Articles Posted in Car and Auto Accidents

Perhaps it is a bit cliché to discuss the dangers of drinking and driving on New Years’ Eve. In a perfect world, there’d be no need for such a reminder because people would put safety first and would never step behind the wheel after drinking. In this perfect world, our San Francisco injury law firm would not see the innocent victims who are facing serious, lifelong injuries because of a drunk driver. There would be no need for us to help grieving family members because their loved one would be alive and well if the drunk driver had handed over the keys. Sadly, ours is not this ideal world. While New Years’ Eve is not the most dangerous holiday for U.S. drivers, Thanksgiving actually holds that distinction, it is still a night associated with late-night parties and overindulgence in alcohol. So, in this imperfect world, it is still important to discuss the dangers of drunk driving before the festivities begin.

Drunk driving is not a new topic for this blog. With this post, we hoped to find just the right piece of information to convince even just one person to decide not to mix alcohol and driving. The boldfaced statistics below are from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we’ve added a bit of additional thoughts from our perspective as a law firm for drunk driving victims:

• Twenty-seven people die in the U.S. every day as a result of drunk driving accidents. Car collisions are the leading cause of death among U.S. teenagers, with 1/3 of those accidents involving alcohol. – Each fatality leaves behind grieving loved ones, struggling to cope with both the emotional and financial toll of an unexpected death.

Imagine you’ve been in an accident. You are likely frightened, a bit disoriented, and possibly in a great deal of pain. You wait. You feel a sense of relief when ambulance and police officials arrive on the scene, knowing that these emergency responders are trained and have come to help. You know there may be a journey of physical recovery and financial matters to come, but at least the accident itself is behind you. And then imagine, just as the responders begin to help you and the others involved in the incident, another vehicle comes crashing into the scene and it feels like the nightmare starts over again.

Officer and Civilians Injured When Car Crashes Into Accident Scene

Sadly, despite “move over laws” and other provisions aimed at keeping accident scenes from further harm, our Sacramento accident lawyer knows that crash sites all too often become the scene of a second accident. The Sacramento Bee reported on one such incident earlier this week in Moreno Valley. At around 8 A.M. on Monday December 24, emergency officials responded to an accident on State Route 80. According to CHP spokesman Steve Carapia, another vehicle crashed into a responding ambulance which then hit a police officer and another individual. The officer suffered moderate injuries. The other individual struck by the ambulance and the driver of the vehicle involved in the latter crash suffered major injuries. The Bee did not identify the cause of either crash, but several other news sources suggest the initial accident involved a single car that spun out and that the second driver lost control of her vehicle before careening into the accident scene while authorities were working to extricate the first driver from the wrecked vehicle.

All car accidents are frightening, but rollover accidents are particularly terrifying to contemplate. Our San Francisco accident law firm hears victims describe the fear inherent in any car crash. Rollovers epitomize the lack of control inherent in any accident and can leave victims seriously injured or lead to a loss of life.

Officers Injured When CHP Vehicle Flips During High-Speed Chase

The San Francisco Chronicle reported this week on a frightening high-speed chase that took place on Monday in Livermore. At around 3:25 A.M., a California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) vehicle attempted to pull over a car travelling in excess of 100 mph on Highway 580 eastbound, near Altamont Pass Road. When the driver refused to pull over, two patrol cars gave chase. One CHP car followed the suspect vehicle through a line of traffic cones diverting traffic into the left lanes. The second patrol car swerved to avoid colliding with a large truck, hit roadway debris, and flipped over. The two officers inside the flipped vehicle suffered cuts and bruises and were treated and released from Valley Care Medical Center. The first patrol car did continue the chase and ultimately the suspect pulled over and the officers arrested twenty-two year old Donte Neel on suspicion of speeding and evading police.

With a series of major rainstorms targeting our region, our Sacramento accident law firm wants to remind our clients and others in our region that rainy weather poses significant and very real dangers for motorists. Reporting in the midst of the storms, The Sacramento Bee cited numerous problems on Wednesday, the first day of the multi-day storm system. Despite the fact that rain was not extremely heavy, the day saw many spin-outs and fender-benders as well as flooding due to clogged storm drains. One major accident occurred on Interstate 5 where a big-rig truck jack-knifed and collided with the center divider, causing thirty gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the roadway and closing portions of the road for hours.

