Original Story: dailymail.co.uk
He narrowly escaped serious injury in a horrific car crash last week. He will more than likely be considering a Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer.
And Calvin Harris revealed a badly bruised ear as he jetted home to Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The Scottish DJ had a noticeably misshapen and swollen right ear, which could be seen as he walked through LAX after returning from a brief trip to London.
There were no other obvious injuries on his face, although he should still consider contacting a Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer.
Last week Calvin admitted he was feeling 'lucky and very grateful' to have escaped serious injury in the collision in Los Angeles.
The star - real name Adam Wiles - was hospitalised and pulled out of a string of gigs in Las Vegas.
He was treated in hospital, but discharged himself, with a rep later saying he only had a 'scratch' on his nose.
Taking to Twitter on Thursday night, Calvin wrote: 'Thank you so much for your messages and sorry to any disappointment I caused with the show cancellations...
'I'm feeling lucky and very grateful rn (right now).'
The accident took place in LA's Coldwater Canyon on 21 May after a Volkswagen Beetle smashed into a black Cadillac SUV in which Calvin was a passenger.
Calvins girlfriend Taylor Swift, 26, skipped the high profile Billboard Music Awards to be at her boyfriend's side after he was injured.
The couple have been dating since March 2015 and were ranked last year as the music industry's highest-paid celebrity couple by Forbes, with combined earnings of more than $146 million.
Showing posts with label car accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car accident. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2016
Thursday, May 28, 2015
WAS 85-YEAR-OLD DETROIT-AREA DRIVER SCARED TO DEATH? INSURER TO PAY $300,000 TO SETTLE LAWSUIT
Original Story: clickondetroit.com
DETROIT - An insurance company has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit over the death of an 85-year-old man who may have been scared to death before his car slammed into a tractor-trailer in suburban Detroit. A Detroit car accident lawyer is following this story closely.
The settlement ends a dispute over the opinion of Dr. Werner Spitz, who said Abdulla Kassem's heart attack could have been caused by a "fear of impending doom," just before the 2008 crash in Dearborn. There was no autopsy.
Kassem's family sued the trucking company, Efficient Hauling Services, saying the truck's rear lights weren't visible.
The Michigan appeals court said a jury could consider Spitz' theory, although a cardiologist called it "silly." An appeal of that decision was pending at the state Supreme Court when the lawsuit was settled this month. A Detroit insurance defense lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
DETROIT - An insurance company has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit over the death of an 85-year-old man who may have been scared to death before his car slammed into a tractor-trailer in suburban Detroit. A Detroit car accident lawyer is following this story closely.
The settlement ends a dispute over the opinion of Dr. Werner Spitz, who said Abdulla Kassem's heart attack could have been caused by a "fear of impending doom," just before the 2008 crash in Dearborn. There was no autopsy.
Kassem's family sued the trucking company, Efficient Hauling Services, saying the truck's rear lights weren't visible.
The Michigan appeals court said a jury could consider Spitz' theory, although a cardiologist called it "silly." An appeal of that decision was pending at the state Supreme Court when the lawsuit was settled this month. A Detroit insurance defense lawyer is reviewing the details of this case.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
PAUL WALKER CRASH: DRIVER'S WIDOW SUES PORSCHE, ALLEGES DESIGN FLAWS
Original Story: LATimes.com
The widow of the man behind the wheel of the Porsche Carrera GT that crashed and killed actor Paul Walker last year has sued the car manufacturer, alleging that faults with the design and suspension led to the fatal crash. A Tacoma Product Liability Lawyer may be consulted on the case.
The lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of Roger Rodas’ widow, Kristine Rodas, also contradicts a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department's report that found the sports car was traveling at an unsafe speed of more than 90 mph along a road in a Santa Clarita business park.
Both men died within seconds of the crash.
The suit alleges that the $500,000 vehicle was going just 55 mph on Nov. 30, 2013, when it “malfunctioned” and crashed, wrote attorney Mark Geragos.
The lawsuit contends that the right rear tire suddenly steered to the left and that despite the efforts of Rodas, a veteran race car driver, the vehicle continued a clockwise movement before climbing the curb, swiping a tree and then hitting a light pole and a second tree.
The car then hit a third tree on the passenger side, causing the vehicle to split and catch fire.
