McDowell & Morrissette, PAMcDowell & Morrissette, PA2023-11-10T08:50:22Zhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1202026/2019/11/cropped-Site-Icon-32x32.pngOn Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=482302022-04-26T21:37:24Z2022-04-21T18:00:48ZWhat are the most common reckless behaviors?
There are a number of extremely reckless behaviors that are the causes of motor vehicle accidents. One of them is tailgating. If you were driving in snow or rain and are forced to brake suddenly, you may well have been rear-ended by a tailgating driver. This is the type of accident that can lead to serious injuries and even fatalities.
Another common cause of accidents is driving while impaired. You may notice someone in front of you weaving through traffic lanes. They may have had too much to drink or are impaired by drug use. It's a good idea to slow down to avoid them. Their reckless behavior can lead to losing control of their vehicle.
Other types of reckless behavior include driving too far to the shoulder and lane splitting. These are the types of activities that cause cars to veer off the road. Lane splitting also causes more than its share of accidents. Motorcyclists trying to squeeze between other vehicles take huge risks.
What are common reckless driving injuries?
Reckless driving is often the cause of serious injuries that can have lasting effects. Some of the most common include injuries to the spinal cord. This is the type of damage that can lead to partial or total paralysis. It can also cause outbreaks of chronic pain, mobility issues and heart problems.
Driving in a reckless fashion can also cause many other types of injuries. These can range from whiplash to broken bones to severe fractures of the skull. You may suffer a traumatic brain injury that can seriously affect your quality of life. It's a good idea to review your current health plan to ensure that it provides for these types of injuries.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=482292022-01-19T02:44:51Z2022-01-19T02:44:51ZHow they generally work
Companies that make self-driving big rigs like Waymo, Aurora, TuSimple, Uber, Ford and Tesla have built upon car technologies that have been around for years like automated braking, lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control. They have added more improved camera systems, depth sensors, speed monitoring, maps, radar and autopilot features that remove the need for a human driver.
Generally, the trucks can auto-drive safely on roads with these features as confirmed by several tests. However, human drivers will still be necessary in case the technology starts to fail, if repair is needed in the cabin or in navigating busy or small cities.
Risks of self-driving big rigs
Hackers can take over the truck – Malicious hackers can exploit the complex systems used in self-driving big rigs to take over control or even cause motor vehicle accidents. Since self-driving trucks are made with the ability to communicate with each other, sending and receiving data that could be helpful on the road, an attacker can get into that network and interfere with the systems or information transfer.
Motion sickness – A self-driving truck will have an experienced human driver behind the wheel in case something happens to it that needs fixing. Many human drivers report motion sickness, resulting in nausea and sometimes vomiting.
Liability – Finding the person to blame for a self-driving truck accident can be quite challenging. Manufacturers can claim that the human driver should have taken over control to prevent the accident. The human driver can blame the software engineer for faulty systems. Regardless, the trend so far has been to blame the operator.
Companies producing self-driving big rigs have claimed that they can reduce road accidents by up to 90%, but that doesn't mean that they are perfect. Like any other technological advancements, there are still risks associated with this new venture.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=482272021-10-20T20:44:19Z2021-10-20T20:44:19ZRollovers
Truck drivers are often carrying heavy loads in the trailer portion of their vehicles. When trucks have to make sharp turns, the trailer can sometimes become unbalanced and flip over. Rollover truck accidents can be devastating and lead to motor vehicle crashes that involve multiple cars. In some cases, spilled cargo can make a bad situation even worse.
Rear-end collisions
Trucks have a much greater stopping distance than other types of vehicles. If a truck is driving too close behind the car in front and then suddenly has to stop, this can lead to a rear-end collision. Since trucks are so much larger than passenger cars, the passenger car often ends up underneath the truck.
Head-on collisions
Head-on collisions between a large truck and a passenger car are often fatal for the occupants of the smaller vehicle. These truck accidents sometimes occur because a truck driver drifts into the opposite lane of traffic. Some reasons for this can include:
• Drowsiness
• Distraction
• Intoxication
Truck accident liability
When a negligent truck driver causes an accident with a smaller car, there is usually more than one liable party. The truck driver’s employer may have liability for hiring the driver and, perhaps, for requiring the driver to work for too many hours straight. In some cases, the shipping company that loaded the truck will have liability if the truck was loaded improperly.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=481552021-07-22T20:09:06Z2021-07-22T20:09:06ZThe case for later school start times
Sleep scientists have documented that very early start times for high schoolers are disruptive to sleep schedules and the body's natural sleep/wake cycle, especially for teenagers experiencing rapid changes to their bodies. Starting school later in the day is linked to improved academic outcomes and engagement, a reduction in migraine headaches and other physical ailments, and lowered risks of obesity. According to one study, delaying start times by slightly over an hour also led to fewer motor vehicle collisions and incidents of drowsy driving by teens heading to school. The county studied during the experiment showed reduced crash rates in comparison to other neighboring regions with earlier school start times.
