Injuryboard Commentary - Automobile Accidents

Deer cause car, motorcycle and truck crashes

Doug Landau — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:36:00 GMT

As a driver who has had a few "close calls" with a "deer in the headlights," such events can be terrifying, cause injury and even death. At ABRAMS LANDAU, we have successfully represented clients who have been injured in deer-reltaed car crashes as well as commercial vehicle owners whose expensive cars have been "Totaled" after a crash with these populous animals. Fairfax County officials say the county has an estimated 250,000 deer, and more than 48,000 Virginia drivers are projected to file insurance claims this year for damage sustained as a result of a deer-vehicle collision according to a Fairfax Times newstory.

"Studies show that nearly one in every 136 Virginia drivers will have an accident involving deer in the next 12 months," said Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist Victoria Monroe, citing data from the Virginia Department of Transportation and State Farm insurance company. Virginia is projected to rank fifth out of 50 states in 2009 for all deer-related automobile accident claims filed nationwide, and 45 percent of Virginia claims are expected to be recorded by the end of this November, Monroe said. "[Deer breeding] season began in early September and lasts until late March," she said, adding that "October and November are especially precarious for drivers."

Melanie Stokes of VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) said there were 218 deer-related car accidents recorded in Fairfax County in 2007 and 179 in 2008. While none of those was listed as fatal, there were three fatal accidents recorded annually statewide in both 2007 and in 2008. "The average cost of a deer-related accident, including medical costs, is $3,000, according to the Insurance Information Institute," said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic. "That means if you multiply that by the projected 48,000 claims, Virginia will account for $14.4 million in deer-related accident costs this year. Nationwide, the cost is estimated to top $4.6 billion in 2009." "Collision with a deer or any other animal is covered under your comprehensive auto insurance and will not raise your rates," said Katie Walthall of ABRAMS LANDAU Herndon neighbor Griffin-Owens insurance. "We see a ton of them each year."

Monroe says drivers still need to be vigilant and aware, especially this time of year. She says four "hot spots" within the county are particularly dangerous:

the 5000 block of Pleasant Valley Drive in Chantilly;
the intersection of Braddock Road and Fairfax County Parkway in Burke;
the 7000 block of Ox Road in Fairfax; and,
the intersection of Sully Road and Westfields Blvd. in Chantilly.

"We have flashing variable sign boards at these locations," she said. "But motorists throughout the county should always be watching for eye shine along roadsides and immediately begin to slow down if they spot a deer, since they tend to travel in packs." In tomorrow's post, we will share the police safety tips to avoid crashing with a deer or herd of deer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Deadly Accident Appears To Have Been Preventable

Bret Hanna — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:12:32 GMT

E. Dale LeBaron, 75, a retired Brigham Young University professor, was killed last week after he, his wife and a friend were struck by a car on an Orem street. The 21-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck the trio said that he did not see them because the sun was reflecting off of frost on his windshield as he made a turn. City prosecutors have the case under review for possible charges against the driver.

This accident is certainly a tragedy for all involved, but it appears that it could have been prevented. The winter driving season is upon us and as I've written in the past, drivers must be prepared. One aspect of such preparedness is to make sure that you have a clear field of vision at all times while driving. Frost and snow pile up on cars when they sit outside and it is very easy to simply clear a small area to see through and be on your way. It may be easy, but it is also very dangerous. All drivers must take the time to fully clear and defrost all windows before heading down the road. And the sun can easily blind drivers when it is rising, setting, or is otherwise reflected toward vehicles. If you are temporarily blinded, slow down or stop immediately if you can do so safely and then wait until you can proceed with full visibility.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Bret Hanna

Speeding Red Light Runner Kills family of four in Sonoma County Car Crash

Claude Wyle — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:59:15 GMT

At this time of year, it is always a pleasure to connect with friends and family, honor old traditions and create new ones. Tragically, for the Maloney family of Sonoma, there will be no more traditions. Jonathan and Susan Maloney and their two young children, Aiden and Gracie, were traveling home from Maui to celebrate a late Thanksgiving with Jonathan’s daughter from a previous marriage when they were broadsided in an intersection by Steve Culbertson, 19, who has since died after being taken off of life support. Adding to the tragedy are allegations that Culbertson was heavily intoxicated at the time he approached that dangerous intersection. There are further allegations that Culbertson had a previous DUI conviction and a previous accident and had had his license suspended for a year. The allegations of a previous DUI conviction have not been specifically confirmed, because Culbertson was a minor at the time, but it is clear that he had at least one incident of driving while intoxicated. Please join me in sending thoughts and prayers to the Maloney family’s loved ones. As a personal injury attorney, I would also like to make sure that accidents like this never happen. California is making efforts to stop drunk driving, but let’s also look at that intersection on Highway 37 to see if there are any conditions that contributed to this deadly collision.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Road Debris Cause of Horrific Bruckner Expressway Accident that Killed Woman

Paul Napoli — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:17:55 GMT

December 5, 2009

A bouncing spool of wire on the Bruckner Expressway caused a horrific crash in the Bronx on Friday, leaving one woman dead, a postal truck driver hurt, and NBC News's Tom Brokaw and his wife, Meredith, unharmed but saddened.

