Joshua Brown, 40, was killed in Williston, Florida, when his car collided with a tractor-trailer that was turning left in front of him. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the Tesla was in self-driving mode, and preliminary information indicated that neither the driver nor the self-driving system applied the brakes. Tesla said in a news release that the autopilot system did not detect the white side of the truck against the bright sky.

The NHTSA has opened an investigation into the accident, but the agency cautioned that the initiation of the inquiry did not necessarily mean that there was a defect in the vehicle. Mark Rosekind, the head of the agency, said recently that self-driving cars need to be at least twice as safe as human drivers.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is often hailed as a visionary, but he was criticized for Tesla’s response to the accident. The company said that the death was the first in 130 million miles, and was a “statistical inevitability.” Musk pointed out that 1.3 million people die worldwide in traffic accidents each year.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

Sources

• http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/07/how-the-media-screwed-up-the-fatal-tesla-accident
• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/07/tesla-elon-musk-autopilot-death-crisis-management

According to preliminary numbers from the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 2,939 traffic fatalities in Florida in 2015, a 17.8 percent rise over the 2014 total of 2,494.

Not only did highway deaths increase over last year, but the state failed to meet its projected decrease for the third year in a row. In 2012, Florida began its safety initiative with a baseline of 2,431 traffic fatalities, an average of the totals from 2006 to 2010. In 2013, the state had 100 more traffic fatalities than the 5 percent reduction projected, and in 2014 the total was 300 deaths over the reduction goal.

In 2015, if the 5 percent per year projection had held true, there would have been 2,084 deaths on Florida’s roads, but there were 855 more than that, so the state missed its goal by more than 40 percent.

It was no year-end surprise that traffic fatalities in Florida have been accelerating in the wrong direction. Last summer, the National Safety Council conducted an analysis that showed that there was a 29 percent increase in highway deaths in Florida, and a 14 percent increase nationally, in the first half of 2015, compared to the same six-month period in 2014.

Safety experts lay the blame on poorly-designed roads, a lack of focus on traffic safety on the part of state officials, and driver negligence.

If you need to speak with a car accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

According to authorities, the pill mill filled fraudulent prescriptions for over one million doses of pain medication, including oxycodone and hydromorphone. The highly addictive prescription pain pills have an estimated street value in excess of $16 million, authorities said.

Authorities said that the defendants used unlicensed medical workers as well as doctors to issue fraudulent prescriptions for medications that were then sold throughout South Florida. Prescriptions issued by the center were found as far away as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

The defendants face charges including conspiracy to sell illegal drugs, conspiracy to sell oxycodone, and racketeering. They will be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution, part of the Attorney General’s Office. There is a 25-year mandatory minimum prison sentence associated with the drug trafficking conspiracy charges.

People who fraudulently or negligently prescribe medications that cause harm to users may also face civil lawsuits. People who are injured as a result of pharmaceutical negligence may be able to obtain compensation through a lawsuit. Contact Joyce & Reyes for more information.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

U.S. Senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that the recent settlement between the U.S. Justice Department and General Motors (GM) showed that stronger legislation is needed. After it was revealed that GM covered up a deadly ignition switch defect, the company agreed to pay $900 million and offer settlements to nearly 300 people who were injured and the families of 124 people who were killed as a result of the faulty switches, which caused vehicles to lose power while in motion. No criminal charges were brought against any GM employees.

The proposed legislation would make it a crime for an officer of a corporation to knowingly conceal information about an action or product that could put workers or the public a risk of serious injury or death. Under the proposed law, violators would face fines and up to five years in prison.

Sen. Blumenthal said that current law does not go far enough in holding corporate officials accountable when they are complicit in cover-ups that cause preventable tragedies. The bill, called the Hide No Harm Act, would also apply to other products, such as defective cribs and body armor, that have caused injuries.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The City of Tampa has 55 red light cameras at 24 intersections, the largest such program in the region. When drivers run red lights at the intersections, cameras capture their image and they receive tickets in the mail. The city faces numerous lawsuits over the cameras. While the city collects substantial revenue from red light camera tickets, including $311,360 in June 2015 alone, it is unclear whether the program actually prevents accidents.

The lack of clarity is due in part to the failure to city staff to deliver crash data requested by city council members. A report by city staff on the red light camera program compared only the first and second quarters of 2015, which may be statistically irrelevant, and it did not include specific data on rear-end collisions requested by city council members.

