Colorado Personal Injury Blog - Automobile Accidents - Most Popular

Texting Law Goes Into Effect In Colorado

Chrissie Cole — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:33:00 GMT

New laws involving cell phone use while driving go into effect in Colorado tomorrow banning texting for all drivers and cell phone use for drivers under 18.

The new law will make it a primary traffic offense, which gives law enforcement the authority to cite any driver seen texting while driving. And it’s illegal for 16 and 17-year-olds to use a cell phone – even with a speakerphone or headset - while behind the wheel.

For an initial offense, drivers can be fined $50. Repeat offenders will be fined $100.

Unlike some new laws that allow for a grace period to help educate drivers about the new law before citations are issued – officers with Fort Collins police and the Colorado State Patrol will be handing out citations immediately upon the law taking effect, according to spokespersons from each agency.

The legislation was introduced after 9-year-old Erica Forney was hit and fatally injured Nov. 25, 2008, by a woman who police said had just finished talking on a cell phone.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Teen Dies in Alcohol Related Car Crash(2)

Linda Snyder — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:35:33 GMT

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, police say two 18-year old men had been drinking at a party before the vehicle they were riding in rolled early Saturday, killing one and critically injuring the other.

Neither was wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected. The passenger, Evan Kinnan, died in the one-car crash on Woodmen Road, and the driver, Craig Milos, suffered severe head injuries and was listed in critical condition at Penrose main hospital.

"Alcohol is definitely involved - there is no maybe," said police Lt. Patricia Feese.

Investigators are still looking into how the teenagers obtained the alcohol at a party in the Peregrine neighborhood, in northwest Colorado Springs, Feese said.

Kids have been drinking and driving ever since there has been alcohol and vehicles (both motorized and non-motorized). Yet, today the statistics are hitting epidemic numbers. So, why are drunk driving accidents involving under-age drinkers seem so much worse today, than even 10 years ago? Is there more publicity, more public awareness? Do young drivers have easier access to cars today? Easier access to alcohol? Is there less accountability to parents or authority figures?

Consider these statistics:

â€¢ In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes--an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities. Of these, an estimated 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater).
â€¢ Approximately 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 2004 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States (2005 data not yet available).
â€¢ According to MADD, in 2006, these students reported that alcohol is "very easy" or "fairly easy" to get.
â€¢ 92.5 percent of twelfth graders
â€¢ 83 percent of tenth graders
â€¢ 63 percent of eighth graders
â€¢ Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater (NHTSA 2006). It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

â€¢ At all levels of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people (Zador et al. 2000). In 2005, 16% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol (NHTSA 2006).
â€¢ Young men ages 18 to 20 (under the legal drinking age) reported driving while impaired more frequently than any other age group (Shults et al. 2002, Quinlan et al. 2005).

It seems that underage drinkers have no problems getting alcohol and they certainly don't have any problems getting a vehicle to drive. Is there a cure for this under-age drinking and driving epidemic?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder

Major Car Accident in Colorado Springs

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:45:54 GMT

A mulitple car accident on the Hancock Expressway closed down the road early this morning. Police believe that two cars were involved including one that rolled over.

Police believe another car may be involved in the accident but it apparently left the scene to bring some injured people to the hospital.
Police are calling it a serious injury accident and have called out their Major Accidents division out to investigate.

The accident happened around 2am and the expressway was closed until 8am this morning. The police are still investigating the accident. At least one person was taken from the scene by ambulance to a local hospital.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Text-Messaging Causing Car Accidents

Staff Writer — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:50:36 GMT

State troopers say cell phone text messaging is causing more accidents than ever before. The problem is that while it's easy to spot people talking at the wheel, it is much harder to catch people texting at the wheel. Troopers
are convinced cell phone use is causing wrecks, but drivers never admit to it.

Trooper Lonnie Haschell sees drivers do it, but he can't stop them. "Unless there is another traffic violation that occurs. If you're concentrating on your Blackberry and then you cross that center line, you cross that white line on the side of the road, you have another traffic violation," Haschell said.

Three states and 50 countries ban phone use in cars. But so far in Texas, only common sense limits texting while driving

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Deer-related Car Accident in Nebraska Kills Two Children

Staff Writer — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:35:32 GMT

On Sunday night, January 27th, 14-year-old Michael Betts and 4-year-old Cora Betts were killed after the driver of their minivan, 37-year-old Michael Betts Jr., lost control of the car after trying to avoid hitting several deer that ran across the road.

The accident happened on Interstate 80 in Odessa, Nebraska. The driver tried to avoid hitting the deer, however ended up hitting one and the minivan was hit from behind by a truck pulling a car trailer. As a result, the minivan rolled and ended in a ditch.

The two children were killed and four other family members in the minivan were taken to a local hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. The driver of the truck was uninjured.

