Simple and Old-Fashioned Tips to Prevent Injury in a Chicago Car Accident

There are a few simple steps that motorists can take on our roadways to help save lives in the event of a car accident in Chicago. Some of the simplest steps include wearing a seat belt and ensuring that all child passengers are properly buckled up as well.

According to a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, some of the oldest safety precautions outweigh the benefits of new-car technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there were more than 32,750 people killed because of traffic accidents in 2009 in the United States.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that seat belts are one of the biggest lifesavers in the event of an accident. As a matter of fact, it's reported that more than 12,700 lives were saved in 2009 because of the use of seat belts. Estimates conclude that nearly 3,700 child lives over the age of four could have been saved if parent's would have properly buckled them in.

Seat belt usage is up a significantly from just 10 years ago. Many safe-driving advocates credit this increase to high-visibility enforcement efforts from law enforcement agencies and the increase in the number of states to enact primary seat belt laws. The national seat belt usage rate was about 85 percent in 2010.

Primary seat belt laws make it okay for officers to pull over a motorist simply for not wearing a seat belt. More than 30 states, including the District of Columbia currently have primary belt laws.

A parent can also help to save their child's life by properly buckling them up during all trips in the car. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently made some changes to its child safety seat recommendations, asking parents to keep their children in rear-facing car seats until they're 2-years-old or until they've reached the seat's height and weight limitations. Once a child has exceeded the limits for their rear-facing car seat, parents are urged to make the switch to the front-facing car seat.

Unfortunately, properly fastening these seats to the vehicle's seat is no easy task. As a matter of fact, more than 70 percent of parents misuse their child's car seat. CarSafety.org offers you a list of instructions on how to properly buckle in your safety seat. The website also provides you with reviews on popular car seats.

Once your child has outgrown their current front-facing car seat, it's time to advance them to a booster seat. Ideally, you want to place your child in a booster seat once they turn 13 or once they're 4 feet 9 inches.

“Any restraint is better than none, but to be most effective, it’s important that the restraint fits both the child and the vehicle,” says Institute senior vice president for research Anne McCartt.

Some of the best prevention measures rest in the hands of drivers. Motorists are urged to remain cautious and focused at the wheel at all times. Safe driving habits and proper restraints can help to keep you, your family and other motorists safe in the event if a car accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

More Blog Entries:

Windy City Drivers Among the Nation's Worst -- Chicago Car Accidents Often Result, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, September 12, 2011

As the School Year Begins, Officials Focus on Preventing Teen Car Accidents in Illinois, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, August 31, 2011

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

4 of our Michigan personal injury attorneys named Best Lawyers in America

It’s a nice honor to announce that four of our partners at Michigan Auto Law have been named Best Lawyers in America. Last week, Super Lawyers listed nine of our attorneys as Michigan Super Lawyers in the personal injury category.

It’s especially pleasing because our firm does almost no marketing whatsoever. We have no billboards (anyone else amazed by how many there are these days?), bus ads, TV or Yellow Pages. Our entire marketing campaign is simply to try to have the very best car accident and truck accident verdicts and settlements in Michigan every year - and business will come.

Fortunately, with the top auto verdict in seven of the past 10 years in Michigan, and the top Michigan auto accident settlements every year, it has proved a sound strategy. And it keeps me off of billboards!

Now four of our Michigan personal injury attorneys were recently selected by their peers - other attorneys from across the country - for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012— in the personal injury litigation specialty.

Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey of nearly 41,000 leading attorneys, who cast 3.9 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers. Those selected for Best Lawyers in America don’t pay a fee to be listed.

Our Best Lawyers include:

Lawrence Gursten: Larry is the founding partner of our law firm, and he has been one of the top car accident lawyers in the U.S. for more than 40 years.

Steven Gursten (me): I’ve been handling auto accident lawsuits for nearly two decades. I’m a Michigan Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year, and a Leader in the Law for my work promoting truck safety. I’m also president of the  Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association, and past-president of the American Association for Justice Truck Accident Litigation Group.

David Christensen – Dave is a partner of Michigan Auto Law, and President of the Negligence Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan (the organization of all personal injury attorneys in the state). Dave is known for for his expertise in brain injury lawsuits.

Robert Raitt: Bob is also a partner of Michigan Auto Law. He’s past-president of the Michigan Association for Justice – a victims’ rights organization comprised of more than 2,000 injury attorneys across the state. Bob is a tenacious trial lawyer who has multiple million-dollar verdicts and settlements.

Best Lawyers in America is considered the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. For more than 25 years, it has helped lawyers and clients find legal counsel in unfamiliar jurisdictions or specialties.

The lawyers listed in Best Lawyers in America don’t choose which practice areas they’re included in; they are voted into the practice areas from the votes they receive from their lawyer peers. Michigan Auto Law has been listed in the Personal Injury Litigation section this year and for the past several years.

Congratulations to our Michigan Auto Law Best Lawyers 2012.

- The Best Lawyers in America® 2012  is copyright 2011 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.

Related information:

What to do after a car accident in Michigan

Our clients and their stories

Michigan Auto Law in the news

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

How Much Liability Does the State of Kansas Share for Serious Injury Accidents on Dangerous Highways?

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we hope heads of state in Kansas and Missouri were paying attention to a whopping decision by a jury in the state of California, wrapping up a long standing accidental head on collision in 2006.  The jury awarded the family of the victims $29 million dollars.  The crash killed 2 children, paralyzed another and hospitalized the mother for months with severe injuries.

Besides finding fault in the motorist who fell asleep and caused the the head on crash– shockingly the second time he’s been convicted of murder for falling asleep at the wheel and causing a car accident,  jurors also found the California Department at fault for the fatal crash for not making safety improvements, such as guard rails.

Our experienced Kansas City Auto Accident and Injury Attorneys are happy that the jury in this settlement was able to look past the motorist, who was also guilty of causing this accident– and see that highways in this country…at least some of them, are clearly dangerous and something has to be done.  The jury felt the state was guilty for not installing a safety barrier between the highways.  We’ve seen a number of accidents right here in Kansas– Highway 10 in particular, where accidents are happening that can be prevented with safety measures.

True, these safety precautions won’t prevent ALL auto injury accidents, but our highway would certainly be safer if  money was being spent on making these roads as safe as possible.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury as the result of a car accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accident including Pedestrian Injury accident cases, we  might be able to help you.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 10:20 am 
Filed under Aggressive Driving Incidents, Auto Accidents, distracted driving, Rollovers, Texting and Driving, Unsafe Roads · Tagged with $29 million settlement, dangerous highways, free consultation, head on crash, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, Kansas city auto injury accients, Kansas highway 10, serious injury, serious injury accident, state of California jury

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Drunk Driving Accidents Set off Chain Reaction and Cause Serious Injury and Death to Motorists and Pedestrians

You are here: Home / Aggressive Driving Incidents / Drunk Driving Accidents Set off Chain Reaction and Cause Serious Injury and Death to Motorists and Pedestrians

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we work tirelessly to protect Kansas and Missouri pedestrians and motorists after they’ve become the victim of a serious injury accident with a drunk driver.  Believe us, you never know when a dangerous drunk driver can become a threat.  In New York last week,  a three vehicle accident that caused by a drunk driver who slammed into two vehicles including a MTA bus.  The force of the collision crashed the bus  into the side wall of a McDonald’s Restaurant.   There were no passengers aboard the bus at the time of the crash and no one inside the McDonald’s was injured.

However, the driver of the bus, a 51 year-old man; and the 27 year-old driver of the second vehicle were hospitalized with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

As experienced Kansas City Drunk Driving Injury Lawyers, we unfortunately see these types of accidents quite often.  Motorists aren’t the only ones in danger of a drunk driver because there are no rules stating where a drunk driver is likely to lose control.  This is a major reason why drunk driving is such a dangerous problem in Kansas and Missouri.

If you’re planning on going out for a drink and plan on driving, remember this– the penalties against drunk drivers in the state of Kansas is about to get a lot tougher.  A new law is expected to pass that would require ALL drivers charged with DUI, beginning with a first offense– to get an interlock device on their car.  Hopefully that alone is enough to get you to think twice before you drink an drive.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accidents, including Drunk Driving Injury cases, we may be able to help you and your family get through this difficult, emotional and stressful time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 2:04 pm 
Filed under Aggressive Driving Incidents, Alcohol and Illegal Drugs Related Auto Accidents, Driving Dangers, Drowsy Driving, drunk driving · Tagged with bus crashed into McDonald's, driving under the influence, drunk driving accident, DUI, james roswold, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, kansas city drunk driving, kansas city drunk driving injury attorneys, multi-vehicle crash, serious injury

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Teaching voir dire for Michigan personal injury attorneys

Next week, I will be moderating and speaking to my fellow personal injury attorneys at a Michigan Association for Justice seminar. The topic is voir dire, or the questioning of prospective jurors.

Voir dire is conducted by lawyers and by a judge in court. It’s a process that’s used to determine if any juror is biased in a way that would tend to favor one side over another in a trial. Voir dire can be as simple as finding out if a juror already knows one of the parties or lawyers or it can be more complicated, like the insurance company executive who is asked to serve on a No-Fault insurance trial on overdue and owing insurance benefits.

In my opinion, voir dire is the most important part of trial.  It is far more important than the opening statement or closing argument. In this world today, with polarized opinions and strongly held views, if you cannot find six or eight people who can be fair to both sides equally, you’ve already failed your client.

For example, according to one study I read, as many as 25 percent of the population doesn’t believe that a person injured due to another person’s negligence should receive compensation for pain and suffering.  But in a car accident case, where medical bills and the first three years of wage loss are paid by a person’s own No-Fault insurance company, pain and suffering is the reason you are there in court.  If 25 percent of your jury doesn’t even believe the person should get this, despite what the court instructs (or for that matter the Constitution of the United States), you have a real problem.

Voir dire is where so many otherwise well-intentioned injury lawyers fail in court, because they never get a jury who can be fair to both sides.  It doesn’t matter if your case is just, or you present a stronger case in each phase of trial; if the people sitting on the jury are fundamentally predisposed before they hear any of the evidence to side against you, you are in big trouble.

And that makes this seminar so important for Michigan personal injury attorneys. If we can’t get a feel for the personalities and likely views of the people on the jury panel, than how can we properly protect our clients after they’ve been injured in auto accidents?

The topics of the seminar, which will be held in Redford, Michigan, as are follows:
•    What tools today can  assist you in jury selection?
•    Tips and strategies to de-select the anti-plaintiff juror
•    A helpful panel discussion with several well-respected Michigan  judges.

The Michigan Association for Justice (formerly the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association) is a state organization of more than 2,000 personal  injury attorneys who are dedicated to helping accident victims. Our lawyers are strong supporters of the Michigan Association for Justice, as past-presidents and current members of the MAJ Board.

I know this seminar will be a valuable resource to help our Michigan personal injury attorneys  protect their clients, and get fair results in car accident and truck accident cases.

Don’t forget to visit Facebook.com/MichiganAutoLaw this week to enter to win a $1,032 check as part of our distracted driving awareness campaign.

- Steve Gursten is one of the top personal injury attorneys in Michigan. He is head of Michigan Auto Law and has received the highest verdict or pain and suffering settlement in the state for a car accident or truck accident victim in 2008, 2009 and 2010, according to Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Steve is past chair of the Michigan Association for Justice executive board.

Related Information:

What’s the No. 1 thing attorneys can’t tell jurors in trial?

Tort “reform” - A failed experiment in legal-social engineering

Free book - Protecting your legal rights after an auto accident

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Illinois personal injury lawyer settles auto accident case for insurance policy limits

Chicago car crash attorneys have reached a settlement on behalf of a Cook County resident that was injured by an inattentive driver who rear-ended him as he was preparing to turn into a shopping mall parking lot. The victim suffered injuries to his neck and back.

On September 24, 2009, our client was traveling southbound on 25th Avenue in Bellwood, Illinois when he turned his right turn signal on and began to slow down to an appropriate turning speed. Before he could attempt the turn, a 1994 Chevy Lumina failed to yield to the victim and rear-ended his 2006 Honda Ridgeline. The Bellwood Police Department responded to the scene and after a brief investigation, they placed the driver of the Honda at fault.

Immediately following the collision, the victim had an onset of back and neck pain that required him to be taken to Loyola University Medical Center by ambulance. The hospital performed a series of diagnostic tests and initially diagnosed him with a cervical strain and thoracic spine pain. He was placed in an aspen collar, prescribed pain medication, and instructed to seek follow up treatment with an orthopaedic doctor.

Six days after the accident occurred, ongoing and worsening pain in the victim’s neck, right arm, and left arm necessitated a trip back to the hospital emergency room. After more tests, doctors found that he had tenderness in the paraspinal musculature and instructed him to begin physical therapy and seek further treatment if necessary.

After an examination by an orthopedic physician in October, the doctor ordered an MRI as he believed the plaintiff may have sustained a herniated disc in the accident. The MRI results showed plaintiff sustained a disc bulge with at C3-4 level, peripheral right sided neural foraminal encroachment and impression upon the thecal sac, a right sided posterolateral disc herniation at the C4-5 level, encroachment of the exiting nerve root zone, and proximal right neural foramen, and a disc bulge at the C7-T1 level and peripheral neural foraminal encroachment bilaterally.

The doctor recommended that he receive a cervical spine epidural injection if his radicular symptoms continued. Our client completed fifteen sessions of physical therapy, but the pain of the injury continued, limiting his ability to conduct daily life activities.

Illinois injury attorneys at our office obtained the defendant's $20,000 insurance policy limits. The case against the at fault driver resolved without having to commit to a time-consuming and expensive lawsuit. That being said, attorneys at our office believe the value of his injuries are greater than $20,000, so we are now pursuing an underinsured motorist claim against the plaintiffs own auto insurance carrier to recover an additional amount.

You may be entitled to compensation for your auto accident injuries if they were caused by the fault of another. Contact the lawyers at Abels & Annes for a free, no obligation case evaluation and see what your options are. Call (866) 99-ABELS.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Brain injury lawyer tip: the significance of seizures following TBI

I recently interviewed a new client who was being tested at U of M hospital for post-traumatic Parkinson’s and seizures following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a truck accident.  The client is from Marquette, Michigan, and he has been driving all the way to U of M, as well as to MIND - the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders - following his injuries. 

I feel terrible for him.  Much of his treatment was delayed by doctors that his workers compensation carrier picked for him. But what makes the case notable and holds a lesson for  brain injury lawyers in Michigan and other states is the post-traumatic seizures he is now having. The client  had what was initially classified as a “mild” TBI — mild being a medical classification that has little meaning to the long-term consequences of the brain injury.  Over the past 18 months, his condition has clearly deteriorated, which is what caused his first lawyer to refer the case to my office.

Traumatic brain injury lawyers helping accident victims with seizures or “spells” following a brain injury should know that this is not uncommon. These can occur following mild traumatic brain injury and are described as a form of “post-traumatic epilepsy” consisting of “partial seizure-like symptoms.”  It usually indicates the brain is injured and damaged, particularly when there is no history of seizures or spells before the traumatic event.

The client’s TBI started fairly typically. And the early medical records show the classic constellation of traumatic brain injury symptoms, including dizziness, headache, sleep disturbance and fatigue, as well as cognitive symptoms such as deficits in attention, concentration and short-term memory.  But the seizures — usually lasting only a few seconds and including incontinence, smell, and extreme fatigue afterwards -  are very scary for him and his family. The truck accident victim’s wife reports that he “blanks out” and is then very confused and tired. These seizures can also be extremely dangerous, and even deadly.

About 10 years ago, I was friends with a lawyer who had a similar momentary seizure, not very different from other seizures he had had in the past, but this time he fell forward into a pillow at night with no one around. He suffocated and died. His loss was and is still very sad and tragic. 

The story of my friend above shows these partial seizure-like symptoms are very serious. For people who deal with seizures, it effects a person’s ability to drive a car or hold a job.  My client in this case is a truck driver, and the FMCSA has strict rules (many of which still unfortunately get ignored) about the health of drivers before they can drive a truck.

Seizures are also a major complicating factor contributing to poor outcomes in the “20 percent miserable minority” of people who have suffered brain injury from car accidents and truck accidents and who go on to have permanent disability.  That is hundreds of thousands of people every year who continue to have very serious problems and ongoing disability from TBI.  Medicine still has very little understanding as to why so large a segment of TBI victims make such poor recovery, although most of the doctors I talk to say genetics plays a large role here, as does cognitive reserve.

From past cases, and lots of neurologist examinations and cross-examinations of defense IMEs in TBI cases, I’ve learned that an epileptic seizure is caused by the inappropriate discharge of cerebral neurons as a result of brain dysfunction.

In a normal brain, the spread of electrical activity between neurons is restricted. During a seizure, there is an abnormal discharge of electrical activity in the brain. The most noticeable form of seizure is a “general seizure,” in which neurons throughout the entire brain are “activated” inappropriately.

But the majority of post-traumatic seizures are “partial seizures”  with a focal region of the brain with abnormal electrical discharge. I’ve been told that in most cases the partial seizures originate in the temporal lobe.  The temporal lobe is also the area involved with emotion, memory, olfaction and hearing.  Seizures can affect each of these, and the medical records from my client from Marquette do show each of these areas has been affected. 

The best advice I can give, as a lawyer who has been helping people with TBI and fighting these battles for almost 20 years,  is that it’s really important to have  a top neurologist involved in your client’s care, recovery, and rehabilitation. This can sometimes be a problem in our managed care, or in the case above, workers compensation and insurance company case manager driven world.   

As scary and disabling as partial-seizures can be for someone who was hurt in a truck accident, they are often missed and poorly documented in the medical records, especially in the beginning. This is because the “spells” are first noted by family, and more often because post-traumatic seizures are  overshadowed by more obvious injuries, including physical injuries and the cognitive and emotional troubles arising from a brain injury.

When defense lawyers attack these cases (and often the plaintiff, since with these “invisible injury cases” defense lawyers always try to attack the plaintiff. Ironic isn’t it, how the person who is hurt through no fault of their own because someone else isn’t paying attention is the one who always ends up on trial in TBI cases?), it’s important for the lawyer to explain that partial seizures can explain inconsistent neuropsychological testing. 

It helps to know where the defense is coming from in brain injury cases. 

Don’t forget to visit Facebook.com/MichiganAutoLaw this week to enter to win a $1,032 check as part of our distracted driving awareness campaign.

- Steven M. Gursten is a brain injury lawyer and head of Michigan Auto Law. He is a member of the American Association for Justice Traumatic Brian Injury Litigation Group. Steve received trial verdicts of $5.65 million and $3.5 million for brain injury car and truck accidents victims in Michigan. Both trial verdicts were the largest reported auto negligence verdicts in Michigan for the year.

Related information to protect yourself:

Steps TBI victims must take after an auto accident

The truth about delayed and missed TBI diagnosis

For brain injury lawyers: Michigan traumatic brain injury law

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with a Michigan brain injury lawyer. We can help.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Allstate sin No. 5: Driving out brain injury doctors who treat car accident victims

Last week, I discussed Allstate’s third and fourth sins: Running doctors who treat car accident victims out of business and using false allegations as reason to refuse payment to these doctors. And today I’m going to tell you about Allstate’s fifth sin — the last in my series (for now), about the insurance giant’s wrongdoings.

These blogs were inspired by Allstate’s new  “claims satisfaction guarantee,” which is prompting many No-Fault insurance lawyers who are familiar with Allstate to shake our heads at the hypocrisy of its new advertising campaign in light of its actions.

Here’s the skinny on Allstate’s final stunt:

Recently, Allstate filed a federal lawsuit against 24 medical providers in Michigan. Allstate wanted to recoup money it had paid to the doctors for their care of auto accident victims (who were covered by Allstate insurance).

Why would Allstate deliberately target these doctors?

To save money. There are only a handful of private practice doctors who treat traumatic brain injury victims in Michigan. If Allstate targets the ones who provide this necessary but expensive medical treatment for the brain injury community and can dissuade them from helping TBI car accident victims or drive them out of business, it can save itself millions of dollars.

But Allstate didn’t prevail this time. In Allstate Insurance Company v. Global Medical Billing, Inc., et al. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, February 23, 2011), a federal judge said Allstate could not sue these Michigan medical care providers to recover $680,000.  It also raised disturbing questions about Allstate’s conduct and motives - after all, there are many independent agencies that could investigate allegations of fraud that would not raise the obvious conflict of interest here.

For more information about the case, take a look at our blog, Allstate Insurance won’t be targeting Michigan doctors who help auto accident victims.

Here’s how Allstate attacked a doctor in another state – and had to pay a  whopping $21 million verdict for defaming him and running him out of business.

As I’ve written before, I certainly believe, as do many insurance lawyers around the country, that this abuse by insurance companies against good doctors who care for car accident victims is calculated and intentional.  It’s a war that has been going on for many years.

This is the last in my series of Allstate’s sins, for now.  But our No-Fault insurance lawyers are very confident that Allstate will still be giving us plenty to write about in the future.

If you can think of any additional “sins” that Allstate should repent for in its claims handling for Michigan auto accident victims, share them with us by making a comment below, or on our Facebook page.

Next week, I’ll be writing about what’s really in the fine print of Allstate’s “claims satisfaction guarantee.”

- Steven Gursten is recognized as one of the nation’s top No-Fault lawyers handling serious auto accident cases and insurance litigation. He writes about insurance company abuse and Michigan No-Fault insurance laws, and is available for comment.

- This blog was written by Steven Gursten and Todd Berg, esq.

Allstate’s sins – Our blog series:

Allstate’s 5 sins: Profit-boosting tactics that harmed auto accident victims

Allstate sin 1: Using Colossus software to reduce payouts to auto accident victims

Allstate sin 2: Targeting accident victims who had the audacity to hire an attorney

Allstate Sin 3&4: Running doctors out of business and using false allegations as reason to refuse payment to these doctors

Allstate Sin 5 (written above): Driving out brain injury doctors

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our No-Fault insurance lawyers.

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Chicago injury lawyer settles DUI accident lawsuit for $100,000 policy limits

Illinois personal injury lawyer Gary Annes has reached a $100,000 policy limits settlement on behalf of a client who suffered painful injuries in a car accident caused by woman who had smoked marijuana and consumed alcohol prior to the incident.

On August 2, 2008, the defendant was driving northbound, at an excessive rate of speed, in the leftmost lane of IL-53 in Rolling Meadows when she lost control of her vehicle, improperly crossed over all lanes of traffic to her right and the shoulder, impacted with the metal guardrail, swerved back left, and crashed into the passenger side rear quarter panel of the plaintiff’s 2000 Subaru Forrester.

The woman admitted to paramedics that she had been drinking, and the drug screen at the emergency room was positive for marijuana, cocaine, and valium. She later admitted to smoking marijuana on two separate occasions that day, including approximately 45 minutes before the incident.

The woman had a prior DUI conviction from less than a year prior to that date, as well as other prior arrests related to drugs and alcohol. She was issued several tickets for the incident and pled guilty to failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision, improper lane usage, and driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol. The accident was investigated by the Illinois State Police.

After impact, the victim’s car began to spin out of control, causing her to hit her head on the driver’s side window, hit her left arm, elbow, shoulder, knee, and ankle against the driver’s side door, and her right knee against the center console. When the paramedics arrived, she complained of headaches and hyperventilation.

Shortly after the accident she was treated at the Glenbrook Hospital emergency room. There, the woman complained of pain in her neck, left shoulder, elbow, arm, knee, and was suffering from a headache. Tests were performed and an MRI revealed that she had multiple disc protrusions. The pain and discomfort then worsened over the next couple days. Her primary care physician recommended a course of physical therapy.

On November 10, 2008, the victim followed up with her primary care physician as she was still experiencing pain, primarily in her head and neck. She was referred to a chiropractor and underwent physical therapy treatment from then until June of 2009. Despite these treatments, the plaintiff’s condition continued to worsen, especially with regard to her knees and ankles.

Her doctor ordered MRI’s for her knees, which revealed meniscus tears in both. The doctor related both injuries to her car accident and recommended bilateral knee arthroscopies with debridement. He then performed the surgery at Weiss Memorial Hospital in July 2010, which he reported was needed as a result of the motor vehicle collision. She was prescribed a course of treatment consisting of twenty-five physical therapy sessions.

As her knee problems became more manageable, she sought treatment for the pain in her foot and ankle. Bilateral MRI’s were performed, and showed sprain or partial tear of the distal posterior tibial tendon in both feet and an avulsion injury of the synchondrosis of the naviculare in the left foot. The doctor reported that the condition was caused by the motor vehicle accident and recommended surgery for both the foot and ankle, which the woman plans to undergoe in the near future.

As a result of the injuries caused by the intoxicated driver, the victim was unable to engage in many of the activities she enjoyed prior to the collision. In addition, most activities of her daily life, such as sitting, standing, cooking, shopping, cleaning, walking stairs, and going to work, were impossible for a time, and then later caused her pain when she did attempt to accomplish them.

She hired the lawyers our law firm shortly before the two-year statute of limitations, and we immediately began working to secure the maximum compensation possible for the life-altering injuries she sustained at the hands of a negligent driver. We obtained the defendant's insurance policy limits. And we continue to work on the case, however, as the $100,000 is not adequate to compensate the victim for all the pain and suffering she has endured. We are now seeking additional monetary damages in the form of an underinsured motorist claim against her own insurance provider.

Tort liability is based on a simple notion, fairness. You have the absolute right not be subjected to harm at the hands of others, and if you are, you have the right to monetary compensation for your injuries. If you have been unfairly hurt by another person in a car accident, bicycle accident, work injury, slip and fall, or other situation, please call Abels & Annes. Our lawyers will consult you on your accident, free of charge. Call (866) 99-ABELS to speak to an attorney.

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Allstate sin No. 5: Driving out brain injury doctors who treat car accident victims

Last week, I discussed Allstate’s third and fourth sins: Running doctors who treat car accident victims out of business and using false allegations as reason to refuse payment to these doctors. And today I’m going to tell you about Allstate’s fifth sin — the last in my series (for now), about the insurance giant’s wrongdoings.

These blogs were inspired by Allstate’s new  “claims satisfaction guarantee,” which is prompting many No-Fault insurance lawyers who are familiar with Allstate to shake our heads at the hypocrisy of its new advertising campaign in light of its actions.

Here’s the skinny on Allstate’s final stunt:

Recently, Allstate filed a federal lawsuit against 24 medical providers in Michigan. Allstate wanted to recoup money it had paid to the doctors for their care of auto accident victims (who were covered by Allstate insurance).

Why would Allstate deliberately target these doctors?

To save money. There are only a handful of private practice doctors who treat traumatic brain injury victims in Michigan. If Allstate targets the ones who provide this necessary but expensive medical treatment for the brain injury community and can dissuade them from helping TBI car accident victims or drive them out of business, it can save itself millions of dollars.

But Allstate didn’t prevail this time. In Allstate Insurance Company v. Global Medical Billing, Inc., et al. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, February 23, 2011), a federal judge said Allstate could not sue these Michigan medical care providers to recover $680,000.  It also raised disturbing questions about Allstate’s conduct and motives - after all, there are many independent agencies that could investigate allegations of fraud that would not raise the obvious conflict of interest here.

For more information about the case, take a look at our blog, Allstate Insurance won’t be targeting Michigan doctors who help auto accident victims.

Here’s how Allstate attacked a doctor in another state – and had to pay a  whopping $21 million verdict for defaming him and running him out of business.

As I’ve written before, I certainly believe, as do many insurance lawyers around the country, that this abuse by insurance companies against good doctors who care for car accident victims is calculated and intentional.  It’s a war that has been going on for many years.

This is the last in my series of Allstate’s sins, for now.  But our No-Fault insurance lawyers are very confident that Allstate will still be giving us plenty to write about in the future.

If you can think of any additional “sins” that Allstate should repent for in its claims handling for Michigan auto accident victims, share them with us by making a comment below, or on our Facebook page.

Next week, I’ll be writing about what’s really in the fine print of Allstate’s “claims satisfaction guarantee.”

- Steven Gursten is recognized as one of the nation’s top No-Fault lawyers handling serious auto accident cases and insurance litigation. He writes about insurance company abuse and Michigan No-Fault insurance laws, and is available for comment.

- This blog was written by Steven Gursten and Todd Berg, esq.

Allstate’s sins – Our blog series:

Allstate’s 5 sins: Profit-boosting tactics that harmed auto accident victims

Allstate sin 1: Using Colossus software to reduce payouts to auto accident victims

Allstate sin 2: Targeting accident victims who had the audacity to hire an attorney

Allstate Sin 3&4: Running doctors out of business and using false allegations as reason to refuse payment to these doctors

Allstate Sin 5 (written above): Driving out brain injury doctors

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our No-Fault insurance lawyers.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

6 social media tips for auto injury plaintiffs

Readers of my Auto Lawyers Blog know that social media investigation is a hot topic, and one that I’ve blogged about previously. You can expect the defense attorney or insurance adjuster to do at least a cursory investigation of Facebook and other social media in any serious auto accident injury case.  Today’s guest blog has some additional good tips for accident victims to consider:

Are you involved in an auto injury court case? If so, now’s not the best time for social media. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels are playing a bigger and bigger role in the courtroom and, unfortunately, can be used against you in some cases by an accident attorney.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to decrease the likelihood that your social media presence will be used against you. One of the most effective things you can do is temporarily disable your social media accounts. But if you’re not quite ready to do that, take a look at these options, which are a bit less extreme:

1. Check your privacy settings – Facebook is constantly changing its privacy settings to protect its users, but sometimes this can backfire. Every time there’s an update, your privacy settings change back to the default. Check your settings and ensure that only your friends can see your profile – instead of everyone in your network. If you wish, you can also change your settings to ensure you’re not “searchable.” This keeps nosy lawyers out of your personal business.

2. Keep an eye on your photos – If your settings allow your friends to tag photos of you, be sure to monitor these carefully. If you’re seeking pain and suffering compensation then make sure you’re not posting or tagged in any photos in which you’re smiling, having fun or enjoying yourself. Consider opting into Facebook emails, so you’ll get a notification every time you’re tagged.

3. Don’t be careless in updates – Watch yourself when posting an update on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. Even a smiley face or series of exclamation points can be taken the wrong way in your accident injury case.

4. Look over ALL your online profiles – Although Facebook and Twitter are the most well known, there are many other sites that could be used as evidence. Do you have photos posted on Flickr or a Picasa web album? How about YouTube or your personal blog? Check all of these and remove any content that could be taken the wrong way.

5. Ask yourself: “Who will see this”? – Before you post a status update, photo or blog post, ask yourself the simple question of who will see the content? If there’s even a remote possibility that it could be used against you, it’s a good idea to keep it to yourself.

6. Google yourself – Even after you’ve taken all of the above precautions, take some time to search your name. Do an image and web search for your name (in quotes) to see what pops up. If you find anything, do your best to get it removed right away.

Even if you’re a self-proclaimed “social media addict,” considering even a few of these above steps can save you embarrassment and increase the likelihood that the court rules in your favor in your auto accident case.  For more ideas and recommendations, check out this accident injury blog.

Related information to protect yourself:

What is the effect of social media use by car accident victims?

Auto accident lawyer warning: Watch what you post on the Internet

Michigan car accident legal help center

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our auto accident lawyers.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Fatal Pedestrian Injury Caused by Drunk Bus Driver; Are You Safe on a Kansas City Bus?

You are here: Home / drunk driving / Fatal Pedestrian Injury Caused by Drunk Bus Driver; Are You Safe on a Kansas City Bus?

No one will ever say driving a bus is easy, but drinking and driving any vehicle is dangerous.  Already you have more blind spots in a bus and if the driver has been drinking, it just makes it worse–

A pedestrian was killed after being struck by a bus in midtown Manhattan and apprently the driver of the bus, 57-year old Steve Drappel, 57, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was drinking vodka at the time of the accident.  Reports from the scene of the fatal pedestrian injury accident say the acciedent was caused when the bus took a turn onto Ninth Ave. at W. 47th St., and struck the 29 year-old pedestrian.

The pedestrian was caught in the rear wheels and dragged for nearly thirty feet before other drivers managed to flag down the bus.  He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died of massive injuries.  The bus driver failed a breathalyzer test after the accient, blowing a BAC of .08 – twice the legal limit for commercial drivers. He has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and DWI.

Our experienced Kansas City Pedestrian Injury Lawyers want to remind all motorists about the importance of watching out for pedestrians and bicyclists in Kansas and Missouri.  We encourage all drivers to slow down and pay attention, especially when driving through neighborhoods or on streets with pedestrian crossing and bus stops.  If you are approaching a pedestrian crossing, slow down and be prepared to stop to allow the pedestrian or bicyclist the right of way.  When you come across a bus stopped on the side of the road, whether it be a public transportation bus or a school bus, always be on the look out.  A pedestrian has no protection in the event of a collision with an automobile and these accidents often lead to serious injuries, including head injuries and in some cases, death.   Be safe and pay attention– and above all, look out for pedestrians.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in an auto accident as a pedestrian in Kansas or Missouri, you  may be entitled to compensation for your losses.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney James Roswold.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accidents, including Pedestrian Injury cases, we may be able to assist you and your family through this difficult time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Friday, June 10, 2011 at 10:49 am 
Filed under drunk driving, Motorcycle Accidents, Pedestrian Injuries · Tagged with fatal pedestrian accident, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, kansas city bus accident, kansas city pedestrian injury attorneys, kansas city personal injury lawyers, pedestrian accident, pedestrian bus accident, serious injuries

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Kansas City Highway Traffic Can Lead to Injury Accidents if You’re Not Paying Attention

You are here: Home / Auto Accidents / Kansas City Highway Traffic Can Lead to Injury Accidents if You’re Not Paying Attention

We know that traffic can be frustrating.  Sometimes an injury accident can hold up traffic on a major highway for several hours and that is always the last thing you need when you’re starting your day.  The important thing to remember when these traffic conditions present themselves is to continue to drive patient.  At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we’ve seen this before.  A traffic delay becomes frustrating and that leads to someone trying to cut corners and make up for lost time– often times leading to another injury accident– which only makes matters worse.

Two motor vehicle accidents happened on 69 Highway in Overland Park, KS. creating a lengthy traffic delay.

The perfect example of this happened the other day when two Kansas City Auto Accidents happened within an hour of each other on U.S. 69 Highway in Overland Park and shut down the highway for a few hours.  The first auto injury accident happened around 8:12 p.m. when two vehicles collided on northbound 69 Highway at Blue Valley Parkway– then,

the second accident happened around 9:30 near 69 Highway northbound at 135th Street when a pickup truck was attempting to avoid hitting a stopped vehicle and was rear ended by a second police truck.

Between both accidents there were eight overall injuries. All were hospitalized but none are expected to be life threatening.

As experienced Kansas City Auto Injury Lawyers, we want you to be safe during your daily commute to or from work.  Make sure you keep posted on any developments in traffic for the route you take home.  There are plenty of smart phone apps that will send you updates on traffic problem, including injury accidents.  Plan ahead and leave yourself time to react to the things that aren’t within your control.  Drive safe, drive smart, Kansas City.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in an automobile accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyer James Roswold.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accidents, we may be able to help you and your family get through this difficult time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 8:06 am 
Filed under Auto Accidents · Tagged with auto injury accident, Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, kansas city auto injury attorneys, kansas city car accident, kansas city personal injury lawyers, KS, Overland Park, serious injury, serious injury accident, traffic jam, traffic jam accident, U. S. 69 Highway

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

Major predictors of motorcycle accidents and serious injury

I came across this list from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and I wanted to share it with my fellow motorcycle accident lawyers and my readers who are bikers.

There’s always talk in the media about motorcycle accidents in Michigan, especially given the recent proposed laws to repeal the helmet requirement. Some driving behaviors are obvious predictors of motorcycle crashes. I’ve written about this many times, and hopefully we can prevent motorcycle accidents and keep  riders safe.

In an action plan to reduce motorcycle fatalities, the NHTSA listed the characteristics of motorcycle crashes, based on motorcycle accident injury and death statistics from 2005.

• Mostly Caucasians - The majority of motorcyclists killed were Caucasian (77 percent), followed by African-American (9 percent), Hispanic (7 percent) and Native American (1 percent).

• Motorcycle operators - The majority of those killed in motorcycle-related crashes were motorcycle operators (90 percent), while motorcycle passenger fatalities have been constant at 10 percent for several years.

• Males - Over the last decade, 90 percent of motorcyclists killed were male.

• Bikers with larger engines - The largest number of motorcycle fatalities (41 percent) is still in the 501-1,000 cc engine size group, followed by 38 percent in the 1,001-1,500 cc engine size group.

• Motorcyclists over 40 - Two-thirds of motorcyclists killed on 1,001-1,500 cc engine size motorcycles were riders over 40 years old.

• Drinking and driving bikers in fatal crashes - In 2005, 27 percent of all fatally injured motorcycle operators had BAC levels of .08 g/dL. An additional 7 percent had lower alcohol levels.

• Single-vehicle motorcycle accidents - Forty-one percent of the 1,878 motorcycle operators who died in single vehicle crashes in 2005 had BAC levels of .08 g/dL or higher. Sixty-one percent of those killed in single vehicle crashes on weekend nights had BAC .08 g/dL or higher.

• No motorcycle helmets - Forty-five percent of fatally injured motorcyclists did not wear helmets.

• States that don’t require helmet use - Helmet use rates are lower in states that do not require all riders to use helmets. In 2006, 68 percent of motorcyclists in states requiring helmets wore DOT-compliant helmets, compared to 37 percent in States not requiring all riders to use helmets.

• Weekend motorcycle crashes - Twice as many motorcycle fatalities occurred on weekends as opposed to weekdays.

• Multi-vehicle motorcycle accidents - Motorcyclists are more likely to be killed when there are crashes involving more than one vehicle; 55 percent were killed in multi-vehicle crashes, while 45 percent were killed in single vehicle crashes.

• When there is an invalid motorcycle license - Nearly one out of four motorcycle operators (24 percent) involved in fatal crashes were operating their vehicles with invalid licenses at the time the collision.

Please, always wear a motorcycle helmet. And if you have questions about motorcycle accidents and the law in Michigan, call one of our motorcycle accident lawyers at (800) 777-0028. There’s no fee or obligation, and we can answer all of your questions.

- Steven M. Gursten heads Michigan Auto Law and is recognized as one of the nation’s top motorcycle accident lawyers. He received the highest motorcycle accident settlement in Michigan last year, according to Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Steve has spoken at seminars on winning motorcycle accident lawsuits, and is available for comment.

- Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, by Anindo Ghosh

Related information:

Choosing a safe motorcycle helmet

Michigan motorcycle accident FAQs

What do to after a motorcycle accident in Michigan

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Chicago personal injury lawyer to represent man hurt in hit-and-run accident

Illinois car crash attorneys at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent a Chicago man that was injured in a traffic collision in May, 2011. The incident occurred at Clark and Jackson in the Loop.

The plaintiff was sitting at a red light when a pickup truck slammed into the rear his car. The pickup then fled the scene, driving away going westbound on Jackson Street, which is an eastbound one-way street.

After the accident, both our client and witnesses were able to take down the hit and run driver's license plate number. The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene of the collision and ran the license plate number, identifying the owner.

The next day the plaintiff called the defendant, who surprisingly cooperated, admitted involvement and gave his auto insurance information. It is unclear if he will now face criminal charges for fleeing the scene.

In my experience, a fact pattern like this is uncommon. Typically drivers that flee the accident are uninsured.

The plaintiff sustained neck and back, shoulder, and right elbow injuries in the crash. He was treated at Stroger Hospital after the crash.

In the days following the incident his pain only increased. He is now under the care of a medical doctor in the Chicago area.

The plaintiff's vehicle sustained heavy damage in the accident and was totaled.

If you have been hurt in an Illinois car accident, contact the personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes for a free case evaluation. Call us at 312-924-7575.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

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Chicago personal injury lawyer to represent passenger hurt in car accident

Illinois auto accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have agreed to help North Side resident that was recently injured in a collision. Our client was riding as a backseat passenger in a multiple vehicle crash.

The accident occurred in the area of Belmont and Kolmar Street in Chicago at the beginning of May, 2011. The plaintiff's car was traveling behind a truck in a line of traffic. At that time, the truck slowed and stopped for emergency vehicles immediately ahead of them.

The plaintiff's vehicle stopped in time, however her vehicle was rear-ended by the automobile directly behind them. The car that did not stop in time was then rear-ended by another vehicle, creating a second impact.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene and handled the crash investigation.

The plaintiff sustained back and neck injuries in the accident. She was seen shortly after the accident at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. There she was examined by ER physicians, x-rays were taken and she was prescribed a medication. She was diagnosed with neck and back sprain/strain.

Over the next several days following the collision our client's pain increased substantially. She is now under the care of an orthopedic physician in Chicago.

If you have been hurt in a traffic collision, contact the Illinois injury attorneys at Abels & Annes for a free, no obligation consultation. Call 312-924-7575 or click here to fill out a contact form. There is no attorney's fee unless a recovery is made on your behalf.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

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Running a Stop Sign Causes Auto Injury Accident on Truman Road in Kansas City

As Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we know there are many dangers facing Kansas City motorists these days.  Drivers these days are in such a hurry that it has almost become common place to witness someone breaking a traffic law, even a minor one, on a daily basis.  But this is where things get dangerous.  When motorists get out and decided they are going to drive by their own rules– serious injury accidents become more and more likely.

Accidents can be avoided by following all traffic laws including stop sign and traffic light etiquette.

In Kansas City last weekend, three people were seriously injured in a two vehicle accident that was caused when a van ran a stop light and collided with a sports utility vehicle at Truman Road and Topping Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.  One of the passengers in the SUV was ejected from the vehicle and taken to a nearby hospital with what was described as critical and most likely life-threatening injuries.  Two other victims of the auto injury accident were also hospitalized with serious injuries.

Kansas City Police have said they are investigating the crash to determine if the driver of the van was drinking and driving at the time of the crash, although nothing has been determined at the time of this blog writing.

Our experienced Kansas City Auto Injury Attorneys work hard to protect victims of serious injury accidents in Kansas and Missouri, but we’d just as soon rather see them not happen at all.  These accidents can be prevented by practicing safe and attentive driving techniques– and that means doing the little things, like stopping at stop signs and traffic lights.  We do sincerely hope the victims of the tragic and unnecessary accident are able to fully recover from their injuries and hope in the future, all motorists obey the laws of the road to keep our roads and highways safe for everyone.

While nothing has been determined as far as the use of alcohol in this case, it’s no secret that drinking is driving is as foolish as it is dangerous.  Look, there is nothing wrong with having a drink, but please be responsible.  Find a designated driver or a safe ride home.  We want you to be safe and arrive alive.  Think when you drink.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury in an auto accident in Kansas or Missouri, call  experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyers James Roswold and Heather Lottman.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accidents, we might be able to help you through a stressful time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Monday, April 25, 2011 at 1:13 pm 
Filed under Aggressive Driving Incidents, Alcohol and Illegal Drugs Related Auto Accidents, Auto Accidents, Driving Dangers, drunk driving · Tagged with auto injury accident, drunk driving, drunk driving accidents, ejected from vehicle, experienced kansas city auto injury attorneys, Kansas, Kansas City, kansas city personal injury lawyers, Missouri, running stop light, serious injury, truman road and topping avenue

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

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Rumble Strips Helping Protect Missouri Motorists from Serious Injury Accidents

Rumble strips have helped decrease fatal injury accidents on Missouri Highways according to MoDOT.

Every now and then we are delighted to bring you good news about auto accident fatalities in Missouri.  This time its’ coming from MoDot, whose officials are saying that the number of auto fatalities caused by drivers going off the road has dropped over the past few years thanks to rumble strips.  Rumble strips are uneven sections of pavement on the side of highways that will help a driver see and feel where the side of the road is at night and during bad weather.  When tires them, they vibrate and create a sound that hopefully jolts the driver back to focus to hopefully prevent Missouri motorists from driving off the road and crashing.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT), nearly 250 people died in these types of accidents last year, which is a significant drop from the nearly 700 in 2005.  Overall, 818 people died in fatal car accidents on Missouri highways in 2010, which represents the lowest number of deaths in nearly 50 years.

We know that as long as people are driving and capable of human error then car accidents are always going to be a dangerous problem.  Our experienced Kansas City Auto Injury Attorneys are certainly encouraged by these numbers and hope transportation officials in both Kansas and Missouri look into adding these rumble strips to all major highways.  If they’re working, lets spread them around and really bring those fatality numbers down.  As we mentioned before, distracted driving and drowsy driving can lead to fatal crashes and these rumble strips can absolutely make a difference.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury in an auto accident in Kansas or Missouri, call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyers James Roswold and Heather Lottman.  With over 15 years of experience in Auto Injury Accident Attorneys, we might be able to help you through a stressful time.

Contact Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys to set up a free consultation to discuss your personal injury claim.  You can get started today by downloading our free book, “10 Essential Steps to Protecting Your Injury Claim“.  We want you to know your rights.

Posted by author on Friday, April 22, 2011 at 2:42 pm 
Filed under Aggressive Driving Incidents, Auto Accidents, distracted driving, Driving Dangers, Texting and Driving, Unsafe Roads · Tagged with auto injury accidents, distracted driving, drowsy driving, drunk driving, I-70, kansas city auto injury attorneys, kansas city personal injury lawyers, Missouri, missouri highways, MoDot, rumble strips, serious injury

Kansas City Auto Accident Blog

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Illinois injury lawyer to represent Chicago car crash victim

Chicago auto accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have signed on to represent a local resident that was injured in an April, 2011 collision. The accident occurred in the 3500 block of Montrose Avenue. Our client was driving westbound in a 2000 Dodge Neon when she was rear-ended by the driver of a 1995 Subaru that was also moving westbound.

Immediately after the accident the plaintiff started experiencing neck pain and headaches. She was seen shortly there after at the Resurrection Hospital emergency room. There she was examined by emergency room physicians. The ER doctors diagnosed her with acute neck sprain, prescribed pain medication and instructed her to follow-up with a physician.

Since the date of the accident her pain has only increased and she is now treating with orthopedic doctors in Chicago.

The Chicago Police Department handled the crash investigation.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

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Monster Truck Kills Woman In Strip Club After Fatal Injury - Dallas, Texas

 

As reported by Fox news:

A woman was struck and killed early Thursday morning by a pickup truck that was jacked up so high, the driver says he never saw his victim.

The accident happened around 2:15 a.m. in the parking lot of Spearmint Rhino Gentleman's Club on Composite Drive near Walnut Hill in Dallas.

Police say 27-year-old Eric Crutchfield got into his silver four-door Ford F-250 truck and slowly began to pull forward out of his parking space.

Witnesses say the victim, 23-year-old Kasey McKenzie of Granbury, was walking through the parking lot and had just stepped in front of Crutchfield's truck as he put it in gear.

According to the police report, two of the Ford's giant tires, which appear to be at least three feet tall, rolled over McKenzie. However, Crutchfield told police he didn't realize anything had happened until other people stopped him in the parking lot.

Officers booked Crutchfield on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, and discovered he has a suspended license.

McKenzie's Facebook page says she is a 2006 graduate of Granbury High School and a 2010 graduate of University of North Texas.

Friends and family members say she was not an employee of the club.

View the Original article