Critics of the red light camera program have questioned its fairness and effectiveness. According to news reports, Tampa and other cities issued tickets based on unfairly short yellow lights before the state mandated longer intervals at intersections with cameras. State law requires cities to submit annual crash data to help track the effectiveness of the cameras, but Tampa failed to do so in 2014.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The study, conducted by the University of Iowa and funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, found that distractions such as texting, talking with passengers and grooming played a role in almost 60 percent of moderate-to-severe teen car crashes. Previously, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had estimated that 14 percent of teen crashes involved distraction.

The foundation analyzed in-car videos from the six seconds prior to 1,691 crashes where a teenage driver was behind the wheel. The crashes happened between August 2007 and July 2013 and took place mostly in the Midwest, the researchers said.

Researchers said the in-car videos provided data that was previously unavailable.

It is possible that distracted driving among teens is even more prevalent than indicated by the study, because all of the teens knew they were being filmed. Some may have limited their distracting activities because of that fact. Researchers said that the study provides indisputable evidence that distraction is a major factor in teen crashes. However, they did caution that the study represents only one set of data, and that more research is needed.

According to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, Illinois’ graduated licensing laws for teens are among the strongest in the nation, and they are already more restrictive than what is recommended by AAA.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago car accident lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

The internet search giant launched Google Compare on March 5 in California only. The company’s plans call for pilots in Illinois, Pennsylvania, California and Texas within the first quarter of the year, and the overall program has been cleared to operate in a total of 26 states at the time of this release.

The pilot program will be a test for Google to see if the service can continue to expand. However, Google Compare has operated in the United Kingdom since 2012, so the program itself is hardly new.

Google will offer insurance policies from major carriers and earn a commission on sales. Google Compare has already obtained authorization to offer policies from MetLife, Dairyland, Mercury, Workmen’s, and Viking Insurance of Wisconsin, with more to follow.

According to industry analysts, car insurers may have reason to be wary of Google’s entry into the market. On one hand, the service will provide another platform for sales. On the other, the company will be adding insurance information to its already massive amounts of data on consumers, which could give Google an advantage in terms of underwriting. Analysts also said that Google’s existing search data could be used to build risk profiles for individual consumers.

In addition, insurance companies may be concerned that Google’s new website will insert itself between consumers and insurers, disconnecting traditional insurance companies from their customers.

For consumers, the new site may be a boon from every angle, allowing them to compare and shop much more quickly. One popular insurance advertising slogan promises to save consumers money in just 15 minutes. Another claims to cut that in half. But Google aims to do the same in a matter of seconds.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago car accident lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

The report, “2013 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics,” detailed an important series of facts:

• There were 285,477 Illinois traffic collisions in 2013.
• In Chicago, there were 79,384 car crashes.
• Of all these crashes, 21.4 percent involved an injury.
• Less than 1 percent involved a fatality.
• During 2013, there were 991 fatalities in 895 fatal crashes.
• Of the people who died, 152 were motorcyclists, 125 were pedestrians and 30 were bicyclists.
• The report states that excessive speed was involved in 35 percent of the fatal crashes.
• Deer were involved in 5.4 percent of all crashes.

Although 2013 had the highest number of fatalities since 2008, the year did maintain a trend of traffic deaths below 1,000 per year in the state. This trend stands in stark contrast to the 1990s through the mid-2000s, when annual traffic fatalities ranged from 1,300 to more than 1,500.

According to the report, more crashes happen on weekdays. Each weekday in 2013 saw more than 40,000 accidents, while Saturday and Sunday saw 38,796 crashes and 33,403 crashes, respectively. Friday had the most accidents, with 47,527.

The greatest number of accidents took place during the afternoon and evening. The time period from 4 p.m. to 7:59 p.m. saw 77,088 accidents. There were 71,547 accidents in the time period from 12 p.m. to 3:59 p.m.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago car accident lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

Nighttime driving can be dangerous simply because it is more difficult for drivers to see other cars, pedestrians and road obstacles. Headlights make night driving possible, but the glare from other drivers’ headlights is a problem of its own. Adaptive LED lighting is being developed to address these problems.