According to the State Patrol, everyone appeared to be wearing seatbelts.

Only 2% of deer-car collisions result in human fatalities while around 85% of deer-motorcycle collisions involve human fatalities. According to wildlife statistics, almost half of all wildlife-related car accidents are a result of the driver swerving to avoid an animal crossing the road.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Horrible Car Crash Kills Three

April Armani — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:20:03 GMT

A horrible motor vehicle collision has left a mother, father and son dead with another toddler injured. The crash happened south of E. Mississippi Avenue and S. Chambers Road around 11 pm last night. A red 2002 Ford F650 tow truck was headed northbound on Chambers and hit a 1997 Honda CRV traveling in the same direction. The two truck then crossed the center median where it hit a 2003 Nissan Murano, the truck kept going and then hit a 1999 silver Chrysler 300M killing three people from the same family and continuing north.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have suffered a tremendous loss due to the actions of another.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by April Armani

Risks of Cell Phone Use While Driving

Margaret Embry — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:14:50 GMT

A year ago, Michelle Smith hit and killed a 9-year-old girl, Erica Forney, riding her bike in the bike lane in Fort Collins. Though she doesn't have a clear memory of the crash, it is believed that Smith was distracted after finishing a cell phone call while driving. As part of her plea agreement, Smith was required to write a letter of apology to the victim's family which was recently published, according to The Denver Channel, ABC 7 News.

The newspaper [Fort Collins Coloradan] reported that Smith wrote in the letter that, if she had appreciated the risks associated with cell-phone use while driving, Erica Forney might still be alive.“My heart and prayers are and will always be with the Forneys,” she concluded in her letter.

Below are some cell phone driving statistics provided by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver's reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08%. (University of Utah)

The No.1 source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Virginia Tech /NHTSA)

Drivers that use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

10% of drivers aged 16 to 24 years old are on their phone at any one time.

Driving while distracted is a factor in 25% of police reported crashes.

Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)

Please see the Governors Highway Safety Association to check your state cell phone driving laws.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Margaret Embry

Parents of Teen Killed by Drunk Driver, want to Change Drunk Driving Laws

Christina Cole — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:25:33 GMT

Friends and family gathered to remember two students killed by a suspected drunk driver. Jacob and his girlfriend, Jennifer, were killed last Thursday after another vehicle crashed into the back of their Saturn on the Interstate.

Jacob's parents announced at the service that they are now activists against drunk driving. They are planning to change the laws in Colorado about drunk driving.

Although Jen and Jack can't be brought back, the parents intend to fight for a stronger legislation. " They hope to change the DUI process and address high speed chases in Colorado.

Patrick Strawmatt, a former Lafayette police officer, is accused of killing the two teens. Police say he was driving drunk and speeding from police, going at 120 mph, when the crash occurred. Strawmatt was out of jail on a $15,000 bond at the time of the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Car Accident Claims Colorado Springs Man

Staff Writer — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 10:08:34 GMT

A 35-year-old Colorado Springs man was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning when the Expedition he was driving was hit head-on by a 16-year-old who crossed a double-yellow line in his Explorer on Colorado Highway 83. The driver of the Explorer was listed in critical condition Monday.

The Colorado Springs Gazette has the full car accident story.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

New Colorado Insurance Law Effects Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Linda Snyder — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:54:55 GMT

Founding partners Kyle Bachus and Darin Schanker of Bachus & Schanker, LLC, recently worked with numerous others who advocate for Colorado consumers as well as the Colorado Senate in enacting a proposed bill in the field of auto insurance. As a result of all their hard work, this bill became a new Colorado Insurance Law that will impact your un-insured/under-insured motorist coverage (UM/UIM).

This new law will help consumers receive the coverage they pay for if injured by an uninsured driver. Effective January 1, 2008, this new law will change Colorado's UM coverage in two important ways:

1.) Before the January 1, 2008 law change an insurance company could "offset" the amount paid by the at-fault driver's insurance company against the amount available under your own UM policy;

2.) Before January 1, 2008, insurance companies were able to include "anti-stacking" language in their UM coverage's that prevented those who pay for multiple policies on multiple cars in the same household from adding the UM coverage's on each separate policy together in order to maximize coverage.

This new law makes the UM coverage you purchase "stack" on top of the total amount of insurance available from the "at-fault" driver. For example, beginning January 1, 2008, if you buy $50,000 of UM coverage to protect your family, the entire $50,000 will be available to you on top of the insurance available from the at-fault driver if you need it.

"This is a very important coverage that should not be waived. We see many insurance companies reacting to this new law by sending their policy holders letters asking them to waive the coverage altogether. This is not a good idea under any circumstances," exclaimed Kyle Bachus.

This bill, which is now law, can be found on the Colorado Legislature website.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder