Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

Companies like Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and other ridesharing companies are quickly taking over the industry that taxi companies once dominated. These companies rely on mobile technology, private contractors, and powerful algorithms to keep their costs down. But, what happens when a driver from one of these ridesharing companies get in a car accident?

Difference between Ridesharing and Taxis

In Illinois, taxi companies are well regulated and must be licensed to do business. Part of the licensing requirements is proof that the company insures its drivers. Ridesharing companies maintain that they are not taxi services and that no taxi regulations apply to them.

Drivers for rideshare companies drive their own private cars. These cars are not usually marked and do not have numbers like most taxicabs do.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Bus Accident Injury

For the first time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recommendation that school buses should come equipped with seat belts. For years, school buses, and other multi-person transportation vehicles, have been exempt from any federal or state regulations which require seat belts.

This is the first time that federal regulators have acknowledged that school buses should have seat belts for children. In the past, the government has always taken the stance that the design of school buses makes them safer than other vehicles. However, whenever federal agencies would offer up statistics of the safety of seat belt-less school buses, the statistics often were collected and provided by bus industry groups.

Since federal regulators felt that school buses were already safe, there did not seem to be a need for companies to be required to spend the money it would cost to equip the millions of school buses already in service. When opponents of school bus seat belts presented their argument of installing seat belts, it was typically backed up with analysis that the number of lives the seat belts would save was not worth the amount of money it would cost to install seat belts in those millions of buses.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians are already at a high risk of mortality when involved in an automobile accident, but a recent study suggests that wheelchair users are especially vulnerable. This new information encourages drivers to be more aware of pedestrians in wheelchairs. It also highlights the need for added diligence in creating safer areas for all pedestrians.

The Devastating Statistics for All Pedestrians

In the United States, nearly 5,000 pedestrians are killed in automobile accidents each year. Another 76,250 are injured each year on roadways. They are especially vulnerable when weather conditions become hazardous, and when distracted drivers fail to pay close attention to the non-vehicle members out and about each day.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Uncategorized

According to a report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the recall system currently in place for defective tires does not work. In fact, the report classified the system as “broken” and that it leaves commuters in danger of becoming injured or killed in vehicle crashes caused by defective tires.

The NTSB data reveals that only one in every five tires deemed to be defective is actually removed from the road via the national recall system. Another 25 percent are eventually removed from the roads due to either normal wear and tear or other damage.

However, the federal agency also concluded that almost 80 percent of defective tires are left on vehicles, putting everyone on the roads at risk. This is because there is no requirement for tire retailers to register the tires they sell with the tire manufacturer. This leaves the manufacturers unable to contact consumers who purchased tires which are later determined to be defective. More than 90 percent of the tires which are sold in this country are sold by independent tire retailers.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

A recent study reveals that seniors who are injured in motor vehicle accidents often take longer to recover than accident victims who are younger. The potential of a longer recovery period – including lost wages and additional medical care – is something that will also need to be considered when dealing with insurance settlements or personal injury lawsuits.

The study, called Older Adult CRASH, was conducted by physicians from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Department of Emergency Medicine. There were 161 study participants, aged 65 years or older, who had received injuries in a vehicle crash that necessitated a trip to the emergency room but did not require hospitalization. Injuries which were not included in the study were brain or spine injuries, fractures, or major lacerations.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are almost 300,000 rollover accidents that happen every year in this country. More than 10,000 people are killed in these accidents, with countless others seriously injured. The most susceptible vehicles for rollover accidents are SUVs and pickup trucks. The reason these vehicles are at a greater risk than sedans for rollovers is because they have a higher center of gravity.

Just how much difference does the type of vehicle you are in make? In one year, more than 30 percent of rollover accident fatalities involved an SUV, 20 percent more than sedan rollover fatalities.

The cause of rollover accidents has to do with how stable a vehicle is while turning. The relationship of the vehicle’s center of gravity combined with the distance that is between the right and left wheels of the vehicle has a great deal to do with that stability. If the vehicle has a high center of gravity and narrow wheel distance, the more unstable it may be when attempting to make sharp or fast turns. The design of SUVs and pickup trucks make them especially vulnerable to rollovers, and to compound that danger, these vehicles often carrying large loads, which greatly increases the rollover risk even more.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Distracted Driving Accidents

It is no secret that the increasing necessity and commonality of cell phones have affected driving and driving safety. As cell phones became more and more common, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and other governmental statistical agencies began including car accidents caused or influenced by the use of a cell phone or cellular device in distracted driving incidents.

While distracted driving was formerly only considered as such when the driver was eating or drinking, grooming, or talking to other passengers, cell phone use or texting has become one of the most common forms of distracted driving, and arguably one of the most dangerous. Engaging in tasks associated with the use of hand-held phones increased the risk of a motor vehicle accident by three times, and at any given moment during the day across the nation it is estimated that 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or electronic devices while behind the wheel. It may be no wonder that in 2013, 424,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents that involved a distracted driver, a marked increase from 421,000 victims the previous year.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

Many vehicle safety advocates, including the Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHSA), claim that roundabouts offer more safety than traditional road intersections. A roundabout is a circular intersection which has certain characteristics. These characteristics include the flow of traffic going counterclockwise around a center island; vehicles which are entering the circle must yield to the traffic already in the circle; and all vehicles traveling the circle are doing so at a low speed, usually 15 to 25 MPH.

Studies show that when regular intersections are converted from traditional traffic lights or stop signs to roundabouts, the injury crash rate is reduced significantly. One study revealed that rate is decreased by 80 percent. The same study also found that the overall crash rate declined by 40 percent.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

One of the scariest feelings a motorist can experience is driving down a road when suddenly, the glare of the sun hits the windshield, leaving the driver unable to see anything that is in front of the vehicle. Even just a few seconds of sun blindness can result in a serious car accident.

As if driving facing the sun is not difficult enough, there are other factors which can exacerbate the situation even more. If a vehicle’s windshield is dirty, this can cause the glare to become more intense. And this time of year, sun glaring offing snowfall can be particularly blinding. It is also this time of year – as well as in autumn – that sun glare issues become more of a problem. The sun sets earlier in the evening, and there are few, if any, leaves on the trees.

Although drivers have no control over sun glare, it is not a viable excuse for causing a car crash, falling into the same category as icy roads, snowstorms, heavy rains, or animals running into the road. Under the law, each driver has an obligation and duty to maintain control of their vehicle and to use caution.

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 Posted on December 00,0000 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Even with strict laws, drunk drivers continue to cause accidents and injure people every year. When a car accident involves a drunk driver, there are several issues you need to understand before trying to get compensated for your injuries.

The Claims Process

Some people mistakenly believe that it is easier to deal with a drunk driving accident case than a regular car accident. However, handling a claim is about more than just proving fault. Before you can successfully receive the compensation you deserve, you will have to prove that the drunk driver was the cause of your injuries. You will also have to prove how much the injuries impacted your life.

It is possible for an insurance company to agree with you on the cause of the accident and still fight you on the amount of damages you are seeking. You need the guidance of a knowledgeable attorney to navigate the personal injury claims process. Illinois only allows for a short time period to bring a personal injury claim. If you have been severely injured, you may not even be fully healed before it is time to protect your claim.

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