BMW’s Dynamic Light Spot system uses LEDs in place of fog lights. The system illuminates what it senses are a person’s feet, following a pedestrian crossing in front of the vehicle, and it can illuminate objects in the vehicle’s path before normal headlights would reach them. However, the system is outlawed in the United States. The LEDs bring the total lumens above the limit set by the 1968 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Audi’s Matrix LED system uses camera sensors to determine where light is needed on the road. It can prevent glare by sensing other vehicles and then directing headlight beams away from the other driver’s windshield. But not in the U.S., where old safety standards dictate that cars must have high and low beams, and nothing in between.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

At least five fatalities have been linked to the airbags, which can rupture during deployment, causing metal shrapnel to strike passengers. The defect is most prevalent in humid areas; the airbags’ propellant is affected by moisture. The regional recall has involved 4.1 million cars in hot and humid areas of the country.

Takata resisted the demand for a nationwide recall, saying that it could divert replacement airbags from where they are most needed. Meanwhile, auto safety advocates said that even the NHTSA’s demand for a nationwide recall is not enough, because it covers only driver-side airbags, and passenger airbags may also be defective.

Bob Briskman is a car accident lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

A state senator and two state representatives have filed bills that would make texting while driving a primary offense, add penalties when a fatal crash occurs because of a driver using a cell phone, and ban cell phone use in school zones.

The “Ban on Texting While Driving” law was passed by the state legislature in 2012. Florida was the 41st state to pass such legislation. 

However, in Florida, texting while behind the wheel has been established as a secondary offense — meaning that police officers must have a separate reason to pull a driver over. They can only issue a ticket for texting while driving in addition to the citation for the other offense.

The current law also allows for several exceptions, such as using a cellphone for GPS navigation or to listen to music. Officers must be able to testify that the driver was not using the phone for one of these exceptions, which is difficult to do, since cell phone data is not available unless a serious accident occurs.

Officials said texting while driving, and other forms of distracted driving, are a major cause of car accidents, and they can be just as dangerous as driving drunk.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

New safety features address the problems caused when fallible humans are left in charge. Technology such as car-to-car wireless communication, advance crash detection and automatic braking could prevent car accidents when drivers fail to take action quickly enough to stop a crash from happening. 

In the near term, these features will assist human drivers, who will still bear the primary responsibility for operating their vehicles. In a later stage of development, cars may drive themselves, allowing passengers to focus on other things while in the vehicle. Cars may even be able to park themselves, dropping passengers off at their destination before going to search for a parking spot.

Autonomous and semi-autonomous cars may indeed prevent accidents and save lives, but they also raise unique safety issues of their own.

One problem is obvious: computers can fail, and they can be hacked. Giving up control of a vehicle to a computer means that a computer malfunction or a malicious hacking attack could cause a crash. While thousands of lives may be saved by autonomous vehicle technology, it seems likely that at least some injury and loss of life will be directly attributable to the new features as well. 

The situation may be analogous to the early development of air bags. Designed for adults, the explosive impact of air bags ended up causing the deaths of about 175 children and smaller adults in the 1990s, before improvements were introduced. During the same period, air bags saved about 6,400 lives, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Another problem may arise with the mix of autonomous vehicles and human-operated cars that can be expected on the road as the technology is introduced. Research has indicated that human drivers may unconsciously mimic the actions of the vehicles around them. Driverless cars may be able to drive very close together at high speeds with the ability to stop quickly, and human drivers may be tempted to follow suit, driving closer to other vehicles than is safe, given their slower reaction times.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

Seven years ago, Illinois put a more restrictive program of graduated driver’s licenses in place for teenagers. Teen driving deaths have dropped five percent since then. According to the office of the Illinois Secretary of State, the restrictions have improved driving safety.

The graduated driver’s license program has three phases.

In the initial permit phase, upon reaching the age of 15, a person may obtain a restricted driving permit, with a parent’s permission. The permit is valid for two years, and it must be held for a period of at least nine months before moving to the next phase. During the permit phase, a teenager must practice driving while supervised by an adult age 21 or older with a valid driver’s license. Each teen is required to complete a minimum of 50 hours, including 10 nighttime hours. A teenager with a driver’s permit must also complete a driver education course before moving on to the next phase.

In the initial licensing phase, available for drivers age 16-17, a teenager may drive unsupervised, but he or she is subject to nighttime curfews. In addition, for the first year or until the driver turns 18, the driver is limited to only one passenger under the age of 20, not including family members. Moving violations during this period may extend the period of time before a driver may move on to the full licensing phase.

