Halloween is a time for friends and family to have fun while dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating. Though it can be a fun night for everyone, there are also safety precautions that are important to know before going out for the night.

One important note to make before going trick-or-treating is to never let your children go alone. You always want to make sure they are with a group or you are with them at all times. Before stepping out into the road and going to the house across the street, make sure you and your children both check for cars both ways. If possible, only use crosswalks or intersections that are marked on the busier roads. Look both ways twice to ensure extra safety is being taken into consideration. Once you are sure there are no cars coming from either direction, you can cross the road while keeping your children close.

Another important note to make before taking your children trick-or-treating is to make sure their costumes fit properly. If the costumes are too big or are dragging the ground, it could cause your child to trip on it which could lead to an injury. You also want to be careful if you are choosing to wear a mask. Masks can impair your vision and make it dangerous when you are crossing roads or walking in a neighborhood you may not be familiar with. If you choose to wear a mask, make sure you are not alone and can rely on someone just in case you cannot properly see out of it. You want to also make sure your child does not have any sharp objects as part of their costume. If they are carrying a sword or something similar, make sure it cannot injure them if they were to trip or fall on it.

If you are passing out candy at your house, it is important to make sure any hazardous items are picked up to ensure the safety of everyone walking on your property. If you have any extension cords running in your yard, it might be best to pick them up or move them where nobody will be walking. This will give you clear of mind that nobody will trip over them and cause any injury. You also want to make sure your property is well lit before anybody steps onto it. If there is not proper lighting, someone could fall over something they cannot see. Once these things are done, it will be easier for everyone to enjoy their night.

Some final tips to follow to have the safest night is to first, carry a flashlight. If you happen to come across a house that is passing out candy, but does not have the proper lighting, you can use the flashlight to have confidence you will not fall over anything. This will reassure you that you and your children are taking the safest route while walking up to the house. You also want to make sure your cell phone is fully charged. If something does happen and you need to make a phone call, you will want to make sure the battery is charged up. When you return home and your children has a bag full of candy, make sure you check it for anything that could be dangerous to eat. If there is something that was tampered with or opened, the safest bet is to throw it out.

Halloween is a night to enjoy with your children, friends, and family. With these safety protocols, you can ensure to have the best night and make great memories.

If you are injured on Halloween or have any further questions, we encourage you to speak with an attorney at Greene and Phillips for further assistance. Our office is located at 51 North Florida Street in Mobile, Alabama. You can also call us at (251) 325-4925. Have a safe Halloween!

One of the first questions a new client will ask when they come into our office is, “How long will my person injury case take?” The time is takes to process your case depends on your individual accident and the details surrounding it. These details include what type of accident it was, were there other parties involved, how severe the injuries were, the type of dispute resolution required, etc. To give you a better idea of timing, let’s discuss the factors more in-depth.

The Type of Accident

A single vehicle accident is one where there’s understandably just one vehicle, and for whatever reason it hits a tree, or a building, or a sign.  Most often, if you are the driver of the vehicle there is not going to be much recovery that you are entitled to.  There are certain circumstances where that’s not true, including cases that involve phantom vehicles and product liability cases. If it’s one of those circumstances, then it’s worth talking to an attorney to find out if you may have a case.  If you are a passenger in the vehicle that was in a wreck, you sometimes have a case too. A fender bender is a low impact accident that happens when someone who’s not paying attention, or who is distracted runs into the vehicle in front of them.  The important thing to remember with a fender bender is that if there is any damage to your vehicle there very likely is damage to you.  Several days later you may discover symptoms of whiplash or an achy back as a result of the accident. There are often times when severe injuries can result from a minor accident. Unfortunately, more serious accidents do occur and the more damage done to the car, often means more damage to the body. Obviously a wreck with an 18-wheeler can be completely devastating considering the size and weight of these trucks. These cases can be very complex, and the scenes may need to be independently investigated to figure out the at-fault driver.  Of course, it’s imperative that you seek medical attention right away in any wreck, and make sure that an accident report is done.

Parties Involved in the Accident

Depending on the location of the accident and specific circumstances regarding each party, every case will have its own unique timeline. When there is a crash involving two cars, liability is often straightforward. Generally, one driver or the other made a mistake, and each has its own insurance company. But truck accident cases are more complex. Accidents involving trucks will therefore take longer to complete. Many industries, including the transportation sector, require workers to be in or around moving vehicles constantly. This increases the risk of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents. Parties involved in an accident at their workplace may understand how it can complicate the time their case is handled.

The Extent of Your Injuries

The severity of your injuries suffered in a car accident can vary significantly. Our team of attorneys has successfully represented car wreck victims who suffered from severe injuries such as spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and even death, to less severe injuries such as minor cuts and bruising or whiplash. Based on the severity of your injury after your accident, the time needed to get your case running will vary. If it is a simple injury, it will move much quicker compared to an injury requiring extensive medical treatment. You want to be careful not to rush the case, so that you can ensure every aspect is handled carefully in order to get the biggest reward possible.

