Articles Posted in Car Accidents

In New York City, there has been a recent flourish of pedestrian accidents which demonstrate how serious the consequences of a car crash can be. Over a dozen pedestrians have reportedly been killed in the Big Apple since Halloween, despite Mayor de Blasio’s ongoing efforts to completely eliminate traffic deaths in the city.

While these efforts have obviously not yet eliminated traffic fatalities, pedestrian fatalities are at least lower than they were in 2014. So far this year, a total of 109 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. Over the same period in 2014 there were 121. 

Mayor de Blasio’s plan to eradicate traffic fatalities, known as Vision Zero, has so far involved the reduction of speed limits to 25 miles per hour, increasing law enforcement presence setting up speed cameras, and changing traffic flow for particularly risky streets and crossings. Police have been focusing particularly on offenses like reckless driving, speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, parking in traffic lanes and distracted driving.

In our last post, we began speaking about recent data showing an increase in car accidents in the first half of 2015, which may be partly due to increase cell phone use. As we noted, distracted driving is a problem every state is currently grappling with, using a variety of means.

In terms of distracted driving legislation, most states have a special statute aimed directly at cell phone use by drivers. These laws vary from state to state, both in how cell phone by drivers is regulated and how police officers may enforce the laws. Here in New York, the law is fairly straightforward in both of these respects. 

First of all, New York prohibits drivers of all ages from texting while driving. Texting is probably the distracted driving activity most banned among the states, and for good reasons. The texting ban is classified as a primary law, meaning that police officers may enforce the law even when there are no other violations. Secondary laws, by contrast, may only be enforced when there are other violations. Second, New York law bans the use of handheld devices by drivers of all ages. This is also classified as a primary law.

Recent data released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration showed there was an 8.1 increase in the number of fatal accidents in the United States in the first half of 2015 following a decrease in 2014. The increase was reportedly the biggest six-month jump in traffic fatalities reported since 1977.

It is speculated that the widespread use of smartphones may have had some role in the increase, though officials have said it is still too early determine exactly what factors are behind the increase. Regardless of what exactly was behind the increase, it is well known that cell phones continue to contribute to many accidents.

One reason for the prominent role of cell phones in car accidents is that they are a significant source of distraction for drivers. Even when a driver uses a hands-free device, talking on the phone while driving can significantly reduce the amount of attention a driver devotes to safe driving. Another reason is that the use of cell phones is so widespread. According to the Pew Research Center, almost two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, which are particularly distracting when used for texting or surfing the Internet.

Imagine sitting on a bus one moment minding your own business and the next thing you know, you’re at the hospital being treated for an injury. That’s exactly what happened to an individual who was riding a Centro bus last month. The bus was stopped in traffic on Old Liverpool Road in Salina, New York when a Cintas company truck crashed into it from behind.

Both vehicles were heavily damages, but what’s worse is that two people were injured due to the crash. The driver of the truck apparently suffered leg injuries and facial injuries and was taken to Upstate University Hospital. The crash also left one of the five passengers on the bus with a facial injury. That passenger was taken to Community General Hospital for treatment. The driver of the bus was reportedly not injured.

The main issues that come into play in these types of accidents are whether the at-fault driver acted negligently and whether other individuals were injured. While at first the bus driver and the other four passengers may say they weren’t hurt in the accident, very often people begin to feel the ramifications of an accident days after it occurs. In this case, it’s important to turn to a medical professional and document any injuries that may have happened. It’s also important to work with a lawyer who has experience with personal injury claims in order to seek compensation for your injuries.

One moment you are on the road on your way to work and the next you are involved in a complicated car accident. No one wishes to be part of this scenario, but many people unfortunately experience it at some point in their life. When it does happen, the best case outcome would be a light fender-bender with no injuries. That was not the case in a recent accident in Syracuse.

The accident happened last week on southbound Interstate 81 just before 6 a.m. Police report that 11 cars were involved in the accident. The whole ordeal apparently started with a taxi cab. The accident happened near the Interstate 690 split. The roads were apparently covered with ice.

Oftentimes these kinds of pileups involve a lot of fender-benders at most, but in this case one man was critically injured. The man was apparently pinned under a vehicle when responders arrived. It’s unclear as to why the man was outside his car on the interstate. The man apparently suffered a serious head injury and was taken to Upstate University Hospital.

National legislators have long been trying to get car manufacturers to produce vehicles that are more environmentally friendly and that better protect their drivers and passengers, respectively.

At first blush, that might reasonably seem to be a bifurcated focus, with those topic areas not having any readily perceivable overlap.

Congressional members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee have come up with an interesting twist, though, that has somehow managed to tie those two concerns together, while at the same time seeking to entice car makers to act through employment of a carrot-rather-than-stick approach.

It is only a matter of time before the New York State Police conducts its fall ticketing campaign for distracted driving. State troopers are aimed to remind people of how dangerous distracted driving can be and why it is illegal. Drivers can expect police in marked and unmarked cars to be on the streets throughout central New York to catch people in the act of using their cell phones while behind the wheel.

Authorities report that last year, more than 550 tickets were issued to drivers who were on their phones when they should not have been. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that more than 3,000 people were killed and 424,000 were injured in distracted driving accidents. 

While drivers may be concerned about being ticketed, those who have been in accidents may not have much sympathy. In fact, a Long Island woman was recently hit by a car and killed by a person suspected to be on their phone when the accident happened. Because of this, people who have been injured in distracted driving accidents should look to see whether the offending driver had been ticketed for distracted driving due to the accident or even before the crash occurred.

If you haven’t noticed all the pumpkins sprouting up, the Halloween costume displays in retail stores and the football games on during the weekend, fall is here. This means that the days are definitely getting shorter.

In a prior post, we highlighted the danger that drivers have of seeing pedestrians, particularly children, in the mornings where darkness could conceal them. However, there are weather conditions that could create dangerous situations for drivers and pedestrians alike. This post will discuss how fog can lead to accidents. 

On a basic level, fog is created when cool air merges with the soil that is still relatively warm, which creates a haze that obscures the view of the road ahead. Depending on how thick the fog may be, drivers may only be able to see a few hundred feet ahead or just a few feet ahead.

Surviving an accident is only one step in your recovery. There may be medical procedures you have to go through, rehabilitation that takes place and even repairs that may need to be done. Before all of this takes place, it may be necessary to consult an experienced personal injury attorney for advice and direction on how their claim can be addressed.

Before evaluating attorneys to handle your case, there a number of things to do in preparing for an initial meeting. This post will highlight a few. 

Basic personal details – To begin with, an attorney will want to know some basic details about you, including your employment status, what injuries you have suffered, whether you have missed time from work and whether your insurer has become involved.

Surviving an accident is only one step in your recovery. There may be medical procedures you have to go through, rehabilitation that takes place and even repairs that may need to be done. Before all of this takes place, it may be necessary to consult an experienced personal injury attorney for advice and direction on how their claim can be addressed.

Before evaluating attorneys to handle your case, there a number of things to expect in an initial meeting. This post will highlight a few. 

Basic personal details – To begin with, an attorney will want to know some basic details about you, including your employment status, what injuries you have suffered, whether you have missed time from work and whether your insurer has become involved.