America has a problem with big trucks. No, it isn’t the traffic they cause or how slow they make the highways just when you want to get somewhere. It isn’t the potholes that they make that take forever to repair, nor is it the pieces of tire they leave in the middle of the highway.

No, America’s problem is that trucks are getting into way too many accidents, and because of their size, those accidents are causes a great deal of damage to property, to roads, and causing too much loss of life.

How can we fix this issue? How can we limit the damage our trucks are doing?

Some might have the reactionary response of trying to limit trucking, but that isn’t realistic in this country. With such a vast amount of space, the need to transport so many goods, and a lack of railroads, there aren’t a lot of options other than trucks. To change that dynamic would take a massive investment that no one is willing to make. Trucks are here to stay.

So, what else can we try?

The answer is simpler than you may think: sleep.

There are plenty of reasons for truck accidents (this law firm site I found lists a few), but one of the major issues is truck drivers driving irresponsibly because of a lack of sleep. Exhaustion plays a major roll in accidents of all kinds, and since truckers have to drive so much, they expose themselves to the risks of exhaustion more than others. In fact, exhaustion is the cause of another major reason for accidents: drinking and drugs.

If drivers need more sleep, what can we do to make them get it?

That is trickier. Truckers are on strict schedules, and they can’t afford delays, which means they probably aren’t getting as much sleep as they should. If their schedules were relaxed a little, they would be able to get more rest, but what company is willing to take the financial hit that would be required to make sure the drivers are getting enough shut-eye?

A further issue and one that might be more easily solved is the number of truck drivers with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea makes it hard to get good, deep sleep. If more was done to test and treat sleep apnea amongst truck drivers, there might be a decrease in accidents.

Overall, a major issue with truck accidents is the fact the drivers aren’t sleeping enough, they aren’t rested enough, and so they make stupid mistakes that can cause a great deal of harm. Diagnosing the problem is the easy part, though. It’s much harder figuring out exactly how to fix the problem. Truckers need more sleep, but who is going to let them get it?

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I just don’t understand toys these days. When I was a kid, they were simple and sweet. There were dolls, there were fire trucks and cars, there were toy boats. Yes, there were toy guns, but they were simple and cartoonish mostly.

Nowadays, every toy seems like it could cause a seize or put someone’s eye out. They are all sharp edges and neon colors. They flash, they blink, they shout at you. How can children ever be calm if every toy screams and blares music? Some of them seem to have strobe lights.

I’m not surprised that some toy companies can get sued for causing children harm. I’m actually surprised more don’t get sued. I can’t think of one toy my grandson has that isn’t inappropriate in some way.

Even the stuffed animals are all crazy colors with something like fleece fur. He doesn’t have a single traditional teddy bear. I suppose at this point, he wouldn’t even want one. But even if he doesn’t want teddy bears, doesn’t he want any sweet, gentle stuffed toys? Of the whole mess of toys that I find scattered around his room and on his bed, I have found only one black and white penguin toy, which was neglected in the corner. And that’s a toy I bought him.

I don’t want to blame my daughter and say she’s raising her son wrong because that’s not how I feel. I watch my grandson eat his vegetables. He’s healthy and strong and happy. My daughter’s doing a great job raising him. It’s not her fault toys are like this. I’ve been down the toy aisles at the store, it’s not that she’s choosing to buy these toys, it’s that there aren’t other toys available. She didn’t choose to not buy him a teddy bear, she couldn’t find one.

It seems the only way to get nice, simple toys like before is to specially order them online, and they can be quite expensive. I looked into getting my grandson a little toy duck that is on a string. It can follow him around as he walks. Do you know how much it cost? Almost thirty bucks! Compare that to the average loud, screaming bright toy in the toy aisle, and you can see why a parent on a budget chooses bad toys for their child.

This just has to stop at some point. I’m sure all this racket isn’t good for children’s brains. The toys are too loud, and just to add another point here at the end, TV programs are too loud now too. Other than the shows on PBS (which do remain soft and gentle, thankfully), I haven’t seen a single show that isn’t just like those toys: too bright, too loud, too flashy, and too in your face.

