Personal Injury Blog

Older Drivers Are Safer Than We Believe

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:31:00 GMT

Older drivers are not just proud of their driving privileges, but are also able to avoid dangerous situations. This is probably one of the reasons why these drivers are involved in fewer auto accidents compared to many other categories of motorists.

Approximately 90% of senior citizens who participated in a recent survey by the AAA said that it was important for them to retain their driving privileges, and that they would do anything to keep themselves safe on the road in order to continue to retain their driving license. Contrary to what many people believe, many senior drivers do not take unnecessary risks with their safety, or the safety of other drivers.

Approximately 50% of the seniors in the study avoided driving at night, when visibility is poor, and the risks of an accident are greatly enhanced. More than 60% of the seniors in the study admitted that they avoided driving in poor weather. Slippery roads, fog and blinding rain can increase a senior’s risk of an accident. Fortunately, many seniors prefer to stay indoors when the weather is bad.

Approximately 42% of the seniors avoided driving in heavy traffic conditions. About 37% of them admitted that they avoided driving on unfamiliar roads. Driving on unfamiliar roads could lead to a senior motorist driving in the wrong lane, or being distracted trying to look for the road.

The study’s findings are extremely encouraging to any Burbank car accident lawyer. However, it is recommended that family members of senior citizens look for signs of deteriorating driving abilities, and take steps to prevent the motorist from driving anymore. However, taking away the driving privileges of a senior driver is a sensitive matter, and should be approached with great tact and caution.

Modesto Woman in Dog Bite Incident Wants Animal Put Down

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:16:00 GMT

A Modesto woman, who sustained serious injuries in a dog bite attack last week, is calling for the animal to be put down immediately.

The attack occurred when the woman was visiting a home in Oakdale. She was standing outside the house when she was attacked by the dog, a German shepherd. She suffered bite injuries to her hand.

Fortunately, her injuries were not life-threatening. The woman has filed a report with animal control. She is asking for the dog to be put down.

According to the owner of the dog, the dog is typically tied in the yard, but was outside on the day of the attack. The owner has apologized for the attack, but says that he will not have the dog put down, because it is not an aggressive or vicious dog. The owner also says that he is increasing fencing around his property, to make sure that the dog does not leave the property again. Under California law's, dogs that are involved in multiple injurious attacks must be put down.

The dog is currently in quarantine for 10 days, and is not allowed out of his owner's property. However, according to the victim, the animal has been out of the property during this quarantine period. A German Shepherd can be aggressive and strong enough to inflict serious damage during an attack.

There is no information about whether the animal was involved in any previous attacks. However, it seems clear to Burbank dog bite lawyers from this incident that the woman did nothing to provoke this attack. She did not approach the dog, and did not try to pet it or touch it. In fact, she had no warning of the attack at all. There was no growling, nor barking, before the animal attacked her.

Car Accident Victims with Brain Injury Could Benefit from Aggressive Treatment

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:52:00 GMT

Expensive forms of treatment for brain injury like invasive surgery, could be costly in the short-term, but lead to better outcomes for patients in Burbank. According to a study by researchers at the University Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, aggressive treatments on a 20-year-old patient cost as much as $100,000 less over the long-term, and led to better patient outcomes.

The results of the study have been published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. The researchers compared aggressive treatment with more routine care. The biggest focus was on the short-term as well as long-term costs of these treatments.

Burbank personal injury lawyers find that the kind of routine care that brain injury patients are typically subjected to is much less expensive, but is widely used. Aggressive treatment costs more, but, according to the researchers, could lead to a much better prognosis for the patient. Aggressive treatments like surgery also help contribute to a better quality life for the patient after the surgery. Additionally, these treatments ensure that the person has lower medical and other costs over the long term.

Invasive surgery as a treatment for brain injury is controversial. Surgeons have been performing decompressive hemicraniectomies for a while now. This is a surgery in which a part of the skull is removed to alleviate pressure on the brain.

The researchers found that the maximum benefits of aggressive treatment for brain injury could be seen in younger patients. However, that doesn't mean that elderly victims cannot benefit. Even patients in their 80s can benefit to some extent from aggressive treatment.

Approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States every year after suffering a brain injury. An overwhelming majority of these injuries occur in automobile accidents, as a result of slip and fall accidents or during violent assaults. These injuries cost the US economy approximately $60 billion a year.

Dog Bite Leaves TV Anchor with 70 Stitches on Face

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:10:00 GMT

A television anchor, who was bitten by a dog during live broadcast while she was interviewing the dog's owner, expects to undergo more surgical procedures to repair the damage to her face.

Kyle Dyer, an anchor on Denver's KUSA-TV channel suffered injuries when the dog leaped on her face, and mauled her. The dog had just been rescued from an icy pond, and Dyer was interviewing the owner of the dog and the firefighter involved in the rescue. At the time of the attack, Dyer was kneeling on the floor, petting the dog when he suddenly attacked her face.

Dyer was rushed to the hospital, where according to a post on her Facebook Wall, she required 70 stitches on the lips and nose. According to her Facebook post, she underwent a four-hour surgery to fix the damage to her upper and lower lips, as well as the nose. She mentions in her post that is she still unable to talk, because her lips have been sewn shut to allow the skin grafts to heal.

Meanwhile, the owner of the dog has been cited with failure to have a dog on leash and allowing the dog to bite. He's expected to be in court on February 29.

This was a dog bite that took place in front of thousands of horrified viewers. However, as San Fernando Valley dog bite attorneys know, these attacks can take place virtually anywhere. Most dog bites take place in people's homes, but San Fernando dog bite lawyers also find that these bites occur when dogs escape from yards, or when they're being taken for a walk in the park. Most dog bite victims are children, who also account for some of the most serious injuries in dog bites.

Videogame to Teach Teenagers Dangers of Cell Phone Use While Driving

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:06:00 GMT

Teenage motorists are at some of the highest risks for accidents involving distracted driving, because smart phones and social media are such an integral part of their lives. Unfortunately, many anti-distracted driving campaigns that San Fernando Valley car accident attorneys came across seem to be designed with adults in mind. It's little wonder then that teenage drivers are immune to anti-distracted driving messages. Now, researchers have developed a videogame that they believe is a more effective way of getting the message across to these motorists.

The videogame has been developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota. It is called Distraction Dodger, and involves players trying to deliver pizza in a distracting environment. The players have to deal with distractions on their cell phones, as they navigate traffic obstacles. As the game progresses, drivers receive feedback about their own performance, including the level of distraction, and their driving performance. The Internet-based video game is designed to help teenagers or young adults understand the dangers of driving while distracted.

The game was recently unveiled at the Teen Safe Driving Summit. The researchers believe that the videogame provides teenagers with a teachable moment, helping them understand that there are grave dangers of being involved in an accident when you use cell phones while driving.

What San Fernando Valley car accident lawyers have found very encouraging is that the videogame has received attention from top ranking national transportation safety officials. According to Transportation Secretary LaHood, the game is a valuable new tool that will help fight distracted driving among teenage drivers, and help them learn lessons about distracted driving.

Automobile accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the United States, and distracted driving killed more than 3,000 motorists last year. In a situation like this, we need more effective initiatives to combat distracted driving among teens.

Accident Risks Increase over Super Bowl Weekend

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:14:00 GMT

With large numbers of intoxicated drivers - some victorious, some dejected - heading home, it should be no surprise to any San Fernando Valley car accident lawyer that accident rates increase after the Super Bowl game. This weekend, the scene will be no different. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is already warning fans to make plans to get home safe after the game.

According to one study conducted in 2003 by the University of Toronto, there was a 41% increase in motor vehicle accidents in the hours immediately after the Super Bowl. The study was based on data from between 1975 and 2001. Researchers found that the hour immediately after the game was the most dangerous, with a 70% increased risk of accidents.

Even more interestingly, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the largest increase in auto accidents was recorded in the home states of the losing teams in the game. In these states, the number of accidents increased by approximately 68% after the end of the game. In contrast, fans in winner states were much more likely to get home safely, presumably to continue their happy celebrations at home. In these states, there was a 6% increase in accidents after the game.

