Author Archive

0
16
Aug

High School Football Coach in Huntsville Arrested on DUI Charges

August 16, 201

The head football coach at Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama, was arrested on Saturday, August 13, on suspicion of DUI while on school property.

The 45-year-old man was arrested Saturday night after blowing a .12 on a breathalyzer test, Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Casey Wardynski told The Huntsville Times. The legal limit in Alabama is .08.

A neighbor had called police on Saturday to tell them about a loud noise coming from the high school practice field. There, the coach was mowing the lawn with his personal lawn mower and his personal trailer, which was attached to a truck that belonged to the school district. The truck had apparently gotten stuck in the field, causing the noise that alerted neighbors.

The man was released from the Madison County Jail on Sunday. He has been put on administrative leave with pay pending further investigation.

The Huntsville Times reports that a number of community members and colleagues have written letters and started a petition to defend the character of the coach, who is reportedly a single father of five. He was named head football coach at Grissom High in June 2002 and also served as head football coach at Sparkman High School from 1999-2002.

Read more.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama accident or suffered an Alabama injury, the Alabama accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
11
Aug

Alabama Woman Injured After Setting Husband’s Trailer on Fire

August 11, 2011

A woman was badly burned on Monday night in Morris, Alabama, when she set fire to her estranged husband’s trailer.

According to WBRC, the woman had to be treated for multiple burns.

The fire occurred on the 6000 block of New Castle Road around 11:30 p.m. Monday when the 47-year-old woman set fire to a travel trailer that belonged to her husband. She then drove herself to the Birmingham Fire Station on Carson Road for treatment of burns she’d received during the fire. Shortly after Jefferson County deputies responded to a call about a house fire on New Castle Road.

The suspect admitted to authorities that she had intentionally set the fire by pouring gasoline in the trailer. She then ignited the fire while she was still inside the trailer, causing a small explosion that burned her arms and feet. The woman said she and her husband had been separated for a month.

The fire grew so large that her father-in-law’s house, which was right next door, was also burned.

No one else was injured in the blaze.

WBRC reports that charges are pending until the investigation is closed.

Read more.

What kind of charges do you think this Alabama woman should face?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama accident or suffered an Alabama injury, the Alabama accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
2
Aug

9 Tips for Safer Driving in Birmingham, Alabama

August 2, 2011

Some car accidents and dangerous auto-related incidents are out of a driver’s hands, but these important safety tips from the Birmingham Police Department may help keep drivers and their passengers safe on the road.

  • Never leave your keys in the ignition while your car is unattended.
  • Park in well-lighted areas and lock your doors, no matter how long you’ll be gone.
  • Put valuables out of sight or in the trunk.
  • Check front and rear seats, and floorboards before entering your car.
  • Drive with all doors locked.
  • Never pick up hitchhikers. If your car breaks down, put the hood up, lock the doors, turn on the flashers, and move to the passenger seat. Do not leave your car. If someone stops to help, roll down the window slightly and ask them to call a tow truck if you don’t have a cell phone.
  • Avoid underground and enclosed parking garages if possible.
  • When parking or returning to your vehicle, carry your keys and be aware of your surroundings.
  • Consider investing in a cellular telephone.

Read more.

What do you think are the most important safety rules to keep in mind while driving?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama auto accident, the Alabama auto accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
26
Jul

Kids with ADHD More Prone to Pedestrian Injury, Finds Study

July 26, 2011

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are more likely to suffer an injury at a crosswalk, finds a University of Alabama at Birmingham study. Researchers discovered that children with ADHD behave the same when crossing a crosswalk but that they make riskier choices—smaller gaps of traffic and less time to spare–when determining when to cross a street.

The study used an interactive virtual environment and tasked each child 15 times with deciding when to cross a street. Researchers looked at 78 children aged seven to 10—half with ADHD, half without. Those on medication were required to stop taking it 24 hours prior to the study. Seventy-one-percent of the children were boys, and those with and without ADHD were matched in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity.

“Crossing the street safely requires the ability to plan and to inhibit responses such as darting into the street under unsafe conditions, both abilities controlled by the executive system and shown as central impairments in children with ADHD-C,” the researchers wrote.

Read more.

Do you think a child’s history of ADHD should be taken into account when a child is injured at a crosswalk?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama auto accident, the Alabama auto accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
19
Jul

Alabama Man Injured When Hit by Train in Mississippi

July 19, 2011

A 46-year-old man from Prichard, Alabama, was injured on Saturday, July 16, when his car was hit by a train in Biloxi, Mississippi.

According to The Sun Herald, the crash occurred at Rodenberg Avenue around 10:15 a.m. when the man attempted to drive his car south over the railroad tracks. An eastbound CSX train collided with the man’s car, which threw him from his vehicle. The man was reportedly alert after the crash. There were no passengers inside the car.

Police Seargant Bennie Hickman told The Sun Herald that the crossing had operational lights and bells but that there was no arm.

“He had serious lacerations to his head, but he was alert and talking when we got there,” Hickman told The Mississippi Press. “He was unable to answer intelligent questions … so we reported the accident as him failing to yield to the train.”

The day of the accident the man was listed in serious but stable condition at Biloxi Regional Medical Center.

A CSX spokesman said that the train was headed from New Orleans to Atlanta.

“When it comes to train tracks, the train always has the right of way,” said Hickman.

Read more.

Do you think lights and bells are enough to alert drivers to a passing train? Should every crossing also be outfitted with an automated arm?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama auto accident, the Alabama auto accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
12
Jul

New Alabama Law Stiffens Penalties and Fines for Drunk Drivers

July 12, 2011

A new Alabama law enforces harsher penalties and fines for drivers with especially high Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels. The law, originally Senate Bill 67, was signed into effect last month by Governor Robert Bentley. It states that those convicted of aggravated DUI—defined as driving with a BAC of .15 or higher—will face double the fines and prison terms.

