DAMG

Despite the fact that some local law enforcement officials have cracked down on sellers of CBD, under the 2014 Farm Bill, CBD and hemp-derived products are legal on the federal level. Local laws are struggling to keep up, with some law enforcement not sufficiently aware of the difference between CBD and marijuana. While CBD has not been widely researched for its medical benefits, despite this, many people use CBD to manage a variety of ailments, from anxiety to insomnia. While the studies on the effectiveness of CBD are few and far between (the only condition that CBD has been approved to medically treat is epilepsy), many people swear by the product, claiming it has helped them alleviate their pain, manage their anxiety, tame addictions, and even help them with their sleep problems. At the end of the day, many people use CBD for a variety of reasons, some of them with unclear health benefits. The question is this—can CBD impact a person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle? Should you drive after using CBD? What can a person do if he or she is hurt in a car accident and believes the other person behind the wheel might have been intoxicated or impaired? George R. Fusner, Jr. is a Nashville, Tennessee car accident law firm that may be able to help you and your family if you were hurt in a crash. Let’s explore CBD’s known side effects, the law, and more.

CBD and Driving

Before we discuss the side-effects of CBD, it is important to make a clear distinction about CBD. CBD does not get people “high” like marijuana. The concern with CBD is similar to the concern we might have with a person taking cold medicine and driving. According to Harvard Health, CBD has several known side effects. These side effects include nausea, fatigue, and irritability. While these side effects in themselves don’t necessarily impair a driver, fatigued driving can be dangerous. If CBD makes you sleepy when you take it, you shouldn’t get behind the wheel. Truck laws govern truck drivers and regulate how long they can be on the road to prevent fatigued drivers from getting behind the wheel. While passenger vehicle drivers are not regulated on hours of service, passenger vehicle drivers can be held accountable if they get into an accident because they fall asleep behind the wheel or make a mistake when driving.

If a driver was fatigued and this led to your car accident, you may have the right to seek damages for your lost wages, medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and other losses. The car accident lawyers at George R. Fusner, Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee may be able to help you. Contact our car accident attorneys today to learn more.

Another issue that has arisen with CBD and the law is marijuana tests producing false positives for CBD users. The New York Times recently reported that a common drug test used by police cannot tell the difference between CBD and marijuana. This means that individuals who need to be tested for probation, child custody, or other crucial matters could face law enforcement actions if these tests product a false positive. In states where marijuana is illegal, but CBD is legal, this could also create an added conundrum when enforcing the law. Because these tests can produce false positives, it is possible that a person taking legal CBD could face charges for using marijuana. At the end of the day, drug tests for marijuana and driving are already suspect because THC can remain in a person’s system long after the “high” wears off. At the end of the day, police watch for signs at the scene of an accident that a person might be intoxicated, inebriated, or too tired to drive. Some of the confusion around CBD stems from the fact that it is a compound contained in marijuana. Though CBD is a compound in marijuana, CBD is distinct from the active ingredient in marijuana that gets a person high. CBD is not THC. A person can take CBD and not be high. The concern here is that CBD can make a person fatigued. So CBD use and driving is similar to driving after taking cold medicine or sleeping medicine. Still, drivers have a responsibility to get behind the wheel when they are safe to drive.

If another driver was responsible for your car accident in Nashville, Tennessee, you may have many questions about your rights. George R. Fusner, Jr. is a Nashville, Tennessee car accident law firm that may be able to help you seek damages from negligent parties after your crash. However, you may only have a limited amount of time to make a claim. Reach out to our Nashville, Tennessee car accident lawyer today or connect with our attorney through USAttorneys.com to learn more about your rights and options under the law.

The coronavirus pandemic rages on in America. The Centers for Disease Control reports that almost two million people have become sick with COVID-19. It is believed that the actual community spread of the illness might be much higher. Due to continued COVID-19 activity across the country, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended emergency provisions that have relaxed hours of service requirements for some truck drivers transporting essential safety equipment, COVID-19 tests, and other services deemed essential. This means that drivers may be able to extend their driving time beyond the typical 14-hour period if the driver is transporting essential equipment.

What does this mean for individuals who have been hurt in a truck accident in Nashville, Tennessee? Victims of truck accidents sometimes are able to sue truck companies or drivers when they violate federal hours of service laws. George R. Fusner, Jr. is a truck accident law firm in Nashville, Tennessee that works with victims and their families who have been hurt in these crashes. While some truck drivers may have increased flexibility, the emergency orders do not apply to all drivers, and the emergency orders still do not permit drivers to get behind the wheel while fatigued. Let’s explore what these emergency orders mean and what you can do if you or someone you love was hurt in a truck accident in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s COVID-19 Emergency Orders for Truck Drivers

What is considered essential transportation services under the emergency order? The emergency declaration is limited to the transportation of livestock and livestock feed, testing supplies for COVID-19, and medical equipment and sanitation supplies including masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and other disinfectant. It is important to note that drivers carrying only small amounts of essential equipment or mixed loads may not qualify under the emergency declaration.

However, it is important to note that drivers are still not permitted to get behind the wheel while tired, fatigued, or sick, even if they are transporting loads deemed necessary under the emergency order. Drivers must still follow the law regarding obeying speed limits, not drinking alcohol, and using hands free devices while behind the wheel. Drivers are still barred from getting behind the wheel if they are so tired that they might pose a safety hazard to themselves or others. Drivers who are so sick that they might pose a safety hazard to themselves or others are also barred from getting behind the wheel. Truck companies are still not permitted to allow fatigued drivers to get behind the wheel and if a fatigued driver requests a break, companies are still required to provide a 10-hour break to the driver. This means that while the federal hours of service laws have been relaxed, they have not eliminated the requirement that drivers not get behind the wheel while tired and they don’t permit truck companies to push their drivers to exhaustion.

Truck drivers are working extra hard to make sure that our communities have the safety equipment we need and the supplies we need, often at personal risk to themselves and their families. They have expressed concerns about disruptions to their ability to take breaks because of restaurant and rest stop closures. The services that truck drivers need to eat and take breaks are not as robust as they once were due to the COVID-19 emergency. Despite this, truck drivers continue to work hard and take steps to stay safe. However, if you or someone you love has been hurt in a truck accident, you may also have the right to seek damages for your injuries and losses. Truck companies still have a responsibility to make sure drivers are not so tired behind the wheel that they are impaired. George R. Fusner, Jr. is a truck accident law firm in Nashville, Tennessee that can help you if you or someone you love was hurt in a truck accident due to a fatigued driver.

George R. Fusner, Jr. May Be Able to Help Truck Accident Victims in Nashville, Tennessee

Truck companies are required to hold high value insurance policies and take steps to keep drivers and the general public safe. When drivers cut corners or when companies pressure drivers to work longer hours, the risk for truck accidents can increase. If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck accident in Nashville, Tennessee, George R. Fusner, Jr. is a truck accident law firm that may be able to help you. Our truck accident lawyers can review the details of your case, review current laws, and fight to help you get the settlement you may deserve. Reach out to George R. Fusner, Jr. today or connect with USAttorneys.com to get matched with a truck accident lawyer at our law firm.

According to the Tennessean, the state of Tennessee reported over 2,000 new coronavirus cases in the state of Tennessee alone in a single day, which includes new cases tallied over the weekend. Cities and states across the nation are reversing some of their plans to re-open their economies, as cases across the country have surged. In Florida, South Florida reports that it will close its beaches for the July 4^th weekend. Other states are calling for residents to wear masks when out in public. With the increases in cases, more people might be choosing to get behind the wheel while sick with coronavirus or while under the influence of cold medicine. More people sick means the chances of more people sick on the road might be higher. What does this mean for driver safety in Nashville, Tennessee? Could driving while sick with the coronavirus be dangerous? George R. Fusner, Jr. is a car accident law firm in Nashville, Tennessee that works with crash victims to help them seek damages for their crashes. Let’s explore the risks of driving while sick with coronavirus.

Can Driving While Sick Be as Dangerous as Driving Drunk?