Whether you are a home state fan, cheer for the rejected team, or like many Californians plan to remain neutral, stay safe after the game. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is especially calling on Super Bowl party hosts, as well as organizers of parties at restaurants, hotels and other venues to make sure that guests get home safely. The best way to do this is making sure that your guests have designated drivers before the game, or by arranging rides.

Traumatic Brain Injury Increases Risk of Violent Crime

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:06:00 GMT

As San Fernando Valley accident lawyers find, persons who have suffered a brain injury in a car accident may be at risk for a number of consequences over the long term, and maybe even the rest of their life. These include memory loss, depression, psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities, chronic headaches, attention deficits, and mood swings. To that list, you can also add an increased risk of violent criminal activity.

According to a new study, which has been published in the online journal Public Library of Science Medicine, persons who have suffered a traumatic brain injury are at a higher risk for being involved in a violent crime like homicide, rape and murder after being diagnosed with the injury. The results came from a study that involved all people who had suffered a traumatic brain injury and epilepsy in Sweden between 1973 and 2009. They confirm to San Fernando Valley brain injury lawyers the devastating long-term consequences of a brain injury.

The study which proved the association between traumatic brain injury and an increased risk of violent crime is believed to be the most comprehensive one of its kind, because it involved a large sample of more than 22,000 persons with a brain injury. The researchers found that close to 9% of persons who had a brain injury went on to commit some kind of violent crime, compared to 3% of persons with no brain injury.

According to the researchers, it is important for us to review our current guidelines with respect to long-term brain injury risk assessment, and include a thorough evaluation of the risks of violent criminal activity. Some persons like those who struggle with drug and alcohol problems or suffer from epilepsy, are more likely to commit violent crimes after they suffer a brain injury.

NHTSA Reports Increase in Truck Accident Fatalities in 2010

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:13:00 GMT

With all the attention that the near-record drop in traffic accident fatalities in 2010 has received, one small fact has escaped notice. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, while there was a drop in most types of traffic accident fatalities in 2010, the same was not so for trucking accidents. There was actually an increase of 8.7% in trucking accident-related deaths in 2010.

This increase comes after two years of declining truck accident-related fatalities. The trucking industry has already responded to the NHTSA statistics. The American Trucking Associations speaking for the trucking industry is calling the increase ‘concerning.’ Oddly enough, the group continues to call 2010 one of the safest years for the trucking industry on record.

The trucking industry has continued to tout its safety record over the past couple of years, solidly opposing any kind of trucking safety legislation, including the Hours of Service review that is currently underway. The industry has strongly resisted any moves to reduce the number of hours that a trucker can drive from the current 11 to 10. As part of its argument, the industry has used the declining number of fatalities in truck accidents over the past couple of years. That argument no longer stands, as statistics from 2010 show.

Accident fatalities are on the rise again, and San Fernando Valley truck accident attorneys are not really surprised. After all, the decline of the past couple of years has had a lot to do with a number of other factors, like the overall decline in motoring traffic as a result of the recession, as well as the decline in trucking activity. Now that motorists are driving more and commercial trucking has also picked up, we are likely to see more fatal accidents involving commercial trucks.

Motorcycle Accident Fatality Numbers up Again

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:06:00 GMT

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had announced news that was very welcome to San Fernando Valley motorcycle accident lawyers. The agency reported a decline in the number of motorcycle accident fatalities nationwide, the first such decline recorded in more than 11 years. However, in 2010, it was an entirely different picture. According to new data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2010, there was an increase in the number of motorcyclists killed in accidents, from 4,469 in 2009 to 4,580 in 2010.

That made for an increase of .7%, and although that may seem like a minor increase, it is still important because it signifies that any progress that has been made in reducing these fatality numbers over the past years, may have already been lost.

