Injury In The City

What Are The Worst Cities For Car Accident Reports?

Anne Roberts — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:39:34 +0000

This is a guest post from Lauren B.

Planning to hit the road? Before you hop into your vehicle and head out, consider your driving environment since in some cities car accidents are relatively prevalent. Hence, it is in your best interest to mind your driving environment whenever going for a car ride.

A recent report produced by renowned insurance company Allstate has ranked the 200 of the largest cities in the United States with respect to car accident frequency. In order to establish the rankings, Allstate considered how often the average driver may have an accident and how that compares to the national average. While the average American car driver gets in only one accident every ten years, if you’re unlucky enough to be driving out on one of these roads, you’re more likely to be involved in a crash.

If you wish to play it safe out on the roads, it may be best to avoid the capital – as Washington, D.C. ranks number one; it’s the worst city for car accidents. Drivers in Washington, D.C. are involved, on average, in a car accident every 4.8 years. This startling statistic is more than twice as often as the national average. Coming in second place, is Baltimore, where you’re 88.7 more likely to get into an accident and have 5.3 years between every collision. For number three is Glendale, CA, you’re 80.8 percent more likely to end up in a collision and have 5.5 years between accidents. Newark, NJ takes the forth position – you are 70.8 percent more likely to get into an accident and generally have only 5.9 years between collisions. Meeting the middle is Providence, RI, your 66.7% more likely to get into an accident and average 6 years between collisions.

Philadelphia, where you are 60.2% more likely to get into an accident every 6 years, ranked sixth in the list. Ranking number seven is Hartford, CT. – you’re 59.9% more likely to get into an accident and the average years are 6.3 between collisions. Getting the number eight position is Jersey City, NJ – where you’re 57.5% more likely to get into collision and average 6.4 years between each one. In the Golden State, San Francisco ranks number nine in the top-ten list. You’re 57.3% more likely to get into an accident in this city and on average, there’s 6.4 years between each collision. When it comes to the top ten, Washington D.C.’s neighbor Alexandria, VA ranks as number ten. Compared to the national average, you’re 55.9% more likely to get into an accident; on average, you’ll have an accident every 6.4 years.

So why exactly do these ratings matter? Well, the likelihood of an accident affects your auto insurance premiums – so if you’re considering moving, you may want to reconsider prior to committing, or chose a city with safer drivers. Play it safe, because human actions are the largest cause of accidents!

About the Author:

Lauren B. is a freelance copywriter working with Ford Dealers in NJ to warn you of the worst cities in the US for car accident reports. For more info, visit Beyer Ford website.

Rain Causes Multiple Road Mishaps in Southern California

Anne Roberts — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:46:57 +0000

A heavy flow of rain may have brought the entire Southern California much needed rain. However, the same caused a series of vehicle accidents and traffic jam on several freeways and roads across the area.

On the very first day of rain pour, several accidents have been reported. The first one was a jackknifed oil tanker along 5 Freeway and 134 Freeway interchange, while the others spun out on local freeways involving multiple cars. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported following the incidents.

Also, a six-car pileup was reported in the Cahuenga Pass reportedly caused by bad weather condition. According to police reports, six vehicles slammed into one another along 101 Freeway near Barham Boulevard in Studio City. It is yet unclear whether anyone was seriously injured in the incident.

On the second day of continuous rain pour, motorists had their bad day heading to work due to the early morning weather condition. Nothing can be seen dry as the heavy downpour hit the Southland stretching from Duarte to Long Beach, Northridge and Westwood.

As the rain further continues, a rockslide in the Mulholland Drive area took place and caused the motorists to dodge and maneuver around boulders not far from the area.

While some motorists were mindful about the road conditions during bad weather others simply just enjoyed the rain. Of course, people have different point of view, reminded by a Los Angeles car accident attorney. In addition, he also noted to always slow down in driving and to give each other enough space between cars when hitting the road ways.

Street Racing Resulted to Fatal Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident

Rodney Mesriani — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:49:36 +0000

Photo is a screenshot of a street racing scene from the movie, Fast and the Furious.

Street racing is pretty common in many public roads despite being illegal. Alarmingly, street racing often results in personal injuries and fatalities since the vehicles used in such activity were not designed and built for racing. Also, most drivers are not trained for high speed driving.

The worst part of it is that street racers may put innocent motorists and pedestrians at risk because they race on public roads rather than in private facilities.

Apparently, this is what happened to an innocent bystander who was killed in a fiery pedestrian accident in South Los Angeles a week ago. According to news reports, a suspected street racing driver struck the 57-year-old man who was then crossing the street near Compton Avenue and 56th Street last April 28.

According to police reports, the suspect’s car was seen racing with another car, southbound on Compton Avenue. Video surveillance records have revealed that after the suspect hit the pedestrian, the vehicle subsequently crashed into some parked cars within the area.

Following reports found out that the driver of the said vehicle is an 18-year-old driver, whom later confessed and was arrested following the incident. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter.

In a detailed report released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), it was revealed that the victim admitted that he was driving over the speed limit at the time of the accident. When he saw the pedestrian in front of him, it was too late for him to avoid the collision. Nevertheless, skid marks found on the ground near the scene indicated that the driver still tried to avoid the pedestrian before it hit several cars and a pole.

Incidentally, the area wherein the tragic incident took place is infamous for being one of the favorite venues for street racing and a Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer is quite aware with that since he seldom sees those disruptive motorists in some of his late night driving. So far, the authorities are still looking for the second car that the suspect was racing.

Walking While Being Distracted: A Risk Factor in Pedestrian Accidents

dyrah_seo — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:28:23 +0000

In the newest data analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), some 32,267 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United States in 2011. Of this number, 4.432 of them were pedestrians, a 3-percent increase from the previous year, in which the NHTSA recorded 4,302 pedestrian deaths.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, California, pedestrians accounted for about one-third of all traffic fatalities. In comparison, the national average accounts for only 11.4 percent of all motor vehicle accidents. This is according to a research study conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

Indeed, the so-called “City of Angels” is still a not-so-friendly city for pedestrians. Incidentally, around 20 percent of road activity there involves not only pedestrians, but also bicyclists.

Pedestrians, too, can be distracted

The increase in pedestrian accidents on the federal and state level (in this case, the cities in California including L.A.) can be attributed to a lot of factors. One of them is distractions. Yes, even those who constantly travel on-foot to work or school can be distracted.

One such form of distraction is the frequent use of mobile phones, particularly smartphones. Such gadgets are often associated with distracted driving, where motorists tinker with their phones to text or call someone while behind the wheel. Apparently, this form of distraction also happens among pedestrians.

In fact, according to a study by the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center at the University of Washington, those who use such gadgets while walking are said to be four times more likely for pedestrians to ignore pedestrian traffic lights and fail to look left and right before crossing the road.

Moreover, the study also found out that aside from the use of such gadgets, some of the other common forms of distracted walking are talking to others, dealing with pets or children, and listening to music on their headsets.

What these pieces of information mean

These pieces of information only indicate one thing: distracted walking is as potentially dangerous as distracted driving. Also, with mobile devices such as cellphones and smartphones getting even more and more popular to the masses, it won’t be surprising that a lot of pedestrians may become distracted and be at risk of getting involved in an accident.

But then, it is never too late for regular pedestrians to hold off these distractions. Pedestrians should always be more cautious when they are on the sidewalk or waiting to walk on the crosswalks. On the other hand, a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer also suggests that motorists must also be very well aware of pedestrians, and that they should also hold off using gadgets while driving to avoid accidents.

Los Angeles Injury Lawyer: Distracted Driving among Teens Still a Big Problem

dyrah_seo — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:07:41 +0000

In time with the Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a Los Angeles injury lawyer herein calls anew to curb distracted driving problem among teens.

Based on a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers aged 15-20 and 60 percent of teens are likely to experience a car crash within a year upon receiving a driver’s license.

Meanwhile, in a statistic revealed by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), it was found out that distracted driving accounts for 25 percent of all reported causes of traffic accidents. Moreover, in a report released by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, California has the second highest fatality rate for drivers and passengers in car accidents involving drivers between the age of 15 and 20.

The lawyer herein urges parents that although they give their teenage sons and daughters driving privilege, at least they should put some precautions into their minds.

In fact, in a recent aim to curb incidences of distracted driving among teens, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) together with the non-profit organization, ImpactTeenDrivers.org, and Mercedez Benz Driving Academy, launched a live demonstration about distracted driving.

During the said event, the organizers put up safety cones in a driving range while a parent drives, the driving coach turned up the music loud, tries to distract the driver by making a call and screaming out since this is what actually teens experience after a Saturday night out.

Hopefully, parents would eventually come to realize the dangers that distracted driving can do to their children so that they can educate them about safe driving, the lawyer had anticipated. In that way, it precautions will start. Thereby, reducing the rapidly growing problem faced by the society on teenage distracted driving.

6 Fast Facts on Dog Attacks that You Might Have Missed

Anne Roberts — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:03:03 +0000

Dogs can be man’s best friend. However, improper care and handling of them can make them our greatest foe. When they feel threatened, dogs have this natural instinct of protecting themselves through biting.

Sometimes, dogs can feel agitated over reasons one average human being won’t know. Dog bites are no laughing matter, because 2011 statistics showed that such incidents have killed a number of Americans.

Did you know that…?

•   …in 2011, there were 31 recorded fatal dog attacks in the U.S.? Pit bulls led these attacks, accounting for about 71 percent even if they only make up less than 5 percent of the total dog population.
•   …adult victims of fatal pit bull attacks are more than twice as much of younger victims? Out of the 22 victims of pit bull bites, 15 (about 68 percent) of them were over the age of 32, while 7 (about 32 percent) of them were children ages 5 and below.
•   …there was a notable increase in pit bull pet owners getting killed by their dogs?
•   …pit bulls and Rottweiler breeds are the top two lethal dog breeds? In 2011, they accounted for 84 percent of all fatal attacks.
•   …pit bulls have killed an American once every 20 days while a Rottweiler killed one citizen every 88 days?
•   …California and Texas are the leading states with most fatalities in 2011? Both states recorded 4 dog attack deaths.

These very alarming statistics are based from the 2011 study by Dogsbite.com, a national group that aims to reduce serious dog attack occurrences in the country. Because of this, prospective pet owners need to better take care of their pet dogs, especially pit bulls and the Rottweiler breeds.

By taking better care of your dogs and understanding them better, you can avoid them from attacking. Unless you want someone hire a good Los Angeles personal injury lawyer to sue you for negligence, make sure that you help keep your dog from biting somebody else.

As a dog owner, it is your responsibility to take good care of your dogs to prevent them from attacking you or other people. So better raise your awareness now before things could get real nasty.

Law on Using Cell Phone while Driving Needs Further Implementation

dyrah_seo — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:16:33 +0000

This is a guest post from James Anderson of Ontario Injury Law.

With an upswing in the usage of mobile phones, increasingly more people in the United States have grown to be dependent on their electronic devices for keeping in touch with family, buddies and co-workers. As the world becomes progressively mobile, more people choose to use their cell phones while driving in order to multitask and become more productive. Not only is this a harmful activity that can place your life and also the lives of others in danger, it is becoming illegal in most US states.

Mobile phones really are an unfortunate requirement in the present day world, and lots of people can’t live without one. What we should remember, however, is that we did survive without them in earlier years, and we can continue to achieve this in the future. They make our life simpler and may allow us to communicate in ways we’re able to not have imagined before. Making it certain that we practice safe driving and avoid interacting with through mobile phone is important. Using a hands-free device has the potential to lower the amount of automobile accidents in the country.

Motorists using their cell phones while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash. Even when you are using a hands-free device, you are still distracted, but not as much as holding the cell phone and talking. Cell phone use leads to at least 6% of accidents and many more injuries and loss.

More than 80% of the crashes are entirely related to driver inattention. You will find some activities that are much more harmful than speaking on a mobile phone, but mobile phone usage happens more often. So it could be said that using cell phone while driving is on the top list of sources of driver inattention.

According to “The Wireless Association,” more than 100 million individuals generally use cell phones while driving. It is believed that the annual cost of the crashes caused by cell phone use is approximately $43 billion. Meanwhile, speaking to a passenger while driving is considerably safer than talking over a mobile phone.