Risks of drowsy driving
Studies indicate that drowsy driving may be implicated in up to 6,000 deadly car accidents every year and leads to at least 90,000 crashes annually. Tens of thousands of people are injured as a result of these collisions. While it is difficult to fully assess the toll taken by drowsy driving, around 21% of fatal accidents are linked to at least one driver operating their vehicle while drowsy. Still, 60% of adults report that they drove while drowsy in the past year.
When people get behind the wheel when they are too sleepy to drive, it is all too easy to collide with others on the road. As a result, drivers and passengers in other vehicles may suffer serious injuries that keep them out of work or require months or years of follow-up care for treatment. People who have been injured by a drowsy or otherwise negligent driver may turn to a personal injury attorney to pursue compensation for their losses.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=481292021-04-23T20:16:39Z2021-04-23T20:16:32ZWhat you need to know about airbag-related burns
Many people don’t know that there is a chemical reaction involved when an airbag deploys. The result is the release of a lot of hot gas into your car’s interior. This airbag deployment method creates the risk of sustaining both heat and chemical-related burns. A dangerous caveat of airbag burns is that it can sometimes be difficult to determine if they are chemical- or heat-related. Chemical burns require different treatment than thermal burns, which makes airbag-related burns not only unexpected but complex as well. A burn from airbag deployment should never be marginalized or misrepresented. An experienced personal injury lawyer is often a valuable ally when pursuing compensation for airbag burns from a motor vehicle accident.
Airbag burns can be serious matters
Even if the burns are minor, you still may suffer from pain and have to make multiple trips to medical facilities while you heal. If the burn is severe enough, you may even need to miss time from work or manage the reality of an unsightly scar. Airbag burns tend to occur on the hands, arms and upper torso, which can be socially uncomfortable areas to sustain permanent scarring. Remember that it’s not uncommon for airbag-related burns to be as severe as second- and, sometimes, even third-degree ones.
Good advice never hurts
A burn caused by airbag deployment during a motor vehicle accident has a good chance of causing you to incur medical bills and should be taken seriously by the liable driver’s insurance carrier. Furthermore, because airbag burns can be difficult to classify, it may be necessary to seek the advice of an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you determine your options for recourse.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=481272021-01-26T23:01:02Z2021-01-26T23:01:02ZWhat are the femur bones?
Your femur bones are located on each of your legs. This is the bone that runs from your hip to your knee. The reason that this bone is so critical is due to the fact that it is connected to your hip. A broken connection, of course, could make walking extremely difficult to accomplish if the femur becomes damaged. It is how the bone is connected to the hip and knee that makes it extremely difficult to break during motor vehicle accidents, but when a femur does break, it can bring on extreme pain as well.
How femurs break
As stated above, it takes an extreme amount of force to break a femur. However, that does not mean it's impossible. One of the most common ways people receive femur fractures is after going through a car accident. Because you're in a sitting positing with your legs extending forward, the force of a car crash at the front of your car can instantly break your femur.
Types of femur fractures
The severity of a femur break is typically determined by a person's age, height, and many other factors. For example, because older people are more fragile, they are more likely to experience a break in the femoral neck, which is also known as a hip fracture. Normal adults and some teenagers are more likely to experience a femur fracture around their knees.
Taking statements and collecting evidence after a femur fraction can be almost impossible because of limited mobility and pain. That is why important to consult with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Doing so may be your best bet to receive the compensation and justice you deserve.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=479522021-01-07T19:11:29Z2021-01-07T19:11:23ZCan you claim lost income after an accident?
If you're thinking about filing a car accident claim, you should know that you can claim lost income on top of your other damages. However, you'll have to gather evidence that proves that you've lost income because of your injuries. To make your case, you'll have to get a doctor's note that states that you've been unable to work after your MVA. You should also collect financial documents like pay stubs and tax returns as well as a letter from your employer that confirms that you work there.
Once you've gathered this information, you'll have to calculate the amount of income that you've lost. If you're an hourly worker, you can simply take your hourly wage and add up the number of hours that you would have worked if you hadn't been injured. If you're a freelancer or contractor, you can use invoices and tax returns to estimate how much you would have made if you hadn't had the accident.
