June is National Safety Month: Reduce Your Risk of Preventable Accidents
Started by the National Safety Council more than 20 years ago, June is National Safety Month. The purpose is to build awareness around preventable accidents that cause thousands of injuries and fatalities on our roads and throughout our communities each year.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as you are able. For most personal injuries in Washington State, there is a three-year statute of limitations on an injury claim. The accident lawyer can discuss your legal rights and may be able to fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.
Reduce your risk of preventable accidents
Slip & fall accidents
Slips, trips, and falls are the number one reported general industry accident causing personal injury, second only to car accident injuries. In fact, according to the National Floor Safety Institute, 50 percent of all accidental deaths in the home are caused by a fall. Falls are also the second-leading cause of unintentional non-work related injuries and deaths in the United States, responsible for approximately 8.9 million visits to the emergency department and 25,000 deaths annually.
Tips on preventing slip and fall accidents:
- Secure lose electrical or phone cords away from traffic areas
- Remove small throw rugs or at least use non-skid mats to keep them from slipping
- Remove tripping hazards (clutter) from stairs and walkways
- Repair damaged steps and walkways as needed
- Never stand on a wheeled chair, table or other surface
- Clean up all spills as soon as they occur
Impaired driving
Each year 10,000 preventable deaths occur as a result of drunken driving accidents. In an effort to reduce this unnecessary carnage, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) commissioned a study from the National Academies of Sciences to identify the most effective proven strategies for reducing drunken driving. The report, which was released January, 2018, concluded that the majority of alcohol-related traffic deaths could be eliminated if states reduced their blood-alcohol concentration threshold from 0.08 to 0.05. All states except for Utah currently have 0.08 thresholds; Utah has had a threshold of 0.05 since 2017.
Distracted driving
Distracted driving means that a driver is distracted by an activity or action they take while driving including applying makeup, eating, and texting and driving. In 2014 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated and that it has now replaced drunk driving as the leading cause of car accidents among teenagers. Texting while driving causes over 3,000 deaths and 330,000 injuries every year according to a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.
Public education campaigns and distracted driving penalties are two of the ways that governments are attempting to reduce the carnage caused by distracted drivers.
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 personal injury 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!