There is research to support the idea that driving while sick with a cold could potentially be as dangerous as driving drunk. CBS News reported on the work of researchers who wanted to determine whether driving with the common cold could be as dangerous as driving while drunk. They found that those who drove while suffering from the common cold had slower reaction times, were more likely to hit the brakes, drove more erratically, and ultimately experienced a 50% drop in driving ability. This was the equivalent to driving while under the influence of four double whiskeys. Because the coronavirus symptoms can be far more serious than the symptoms of the common cold, drivers who are experiencing symptoms may be wise to choose to stay home. But can a driver be held legally liable for getting behind the wheel while sick with COVID-19? There are no laws on the books that make it illegal to drive while sick with a cold, but there are laws against impaired driving, and many state officials are asking that people who are showing symptoms of the coronavirus self-isolate. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident and the other person was sick with the coronavirus, you may not be able to pursue a lawsuit on the grounds that the person was sick, but you may be able to pursue a lawsuit on the grounds that the person was impaired. If the other driver was taking cold medicine, many cold medications are known to impair driving ability. Because of this, if you suspect that the other driver might have been sick or might have been driving while under the influence of cold medicine, you may want to call the police, report the accident, and determine whether there might be steps you can take to seek damages for your losses. Codeine and some over the counter cold medicines can potentially impair drivers. According to the FDA, there are certain medications that can impair driving ability. These medications include pain relievers, cold medicines containing codeine, sleeping pills, some cold remedies and over the counter medications, including allergy medicines. These medications can cause sleepiness, dizziness, cognitive impairment, excitability, nausea, and more.

Drivers who are experiencing serious coronavirus symptoms may also suffer from cognitive impairment or difficulty breathing. If you are very sick, think twice before driving, consider calling an ambulance for help, or ask a loved one to drive you to the doctor or hospital. Getting behind the wheel while suffering from the most serious symptoms of the coronavirus can potentially put you and loved ones at risk. Finally, if you’ve been hurt in a car accident and believe the other driver may have been sick or may have made an error behind the wheel because of impairment, the car accident lawyers at George R. Fusner, Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee may be able to help you seek damages for your losses. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

Seek Help If You’ve Been Hurt in a Crash in Nashville

If you’ve been hurt in a crash in Nashville, Tennessee, you may only have a limited amount of time to seek damages for your medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. George R. Fusner, Jr. is a Nashville, Tennessee car accident attorney that may be able to help you with your case. Our law firm can review the details of your accident and determine whether the other driver might have been taking cold medicine or may have made an error behind the wheel. Contact our law firm today to learn more, or reach out to USAttorneys.com to get connected with the car accident lawyer at George R. Fusner, Jr. today.

People Magazine reported that thousands of protestors have taken to the streets of Nashville, Tennessee to protest police brutality and systemic racism. On June 4^th, 10,000 people, took to the streets in a protest organized by six local teens. While People Magazine reports that the teen-led protest was entirely peaceful, protests elsewhere have erupted into violence, with the police injuring protestors who have been exercising their right of free speech. If you plan to protest, what are your rights? And what can you do if you end up injured due to police brutality or violence during a protest?

The good news is that you have important rights. George R. Fusner, Jr. is a personal injury lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee that works with clients who have been injured due to the neglect or negligence of another person or party. Our firm can also pursue claims for victims who have been intentionally injured by another person or party. While pursuing lawsuits against government officials, like police are not permitted without the state’s permission because of the doctrine of qualified immunity, many have called for the end of qualified immunity for police officers due to the recent violence. It isn’t clear whether these laws will be changed anytime soon, but there have been cases across the country where police forces and local officials have agreed to settle personal injury cases privately or outside of court, particularly in situations where police officers egregiously used excessive force. If you or someone you love was hurt in a protest, you may have important rights under the law. The personal injury lawyers at George R. Fusner, Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee are here to help.

Protestors’ Rights to Safety 

The ACLU offers helpful information to individuals who are planning to attend a protest and to those who have attended protests and believe their civil rights may have been violated. What are your rights? If protesting in the street, in a park, or on the sidewalk, your rights are the strongest, the ACLU notes. Plazas in front of government buildings are places where free speech is protected as long as protestors aren’t preventing officials from entering or exiting the building or accessing their place of work. Protests on private property are subject to the permission of the person who owns the property. Individuals are permitted to photograph or take video of the protest as long as they remain on public property. Owners of private property are permitted to ask individuals to stop recording. If the protest will interfere with traffic, protestors may need to seek a permit. If a protest grows large, police may ask that protestors move on to sidewalks to permit the flow of traffic.

