How To Reduce Your Risk of a Night Time Driving Accident

Many studies have shown that night is the most dangerous time to drive, with accidents peaking on Saturday nights. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers are three times more likely to have a fatal accident at night than during the day. There are various reasons for this including, rush hour, the large percentage of drivers – especially older drivers – who don’t see well in the dark, the increase in impaired drivers and feelings of fatigue. According to stack.com, our bodies produce more melatonin when it’s dark and this increase leads to a surge in feeling fatigued and tired.

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Nov. 1-8 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

Thanks to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), Nov. 1-8, 2020 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. It makes sense when you consider that we “fall back” to Standard time this week, which affects our sleep pattern. The goal of their annual campaign is to reduce the number of drivers who drive while sleep-deprived by raising awareness and education about the dangers of drowsy driving and how to prevent it. There are many dangers associated with driving drowsy and the alarming statistics presented in this article show why we need to raise awareness.

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State Patrol Vehicle Hit While Responding to Deer Car Accident on I-5 South of Bellingham

According to a report by the Bellingham Herald, a vehicle struck a deer just after 6 a.m. this morning near the North Lake Samish exit of southbound I-5. The accident blocked the left lane of southbound traffic and caused a backup for more than two and a half hours when a Washington State Patrol vehicle who responded to the scene was hit by a passing driver. The patrol vehicle was empty when it was struck and nobody was injured in the crash. The backup was cleared by 9 a.m.

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Prevent Whatcom County Child Pedestrian Accidents as We Return to School

There is no doubt that 2020 has been a weird and difficult year. All public schools in Whatcom County chose to begin their school year with distance only learning for all grades due to the risk of spread of COVID-19. Since that decision was made in late-July, Whatcom County’s infection rate has dropped enough that school districts are beginning to bring students back in hybrid models – either half the class two days a week or every other week. This means that school zones will be back in effect along with the need to protect our children from pedestrian accidents.

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National Teen Driver Safety Week: Teen Driving Accidents

It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18-24, 2020. Sadly, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old) in the United States. Teenage brains are still developing and as a result, teens tend to be impulsive and use poor judgment. Poor decisions often include drinking and driving or texting and driving; two of the riskiest behaviors when getting behind the wheel.

In 2017, 2,247 people were killed in car crashes involving a teen driver; 755 deaths were the teen driver. While young people aged 15-19 represented 6.5 percent of the U.S. population in 2017, injuries and fatalities from motor vehicle accidents involving teenage drivers represented about $13.1 billion – or almost eight percent – of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries.

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Challenges in Multi-Car Accident Claims

Anyone who has been injured in a car accident and attempted to get compensation for their medical bills and pain and suffering can tell you that it can be a long and difficult process. This is true for fairly clear-cut accidents involving two vehicles but it’s even more true in multi-car accidents.

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Do Graduated Driver Licensing Systems Reduce Fatal Teen Crashes?

According to the CDC.gov, 2,364 teens aged 16-19 were killed in car accidents in 2017. In addition to this, about 300,000 teens were treated in emergency departments for injuries they sustained in motor vehicle crashes. In order to reduce teen fatality and injury rates, states have licensing laws in place.

According to transportation.gov, graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs are in place in some form in all 50 states. GDL systems restrict certain driving privileges of new drivers. Over time the restrictions are lifted as the driver gains experience or takes tests to prove competency. Most states follow a three-step process that starts with passing a written test to obtain a learner’s permit. The next step is passing a driving test to get a provisional license and the final step is obtaining a full license. Washington uses a graduated driver’s licensing system (GDLS) that moves unlicensed drivers from an instruction permit to an intermediate license and then finally to a valid driver’s license.

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What Damages Can Be Recovered in a Wrongful Death Case?

When a loved one is killed because of the reckless or negligent behavior of another – whether that be another driver or a medical professional – the family is likely to experience extreme grief over their loss. As the shock wears off, the family may start to panic about how they will be able to afford medical bills from the deceased or even pay their regular bills if the victim was contributing to household income or caregiving. Wrongful death claims are filed to seek compensation for the losses the family has endured and those that they will suffer down the road. Another way of saying compensation is “recovering damages.”

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What Duty of Care do Business Owners Owe Their Customers During a Pandemic?

Under premises liability law, businesses owe their customers a duty of care. This was always true, but there are added duties during COVID-19. On a practical level, a business owes their customers a duty to keep them safe on the business premises. If a customer is injured or becomes seriously ill because the business owner failed to meet their duty of care by acting negligently, the injured party may be able to sue to recover damages. For example, if a customer contracts Coronavirus after visiting a business that was not following safety guidelines, they may be able to file a personal injury claim.

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What are Independent Medical Examinations in Personal Injury Cases?

In personal injury cases, medical exams provide critical information about the specific injuries endured by the plaintiff and how bad they are. The insurance agency that is responsible for paying for these injuries will always try to deny responsibility and/or downplay the severity of the injuries in order to get out of paying a fair settlement. This is why they often request that plaintiffs undergo an independent medical examination (IME). These requests are commonly made in personal injury lawsuits for car accidents because they want to bring in an expert witness who can use the results as part of their testimony.

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