Christopher H. Jones Attorney at Law, lawyers in Tuscaloosa, AL, Alabama

Rights and Duties of Pedestrians

A pedestrian generally has a right-of-way in a crosswalk. A motor vehicle driver is required to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, even if the driver has a green light. If a pedestrian control signal is working and is in the "walk" position, the pedestrian has the right-of-way. If the pedestrian control signal is not working, a motor vehicle driver is required to yield the right-of-way when the pedestrian is on the driver's side of the road or if the pedestrian would be in danger.More...

Rules Regarding Driving on the Right Side of a Road and Passing Another Vehicle

A motor vehicle driver is generally required to drive on the right side of a road. However, the driver does not need to drive on the right side of the road when he or she is passing another vehicle, when he or she is making a left turn, when the right side of the road is closed to traffic, or when the road has one-way traffic. More...

Federal Laws Regarding Recreational boating accident

Federal law will apply to a recreational boating accident when a lawsuit is brought in a federal district court based upon the federal court's admiralty or diversity of citizenship jurisdiction. A federal court's admiralty jurisdiction exists when the accident occurred on the high seas or on navigable waters. The high seas are waters that are within the jurisdiction of another country. Navigable waters are waters that are used in interstate or foreign commerce. Diversity of citizenship jurisdiction exists when the parties to the lawsuit are from different states. More...

The Jones Act -- Maintenance and Cure

Under the Jones Act and general maritime law, a seaman who is injured in the course and scope of his employment may recover "maintenance" and "cure" benefits from his employer, even if the employer was not negligent and the vessel was not unseaworthy. Maintenance and cure benefits are similar to workmen's compensation benefits; however, no government agency is involved in the administration of maintenance and cure benefits. More...

Tax Considerations in Tort Litigation

The income tax consequences of damages that are awarded in a tort action may have a significant impact on the parties to the litigation. In most cases, the tax effect of the damages will depend upon how the damages are characterized by the parties. Whether the damages are taxable or not may often affect the amount that a plaintiff is willing to accept from a defendant and that the defendant is willing to pay the plaintiff under a settlement agreement.More...