Mississippi Accident Lawyer Blog

An explosion in Smith County,MS killed one worker and severely injured other workers when a gas pipeline exploded. The workers were testing the pipeline with nitrogen when it exploded. The workers were from Texas and worked for Grand Bluff Constrution Company

Our lawfirm handled the explosion in Smith County, MS that happened in Raleigh, MS on 6-5-06. After working up the case for trial, it was settled for a multi-million settlement.

If you know of any workers who were injured or killed in any explosion, call my law office for a FREE consultation to discuss your particular situation, 601-969-1977 or 1-800-640-4478 or contact us online. We do not charge any attorney fees unless we recover for you. Be careful of investigators who work for ambulance chasers. Make sure that you check any lawyers track record first before hiring an attorney.

OHSA has found over 3600 violations as a result of 813 inspections over the last one and one-half years. The most cited violations are: hazard communication,personal protective equipment,electrical, and general duty clauses. The inspections were done as a result of the National Emphasis Program which is designed to reduce exposure to combustible dust hazards. A lot of the violations were willful, serious,repeat, or failure to abate.

Companies who have combustible dust need to review hot work processes, evaluate location of electrical equipment, prohibit flames in dust laden areas, make sure dust is released to a safe location, and develop an emergency action plan.

Dust fires and explosions occur when five factors are present: oxygen, an ignition source, dust, dispersion of the dust and confinement of the dust. These five factors are called the Dust Explosion Pentagon.

Additional information is available from OSHA regional office, 61 Forsyth St. S.W., Atlanta, GA.

If you know of someone who was injured or killed in an explosion accident, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer, Paul Snow, for your FREE consultation, 601-969-1977 or contact us online.

The last explosion case that we were involved in and were lead trial counsel involved an explosion at Partridge-Raleigh. The National Chemical Safety Board prepared a videotape of their final investigation.

An accident in Monticello, MS left an 85 year old woman dead when she failed to yield the right of way and hit the left side of an 18 wheeler at the intersection of Hwy. 84 and Ferguson Mill Road. The impact occurred just behind the rear wheels of the big rig. Anna Mae Bilyeu was killed on impact. The Jaws of Life were required to free her from the vehicle.

There have been 30 accidents at this intersection since the bypass opened in 2006.

If you know of someone who has been killed in an accident, whether from car, truck, motorcycle, or by a drunk driver, call Paul Snow now for your FREE consultation to discuss your legal rights. We do not charge any attorney fees unless we recover for you. We represent clients in all type of cases including offshore, premises, products, nursing home, legal malpractice,on-the-job injuries and wrongful death.

Two rollover accidents occurred in Jones County, Mississippi. The driver of a Buick LaSabre lost control of his vehicle,left the road,flipped several times and ended up against a cyclone fence. Mississippi Highway Patrol and Jones County Sheriff's Office responded to the wreck. Thereafter, an 18 wheeler caught on fire. On the way to the 18 wheeler fire, emergency fire truck engine 1 came upon a rollover accident involving a Toyota pickup truck that happened on I-59. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and the engine was on fire. The driver was seriously injured and taken to the local hospital in Laurel, MS.

If you know of someone who was involved in an auto or truck accident, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow to discuss your legal rights FREE of charge, 601-969-1977, or contact us online. We do not charge an attorney fee, unless we recover for you.

The Mississippi Alcohol Boating Safety Act prohibits anyone from operating a boat while intoxicated due to alcohol or drugs. A concentration of .10 bac is evidence that a person is intoxicated and that person will be given a BUI (boating under the influence). If one has less than .10 bac, then the charge will be reckless driving. These laws are strictly enforced. Drinking while on the water poses one of the greatest dangers to those swimming or boating. When you are on the water in the heat of the summer, fatigue sets in quicker. If you have been drinking, it hits you even harder.

According to statistics of the U.S. Coast Guard, over 50% of all water related deaths involved alcohol; 70% of those involved capsizing or falling overboard and 80% of those occured on boats under 26 feet.

A local Game and Fish officer said of the 44 body bags that he has seen, not one of them was wearing a life jacket. For a great example of what happens in a split second in a boating accident, watch www.youtube.com and search for "bass boat crash".

So, remember the other rules of boating safety. Anyone born after June 30, 1980, must have passed a boating education course. Any passenger 12 or under, must be accompanied by someone at least 21 years old. There must be a life jacket for each person on board. Children 12 and younger must wear their life jacket at all times that the boat is moving. There must be an additional throw cushion on board. Most boat related drownings happen to people who know how to swim, but are not wearing a life jacket. See Mississippi Boating Handbook which can be found at www.mdwfp.com. Follow the links for Fishing and Boating.

192,000 vessels are registered in MS and a majority of these will be on the water during the Fourth of July weekend. Most boating accidents are collisions with other boats, an object in the water, fire and/or explosions or passengers falling overboard. Jet ski accidents and others occur more during this holiday than any other time of the year because everyone is off of work and enjoying their water related activities during the heat of the summer.

Everyone should be safe on the water. If you are involved in a boating accident and have some questions, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow for a FREE consultation to discuss your particular case at 601-969-1977 or contact us online. We represent clients who have been injured or killed in boating accidents all over MS and LA including Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Greenville, Meridian, Tupelo, Southaven, Vicksburg, and Pascagoula.

Two men were killed when the driver of a Ford Explorer veered off of the road and turned upside down in a drainage ditch drowning both men and injuring a passenger. Jordan Hall and Paul Guthrie were pronounce dead at the scene after being trapped inside the vehicle. An autopsy listed the cause of death as fresh water drowning. Casey Fancher was the front seat passenger and was rescued out of the vehicle. An eye witness saw the lights of the vehicle veer off of the road and into the ditch. She heard someone screaming for help, but there was nothing she could do until help arrived. She was rescued by the authorities when they knocked out the back glass and pulled her to safety.

If you know of someone who was injured or killed in a vehicle accident, call Paul Snow 601-969-1977 for a FREE consultation to discuss your case. We charge no fee unless we collect for you. We represent clients all over Mississippi including Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Greenville, Meridian, Tupelo, Southaven, Vicksburg, and Pascagoula.

A van containing the Smith family from Inverness, MS was stopped at a traffic light waiting for it to turn green when all of a sudden a JNJ Express 18 wheeler driver crashed into the rear end of the van. All four members of the Smith family were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as: Edgar Smith, Kimberly Smith, Edgar Smith,V and Emily Smith.

Magee Police asked the Mississippi Highway Patrol to help with the investigation.

All too often, these 18 wheeler companies pay their drivers by the mile, and tell them the quicker they deliver their load, the more money they will make. So what happens is that the drivers work over the legal driving time limit and end up getting fatigued, falling asleep and causing a wreck like this one. The corporation should be required to pay for the damages for over-working their drivers who cause these type of accidents. If the same corporation has repeated violations of over-worked drivers, then that corporation should be put out of business. JNJ Express is out of Memphis and employs 184 drivers; the company carries at least one million dollars of insurance.

Fatigued truck drivers are the most dangerous vehicle on the highway. This aspect of dangerous driving is so common that the FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS created one section dealing specifically with this problem. Section 392.3 states that: "No driver shall operate a commercial motor vehicle, and a motor carrier shall not require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle, while the driver's ability or alertness is so impaired, or so likely to become impaired, through fatigue,illness, or any other cause, as to make it unsafe for him/her to begin or continue to operate the commercial motor vehicle."

Tractor-trailer trucks are dangerous already;but, they become extremely dangerous when their driver is fatigued! We represent clients who have been injured or killed in 18 wheeler accident cases. If you know of someone who may need assistance with one of these type of cases, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow for your FREE consultation 601-969-1977 or contact us online. Compare our track record to any other lawyer's track record in 18 wheeler cases.

Information provided by Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow.

Ricky Dunn was killed in an accident when his pickup truck and an SUV collided on MS Hwy. 15 near the intersection of Hwy. 485. Dunn's Ford pickup truck flipped over and the roof of his vehicle collapsed causing his death. The other vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, was driven by Sharon Harris. Neshoba County Sheriff's Department came to the scene and helped with the investigation along with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

The family of Mr. Dunn may have a claim against the maker of the truck because the roof of his pickup truck caved in on top of him.Two other passengers in the truck had injuries and were taken to the local hospital.

