New data out from the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts puts data behind what those of us who practice tort law knew: tort filings are down in Tennessee. The AOC’s Annual Statistical Report shows that tort filings for the one year period ending June 30, 2011 were 10,576. Ten…
Truck drivers who text while on the road are now violating federal law. On January 26, 2010, the federal Transportation Department said it is prohibiting truck and bus drivers from sending text messages on hand-held devices while operating commercial vehicles. Tennessee banned texting while driving effective July 1, 2009. The Transportation…
There was a big conference in Washington, D.C. this week that addressed cell phone use and texting and how these practice impaired a driver’s ability to focus on the safe operation of his or her vehicle. The two-day summit brought together safety experts, researchers, industry representatives, elected officials and members…
The Tennessee Supreme Court has published a proposed re-draft of Rule 27, the rule which addresses the process of judical evaluation. Set forth below is my letter to the Court that addresses one phrase in the proposed rule. NOTE: this letter was written in my individual capacity and not as…
The American Association for Justice has issued a report called "Warning! Safety Violation Ahead." The report reveals that "a new analysis of government data reveals that more than 28,000 motor carrier companies, representing more than 200,000 trucks, are currently operating in violation of federal safety laws." The safety violations include…