Batesville Legal Blog

Sharing the road with large trucks is easier said than done, as these vehicles take up a lot of space and truckers don't always obey the law.

There are a variety of tips you can follow to maintain your safety when sharing the road with large trucks in Mississippi, with these five among the most important:

• Avoid blind spots: Just because you can see a truck doesn't mean its driver can see you. There are blind spots on all four sides of a commercial truck, so do your best to stay out of these areas. For example, if you drive next to a truck for an extended period of time, the driver may lose sight of where you are.
• Keep a safe following distance: This should hold true no matter what types of vehicles are around you, but it's particularly important with commercial trucks. By leaving enough space, you're in position to stop, without incident, in the event of an emergency.
• Pass safely: When driving on the highway, there will be times when you need to pass a slow moving truck. It's okay to do so, as long as you follow the rules of the road. This means maintaining a safe speed, using the left lane and leaving enough space when pulling back in front of the truck.
• Watch for wide turns: Truckers have no choice but to make wide turns when driving in the city. If you get stuck next to a truck when it's making a wide turn, you increase the likelihood of an accident.
• Remain patient: For instance, it's easy to become impatient when driving behind a slow truck. If you let this get the best of you, there's a greater risk of an accident.

Deciding to end your marriage may be a difficult decision to for you make, and you probably have thought carefully about your reasons for making that decision. However, when you file for divorce, you will be asked to supply a legally valid reason, called a ground, for divorce.

Mississippi recognizes 12 fault-based grounds for divorce and one no-fault ground for divorce. It is important to choose your ground carefully because it can affect the outcome of your divorce.

Many in Batesville may joke about having to watch out when a new teenage driver takes to the road, yet the reality is that teens do in fact present a greater risk to others than do experienced motorists. You understand the need to share the road with new drivers (after all, how are they to gain the experience needed in order to overcome the issues green drivers experience?), yet that understanding offers little solace when you are faced with the consequences of a car accident that such a driver caused. Seeking compensation in such a scenario may seem pointless due to the fact that the teen probably has little that they might be able to compensate you with. 

This prompts the question, however, if you might be able to hold their parents responsible. The legal principle of negligent entrustment assigns liability to third parties for entrusting their vehicles to drivers that they know may be more likely to cause an accident. In the case of a teen driver, that likelihood comes from their inexperience (which their parents should understand before letting them use their vehicles). 

Being able to drive anywhere in Mississippi without having to rely on friends, family or public transportation for assistance is something that many people appreciate. Driving provides a measure of independence that is not easily matched by other responsibilities. However, there does come a time when age begins to be hazardous in people's ability to make appropriate decisions while driving. Assessing when and how to encourage elderly family members to quit driving is a struggle for many families. 

A recent study revealed that people over the age of 65 make up over 40 million of the drivers on roads around the nation. While many people are conflicted about how to bring up their concerns to their loved ones, it is suggested that they first observe the driving habits and skills of their family member before starting a discussion about discontinuing driving. They should also take into account the person's medical conditions and any drugs they are taking. They can encourage their loved one to take a driver safety course and should focus on their concerns about their family member's skills and ability to make decisions rather than his or her age.