If you know of someone who was killed in an accident, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer, Paul Snow at 601-969-1977 for your FREE consultation or contact us online. We charge no attorney fee unless we recover for you. We represent clients in car, truck, motorcycle, boat, drunk driving, or any kind of accident. We have clients in Hinds, Madison, Rankin, Harrison, Forest, Lee, Warren and all other counties in MS.

Pro golfer, Ken Green, was seriously injured and his brother and girlfriend were killed when the tire on his RV blew out and caused the accident. Green's brother was driving on i-20 near Meridian, MS when the right front tire blew out. The RV ran off the road, went down an embankment and then hit a tree. William Green and Jean Marie Hodgin were killed in the accident. The entire front of the RV was demolished.

Ken Green was flown to University Medical Center in Jackson, MS.

Tim Finchem, the PGA commissioner, said "Our thoughts and prayers are with Ken Green and his family in this very difficult time."

Ken Green's leg was amputated recently.

If you know of someone who was injured or killed as a result of a faulty tire, or careless maintenance or repairs to a tire that blew out, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow to discuss your legal rights or ask any questions that you may have at 601-969-1977 or contact us online. We represent clients in accidents all over MS including Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Greenville, Tupelo, Southaven, Vicksburg and Pascagoula.

Stephene Roberts, a passenger in a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro was killed in an accident in Florida when the driver went into the grass median, over corrected, and then lost control and left the highway hitting a tree. The vehicle then caught on fire. The driver was ejected,but the passenger was not. Ms. Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was taken to the local hospital, North Okaloosa Medical Center and listed in serious condition.

If you know of someone who was killed in a one vehicle accident by a negligent driver and have some questions, call Paul Snow at 601-969-1977 or contact us online. We represent people killed in all kinds of accidents including car, truck, motorcycle, boat, offshore, and from defective products.

A Neshoba County man was killed in an accident with an 18 wheeler when the driver of the 18 wheeler swerved into Carl Joe Terrell's lane of traffic and hit Terrell's 1999 Chevrolet pickup truck head-on. Terrell was wearing his seat belt, but the airbags did not deploy. The accident happened on Hwy. 19 South near Tucker.

Terrell was airlifted to University Medical Center in Jackson, MS where he died from head trauma. Mr. Terrell was a Master Mason, served in the Army National Guard, and was a member of Pine Forest Baptist Church.

Who can sue whom and why? The 18 wheeler's insurance company can be sued for their driver's negligence for pulling into Mr. Terrell's lane of traffic and hitting him head-on; also, the maker of the pickup truck and airbag company can be sued for products liability for the failure of the airbag to deploy; the driver who caused the 18 wheeler driver to swerve in the first place can also be sued for negligent driving.

Anyone in Mr. Terrell's family can pursue the lawsuit against the negligent parties and their insurance companies. Damages would include: loss of love,society and companionship of Mr. Terrell, pain and suffering before death, medical bills, funeral bills, lost income, and any other damages allowed by Mississippi law for the wrongful death of Mr. Terrell.

If you know of someone who was killed in an accident with an 18 wheeler or big truck, call the Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow with any questions that you may have, 601-969-1977 or contact us online. We represent accident and injury victims in all kind of accidents all throughout Mississippi including Jackson, Columbus, Clinton, Pearl, Brandon, Starkville, Olive Branch, Clarksdale, Ridgeland, Natchez, Greenwood and Laurel.

Two people were killed and one person was seriously injured when the driver of a BMW caused the accident and is being charged with two counts of felony DUI causing death. Orlando Pereira Martinez was charged with the DUI's. Hernandez Martin and Angel Quintana died in the crash on Hwy. 90. A back seat passenger,Jossue Figueroa suffered serious injuries and was taken to Singing River Hospital.

