Practice Areas

May 27, 2012 - Bus Accidents by Cross & Smith

More often than not, personal injury lawsuits last several years. However, a recent Second Circuit Court of Appeals case was decided regarding a 1989 bus accident. If you are involved in a car accident in Tuscaloosa, it is important to have the guidance of an experienced Tuscaloosa injury attorney. Lyons v. Lancer insurance Company deals with the complex areas of personal injury lawsuits. The case arose in 1989 when a school bus driver, Michael Thomas (Thomas), collided with a passenger vehicle being driven by Mr. Lyons (plaintiff). Thomas was employed with T.F.D. Bus Company (TFD), a commercial transportation company based out of New York. The majority of TFD’s business came from their school bus services for children. The school buses in the TFD fleet were also used on occasion to transport small parties for day trips.

May 23, 2012 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

The Memorial Day holiday weekend is expected to be deadly. Safe driving advocates with the National Safety Council (NSC) are predicting that more than 400 people are going to die in car accidents in Tuscaloosa and elsewhere over the three-day holiday weekend. Experts are also predicting another 42,000 auto accident-related injuries during the weekend. The Memorial Day holiday weekend is defined as the time from 6:00 p.m. on Friday the 25th through 11:59 p.m. on Monday the 28th. During this time, motorists are asked to be extremely cautious on our roadways as the significant increase in motor vehicle traffic is expected to result in an increase in the number of serious and fatal accidents. Typically, the Memorial Day holiday weekend sees a 12 percent increase in the number of fatal car accidents compared to similar non-holiday weekends. During this time of the year, millions of Americans are expected to hit the road to kickoff the summer travel season. Our Tuscaloosa accident attorneys understand that long weekends offer residents and visitors with just enough time to hit the road and to get out of town. Unfortunately, everyone else has the same idea, too. For that reason, ocal and state law enforcement agencies will be out in force.

May 20, 2012 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

The roads can be dangerous for anyone driving. One moment of careless driving in Tuscaloosa can lead to a lifetime of injuries. If you have been in an accident and need guidance to get the compensation you deserve, it is critical for you to have an experienced Tuscaloosa injury attorney. Recently the Louisiana courts dealt with a lawsuit arising from an unusual vehicle accident. This case arose in 2006 when an ambulance had to pull over to the shoulder of a four lane highway to deal with transmission problems. Zito v. Advanced Emergency Medical Services, Inc., No. 2011-C-2382 (La. May 8, 2012).The ambulance was covered in reflective tape making it highly visible to cars on the highway, from a far distance. This ambulance was owned by Advanced Emergency Medical Services, Inc. (Advanced) and insured by Empire Indemnity Insurance Company (Empire).

May 10, 2012 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

When you are involved in a car accident in Tuscaloosa, you may be confused over your rights. Our personal injury attorneys understand your confusion and we are here to help you get the benefits necessary to pay for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering and other expenses. Swartzbaugh v. Encompass Insurance Company of America is a recent Maryland case that shows the confusion that is often times created by language in automobile insurance policies. Mrs. Swartzbaugh purchased auto insurance from the defendant, Encompass Insurance Company of America, through a local independent insurance broker. The automobile insurance policy named Mrs. Swartzbaugh, her husband Mr. Swartzbaugh and their daughter Kelly as drivers. Mrs. Swartzbaugh purchased the minimum mandatory under-insured motorist (UM) but waived the higher UM coverage option. This waiver was done on a standard form and signed by Mrs. Swartzbaugh. As in many states, a waiver of further insurance coverage remains in effect until the clients withdraw the waiver and purchase additional insurance coverage.

May 4, 2012 - Car Accidents by Cross & Smith

Roughly 80 percent of the time, motorcyclists are faced with serious risks of injury and even death in the event of an auto accident. The occupants of motor vehicles suffer from severe injury or death only 20 percent of the time. Because of the risks that motorcyclists face on our roadways, the entire month of May is dedicated as Motorcycle Awareness Safety Month, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Safe driving advocates are calling on the help of motorists to remember riders as the spring and summer riding season begins. Our Tuscaloosa motorcycle accident lawyers understand that motorcyclists are oftentimes overlooked by the drivers of passenger vehicles. The Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program was designed to help our two-wheeled friends to defend themselves on our roadways. This program offers some serious motorcycle riding courses for riders in an attempt to teach them how to navigate our roadways as safely as possible. In 2009, there were nearly 100 motorcyclist fatalities in the state of Alabama. Most of these motorcycle accidents occurred in Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Mobil and Baldwin counties.