May is national bike month, and I am very proud to say that our hometown Norfolk, VA is an active participant in the festivities.   The "Bike Norfolk" Council is doing everything they can to raise awareness about biking in Norfolk, as well as promoting a variety of safety measures to ensure the safety of the bikers, and the drivers with whom they share their roadways.  At Rutter Mills, we are huge advocates of safety in all of it's forms, and applaud the efforts being made by the Bike Norfolk Council.   It is also worth noting that the increased bike traffic on our roadways will require all of us drivers on the same roads to stay aware and alert of the increased traffic in the form of bicycles.  As many of you know, accidents involving cyclist can often be very serious and even fatal, so it is incredibly important to be careful on the roads and be aware of all of the additional travelers that come out in the springtime.

Below you will find a bike map the council put together to promote safety on the Norfolk roads.  While cyclists can use this map to gauge traffic on certain routes, drivers can also benefit from knowing where the majority of the bike traffic will be taking place.  So remember, as the weather gets warmer and there are more and more pedestrians and cyclists on the roads drive safe and stay focused!

While every accident is certainly different, there are a few truths that apply across the board, and should be considered by anyone injured in an auto accident.  First, it is free to talk to a personal injury attorney. Sitting down and discussing your case costs you nothing, and can help you gain an understanding of your rights in the case.  Second, early investigation can make a big difference in your auto case.  Make no mistake about it, the insurance company is sending their highly trained team of investigators to find evidence and get witnesses to reinforce their side of the story.  An injury attorney like Rutter Mills has a talented team of investigators that can help level the playing field.  
The personal injury attorneys of Rutter Mills are here to help people injured in car accidents - we do it ever day.  We understand the process, and can help answer almost any question you have about your auto accident injury claim.  If you have been injured in an auto accident, call us today for a free consultation.  Remember when it comes to protecting you and your family's rights after an auto accident injury, an early consultation with a personal injury attorney can make a big difference. 

In these tough and uncertain economic times, the last thing most families want to do is to obligate themselves to pay larger monthly auto insurance premiums. What you may not realize is that the savings of ten or fifteen dollars a month in insurance premiums may cost you dearly if you are in a car accident.

Take this scenario for example: middle aged family man gets home from work one afternoon. He decides to head out for a haircut. While driving through an intersection with a green light, his car is struck by another motorist who neglects to stop for the red light. The man driving to the haircut is seriously injured. It takes some time for him to recover from his injuries. The person who caused the wreck has a minimum limits Virginia liability auto insurance policy ($25,000.00). So does the injured man who turns out to be our client. For settlement purposes, the man’s personal injury case is worth in the neighborhood of $85,000.00. He will never be fully compensated because the most he can recover from insurance in this example is $25,000.00. Had the client raised his own insurance coverage to $100,000.00, he would have been able to recover the full settlement value of his claim by tapping into the underinsurance coverage available under in his own auto policy. The cost per month for this additional insurance coverage would only have been about the same as he would have paid for a decent haircut! This situation is not an isolated incident. We have had numerous clients at Rutter Mills who have been in the same or worse situations.

You must plan ahead to protect yourself and your family from the risk of being the victim of someone’s carelessness. Look at your insurance policy. If you have minimum liability and underinsured motorist coverage ($25,000.00), speak with your insurance agent or insurance company. Get quotes for premiums which will give you higher policy limits. Then make a decision which will protect you and your loved ones from being a victim of the negligence of another.

As Distracted Driving Awareness Month comes to a close, I wanted to leave our readers with a post about the dangers of distracted driving. Inattention on the roadways is a proven killer - the good news is that it can be avoided by staying focused on the roadways.  

80% of all crashes recently studied by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute involved driver inattention within 3 seconds of the crash.  Below are a few statistics about driver behaviors that increase risk of accident:

Texting - Increases Risk 23 Times
Reaching for a moving object -Increases Risk 9 Times

Driving Drowsy - Increases Risk 4 Times

Reading - Increases Risk 3.4 Times

Applying Makeup - Increases Risk 3 Times

Talking on Cell Phone - Increases Risk 4 Times 

In 2009, 756 people died on Virginia Roads.  There were more than 116,744 crashes resulting in 62,796 injuries during the same period.  Driver inattention was the leading factor in these crashes.  The very nature of an accident is that it is unexpected.  Be prepared and aware on the roadways and you can drastically reduce your risk of being in an auto accident.  

Today the Ford Motor Company announced the recall of over 1 million of it's popular F-150 pickup trucks due to defective air bags. An electrical short is the reported problem, causing air bags to deploy unexpectedly and injuring some drivers.

Earlier this year, Ford acknowledged the problem, but only in 150,000 F150s, resisting the government's request to recall all 1.2 Million with he problem.  A growing number of incidents and injuries has convinced Ford to make the full recall.

If you have one of the latest model Ford F150s, call your local ford dealer to determine if your vehicle is affected in the latest recall.  Airbags are one of the most important safety features in a vehicle, and a properly functioning airbag can save your life in a serious auto accident.  If your vehicle is affected - don't hesitate to comply with the recall.

An accident by definition is something that happens when something occurs unexpectedly or unintentionally. Because we as drivers have to make conscious decisions on the road, auto accidents do not always fall under this definition. We choose whether or not to drive the speed limit or to obey traffic rules and regulations. Choosing not to obey these laws is an intentional act with expected outcomes.

The selfish act of driving carelessly causes lives to be changed through death or injury on a daily basis. According to the National Car Accident Statistics, excessive speed is the second most common cause of deadly auto accidents, which accounts for about 30% of all fatal accidents in the U.S.

Accidents caused by speeding aren’t really accidents at all. They are potentially devastating events that could have been prevented if the driver stayed within the limits of the law. Watch your speed out there folks, it really isn’t worth it.

Have you ever noticed that accidents often come in 2's? I can only imagine that the driver that caused accident 2 was not paying attention to the change in the flow of traffic after accident 1. I would surmise that the driver was either talking on the phone, playing with the radio dial or, the latest trend in driving, texting. How often do you see other drivers texting on the freeway? I’ve tried it once (okay – who hasn’t been tempted), and it is impossible! Virginia Beach and Norfolk!...You have to hang up the phone and drive to prevent accidents. This reminds me of a billboard I saw this weekend as I was driving on the Eastern Shore. It said, "Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet him."

The Charleston Gazette reported that two people were killed in a tractor trailer accident near West Virginia on Interstate 79. The uncommonly cold and icy weather of late was blamed for the truck accident. to read more on the article visit tractor trailer accident.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a trucking accident in Virginia, contact the experienced tractor trailer accident lawyers from Rutter Mills to discuss your case.  We handle 18 wheeler accidents as well as smaller automobile ijnuries throughout Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. To talk to a Norfolk, Virginia truck accident lawyer about your case, call us at 757.622.5000.  All consultations are free to discuss a case if you or a loved one is an injury victim of a tractor trailer accident.