After gathering proof and financial documents, it's time to talk to an attorney about filing a claim. You might be eligible for a payout that covers the wages that you've lost after your accident. The settlement might also cover your medical bills, vehicle expenses and legal fees.
Do you need an attorney when you file a claim?
If the other driver had insurance, you might be able to file a claim with their insurance company. If not, you might have to sue the other driver to receive a payout. In any case, an attorney could help you file a claim.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=479512020-09-23T23:13:30Z2020-09-23T23:13:23ZCrash percentages by age group
Men were more likely than women were to be found speeding at the time of a fatal crash. Thirty percent of men between 15 and 20 years old involved in these crashes were speeding, making this age group the most dangerous. Among women of that same age group, 18% were found to be speeding. Next were 21- to 24-year-olds: 29% for men, and 14% for women.
The percentages declined with age so that 8% of men aged 75 and above were speeding at the time of a fatal crash. For women 75 and older, that percentage was 5%.
Traveling too fast for road conditions
It's not just breaking the speed limit that's negligent; drivers may cause crashes by traveling too fast for road conditions. Of all the crashes in 2018 that occurred on roads with dirt, gravel or mud, 45% involved speeding. Experts discovered that this was so with 41% of crashes on icy or frosty roads and 37% of accidents on roads with moving or standing water. Conversely, speeding factored into 16% of crashes on dry roads.
Seeing a lawyer about your case
Many speeding-related car accidents lead to personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits. If you're thinking to file one or another type of claim, you may want a lawyer to guide you through this stressful time. He or she may negotiate for a good out-of-court settlement, litigating if the other side does not agree to one.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=479372020-07-09T17:44:59Z2020-07-09T17:42:15ZWhat errors can self-driving cars prevent?
The IIHS studied over 5,000 crashes from NHTSA's National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey as well as the errors that were behind them. It then placed those errors under these five categories:
• Sensing and perceiving errors
• Errors in prediction
• Planning and deciding errors
• Execution and performance errors
• Errors stemming from incapacitation
If self-driving cars can identify road hazards better than people can, it will eliminate sensing and perceiving errors. Errors from incapacitation, such as alcohol intoxication, can be avoided as well. Yet these two categories only accounted for about 34% of crashes.
What automakers need to think about
Prediction errors include incorrect judgments of traffic gaps and vehicle speeds. Planning errors include aggressive driving and following too closely to the vehicle in front. Execution errors range from inadequate maneuvers to overcompensation.
To prevent these errors, automakers need to prioritize safety over speed or drivers' convenience. The car must be able to slow down when road conditions are dangerous, take into account low visibility and high pedestrian traffic and much more. But, as mentioned above, not all accidents are due to driver error. The IIHS said that crashes arising from vehicle failure, such as blown tires and bad axles, cannot necessarily be avoided.
Holding the other driver responsible
Since you were injured through the actions of a human driver, your personal injury case will not have to deal with any complexities around self-driving cars. Still, it can be hard to file a claim and be compensated for all your losses; you could make a number of mistakes that weaken the case. You may want an attorney to help you with each step.]]>On Behalf of McDowell & Morrissette, PAhttps://www.mcdowell-morrissette.com/?p=479362020-04-16T15:21:01Z2020-04-16T15:21:01ZRights of pedestrians
According to the law, if you are crossing the street at a marked crosswalk or at a traffic signal with a green light or walk sign, you have the right of way. In addition, if you are walking along a roadway, drivers must slow down until there is an opportunity to pass you safely. Some city ordinances may require you to cross streets only at marked intersections.
Even if you were entirely within your rights as a pedestrian, this is of little comfort when you have suffered severe injuries in an automobile accident. You may be able to demand accountability and compensation from negligent drivers with the help of a skilled professional.
Proving a driver was distracted
The attention of drivers can be taken off the road by any number of distractions, including:
Cellphone use
GPS devices
Car stereos
Other passengers
You may not have to provide solid proof that the driver was distracted to succeed on your personal injury claim. However, your claim will be stronger if you have some evidence of distracted driving. You may be able to use cellphone records, eyewitness accounts and camera footage to strengthen your case.
Exercise caution when out on a walk
Drivers have a legal duty to share the road with pedestrians. However, distracted drivers are commonplace, and who had the right of way is not much of a concern if you find yourself laid up in a hospital.
While some accidents are unavoidable, you can help protect yourself when you are on foot by paying attention to the traffic around you. Defensive walking can be just as important as defensive driving.]]>