Car Accidents

Lawmakers in Washington DC Push to Ban Text Messaging While Driving

August 21, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In Washington DC, a group of US Senators have introduced a bill that would mandate that all states develop laws that ban text messaging while driving—or face losing 25% of the federal highway funding doled out each year. The legislation gives states two years to write their own laws and establish deadlines.

The District of Columbia already has a ban on texting and using handheld cell phones while driving. At least 13 US states also have a texting while driving ban in place.

For some time now, people in DC and the rest of the United States have known that texting while driving is dangerous and increases the chances that a motorist will become involved in a District of Columbia motor vehicle crash. Drivers who are texting are not looking at the road. They are distracted because they are busy reading/sending/composing text messages. Also, in order to text while driving, a motorist must usually take at least one hand off the steering wheel.

The need to ban motorists from texting on the road became even more apparent last month, however, after findings from a study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported that texting increased a truck driver’s chances of becoming involved in a truck accident by 23 times. The study also noted that right before near collisions or truck collisions involving texting drivers did happen, the trucker had spent almost 5 seconds glancing at the phone or PDA device. In that length of time, a motor vehicle traveling at highway speed can travel the entire length of a football field, passing a myriad of cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles along the way.

The federal government plans to hold a “distracted driving summit” in September so that academics, safety experts, police, elected officials, and others can discuss the bad habit that distracted driving has become.

There are far too many US traffic accidents occurring because a driver was texting or talking on a cell phone. People are dying, sustaining spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other catastrophic injuries because a motorist couldn’t wait to make that call or check an incoming message.

Federal Agency Plans Distracted Driving Forum, NY Times, August 4, 2009
Bill Seeks to Ban Texting By Drivers, The Washington Post, July 30, 2009
In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin, NY Times, July 27, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association, August 2009
S.1536 – Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers Act of 2009, Open Congress, July 29, 2009

Some Washington DC Injury Accidents Are Caused by Older Drivers Who Binge Drink

August 18, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Duke University researchers, along with the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, say that there are older adults who binge drink. While binge drinking is commonly associated with young adults and college students who drink too much to the point of inebriation, this latest research says that 9% of females and 22% of males between the ages of 50 and 64 have engaged in binging drink. The research, published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, comes from a survey conducted in 2005 and 2006 of 11,000 women and men.

13% of the woman and 19% of the men also reportedly had at least two drinks a day—a quantity that the American Geriatric Society considers “at risk” drinking for older adults, who don’t metabolize alcohol as fast as younger people and may be taking medication or be more prone to health problems that alcohol consumption can exacerbate.

Regardless of a person’s age, binge drinking—especially when done regularly, can lead to neurological injuries, alcohol poisoning, liver disease, and other injuries. It also can lead to Washington DC car accidents, truck collisions, motorcycle injuries, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian deaths if the person gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after binge drinking.

Beginning Friday, law enforcement officials in Washington DC will take part in a nearly 3-week long, nationwide, drunk driving crackdown. The campaign, called Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. will run through Labor Day.

In 2007, almost 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in the US because a driver or motorcyclist had a blood alcohol concentration of at least .08%. In 2008, there were nearly 12,000 DUI deaths.

Driving while drunk impairs a driver’s balance, eyesight, reaction time, and hearing. A drunken motorist whose judgment, self-control, and ability to sense danger are affected may not be able to realize that he or she is about to collide with another vehicle or pedestrian or is driving too fast or at a dangerously slow speed.

Drunk driving is negligent driving and can be grounds for a Washington DC wrongful death lawsuit or personal injury case.

Older people, too, knock back 5 drinks at a time, USA Today, August 17, 2009
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Kicks Off Nationwide Enforcement Crackdown on Impaired Driving, NHTSA, August 19, 2009
Related Web Resources:

American Journal of Psychiatry

How Alcohol Can Affect Safe Driving Skills (PDF)

National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Southwest Washington DC Car Cash Injures Five People When SUV Flips Over the Other Vehicle

August 14, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Witnesses in Southwest Washington DC ran to the crash site at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Alabama Avenue on August 5 after a car collided with an SUV.

The SUV flipped over to land on its roof. At least two of the Washington DC car accident victims were trapped inside the vehicles. One of the vehicles burst into flames and some of the people who were trying to help used fire extinguishers. Rescuers also used the Jaws of Life to get the trapped victims out. One of the car crash victims sustained life-threatening injuries.

There were so many “rescuers” on hand because DC Mayor Adrian Fenty was about to arrive for a news conference to talk about new HIV initiatives. Camera crews who were waiting for the presser were able to capture the DC crash site on camera.

Mayor Fenty says the intersection where the DC car accident happened is a busy one. According to Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander, about one traffic crash a month occurs near or at the intersection. She and other community leaders are discussing installing speed bumps, traffic lights, red light cameras, or stop signs on Pennsylvania Avenue because there is a six block radius where way too many DC car crashes happen.

Washington DC Car Accidents

If you were injured in a DC car accident, there may be a negligent motorist that you can hold liable for your personal injury. If the District could have or should have done more to prevent the traffic collision from happening, you also may be able to pursue personal injury recovery from the city or any other parties that are responsible for making sure that roads are safely designed and free from any defects that could increase the chances of a DC car accident occurring.

Southwest Washington DC Car Cash Injures Five People When SUV Flips Over the Other Vehicle, My Fox DC, August 13, 2009
Officials Join Passersby In Response to Crash, Washington Post, August 6, 2009
Related Web Resources:

District Department of Transportation

Car Accidents: Proving Fault, Nolo

At Least 40 People are Injured in Washington D.C. After Female Driver Plows Her Car Through the Unifest Street Festival in Anacostia on Saturday

June 3, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A 30-year-old woman has been preliminarily charged by Washington D.C. police with aggravated assault while armed, after the vehicle she was driving barreled through the Unifest church-sponsored festival last night. The term “armed” refers to the 1991 Volvo that she was driving. At least 40 people were injured in the car collision, and seven of the injured persons were children. Fortunately, there are no fatalities and nearly all of the injured persons have been released from hospitals.

As she was plowing her vehicle through the festival, people tried stopping her by throwing strollers and other debris in her path. The vehicle had been moving at about 70mph, and adults had to push children aside in attempt to keep them out of harm’s way.

The driver, Tonya Bell of Maryland, is in police custody and has been treated for an ankle injury. Many have wondered why she wasn’t apprehended after she was noticed driving erratically earlier. She had even collided with an unmarked police car just 20 minutes before the street festival accident occurred.

According to police, they had followed Bell’s car but were ordered to stop because her traffic violation did not pose a threat to the policemen’s safety. Toxicology reports are pending, and witnesses have reported seeing Bell laughing and smoking as she drove through the festival.

A 7-year-old girl who had been riding with Bell at the time of the incident has been taken into Child Protective Services. She was not injured during the accident.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty is calling the incident one of the “worst serious traffic accidents…in the District of Columbia” history.

More charges against Bell, who struck two police officers (who where thrown off their motorcycles) when they drove in front of her, are pending. The two officers sustained minor injuries from the collision.

One Man Dies In Deadly Washington D.C. Car Crash, While A Maryland Driver Is Charged With Second-Degree Murder

February 16, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Kadri Atalay, a 42-year-old man from Gaithersburg, Maryland, was charged with committing second-degree murder, after driving his Mercedes SUV on the wrong side of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, in Washington D.C. and hitting a Chrysler Sebring that was being driven by a 29-year-old DC man. The 29-year-old man was later declared dead at the Medstar trauma unit of the Washington Hospital Center.

Atalay is also being treated at the Washington Hospital Center for injuries that are non-life threatening. Preliminary reports say that speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol may have caused the collision. The speed limit on Wisconsin Avenue is 25 miles/hour.

Damages From Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Accidents

If you have a loved one who has been killed in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. In Washington D.C., you have one year from the time of the accident to file a wrongful death claim. Unlike many states, the District of Columbia does not have a wrongful death cap for the amount of reward damages that may be brought.

Fatalities In Car Collisions

Every year, thousands of people in the United States are killed in car accidents. In 2003 alone, over 38,000 fatalities involving car accidents occurred on U.S. roads, killing 42,643 people. Fatal car crashes are a major cause of death for people 5-27 years of age. When these fatalities occur because someone else on the road was acting negligently or carelessly, the surviving family members of the person who has been killed have a right to be financially compensated for their suffering and loss. Over 5,000 pedestrians are also killed every year because of fatal car crashes.

Main Causes of Fatalities Occurring During Car Crashes:

· Speeding
· Driving under the influence
· Tiredness
· Recklessness
· Aggressive driving
· Not paying attention to roads or driving conditions
· Not wearing a safety belt or helmet
· Not stopping at red lights
· Faulty design of the vehicle
· Vehicle malfunction

Tractor-Trailer Accident In D.C. Named Among The 10 Worst U.S. Traffic Incidents In 2006 By Metro Networks

January 9, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Metro Networks, the largest traffic gathering and reporting operation in America, recently released its list “The Top Ten Worst Traffic Incidents of 2006.” An accident involving two tractor-trailers colliding on I-95 North in Massaponax, VA put the Washington D.C. area in the number 10 spot. The trucks ended up catching fire and damaging the roads so that they had to be repaved. There were major delays on the highway because of the collision.

Other traffic incidents on the list:

1) New York City, New York: A Tomahawk test missile fell onto I-95SB in the Bronx after a tractor trailer overturned last July.

2) San Francisco, California: A meatpacking truck traveling on 101N in San Mateo spilled cow body parts across the freeway.

3) Houston, Texas: A truck fell off the ramp that goes from 610N loop to the US59. The truck dumped frozen chickens onto the freeway.

4) Boston, Massachusetts: A 12-ton concrete ceiling panel from a “Big Dug” tunnel connecting the Massachusetts Turnpike to the Ted Williams Tunnel dropped onto a passing car.

5) Dallas, Texas: A big rig carrying oil refinery equipment smacked into an overhead bridge on northbound Loop 12 at the Highway 183 interchange next to Texas Stadium.
6) Detroit, Michigan: Two semis crashed into each other in Monroe on Northbound I-75. The semis caught on fire, and the flames spread across the freeway involving approximately six cars and four more semis.
7) Chicago, Illinois: Construction on Chicago Skyway, I-80/94, and the Dan Ryan Expressway created traffic delays for commuters.
8) Atlanta, Georgia: A collision involving a tractor-trailer and two cars during the morning commute resulted in the death of two people.

9) Los Angeles, California: A big rig truck flipped over, caught fire, and burnt to the ground.

Injuries that result because of vehicle-related truck accidents can be severe and life altering. You may have suffered whiplash or burns to your head or neck, have nerve damage or spinal chord paralysis, limb amputation, have broken or dislocated a bone or limb, or even lost the use of a limb. A personal injury to you can ocur on the road even if your vehicle was not directly involved in a collision. If you have been in an automobile accident due to the carelessness or negligence of another driver, you should obtain the advice of a lawyer with experience handling automobile accident cases.

On “Deadliest Drunk Driving States” List, Washington D.C. Ranks #1

December 15, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With all the holiday parties that take place at the end of the year, drunk driving incidents tend to occur more frequently—which can be especially dangerous if you live in one of the 15 U.S. states where at least 41% of all traffic fatalities can be attributed to drunk driving.

The End Needless Deaths on Our Roadways (END) group, an advocacy organization led by doctors, has just released its list of 15 U.S. states where the most traffic-related deaths occurred due to drinking. Washington D.C. topped this list, where drunk driving was a cause of 54.17% of vehicle-related deaths.

Who Else Made the List:
· Connecticut
· Hawaii
· Illinois
· Montana
· Rhode Island
· South Carolina
· South Dakota
· Texas
· Washington, D.C.
· Wisconsin
· Alaska
· Arizona
· Delaware
· North Dakota
· Washington

END says that in 2005, close to 17,000 motorists were killed in drunk driving accidents in the US with more than 4,000 of those fatalities taking place in these 15 states. Rankings were determined by data taken from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s reporting system.

The CDC offers the following suggestions to prevent injuries due to impaired driving:

· Sobriety checkpoints. Fatal crashes thought to involve alcohol dropped a median of 22% (with random breath testing) and 23% (with selective breath testing) following implementation of sobriety checkpoints.

· 0.08% BAC laws. Fatal alcohol-related crashes showed a median decrease of 7% following the implementation of 0.08% BAC laws in 16 states.

· Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws. Raising the MLDA, such as from 18 to 21, decreases crash-related outcomes a median of 16% for the targeted age groups.

· “Zero tolerance” laws for young drivers. One study found that fatal crash outcomes decreased 24% after implementation of “zero tolerance” laws (Elder et al. 2002, Howat et al. 2004, Shults et al. 2001, Shults et al. 2002).

END is recommending that medical workers and physicians work harder to identify whether patients have drinking problems. The group also suggested that states increase fines and prison times for DUI offenders, while also penalizing motorists who refuse to be tested for sobriety.

Utah, which has the strictest drinking laws in the U.S., has the lowest alcohol-related deaths rate at 13.12%.