New Hampshire Legal Blog

Unseasonably warm weather in much of the U.S. meant that roads were clean and dry when they would ordinarily be snowy, icy, and slippery. Now that winter storms are rolling into New Hampshire and other New England states, however, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is encouraging drivers to take caution to avoid car accidents.

Some ways you can help avoid an accident and keep yourself and others safe include:

• Slow down. Ice, snow, sleet, and freezing rain can all make roads treacherous. While four-wheel drive can help you get through deep snow, it will not slow your vehicle down or prevent you from skidding if you hit a patch of ice or slush too quickly.
• Watch out for rescue workers. Police, firefighters, and other workers are busy checking on those who crash or slide off the road in winter weather. Keep an eye out for these workers and avoid driver distractions, like using a cell phone or eating, while you are driving.
• Pay attention to snowplows. After a snowfall, state and local workers start clearing the roads for drivers. Give snowplows plenty of room. Also, keep an eye out for “tandem snowplowing,” in which multiple trucks work together to clear multiple lanes at once. Remember that snowplow drivers cannot maneuver as quickly as passenger vehicles, so give them plenty of space.

At Tenn And Tenn, P.A., our experienced New Hampshire auto accident attorneys are dedicated to helping those who are injured in a crash. To learn more about your legal rights and options after an accident, call us today at (603) 624-3700 for a free telephone consultation.

A severe injury sometimes requires a hospital stay, which may or may not involve surgery. According to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the injuries that most often require a hospital stay include:

• Fractures. Hip fractures topped the list, followed by fractures in the legs, pelvis, ribs, and spine. Together, these accounted for nearly 40 percent of injury-related hospital stays. The average hospital stay for a major fracture was five to six days, but the rate of death in the hospital from these injuries was quite low - less than two percent.
• Traumatic brain injuries. Severe brain injuries also accounted for a large percentage of injury-related hospital stays. Swelling in the brain was often a major concern. The rate of death in-hospital for these patients is just above ten percent, one of the highest rates for injuries that require hospitalization.
• Medication overdoses or poisoning. Poisoning, especially by medications, is often a cause of hospital stays. These stays average about three days. If medical malpractice results in medication overdose or poisoning, a patient’s stay for another injury might be lengthened.
• Spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries typically make up less than one percent of those staying in the hospital each year. However, the length of stay for a spinal cord injury is much longer than average - about two weeks - and the cost of an average hospitalization for a spinal cord injury is much higher than for other injury types. These injuries are also the least likely to resolve completely.

Hospitalization is a major source of medical bills after an injury. Even a simple stay of a few days can cost several thousand dollars - a huge burden for anyone who is already struggling to stay afloat in a weakened economy. If you or someone you love has been injured, the experienced New Hampshire accident lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. Call us today at (603) 624-3700 for a free and confidential consultation by telephone.

Spinal cord injuries are more likely than other types of serious injuries to cause permanent, lifelong impairments of body functions, according to information from the National Injury Prevention Foundation. Only 0.9 percent of those who suffer a spinal cord injury achieve a full recovery; even five years after a spinal cord injury, up to 88 percent of survivors still struggle to complete basic daily tasks like dressing, cooking, and bathing. Because spinal cord injuries are still so difficult to treat, prevention is most people’s best chance of avoiding this life-altering condition.

Simple steps that can help you or your loved ones avoid a spinal cord injury include:

• Buckle up. Wearing your seat belt can help protect your spine in case of a New Hampshire automobile crash. Children should be secured in safety seats appropriate for their age, height, and weight.
• Wear proper safety gear. When playing any sport, choose proper safety gear that fits correctly. Helmets, pads, and other safety equipment can help protect your spine - and other body parts - from injury.
• Before diving into water, check the depth. If the water is nine feet deep or less, never enter it head first. Check for “No Diving” signs or warnings and always follow them.
• Practice gun safety. Many spinal cord injuries, especially to children and teens, are caused by gunshots. Keep your guns unloaded and locked in a safe place your children cannot access. Teach children and teens gun safety, and discuss with them the appropriate and inappropriate ways to use guns.

Spinal cord injuries change not only the lives of those who suffer them, but the lives of those they love as well. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, the experienced New Hampshire spinal cord injury attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. Call us today at (603) 624-3700 or 1(888) 511-1010 for a free and confidential telephone consultation.

Salt and de-icing chemicals can help prevent slips and falls in icy New Hampshire winters by removing slippery snow, ice, and sleet from sidewalks and steps. However, using these chemicals improperly not only prevents them from working, but it can also pollute local drinking water sources. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) recommends keeping the following tips in mind when using salt or de-icing chemicals this winter.

• Plow, shovel, or blow snow instead of waiting for salt or chemicals to “burn” it off. Remove as much snow as you can from walkways before applying any salt or de-icers.
• Read labels carefully and use the proper salt or de-icing chemicals for weather conditions. Rock salt, for instance, will not work if the temperature is under 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Wetting salt with brine before applying it can help you spread it more evenly and prevent it from bouncing off of paths or stairs. Read the directions on your salt or spreader for more information.
• Some de-icers are designed to be applied before snow or ice accumulate. Pay attention to weather reports and use these ahead of time if appropriate. Applying them before a storm can reduce by up to 30 percent the amount you’ll need to clean a parking lot, walkway, or stairs. Try to time application so that maximum melting occurs before plows arrive.

New Hampshire property owners have a responsibility to protect visitors from hidden dangers or to warn them about the risks of a slip and fall. If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall accident, the experienced New Hampshire premises liability attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1(888) 511-1010.

New Hampshire representatives are considering a bill to increase New Hampshire’s maximum speed limit from 65 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour, mostly on freeways. However, the debate continues as to whether increasing the speed limit is a good idea, or if it will cost more than it’s worth, according to a recent editorial in the Concord Monitor.

Proponents of the change point out that many drivers already travel at or near 70 miles per hour on New Hampshire’s highways. Since accidents have not increased dramatically in recent years, some proponents state that motorists who travel at or near 70 have proven that this is a safe speed, at least during good road conditions.

Those who are against the new law, however, point out several risks. First, by increasing the legal speed limit to 70 miles per hour, the legislature may be encouraging drivers who are already comfortable going five miles per hour over the speed limit to add another five miles per hour - bringing their average speed up to 75 miles per hour. Second, these drivers may be using cell phones despite New Hampshire’s recent ban on texting while driving. Distracted driving at high speeds can cause serious accidents.

Finally, the speed limit is designed to reflect the maximum safe speed at ideal road conditions: a dry, sunny day without excessive traffic, wildlife, or other obstacles. If the posted speed limit is 70 miles per hour, however, drivers may feel it’s safe to drive faster on days with bad road conditions which may also increase the risk of crashes.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a New Hampshire car crash, the experienced Manchester car accident attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. Call us today at (603) 624-3700 for a free and confidential phone consultation.

Both New Hampshire and its neighbor Maine set auto accident safety records this past year, logging in the lowest number of car crash deaths since the states began keeping track in 1949, according to a recent article in Maine’s Kennebec Journal.

In New Hampshire, 87 drivers lost their lives on the state’s roads in 2011, beating the previous record of 105 deaths set in 1960. Maine was down to 139 deaths, its second-lowest total since 1944, when gasoline rationing during World War II kept most people off the roads entirely. Ohio and Connecticut also saw significant reductions in crash deaths.

Nationwide, the number of car accidents that took lives in 2011 was 32,885. While this is not a national record, it does follow a trend of decreasing deaths that began in 2009.

According to researchers, several factors could be involved in lowering the rate of deadly crashes. Increased seat belt use has likely saved some lives, and better safety equipment and features in vehicles also reduce the severity of some crashes. Advances in medical care and technology may also have saved lives. And, like the rationing that took place in World War II, high gas prices are causing some drivers to drive less or to carpool, which means fewer cars on the roads.

The decrease in car accident deaths means safer roads, but it doesn’t change the immeasurable cost of losing someone you love in a crash. At Tenn And Tenn, P.A., our experienced New Hampshire car accident wrongful death attorneys are dedicated to helping families sort out what happened in an accident and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. To learn more about how we can help, call us today at (603) 624-3700 for a free telephone consultation, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1(888) 511-1010.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been passing and enforcing stricter rules when it comes to toy safety. As a result, fewer children have been injured by defective toys in the U.S. this year, a trend the CPSC expects to continue through the holiday season.

In 2010, about 181,500 children were injured and 17 were killed in toy-related accidents. Most injuries were suffered on riding toys, like scooters, and involved either bruises and scrapes or head injuries. Stricter safety standards for these toys have helped decrease some of the risks, but parents are still encouraged to put helmets and pads on children who ride scooters, bicycles, skateboards, and similar toys. Helmets in particular help protect a child’s growing brain from traumatic brain injuries.

