Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

According to police, the driver of the vehicle that US national soccer player Charlie Davies was riding when he was critically injured during a Washington DC car accident last October told them she consumed alcohol before the fatal collision.

Davis, 23, sustained serious bladder injuries and two fractures during the single-vehicle collision on October 13. 22-year-old Maryland resident Ashley Roberta, who was also a passenger, died from her injuries.

The driver of the vehicle sustained minor injuries. She also reportedly told police that she was adjusting her GPS unit when Roberta called out to her to “Watch out.” The vehicle then struck a guard rail close to Boundary Channel. The impact of the crash cut the vehicle in half.

The fatal collision happened about an hour after Davies, the driver, and Roberta were seen at a place where alcohol is served. Police say there is no evidence that the driver attempted to brake before the collision. There is a 113-foot tire rut before the guardrail. The authorities also think that the driver may have been operating the vehicle at a speed faster than the 40 mph speed limit.

Alcohol-Related Crashes
Driving under the influence increases the chances that a motorist will be involved n a car crash. This is a senseless way to die and/or injure others. Most drunk drivers don’t intend to cause injury or death. Many inebriated motorists may not even realize they are incapable of driving or think that they are sober enough that their actions won't lead to catastrophic consequences.

Time and again, drunk driving continues to destroy people’s lives. The driver can even be held liable for Washington DC personal injury or wrongful death.

On New Year’s Eve, our Washington DC car accident lawyers would like to remind everyone of the dangers of drinking and driving. A few ways to avoid causing a drunk driving crash as we head into a new decade:

• Don’t get behind the steering wheel of a car
• Don’t let another drunk person drive
• Call a cab
• Designate a sober driver among your friends

Driver in fatal crash that injured soccer star had alcohol: Police, Washington Post, December 17, 2009

Davies needs to be a warrior again, SI.com, October 14, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Fatalities and Fatality Rates in Alcohol- Impaired-Driving Crashes by State, 2007-2008, NHTSA, December 2009 (PDF)

District Department of Transportation

A young woman has died from injuries she sustained last night in a Washington DC pedestrian accident at a bus stop on Pennsylvania Avenue. An auto that drove onto the curb that she was standing on struck her.

Her death is the second Washington DC pedestrian fatality to occur on a sidewalk in less than 24 hours. Earlier yesterday, a man he was struck by a pickup truck on 12th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE. The truck driver drove onto the sidewalk after hitting a car. Metro Police are investigating whether speed, weather, or other factors contributed to this tragic Washington DC traffic crash.

Although Transportation for America ranked Washington DC as number 32 behind 31 other US areas that are more dangerous for pedestrians—9 of the 34 traffic fatalities last year were Washington DC pedestrian deaths—pedestrian accidents continue to occur in this city filled with commuters, tourists, students, and families.

Drivers must watch out for pedestrians, who have no protection from the impact of getting struck by a tractor-trailer, a bus, a SUV, a car, a motorcycle, a 15-passenger van, a delivery truck, an 18-wheeler truck, or another kind of motor vehicle. The Insurance for Highway Safety reports that children younger than age 13, elderly adult pedestrians, and male pedestrians are the groups with the higher pedestrian death rate. However, regardless of age or demographic, striking a pedestrian with an auto can cause catastrophic injuries or death.

In addition to pedestrian carelessness and driver negligence, Transportation for America says poorly designed roads are also a common cause of pedestrian injuries or deaths. This is important to note, because there could be more than one party that can be held liable for a Washington DC pedestrian injury or death.

Pedestrian Hit, Killed in Northeast DC, MyFOXDC, December 22, 2009

Car hits, kills woman at D.C. bus stop; truck kills pedestrian, Washington Post, December 23, 2009

Pedestrians, IIHS

Dangerous By Design, Transportation for America

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

NHTSA

Continue reading " Two People Standing on Sidewalks Killed in Separate Washington DC Pedestrian Accidents " »

According to AAA, about 87.7 million people in the US are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home this holiday season—77.7 million travelers by motor vehicle. In Washington DC, approximately 2.5 million people are expected to leave town and most of them plan on doing so by car. That’s 4 out of 10 Washingtonians, says AAA.

With many roads and freeways undoubtedly more crowded than usual, our Washington DC car crash lawyers would like to remind motorists to drive safely so that you aren’t involved in an auto collision. Common bad driving behaviors that cause Washington DC motor vehicle accidents and can be cause for personal injury claims or wrongful death lawsuits include:

• Drunk driving
• Not paying attention to the road
• Texting while driving
• Using a cell phone
• Falling asleep
• Drowsy driving
• Speeding
• Failure to obey traffic lights and stop signs
• Tailgating
• Aggressive driving
• Road rage

With icy and wet roads a factor during the holiday season, motorists should adjust their driving speed to the road conditions. It is also a good idea to drive with the appropriate tires (all weather tires, snow tires, snow chains) and be up-to-date on all maintenance matters to make sure that your vehicle is running smoothly and no mechanical problems occur that could cause you to be involved in a Washington DC traffic crash.

Unfortunately, the holiday season can be a time when motorists forget to be careful. When this happens, the liable driver and those involved in the Washington DC car accident can spend years dealing with the consequences.

Our Washington DC injury law firm knows how tough it can be to deal with the ramifications of a car crash, a motorcycle collision, a pedestrian accident, or a truck crash, especially one that was another party’s fault. We help our clients recover compensation from these negligent parties.