Certain states, including Pennsylvania and Connecticut, have banned the physical holding of mobile phones while driving. Utilizing a hands-free device allows you to continue your conversation while driving but still permits you to keep both of your hands on the wheel.

Imagine being involved in any sort of accident in which the person who caused the accident was unlawfully using a mobile phone. Think about the damage and injuries that could have been easily prevented if the individual had not used his or her cell phone. Consider the guilt you’d feel if you triggered the accident because you were using your mobile phone. Many accident lawyers, in addition to Personal Injury Lawyers in Toronto, are facing these types of issues daily with their clients.

If that individual is behind bars for engaging in reckless and harmful behavior while driving, you might be able to receive financial compensation to assist in paying for damages suffered in the accident. These damages may include:

•   Expenses to repair damage to property or to your car
•   Hospital bills or price of ER visit
•   Lost pay due to skipped work
•   The costs connected with recovery and rehab
•   Discomfort and suffering

Because each situation features its own individual conditions, it is important to speak with a criminal defense lawyer, relating to your unique claim and to see its stability in court. With experience, a legitimate professional will have the ability to come up with a persuasive strategy and may increase your odds of success.

You will find an increasing number of states and nations all over the world that have passed laws and regulations restricting or banning mobile phone use while driving. At least 49 nations (including most industrialized nations) and 36 U.S. states have partial or complete restrictions on using phones while driving.

Is utilizing a phone while driving a fundamental right? Or is it a substantial safety risk that the federal government has a responsibility to regulate? Is a phone call or SMS more important than life?

Author Bio:
This article is written by James Anderson. James is a lawyer by profession, and he write about general law practices, personal injury law, DUI, DWI, Domestic violence and many more areas of law.

New NHTSA Survey Reveals Widespread Use of Cell Phones, Electronic Devices While Driving

Anne Roberts — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:12:02 +0000

The month of April is the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As such, every traffic safety agency and advocate, especially the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is urging motorists to focus more on their driving and become fully aware of the dangers of driving while being distracted with the use of phones and other electronic devices.

In fact, the NHTSA, as a way to further showcase the dangers of distracted driving and at the same time educate the people about how they can avoid it, kicked off the month-long awareness drive by releasing new survey results showing that majority of the Americans still use electronic devices while driving amidst the continuous warnings from the federal traffic agency.

The 2011 National Occupation Protection Use Survey revealed that all over America, around 660,000 drivers either tinker on their cell phones or fidget on electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment. The said figure was relatively the same as the previous year. Notably, other NHTSA data revealed that about 387,000 people were injured in distracted driving-related crashes in 2011 and more than 3,300 were killed.

The survey data, which was first revealed via a press statement from the NHTSA released today, was a collation of obtained statistics from the 2012 Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors Survey and the 2011 National Occupation Protection Use Survey on Driver Electronic Use. In other highlights from the survey data, the 2012 National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors revealed that 74 percent of respondent-drivers support hand-held cell phone use ban, while 94 percent of them likewise support the texting ban.

Department of Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood described distracted driving as “a serious and deadly epidemic on America’s roadways.” He went on to say that “powering down your cell phone when you’re behind the wheel can save lives – maybe even your own.”

Right now, a total of 39 U.S. states, including the District of Columbia, disallow texting while driving for all drivers. Moreover, 10 states plus the District of Columbia ban using handheld cell phones and other devices while behind the wheel.

In line with this month’s events, the Department of Transportation reminds drivers to turn off electronic devices and putting them out of reach before taking on the road, as well as to use safety seat belts all the time. Meanwhile, every Los Angeles auto accident attorney supports this awareness campaign on the federal level, hoping that the accidents caused by distracted driving will lessen, if not fully eradicated.

Hiring a Wrongful Death Attorney

Anne Roberts — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:30:32 +0000

This is a guest post by Manidip Bandyopadhyay of Davar Law.

‘Life is a song – sing it; Life is a game – play it; Life is a challenge – meet it; Life is a dream – realize it.’

When you read these lines, you indeed feel that life is probably the best thing happened to you and the best gift you could ever get from the almighty. There is nothing like life, the most strangely, surprisingly beautiful thing. Life can be the most exhilarating journey you can ever have. However, the stern reality reminds us that one day you need to leave this world as well; at the end, everyone will go. Death is the ultimate destiny in any person’s life but it is always painful to bear an untimely death. Death is a natural process but when someone very close to you dies due to some mishap or accident and so on, it’s often the most painful feeling a person ever undergoes.

