Category: Auto Accidents

Jul 10 2012

Motorcycle Helmet Laws in Massachusetts Save $400 per Motorcyclist Annually?, Says CDC

Hot off the presses: motorcycle helmets don’t just save lives, they save money as well-a lot of money. When someone is involved in a motorcycle accident, the last thing on the injured biker’s mind is money, and yet in our society, money talks. So the Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study from 2008 to 2010 to find out just how much is saved when motorcycle riders and passengers strap on a helmet before hitting the road.

According to the study, over $3 billion was saved in 2010 alone, with total costs saved due to helmet use ranging from $2.6 million in New Mexico to $394 million in California. Economic costs saved from helmet use per registered motorcycle ranged from $48 in New Mexico to $1,627 in North Carolina, with a median of $286. In Massachusetts, the savings was over $400 per registered motorcycle.

Massachusetts personal injury attorney Mark E. Salomone is always glad to hear of any new research that supports the prevention of motorcyclist injuries and their passengers. See : Worcester Massachusetts Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Having defended countless victims of motorcycle accident injuries, however, he knows how much helmets do to protect riders. “Every time riders take their bikes to the streets,” he says, “they’re placing themselves at risk of serious injury and death. When a motorcyclist is hit by a distracted driver in a high-speed collision or if their bike has brake defects, helmets are even more crucial, as they can prevent serious head injuries and brain damage. ”

Over 40 percent of motorcyclists killed in accidents between 2008 and 2010 did not have a helmet on, says the CDC report. On the other hand, helmets reduced fatalities by 37 percent for motorcycle drivers and 41 percent for passengers, which translated to 1,544 fewer motorcyclist deaths in 2010.

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Jul 09 2012

Could Texas Truck Accident Personal Injuries Rise, Per Consumer Reports Worst Cars List?

Buyer beware: Consumer Reports has released its annual list of worst cars, and one of the country’s most popular pick-up trucks is at the top of the list due to poor car test ratings. The Consumer Reports website is a common resource for new car and truck buyers, with a great deal of information on safety such as car accident statistics, crash avoidance systems and “rollover 101.” In place with long stretches of highway on which drivers speed fairly often, such as Texas, catastrophic truck accidents can cause roll-over wrecks and head-on collisions.

According to an article in the New York Daily News, the list is based on testing scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Consumer Reports, the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration and consumer analyst JD Power. Due to low ratings on car roll-over accidents, side impact collisions and seatbelt safety concerns, there are several defective cars on the market.

Fort Worth, Texas personal injury attorney David Glenn encourages new car and truck buyers to study as many safety and crash ratings as possible before making their purchase. By being informed, they will not end up with a vehicle that has safety problems such as a dangerous risk of roll-over, defective airbags, faulty brakes or unreliable seatbelts.

Due to overall poor crash test results, the Dodge Ram 1500 pick-up truck was been named as 2012’s most dangerous car in the United States, despite being a popular, high-selling vehicle. With so many trucks in Texas, catastrophic accident injuries here could be lowered if truck buyers consult Consumer Reports ratings first. Traumatic brain injury, brain and head injury, spinal cord injury are some of the most devastating Texas accident injuries, and while many are due to drunk driving, sometimes it is just a case of a dangerous car on the road.

Other cars that on the list of most dangerous cars on the road were the Chevrolet Colorado Super Cab, the Mazda CX-7, the Mazda CX-9, the Nissan Pathfinder, the Jeep Wrangler and the Suzuki SX4. No European automakers are among the worst-scoring seven models, which contained three US-made cars and four Japanese-made models.

Glenn Law Firm
210 W. Wall Street
Grapevine, Texas 76051

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Jul 06 2012

Fatigued driving compared in study to drunk driving: Get the facts

Many people who would never get behind the wheel after drinking might think nothing of driving while fatigued. A new study, however, finds that sleepy drivers are almost as dangerous as drunk drivers.

The study from France and published as a letter in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that drunk drivers and fatigued drivers were at least twice as likely to be responsible for a car accident compared to drivers who were either sober or well rested.

As a personal injury lawyers in Oklahoma City, Dan Davis has seen how devastating an accident caused by a fatigued driver can be. The study about sleepy drivers and car accidents is not surprising, but interesting. Drivers who have not had enough shut eye have been responsible for Oklahoma City rear end accidents, head on collisions and other types of car crashes in Oklahoma. Truck drivers who spend long hours on the road trying to reach their destination on time also may be responsible for catastrophic asleep-at-the-wheel accidents.

According to the news service Reuters, a scientist who studies sleep disorders said someone driving with just four hours of sleep will be impaired in the same way as a driver who consumed a six pack. Someone who drove after an entire night of sleep loss will be impaired the same way as someone with a blood alcohol content of .19, according to the scientist.

The research was conducted by analyzing information from 679 drivers admitted to a hospital in France for more than 24 hours because of a serious accident between 2007 and 2009, according to Reuters. The patients reported how much sleep they had prior to the accident, along with other factors such as alcohol consumption or what medications they were taking.

One interesting aspect of the study is that taking medications that carry warnings about how the drug will affect a driver’s abilities was tied to a lower risk of causing an accident. Motorists may be more cautious because they are aware of the side effects.

The best way to avoid an Oklahoma City fatigued driver accident is to get some rest before getting behind the wheel. If you’re feeling sleepy while driving, pull over and find some coffee or an energy drink. Don’t hesitate to take a short nap at a rest stop. Too much is at stake to risk your life or an innocent person’s life.

If you or a loved one was injured by a fatigued driver, or a loved one was killed by someone who fell asleep behind the wheel, contact an experienced Oklahoma City personal injury attorney. Talk to Daniel M. Davis, attorney and counselor of law: 1-800-HURTLINE. You can also visit us at http://www.dandavislaw.com.

Daniel M. Davis Personal Injury Attorneys Oklahoma City
525 NW 13th
Oklahoma City, OK 73103

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Jul 05 2012

Texting while driving not uncommon among teens, study finds

Texting while driving in Los Angeles continues to be a dangerous trend, particularly among teenage drivers. An alarming new survey reveals that more than half of high school seniors admit they text or email while behind the wheel. The survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides the first federal statistics on how common the texting is among young drivers.

The national survey, which was conducted in 2011, found that 58 percent of high school 12th graders said they read or wrote text messages or emails while driving during the previous month, according to a report in The Associated Press. About 43 percent of high school juniors also admitted to texting while driving or emailing while driving.

As a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, Mickey Fine knows first-hand how dangerous texting and driving, or emailing and driving, can be. Serious accidents resulting in catastrophic or fatal injuries can be traced back to someone who was looking at a phone instead of at the road.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced it was sending Sacramento $1.5 million for a “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” campaign. The money will be used to boost advertising and increased police enforcement, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Distracted driving is an epidemic,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release.

California law bans texting and hand-held cellphone use while driving. According to the Office of Traffic Safety, 10.8 percent of Californians use cellphones while driving at any given daylight hour.
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The Law Offices of Mickey Fine – Bakersfield, CA
1801 Oak Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: (661) 369-7735

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