The federal agency has not yet gotten around to giving an explanation for the increase in motorcycle accidents-related fatalities. However, San Fernando Valley personal injury lawyers have a few theories. For one thing, in 2010, there was an increase in the number of vehicle miles traveled, with Americans traveling more miles last year. That has meant heavier vehicular traffic, and as a result, an environment that isn't as safe for motorcyclists. The previous year’s lower motorcycle accident death rate had been linked by some experts to a drop in vehicle miles traveled across the country, because of the recession. That doesn't seem to be true any more, and it could be that there are more numbers of automobiles on the streets, and these are colliding with motorcycles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not released data about the causes of motorcycle accidents last year, including rates of helmet use among motorcyclists and other important data that could provide clues to the reasons for this increase. However, any San Fernando Valley motorcycle accident attorney would advise that a motorcyclist always wear helmets while riding, and look out for vehicles.

FMCSA Advisers Recommend Sleep Apnea Screening Standards to Prevent Accidents

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:57:00 GMT

Advisers for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are increasing pressure on the agency to establish stronger screening standards for the detection of sleep apnea among truck drivers. The Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and the Medical Review Board are specifically recommending that the agency require medical examiners to test truck drivers with a body mass index of 35 and above for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea-linked truck driver fatigue has received a lot of attention as one of the primary safety issues facing the trucking industry. Several studies have confirmed that sleep apnea is associated with obesity. San Fernando valley truck accident lawyers have found that truck drivers are at a high risk of obesity because of their lifestyle, which includes poor diet and lack of exercise. In fact, the incidence of sleep apnea in the truck driver population is higher than in the general population.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person suffers from respiratory interruptions at night, and as a result, suffers from fatigue and lethargy in the daytime. A person who suffers from sleep apnea is constantly tired and drowsy. A truck driver like this is more likely to doze off at the wheel, increasing the risks of an accident. In fact, truck drivers who suffer from sleep apnea are at a 242% higher risk of being involved in an accident compared to those who do not suffer from the sleep disorder.

Now, the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and the Medical Review Board are advising the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to modify its guidance to include requirements that would immediately disqualify truck drivers who fall asleep at the wheel, or are involved in causing an accident while they are driving under the influence of fatigue. The committees are also advising that drivers with a body mass index of 35 and above be screened for sleep apnea, because recent research has found that body mass index is a primary indicator of the presence of sleep apnea. Typically, the higher the person's body mass index, the higher the risk of sleep apnea. By screening overweight truck drivers for sleep apnea, trucking companies would be able to detect the condition as quickly as possible, and place the driver in a treatment program.

32% of Drivers Admit to Drowsy Driving

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:22:00 GMT

Close to 96% of all motorists in a survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety believe that driving while drowsy is unacceptable. However, that doesn't stop 32% of them from driving while drowsy anyway. One out of every 3 drivers in the survey admitted to driving while fatigued when they were so tired they could barely keep their eyes open.

Last year, a survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drowsy driving was linked to one out of every six fatal accidents, and one out of every eight seriously injurious accidents. That survey really revealed to Los Angeles car accident attorneys the extent to which the public and transportation safety agencies have underestimated the role of drowsy driving in accidents.

Part of the problem is that there are no measures or indicators to identify drowsy driving, such as those that exist for intoxicated driving or speeding. There are no devices and indicators to help reveal whether a person is too drowsy drive.

In many accidents caused by drowsy driving, motorists fail to mention to police officers that they dozed off at the wheel, for obvious reasons. In fact, Los Angeles car accident lawyers suspect that the actual number of people being killed in accidents caused by sleepy drivers is much higher than we currently know.

This week, the National Sleep Foundation wants Americans to wake up to the dangers of drowsy driving. The Foundation is marking National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, hoping for more discussion about avoiding driving while fatigued.

Studies indicate that a person driving without sleep for twenty hours is just as impaired as someone driving with a BAC level of .08%. We have zero tolerance for intoxicated driving, and have fairly successfully promoted a culture that finds drunk driving abhorrent. We need to promote the same mindset for drowsy driving too.

Welcome to Our New Blog

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:14:00 GMT

Welcome to our new blog at www.freeman-freeman.com.

We hope that in the coming weeks and months this blog can become a valuable resource of information about our firm, some of our cases, and general information about personal injury cases.