While Wednesday saw numerous crashes, thankfully no serious injuries were reported. However, it was only the start of the storm system that is expected to bring larger amounts of rain in the coming days with predicted rainfall totaling up to fifteen inches in some areas. This forecast makes it important for even experienced motorists to keep wet weather driving safety in mind before heading out in the storms.

Avoiding Skidding & Hydroplaning in Rainy Weather

Imagine you’ve been in a car accident. Imagine it was not your fault. If you’ve visited these pages regularly, you know that hiring an experienced San Francisco accident lawyer can greatly improve your chance of recovering money damages and also increase the amount of compensation you receive.

Now imagine one more wrinkle in the accident scenario – the driver responsible for the accident was an on-duty police officer. This may sound far-fetched, but officer-involved crashes are increasingly common. In this scenario, you still have legal rights and you may still be entitled to money damages through the civil litigation system. It is not only still okay to reach out to legal counsel, it is even more important.

Police-Involved Collisions: Statistics and Safety

At the Brod Law Firm, we work to get victims compensation through the state and federal civil court system. We are proud of our work as a San Francisco personal injury law firm, including our representation of those injured by drunk drivers. While the civil and criminal courts in the United States are separate and distinct systems, we believe it is helpful to have an understanding of both facets of the legal system as it relates to driving under the influence.

San Francisco DUI Charges Following Chase that Injured a Cyclist

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, a high-speed chase began early Thursday morning when the Highway Patrol began following an SUV on Interstate 80 near the area of the Bay Bridge. The female driver sped through the Mission district before colliding with a parked car that then hit a cyclist. Reports indicate it actually took hitting another parked vehicle and a utility pole before the woman came to a stop. The cyclist suffered minor injuries. Police arrested the driver and charged her with hit and run, recklessly evading police, and felony DUI.

The scenario is a familiar one. Driving home after a long day of work complete with hours of overtime, or perhaps from a fun but exhausting road trip, your eyes begin to feel heavy. Blasting the radio kept you alert for the first couple of minutes but you find yourself zoning out, no longer paying attention to the sounds coming from your favorite music station. The large coffee you had earlier isn’t providing the usual boost of energy and your eyes slowly close. Perhaps you catch yourself mere seconds after you doze off but perhaps not.

On the other side of the coin, maybe you are driving home at night, awake, alert with your eyes on the road. You spot the car in the lane next to yours swerving back and forth, not violently, but enough to stand out. Perhaps a driver who isn’t paying enough attention to the road, or a bit tired late at night. Before you can react, the car swerves into your lane and collides with you.

November 12-18, 2012 – Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

This is the scene the California Highway Patrol and the National Sleep Foundation wants drivers to avoid as they kick off Drowsy Driving Prevention Week from November 12th through 18th. There is no test of drowsy drivers as there are of drivers under the influence of alcohol. However, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow argues that “fatigued drivers are a safety risk on our roadways. If you are tired, reaction time and judgment can become impaired. Tired drivers behave similarly to those who are intoxicated.”

Studies estimate that 100,000 police reported crashes are due to drowsy drivers, leading to 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in damage every year. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that 13.1% of crashes result in hospital admission. Again however, because no definite numbers can be surveyed, these numbers may actually be underestimations of the damage a drowsy driver causes. Other research has shown that drivers who are sleepy, have impaired functions comparable to drivers with alcohol levels of 0.05.

Additional sleep polls from the National Sleep Foundation in 2011 showed that 52% of drivers have driven drowsy in the past year, and even 37% have admitted to doing so in the past month. This type of driving can be considered a form of negligence and can cause a wide severity of injuries. There is a simple method to avoid drowsy driving and the car accidents that ensue. Get a good night’s rest and try not to drive long distances alone. Remember to take a break every couple of hours and if you find that you are still unable to fight off the drowsiness, stop and find a place to rest before resuming driving. It is far better to be safe and alive than to cause an accident.

Sources:
CHP Launches Campaign to Fight Driver Drowsiness
Announcements: Drowsy Driving Prevention Week – November 12 – 18
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