Who can sue whom and why? The driver and passengers of the innocent vehicle can sue the driver of the BMW for causing the accident. Can anyone else be sued? Yes, if the drunk driver were served alcohol after he became intoxicated, then the bar that sold the alcohol can also be sued for serving an intoxicated customer. The bar contributed to this accident, just as much, if not more than the driver of the car. Bartenders are trained professionals who should know when to stop serving a customer who has had too much to drink. The customer looses good judgement after so many drinks and is not in the best  position to know when he has had too much to drink. For example, how can you tell if you are slurring your words, if you are the one doing the slurring? You can't, but the bartender can because he was trained to look for that and other signs that show that the customer has had too much to drink. The phrase that alcohol companies like to use is "drink responsibly", I think the phrase should be "serve responsibly"; how about "friends don't let friends drive drunk"? who do you think came up with that one? The alcohol industry did. They always try to blame the driver and not their bartender. The phrase should read: "bartenders should not let customers get drunk in the first place".  But, who is in the business to make money selling alcohol? Who should bear the responsibility for contributing to an accident. If you are going to over serve a customer, then you should have to pay the price for contributing to the accident.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) do not put up with this bull and neither should we. When the time comes for the jury to set the amount of damages against the bar, they should make them pay for what they caused.

Jackson, MS auto accident lawyer Paul Snow has handled a number of cases against bars and other alcohol providers. If you have any questions about a case involving alcohol, call Paul Snow now to discuss your case at 601-969-1977 or contact us online. We represent clients all over Mississippi including Pascagoula, Clinton, Pearl, Starkville, Olive Branch, and Clarksdale. We help people who have been injured or killed in auto accidents, 18 wheeler accidents, motorcycle accidents, drunk driving accidents and accidents involving defective products.

The driver of a stolen Toyota pickup truck was stopped by Columbus Police for speeding. While being checked, the driver tried to get away but was stopped again when a collision occurred with a Cadillac on Hwy. 45 North in Columbus, Mississippi. Jerry Sharp was arrested after the accident.

Three people were taken to the local hospital for treatment.

Who can sue whom and why? Anyone injured in this accident has a claim against the driver of the Toyota. But, they also may make a claim against the Columbus Police Department if they can prove that the officer did not follow their usual procedures in trying to apprehend a suspect.

Paul Snow is a Jackson, MS car accident lawyer who has many years of experience in handling all types of accidents. We represent clients all over Mississippi including Columbus, Meridian, Tupelo, Southaven, Vicksburg, and Pascagoula. We handle cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, 18 wheeler accidents and drunk driving accidents. If you have any questions about making a claim against a city, county, or state agency, call us at 601-969-1977 or contact us online.

Information provided by Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow.

A Mississippi and Georgia man were killed in an accident on I-59 near Slidell, La. in a three car collision. Homer Phillips was heading north in the southbound lanes of traffic when his Ford pickup truck collided head-on with a southbound Ford pickup truck. Phillips vehicle then struck a Nissan Altima. Phillips and James Chapman from Atlanta, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Who can sue whom and why? Anyone injured or killed by the at fault driver may make a claim against that drivers insurance company. If the at fault driver did not have any insurance, then claims can be made against the injured victims own insurance company for uninsured motorist benefits.

The Paul Snow Law Offices handles all types of accident cases involving serious injury and death including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, 18 wheeler accidents and accidents involving bad products. We represent clients from all over Mississippi including Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and Greenville. If you have any questions, call us at 601-969-1977 or contact us online.

Information provided by Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is warning everyone to buckle their seat belt. MDOT hosted its first safety fair in Jackson, MS. Children were taught how to escape from a fire by the use of a fire safety house. A crash dummy demonstrated how important seat belts are in rollover accidents. Instructions on how to install a car seat were also given. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury and death in small children.

Safety Programs Coordinator for MDOT, Cristy Milbourne, said "we are helping to show people how to keep their families safe. There are too many injuries and fatalities that are preventable. We lose too many children every year."

Each year there are a number of accidents involving infant and child safety seats. A number of them have been recalled by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. There are numerous defects in the design of the car seats. If you know of someone who was injured or killed when their baby came out of the car seat, call Mississippi Accident Lawyer Paul Snow to discuss your legal rights. You may have a case against the car seat manufacturer. Call now for your free confidential consultation, 601-969-1977 or contact us online.