Safety

Exploring The Aftermath of Slip & Fall Incidents at Stores

May 31, 2023 | Tapalian Law

Slip and fall accidents in the U.S. are a top driver of personal injury claims. A slip, trip, or fall may unexpectedly occur to anyone, anywhere. It may happen at your favorite corner store you’ve been visiting for years to buy snacks, or it can happen in the brand-new big box store that opened down the road. Regardless of how it occurred, if you are injured in a slip and fall accident in a store, it’s essential to speak with an experienced slip and fall lawyer in Providence, Rhode Island to be aware of your legal rights and know what steps you should take. With over two decades of success winning compensation for clients throughout RI and MA, Attorney David Tapalian will explain how to proceed following a slip and fall accident in a store, including:

Your legal rights as a victim.
Proving negligence to claim compensation.

Considering Surgery After an Injury

May 18, 2023 | Tapalian Law

When you suffer a painful injury, it’s normal to want the quickest solution to end the discomfort, particularly when the pain affects your quality of life or ability to work. For instance, an avid runner with a knee injury is left unable to practice the sport they love and enjoy the benefits of being physically fit. In many cases, pain from an injury can negatively affect a person’s ability to perform the qualifications required by their job and earn a living. A construction worker required to lift heavy loads will be negatively affected by a shoulder injury and unable to adequately perform their job requirements. If your ability to enjoy a certain quality of life or make enough money to support your family has been compromised due to an injury you suffered in an accident, discuss your legal options with a Rhode Island personal injury lawyer. Attorney David Tapalian will ensure your legal rights are protected and you receive the proper medical treatment needed to regain your quality of living.

When Surgery is Recommended

When receiving treatment after an injury you suffered in an accident, your doctor will recommend a plan of care. A number of factors will be accounted for when advising what medical care options are best now, and potentially in the future. Depending on the type of injury and what body part is affected, surgery may be recommended by your physician. If the injury was a result of negligence, like an auto accident or motorcycle crash, the insurance company’s medical opinion will also be taken into consideration. The insurance company representing the at-fault party will consult with their own team of medical experts to make recommendations based on what is in the best interest of protecting the company and assessing liability. Sometimes surgery will be the most effective option, however there may also be alternative methods of care to consider, like physical therapy, although not all medical professionals will take these into consideration or discuss them with the patient.

Technology Efforts to Curb Drunk Driving Crashes in RI & Beyond

February 9, 2022 | Tapalian Law

In 2019, 44% of motor vehicle fatalities in Rhode Island were attributed to drunk driving, according to the NHTSA. Further, over 10,000 drunk driving related fatalities occurred in the U.S. the same year. Clearly, this is a huge concern for drivers in Rhode Island and all over the country. As a personal injury lawyer in Providence, Attorney David Tapalian sees the dangerous outcomes when an intoxicated driver gets behind the wheel. For over 20 years, David has been helping people hurt in drunk driving car accidents in RI, MA, and FL, and knows the severe injuries and senseless deaths that occur to innocent victims all too often.

In an effort to prevent or limit these tragic crashes, the huge infrastructure bill passed by Congress includes a mandate, discussed in a recent Rhode Island Accident Lawyer Blog, requiring all new motor vehicles to come equipped with advanced technology to thwart impaired driving. By monitoring a drivers’ blood alcohol level (BAC), the technology would determine if the driver is impaired or not and potentially prevent their ability to operate the vehicle.

How the Technology Works

$10 Million Awarded in Walmart Premises Liability Lawsuit

December 15, 2021 | Tapalian Law

A South Carolina woman recently won a monumental lawsuit against Walmart alleging negligence on the part of the retail store. Originally filed in 2017, the lawsuit stemmed from an injury that took place in June 2015. While shopping at a Walmart store, the claimant, April Jones, stepped on a rusty nail left on the floor next to some pallets. The nail punctured her shoe and became lodged in her foot. Despite seeking medical treatment, infection followed resulting in the amputation of her toe. Subsequently, the infection spread to Jones’ entire right foot, ultimately resulting in the amputation of her right leg just above the knee. Ms. Jones was awarded $10 million in damages for her medical expenses. As a personal injury lawyer for over two decades, Attorney David Tapalian expertly handles premises liability claims throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

What Responsibility Does a Store Have to its Customers?

In all states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, owners of property must make a reasonable effort to maintain their property to ensure the safety of visitors. A property owner, such as a retail store, is responsible for inspecting the condition of the property on a regular basis, making timely maintenance repairs and making every effort necessary to ensure a safe environment. If the owner fails to do so and is someone is injured on the property, the owner may be held liable for the person’s damages if found negligent.

Controversy Over Providence’s New Protected Bike Lane

October 19, 2021 | Tapalian Law

Recently completed, a two-way protected bike lane on South Water Street is facing both wide support as well as opposition from local residents, businesses, and city officials. Part of Providence’s Great Street Initiative, which proposed adding 60 miles of bike lanes, the new bike lane debuted this fall with an aim of making the city streets safer and more environmentally friendly. The majority of bike accidents take place in urban areas, and as a personal injury lawyer in Providence, Attorney David Tapalian understands the danger bicyclists and pedestrians face when sharing the road with cars, trucks, and SUV’s. A bike is no match for a heavy motor vehicle and a collision between the two will all too often result in severe injury, or death, for the bicyclist.

Part of Providence Great Streets Initiative

Dubbed by supporters as an “urban trail”, the two-way lane on South Water Street can be used by bicycles and other non-car modes of transportation, such as scooters. Ideally, it will allow a safer mode of transportation for, and reduce the risk of injury to, bicyclists and other pedestrians. In addition to improved safety, supporters tout health and climate benefits as well as the project’s ability to attract people to the city and improve the quality of life for residents. Having a safer option for those seeking alternative modes of transportation to work or school, as well as those seeking to use the lane for recreation or exercise will allow users to explore more environmentally friendly options.

Driving Safety on Rhode Island Bridges

October 6, 2021 | Tapalian Law

It’s not uncommon to see drivers speeding down the highway throughout the state; an unfortunate fact that Attorney David Tapalian sees the repercussions of first-hand as a personal injury lawyer in Rhode Island for over two decades. Precariously, the speeding trend also applies to bridges, specifically the Newport Pell and Jamestown Verrazzano Bridges, as shown in a study by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Administration late this summer. Perhaps partially triggered by safety concerns and complaints of loud traffic noise by locals, the study conducted an investigation to determine how many vehicles operated according to the posted speed limits on the bridges and the results were startling. On the Pell Bridge, 70% of people were found to be driving at least 11 miles per hour over the speed limit and 66% of vehicles were doing the same on the Verrazzano Bridge. For context, the speed limit for the Pell Bridge is 40mph, but the average speed people drove was 53mph. The Verrazzano Bridge speed limit is 45mph, but vehicles were travelling 59mph, on average.

Car Accidents on Bridges

Bridges can already be a hazardous place for drivers before speeding is added into the mix. When a motorist drives across any bridge, they are placing their trust in the engineers, architects, and construction workers who designed and built the structure. Errors can result in structural failures, even a whole infrastructure collapse. If bridges aren’t regularly inspected for safety hazards, they can incur damage that, if left unrepaired, could result in a treacherous situation. For example, if two cars collide in an accident near the edge of a bridge with a missing or damaged guardrail, it’s possible for one or both vehicles to fall off the side into the water or highway below. Visibility can also be difficult on bridges without adequate lighting, making it difficult for motorists to visualize their surroundings. In addition, car accidents on bridges frequently occur at the entrance or exit ramps, especially if there is inadequate signage or a tricky merge with other vehicles.

RI Motorcycle Fatalities Up in 2021

September 14, 2021 | Tapalian Law

With the beautiful Fall weather and rise in temperature over the summer months, motorcycle riders and bicyclists have taken to the streets to enjoy the open air. More than a year into a pandemic, people are increasingly more comfortable being out and itching to do so. Unfortunately, Rhode Island has also seen an increase in the amount of motorcycle accidents in the state over the past few months. As of August, Rhode Island experienced 10 fatal motorcycle crashes. In fact, these types of collisions are about one-third of the total vehicle accident deaths in the state. In comparison, past years have seen approximately 13 motorcycle fatalities in total. As a personal injury lawyer in Providence, RI, for over 20 years, Attorney David Tapalian has seen the complete devastation suffered by families after a losing a loved one in a tragic, and too often preventable, motorcycle accident and wants all drivers to increase their awareness of this serious safety concern. With months still left to go in 2021, it’s important for both motorcyclists and other drivers on the road to take note.

Importance of Wearing a Helmet

Plenty of data shows that wearing a helmet can significantly increase your chances of surviving a motorcycle accident, as well as minimize the severity of the injuries suffered. This is one simple step, yet a very critical one, that motorcyclists can take to protect themselves from potentially life-threatening injury. Motorcyclists are less protected than those travelling in cars and therefore, are more prone to serious and life-altering injuries if involved in a collision. Sadly, the majority of motorcyclists who were killed in crashes this year in Rhode Island were not wearing helmets, according to Peter Alviti, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Does Tesla Autopilot Make Cars Safer? Or More Dangerous?

July 12, 2021 | Tapalian Law

Tesla is well-known for their innovations in the electric vehicle industry, notably their Autopilot system technology. Autopilot is not designed to be used solely without human input; however, many users treat it that way which has resulted in a rash of deadly accidents, and legal action, against the enormously lucrative company. Tesla claims their systems are designed to reduce automobile crashes caused by human error and distractions, which account for a majority of the roughly 40,000 traffic fatalities in the U.S. each year. However, the NHTSA has a dozen active investigations into crashes involving this assistive driving technology, and recently released a list of at least 10 fatalities from crashes involving Autopilot since 2016.

While Autopilot can help control certain aspects of driving the car, such as changing lanes, the driver must still maintain awareness of their surroundings despite stories of drivers that fall asleep at the wheel or read a book while relying on the vehicle technology to make decisions for them. These actions are dangerous as the system is not meant to be self-driving and can result in serious injuries, or death, to both the driver and innocent motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists. Attorney David Tapalian is an experienced personal injury lawyer who helps victims of car accidents in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including those crashes caused by a negligent or distracted driver. If you’ve been the victim of a dangerous auto accident, call 401-552-5000 to see how Tapalian Law can help you hold the negligent driver liable for your injuries.

Recent Tesla Accidents

Do Headlights Seem Brighter Lately?

June 26, 2021 | Tapalian Law

Driving the roads of Rhode Island at night and another car is coming toward you in the opposite direction, do you ever feel like you’re being blinded by the other vehicle’s headlights? Typically, we blame it on the other driver forgetting to turn off their high beams, but lately it seems to happen more often with just regular headlight use. After a blinding encounter like this, sometimes it can take more than 10 seconds for your eyes to readjust. As Providence personal injury lawyer David Tapalian knows, taking your eyes off the road for even a mere few seconds can be the difference between getting home safely and being involved in a serious night-time car accident.

You may find it reassuring to know that these seemingly brighter headlights are not just your imagination. There’s no denying the automotive industry has made tremendous safety improvements over the years, including improvements in lighting technology. Sometimes, however, these enhancements lead to an alternative problem, for instance the blinding glare of LED and high-intensity headlights. There are various reasons for these brighter lights causing a dangerous distraction to drivers, one being the prevalence of SUV’s and tall pickups, as well as small, short cars. The physical placement of headlights on a taller vehicle, such as an SUV, are going to be mounted higher and when the lights shine towards a shorter car, it can be directly into the driver’s eyes. Complaints of blinding glare from these headlights have increased greatly, according to the NHTSA. Being that over half of the nation’s motor vehicle accidents happen in the dark, as a personal injury law firm helping Rhode Island car accident victims, we feel it’s a crucial element for drivers to be aware of.

Reasons for the Blinding Glare

Peloton Treadmill Injuries & Death

May 6, 2021 | Tapalian Law

Driven by the demand for at-home workout equipment during the pandemic, Peloton, maker of the popular exercise bikes and at-home fitness machines, experienced a huge boost in sales of their products and quadrupled their stock value. That may soon change. This week, the company issued a recall of its Tread+ and Tread treadmills. The recall arrives amidst reports of dozens of injuries, and the death of a young child, associated with the company’s machines.

In March, a 6-year-old boy died in an accident involving a Peloton treadmill. At Tapalian Law, as personal injury lawyers, we know there is never a way to make sense of a death from a devastating accident, and it can seem perhaps even more tragic and senseless when it involves a child. Sadly, childhood injuries from accidents are the number one cause of death in kids under the age of 19, according to the CDC.

In April, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an “urgent warning” to owners of the treadmills to stop using them immediately. The warning came after the commission received 72 reports stating adults, children, pets, and objects had been pulled under the rear of the machine. Of the 72 reports, 29 involved children, including the death of the young boy. At the time, Peloton fought back against the agency’s request calling it “inaccurate” but has since apologized, acknowledged its wrongdoing, and issued the equipment recalls.