Geragos alleges the car’s suspension system forced it to careen out of control. The lightweight construction in the 605-horsepower vehicle described by Porsche as "close to a race car as we will ever get” lacked a proper crash cage and safety features in the gas tank that would have saved Rodas and Walker, Geragos wrote in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit. A Nashville Product Liability Lawyer is watched this case closely.
The impact of the crash caused the fuel tank to rupture and spill fuel into the engine compartment, the suit said.
"The Carrera GT was unsafe for its intended use by reason of defects in its manufacture, design, testing, component and constituents, so that it would not safely serve its purpose," according to the suit.
Rodas' family is seeking unspecified damages from Porsche Cars North America.
The sheriff’s and CHP reports released in March found unsafe speed and not mechanical problems was responsible for deadly crash. Investigators reached those conclusions after consulting with Porsche technicians.
The vehicle is known to be difficult to drive. A Denver Product Liability Lawyer said that could be the ground work that gives this case some legs to stand on.
"Tonight Show" host Jay Leno, a veteran super-car driver, spun a Porsche Carrera GT at 180 to 190 mph at Talledega. "It was kind of like driving on ice," Leno said on his Jay's Garage website. Leno, however, praised the vehicle for its engine built for Le Mans and incredible gearbox.
The car was the subject of a lawsuit after a 2005 crash that claimed the lives of two men at the California Speedway when they swerved into a concrete wall.
In 2006, Porsche contributed 8% of a $4.5-million settlement after owner Ben Keaton and his passenger, Corey Rudl, died. They swerved to avoid a collision with a slower-moving Ferrari that had entered the track, according to records and attorneys. Rudl's widow sued the track, Keaton's estate and the car manufacturer in San Diego Superior Court.
They settled without acknowledging any wrongdoing. Porsche says the car is safe. A New Mexico Product Liability Lawyer said that just because the case was settled does not mean that the car is safe.
Craig McClellan, the San Diego-based personal injury attorney representing Rudl's widow, argued that Porsche was partly to blame for the crash because it knew the car had a history of over-steering problems during development and the company designed it without an electronic stability control system.
"It is a fairly stripped-down car designed for the race track," McClellan said.
The widow of the man behind the wheel of the Porsche Carrera GT that crashed and killed actor Paul Walker last year has sued the car manufacturer, alleging that faults with the design and suspension led to the fatal crash. A Tacoma Product Liability Lawyer may be consulted on the case.
The lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of Roger Rodas’ widow, Kristine Rodas, also contradicts a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department's report that found the sports car was traveling at an unsafe speed of more than 90 mph along a road in a Santa Clarita business park.
Both men died within seconds of the crash.
The suit alleges that the $500,000 vehicle was going just 55 mph on Nov. 30, 2013, when it “malfunctioned” and crashed, wrote attorney Mark Geragos.
The lawsuit contends that the right rear tire suddenly steered to the left and that despite the efforts of Rodas, a veteran race car driver, the vehicle continued a clockwise movement before climbing the curb, swiping a tree and then hitting a light pole and a second tree.
The car then hit a third tree on the passenger side, causing the vehicle to split and catch fire.
Geragos alleges the car’s suspension system forced it to careen out of control. The lightweight construction in the 605-horsepower vehicle described by Porsche as "close to a race car as we will ever get” lacked a proper crash cage and safety features in the gas tank that would have saved Rodas and Walker, Geragos wrote in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit. A Nashville Product Liability Lawyer is watched this case closely.
The impact of the crash caused the fuel tank to rupture and spill fuel into the engine compartment, the suit said.
"The Carrera GT was unsafe for its intended use by reason of defects in its manufacture, design, testing, component and constituents, so that it would not safely serve its purpose," according to the suit.
Rodas' family is seeking unspecified damages from Porsche Cars North America.
The sheriff’s and CHP reports released in March found unsafe speed and not mechanical problems was responsible for deadly crash. Investigators reached those conclusions after consulting with Porsche technicians.
The vehicle is known to be difficult to drive. A Denver Product Liability Lawyer said that could be the ground work that gives this case some legs to stand on.
"Tonight Show" host Jay Leno, a veteran super-car driver, spun a Porsche Carrera GT at 180 to 190 mph at Talledega. "It was kind of like driving on ice," Leno said on his Jay's Garage website. Leno, however, praised the vehicle for its engine built for Le Mans and incredible gearbox.
