Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

According to a new report, the local governments in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia are doing a good job in their efforts to crack down on distracted driving. The report from the Governors Highway Safety Association is called "Curbing Distracted Driving: 2010 Survey of State Safety Programs.”

The report notes that combating distracted driving has become a priority for many states, with many of them enacting tougher laws and coming up with more education programs and media campaigns to educate people about the dangers of driving while distracted. The District (along with Maryland and 42 other state) also now make it a point to collect distracted driving data when Washington DC motor vehicle crashes occur. Also, Washington DC now includes the issue of distracted driving in its driver education classes and driver’s license test, while using social networking sites to make known the dangers of cell phone talking and texting while driving.

The GHSA’s report, however, does note that more effort across the board needs to be made to get teenagers to become more aware that distracted driving is dangerous. Seeing as multi-tasking while driving is dangerous for even the most experienced drivers, it is important that teens, who have the least amount of experience when it comes to operating a motor vehicle, have their full attention on the task at hand so that they don't increase their chance of injury or death.

Distracted driving has fast become a leading cause of US car crashes—especially with the so many people using cell phones to talk and text while driving. According to AAA, distracted driving is a cause of about 3 million auto accidents each years.

Our Washington DC car accident lawyers know how devastating it is to lose someone you love in a motor vehicle crash that could have been prevented were it not for other parties’ negligence.

Region's Distracted Driving Crackdown Gets High Marks, WJLA, June 16, 2010

Curbing Distracted Driving: 2010 Survey of State Safety Programs, GHSA

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

AAA Exchange

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Continue reading "Washington DC Stays Vigilant in Fight to Prevent Distracted Driving Accidents" »

According to a University of Rochester Medical Center study, aging motorcyclists have a higher risk of getting hurt or dying during a traffic crash than their younger counterparts. This is contrary to the belief that the typical motorcycle victims are young, healthy riders.

Among the study’s findings:

• Between 1996 – 2005, the average age range for motorcycle accident victims was ages 34 to 39.
• The proportion of injured motorcyclists in the over 40 age range went up from about 28% to nearly 50%.
• While the 20- 29-year-olds age range was the group that experienced the most rapid decline in the number of motorcycle injuries and deaths, the 50- to 59-year-old age group experienced the fasted increase in rider fatalities and injuries.
• The number of motorcyclists in their 60’s and 70’s who were getting hurt in motorcycle accidents also went up.
• Riders older than 40 had a higher death rate than motorcyclists in the under 40 age group.
• Older riders were more likely than their younger counterparts to end up in ER’s and die from less serious injuries.
• Preexisting conditions and the decrease in ability to endure injuries to the body contributed to longer hospital stays and health complications among older riders.
• Broken legs, broken arms, and other extremity fractures were the most common motorcycle injuries.
• Head injuries and chest injuries made up most of the most serious motorcycle injuries and older riders are more likely to suffer from them than younger diers.

The study can be found in the March issue of the American Surgeon.

Washington DC Motorcycle Accident
Regardless of age, if you or someone you love was injured in a Washington DC motorcycle crash that you believe may have been caused by another negligent party, it is important that you explore your options for filing a Washington DC personal injury lawsuit immediately.

Motorcyclists are entitled to use the road just as much as their vehicle occupant counterparts. Contrary to popular belief, most riders are not careless motorists merely interested in a fast ride. Motorcycle accident injuries, such as spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, can be severe and costly, which is why you should obtain the maximum Washington DC injury recovery that you are owed.

Aging Motorcyclists Hit the Road, But at Greater Risk of Injury, Death, PR Newswire, April 5, 2010

Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Related Web Resources:
National Trauma Data Bank, American College of Surgeons

University of Rochester Medical Center

According to the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of US traffic fatalities dropped to 33,963 in 2009. That’s an 8.9% decrease from 2008 when there were 37,261 highway deaths. This is also the lowest that the US traffic fatality figure has dropped down to since 1994, and the 15th quarter in a row that there has been a decrease.

While National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland called the continued decrease in traffic deaths encouraging, he says that the government will keep working hard to keep bringing the death toll down. The NHTSA took aggressive action last year to stop motorists from drinking with its Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest campaign. It's Click It or Ticket campaign cited people for not putting on their seat belt. The federal government also made great strides toward discouraging distracted driving—especially cell phone use and text messaging while operating a motor vehicle.

Our Washington DC personal injury lawyers applaud the government’s effort to lower the number of traffic deaths. We also are in agreement that there is more than can be done to encourage drivers to operate their cars responsibly so that more vehicle occupants and pedestrians don’t get hurt or die unnecessarily.

Just last week, US Senate majority Leader Harry Reid’s wife and daughter were injured in a semi-truck crash near Washington DC. Landra Reid, 69, and Lara Barringer, 49, received medical attention after they were struck by a tractor-trailer.

Landra suffered a broken back, nose, and neck, while Lana, who sustained cuts, was examined by a neurologist because she has been experiencing dizziness. Trucker Alan W. Snader was charged with reckless driving for his role in the tractor-trailer crash.

Traffic Fatalities for 2009 Reach Record Low, NHTSA, March 11, 2010

Reid's wife, daughter recovering from truck crash, Associated Press, March 16, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2009, NHTSA (PDF)

District Department of Transportation

Continue reading "33,963 US Highway Deaths in 2009, Reports US DOT" »

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

According to the 2009 Sleep in America poll by the National Sleep Foundation, about 1.9 Million Drivers are involved in drowsy driving car crashes or near miss accidents each year. Unfortunately, many people underestimate the power sleepiness can have in causing Washington DC car accidents.

