Car Wreck

Personal Injury Attorneys and Lawyers in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina :: Red States and Blue States Differ on Fatal Traffic Accident Rates

December 11, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Though most of us know about the cultural differences that appear to exist between people in red and blue states, we likely have never heard that there are also differences in fatal traffic accident rates. According to a recent article in the LA Times, red states have significantly higher fatal traffic accident rates than blue states.

Some may try to extract political reasons for the difference, but experts agree that the real reason is one of geography. Most red states have higher speed limits than blue states given the increased amount of open, rural roadways as opposed to dense, urban population centers. Moreover, red states often see drivers having to travel longer distances and go further to find a hospital or emergency services. Blue staters are more likely to use public transportation, further dropping their chance of being killed on the road.

Public transportation usage dramatically reduces the rate of road deaths, so much so that many people have used the data to push for an increase in government money directed towards rail projects. Nearly all of the least fatal states have comprehensive public transportation systems which keep residents from driving much of the time.

The site revealed that the 10 highest death rates, per 100,000 people, occurred in states that voted for Mitt Romney in the recent election. Even more surprising is that fully 17 out of the 18 deadliest traffic accident states voted Republican in 2012. The 10 states with the highest traffic death rates per 100,000 population are: Wyoming, Mississippi, Arkansas, Montana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, South Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia.

Dram Shop Attorneys and Lawyers in Charlotte, NC :: North Carolina Dram Shop Laws Receive Attention After Tragic Accident

November 29, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

A heartbreaking drunk driving crash in Charlotte, NC that severely injured a young couple and killed their unborn child and the drunk driver shed light a law that is meant to prevent bars and restaurants from serving alcohol to already intoxicated customers.

The innocent North Carolina couple was driving home in October of 2010 when police say a drunk driver with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit crashed into them going more than 100 miles per hour. The drunk driver had just left a bar in south Charlotte where he had been served at least 10 drinks.

The couple spent more than a month in the hospital and the wife lost the baby and more than 40% of her own blood. Extensive surgery was required for both the husband and wife in addition to many months of rehabilitation after the accident.

Earlier this month a jury in Charlotte returned a $1.7 million verdict against the bar, finding that the restaurant was negligent in serving alcohol to a person it should have known was drunk. Though the bar has not been found criminally liable, saying an investigation by the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board found that the bar had not served alcohol to the drunk driver after he was “visibly intoxicated,” the civil standard is less stringent.

The innocent couple sued the bar under North Carolina’s law that makes establishments that serve alcohol to obviously drunk or underage customers who then cause death or injury to others liable. The laws, known as dram shop laws, are on the books in all but seven states. Some have criticized the North Carolina law for being vague; not specifying exactly what owners of such establishments should do to ensure they are not liable for the actions of their patrons.

Wrongful Death Attorneys and Lawyers in Charlotte, North Carolina :: Young Woman in North Carolina Dead After Terrible Car Crash

November 27, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

A North Carolina two-vehicle crash that led to the death of a young mother has resulted in charges for the other driver according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol. The man was charged with misdemeanor death by a motor vehicle and failure to stop at a stop sign.

The accident happened when the other driver’s Chevy truck crashed into the Ford truck driven by the young mother at the intersection of Northam Road and Snead Road in Rockingham, NC.

The young mother was driving a friend and her three children when the wrecked occurred. The friend suffered neck injuries and two of the children had to be treated at the Carolinas Medical Center for injuries they sustained in the accident. The young mother was ejected from the Ford after being hit on the driver’s side. The other driver only had minor cuts and bruises.

The charges leveled against the other driver carry a maximum penalty of 150 days in jail given that there are no indications at this point that drugs or alcohol were involved in the collision.

This crash demonstrates just how dangerous something so small as running a stop sign can be. Other drivers do not stand a chance when a fast moving object slams into them. The man responsible for the terrible crash has been charged with several crimes and also faces the possibility of additional civil suits as a result of the accident.

Car Wreck Lawyers in Charlotte, NC :: Charlotte Hit-and-Run leaves 21-year-old in Critical Condition

October 4, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

According to a report by WCNC, a young woman is in critical condition after a hit-and-run car accident on I-485 occurred late last month. The accident happened near the Providence Road exit.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol has said that a 21-year-old female driver passed an SUV in the right lane and attempted to get back in the left lane when the SUV clipped her car from behind and spun her off the road. Troopers said the SUV did not stop and continued down I-485 toward Pineville. The SUV is described as a light gray or silver with possible damage to the front right side.

The victim in the accident has suffered multiple broken bones, internal injuries and two collapsed lungs. Troopers have said that witnesses report the driver of the SUV may have had road rage issues prior to striking the young driver’s car.

