Senior Drivers Over the Age of 85 Have Car Accident Fatality Rate 9 times Higher Than Younger Drivers

In 2009, there were more than 33 million licensed drivers over the age of 65 in the United States and that number is estimated to grow to 70 million by the year 2030. Americans are living longer lives than previous generations but that means many are outliving their ability to drive safely by seven to 10 years. Cognitive, visual and physical declines mean that many elderly people are not able to drive as safely as they once were.

Most elderly drivers recognize their limitations and choose to stop driving in the dark, in rush hour traffic or far away from home even if they resist giving up their license. If you have an elderly parent who is still driving but you don’t feel should be, the first step is to have a discussion and ask them to get an evaluation at the doctor.

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Chickens Running Around 1-5 After Semi-Truck Accident

About 4 a.m. on Monday, February 11, a large tractor-trailer hauling live chickens crashed on I-5 in Olympia, Washington. The accident happened near the exit to U.S. 101 where the truck hit the jersey barrier and knocked down a street light. The driver was not injured.

Three southbound lanes and two northbound lanes were blocked as state troopers conducted the crash investigation and crews cleaned up the scene. The crash made a slow morning commute worse as there was ice and snow on the roadway.

The chickens were found running around the freeway and it was not immediately known how many of the chickens were captured, how many escaped and how many were killed. Based on its size there is a possibility that the truck was carrying hundreds of chickens.

The truck driver was cited for an alleged left-lane violation and negligent driving for driving too fast for weather conditions. Truck drivers are held to a higher standard for driving in the left lane than other drivers. While there are allowed to pass in the left lane, they need to get back into the right lane as soon as they can get back over.

What makes semi-truck accidents unique?

• The average fully-loaded big rig truck weighs at least 80,000 pounds compared to the average passenger vehicle that weighs in at 3,000 pounds. The disparity in the weight and size of the vehicles puts the passenger vehicle at tremendous disadvantage.
• The large size of big rigs places limitations on the driver’s ability to accelerate, brake and turn; their visibility may also be limited.
• Truck drivers and manufacturers are held to higher standards than most other drivers so there is a higher likelihood of reimbursement for your injuries.

Top 10 causes of Semi-truck accidents

According to a study by the U.S Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were 10 common causes of truck accidents.

1. Traffic congestion
2. Brake problems
3. Driving under the influence
4. Speeding
5. Roadway problems
6. Inadequate surveillance
7. Fatigue
8. Unfamiliarity with the area
9. Failure to stop in enough time
10. Over-the-counter drug use

Other big rig accident causes include distracted and negligent driving, limited ability to maneuver, inadequate training, systems of compensation that encourage faster driving, and unrealistic driving schedules that cause drivers to be over-tired or rushed. CNBC conducted interviews with regulators, industry, lawyers and victims and found additional reasons for trucking accidents. They found that in some cases trucking companies don’t screen for problem drivers and government is too slow to force new safety technologies or restrictions onto truck manufacturers and drivers because of the trucking industry’s tremendous contribution to the U.S. economy.

If you have lost a loved one or been injured through no fault of your own, you have enough on your plate. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the justice and fair compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring, tireless and experienced wrongful death attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County and surrounding areas since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!

How to Drive Safely in Snow

Winter weather conditions can be scary and dangerous for drivers and they are a factor in almost half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Whether you live in an area that gets a lot of snow or only gets buried once in a while, it takes effort to drive safely in the snow and reduce your risk of a snow-related car accident. Those who are overconfident because they have four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive often end up in the ditch. These snow driving tips from caranddriver.com and AAA can help you arrive at your destination safely.

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4-Year-old Boy from Utah Killed in Rear-End Accident

A 4-year-old boy was killed Wednesday, January 30 in a rear-end accident in South Jordan, Utah. A Dodge Neon traveling east rear-ended another vehicle that had stopped because of traffic just after 4 p.m. The initial crash caused the car hit by the Neon to rear-end the car in front of it as well. The 4-year old boy – who was sitting in the passenger seat and not in a child restraint or booster but wearing a seatbelt – was critically injured when airbags deployed from the impact of the crash. He died shortly afterward in the hospital. All other people involved in the car accident were checked by medical responders at the scene and released.

As a result of the tragic crash, South Jordan police sent out a reminder to make sure children under age eight are properly restrained in car or booster seats, and that children under age 13 ride in back seats.

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Video Captures Man Clinging to Hood of SUV In Road-Rage Incident

You never know what a cellphone video camera is going to capture. On January 26, 2019 an onlooker filmed a 65-year old man named Richard Kamrowski clinging to the hood of an SUV as it was driven by 37-year-old Mark Fitzgerald at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour for three miles. The road-rage incident began after the men got into an argument over a minor side-swipe car accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Fitzgerald attempted to flee the scene of the accident when the argument began; Kamrowski then jumped on the hood of Fitzgerald’s SUV. According to Kamrowski, Fitzgerald drove fast and slowly, then fast again in an apparent attempt to get him to slide off the hood. It took other drivers – including one with a gun – to convince Fitzgerald to stop his vehicle. Both men were arrested by Massachusetts State Police. Fitzgerald was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, negligent driving and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage and Kamrowski was charged with disorderly conduct. The man with the gun was not charged. Click here to see the video.

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WA State Ranks as the Worst State to Be a Driver in the Lower 48

Wallet Hub released a study on January 22 highlighting the best and worst states to drive in; data was gathered from agencies including the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Energy, the Insurance Research Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Greater Seattle and Washington State overall, did not score well in the study with Washington ranking last among the lower 48 states. This placement drops Washington State from the 47^th worst state to drive in 2018.

The study looked at range of factors including gas prices, traffic and infrastructure, safety, parking, positive driving experience, and the cost of car ownership and maintenance. Another study found that congestion in the Puget Sound area ranked ninth worst in North America and 26^th worst in the world, almost certainly contributing to a low score in positive driving experience for Washington State drivers. The report points out that apart from the headache and lost time that it causes, congestion costs the average driver over $1,400 per year in the U.S.

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Medical Malpractice Lawsuits: Alleged Deadly Dosing by Mount Carmel Doctor

Medical Malpractice Attorney Gerald Leeseberg was hired by the family of Janet Kavanaugh who was 79 years old and near death when she was transferred from an assisted care facility to Mount Carmel West hospital in Columbus, Ohio. According to an article on WOSU Radio, her family asked that lifesaving measures be stopped, and that Kavanaugh be comfortable for her remaining time. Kavanaugh died Dec. 11, 2017. As Leeseberg began to review records from the assisted care facility and Mount Carmel he noticed a concerning pattern. Mount Carmel has now identified 25 patients under the care of William Husel – including Kavanaugh – who received an “excessive and potentially fatal” dose of the opioid fentanyl, which is used as a painkiller. All 27 patients later died, according to a statement by the hospital.

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Pedestrian Deaths Surge: Marijuana and Smartphone Usage Could be Factors

Pedestrians need to be more careful than ever as pedestrian death rates surge. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released a report in 2018 showing that just under 6,000 pedestrians were killed in accidents involving motor vehicles in the U.S. in 2017. While that is the same number of pedestrians killed in 2016, the death toll is the highest it has been in 25 years.

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Medical Malpractice: FDA Issues Warning that Certain Antibiotics May Cause Aortic Aneurism

On Thursday, December 20 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned that the benefits of fluoroquinolone antibiotics do not outweigh the risks for certain patients. This warning came after a review of studies on patient problems published between 2015 and 2018 concluded that these antibiotics double the risk of a deadly aortic aneurysm for patients with certain symptoms or characteristics.

The patients with the highest risk of aortic aneurism from taking these antibiotics are the elderly, people with high blood pressure and/or who have a history of blockages of the aorta or other blood vessels, and patients who have certain genetic syndromes. The FDA advises physicians treating patients with these risk factors to consider an alternate source of treatment.

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Medical Malpractice: Study Finds Women Less Likely to Receive Life Saving Treatment for Heart Issues

New research published in the December issue of Women’s Health Issues reveals that sexism in healthcare is literally killing women. Researchers at George Washington University measured gender bias in emergency situations by analyzing data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) database. The dataset included about 2.4 million people total; 1.2 million of them were women. Patients were spread across 46 states and focused on people over the age of 40 with a higher risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest. They found that women are less likely than men to be resuscitated (1.3 percent), given aspirin (2.8 percent), receive cardiac defibrillation (8.6 percent) or rushed to the hospital in ambulances using lights and sirens (4.6 percent). The bottom line is that women’s lives are more often put in danger than men in emergency health situations.

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