However, what are your rights if you are stopped by police during a protest, or if you were hurt by police use of force? If police are trying to arrest you, do not resist. Remind officers that you are exercising your First Amendment right to free speech. If police hurt you or others around you, take photos and video, get names and contact information of witnesses, and try to get the names, badge numbers, and patrol car numbers of officers involved. Take photos of any injuries you may have sustained and seek medical care to treat more serious injuries. If you have been hurt due to the violence of police or due to the violence of counter protestors, consider reaching out to a personal injury lawyer today. Across the nation there have been reports of people getting seriously injured when they have been pushed or shoved by police. In one prominent case reported in Buffalo, one man suffered brain injuries after being shoved by police. The police officers were since charged with assault and the man is being represented by an attorney who spoke out about the man’s involvement with civil rights groups and about his desire to peacefully assemble.

Many individuals who were seriously injured while protesting are seeking the assistance of personal injury attorneys to help them seek damages for their losses. If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a protest, or was hurt due to the intentional violence of a counter protestor, you may have the right to pursue a lawsuit against negligent parties. George R. Fusner, Jr. is a personal injury law firm in Nashville, Tennessee that works with individuals who have been hurt in car accidents and those who have suffered other personal injuries. You are not alone.

Seek Justice for Your Injuries in Nashville, Tennessee

Those who have been injured in protests have suffered from a range of serious injuries including traumatic brain injury, seizures, and more. If you were injured in a car accident, due to the violence of police, or due to the violent actions of a counter-protestor, you may have the right to seek damages under the law. Contact the personal injury lawyers at George R. Fusner, Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee today. Or reach out to USAttorneys.com to get connected to a lawyer at our firm.

Technology is evolving at a rapid rate and we are seeing more and more vehicles being manufactured with various driver assistance technologies that aim to keep motorists and those sharing the road with them safe. While some of the newer vehicles come equipped with various features, others do not which means it is up to the driver to decide whether or not they want to add on any driver assistance technologies. If you are in the market to purchase a new vehicle or are buying a car for your newly licensed teen, there are various safety features to choose from.

To help you understand what they are as well as what they do, below we are sharing with you a brief description of some important safety features you might consider adding on to your vehicle based on information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

1. Rear Automatic Braking. With this feature, your vehicle will automatically apply the brakes for you “to prevent a rear collision when backing up.”
2. Traffic Jam Assist. This “automatically accelerates and brakes your vehicle along with the flow of traffic, and keeps your vehicle between lane markings — even curves.”
3. Highway Pilot. This feature “maintains your vehicle’s lane position and a determined following distance from the vehicle in front by automatically accelerating and braking as needed.” This can be rather useful to have as many drivers often find themselves following too close to the car in front of them which puts them at a greater risk of engaging in a rear-end wreck.
4. Lane Departure Warning. This feature provides the driver with a warning when it detects that the car is drifting over the lane markings. So, if you accidentally begin to maneuver into another driver’s lane, this safety feature will help detect this and hopefully, stop you before it is too late.
5. Forward Collision Warning. This will detect and warn you when there is the potential for a forward collision. When provided with this warning, a driver may have time to react so that an accident is avoided.
6. Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking. This feature, “detects, warns and applies the brakes for you if a person is about to cross in front of your vehicle.” Did you know that “on average, a pedestrian was killed every 88 minutes in a traffic crash in 2017” and during that same year, there were 5,977 pedestrian deaths recorded in traffic collisions [Source: NHTSA]? With figures like this, it is especially important to take all types of precautionary measures, including adding a safety feature that can help prevent an accident with a pedestrian.
7. Adaptive Lighting. This feature will “automatically adjust your headlights, including lower beams when another vehicle approaches, and back to higher beams after it passes you.
8. Blind Spot Detection. This will warn you when another vehicle is in your blind spot. Blind spots play a major role in many of the traffic crashes that transpire on our roadways, especially those involving large trucks such as semis and 18-wheelers.
9. Rear Cross Traffic Alert. This will “warn you of a potential rear collision that may be outside the view of your backup camera.”
10. Backup Camera. Backup cameras provide a driver with a clear view of what’s directly behind their vehicle. Although many new vehicles being manufactured today come equipped with this safety feature, if yours does not, you might consider having it added onto your vehicle.

Although the safety features most vehicles come equipped with or those consumers add on are geared toward enhancing roadway safety, sometimes, these safety features aren’t enough to prevent an accident. If you or someone you know was recently involved in a car wreck in Nashville, TN and you aren’t sure what your next steps should be, it is best you contact a Nashville, TN car accident lawyer. In the meantime, you should consider seeking medical treatment for any injuries you suffered and keep records of all payments made toward any care that is rendered.

