlement mills and suggested solutions

June 11, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

When a personal-injury claimant’s case is turned down by a lawyer or law firm because the value of the claim is too low, the claimant has three choices. The claimant can not file a claim at all, can handle the claim on one’s own, or her or she can contract with a so-called “settlement mill” to resolve the claim.

Attorney hopes “conservative” jury’s $1-million car-accident award is a game-changer

May 19, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I trust the insurance adjuster?”

Damages are the dirty little secret in personal injury lawsuits—at least the typical insurance adjuster wants you to feel that way. Sure, the adjuster tells you, the driver who hit you was at fault and his insurance policy covered the accident, but what did you really lose?