Tom Brokaw was driving, and his wife a passenger, in a car traveling eastbound in the far left lane of the Bruckner Expressway near Sheridan Avenue around 1 p.m. Friday, when they witnessed a 1998 Ford Expedition swerve to avoid a spool of cable bouncing in the far right lane.

The Expedition, driven by Suejas Estrada of the Bronx, overturned and collided with a USPS postal truck traveling in the middle lane, forcing the postal truck into the far left lane where it careened into Brokaw’s vehicle.

Suejas Estrada, 30, was ejected from the Expedition as it flipped over several times, thrown over the expressway railing and fell more than 70 feet onto the train tracks below, NYPD said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency personnel transported the driver of the USPS postal truck, a 54-year-old man, to Westchester Medical Center with bumps and bruises, where he was listed in stable condition Friday night.

The crash tied up traffic for miles. Six Amtrak trains that run along the Northeast Corridor to Boston were out of service for more than an hour after Estrada landed on the tracks, an Amtrak representative said.

Brokaw, 69, and his wife were shaken but unharmed and released the following statement: "As the mail truck careened into the Brokaw lane, Tom hit the brakes hard and skidded along the median. When the mail truck catapulted the median the Brokaw vehicle slid into it. Neither Tom nor Meredith were injured but tragically the driver of the SUV was thrown from her vehicle and killed. Tom and Meredith are greatly saddened by this loss of life."

When drivers on public roadways fail to properly secure cargo such as mattresses, furniture, ladders or other construction equipment, etc., these items may fall into the roadway and create a significant safety hazard. The 2008 Statewide Statistical Summary of Motor Vehicle Accidents released by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles listed 2,060 accidents in New York resulting from obstruction/debris in the roadway. While 1,360 of those accidents only resulted in property damage, 694 accidents caused personal injury and 6 involved fatalities.

If you or loved one has been injured or a loved one killed in an auto accident, Napoli Bern Ripka LLP has the experience and knowledge needed to successfully handle your auto accident case. Contact us at 1-888-529-4669 immediately after an auto accident and we will discuss your situation and come up with a plan of action to help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries, property damage or a loved one’s wrongful death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

I-94 Head On Collision Sends Two To The Hospital

Mike Bryant — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:46:00 GMT

Saturday night, a Toyota Tundra hit a Toyota Sienna sending a mother and her son to the hospital. The Tundra was driving wrong way on a ramp from I-94 at 49th Avenue. Five other children were also injured in the van with the hospitalized pair. Investigation continues, but it is suggested that alcohol played a role.

If you are in an accident, make sure to get the names of anyone who indicates they saw what happened. If you witness an accident, check to see if everyone is OK and stay around or at least give the drivers your contact information. If you are injured, seek the advice of an attorney who does that kind of work and who can explain your coverages and rights.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Osceola Passenger's Claims Come By Way of Driver Distractions

Steve Lombardi — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:24:36 GMT

A one-vehicle rollover accident was reported to have been caused when the driver “missed a curve, crossed the center line and rolled in the ditch along G76 Highway west of 60yh Avenue.” I’m not sure I’d agree with the description, but I get the gist of what they are trying to say. Really you can't "miss a curve" unless of course you've fallen asleep or passed out. What driver's do is fail to negotiate the curve. So is that what happened? You be the judge. Here is the report.

Both the driver and the passenger, Elizabeth Anne Hanscom, 23 from Osceola was seriously injured and taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Is it enough that the driver says he missed the curve? Not likely, he’s probably still negligent or at fault for failing to drive at a reasonable and proper speed, failing to drive using due care and failing to drive while keeping a proper lookout.

That’s enough for today, but come back tomorrow to read The Verdict blog/blawg at Lombardi Law Firm where we will discuss other car-truck-semi-motorcycle accidents in Iowa. And as always if you are in an accident and need legal services we encourage you to call us sooner, rather than later. (515-222-1110 or 1-800-383-0331 or sdlombardi@aol.com)

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Strict enforcement from VSP on I-64 in Norfolk this weekend

Randy Appleton — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:22:11 GMT

Drivers on Interstate 64 beware: The Virginia State Police is out in force this weekend.

Troopers are being paid overtime in a federally-funded effort to keep Virginia’s highways safe, the VSP’s superintendent said in a press release.

The operation is called Operation Air, Land and Speed and is designed to discourage speeding and other reckless behavior, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

Speeding is the cause of many traffic accidents in Hampton Roads and elsewhere. My colleague Emily Mapp Brannon wrote in October about a fatal motorcycle accident in Chesapeake where speed was a factor.