In the full licensing phase, there are no age-related restrictions on driving. But drivers age 18-20 who did not take a high school driver education course must complete a six-hour course before they may obtain a driver’s license.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

The bill was introduced by Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. It may have little chance of passing this year, but the proposed legislation is seen as a response to car safety violations that have led to deaths. GM has been a particular target after a defective ignition switch on recalled vehicles was linked to at least 13 deaths. 

Sen. McCaskill called GM executives before a Senate committee on two occasions earlier this year to question them about the recall. GM engineers allegedly attempted to cover up the defect by changing a part without changing the part number. Investigators working for personal injury attorneys uncovered the change.

The proposed legislation, the Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Enhancement Act, would raise penalties for car safety violations from $5,000 to $25,000 per violation. It would eliminate the current cap on penalties at $35 million. In addition, under the bill, federal prosecutors could seek sentences of up to life in prison for those involved with safety violations that cause death.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

A police investigation was launched to determine the exact cause of the accident and to find out whether or not the truck had a mechanical defect that caused it to stall. The driver may have been texting while driving and not paying attention to the road or how he was driving.

Whenever a passenger vehicle is involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, the results are catastrophic in varying degrees, depending on the point of impact. In many cases, vehicle passengers die. Those who do live may have life-altering injuries. In all cases involving a collision with a semi, legal assistance is required, as big rig accidents typically involve numerous insurance company, legal and jurisdictional issues.

It is important to contact an experienced trucking accident lawyer immediately in order to ensure evidence at the crash scene is preserved. Never speak to trucking company personnel or insurance adjusters. Always discuss any contact by the defendant with your attorney of record. 

Insurance companies are not your friends. Be aware of your legal rights.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury lawyer or help with an auto accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, or burn injury case, contact Lee, Gober and Reyna by visiting http://www.lgrlawfirm.com or calling 512.800.8000

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) conducted a study of insurance claims on vehicles due to fires unrelated to crashes. The vehicles were divided into two categories: a group of those for which a recall was issued due to fire-related defects, and the control group, for which no such recalls were issued.

As you would expect, the study showed a significantly higher rate of fire-related insurance claims on the defective vehicles. During the time period before the recall was issued, claims on defective vehicles were 23 percent higher than non-defective vehicles. But, importantly, that gap shrank to 12 percent in the time following the issuance of the recall.

The study demonstrates that issuing a recall makes a significant difference in the rate of defect-related damage – in this case, it was cut in half. But it also shows that aggregate risk remains elevated even after the recall. An exact conclusion on this second point was beyond the scope of the study, but researchers reasonably theorized that some vehicle owners were unaware of the recall or failed to comply with it.

Auto owners can check for recalls on their cars by going to safecar.gov.

The biggest vehicle recall of the moment has been issued by General Motors. GM has recalled some 6 million cars of various models for faulty ignition switches and power steering. GM itself has linked the faulty ignitions with 13 deaths and 31 crashes. Some claim the number is higher.

The ignition switch may cause the engine to suddenly shut off while driving, which also prevents the airbags from inflating if the car then crashes. A crash is quite likely; many drivers are startled and confused when their vehicles suddenly turn off for no reason.

GM has issued urgent guidance to owners of the recalled vehicles. Owners should, of course, take their cars to GM service stations as soon as possible. But if they must drive in the meantime, they should drive with nothing extra hanging from the vehicle’s key – no extra keys or key fobs. Apparently, the weight of larger keychains pulling down on the key makes the defective ignition more likely to malfunction.

Recalls are almost always free of charge. Do your part to make driving safer – look for and heed vehicle recalls.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The event date recorders contain information that the plaintiff’s attorney will need to build a case for compensation. As such, the company investigator typically beats the police to the scene. The defendant’s attorney and insurance company would rather not part with such information if possible.

In response, truck accident attorneys must be intimately familiar with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the requirements of the Federal Department of Transportation. Most attorneys that handle big-rig cases employ DOT investigators and accident reconstructionists to comb through an accident scene thoroughly within hours of the collision.
In cases like this, the plaintiff’s lawyer must send the trucking firm a preservation letter immediately, instructing it to keep and preserve all data contained in the black box. The truck must not be touched or altered in any way before the plaintiff’s experts have a chance to examine it. Often, trucking companies prefer to conceal all information to be had at the wreck that would affect their case.