Other toys that have caused injuries in recent years had unacceptably high levels of toxic heavy metals, like lead or cadmium. Several new CPSC regulations target the use of heavy metals in children’s toys, requiring toy manufacturers to eliminate or strictly limit the use of lead and similar toxins in toy making.

Most of the 17 children who lost their lives in toy accidents last year choked on small pieces, such as small rubber bouncy balls or pieces of broken balloons, according to the CPSC.

Following age recommendations on toys, providing safety equipment, and watching for small pieces that could cause a choking hazard are all ways you can help keep a child’s holidays fun and injury-free. For more information about your legal rights and options after an injury, call the experienced New Hampshire child injury lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. Our toll-free Injury Helpline number is 1(888) 511-1010, or you can call (603) 624-3700 for a free telephone consultation.

A two-car crash on the F.E. Everett Turnpike recently had traffic backed up in all three lanes, but spared the drivers any life-threatening injuries, according to a recent article in the Nashua Telegraph.

The accident occurred during a weekday evening’s prime commuting hours. According to police, the accident involved a car that had stopped in the median near Exit 2, apparently because it was having mechanical troubles. That car was rear-ended by another car coming down the turnpike. A third vehicle might also have been involved in the crash, but police have not come to any conclusions yet.

Both drivers involved in the rear-end crash managed to walk away from the scene, though the full extent of their injuries is still unknown. Immediately after the accident, several other drivers stopped to help, which slowed traffic on the turnpike and made the accident scene look as if it involved many more drivers than just the two who actually crashed, according to the Nashua Telegraph. Drivers trying to get around rescue vehicles to the right of the crash and trying to get off the turnpike to the left also slowed traffic.

Soft tissue injuries after a car accident can take several days to become fully obvious. Many drivers think they’re not injured immediately after a crash, only to find a few days later that they are in serious pain. If you’ve been injured in an accident, the experienced car accident attorneys in New Hampshire at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help you protect your legal rights. For a free telephone consultation, call us today at (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1(888) 511-1010.

Each U.S. state has its own procedure for divorce, and New Hampshire is no exception. Some states’ divorce processes require waiting periods, counseling, separation periods, and other steps that can add months or even years before a divorce is final. Others offer a relatively streamlined process, without requiring the couple be married or separated for a certain time period.

Compared to other U.S. states, New Hampshire has one of the “easier” divorce processes, according to Bloomberg. That is, a divorce in New Hampshire has fewer built-in waiting periods to extend the process, making it possible to finalize a divorce much more quickly here than in some other states. This is especially true if the couple has no children and seeks a no-fault divorce.

For instance, in Arkansas, the parties must first live apart for at least 540 days, or about one and a half years, before the divorce can be finalized. Add the state’s 60-day residency requirement and the 30-day required period between filing and finalization, and a divorce in Arkansas can take nearly two full years from start to finish. By contrast, New Hampshire has no minimum separation, residency, or waiting period, so a divorce in this state can be finished in whatever amount of time the parties need to work out an agreement in regards to such matters as marital property.

Divorce can be emotionally draining for everyone involved. If you’re considering divorce, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced divorce attorneys in New Hampshire at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. We will help you through each step of the process and fight for the security and stability you need as you begin your newly single life. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at (603) 624-3700.

Speeding doesn’t just put drivers at risk for an expensive ticket; it can also cause serious injuries or even death, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). Approximately 900 U.S. motorists die each month in speeding-related crashes, and thousands more are injured. As many as one in three car accident deaths and serious car accident injuries occur in speeding-related crashes each year.

Three major factors make speeding highly dangerous. First, the faster the vehicle is moving, the quicker the driver must react when he sees an emergency and the less time he has to notice it and take action. Second, a fast-moving vehicle needs more room to stop than a slow-moving one.

Finally, speeding increases the force of the crash. The faster two vehicles are going when they collide, the more force is involved. For instance, a vehicle traveling 60 miles per hour will hit with 125 percent more force than a vehicle traveling 40 miles per hour. In many speeding-related crashes, occupants of the vehicles are injured because the vehicle cannot withstand the additional force. That power has to go somewhere, and it often goes into crumpling the passenger compartment, posing serious risks to those riding in the vehicle.

Speeding is just one misbehavior that can cause serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced New Hampshire auto accident attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. For a free and confidential consultation by telephone, call us today at (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1(888) 511-1010.