Per the poll, 105 million US drivers have driven while sleepy in the last year. 54 million drivers drive while drowsy at least once a month.

National Sleep Foundation chairman Thomas Balkin says that while motorists are good at recognizing when they are tired, this doesn’t stop them from getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and driving. Balkin says that people mistakenly think that they can will themselves to stay awake but they often don’t even realize that they are falling asleep. Balkin notes that just one moment of “reduced awareness” can cause a motor vehicle crash.

Drowsy driving slows reflexes, reduces alertness, and impairs one’s ability to think clearly and rapidly respond to an emergency situation. A person who is sleepy or very tired while driving might inadvertently lane change, let go of the steering wheel, fail to notice traffic signs, not see other vehicles or pedestrians, drive off the road, or drive into oncoming traffic.

Drowsy driving can be grounds for a Washington DC injury claim or wrongful death lawsuit if another person is injured as a result.

In an attempt to decrease the number of drowsy driving accidents, the National Sleep Foundation has declared November 2 – 8 Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

Ways to Avoid Drowsy Driving:

• Get a good night’s driving.
• Take periodic brakes (every 2 hours or every 100 miles).
• Don’t drink alcohol or take medications that cause drowsiness before driving.
• If necessary, stop and take a nap.
• Take caffeine if necessary.

.9 Million Drivers Have Fatigue-Related Car Crashes or Near Misses Each Year, Reuters, October 29, 2009

Drowsy Driving: Reduce Your Risk of Falling Asleep Behind the Wheel, Associated Content, June 27, 2006

Related Web Resources:
National Sleep Foundation

NHTSA

Continue reading "Stay Alert and Awake: Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Reminds Motorists to Prevent Washington DC Car Accidents Caused by Sleepiness and Fatigue " »

The Federal Highway Administration says it will conduct a study so it can understand what causes motorcycle crashes and how to prevent them from happening. Our Washington DC motorcycle crash lawyers wish to point out that this is an important endeavor, considering that almost 5,300 motorcycle riders died last year while 96,000 others were injured.

The federal government hasn’t conducted a study like this since its Hurt Report in 1981—that was almost 30 years ago. Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma Transportation Center will be the study’s lead researcher.

Information from hundreds of motorcycle accidents will be examined in an attempt to pinpoint common factors, such as rider experience, road configurations, and environmental conditions. Hopefully figuring out the latest common causes of motorcycle crashes will allow for countermeasures to be identified, developed, and implemented.

From 1997 – 2008, the US Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting says that the number of motorcycle deaths went up by 150% from 2,116 to 5,290 motorcycle fatalities.

Washington DC Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle riders are vulnerable to sustaining serious injuries whenever they are involved in a traffic accident. Motorcyclists only have their helmet and protective clothing to protect them. Statistically, their chances of dying in a motorcycle crash is more than 20 times greater than the fatality risk of someone riding in a car. In most motorcycle-car accidents, it is usually the driver of the motor vehicle who caused the traffic collision.

While efforts have been made to teach motorcycles and car drivers, truckers, and bus drivers how to share the road safely with each other, this is not always the case. It doesn’t help that there are the occasional defective road conditions and motorcycle part defects that can cause a motorcyclist to crash without another motorist’s help.

Federal Government To Study Motorcycle Crash Causation, Chicago Now, October 9, 2009

Related Web Resources:
The Hurt Report Summary

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Continue reading "Federal Highway Administration to Study Motorcycle Accident Causes" »

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 38 motorcyclists died in the District and the nearby jurisdictions in 2008. Now, according to Peter Horst of the American Motorcyclist Association, this figure is expected to grow for 2009.

Just this month, three motorcyclists were killed within a 36-hour period in traffic collisions involving other vehicles. With the economy being as bad as it is, motorcycle sales may have gone down, but riders who already have their bikes have been hitting the roads on them in an effort to save money on gas.

In 2008, the number of injuries and deaths for every motor vehicle category dropped—except for in the US motorcycle accident category, that is. Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland may have stayed counter to that trend last year—but as our DC accident lawyers reported earlier in this blog post, the figures this year are expected to be different.

Common causes of Washington DC motorcycle injuries and deaths include:

• Driver inexperience
• Driver inattention
• Alcohol
• Miscalculation
• Road defects
• Defective motorcycle parts

Like pedestrians and bicyclists, motorcyclists are more vulnerable than motor vehicle occupants, truck drivers, and bus passengers because they only have their gear as protection from the impact of a DC traffic crash.

Frequently, injuries from a DC motorcycle crash are catastrophic. If you believe there may be another driver or another party who can be held liable for personal injury or wrongful death, our Washington DC personal injury would like to talk to you.

Motorcycle Crash Facts

• 5,154 motorcyclists died in 2007.
• The number of motorcycle deaths increase each year.
• In 2007, about 123,000 motorcycles were involved in US traffic crashes.
• For every vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcycle riders had a 35 times greater chance of dying in a traffic accident than motor vehicle riders.

Motorcycle Deaths in Area Raise Concerns, The Washington Post, August 24, 2009

Motorcycle Crashes, Insurance Information Institute, April 2009