2.5 million D.C. residents expected to travel for holidays, Washington Post, December 18, 2009

Preparing your vehicle for winter weather, National Safety Commission, November 12, 2009

Related Web Resources:
AAA

NHTSA

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Window Covering Safety Council are recalling 50 million roll-up blinds and Roman shades because they are a potential strangulation hazard to young kids. A child can get seriously hurt if his/her neck gets tangled in the cord used to work the blinds and shades.

Since 2001, there have been three deaths involving the roll-up blinds and 16 near-strangulations and five deaths involving the Roman shades in the past three years. These shades can be fixed with a free repair kit. In the meantime, parents, guardians, and adults should take precautionary measures to childproof the blinds and shades by making sure that the cords are not easily accessible to kids—especially infants and toddlers. This includes making sure that there isn’t furniture close to the windows that children can climb on top of to reach the cords. If a cord reaches all the way to the ground, then it is important to make sure the cord is properly secured and taut. Another option is to stop using these blinds and shades.

Strangulation Injuries
According to Safe Kids USA, nearly 900 kids younger than age 15 die every year from airway obstruction. Most of the fatalities are children younger than age 4. About 17,200 strangulation injuries involving child victims occur annually. Most strangulation incidents take place in the home.

Products Liability
Window shades and blinds manufacturers have long been aware of the strangulation hazard these products have posed for young children. Yet they continue to sell their defectively designed products to consumers. How many child injuries and deaths must occur before manufacturers will stop producing these faulty furniture items?

Furniture makers can be held liable for Washington DC products liability or wrongful death involving injuries to minors.

Window Covering Safety Council Recalls to Repair All Roman and Roll-Up Blinds Due to Risk of Strangulation, CPSC, December 15, 2009

Blind recall: How to check if your Roman shades are safe, The Christian Science Monitor, December 15, 2009

Airway Obstruction, Safe Kids

Related Web Resources:
Window Covering Safety Council

Parent's Guide to Child Safety

Continue reading " 50 Million Roll-Up Blinds and Roman Shades Recalled Because of Strangulation Hazard to Children " »

The family of Edward Givens is suing the District and Fire and Emergency Medical Services medical director Dr. James Augustine for Washington DC wrongful death. Givens, 39, died of a heart attack in December 2008 just hours after a DC paramedic informed him he was suffering from acid reflux.

The wrongful death complaint holds the defendants responsible for Givens’ death because the paramedic allegedly committed paramedic malpractice. Mishandling documents, incorrectly interpreting medical information, and telling Givens to take Pepto Bismol are some of the actions cited in the Washington DC civil lawsuit.

Six hours after the paramedic’s wrong diagnosis, Givens was dead. The wrongful death complaint says that tests previously taken by the paramedic who treated Givens indicate that the medical worker did not display knowledge meeting the US standard of care for how a paramedic should deal with cardiac conditions and complaints. Givens’ family claims Augustine should have known that the paramedic's skills were not up to par.

Just this April, the Washington Times published an article reporting that dozens of DC paramedics failed to meet the minimum national standard during written and videotaped tests about medical knowledge and basic lifesaving procedures.

Paramedic Malpractice
Paramedics are often the first medical workers to treat patients in the event of an emergency situation. It is important that they are properly trained and can provide patients with the medical care that they need. Proper emergency medical care can save an injured, sick, or dying person’s life.

Paramedic malpractice is a form of Washington DC medical malpractice. Examples of paramedic malpractice include:

• Delayed diagnosis
• Wrong diagnosis
• Delayed ambulance arrival
• Unjustified delays when transporting the patient to the hospital
• Medication mistakes
• Not following proper paramedic treatment procedures

DC sued over heart attack response, Fire Rescue 1, December 9, 2009

Some D.C. paramedics to be retrained, The Washington Times, June 9, 2009

Related Web Resources:
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services

Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI)

In Washington DC, the US Supreme Court has rejected Ford Motor Co’s appeal to reverse an $82.6 million auto products liability decision against the auto manufacturer. A jury initially award Benetta Buell-Wilson and her husband $356 million after a 2002 car crash caused her to become a paraplegic. A metal piece had fallen off the vehicle in front of Buell-Wilson’s 1997 Ford Explorer, which rolled over as she swerved the vehicle to avoid striking the object.

Ford has spent the last five years seeking to overturn the auto products liability verdict, which an appellate court later reduced to $82.6 million: $55 million for punitive damages, $5 million for loss of consortium, $18 million for noneconomic damages, and $4.6 million for economic damages.

The Supreme Court already returned the auto products liability lawsuit to the lower courts in 2007 following its Philip Morris USA v. Williams decision, which found that juries can’t make defendants pay punitive damages for harm suffered by people not connected to the case. An appeals court, however, determined that no modification of the previous ruling was necessary.

This time, the Supreme Court refused the case and did not provide commentary.

Automakers can be held liable for auto products liability and wrongful death if a vehicle defect or manufacturing error contributed to causing a catastrophic Washington DC car crash. Car manufacturers have been successfully sued over injuries stemming from tire blowouts, seatbelt defects, brake failure, engine malfunctions, rollover crashes, roof crush incidents, and car defect-related fires.

Auto manufacturers cannot afford to make faulty vehicles because often consequences for car accident victims and their families are life-shattering.

Supreme Court declines appeal in Ford Explorer rollover case, Business Journal, November 30, 2009

Supreme Court rejects Ford's appeal in rollover case, Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Supreme Court

People Safe in Rollovers