Articles Posted in Car Accidents

In a prior post, we highlighted the possibility that drivers in our region could be involved in a car accident. During this time of year, the convergence of poor weather, higher volumes of traffic (commonly around shopping centers), and drunken drivers can make the holiday season dangerous. Because of this, drivers must be especially vigilant in order to avoid car crashes.

But sometimes, an accident cannot be avoided and drivers and passengers may be injured. With that, this post will highlight some of the common injuries suffered.

Back and neck injuries – If you know anything about neck injuries, you have probably heard of whiplash; the violent action of a person’s head going forward then back in the midst of a crash. This puts substantial strain on a person’s neck. Additionally, a person can suffer serious back injuries in a crash due to the same action.

In our last post, we highlighted the dangers that await consumers in shopping mall parking lots. Essentially, the crush of shoppers makes prime parking spots scarce. Motivated shoppers may have little patience for discourteous drivers and may take chances that they usually don’t take in trying to get a parking spot. As such, the chances for accidents can increase.

Nevertheless, drivers should know what to do should they be involved in a parking lot crash. This post will highlight some helpful tips. 

Trade insurance information – It may seem obvious, but exchanging insurance information is an important aspect of handling an accident. However, if there is some reason why the other driver does not provide his or her information, this may be indicative of another problem (such as lack of insurance).

If you’re going out to the mall to finish (or begin) your holiday shopping, you are certainly not alone. Given the improvement in the nation’s economy and the recent drop in gas prices, it is likely that more people will spend money this holiday season. It is reasonable to believe that retailers are banking on this, so it would not be surprising to see more sales to draw shoppers to the mall.

But with more consumers at shopping centers, the more crowded the parking lots will likely be; which increases the chances for an accident. A recent MarketWatch.com report indicates that more than one in five car accidents occurs in a shopping center parking lot. This number is likely to increase during the holiday season.

Indeed, the holiday season is supposed to be festive and bright, but that may not apply in parking lots where shoppers compete for the best spots. It is likely that drivers will get agitated when a driver sneaks by to grab a spot, or cuts a driver off to prevent a spot from being taken. When emotions run high, it is possible that drivers will take unusual and aggressive measures to land a spot.

Accidents during the holiday season are especially tough. The end of the year is typically when people hold holiday parties and family get-togethers. This is also a time where alcohol consumption can increase and lead to disastrous results. Such was unfortunately the case on a road in West New York.

Late on Saturday night, a woman from Clifton was driving her car west on Hillside Road when a driver coming from the other direction lost control of his car. The two cars collided, with the eastbound car careening through a fence and into the hillside. Authorities found the driver trapped in his car and critically injured. He was extracted from the vehicle and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Authorities have not completed an investigation, but early indications suggest that speed, road conditions and alcohol may have played a part in causing the crash. An accident investigation is also important because it can answer lingering questions surrounding fault. This is important not only in establishing potential criminal liability, but for civil liability as well.

If you drive in the state of New York, chances are that you know that using your cell phone while driving is against the law. The same would apply if you were driving in New Jersey or Connecticut as well. The laws are likely a result of public pressure to limit the number of accidents caused by distracted driving.

And for the most part, the public has responded. According to a recent State Farm Insurance study, fewer people are talking on their cell phones while driving. However, more people are accessing the Internet. Researchers indicated that in 2009, 13 percent of drivers polled indicated that they surfed while behind the wheel; but today, 26 percent said that they were on the Internet while driving. 

A number of people polled indicated that they accessed email accounts while driving, and others said that checking social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter were important. State Farm’s director of technology research explained to USA Today that he did not understand why people would continue to engage in such risky behavior, but it may be the popularity of smartphones that may be a contributor to this trend.

Last week’s lake effect snowstorm in the Buffalo area was an epic weather event. Also, as temperatures were forecasted to warm up, fears arose that flooding would grip the area as well. As of today, it is predicted that flooding will largely be avoided, which is good news for people who had to dig out from the previous storm.

However, another storm predicted for our region cannot come at a more inopportune time; the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the American Automobile Association, more than 46 million people will be travelling, with a large majority of these travelers taking to the road. With the combination of additional traffic and the possibility of poor weather, drivers must be vigilant in order to avoid accidents. 

After all, drivers in Syracuse and throughout central New York have a duty to use reasonable care while operating a motor vehicle. This commonly means that drivers must reduce their speeds in inclement conditions, they must leave some additional space between vehicles ahead of them when conditions are challenging, and they must avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, among a few things.

The recent snow storms in Buffalo and greater Eerie County have been historic in the amounts that have fallen. Residents and businesses alike have been digging out for days on end. Now it appears that an equally historic warm up is imminent, which raises the possibility of flooding.

If things could not get worse after that, temperatures are bound to fall later in the week, which may bring about the possibility of icy roads just in time for the holiday weekend. With that said, we find it prudent to discuss the dangers of black ice. 

This is the term given to large, thin sheets of ice that form on streets and highways after moisture freezes as temperatures fall. Black ice is largely invisible to the naked eye, which makes it that much more dangerous for drivers, because there is hardly any reaction time once a driver hits a patch of ice.

As you made your way to work this past week, there’s a very good chance that you observed some fairly reckless conduct behind the wheel from speeding and tailgating to running red lights and, of course, distracted driving.

The unfortunate reality is that even though New York has outlawed talking or texting while driving, making it a primary offense, motorists here in the Empire State can still be regularly observed with their smartphones held to their ears or their heads looking downward as they are sending a text message.

In fact, it’s not just New York that has a problem with distracted driving, as statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that 3,360 people were killed in distracted driving-related car accidents in the U.S. in 2011 and another 3,328 were killed in 2012.