After crashing into another car, the decision to bolt from the scene is not only heartless, it’s also against the law. Now, the driver responsible for the crash is likely to be convicted of criminal charges in addition to the civil penalties he could face. In North Carolina, hit and run accidents are governed by North Carolina General Statutes § 20-166. The law states:

(a) The driver of any vehicle who knows or reasonably should know:

(1) That the vehicle which he is operating is involved in an accident or collision; and
(2) That the accident or collision has resulted in injury or death to any person; shall immediately stop his vehicle at the scene of the accident or collision. He shall remain at the scene of the accident until a law-enforcement officer completes his investigation of the accident or collision or authorizes him to leave; Provided, however, that he may leave to call for a law-enforcement officer or for medical assistance or medical treatment as set forth in (b), but must return to the accident scene within a reasonable period of time. A willful violation of this subsection shall be punished as a Class H felony.

Truck Fire and Five Car Crash Leads to Injuries and Terrible Charlotte Morning Commute

September 18, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

According to WCNC, commuters in Charlotte, NC had a rough morning as a major truck fire on Interstate 77 and a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 85 caused major delays for the early commute.
The television station reported that a truck caught fire on I-77 north near Nations Ford Road which briefly blocked all lanes and caused major delays. Emergency crews quickly put the fire out and thankfully no one suffered injuries.
However, a multi-vehicle accident across town on I-85 near Gastonia reportedly left some of the drivers with injuries. Traffic was backed up for miles past the accident scene near the Cox Road interchange. Given how recent the accident was the North Carolina Highway Patrol has not yet specified what injuries occurred as a result of the wreck.

Breaking Down Insurance Coverage in North Carolina

September 13, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

When shopping for car insurance, many people are put off by not knowing which of the many varieties of coverage they may actually need and which ones are merely there to line the pockets of insurance companies. A recent article by Yahoo Finance analyzed some standard insurance policies to come up with a guide for what kinds of coverage the average consumer needs. The Yahoo article gave each variety of coverage a ranking according to color: red meaning the policy is urgent, orange to signify important and yellow meaning least critical. First things first, liability coverage:

• Liability Coverage
• Urgency: Red
Liability coverage exists to pay for bodily injury and property damage that you or others cause while operating your vehicle. Liability coverage will also cover court costs if you’re sued as a result of an accident. Given the description, the necessity of the policy is pretty obvious. It’s this coverage that is designed to protect your assets and future earning power if you are ever involved in a bad accident. A bit of good news is that it typically doesn’t cost much (less than $50 every six months) to double your current liability coverage, so it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.

• Collision Coverage
• Rating: Yellow
Collision coverage is what pays to fix your car in the event of an accident. The value of this policy depends almost entirely on money; how old and how much your car is worth, how much a repair might cost and whether you’re able to afford the repair on your own without collision coverage.

While collision coverage is important, as your car ages and depreciates, it might not be a bad idea to increase your deductible so that your monthly premiums go down or even consider dropping collision all together. This is an instance where leasing your car will result in a guaranteed purchase as companies will require you to carry collision coverage.

• Medical Payments Coverage
• Rating: Orange
Medical-payments coverage ensures that reasonable medical expenses are paid for those in your vehicle, regardless of who caused the wreck. The importance of this policy depends on your situation, if you don’t have insurance or are lacking, move the color up to red and carry the maximum that your company will allow. If you’re an avid carpooler then you’ll also want increased coverage to ensure that everyone in your car has his or her medical care covered in the event of an accident.

• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• Rating: Red
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, or UM/UIM, exists to pay for injuries that results from an accident caused by a driver who either totally lacks or does not have enough insurance coverage of their own. The number of uninsured drivers in North Carolina is significant, estimated at 8% who lack proper coverage. Given the risk of running into one of these drivers (pardon the pun), this kind of coverage is absolutely critical for drivers in the state. Even if you’re in an accident with someone who has insurance, a lot of times they might not have enough insurance to cover the injuries you actually sustain.

Study Reveals Danger of Singing and Driving

September 6, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

In the last few years, traffic safety officials both in North Carolina and at the federal level have been focused on distracted driving, working to educate drivers on the dangers of talking, texting and emailing on mobile devices when behind the wheel. In doing so, however, it seems that many people are no longer focused on some of the more traditional forms of distraction while driving, such as eating and drinking, changing the radio and putting on makeup.

Now, a new study, mentioned in an ABC News article, appears to indicate that it may be time to direct more attention toward some of these other forms of behind-the-wheel distraction. In the study, researchers found that drivers who listen or sing along to their favorite tunes are more likely to get into car accidents than drivers who do not play music in the car.

The study was conducted recently by researchers in Australia, and the results of the study have been published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention. The researchers were specifically looking at how driving abilities were impacted by singing or listening to music in the car. The researchers attempted to compare how driving abilities were impacted when a person was singing and driving as opposed to when the driver was just listening or had no music on at all.

The researcher put drivers (a total of 21 individuals) through a simulation exercise. They were each tested on how well they were able to concentrate on driving while they were exposed to music. The researchers found that drivers who were listening to music on their car radio, or singing along to the radio, were much slower to respond or react to emergency situations than those drivers who had no music on in the car.

