Articles Posted in Car Accidents

It appears that if a dangerous epidemic is not in the major news headlines, people tend to forget about it. An example of this could be seen in how distracted driving accidents are treated. Two summers ago, everyone from major celebrities and federal officials were bemoaning the practice of using cell phones while behind the wheel. While the drumbeat of prevention has seemingly died down, the number of distracted driving related accidents have not.

A recent HuffingtonPost.com article highlighted that nearly half of all adults admit to texting and driving, and an investigation into a Tennessee bus accident last winter revealed that it was caused by distracted driving. The driver who caused the fatal crash was later found dead in his home; but authorities have released little information about the death. 

Nevertheless, it is a harsh reminder that distracted driving is still a problem on America’s roads. In fact, there are a number of statistics that speak to this issue. This post will highlight a few.

If you watched the Women’s World Cup Final yesterday, you were obviously in for a treat. The 5-2 final score was the largest margin of victory in such finals, and the first World Cup for the United States since 1999. The U.S. also became the first country to win three World Cups.

Also beneficial for soccer fans, no commercials during play. The clock runs continuously, unlike many other spectator sports in the U.S. (e.g. football, basketball, hockey). So commercials must be played before the game, during the halftime break, and after the game. During these breaks, it is likely that you saw commercials for insurance. Indeed, they are catchy and entertaining, but before you purchase a policy, there are a few things that you should know that the companies may not want you to know.

You may save a little money, but we’ll still make money – Keep in mind that you may save a little money compared to your last policy, but the insurance company is set to make money. You should also beware of low premium, high deductible policies. 

If you have been injured in a car accident, it should be no surprise if the insurance company you are dealing with needs additional information to verify your injuries and the expenses behind them. This part of information gathering is called discovery, and it may be difficult to deal with on your own. This is part of the reason that injury victims hire attorneys.

With that, we offer the following post to give our readers an idea of what discovery is all about. 

For the uninitiated, discovery is important for finding and developing evidence to support the basic elements for a negligence claim. These include the duty to use reasonable care, the breach of said duty, proving that the breach was the proximate cause of the injury, and damages. So through the discovery process, your personal injury attorney will seek information such as:

For many people, today is a travel day so that they can avoid the traffic and chaos that comes with trying to get out of town for a holiday weekend. Among the many headlines ahead of the holiday: gas prices are at a five-year low for this time of year and more than 40 million people across the U.S. are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home.

With more people on the road, the chances of being in an accident inherently increases. Indeed, people don’t expect to be in a crash, but it is always helpful to be prepared in the event of one. This post will highlight a few things an accident victim should do.

Check on everyone in the accident – If the people you see are conscious, try to move them to a safe place and call to get medical attention. If they are unconscious, be very careful about moving them. The same applies if a person complains of neck or back pain.

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching, it is likely that people across central New York will be travelling to their favorite vacation spots. In fact, with gas prices considerably lower than they were last year, it would not be surprising if more people were on the road this week. With higher traffic volumes comes the greater chance for an accident.

Of course, no one expects to be in an accident, but they inevitably happen. When they do, the possibility of being injured is always a consideration. With that, this post will highlight some of the common injuries suffered.

Back and neck injuries – These are very common injuries in accidents. Depending on the severity, they may manifest themselves differently. For rear end collisions, the likelihood of whiplash is high. Also the violence of a crash can lead to back injuries. So if you experience soreness in your back or neck directly after the crash, or in the days after it, you should inform an experienced personal injury attorney.

With all the miles that you may drive in a certain year, you hardly expect to be in an accident. Nevertheless, no matter how careful you may be, an accident may happen. In these instances, it is helpful to have as much information as possible so that you can resolve the case without having to resort to legal action.

But in the event your situation does not resolve itself, it is helpful to know what information will be helpful in bolstering your case. This post will identify some key pieces in that regard. 

Police reports – The officers that respond to your accident may issue a citation to the other driver (or to you), but  keep in mind that officer will also be responsible for preparing a report that details what he or she saw at the scene. The key pieces of information in a police report include observations about the other driver being impaired drugs or alcohol or skid marks in the street.

The world isn’t ready for self-driving cars, but it might as well get accustomed to them, because they are coming whether we like it or not. Depending on the automaker, there is likely to be more than 10,000 miles of test driving before a driverless car is sold in the U.S.

But in the midst of this testing, a number of motorists will see them. While they are not necessarily solicited for their opinion of these cars, a few have voiced their opinions. One person who has seen the testing of Google’s vehicles first hand offered his accounts and they were featured in a Time.com article. 

Essentially, he said that the Lexus RX 350’s he’s seen outfitted with Google’s navigational equipment were not dangerous or hazardous. In fact, he described the autonomous driver as one who would drive “like his grandma.” Essentially, the cars were slow to accelerate, drove at or below the speed limit and did not take any chances (with lane changes).

Everyone likes a bargain; especially when it comes to buying a car. So when you see what appears to be a late model car with next to no miles on it for a great price, it certainly may be worth investigating. Not just because a great bargain is to be had, but because you may be unknowingly buying a flood damaged car.

Since the flooding in Texas and much of the southeastern United States has taken place earlier this year, flood damaged cars have made their way onto used car lots across the country; even showing up in New York. Some unscrupulous brokers have taken these cars and cleaned them so that any remnants of flood damage are hidden. While this may seem ingenious, it could be dangerous for the buyer. 

After all, there may be certain components of these vehicles that could be compromised, which would put the driver (and any passengers) at risk. For instance, if the braking components of a flood damaged car malfunction, because of rusted parts, a driver could find him or herself in an accident because of bad brakes. Because used car sales people are not generally obligated to report damage to cars that they know nothing about, an injured car owner may have a difficult time finding recourse.

In a prior post, we noted how comedian Tracy Morgan settled his lawsuit with Wal-Mart stemming from the horrific crash last summer that left him severely injured and killed his best friend. We reported that Morgan was pleased that Wal-Mart “stepped up” and compensated him for his injuries. However, he was still emotionally scarred from losing his friend and the slow recovery process he has endured, even a year after the accident.

Morgan reported having his “good days and bad days.” While he did not address it specifically, these up and down days could be indicative of post traumatic stress syndrome. PTSD can haunt a person long after an accident has occurred; especially if it was particularly traumatic (i.e. there was the possibility that the person would be killed, or if someone else died in the crash). 

Of the more than two million people who are injured in an accident, it is estimated that nearly 30 percent will develop long lasting symptoms of PTSD, including depression and anxiety attacks. Essentially, they could have constant flashbacks of the accident, have specific triggers that brink up anxiety or become hopelessly preoccupied with the preciousness of life.

Although we are weeks away from the big Fourth of July holiday weekend, the summer driving season has already begun in earnest. Between now and the next holiday weekend, tens of thousands of drivers will travel across the state to various vacation spots. One of the perks of getting away these days is knowing that you can still stay connected. This is why cell phone and tablet use has grown over the past few years. 

Nevertheless, there are a number of drivers who insist on staying connected even when they are behind the wheel. According to a State Farm Insurance study, less than 20 percent of drivers surveyed in 2009 indicated that they used the Internet functions on their phones while behind the wheel. Indeed, the technology was different then (no 4G network connections or portable hotspots back then), and phones may not have been so sophisticated.

However, that was then, and this is now. Yes, this is a cliché, but with faster download speeds and higher bandwith with phones, more people are apt to use their phones while driving. As we have noted in a number of our posts, distracted driving can not only be seen as a crime, it can form the basis of liability in the event of an accident.