Most families who have lost a loved one in a crash or who are dealing with a badly injured family member are not very concerned with who caused the collision in the immediate aftermath. However, the trucking firm and its lawyers will be interested in cause above all else. Protect yourself and your family by calling a trucking accident lawyer immediately.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury lawyer or help with an auto accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, or burn injury case, contact Lee, Gober and Reyna by visiting http://www.lgrlawfirm.com or calling 512.800.8000

The potential of V2V communication to reduce accidents by warning drivers of safety hazards has already been demonstrated in tests both in controlled conditions and real-world roads.

V2V communication can help a driver know whether it is safe to pass on a two-lane road or make a left turn across the path of oncoming traffic. By enabling cars to communicate from distances of several hundred yards, it warns of potential threats that neither drivers nor onboard sensors can reliably detect.

In August 2012, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched a year-long pilot program in Ann Arbor, Mich., deploying some 3,000 vehicles with V2V technology. The test demonstrated the ability of vehicles and communication systems from various manufacturers to operate together successfully. The NHTSA is working to finalize its report on the study, which will cover feasibility and a preliminary cost/benefit analysis. The agency will then start working on a regulatory proposal to require V2V technology in new vehicles at some point in the future.

The applications of V2V currently in development do not automatically operate any vehicle systems, unlike features currently available on some models that apply the brakes if a collision is imminent. However, V2V communication is one key to enabling a future of self-driving cars.

That nascent technology is being advanced under a separate ongoing study here in Florida. The Tampa Bay Times reported that a stretch of Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando has been outfitted with radio devices that feed the cars information about road and traffic conditions.

Companies including Google, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan all have working prototype vehicles that can operate without any driver input under some conditions.

Florida has become a hotbed of activity in the burgeoning self-driving car industry. It is one of only four states to explicitly permit the use of experimental self-driving cars on public roads. Advocates of the technology say it could dramatically cut accident rates – eventually by 90 percent or more, some claim.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The sponsor of the law that raised speed limits said that Chicago-area limits should also be raised.

On nearly 1,900 of almost 2,170 miles of Illinois interstate highways, the speed limit is now 70 mph, an increase from a generally 65 mph limit for rural interstates. However, only approximately 30 percent of the 286-mile Illinois Tollway’s network will see an increased speed limit. Also, according to IDOT, only five relatively short sections of interstate in the Chicago area will have their speed limits raised, leaving the 55 mph speed limit in much of the Chicago area unchanged.

State Sen. Jim Oberweis, Republican of Sugar Grove, sponsored the bill that raised the speed limit. He said the limit should be raised in the Chicago area as well. IDOT had the authority to create the speed limit map, but Oberweis said the department is putting “citizens into danger.”

According to Oberweis, 85 percent of vehicles are traveling 70 mph or faster on most interstate highways, and the variation in speed limits can be a factor in automobile accidents. He said that by not raising the speed limit in most of the Chicago area, IDOT was ignoring “the will of the people.” Oberweis owns a dairy that operates trucks on the highways.

A recent analysis by the Chicago Tribune found that the “actual” speed limit in the Chicago area — the speed at which most drivers are ticketed — is 80 mph. The Tribune’s research found that 90 percent of vehicles exceed the posted 55 mph speed limit on the tollway, where the average speed is 66-70 mph.

In a statement, IDOT claimed that the speed limit would be raised on stretches of interstate highway where it is deemed safe and reasonable. IDOT said it considered the 85th percentile (the widely accepted standard of the speed at which 85 percent of vehicles are moving at or below) and other considerations. According to the IDOT statement, the department’s top priority is driver safety, and it will continue reviewing speed limits as needed.

Oberweis said that he will attempt to bring his drive for higher Chicago-area speed limits to the legislature. He said that 70 mph is a reasonable, safe and consistent speed, but that he may settle for a limit of 65 mph.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is evaluating these technologies through its Transportation Lighting and Safety program, which examines approaches to driving safely at night.

There is a greater risk for car accidents at night than there is during the day. Many roadways in the United States do not have adequate lighting. As such, headlights are a crucial safety feature, and they can and should be improved. Any nighttime driver will be familiar with two headlight issues currently being addressed by researchers: the fact that it can be difficult to see where one is going when the car is turning or on a curve, and the blinding effect that glare from other drivers’ high beam headlights can have. These issues are common annoyances for drivers, but they are major safety concerns as well. Researchers are working to address both issues.