The reason, the researchers determined, is that singing while driving draws attention away from the road. Any activity that draws attention away from the road can be considered a distraction. Drivers, who sing in the car, were much more likely to vary their speeds while driving. These drivers were also found to drive at a much lower speed, compared to drivers who were not listening to any music. The researchers concluded that the most attentive drivers were those who were not listening to any music at all.

Child in Charlotte, NC Dies After Not Wearing Seatbelt

September 4, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Police in Salisbury have announced that a young boy, who was killed in a car crash, was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision. The 12-year-old tragically died on impact during a crash last month.

Police say the driver of the boy’s car was driving east on Airport Road when she tried to turn left into a parking lot at 1010 Airport Road. The driver turned in front of an oncoming Jeep Cherokee, and the Jeep struck the Honda, pushing it into a phone pole. No one in the Jeep was injured.

At this time no charges have been filed against either of the drivers as police continue an investigation into the circumstances. This wreck demonstrates what we already know: every hour someone dies in America simply because they chose not to buckle up. Despite the fact that safety belts are the most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries, sadly, many adults and children simple don’t feel the need to use them.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among those between the ages of five and 34. An astounding 2.3 million adult drivers and passengers were treated in emergency departments as the result of being injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2009. The Centers for Disease Control says that adults who do not use safety belts may think that their behavior only affects them, but they are wrong. Studies consistently show that there is a correlation between adult belt use and child belt use. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), when a driver is buckled, 94 percent of the time children in that vehicle are buckled; but, when a driver is unbuckled, only 30 percent of child passengers are buckled. What parent wants to pass along such a dangerous habit?

What You Should Know About Children and Head Injuries

August 28, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Head injuries are not something to take lightly. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1.7 million people in the country sustain a traumatic brain injury every year, and these injuries contribute to a third of all injury-related deaths in the United States.

Children, especially those between the ages of 0 and 4 and the ages of 15 and 19, are the most likely to sustain these injuries, which is why education about the dangers of head injuries is so important. Because of the long-term effects that head injuries can have, parents should learn all they can about this common childhood injury.

In children, head injuries often occur while they are playing. Falls on the sports field, tumbles while riding a bike and trips while climbing outdoors are all common causes. For this reason, children should wear protective helmets whenever possible. Parents need to make sure that helmets are being used when their children participate in rough sports events or when riding wheeled toys, such as bikes, scooters and roller skates. Head injuries also frequently occur as a result of car accidents, especially when children are not properly restrained. Proper use of child safety seats can help protect children against serious brain injury in a car accident.

Though head injuries affect all children, a recent Reuters article mentioned the findings of a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine which shows the treatment for such injuries may not be uniform across the different races. Researchers looked at brain injuries and treatment of children and discovered differences based on the race of the injured child.

According to the research, white children get CT scans more often following minor head injuries than the children of the other races. The study found that 42% of white children brought in for minor head trauma got CT scans while only 28% of black and Hispanic children brought in for minor head trauma received such scans.

Some may think this means that hospitals are giving better treatment to white children, but the results indicate that unnecessary CT scans can actually be dangerous to the children receiving them. In this case, more treatment is not better treatment and can actually lead to medical mistakes and dangerous radiation risks.

Personal Injury Lawyers in Charlotte, NC :: Megabus Bound for Charlotte Involved in Mega-Accident

August 21, 2012 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

A double-decker bus caught fire last week along I-85 in northeast Georgia, forcing Megabus passengers to flee to safety and closing the northbound lanes of the interstate for hours. The commercial bus was traveling from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina when the fire broke out at about 11:40 a.m. near Lavonia, Georgia. Officials with Megabus said that some 80 passengers were on board at the time and all, including the driver, were able to evacuate safely.

It’s the latest incident for Megabus, which offers low-priced, one-way fares between major cities across the U.S. Just a week before, on August 2, a Megabus struck a bridge pillar in the median of I-55 near Litchfield, Illinois killing one passenger and injuring nearly four-dozen others. Police have said that a blown tire likely caused the double-decker bus to weave out of control and crash into the pillar. The same week a 76-year-old woman in Chicago died from injuries she suffered when a Megabus hit her as the driver attempted to make a turn on a tight downtown street. Finally, back in February, a Megabus driver was acquitted of homicide charges for the deaths of four passengers when his double-decker bus crashed into a low overpass in upstate New York back in 2010.

Megabus drivers have been cited for speeding 35 times in the past two years, including 14 occasions where the driver was traveling more than 15 mph over the speed limit. During those same two years, a driver was cited for failure to inspect or use emergency equipment, six buses were cited for no or defective emergency doors and more than 50 citations were issued for failure to properly log a driver’s time on duty.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Megabus officials said they are working with state and federal investigators to determine whether all safety protocols were followed in the accident. The bus that caught on fire was manufactured by Van Hool in 2012 and had passed a full preventative maintenance check less than 2,500 miles ago, according to Megabus. It is unknown whether the driver performed an inspection before leaving Atlanta the morning of the accident. Such an inspection is required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of all commercial interstate drivers.