Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

According to a new report from Transportation for America, Charlotte is the seventeenth most dangerous area for pedestrians. Transportation for America studied traffic patterns for 52 metropolitan areas with more than one million people from 2000-2009. The report indicates that 208 pedestrians were killed during this nine year period in Charlotte, accounting for 17 percent of all traffic fatalities in Mecklenburg County.

The report also indicated that Raleigh is the 13th most dangerous city for pedestrians. Charlotte and Raleigh are more dangerous than larger cities and more notorious cities with higher traffic such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The report further indicated that pedestrian safety has declined over the past decade for many metropolitan areas and pedestrian deaths have risen. Transportation for American attributes these trends to the fact that pedestrian safety is not high on the priority list of many municipalities' concerns.

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After the cruise ship Costa Concordia cap-sized off the coast of Tuscany, reminding many of the Titanic, the media promptly began questioning the safety procedures of the ship's owner and the cruise line industry as a whole. According to Helen Kearns, a spokeswoman for the European Union transportation commissioner, the cruise line industry has expanded in recent years. The ships have increased in size to accommodate the increase in passengers. The increase in the size of these vessels has raised substantial questions whether the crew and passengers receive adequate information and training regarding various safety procedures. Obviously, it is harder to manage a larger number of people on a larger ship. Furthermore, individuals on vacation want to relax rather than spend large amounts of time learning safety procedures. However, according to passengers aboard the Costa Concordia, they were never required to attend safety meetings despite cruise line policies. Passengers also claim that the crew members were confused and unprepared to act as the ship cap-sized. The later allegation clearly indicates the necessity of such training.

Other questions that have been raised are concerned with the captain's discretion in the cruise ship's route, especially given the advances in technology that exist to keep ships on the proper route. According to officials, a company director normally transmits the proper course to the captain and a navigating officer, who are instructed to follow the course. The chairman of Costa Corciere claims the vessel was properly routed, and the sole reason the ship veered off course was a result of the captain's unapproved actions.

The captain claims the ship hit an uncharted rock. However, given the extensive technology that exists on the bridge of a cruise ship, it seems odd that a crew member would not have seen the rock struck on one of various pieces of equipment at their disposal. As a result, the ship's captain faces criminal charges for manslaughter and abandonment of the ship.

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Mecklenburg County recently settled with Arjan Jagtiani, an Indian Trail man, for injuries he sustained at a park function in Cornelius. Mr. Jagtiani attended the function on May 23, 2010, during which, a stack of chairs fell on him as they were being moved. During mediation, the County agreed to pay Jagtiani $170,000 for his injuries.

Although Mecklenburg County agreed to settlement, the County refused to concede liability for the accident and the Plaintiff's resulting injuries. Rather, the County agreed to settle the case instead of risk the possibility of a larger verdict at trial. Mecklenburg County's attorney stated that it would be better for the County to pay some money for Jagtiani's injuries rather than risk the costs of potential litigation. Such costs include additional case expenses that quickly increase as a case proceeds to the trial stage.

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