Experiencing the death of someone you love or very closely attached is one of the most ghastly experiences people can go through. It makes it even more difficult to deal with such deaths when the loved one dies due to something that could have been avoided or purely because of someone else’s negligence. It is indeed tough to tackle such crisis! Even though you can never undo what has been done, you can seek out compensation for someone else’s negligence. The first step in this process is to hire a wrongful death attorney. Keep reading to know more how a wrongful death attorney can help you at the frenzied hour in your life.

A wrongful death attorney is a legal representative who specializes in representing the families of people who have died as a result of carelessness or wrongdoing on the part of someone else or a company. Usually it is the death of a parent, child or direct relative that leads a person to one of these cases. Sometimes a family loses someone who was the sole bread-earner, hence getting financially compensated will be an absolute necessity for the survival of that bereaved family. In addition to the income of the victim, other expenses that can be compensated for are medical bills, the funeral and the overall pain and suffering endured by the surviving relatives.

Money can never be the fitting substitution to a human life; however, money can definitely make the family or people close to the victim run smoothly. To make sure that you and your family are correctly compensated in the event that a loved one or family member is killed in an accident that was clearly someone else’s fault or the fault of a business, then you need to hire the best possible attorney in your area.

If you want to know the things you need to understand before you go searching for a wrongful death attorney in your city, then the very first thing you need to look for in a death attorney is positive reviews on the internet; if you can find some reviews from previous clients of the death attorney, then it will be great. You can also ask for suggestions about the best lawyers or law firms in your city from your friends or colleagues. Once you zero on the wrongful death attorney, don’t forget to check the educational background and years of experience of the lawyers to ensure you are hiring the most apt wrongful death attorney. One must also look for a wrongful death lawyer who only charges attorney fees in the case that he or she wins the case, meaning you will have award money to use to pay for the attorney’s fees.

Making a Hearing Loss Compensation Claim

Anne Roberts — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:18:56 +0000

This is a guest post from Chris Evans of Atrium Legal.

Thousands of workers are subjected to loud noise in their working environment every day. If these people are not provided with sufficient protection, their employer is breaking the law and would be liable for hearing loss compensation claims against them. Today we discuss the process to these legal proceedings.

Noise of 85dB and above has the capacity to lead to hearing loss. The law requires hearing protection to be mandatory when workers are exposed to noise of these levels. Length of exposure also has an impact on the likelihood of noise induced hearing loss developing. A vacuum cleaner at 85dB can cause levels of deafness after 8 hours of exposure. Incidentally, For every 5dB increase in volume, the time halves. This means that a chainsaw of 100dB could start causing hearing loss in as little as an hour. A tree surgeon for example would be exposed to the noise emitted from this tool for hours every day.

There are several forms of hearing protection, but the first applied method should be to limit the noise at its origin. Personal protection should be a secondary measure and or whilst the source of the sound is addressed. The most common forms of personal protection are ear plugs and muffs. They both have their merits for different situations; ear plugs are more comfortable and are used for longer periods of use, while ear muffs offer a higher level of protection but are cumbersome.

Although this article is talking about the claiming procedure, we would recommend preventing any possible industrial hearing loss before it happens. If you work in a noisy environment, especially if it is over 85dB and you are not provided with protection, you need to take action. You should first raise this with your boss. If they fail to implement precautions you should then seek legal advice.

A hearing loss lawyer will access your working history and arrange a hearing test. This hearing test will establish if you are suffering from hearing loss and if it is noise induced. Deafness caused by noise only affects the high frequency scope of your hearing. If your test shows only loss in these frequencies, it has to be due to noise at work. The solicitor will then do everything from there. They will have the evidence in the form of your employer, their industry and your hearing test so will have a strong case to pursue your hearing loss compensation.

About the Author:

Chris Evans – Atrium Legal
Atrium are Industrial Disease experts, helping people whose health has deteriorated due to their job. Hearing loss claims are one of their specialist areas and due to this they have a vast amount of knowledge in the area.