Senior Research Scientist John Bullough recently presented research results on swiveling headlight systems at the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting in Darmstadt, Germany. His paper, “Applying visual performance modeling to adaptive curve lighting safety data,” examined swiveling headlights designed to shine light onto the curves of a roadway when a car is turning. Field studies indicated that these headlight systems led to an estimated 4 percent reduction in nighttime crash frequency along sharp curves and a 1 to 2 percent reduction along shallower curves. The idea of headlights that turn along with a car has been around for decades, and it is already a feature in some European cars. As evidence of their potential to prevent car accidents grows, the feature will likely become available for more American cars.

Bullough also presented research results on adaptive headlights that reduce glare at the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology’s The Eye, The Brain and The Auto conference. His paper, “Adaptive vehicle lighting, visual performance and safety,” examined adaptive headlight systems that allow drivers to use high beams while selectively dimming a portion of the beam to avoid temporarily blinding other drivers with glare. Research suggests that these systems could reduce nighttime crashes by nearly 7 percent.

A model for relative visual performance developed by the Lighting Research Center at RPI formed the basis for both studies. The studies were funded by the Transportation Lighting Alliance, which includes major vehicle and lighting manufacturers.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

According to the NTSB, 90 percent of all transportation-related deaths occur in motor vehicle accidents. Many of these involve alcohol or drug impairment and are therefore considered completely avoidable. In the past decade, more than 119,000 people have been killed in auto accidents involving alcohol impairment. According to a AAA study, about one in seven drivers admits to having driven when suspecting him- or herself to be over or close to the legal BAC limit.

The problem extends beyond alcohol. Over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs can also cause impairment. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 10 million people admitted to driving under the influence of illegal drugs within the previous year.

Efforts to prevent impaired driving can be divided into general deterrents and specific deterrents. General deterrents are aimed at the general public, and they include legal limits on blood alcohol content (BAC) and high-visibility enforcement campaigns. Specific deterrents are used to encourage those who have been caught driving while impaired to refrain from doing so again. These include jail terms, fines and license revocation.

The NTSB points out that conventional deterrents are often ineffective in cases where the individual has a substance abuse problem. Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) courts aim to change offender behavior by focusing on accountability and long-term treatment with close, comprehensive supervision.

The agency has also highlighted technological advances for curbing impaired driving. Passive alcohol sensors are small electronic devices built into police flashlights or clipboards that detect alcohol in the ambient air. They do not require a suspect’s cooperation, as they can work from outside a vehicle’s open window. Ignition interlock devices can be installed in offenders’ cars, requiring them to breathe into the device for a BAC reading before the car can be started.

The NTSB advocates a reduction of the BAC at which a driver is presumed impaired from the current 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent. It also recommends incorporating the use of passive alcohol sensors into enforcement efforts, expanding the use of ignition interlocks and developing best practices for DWI courts.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

In 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that nearly 200 people died in big rig accidents over the course of the year.

Driver fatigue is one of the more common causes of accidents involving 18-wheelers. Shockingly, nearly 33 percent of truckers have been diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the American Transportation Research Institute of the American Trucking Associations. Sleep deprivation and insomnia are also frequent problems for those in the industry; combine all three, and the potential for an accident increases exponentially.

Every state has its own method of screening and testing drivers who may be struggling with sleep apnea. Recently, President Obama signed legislation mandating that suspected truckers, who usually have high blood pressure and are overweight, be tested. Some of the signs that may indicate sleep apnea include, but are not limited to: frequent micro-sleep sessions with two- to three-second periods of sleeping and waking, increasingly aggressive behavior, a decline in motivation, a drop in overall performance and difficulty understanding factual information.

Trucking accidents can be a jurisdictional problem. Discuss your case with an experienced trucking accident lawyer.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury lawyer or help with an auto accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, or burn injury case, contact Lee, Gober and Reyna by visiting http://www.lgrlawfirm.com or calling 512.478.8080

The systems include seat belt interlocks, collision avoidance systems and alcohol detection devices.

Collision avoidance systems — which warn drivers when they are about to strike another vehicle and can automatically apply the brakes — are already available in some high-end vehicles. Officials are encouraging automakers to widen their availability.

Both seat belt interlocks and alcohol detection systems, which prevent the operation of a vehicle if seat belts are not fastened or if the driver is impaired, need more research before full implementation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said that it will “aggressively accelerate” that research.