How can a car wreck attorney in Nashville, TN help me and/or my family?

Many car crash victims often look to their insurer or that of the at-fault party for the compensation they need to cover medical expenses and other losses. Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t always provide you with a settlement that reflects the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to receive. If you want to be sure the insurance company is handling your claim fairly, the Law Office of George R. Fusner Jr. is here to assess the settlement the company has offered to determine if you are receiving the amount of money you are actually entitled to collect.

 

You can reach the Law Office of George R. Fusner Jr. at

7104 Peach Court

Brentwood, TN 37027

Phone- 615-251-0005

Fax- 615-370-8447

Website: www.gfusnerlaw.com

Beginning July 1, 2019, Tennessee will be considered a hand’s free state. The Hand’s Free Law, also known as Public Chapter No.412, requires motorists to keep their phones out of hand while operating their vehicle which will, in turn, allow them to focus on the road. The new law aims to eliminate distracted driving which is responsible for causing thousands of deaths in the State of TN each year.

Did you know that in 2018, there were approximately 24,600 wrecks involving a distracted driver in TN? That averages out to about 67 crashes occurring each day during that year alone.

Important Things You Need to Know About Tennessee’s Hands-Free Law

Whether you live in Nashville, Knoxville, or any other city within the State of TN, there are some things you need to become aware of regarding the new law. According to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, the new law will make it illegal for drivers in the State of TN to:

• Hold a cellphone with any part of their body. This means that if you are caught by an officer with a cellphone in your hand, whether you are using it or not, you shall be found guilty of violating the law and subject to the penalties the violation carries with it.
• Write, send, or read any text-based communication that includes, but is not limited to “a text message, instant message, email, or internet data on a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device.”
• “Reach for a mobile device in a manner that would require the driver to no longer be in a seated driving position or properly restrained by a seat belt.”
• Watch a video or movie on a cellphone unless its data is related to the navigation of the motor vehicle.
• Record or broadcast video on a cellphone.

Some other important things drivers in TN need to be aware of when it comes to the hands-free law include:

• You are still permitted to talk on your phone so as long as you use an earpiece, headphone device, or device worn on your wrist that can be used to conduct voice-based communication. You are also permitted to use one button on the phone to either initiate or terminate the call.
• If you are someone who enjoys listening to music while driving, you’ll be happy to know that you can still stream music on your mobile device, however, you cannot stream music that includes a video on the screen of your cellphone. You also cannot touch your cellphone to start or stop the music while you are driving. Essentially, if you plan on streaming music in your vehicle from your cellular device, you should start it before taking off and play it from a location on your phone that doesn’t include video.
• In the event of an emergency, you are permitted to use your cellphone to “communicate with law enforcement agencies, medical providers, fire departments, or other emergency service agencies while driving a motor vehicle, if the use is necessitated by a bona fide emergency.” This would include “a natural or human occurrence that threatens human health, life, or property.”

What penalties will a driver face if he or she violates Tennessee’s Hands-Free Law?

The first time a driver is caught violating the law, he or she will be subject to paying a $50 fine, however, if an accident occurs as a result of the violation, the fine increases to $100. When a driver is caught violating the law in a work zone while workers are present or in a marked school zone while flashers are in operation, a driver shall then be required to pay a $200 fine.

What should I do if I was involved in an auto wreck in Nashville, TN with a driver who was texting on their phone?

If you were involved in a car wreck with a distracted driver in Nashville who was using their cellphone, the Law Office of George R. Fusner Jr. is here to help you better understand what your legal rights are. Whether you suffered injuries, your vehicle sustained damage, or both, our office will aid you in recovering the compensation you need and deserve. Many of the victims of distracted driving accidents often suffer serious and even debilitating injuries (i.e. spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, neck and back injuries, etc.) which is why we make it our duty to get them the money that will allow them to afford the care, therapy, and medications needed.

To learn more about our office and the legal services we can provide you with, give us a call now at 615-251-0005 to speak with an experienced car wreck attorney in Nashville, TN.

 

You can reach the Law Office of George R. Fusner Jr. at

7104 Peach Court

Brentwood, TN 37027

Phone- 615-251-0005

Fax- 615-370-8447

Website: www.gfusnerlaw.com