Injuryboard Commentary - Car Crash

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

Tiger Woods crashes within a golf shot of his Florida house; Most car accidents occur close to home.

Doug Landau — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:25:48 GMT

Even superstar athletes hit ditches, sand traps, cars and fire hydrants close to home. Car crash lawyer Doug Landau notes that many of his injured clients were struck by another motorist with a few miles of their home. The Florida Highway Patrol will cite golf champion Tiger Woods for careless driving but will not press criminal charges for his car crash outside his Florida home last Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The ticket will include a $164 fine and four points against his driver’s license. The police report includes the following details:

* Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2: 25 on the morning of Friday, Nov. 27, 2009.
* The airbags did not deploy.
* Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, told police she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the Cadillac Escalade in an effort to rescue her husband.

Most car crashes happen near home. Two thirds of road accidents occur within five miles of a motorist’s home. And, the survey showed, nearly a third of crashes happen less than a mile from home. Crashing into a parked car was the most common type of accident within a mile of a driver's home, the poll of 3,800 people also revealed. Just 5% of car accidents occurred 26 to 50 miles from home, and 6% at distances of more than 50 miles away.

Of the accidents closest to home, the most common cause after hitting parked vehicles was crashing while driving out of a minor road, followed by reversing into a vehicle and by hitting a wall. Research suggests that many drivers appear to be in a comfort zone when driving close to home on familiar roads, hence why such a large proportion of accidents occur there. It's so important to keep a full level of concentration when driving, whether you're just popping to the shops or starting or ending a longer journey. These results emphasize this even more.' As one who has represented innocent victims of careless drivers, Doug Landau understands how important it is to pay full time and attention to te operation of our motor vehicle to avoid a car wreck or other accident in your own neighborhood.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Increased safety needed for DC Metro Subway, train and bus drivers

Doug Landau — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:48:00 GMT

After four metro drivers have been injured in train accidents since June, it appears that greater safety training is needed by DC Metro. Union officials have also called for more safety training for new and existing subway train operators. Having tried cases where the employer tries to rely on the injured workers' signatures on a safety book, DC workplace accident lawyer Doug Landau knows firsthand that there must be actual, "hands on" safety training, and that such safety training must continue throughout a train, bus or Metro driver's career. Personal injury lawyer Landau notes that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the spate of accidents on the DC Metrorail system. Because these "common carriers" are subject to special rules and responsibilities when passengers are injured, the ABRAMS LANDAU trial attorney calls upon the District of Columbia Government to step up its safety training and accident prevention procedures.

A subway, train, railroad, ferry, bus and shuttle service are all generally Common Carriers. They convey passengers without refusal if the approved fare or charge is paid. The second definition in the Blacks Law Dictionary goes on to state that a Common carrier is “One who holds himself out the public as engaged in business of transportation of persons or property from place to place for compensation, and who offers services to the general public.” If you or someone you know has been injured in a Metro train, bus or subway car crash, e-mail us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., or call 703-796-9555 today.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Virginia Tech: Drivers of heavy trucks 23 times more likely to crash while texting

Doug Landau — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:10:00 GMT

With 2 Virginia Tech "Hokies" in his household, Ashburn car crash lawyer Doug Landau pays special attention to the quarterly Virginia Tech Magazine. This Fall, it was revealed that the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted studies of driver distraction while using cell phones and text messaging. I have previously written about the increased dangers to Loudoun Fairfax and Leesburg drivers, bikers and pedestrians presented by "distracted drivers." Texting while driving increases the risk of a crash much more than previous studies have concluded, with motorists taking their eyes off the road longer than they do when talking or listening on their cell phones, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported

The institute used cameras to continuously observe light-vehicle drivers and truckers for more than 6 million miles. It found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks, the study found.

If you or someone you know has been injured by a "distracted driver" or motorist who was texting or programming their cell or mobile phone, please contact ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. or give us a call at 703-796-9555.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Fairfax County Police "Youthful Driver Program" helps new drivers

Doug Landau — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:29:00 GMT

Fairfax County Police Department's "Youthful Driver Program" can help new drivers. The "Youthful Driver Program" can help "give them the knowledge and experience that could save their lives," notes Herndon Reston and Franklin Farms car crash lawyer Doug Landau. The Oak Hill injury lawyer has taken similar courses in Virginia, online and in the District of Columbia, and he has learned new safety and defensive driving techniques.

The Fairfax County program web site asks:

Is someone you love learning to drive? The FCPD Youthful Driver Program can help. Police instructors will help your “young driver”:

* Learn what it means to be an “inexperienced” driver
* Identify the risks and realities of being teen driver
* How to ignore peer pressure behind the wheel

Spend a Saturday learning the rules and risks of the road. Dangers of the road aren’t confined to teenagers; everyone on the road will be safer once they learn:

* How to recover from skidding on a wet roadway
* How to adjust your driving when road surfaces vary- hard surface to soft shoulders
* How to judge distance while driving at highway speeds

The FCPD Youthful Driver is a one day, hands-on course, running Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Location: Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, 3725 Stonecroft Blvd. Chantilly
Cost: $200.00 (Financial accommodations may be made for qualifying students)
Eligibility: Fairfax teens aged 16-18 with a valid driver’s license
Contact: School Resource Officer in the high school the young driver attends, or call 703/818-1924.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Car & Driver reports: Texting more dangerous than driving drunk

Doug Landau — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:23:00 GMT

Car & Driver reports: Texting while operating a car or truck is more dangerous than driving drunk. Aldie, Prince William and Loudoun County car crash lawyer Doug Landau notes that a study by Car and Driver magazine demonstrated that texting while driving can be even more dangerous than driving while drunk.