The car was the subject of a lawsuit after a 2005 crash that claimed the lives of two men at the California Speedway when they swerved into a concrete wall.
In 2006, Porsche contributed 8% of a $4.5-million settlement after owner Ben Keaton and his passenger, Corey Rudl, died. They swerved to avoid a collision with a slower-moving Ferrari that had entered the track, according to records and attorneys. Rudl's widow sued the track, Keaton's estate and the car manufacturer in San Diego Superior Court.
They settled without acknowledging any wrongdoing. Porsche says the car is safe. A New Mexico Product Liability Lawyer said that just because the case was settled does not mean that the car is safe.
Craig McClellan, the San Diego-based personal injury attorney representing Rudl's widow, argued that Porsche was partly to blame for the crash because it knew the car had a history of over-steering problems during development and the company designed it without an electronic stability control system.
"It is a fairly stripped-down car designed for the race track," McClellan said.
Friday, January 10, 2014
3 DRUNK DRIVERS STOPPED BY PATROL'S NORWALK POST
Story first appeared on NorwalkReflector.com.
Troopers with the Norwalk post of the state Highway Patrol stopped three suspected drunken drivers over several days. According to a Berrien County Car Accident Lawyer the holiday's often have more drunk drivers on the roads.
Oberlin resident Jimmie D. Stephens, 45, was stopped by Trooper Kori Robinson at 11:17 p.m. Dec. 20 on Ohio 18 in Wakeman. Stephens was charged with driving under the influence, left of center, a DUI-related driving with a suspended license and a seatbelt violation. A Kalamazoo Car Accident Lawyer says that drunk driving often is the cause of serious injuries in accidents.
He has six prior DUIs. Patrol records indicate those convictions were from 1991, 2001, 2004, two in 2006 and most recently in June. Mr. Stephens may be in the need of a Michigan Alcohol Treatment Center.
Trooper Sarah Frey stopped Christopher A. Knox, 32, of 5138 Ohio 18, Wakeman, at 6 a.m. Dec. 21 on Ohio 60 in Clarksfield Township. Knox was charged with DUI and failure to control.
Knox was southbound on Ohio 60. He told the trooper he swerved to miss a deer, went off the right side and hit a ditch. Knox wasn't injured. A Benton Harbor Car Accident Lawyer said deer are often the cause of car accidents.
The driver, who has a prior DUI conviction from 2002, had a breath test with a blood-alcohol content level of .117 percent, according to the patrol. The legal limit for drivers in Ohio is .08 percent.
Most recently, Trooper Eddie Lopez stopped Paul E. Tackett, 45, of Bucyrus, at 4:56 p.m. Christmas on Ohio 99 in Peru Township. Tackett was charged with DUI, left of center and failure to reinstate his driver's license. Some drunk drivers end up attending a Michigan Drug Detox Center.
Tackett and Stephens refused to submit to any sobriety tests during their respective traffic stops, troopers said.
Troopers with the Norwalk post of the state Highway Patrol stopped three suspected drunken drivers over several days. According to a Berrien County Car Accident Lawyer the holiday's often have more drunk drivers on the roads.
Oberlin resident Jimmie D. Stephens, 45, was stopped by Trooper Kori Robinson at 11:17 p.m. Dec. 20 on Ohio 18 in Wakeman. Stephens was charged with driving under the influence, left of center, a DUI-related driving with a suspended license and a seatbelt violation. A Kalamazoo Car Accident Lawyer says that drunk driving often is the cause of serious injuries in accidents.
He has six prior DUIs. Patrol records indicate those convictions were from 1991, 2001, 2004, two in 2006 and most recently in June. Mr. Stephens may be in the need of a Michigan Alcohol Treatment Center.
Trooper Sarah Frey stopped Christopher A. Knox, 32, of 5138 Ohio 18, Wakeman, at 6 a.m. Dec. 21 on Ohio 60 in Clarksfield Township. Knox was charged with DUI and failure to control.
Knox was southbound on Ohio 60. He told the trooper he swerved to miss a deer, went off the right side and hit a ditch. Knox wasn't injured. A Benton Harbor Car Accident Lawyer said deer are often the cause of car accidents.
The driver, who has a prior DUI conviction from 2002, had a breath test with a blood-alcohol content level of .117 percent, according to the patrol. The legal limit for drivers in Ohio is .08 percent.
