Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Published on: October 3, 2019

AAA Study: Car Technology for Pedestrian Detection Still Needs Work

Pedestrian deaths have sharply increased over the past decade – in fact, the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates a 35% increase from 2008-2018. In 2009, the U.S. saw 4,109 pedestrian fatalities, and that number jumped to 6,000 in 2017. These facts surprise many, given the increase in technology and safety features within motor vehicles. Many new model cars come equipped with the latest in safety technology like automatic emergency braking (AEB), object detection sensors, blind spot warnings, and adaptive lighting. A new AAA study shows this new technology still has a ways to go.

While the new technology does help reduce overall accidents, the question is whether they are as effective when it comes to avoiding crashes with pedestrians. For example, a car that has AEB with pedestrian detection should spot a pedestrian, issue an alarm to the driver, then brake or slow down if the driver does not react quickly enough. AAA recently conducted testing with four 2019 model cars – Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Tesla Model 3 – and crash dummies mimicking humans. AAA sought to test the effectiveness of the pedestrian detection systems.

The testing revealed some interesting findings:

Published on: October 3, 2019

Toys for Tots Trot – Supporting Our Military and Our Youth

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

tots NST was a proud sponsor of the 4th Annual Toys for Tots Trot held in Jackson, Tennessee, on September 21, 2019. The Toys for Tots Trot is an annual 5k run hosted by the Captain Jack Holland Detachment #735 of the Marine Corps League. The race began at the Carl Perkins Civic Center, and the lawyers and paralegals of our Jackson office had a great time participating in the festivities. 100% of the proceeds from the run will go to providing toys for children this coming holiday season through the Toys for Tots program.

The U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program has a special mission: “to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.” This non-profit organization seeks to develop the children of our community and unite members of our community. In 2018, the Mid-South Toys for Tots chapter donated 33,322 toys to the benefit of 11,679 children, ranging from newborns to 12-year-olds! NST Law salutes Toys for Tots and the local Marine Corp for their dedication to making the holiday season extra meaningful for so many children in West Tennessee. We also appreciate the kindness of all who donated toys and showed their support at the Toys for Tots Trot.

Published on: September 25, 2019

NST Law Proudly Supports 36th Annual Race Judicata

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

race-judicata This year, NST Law again sponsored the 36th Annual Race Judicata 5K which occurred on September 21, 2019. The course started at the University of Memphis Law School, winded through downtown Memphis, and finished up back at the law school. The race also featured pre-race and post-race festivities, including live music at the Memphis Park and the Promenade.

Each year, Race Judicata is held to support the Memphis Area Legal Services, the Community Legal Center, and the Memphis Bar Association’s Access to Justice Program. The proceeds also help support free community resources such as the Second Saturday Free Legal Clinic, the Veteran’s Clinic, Courthouse of the Day Clinic, and non-conviction expungement clinics. Each year, thousands of low income and elderly citizens of West Tennessee utilize these services for various legal needs, and our firm is proud to help support them.

Thank you to all of the runners who participated as well as the other local sponsors for making this year’s Race Judicata a great success!

Published on: September 11, 2019

NST Law Congratulates the Bar-Kays on 55 Years of Soul and Funk!

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

The Bar-Kays are a Memphis institution. In the early 1960s, six students from Booker T. Washington High School formed a group that would eventually be known as the Bar-Kays. They were signed by the world-renowned Stax label, and became one of the most successful recording groups in the history of Memphis music and American music. Over the years, the Bar-Kays have performed their soul and funk hits alongside successful musicians such as Otis Redding, Al Jackson, Jr., Booker T. Jones, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, and Isaac Hayes.

Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz was proud to be a sponsor of Bar-Kays Reloaded – 55^th Anniversary Celebration on August 23, 2019, at the Halloran Center in downtown Memphis. Our firm recognizes their hard work, dedication, passion, and all they have done to help promote the City of Memphis to audiences and listeners worldwide. We also recognize their contributions to our city and the music industry as a whole. As part of the celebration, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland issued an official Proclamation declaring August 23, 2019 to be “Bar-Kays Day” throughout the City of Memphis.

Currently led by founder James Alexander, the Bar-Kays have released nearly 29 albums (including 5 gold, 1 platinum), 40 singles, and 20 top ten singles and albums. The current Bar-Kays members include James Alexander, Chris J, Angelo Earl, Mark Bynum, Robert Day, and Archie Love. The Bar-Kays are still performing their hits before Memphis and national audiences, so be sure to check them out. Congratulations again to the Bar-Kays on 55 excellent years, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Published on: September 3, 2019

2019 WLOK Black Film Festival

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

NST Law is proud to be a sponsor of the 4^th Annual WLOK Black Film Festival! The 2019 festival was held August 29 – September 1, 2019. WLOK was the first African-American owned electronic media outlet in Memphis, and the festival featured films illustrating events with social significance relating to the black experience in America.

The festival held events at locations across Memphis, including the National Civil Rights Museum, Pink Palace, Stax, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Studio on the Square. The events featured a screening of a movie followed by a panel discussion of family and social issues shown in the films. Participants were able to view films such as “Widows,” “Dreamgirls” (featuring Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy), “The Hate U Give,” and “Green Book.” Invited to speak at the panel following “Green Book” were Congressman Steve Cohen and Congressman John Lewis.

WLOK’s origins trace back to 1956, and WLOK was the second Memphis radio station to offer programming entirely dedicated to a black audience. WLOK continued to grow throughout the 1960s, wich popular DJs like Dick “Cane” Cole and “Hunky Doring” on the airwaves. Serving the community has always been part of WLOK’s mission, partnering with the NAACP and civil rights organizations such as Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity). In 1977, Art Gilliam purchased the station which made it the first black-owned radio station in Memphis (as well as the first locally-owned station). In 1997, the Tennessee Historical Commission designated WLOK as a Tennessee Historical Landmark. NST Law is proud to support WLOK, the 2019 Black Film Festival, and WLOK’s mission of promoting equal rights for all.

Published on: August 7, 2019

Proving Lost Wages in a Car Accident Case

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

Lost wages can be an important part to getting fair compensation in a personal injury case, as medical bills and physical pain aren’t the only ways in which an auto accident can affect you. If you suffered serious injuries like broken bones or required an extended hospital stay, you will probably be taken off of work by your doctor. Even if you didn’t suffer broken bones, your condition still could render you unable to return to work for a period of time. If you miss work due to a car wreck caused by someone else, you are legally entitled to recover your lost wages.

In a car accident case, lost wages are typically recoverable in an insurance claim against the at-fault driver’s carrier or your own carrier, if you are making an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim.

Types of Lost Wages

Published on: July 18, 2019

What to Do After Being Hit by a Drunk Driver

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

iStock-474752734 By now, everybody knows the dangers of driving drunk or intoxicated. Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t appear to be going away. The NHTSA estimates 30 people die in drunk driving crashes each day in the United States.

Alcohol causes negative side effects in your central nervous system, making it difficult to drive safely. In most states, the legal limit is a blood alcohol concentration of .08. If your BAC reaches this level, you will have poor muscle coordination and may suffer from lapses in judgment. Perception also becomes more difficult. However, even if your BAC is below the legal limit, you can still suffer from reduced coordination and lower reaction times.

Accidents involving drunk drivers can cause lots of damage – vehicle damage and personal injuries (in fact, per the NHTSA, drunk driving wrecks cost society $44 billion per year). If you’ve been hit by a drunk driver, there are certain steps you can take in order to protect your rights and properly recover for your losses.

Published on: June 3, 2019

Pain and Suffering Damages in Tennessee

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

iStock-927091262 If you’ve been injured in Tennessee due to someone else’s wrongdoing, even if it was just an accident, the law allows you to pursue recovery for your losses by filing a personal injury claim. Since we cannot go back in time, the most common measure of damages is monetary compensation designed to make you whole, as if the injury never happened in the first place. Being made whole comes in different forms. First, you can be reimbursed for direct losses and expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, future lost earnings, or future medical bills. What about losses that cannot be directly quantified? Those losses, non-economic in nature, are most commonly referred to as pain and suffering.

What Is Pain and Suffering?

In a civil trial for a personal injury claim, members of the jury are often given this definition, read by the Judge in open court: “Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering is reasonable compensation for any physical pain and discomfort and for mental pain and discomfort suffered by the plaintiff, [and the present cash value for physical and mental discomfort likely to be experienced in the future.] Mental discomfort includes anguish, grief, shame, or worry.”

Published on: May 23, 2019

Red Nose Day – End Child Poverty

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

red-nose-300x211 Team NST showed our support for Red Nose Day 2019 on May 23. Red Nose Day is part of a worldwide campaign to end child poverty and raise awareness of the prevalence of child poverty in the world. Wearing a red nose shows others you support the basic rights of all children to have basic necessities, such as food and water.

Statistics show that 20% of American children live in families with an income below the poverty line, and approximately two times as many live in households that struggle to put food on the table. Worldwide, nearly 1 billion children lack one or more basic needs like food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, medical care, or education. NST Law is proud to bring awareness to Red Nose Day and support the mission to end child poverty.

Published on: April 22, 2019

Hands Free Bill Passes Tennessee House in Effort to Curb Distracted Driving

By Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC

iStock-837009352 The Tennessee House of Representatives has passed a bill that would make it against the law to talk on hand-held devices, such as a cell phone, while driving on any road within the state. Laws like this, known as hands-free laws, have been passed in other states already. The bill that just passed in Tennessee is HB 0164, and it now goes to the Tennessee Senate for a vote.

HB 0164 seeks to add language to Tenn. Code Ann. 55-8-207. Specifically, it seeks to prevent any driver under the age of 18 from talking on a mobile phone while the car is in motion, whether it’s a hand held device or hands-free device. Drivers who are 18 or older would only be allowed to talk while driving on a hands-free device. A driver who violates this statute would be subject to a fine of $100, but if the violation led to an accident, the fine would increase to $200.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tracks accident data across the United States with a goal of reducing wrecks and traffic fatalities. The NHTSA succinctly defines distracted driving as “any activity that diverts attention from driving.” They go on to list several examples, such as texting, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, fiddling with the radio, or monitoring GPS systems while driving.