ABRAMS LANDAU trial attorney Landau also observes that all of the driving in the Car and Driver study was done in a straight line on an 11,800-foot runway. After conducting the texting tests on both subjects at 35 and 70 miles per hour, the subjects then drank alcoholic beverages until they reached the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content. Then, they went back behind the wheel and ran the identical test without any texting distractions. The results showed that even on a straight road without any traffic, road signals, or pedestrians, and looking just at reaction times, the texting results were even worse than the alcoholic impairment results. The lesson to be learned: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TEXT AND OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE. BE SAFE. BE SMART. PULL OVER AND TEXT.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

20-year-old Eagan Woman Killed By Passing Car In St. Paul

Mike Bryant — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:18:40 GMT

Monday night, a 20 year old woman from Eagan was stepping on to W 7th street in St Paul when she was stuck and killed by a passing car. Sympathy goes out for all of those involved. Cause was still being determined by the St Paul Police.

A number of Injuryboard members have discussed pedestrian accidents and the issues that are often involved.

As with any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are a number of issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed last year on the same topic. In all of these cases sorrow for the families of those involved goes out.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Helpful Hints In Selecting a Child Car Seat

Ed Normand — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:03:08 GMT

Baby Car Seats - Did you know...

Often parents move their child from a baby car seat to a full-size safety seat too soon. Data from crash-testing reveals that a baby is better protected in a rear-facing seat because the seat gives better support to the baby’s head and neck, and distributes the crash force over a greater area of their body. The general rule of thumb is to wait until your child is at least one-year of age, and weighs at least 20 pounds, before you move your child to a full-size safety seat. If your child weighs more than 20 pounds, but is still under a year of age, it is best to keep him/her in a rear-facing seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), along with car seat safety advocates, now also recommend that babies remain in a rear-facing seat as long as possible, up to the weight limit of the seat. If the weight limit of the seat is 30 pounds, these groups recommend that it is best to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the weight limit of the seat.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Spinal Cord Injuries Require Skilled and Experienced Assistance

David Mittleman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:59:44 GMT

A spinal cord injury is a serious and potentially debilitating injury that cause damage to the white matter of the spinal cord that carries signals to and from the brain. Spinal cord injuries can result from traumatic events (car crashes and falls) or one of many different types of biological origins. The vast majority of spinal cord injuries occur from some type of accident. The leading cause of spinal cord injuries are automobile accidents.

Approximately 12,000 people experience spinal cord injuries a year in the United States. Approximately 250,000 people live with a spinal cord injury. An overwhelming number of new injuries occur to people under the age of 30.

Symptoms of a spinal cord injury range from paralysis to loss of sensation at the level and below. These injuries can be located even without a complete cut off the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries can often be a cause of death, due to respiratory failure. Survival within the first 24 hours as well as the first year after the injury greatly increase the chances of long-term survival.

If you or someone you know has suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of an accident or medical error do not hesitate to contact us. Our office has successfully managed cases involving spinal cord injuries. You can reach our office, ChurchWyble, at (888) 227-4770.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

"Independent Medical Exams" are not !

Doug Landau — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:37:04 GMT

Almost every single case involving serious injury, permanent disability, head trauma or significant wage loss is confronted by an insurance company lawyer demanding an "Independent Medical Examination." The exam is usually not independent. It is not for treatment of the orthopedic or brain injuries, so the "medical" part of the phrase is intellectually dishonest. And as for an "examination," it's often more of a cross-examination than a genuine physical exam.

"Independent" medical exams ("IMEs") are commonplace in personal litigation, workers compensation, and occupational disease cases handled by ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. Because these are not truly "Independent" (as we see the same doctors performing exams for the same insurance companies who pay their bills, we refer to these as "defense medical exams" ("DME") or "insurance medical exams." A 3/31/09 New York Times investigation titled "Exams of Injured Workers Feed Mutual Mistrust," reported that, "Often IME doctors are hired by brokers that then have clerical staffs prepare reports based on dictation or checklists completed by the doctors, who often do not read the reports before signing them. The article gives examples of doctors signing reports on exams they never performed. One of the ways Herndon Reston area injury lawyer Doug Landau anticipates this practice is by offering the insurance company a physical exam early in the case, sometimes even before a lawsuit is filed. "The case we select involve serious, objective and usually permanent injuries," Landau notes. Because we have nothing to hide, I will offer to have my injured client submit to a voluntary physical exam with a qualified doctor, at a reasonable time and place, in lieu of a later examination after suit is filed." In effect, it is a "put up or shut up" move by the multi-state trial lawyer, known for his unique and innovative techniques.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau