Recent Blog Posts
June 17, 2019 / Truck Accidents
How to File a Truck Accident Claim in Indiana
As the driver of a personal vehicle, you have little chance of escaping unscathed if you are involved in an accident with a commercial truck. These behemoths of the road, ubiquitous on the highways of Indiana and the nation, are tightly regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), but transgressions in the industry are rampant. If you or a loved one has been injured in a collision with a tractor trailer, call the attorneys at Stephenson Rife to learn how to file a truck accident claim in Indiana. We have the experience, manpower, and tenacity to uncover violations, build your case, and win the damages you need to rebuild your life. Common Trucking Violations Trucking companies and drivers are required by law to[...]
June 10, 2019 / Truck Accidents
Can Driving Simulators Make Trucks Safer?
When a 5,000-pound car collides with an 80,000-pound eighteen-wheeler, the outcome is catastrophic for the passenger vehicle and its occupants. In 2017, according to data compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a total of 4,102 people in the United States died in accidents involving big rigs. That’s 30% higher than in 2009. Of the fatalities, just 17% were truckers, while 82% were occupants of another vehicle, pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists. As the industry faces a staffing crisis with an estimated shortage of over 50,000 drivers, the government is rolling out a plan to lower the age requirement for driving a commercial truck across state lines. Carriers are offering incentives like signing bonuses and higher s[...]
June 3, 2019 / Wrongful Death
Legal Options When Your Loved One Dies in a Car Accident
Most of us think nothing of hopping in the car to get from Point A to Point B, and we do it multiple times per day. It often doesn’t hit home how dangerous the roads are until the unthinkable happens, and yet the “unthinkable” happens surprisingly often. According to the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, 911 people died in a traffic accident in Indiana in 2017. While fatalities in the state reached an all-time low in 2014, they’ve ticked upward since then. Drivers who are impaired due to alcohol or drugs, distracted by their phones, or otherwise not paying attention are a huge problem in the state and nationally. The commute home from work, a trip to the gym, a milk run to the store -- any of these routine activities[...]
May 29, 2019 / Wrongful Death
Are You Eligible to File for a Wrongful Death Claim?
Losing a close family member under any circumstance is devastating and life-changing. When the death is unexpected, the mourning process is compounded by shock, uncertainty, and fear for the future. You may have been financially dependent on that person. At the very least, you will face funeral and burial costs and the monumental work of sorting out your loved one’s affairs for them. If your family member’s passing is the result of negligence or the actions of another party, it meets the definition of wrongful death. And you may be entitled to compensation. Mike Stephenson is an experienced and compassionate Indianapolis wrongful death lawyer who will fight to win the damages you deserve so you can focus on grieving and, eventually, [...]
April 29, 2019 / Personal Injury
Do I Have a Legal Case if My Child Develops CTE from Sports?
Thanks largely to the research of neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee and her team at University’s CTE Center, more and more is becoming known about the connection between sports and CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. This degenerative disease — caused by repeated concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — is definitively diagnosable only after death, but it has been linked to myriad problems in life, including anxiety, depression, personality changes, and memory and thinking problems. In 2017, Dr. McKee released the results of a study of the brains of former football players. Of the 111 former NFL players included in the research, all but one were posthumously diagnosed with CTE. In 2018, she released research th[...]
April 22, 2019 / Catastrophic Injuries
How Burn Injuries Happen In Our Homes — and How to Stop Them
The kitchen is the heart of the home, a place of good smells, warmth, and bonding over delicious meals. It’s also a place where every day you work with fire, hot water, and steam — a danger zone for your and your children’s skin. A burn can be minor and treatable at home or far more serious, requiring hospitalization and a long recovery period. The most severe burns can even lead to death. But by following a few easy-to-implement safety measures, it is possible to minimize the risk of burns — in the kitchen and elsewhere in the house — and keep your family out of harm’s way. Children Are at a High Risk for Burns Kids love to help mom and dad in the kitchen, whether it’s making cookies or tonight’s dinner. Sadly, young peop[...]
April 15, 2019 / Truck Accidents
Frequent Truck Safety Violations and Where to Report Them
Any time you drive down a highway, you get a snapshot of the legions of commercial trucks that rumble across the nation, day and night. These behemoths dominate the other vehicles on the road, and it goes without saying that any accident involving one is bad news. There is a government agency — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA — whose mission it is to regulate the trucking industry and prevent injuries and accidents through enforcing safety rules, improving technology, increasing awareness, and other measures. Trucking companies and drivers are required to follow FMSCA’s regulations. If they don’t, endangering everyone on the road, they can be held legally responsible. Here are a few of the most common[...]
March 18, 2019 / Wrongful Death
How to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Indiana
If a member of your immediate family was killed due to negligence or an intentional act of another, you need to know how to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Indiana to seek compensation for your loss. You need to learn who can file these types of legal actions and what can be sought by them are controlled by Indiana statutes and court cases interpreting them. In order to file a wrongful death lawsuit, the following must be met: The deceased apparently died due to negligence or because of an intentional act of another, You are allowed by statute to benefit from the lawsuit, You seek damages allowed by state statute, and The filing occurs within two years of the person’s death. The deceased apparently died due to neglige[...]
March 11, 2019 / Vehicle Accidents
An Alarming Increase in Indianapolis Hit-and-Run Car Accidents
Being struck by a vehicle while walking on the side of, or crossing, a street is traumatic enough, but what do you do if the driver doesn’t stop? That’s an increasing problem in Indianapolis, reports Fox 29 News. Even if the driver escapes the scene after hitting you, you still may be able to obtain compensation for your injuries. In the first nine months of 2018, a dozen people were killed in Indianapolis in hit-and-run accidents, according to the report; and there are thousands of such accidents happening in the city. Three years ago, 5,049 hit-and-runs were reported to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD). They caused 543 injuries. In 2017, the number of reported hit-and-runs increased to 5,539, with injuries goi[...]
March 7, 2019 / Truck Accidents
Technology May Reduce The Damage Done by Fatigued Truck Drivers
We may be in a period of time when technology’s ability to change our transportation system has never been greater. Though developments in the past impacted how vehicles are powered and their safety, today’s technology is shaping the future of the relationship between drivers, including those in commercial vehicles, and their vehicles. This technology has the potential to do many things, including reduce the threat fatigued drivers pose to themselves and others on Indiana’s roads. Technology may greatly reduce the number of drivers of commercial trucks, whether they’re fatigued or not. Though it’s not ready to be put safely on the road yet, given enough time, improved software and greater computing capacity, the replacement of [...]