Most recently, Trooper Eddie Lopez stopped Paul E. Tackett, 45, of Bucyrus, at 4:56 p.m. Christmas on Ohio 99 in Peru Township. Tackett was charged with DUI, left of center and failure to reinstate his driver's license. Some drunk drivers end up attending a Michigan Drug Detox Center.
Tackett and Stephens refused to submit to any sobriety tests during their respective traffic stops, troopers said.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Watch for Previously Wrecked Used Cars
Story first reported from USA Today
Getting a used car's history report isn't the safeguard many think it is against buying a car that was wrecked and rebuilt. Without a thorough inspection by an independent mechanic, it's almost impossible to tell, consumer experts say.
Each year, about 6 million cars are in crashes serious enough to report to police and insurers. About 12% of these are totaled or "salvage" vehicles, and that doesn't include flood-damaged cars.
Some of these wrecked cars are rebuilt and wind up on used car lots, even at prominent dealers. That can cause problems with the vehicles' performance and safety, along with making them more difficult to resell, crash experts say.
Crash reporting and disclosure is so spotty, some can have "clean" history reports from companies that sell them.
Some examples of problems with these history reports:
• Firefighter Bobby Smith bought a used 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra in 2010 in Indiana. In a lawsuit, Smith claimed the dealer knew the car was in a severe front-end collision. Smith says he discovered the damage when doing work on the car right after buying it. At the trial, which ended in a hung jury, Smith testified the dealership used a clean Carfax report to convince him the car had never been in a crash. The case is scheduled for retrial in January.
• When Florida-based Juan Sanchez tried to trade his 2007 Mercedes E350 in to the dealership he bought it from as a certified used car, Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines showed him a Carfax report indicating he had an accident while he owned it. But in a lawsuit, Sanchez said the crash predated his purchase, and Carfax had the date wrong. In September, an arbitrator awarded Sanchez $3,500 in damages from the dealership for "unfair/deceptive acts," but denied "fraud and negligent misrepresentation" claims.
Dealers say they get duped, too. They were involved in the push for a 2009 law that requires insurance companies to share their data on totaled vehicles with a new Justice Department database, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.
The National Automobile Dealers Association pushed for the database because "Dealers don't want rebuilt wrecks on their lots," says NADA spokesman Bailey Wood. He says the database will "permanently red-flag severely damaged" vehicles.
Carfax spokesman Larry Gamache says his company gets salvage data from insurers that make up about 80% of the industry, police departments, crash estimators and repair facilities. Carfax doesn't believe its "data is limited in any way," Gamache says, but adds, "No report is going to have everything."
Carfax also offers to buy back any vehicle purchased based on a Carfax report that doesn't mention that its title showed it was a salvage vehicle. The company has bought back 70 cars in the 10 years it has been offering to do so.
Kansas City, Mo., plaintiff attorney Bernard Brown says his law firm has received hundreds of complaints in the last 15 years from consumers who bought cars with clean reports that turned out to have previously been "severely wrecked or flooded."
Insurance Information Institute President Bob Hartwig says insurers aren't to blame: Many older models that are totaled aren't insured, and many people get cars repaired without reporting the crashes to insurers.
Robert Duff, Smith's lawyer, says some people don't find out they bought a rebuilt wreck until they pay off the loan and see the title has been branded as a totaled vehicle.
One of his clients found more than $8,000 worth of repair receipts in the glove box — on the way home from the dealer.
"The best way to know if the car has previously been wrecked is to have a professional inspect it — it really isn't that expensive," says Duff. "It costs between $50 and $200, and it's money well spent."
Tips on buying a used car
Buying a used car doesn't have to mean "buying somebody else's troubles," says Jack Gillis, co-author of The Car Book. Thanks to leasing and some owners' inability to keep up with payments in this economy, Gillis notes, there are many great used vehicles available, many with time remaining on their warranties.
Key steps in the process:
• Go to a dealer or person you have good reason to trust.
• Check Consumer Reports' quality ratings and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's complaint database to see what others are saying about a vehicle you're considering.
• Get a vehicle history report. To learn more about possible crashes and problems, get a report from Carfax, AutoCheck and the Justice Department's new database at nmvtis.gov.
• Have an independent mechanic check the vehicle for mechanical, frame and electronic problems. Flood damage can wreak havoc on a car's electronics.
Getting a used car's history report isn't the safeguard many think it is against buying a car that was wrecked and rebuilt. Without a thorough inspection by an independent mechanic, it's almost impossible to tell, consumer experts say.
Each year, about 6 million cars are in crashes serious enough to report to police and insurers. About 12% of these are totaled or "salvage" vehicles, and that doesn't include flood-damaged cars.
Some of these wrecked cars are rebuilt and wind up on used car lots, even at prominent dealers. That can cause problems with the vehicles' performance and safety, along with making them more difficult to resell, crash experts say.
Crash reporting and disclosure is so spotty, some can have "clean" history reports from companies that sell them.
Some examples of problems with these history reports:
• Firefighter Bobby Smith bought a used 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra in 2010 in Indiana. In a lawsuit, Smith claimed the dealer knew the car was in a severe front-end collision. Smith says he discovered the damage when doing work on the car right after buying it. At the trial, which ended in a hung jury, Smith testified the dealership used a clean Carfax report to convince him the car had never been in a crash. The case is scheduled for retrial in January.
• When Florida-based Juan Sanchez tried to trade his 2007 Mercedes E350 in to the dealership he bought it from as a certified used car, Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines showed him a Carfax report indicating he had an accident while he owned it. But in a lawsuit, Sanchez said the crash predated his purchase, and Carfax had the date wrong. In September, an arbitrator awarded Sanchez $3,500 in damages from the dealership for "unfair/deceptive acts," but denied "fraud and negligent misrepresentation" claims.
Dealers say they get duped, too. They were involved in the push for a 2009 law that requires insurance companies to share their data on totaled vehicles with a new Justice Department database, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.
The National Automobile Dealers Association pushed for the database because "Dealers don't want rebuilt wrecks on their lots," says NADA spokesman Bailey Wood. He says the database will "permanently red-flag severely damaged" vehicles.
Carfax spokesman Larry Gamache says his company gets salvage data from insurers that make up about 80% of the industry, police departments, crash estimators and repair facilities. Carfax doesn't believe its "data is limited in any way," Gamache says, but adds, "No report is going to have everything."
Carfax also offers to buy back any vehicle purchased based on a Carfax report that doesn't mention that its title showed it was a salvage vehicle. The company has bought back 70 cars in the 10 years it has been offering to do so.
Kansas City, Mo., plaintiff attorney Bernard Brown says his law firm has received hundreds of complaints in the last 15 years from consumers who bought cars with clean reports that turned out to have previously been "severely wrecked or flooded."
Insurance Information Institute President Bob Hartwig says insurers aren't to blame: Many older models that are totaled aren't insured, and many people get cars repaired without reporting the crashes to insurers.
Robert Duff, Smith's lawyer, says some people don't find out they bought a rebuilt wreck until they pay off the loan and see the title has been branded as a totaled vehicle.
One of his clients found more than $8,000 worth of repair receipts in the glove box — on the way home from the dealer.
"The best way to know if the car has previously been wrecked is to have a professional inspect it — it really isn't that expensive," says Duff. "It costs between $50 and $200, and it's money well spent."
Tips on buying a used car
Buying a used car doesn't have to mean "buying somebody else's troubles," says Jack Gillis, co-author of The Car Book. Thanks to leasing and some owners' inability to keep up with payments in this economy, Gillis notes, there are many great used vehicles available, many with time remaining on their warranties.
Key steps in the process:
• Go to a dealer or person you have good reason to trust.
• Check Consumer Reports' quality ratings and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's complaint database to see what others are saying about a vehicle you're considering.
• Get a vehicle history report. To learn more about possible crashes and problems, get a report from Carfax, AutoCheck and the Justice Department's new database at nmvtis.gov.
• Have an independent mechanic check the vehicle for mechanical, frame and electronic problems. Flood damage can wreak havoc on a car's electronics.
For more national and
worldwide Business News, visit the Peak News Room blog.
For more local and
state of Michigan Business News, visit the Michigan
Business News blog.
For more Health News, visit the Healthcare and Medical
News blog.
For more Electronics News, visit the Electronics
America blog.
For more Real Estate News, visit the Commercial and
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For more Law News, visit the Nation of Law blog.
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Texting Claims Lives of Drivers
Story first reported from Yahoo.com
Judging by stories in just the past few weeks, texting while driving has become America's most urgent public safety issue, filling local television screens across the country with stories of crashes, near-misses and dire warnings. What's less clear is whether a brace of new laws will do much, or how many drivers will be willing to turn off their phones completely while driving.
The scene comes from Aberdeen, Wash., where a teenager at the wheel of a Dodge Ram pickup on Sunday ran off the road into a wooden fence, sending one slat through the windshield where his head should be. According to KOMO-TV, the driver only suffered minor injuries, but the Washington State Police say witnesses saw the driver texting in the moments before the crash.
Last month, a Houston man revealed that moments before a serious crash, he had texted "I need to quit texting because I could die in a car accident." And last week, Alabama became the 39th state to make it a crime to enter text into a phone while behind the wheel; in 10 states and the District of Columbia, it's illegal to pick up your phone at all while driving. A Chicago car accident lawyer says there has been an up-tick in legal ramifications as a result of traffic accidents due to texting while driving.
While such laws are still relatively new, some police agencies are already saying they're not effective enough. The problem is the great unanswered question among safety advocates: Is texting that much more or less dangerous than anything else people do with their phones while driving? Alabama's law, like most states, still allows drivers to dial numbers, look at maps and otherwise use the phone, but not text. Telling the difference between the two from outside a car moving 70 mph isn't a job most troopers or anyone else can do, as WCNC-TV in Charlotte, N.C., found when it sent two cameramen out to surreptitiously bust drivers in the act.
And the Alabama law also highlights a mismatch between the furor over texting and what's known about its actual impact. While cellphones have become ubiquitous over the past two decades, deaths in accidents and crashes have declined to record lows. Research has shown time and again that driving with a cell phone reduces concentration and can lead to crashes, but has yet to put a firm link on just how many crashes might be caused directly by electronic distractions. Alabama authorities say their record show that in 2010, drivers distracted by cellphones or other electronic devices contributed to 1,256 crashes and five deaths. It's a sad statistic, but that same year, alcohol-related accidents killed 279 people in Alabama, a figure that did not lead to any new laws.
Whatever the studies say, it's clear that not paying attention behind the wheel for any reason makes driving less safe, even with modern aids like Bluetooth and voice commands. Driving can be tedious, and the need to stay connected so strong that far too many drivers think they can get away with it -- right until the fence comes through the windshield. Once upon a time, people were forced to travel without concern for e-mails and telephone calls they could be missing. Try it on your next drive, and stay off the local news.
Judging by stories in just the past few weeks, texting while driving has become America's most urgent public safety issue, filling local television screens across the country with stories of crashes, near-misses and dire warnings. What's less clear is whether a brace of new laws will do much, or how many drivers will be willing to turn off their phones completely while driving.
The scene comes from Aberdeen, Wash., where a teenager at the wheel of a Dodge Ram pickup on Sunday ran off the road into a wooden fence, sending one slat through the windshield where his head should be. According to KOMO-TV, the driver only suffered minor injuries, but the Washington State Police say witnesses saw the driver texting in the moments before the crash.
Last month, a Houston man revealed that moments before a serious crash, he had texted "I need to quit texting because I could die in a car accident." And last week, Alabama became the 39th state to make it a crime to enter text into a phone while behind the wheel; in 10 states and the District of Columbia, it's illegal to pick up your phone at all while driving. A Chicago car accident lawyer says there has been an up-tick in legal ramifications as a result of traffic accidents due to texting while driving.
While such laws are still relatively new, some police agencies are already saying they're not effective enough. The problem is the great unanswered question among safety advocates: Is texting that much more or less dangerous than anything else people do with their phones while driving? Alabama's law, like most states, still allows drivers to dial numbers, look at maps and otherwise use the phone, but not text. Telling the difference between the two from outside a car moving 70 mph isn't a job most troopers or anyone else can do, as WCNC-TV in Charlotte, N.C., found when it sent two cameramen out to surreptitiously bust drivers in the act.
And the Alabama law also highlights a mismatch between the furor over texting and what's known about its actual impact. While cellphones have become ubiquitous over the past two decades, deaths in accidents and crashes have declined to record lows. Research has shown time and again that driving with a cell phone reduces concentration and can lead to crashes, but has yet to put a firm link on just how many crashes might be caused directly by electronic distractions. Alabama authorities say their record show that in 2010, drivers distracted by cellphones or other electronic devices contributed to 1,256 crashes and five deaths. It's a sad statistic, but that same year, alcohol-related accidents killed 279 people in Alabama, a figure that did not lead to any new laws.
Whatever the studies say, it's clear that not paying attention behind the wheel for any reason makes driving less safe, even with modern aids like Bluetooth and voice commands. Driving can be tedious, and the need to stay connected so strong that far too many drivers think they can get away with it -- right until the fence comes through the windshield. Once upon a time, people were forced to travel without concern for e-mails and telephone calls they could be missing. Try it on your next drive, and stay off the local news.
For more national and
worldwide Business News, visit the Peak News Room blog.
For more local and
state of Michigan Business News, visit the Michigan
Business News blog.
For more Health News, visit the Healthcare and Medical
News blog.
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America blog.
For more Real Estate News, visit the Commercial and
Residential Real Estate blog.
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Marketing and Media blog.
For more Environmental News, visit the Environmental
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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Minor Responsible for Nine Immigrants Dead
Story first appeared in USA Today.
PALMVIEW, Texas (AP) – A 15-year-old South Texas boy has been charged with nine counts of murder among other charges after a van he was driving crashed, killing nine of the suspected illegal immigrants packed inside.
The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, appeared at a probable cause hearing Monday. He was also charged with 17 counts of smuggling a person and causing serious bodily harm including death, and one count of evading.
The boy told investigators he drove the van because his family had been threatened. The Palmview police department is trying to decide whether the boy should be tried as an adult in this case. A Houston Personal Injury Lawyer could potentially be involved on behalf of the families of the dead.
The nine killed in the rollover crash last Tuesday were all Mexican citizens, the ground around the van was scattered with bodies.
The boy, a U.S. citizen from Hidalgo County, has cooperated with police since his arrest at home Thursday night. He said the boy told them he had not done this before, but he did have a previous record.
Border Patrol agents had stopped the van in Palmview, 10 miles west of McAllen, when officials said some of the passengers immediately sprinted away and agents pursued them on foot, catching one. As the foot chase unfolded, the van sped off.
The agents came across the wreck three or four blocks away on U.S. 83. The scene was strewn with backpacks and water bottles, Border Patrol said.
ICE's investigation led to the discovery of a stash house where a dozen illegal immigrants were located. At least four of the six crash survivors were detained as material witnesses.
The teen was arrested along with six others who allegedly acted as caretakers at the stash house.
According to a complaint filed last week, two other suspects admitted after their arrests to participating in the smuggling of the illegal immigrants involved in the crash and those in the stash house. One said he was offered $40 per passenger to drive the van, but refused and instead put the 15-year-old in contact with the organization, the complaint says.
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PALMVIEW, Texas (AP) – A 15-year-old South Texas boy has been charged with nine counts of murder among other charges after a van he was driving crashed, killing nine of the suspected illegal immigrants packed inside.
The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, appeared at a probable cause hearing Monday. He was also charged with 17 counts of smuggling a person and causing serious bodily harm including death, and one count of evading.
The boy told investigators he drove the van because his family had been threatened. The Palmview police department is trying to decide whether the boy should be tried as an adult in this case. A Houston Personal Injury Lawyer could potentially be involved on behalf of the families of the dead.
The nine killed in the rollover crash last Tuesday were all Mexican citizens, the ground around the van was scattered with bodies.
The boy, a U.S. citizen from Hidalgo County, has cooperated with police since his arrest at home Thursday night. He said the boy told them he had not done this before, but he did have a previous record.
Border Patrol agents had stopped the van in Palmview, 10 miles west of McAllen, when officials said some of the passengers immediately sprinted away and agents pursued them on foot, catching one. As the foot chase unfolded, the van sped off.
The agents came across the wreck three or four blocks away on U.S. 83. The scene was strewn with backpacks and water bottles, Border Patrol said.
ICE's investigation led to the discovery of a stash house where a dozen illegal immigrants were located. At least four of the six crash survivors were detained as material witnesses.
The teen was arrested along with six others who allegedly acted as caretakers at the stash house.
According to a complaint filed last week, two other suspects admitted after their arrests to participating in the smuggling of the illegal immigrants involved in the crash and those in the stash house. One said he was offered $40 per passenger to drive the van, but refused and instead put the 15-year-old in contact with the organization, the complaint says.
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