I don’t mean to sound like a grumpy old woman about all this. I know tastes change. I don’t mind that he plays with different toys than I did or my daughter did, I just want him to play with toys of good quality that are good for him. Is that too much to ask?

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Regardless of how Complex the Maritime Law is, there is Nothing that an Injured Victim and a Highly-Competent Maritime Personal Injury Lawyer cannot Accomplish Together

Based on records from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, a lawsuit for personal injury was filed by a Rhode Island woman in April 2016. She alleged that on January 27, 2016, while roller skating aboard the defendant’s Anthem of the Seas, ping-pong balls fell onto the roller skating rink, causing her to suffer a serious ankle fracture.

Some of today’s cruise ships are actually considered as mini cities, for, unlike the way older vessels were designed, today’s are much bigger, some can accommodate up to 4000 people (the Allure of the Seas, the biggest ship built thus far, can carry more than 6,000 passengers plus crew per voyage). Some of today’s cruise ships also come with their own tax and duty free shop, bars, pubs and nightclubs, buffet restaurants, an aqua health spa a fitness center, hair and beauty salon, indoor and outdoor swimming pools with water slides, aqua park, bumper cars, planetarium, cinemas, casino, gym, basketball courts, pool tables, ping pong tables, jogging tracks and other sports facilities, a library, a mini golf course, wall climbing and zip line facilities, skating rinks, and so forth.

While there is no denying that cruise ship holiday vacations are perfectly exciting getaways from the monotony and stress of everyday life, the issue regarding preparedness of a cruise ship’s crew members can be a major concern. In the event of disaster or an accident, cruise ships can suddenly become confined places where fear and danger can easily spread and make anyone cower towards whatever corner or space he/she can consider safe.

After the Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in 1912, resulting to the death of more than 1,500 passengers, many other cruise ship disasters have also occurred, like: the Carnival Triumph, which suffered an engine fire in November 2011, making what was supposed to be a four-day spree to the Caribbean into an eight-day nightmarish experience in the Gulf of Mexico; the Carnival Splendor, which was stranded in the Pacific Ocean due to engine fire; the Seabourn Spirits, which was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in 2005; the Celebrity Mercury, where about 400 of its 2,600 passengers and crew were stricken by a norovirus outbreak in 2010.

Crimes and sexual assaults are also committed at sea; however, since cruise ships travel in international waters, proper investigation may become impossible not only because the laws governing such crimes can vary from one territorial water to another but also due to the possible contamination of evidences.

To guarantee passengers’ safety and security, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has required all its members to report all claims of serious crime to the appropriate law enforcement agency, while properly observing crime procedures, such as securing a crime scene and preserving evidences which need to be investigated by law enforcement authorities once they board the ship. Medical personnel trained to handle sexual abuse allegations are also required to investigate reported cases.

Besides sexual assault or harassment and accidents which can harm a cruise ship passenger, frequently reported incidences also include cases of food poisoning, slip and fall accidents, cruise medical staff negligence, assault or battery, pool or recreational area accidents, sanitation problems, virus outbreak, individuals gone missing, and even murder.

Passengers who are harmed or injured definitely have the legal right to file a civil lawsuit to seek compensation for all their pain and suffering, economic loses and medical costs that the injury will result to. However, filing a claims lawsuit against a cruise liner is neither easy nor simple. A lawsuit may be filed only in the state, city and court specified at the back of a cruise liner’s ticket (this is called the forum selection clause). A statute of limitation, which is usually within a year from the date of the accident, will also have to be strictly observed.

Due to these legal inconveniences, The Vucci Law Group, P.A., says that having a highly-competent maritime personal injury lawyer, who will be able to provide an injured victim competent court representation, especially if the he/she resides in another state and cannot attend court hearings, would really be an advantage as this may help the him/her receive the maximum amount of compensation that he/she legally deserves.

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