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Legal News

Auto Accident

• Auto Accident Fatality Law Suit Leaves Family With $4.4 Million
  Aug 27, 2009

  A family in Utah was awarded $4.4 million in a suit over a fatal auto accident. The family claimed that the Department of Transportation and subcontractors working on a bridge failed to post the appropriate signs about traffic delays and construction. The victim, a father of three, was aware of the of construction, however did not know that traffic was backing up. The victim swerved to avoid traffic ahead, causing him to crash his car resulting in his death.
  
  A simple warning sign could have prevented this man from swerving which resulted in his death. Personal injuries occur  without any warning. If you or a family member are in a serious auto accident it is important that you contact a personal injury attorney. Rutter Mills handles personal injury accidents throughout the Hampton Roads area, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. Let Rutter Mills personal injury lawyers help you get the compensation you deserve.   - 21 - 30

• Study Finds More Women Driving While Intoxicated
  Aug 24, 2009

  "The report, authored by the FBI for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, found a declining number of men arrested for similar alcohol-related violations.

  The numbers were compiled from national law enforcement records covering 1998-2007.

  Moody said the report does not explain why women are increasingly driving while impaired but speculated, 'Women are under more pressure. They're now perhaps the breadwinner with the unemployment rate.'

  She also added that "TV shows have made it look hip or cool to be a mom that stays home and drinks."

  The findings were part of the launch of a Labor Day law enforcement campaign called "Over the Limit, Under Arrest."

  Describing what's intended to be a nationwide effort, Fairfax County, Virginia, police Capt. Susan Culin said, 'we'll be making more traffic stops, writing more tickets, conducting more sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols, and we'll be arresting any driver we determine to be impaired.'"

  - 22 - 30

• Jury Awards $1.6 Million to a 16-Year-Old Boy Severly Injures in School Bus Crash
  Jul 28, 2009

  "The teens were on their way to school at Wesley Chapel High when bus driver John E. Kinne pulled a 35-foot bus onto State Road 54 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard. Juettner was driving her Neon east on 54 and her car struck the bus between the wheels, then slipped underneath it.

  Kinne was cited for failing to yield the right of way. He and his backup driver, Linda Bone, were the only people on the bus and neither was seriously hurt.

  Marcus was airlifted to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, where he spent three weeks recovering. He was then transferred to Tampa General Hospital for rehabilitation. He returned home in November 2006, but his parents testified last week that their son isn't the same person who left for school that September morning."

  - 23 - 30

• A Study Shows Texting While Driving is Even More Dangerous
  Jul 28, 2009

  "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, a safety research institute said Monday.

  The Virginia Tech Transportation 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 6 times in cars and trucks."

  - 24 - 30

• Study Shows That Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin
  Jul 28, 2009

  "The new study, which entailed outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over 18 months, found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

  The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which compiled the research and plans to release its findings on Tuesday, also measured the time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive texts.

  In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices — enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.

  Even though trucks take longer to stop and are less maneuverable than cars, the findings generally applied to all drivers, who tend to exhibit the same behaviors as the more than 100 truckers studied, the researchers said. Truckers, they said, do not appear to text more or less than typical car drivers, but they said the study did not compare use patterns that way."

  - 25 - 30

• Sport Utility Vehicle Accident Kills 3 and Leaves 4 Wounded
  Jul 17, 2009

  "A third person has died in a crash that also injured four other people when they all were thrown from a sport utility vehicle that overturned during a crash.

  Shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, Virginia State Police were called to the Jefferson Avenue exits of westbound Interstate 64 by a passing motorist who saw the 2004 Ford Explorer overturn several times, ejecting all the occupants, said Sgt. Michelle Cotten, Virginia State Police spokeswoman."

  - 26 - 30

• Winter Weather May Cause Hazardous Driving Conditions
  Mar 16, 2009

  RICHMOND - Snowy and icy conditions make driving a challenge, especially when snow from other vehicles impairs a driver's ability to see.

  The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles encourages motorists to remove all snow from their vehicle before driving, including off the roof of the vehicle. Snow falling onto the roadway from a vehicle while it is moving is a safety hazard to the driver and other motorists on the road.

  - 27 - 30

• Traffic Fatality Numbers Spike on Election Day
  Oct 23, 2008

  Study Shows Traffic Fatality Numbers Spike on Election Day
  
  A study which appears in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that more people die in traffic accidents on days when U.S. presidential elections are held.

  The study, co-authored by Dr. Donald Redelmeier of the University of Toronto and Robert Tibshirani of Stanford University, examined statistics for U.S. traffic-related deaths ranging from the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter to the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush -- a total of eight election Tuesdays. The researchers' analysis showed that Americans were approximately 18 percent more likely to suffer a fatal traffic accident during polling hours on presidential election days than on other Tuesdays -- a greater increase than that of either New Year's Eve or Super Bowl Sunday, traditionally thought of as high-risk traffic days.

  The scientists theorized that the increased incidence of traffic fatalities could be attributed to drivers who are distracted by consideration of the candidates or their vote, traveling unfamiliar routes, or rushing to reach polling places either before or after work.

  Redelmeier suggested that in order to minimize chances of being involved in a fatal traffic accident this Election Day, drivers should adhere to all traffic laws and avoid distractions by not speeding, properly wearing a seat belt, and avoiding use of alcohol.

  By Aaron Poehler - 28 - 30

Truck Accident and Tractor Trailer Injuries

• California Family Still Waiting For Compensation After Trucker's Death
  Jun 21, 2010

  In 2007, a small business owner, was traveling in his truck in a tunnel in Santa Clarita when a chain-reaction crash involving 34 vehicles resulted in his horrific death as he burned to death. The auto accident was not the truck owners fault but was caused by a speeding driver who was at the wheel of a tractor-trailer with a faulty brake.
  
  The man killed in this accident left behind a wife and their two children. The small accidental-death policy he left behind was only enough to cover the family rent.
  
  A wrongful-death lawsuit lawsuit was files on the family's behalf however the pretrial wrangling has become a legal pile-up. The tractor-trailer company at fault could have done the decent thing and simply offered a settlement to the families of the victims of the 34 automobile crash. Small amounts have been paid in settlements for the property damage but the trucking company is resisting paying any wrongful-death claims.
  
  These families have had there lives turned upside down as members died in a fiery crash in 2007. Not only have they lost family members but they have lost the steady financial income brought home by these victims. If you or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident contact a personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney will help you get the compensation you and your family deserve. - 29 - 30

• Group Questions the Truck Safety Record of Tractor-Trailer Companies in Iowa
  Aug 28, 2009

  The American Association for Justice, a lawyers group, has criticized trucking companies in Iowa for having a history of safety violations. Over 950 Iowa trucking firms have been cited for safety violations since 1980. Some of these violations include "defective brakes, bald tires, loads that dangerously exceed weight limits, and drivers with little or no training or drug and alcohol dependencies."
  
  In 2008, 58 people were killed in tractor-trailer crashes involving large trucks. When these safety violations go undetected it is the "unsuspecting motorist who bears the cost" when truck carrier companies put deadly trucks on the road and turn a blind eye to safety. Tractor-Trailer accidents are typically deadly and also have different laws associated with them. If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck accident contact a tractor-trailer attorney. - 30 - 30

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