Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Two Simple Tips Could Have a Huge Impact on Car Accident Injury Rates

Published on: October 22, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Car manufacturers are constantly rolling out new safety features and technology and many people look to the latest in technology to help prevent car accidents and injuries. From weight-sensitive child seats to smart roads, there is no doubt that technology could help prevent crashes and save lives in the future. However, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, two of the simplest things that every driver can do could help prevent well over 100 000 injuries annually – at no cost and with very little effort.

Researchers concluded that 54,000 serious traffic accident-related injuries could be prevented each year if everyone wore seatbelts. The same CDC study found that a further 82,000 serious car accident injuries could be prevented annually if all motorists drove with a blood alcohol limit of under 0.08 grams per deciliter.

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The High Cost of Car Collisions in Miami

Published on: October 17, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Car accidents in Miami and across the country are expensive. The cost injured persons have to face can be astronomical when medical bills, lost time at work, car damage, and other costs are factored in. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report takes a look at the costs of car accidents in the United States. The conclusion that the authors of the report have reached is that non-fatal car accidents have a much higher cost than many people believe.

According to the CDC, for every fatal traffic accident in 2012, there were eight people injured in car accidents that required a hospital stay and a further 100 people who required time at the emergency room. In 2012 alone, non-fatal traffic collisions resulted in 3 million emergency room visits, and a cost of $18.4 billion. Teens and young adults under the age of30 were the most likely to suffer injury in these types of crashes.

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Guardrails — Do They Prevent or Cause Injury in an Accident?

Published on: October 3, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

In a side impact crash in Hollywood or your community, you may be relying on guardrails to avoid going over an embankment and into a river or into a ditch. Your money goes towards paying for infrastructure such as guardrails in order to keep you and your community safe. However, serious concerns have been raised about some of guardrails installed in Florida and other parts of the country.

In fact, earlier this year a lawsuit was filed after a 2010 accident near Orlando caused a driver to lose part of his leg. According to the plaintiff, the accident caused the driver to crash into a guardrail. The guardrail allegedly sliced through the cabin and sliced into the leg of the driver, causing him to lose part of his leg. The guardrail in question was an ET-Plus guardrail made by Trinity Industries.

The ET-Plus guardrails as well as State Departments of Transportation have been the targets of other lawsuits after plaintiffs were injured in car crashes. According to some plaintiffs, the guardrails cause injury in a collision. According to Trinity Industries, however, the injuries are caused either by the drivers or by the incorrect installation of the guardrails.

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Wrong Way Collisions in Miami and Florida are a Growing Concern

Published on: September 24, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Recently, a women driving the wrong way on the I-75 was killed after crashing into a commercial truck. According to authorities, the number of wrong way collisions on the state’s highways have been on the rise. In the Tampa area alone, this was the fifth wrong way collision fatality this year.

What is causing wrong way accidents in Miami and other Florida cities? According to authorities, drinking and driving may be part of the issue. In the latest wrong way accident and in a number of others, officers have stated that the at-fault driver was driving under the influence.

Local authorities and the Florida Department of Transportation want to curb the number of these incidents. One pilot project has just been announced to help warn drivers when they are driving the wrong way. The pilot project will involve LED lights that will display the words “wrong way” automatically if a car crosses over into the wrong lane. The signs will be radar-activated. There are similar signs on the South Florida Turnpike and in Tallahassee.

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Flag Program Tests Idea to Curb Pedestrian Accidents in Fort Lauderdale

Published on: September 17, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Pedestrian accidents in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas have been a concern for some time. The city’s Las Olas Boulevard has especially been the site of a number of traffic accidents. A new initiative in the area is supposed to crack down on the number of pedestrians injuries – but does it send the wrong message about roadway safety?

The latest program asks pedestrians at the intersection of Las Olas Boulevard and Southeast 13th avenue to make eye contact with the driver when crossing the street and to wave one of the neon-orange flags provided at the intersection. The program is part of a test to see whether the flags will improve safety.

So far, only the one intersection in Fort Lauderdale has the flags and instructions on how to use them, but the flag system has been tried in other parts of the country. In two U.S. cities, communities eventually got rid of the flags after deciding that they were not helping prevent collisions.

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Tire Problems Can Cause Truck and Car Collisions in Coral Springs and Other Florida Cities

Published on: September 12, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Tire problems cause truck and car crashes in Coral Springs and other communities, often leaving behind evidence in the form of torn pieces of rubber and other debris. For both passenger cars and big rigs, tires are an essential system. While many tire problems – such as blowouts – seem to happen out of the blue, safety experts agree that in many cases these accidents can be prevented.

Trucks place extra pressure on their tires due to their weight and as a result there are many rules in place to prevent tire-related crashes. Tractor trailers and big rigs are expected to take extra steps to keep their tires safe. Before sending trucks out onto the road, trucking companies and truck drivers are obligated to comply with a number of federal and local regulations, including:

Making sure that tires have a safe amount of tread on them
Driver inspection of tires before driving the truck
Recording visual inspections of the tires in the log book
Using the correct tires for the type of vehicle and the weight load
Properly installing, rotating, and adjusting the tires for maximum safety
Replacing tires that have low tread
Keeping tires correctly inflated

While passenger car drivers are not subject to the same rules, they are also expected to maintain their vehicles. If a passenger car motorist is found to be negligent in some manner, they can be held liable if their recklessness leads to an accident or an injury. In addition, the manufacturers of both truck and car tires are expected to produce a safe product. If they are reckless and their product is unsafe, manufacturers may be pursued in a products liability claim in Coral Springs or another community.

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Does Your Job Influence Your Chances of Being in a Car Crash?

Published on: September 2, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

There many things that could influence your risk of being in a car accident in Homestead or your community. For example, newer drivers, older drivers, and drivers with serious medical conditions may have an increased chance of being in a car accident. Your ability to drive and your ability to focus on driving can have a big impact on how safe you are behind the wheel. Of course, your sobriety also has an impact. But could your job also play a role?

According to a new research report by Moneysupermarket.com, the answer may be yes. The website analyzed more than 2 million insurance claims and found that healthcare-related professions have a higher rate of car accidents than other workers. In fact, according to the analysis, general practitioners and surgeons had the highest rates of car accidents among all professions. Of the top 10 professions for insurance claims, nine were health-related. Probation officers were the only exception, coming in at number seven when it came to the number of car crash claims by occupation. In contrast, office workers have the lowest rates of car crash claims. Fair employees and car wash attendants also had low rates of car accident claims.

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Pedestrian Collisions A Focus Again Amid Back to School Season

Published on: August 25, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Now that kids are heading back to school, it’s time to think up strategies for keeping them safe from pedestrian accidents in Homestead or your community. While walking to school is a great way to encourage exercise and time outside, kids who want to walk to school oftem have to contend with morning and evening traffic. To prevent them from being injured, you will want to:

1) Encourage your child to walk home (and to school) with a friend.

If your child is too old to be walked to school by a parent, encourage them to walk to school with older kids or with friends. Children are easier to spot when they are in a group, so motorists may be more aware of groups of children rather than a lone child walking along. An older friend can also help teach a younger child about pedestrian safety.

2) Walk and plan the route together.

If your child is old enough to walk to school alone or with friends, walk the route with them in the morning and afternoon so that they can see how to get to school safely. Along the way, you may want to review basic pedestrian safety rules. A few “trial runs” also lets you see how well your child handles walking through intersections. If your child is not careful when with you, you may want to find another option for getting them to school safely.

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Avoid DUI Accidents During the Last Few Weeks of Summer

Published on: August 21, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

The last few weeks of summer often mean extra social events. There’s the final weekend of the summer, going-away parties for high school grads, closing-up-the-cottage barbecues; as the weather cools, people will take just about any excuse to host a get-together. All of the extra events can mean more opportunities for alcohol to be served, though, and that can mean more drunk driving collisions in Coral Gables and Florida. To avoid being involved in a drunk driving accident during these last few weeks before autumn, you will want to:

1) Make an agreement with a friend.

Positive social pressure can be a good way to prevent drinking and driving. Have friends looking out for you at a party or hand your car keys to the host to ensure that you have someone else helping you make a safe decision. The reality is that after drinking most people find not only their driving ability but also their decision-making ability impaired. Driving home after you have been drinking may not seem like a “big deal” to you if you are affected by alcohol, so having someone else looking out for your well-being can be invaluable.

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Your Sober Driving Plan for Labor Day Weekend

Published on: August 19, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Labor Day weekend is coming up, and for many people that means end-of-year barbecues and parties. For police authorities in Hollywood and other Florida communities, however, it means extra vigilance. Unfortunately, DUI accidents in Hollywood and across Florida are quite common during the Labor Day weekend, and these preventable accidents claim far too many lives. To protect yourself and your loved ones this holiday, you will want to stake steps to prevent drunk driving. To do that, you will want to:

1) Have a plan, even if you don’t intend to drink.

Sometimes, people make bad decisions about drinking and driving because they don’t plan to drink. Even if you have every intention of not drinking, though, you may end up accepting a beer or may realize too late that the punch you have been drinking was actually a sangria with plenty of wine in it. Having a plan in place to get home safely if you have been drinking is important, no matter what your plans are.

2) Have at least two back-up plans.

Now is the time to decide how you will get home safely from any Labor Day activities, but it’s not enough to have just one plan. Plans change. Your designated driver may end up drinking after all, or you may not be able to find a taxi when you need one. Make sure that you have a few options to avoid drinking and driving, so that you are never tempted to get behind the wheel.

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