The bill was sponsored in the House by Representative Paul DeMarco and in the Senate by Rusty Glover.

“I am sure this law will reduce the number of DUIs in Alabama,” said DeMarco. “It directly affects the most highly intoxicated drivers, who are the ones who cause the most accidents. Hopefully, this will make our highways safer by strengthening the penalties against DUIs.”

The Birmingham News reports that 33 percent of all Alabama traffic deaths in 2009 were attributed to drunken-driving. Of the crashes that involved a fatality, 56 percent of drivers had a BAC of .15 or higher.

Read more.

Do you think this new law will help deter drunk driving in Alabama? Do you think it’s fair that your BAC would help determine your punishment for drunk driving?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama auto accident, the Alabama auto accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
5
Jul

Homicides in Birmingham on the Rise

July 5, 2011

Murders in Birmingham, Alabama, are up 60 percent this year, according to The Birmingham News.

So far this year there have been 32 murders, compared with 20 during the same time period in 2010. Three of these murders have happened in just the last week and 10 occurred in May. Here are the other murders by month: March (7), April (5), January and June (4), February (2).

“The truth is we had an exceptional first six months last year, so we have to battle those numbers this year,” said Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper. “In fact, the first six months of 2010 ranks as the lowest we’ve experienced in the last 10 years, so duplicating it has been difficult.”

Roper says most people who commit murder in Birmingham know their victim beforehand. The police department also reports arrests in two-thirds of its homicide cases this year.

“I’ve said from the beginning, I’m not that interested in short-term comparisons because crime will ebb and flow,” said Roper. “For example, this year still ranks as the third-lowest in the 10 years and is actually tracking closely with 2009 so far. In any other year, that would be great news, but it’s higher than 2010.”

Read more.

Why do you think homicides have increased in Birmingham this year?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama wrongful death, the Alabama wrongful death attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 2% [?]

0
28
Jun

35 Percent of College Students Use Apps While Driving, Says Study

June 28, 2011

A new study out from the University of Alabama at Birmingham indicates that one-third of college students use cell phone apps while they’re behind the wheel. The most surprising finding: Even students who’ve had cell-phone related accidents continue to use their mobile devices in the car.

The study looked at 93 college students all of whom owned a smartphone device such as a Blackberry or iPhone. Each student claimed to use apps on their phone at least four times a week, although 10 of these students had previously been involved in car crashes caused by their own distracted driving.

The study, which will be presented at the American Psychological Association Convention in D.C. this summer, found that 10 percent of students often or nearly always use mobile apps while driving, and that one-third say they use them sometimes.

“It’s astounding, scary,” said David Schwebel, the director of the UAB Youth Safety Lab that supervised the study, in an interview with Reuters. “Very little of this is urgent business. It’s socializing and entertainment.”

Lauren McCartney, a UAB student who worked on the study, told Reuters that the study has led her to conclude that smartphones need to be banned from use while driving.

Read more.

Do you use smartphone apps while driving even though you know the dangers of doing so? What’s the best way to discourage people from using their cell phones while driving?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama auto accident, the Alabama auto accident attorneys at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
24
Jun

Woman Sues Lawyer for Legal Malpractice After Alabama Capital Murder Trial

June 24, 2011

A Georgia woman who stood trial in 2006 for capital murder of her ex-husband’s wife in Cherokee County, Alabama, has sued her attorney and his firm for legal malpractice after being sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The woman, Barbara Roberts, says her lawyer misrepresented himself by failing to disclose that he was not certified to practice law in Alabama and subsequently taking her money for personal use—misappropriating approximately $100,000 of her funds.

The legal proceedings for this case began in February 2009 when the woman filed a legal-malpractice action in the Cherokee Circuit Court taking her former attorney to task for his refusal to refund her $50,000 retainer.

The woman’s former lawyer soon filed a counterclaim seeking $457,500 in eight open-account claims. In May 2010, Roberts responded to her former attorney’s counterclaim by adding a fraud claim and malicious-prosecution claim to her complaint.

Earlier this month the Supreme Court of Alabama made a ruling affirming in part and reversing in part a circuit court’s previous ruling on the case and remanded the case to the circuit court for further proceedings.

Read more.

Do you think people are less likely to file legal malpractice suits because they’re concerned about two lawyers going head to head?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a legal malpractice incident in Alabama, the Alabama legal malpractice lawyers at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]

0
14
Jun

Blountsville Woman Killed in Head-On Collision

June 14, 2011

A 55-year-old Blountsville, Alabama, woman was killed and two others were injured Sunday during a two-car collision on U.S. Route 231 near Blountsville in Blount County.

Alabama State Troopers told The Birmingham News that the fatal crash occurred around 1:30 p.m. when a 1992 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck drove head-on into a 2001 Mercury Villager van.

Both of the vehicles’ drivers—aged 57 and 76, respectively—were injured in the crash. The 57-year-old male was transported to Huntsville East Hospital while the 76-year-old female was taken to Birmingham’s UAB Hospital. Both are Blountsville residents.

The Chevrolet’s passenger was killed.

Troopers told The Birmingham News that they will continue to investigate the accident.

Read more.

What do you think should be done to prevent head-on collisions in the Birmingham area? Do you think that the addition of median dividers would lessen the number of fatalities?

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Alabama auto accident, the Alabama auto accident lawyers at Norris Injury Lawyers can help.

Popularity: 1% [?]