Year: 2021
How important are your vehicle’s headlights?
Headlights have existed nearly as long as the automobile itself. Of course, every vehicle on the road has headlights. And you know that you need them to navigate the streets when the sun goes down. However, it is critical to understand just how important the proper use of headlights is to your safety and the
Old fossil fuel infrastructure is packed with asbestos
If the U.S. is to meet its climate goals, it will likely have to switch from fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas to renewables like wind, hydro, geothermal, and solar energy. That will leave the country with a great deal of legacy fossil fuel infrastructure to dismantle, and that won’t be easy or cheap.
Reminder: Drug-impaired driving can get you a DUI
It’s true in Tennessee and every other state. Driving under the influence of drugs is illegal and can get you charged with DUI. Depending on the circumstances, you could be facing anywhere from 48 hours in jail (uncomplicated 1st offense DUI) to several years behind bars (vehicular assault, vehicular homicide or child endangerment DUI). Nevertheless,
What does it mean to drive defensively?
Any time you get behind the wheel, it is important to use defensive driving tactics to decrease the risk of a crash. You have likely heard this before in the media and even in some of our previous blog posts. Tennessee drivers can guess what it means to be defensive behind the wheel, but it
The jury trial is being lost during the pandemic
In America today, the traditional trial by jury, with its many due process protections, was already endangered. Across the U.S., nearly 95% of all felony convictions are obtained by plea bargain instead of trial. Now, the Coronavirus pandemic has further curtailed the number of jury trials, at least in person. The Tennessee Supreme Court has
Mesothelioma: How is it affecting women?
Many people view mesothelioma as a prevalent cancer among men. This is often due to the high risk of occupational exposure in industrial jobs or the military, as we have discussed in previous blog posts. And in these past decades, when there was a higher risk of exposure, men often outnumbered women in the workforce,
Are booster seats safe? Investigations say testing was faulty
In February 2020, the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica published an investigation into whether Evenflo, a major manufacturer of child booster seats for cars, had falsely claimed that its products were safety tested. ProPublica found that Evenflo’s “Big Kid Booster” seat was advertised as “side impact tested.” The company did perform side-impact tests, but the products failed
Workers who are commonly at risk for asbestos exposure
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with a convenient property: it is highly heat resistant. It has been used in a wide variety of applications from home construction and insulation to aerospace and missile production. It can also be present as a contaminant in other mined products, such as talcum powder and coal. Unfortunately, asbestos
Do the police need a warrant before searching my cellphone?
Generally, yes. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that police may not ordinarily go through the contents of your phone without first getting a warrant. That said, they could still do so if they could show it was an emergency or that you would otherwise delete evidence of criminal activity. In 2014’s Riley v.
Why did traffic fatalities jump in 2020?
According to federal researchers, reduced congestion usually means fewer fatal traffic crashes. An economic downturn tends to keep people off the road. And, traffic fatalities have been down, year-over-year. So why were there so many fatalities during the pandemic? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the traffic fatality rate rose by about