The Type of Dispute Resolution Required

Once our attorneys are able to go through all the necessary information regarding your case, they will then decipher which methods they feel will have the greatest impact on your settlement. While there are some methods that require less time, it can sometimes be necessary to keep your case open a little longer in order to make sure every expectation has been met. Our attorneys and case managers make it a top priority to keep our clients informed on where their case stands, and what steps they are taking to stay on top of everything.

If you have been injured in an accident, we encourage you to speak to an injury attorney right away. At Greene & Phillips, our team of experienced injury attorneys fight hard to get their clients every dollar they deserve. Our office is located at 51 North Florida Street in Mobile, Alabama. You can call us at (251) 478-1115, or come by anytime, you never need an appointment at Greene & Phillips.

The concept of “right of way” is important to understand because the law never really grants the right of way, it simply states when the right of way must be yielded. Right of way can be used when the law permits its use by requiring that others yield the right of way to you. Failure to yield the right of way can lead to very serious car accidents. Every driver, motorcyclist, moped rider, bicyclist, and pedestrian must do everything possible to avoid a crash. When you yield the right of way to another vehicle, you are letting them go before you in the traffic situation.

Under Alabama law, pedestrians must obey all traffic-control devices, such as crosswalk signals, applicable to them, except when they are told to do otherwise by a police officer. When in crosswalks, pedestrians have the right of way only under certain conditions. Pedestrians also have the right of way when there are no traffic-control signals, or when those signals aren’t working. Vehicles must slow down and stop when approaching pedestrians that are in, or close to their lane. Pedestrians are required to use crosswalks when they are available, and they should use the right half of the crosswalk, and they are prohibited from crossing an intersection diagonally unless authorized.

When crossing at someplace other than a crosswalk, pedestrians do not have the right of way. They must yield to traffic and they must also not suddenly leave the curb. On sidewalks, pedestrians have the right of way. It is illegal for pedestrians to walk on the road when there is a sidewalk available. When there is no sidewalk, pedestrians must walk on the shoulder, as far away from traffic as possible. When walking on the road, pedestrians must give the right of way to traffic.

When the right of way concept pertains to motor vehicle operators, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests remembering these few simple tips in order to avoid a crash. At an uncontrolled intersection, or four-way stop, the first vehicle to stop should be the first one to go. If you pull up to a four-way stop and see a vehicle already there, you should yield right of way to them. Also, if you arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at the same time as another driver, the rule of thumb is to give way to the right. Meaning, that the driver to the right would be the first to proceed. The next tip to remember is that straight traffic has precedence over vehicles that are turning. If you are turning, whether it be right or left, it is your responsibility to yield to the traffic coming or going straight. Next, always pay attention to signage. If you pull up to an intersection that does not have a stop sign but has a yield sign, be sure to yield. And lastly, when it doubt, just wait it out.  When you are not sure, it does not harm anyone to wait longer before you proceed. However, this does not apply to instances when you know that you have the right of way, because hesitation could lead to an accident.

If you are involved in an accident, the first thing you should do is contact the authorities and seek medical treatment. The next step you should take is to then meet with a personal injury attorney. The lawyers at Greene & Phillips are available 24/7. You can call us at (251) 300-2000.

Serving on a jury is a unique right that we enjoy as Americans. Because the law grants trials by a jury of one’s peers, it is common to be summoned to serve jury duty at a trial in your area. What makes someone eligible to serve jury duty? In Alabama, a pool of potential jurors is randomly selected from the local population of individuals eligible for jury duty.

In the state of Alabama, a prospective juror is considered to be qualified if they are a citizen of the United States, a resident for more than 12 months, over age 19, have the ability to read and follow instructions given in the English language, are not afflicted with any disease or handicap which obstructs the physical or mental requirements of a juror, and have not been convicted of any crime defined as having “moral turpitude” which resulted in the loss of their voting rights.

When the trial deals with personal injury, that trial would be considered a civil trial. If you are selected for a jury of a civil trial where one party is seeking damages against another person or business, one important piece of information you are not allowed to know is if there is insurance available to pay for those damages.

It is important to keep this information in mind, because as a jury member, you may see the defendant and sympathize with him. You may not want to make him pay tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if the evidence is clear that that amount of money is what it would take to pay for their negligence.

In reality, 99% of the time, the defendant will actually have to pay nothing. It is his insurance company that will pay for the damages, and you as a juror are not allowed to know that, and by extension not allowed to know how much coverage the defendant has.

Juror sympathy for the defendant in the case, often caused by not knowing how much coverage the defendant has, can cause a ruling in the defendant’s favor, leaving the injured plaintiff without fair compensation for their injuries.

David Greene, when asked about this situation, said, “It’s a problem that we see often. People, who through no fault of their own, are in accidents causing terrible injuries, yet the person responsible for the accident and his insurance company get away without paying what they are supposed to pay, because a jury member may have pity on the defendant.”

At Greene & Phillips, our primary focus is on making sure our clients are getting the compensation for their injuries that they deserve. Living and working in Mobile, our attorneys are equipped to serve you and your case. During your treatment following your accident, our team of attorneys and support staff ensures that the maximum value for your case is being pursued.  If you have been injured due to no fault of your own, or if you have any further questions about dealing with the insurance company or jury duty, come by our office anytime, or call us at (251) 300-2000. We are available 24/7, and you never need an appointment at Greene & Phillips.