“Speed and reckless and distracted driving endanger too many lives on the Commonwealth’s roads,” W. Steven Flaherty, the Virginia State Police superintendent, said in a press release. “Every motorist must remember to buckle up and drive defensively not aggressively while they are behind the wheel, especially during the holiday season.”

Troopers will be on I-64 – as well as Interstate 66 in northern Virginia – starting today and going through Sunday. They are using both marked and unmarked vehicles, as well as motorcycles and aircraft.

The Virginia State Police said that in December 2008, when the agency last conducted Operation Air, Land and Speed on I-64, it ticketed 251 drivers for reckless driving, 1,783 for speeding and 227 for not wearing a seat belt. The VSP also made 24 arrests for drunken driving, drug possession and other crimes.

“Unfortunately, the only way to get some drivers to adopt safer driving habits and behaviors is through stepped up enforcement projects,” Flaherty said.

(MM)

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Randy Appleton

18-Year-Old St. Augustine Woman Killed in Crash

Eddie Farah — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:09:00 GMT

Condolences are pouring into the MySpace and Facebook pages of an 18-year-old young woman from St. Augustine, Florida who died earlier this week in a car crash.

Megan Elizabeth Bunn and another teenager were killed Sunday night when the truck they were riding in collided with an ambulance. It all happened on U.S. 1 near The Avenues Mall at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday evening.

Bunn was riding in the middle of the front seat in a friend’s Chevy Silverado, one of five people in the vehicle, none of whom wore seat belts. Suddenly their truck collided with an ambulance when it either pulled in front of the truck or the truck driver ran a red light. The Florida Highway Patrol is unsure at this time, but the ambulance driver says he did not have his lights on and was not speeding because had had dropped off the patient.

Bunn was pronounced dead at Shands Jacksonville. The driver of the truck, Michael Jason Linder, 19, was also pronounced dead at the hospital Monday night. The other front seat passenger, Shyenne Morgan, 17, of Jacksonville was in critical condition at Shands. The two passengers in the rear were in serious condition.

Our prayers go out to the families of the two young people killed. Bunn had left high school in 2006 and was in school to become a nurse. Linder had been arrested for car burglaries in St. Johns County, but hopefully was turning his life around. People say they felt blessed to know her.

Unfortunately, the Florida Highway Patrol responding to the scene said that beer was found in the Silverado. A toxicology test will determine if Linder was drinking.

While we have no idea of the alcohol level involved in this accident, traffic crashes occur every 12 seconds in the U.S. and are the number one cause of death among young adults. If you are 15 to 19, you are more likely to be killed in a car crash than any other way.

Alcohol, distraction and speeding all play a part.

If only the point didn't have to be driven home by the death of these irreplacable young people, but unfortunately, that is more likely to make an impact on survivors and their driving habits than any law or statistic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Roundabouts:Mendota Heights To Get One

Mike Bryant — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:22:00 GMT

Internationally, roundabouts are a common road configuration. As time has passed, they have increasingly become an option in the United States as an attempt to slow traffic and utilize limited road space. Recently, more of them are showing up in Minnesota. Recently, the Mendota Heights City Council approved a roundabout at Visitation Drive and Mendota Heights Road, the intersection closest to Convent of the Visitation School.

Last week, I happened to drive on the couple out near Hutchinson. They look good and once people get the hang of them, they should meet their goals. Federal studies have shown that roundabouts drop the number of overall crashes by 35 percent and the number of injury crashes by 76 percent.

Hopefully as more people use it we will all see the benefits. With more roundabouts coming to the surrounding counties it will be something that more Minnesotans will need to get used to. The New York Transportation Department has posted a number of very helpful animations as to how to best use these changes. Simply getting used to slowing down should help, as reaction times will be longer and most impacts should be less severe.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Two die in 2-Vehicle Accident on Iowa County Road- A Failed Stop

Steve Lombardi — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:01:00 GMT

Friday June 19^th, around 5 in the morning, a two car collision was caused by the driver that ran the stop sign. As a result two men were killed; according to the Des Moines Register.

Harlan Derr, age 58, was driving to Winnebago Industries in Forest City where he had worked for 25 years. Koh Tsuruta age 19 was driving a 1998 Toyota Camry with passengers, Tyler Brighton, 19, and Alexander Mosby, all from Lake Mills. Bart Winter, owner of Middlestadt Funeral Home in Lake Mills, and knew the boys said they “were headed to Clear Lake to fish when the crash occurred.”

It's reported that Tsuruta was heading southbound on R74 when he failed to stop at the intersection of County Roads B14 and R74 in northeast Hancock County. Westbound on B14, Harlan Derr was broadsided in his 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. Derr and Brighton were killed at the scene. Tsuruta and Mosby were transported to hospitals with injuries. Iowa State Patrol said both drivers were wearing seat belts.

So I have one question, what was the driver's distraction?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fawYSt0i96E

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi