Car Accidents Archives - Page 4 of 10 - Halifax Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

February 28th, 2013

Are Painkillers Causing Car-Accidents?

Opioid painkillers are prescription drugs (in Canada) that are used to relieve pain. The drugs increase the release of dopamine to the brain, causing intense happiness and pleasure. Opioids also help alleviate pain by interfering with the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Common Medications

Popular pharmaceuticals in the opioid family include: codeine (Tylenol 2, 3, 4), morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet). Codeine is sold over the cou8nter, while the stronger opioids, morphine, hydromorphone and oxycodone are only available by prescription and are usually prescribed for sever or chronic pain or cancer.

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February 21st, 2013

N.S. Court of Appeal Upholds “Minor Injury” Cap award: Awalt v. Blanchard

by John McKiggan

Almost two years ago I wrote about the trial decision in Awalt v. Blanchard: Accident Victim’s Claim Capped by Nova Scotia’s “Minor Injury” Law

Ms. Awalt was injured in a car accident in 2004. She returned to work shortly after the accident. A few years later she underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff which she claimed was injured in the car accident.

The trial judge, Justice Coady found no causal connection between the shoulder injury and accident. He classified Ms. Awalt’s injuries as falling under the minor injury cap, which limited her general damages to $2,500.

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February 8th, 2013

Is Technology Creating More Distracted Drivers?

by John McKiggan

The Fight to End Distracted Driving

I volunteer with endDD.org a group that seeks to educate students and other drivers about the dangers of distracted driving.

So far EndDD volunteers have given educational presentations to more than 40,000 teens across North America.

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February 6th, 2013

Increase in NS Traffic Deaths in 2012: What can we do?

by John McKiggan

Huge Increase in Traffic Fatalities

2012 was not a good year for Nova Scotia motor vehicle accidents with eighty-two (82) road fatalities. In fact, 2012 bucked the trend of a steady decline in motor vehicle fatalities that has been ongoing since 2007. Compare the 2012 numbers to those in 2011 when there were only sixty-five (65) people killed on the road. That’s a 21% increase!

Back in July of 2012, I voiced my concerns about the cause of the rising trend of fatal accidents on Nova Scotia roads: Increase in Nova Scotia Traffic Fatalities: Is Distracted Driving to Blame?

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December 5th, 2012

What Does Hulk Hogan Have To Do With Car Insurance?

by John McKiggan

Hulk Hogan and the Lovely Liz

My youngest son is a big fan of wrestling. So when my wife Liz and I saw superstar wrestler Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) at a restaurant in Florida, I just had to ask him if I could get a photograph of him with Liz and an autograph for my son.

As you can see, Mr. Bollea was very understanding and patient with my wife and I (and all the other fans who wanted to pose with him for a picture).

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November 6th, 2012

Pedestrian – Car Collisions in Nova Scotia: Who is at fault?

by John McKiggan

As a Nova Scotia car accident lawyer I am frequently asked to help pedestrians who have been injured by a motor vehicle.

Whose fault is it?

If the accident happened in a cross-walk and the pedestrian had the right of way, liability (fault) usually isn’t a big issue. Drives must yield the right of way to pedestrians in a cross-walk.

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October 3rd, 2012

Magic, Misdirection and Distracted Driving

by John McKiggan

My hobby is performing magic, and I love reading books about famous magicians. So I was interested to read Alex Stones’ new book about Houdini called Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks & the Hidden Powers of the Mind. It occurred to me some of what Stone says about magicians is relevant to my work as a personal injury lawyer in Nova Scotia.

Distracted Driving

In my work representing people who have been injured in car collisions I have noticed an increase in the number of accidents caused by driver inattention or some form of distracted driving.

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September 17th, 2012

Motorcycle Accidents: How they happen and what you can do to avoid them.

by John McKiggan

Motorcycle Accident Compensation Claims

I am in the middle of preparing for a trial involving a motorcyclist (my client) who was injured in a motorcycle – car collision. The driver of the car made a left turn in front of my client while my client was driving through a green light. The injuries the motorcycle rider suffered were more serious than you tend see in a typical car-car collision.

While motorcycle collision cases form a relatively small part of the cases I am asked to handle, the injuries in those cases tend to be more severe and complicated. So if you spend any time on the road, as I’m sure all of you do, here is some important information regarding motorcycles and motorcycle injuries.

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September 4th, 2012

Get Your Kids Back-to-School Safely!

by John McKiggan

It’s that time again! Tomorrow is the first day of school and lots of eager (or not so eager) kids will be heading back to school.

As an injury lawyer in Nova Scotia, I have dealt with countless tragic cases where children have been injured, many of them in and around schools. Here are a few tips for parents to make sure the first day back (and every other day during the school year) is a safe one.

Whichever method your children use to get to school there are a number of safety considerations to remember.

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August 31st, 2012

Blind Zone Back Over Demonstration

by John McKiggan

Most Canadians don’t realize that every single vehicle sold in Canada has a blind zone behind it. Depending on the make and model of the vehicle that blind zone is anywhere from 10 feet to up to 50 feet.

When asked, most people guess that the blind zone is 5 or 6 feet.

CBC news recently did a story on the issue and I thought I would post the video because it visually demonstrates the problem.

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Category: Car Accidents