This push for automobile safety systems comes as final figures on traffic deaths are released for 2012 and represent the first increase since 2005. There were 33,561 highway fatalities in 2012, an increase of 1,082 from the previous year.

Traffic safety officials have stated that these auto safety systems will address the three most important threats to highway safety: drunk driving, distracted driving and failure to use seat belts. According to officials, the technologies are within reach, and they have the potential to significantly reduce highway deaths.

The increase in traffic deaths in 2012 may have been caused in part by an unusually warm winter. 72 percent of the increase in fatalities occurred in the first quarter of the year, and the first quarter of 2012 was also the warmest on record. Although snow and ice are associated with traffic accidents, there are actually more accidents during warmer winters, because more drivers are on the road. The warm winter also lengthened the motorcycle riding season, and motorcycle deaths increased at a greater rate than other fatalities.

Preliminary data from 2013 indicates that the fatality rate may have dropped again in the year following this increase.

The Traffic Safety Administration said that seat belt interlocks could save 3,000 lives per year. The agency is considering changing safety standards to allow automakers to fulfill current crash protection requirements with the seat belt interlocks. In this way, they could opt out of more expensive changes to the interior design of vehicles to reduce injuries to occupants who are thrown around a vehicle during a crash.

Alcohol detection systems currently under research are different from those already required by some states for drivers arrested for or convicted of drunk driving. Those systems usually require the driver to take a step (such as breathing into a tube) before the car will start. The new systems will function automatically. When the driver touches the steering wheel or simply breathes, the devices will detect blood alcohol content and prevent the car from starting if the driver is over the legal limit.

Bob Briskman is a car accident lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

Edward Acclis, Jr. is employed by Newpark Resources Incorporated in Texas. In August 2013, he was involved in a workplace accident. While on the Texas Industrial Box Company and Transportation worksite, a trucker, backing his rig up to the loading docks, pinned Acclis’ legs up against the dock. The trucker, Edward Shaw, apparently did not see Acclis as he maneuvered the vehicle.

Evidence of negligence is central to a personal injury lawsuit of this nature. In this suit, the statement of claim has suggested that the truck driver, Shaw, was negligent in his work duties: he did not pay attention to his surroundings, and, in doing so, failed to maintain proper caution. The lawsuit seeks damages of up to $200,000.

Shaw’s distracted driving may have seriously injured Acclis, but such cases are not always clear-cut. Acclis himself may have played a part, failing to maintain the proper caution in watching for the truck. Given the circumstances, the court may find that Acclis played a contributory role in his accident, and any award may be reduced accordingly.

If the court finds that he was 10 percent responsible for his accident and that the trucker was 90 percent responsible, the trucker will pay 90 percent of the total award. Acclis would then pay 10 percent in return (or, more accurately, his compensation would be reduced by 10 percent).

Perlmutter and Schuelke actually handled a very similar case several years ago. In our tragic case, the trucker backed up toward the loading dock and crushed a worker on it, killing him. We were able to show that the truck did not have required safety features that were designed to prevent this type of accident. The case quickly settled after our expert provided a deposition explaining everything that the trucking company did wrong.

Texas workplace injury law is complex. Depending on the details of the case, a worker may pursue a variety of options. Do not guess what they may be. Only a competent Austin injury lawyer ia able to get you the compensation you deserve.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP is one of the premier trial firms in Austin Texas. Contact a auto accident lawyer by calling 512-476-4944 or learn more at http://www.civtrial.com/.

Tarpon Springs police said Joshua Saunders was northbound on U.S. 19 when he collided with the dump truck, which was also northbound. Saunders was declared dead at the scene. His father, Michael Saunders, identified him.

Yusdel Canete, 29, of Tampa, was driving the dump truck. Police have filed no charges in the case.

When a driver runs into the back of another vehicle, it is reasonable to presume that the rear driver is responsible for the accident. However, this is not always the case. For instance, the lead driver may have pulled out from an intersection or changed lanes into the path of the rear driver without a safe margin. The lead driver may have unnecessarily stopped short or may even have had malfunctioning brake lights. In the case of a dump truck, it is possible the truck was loaded beyond capacity and presented an increased danger to passenger vehicles in the event of a collision.

When an auto accident is presumably the fault of one party, it is easy to overlook the role that the other driver may have played in causing the collision. In that case, it is especially important that an experienced auto accident attorney be retained to assist in investigating the collision.

If you need to speak with a car accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The good news is that auto accident fatalities are still well below the recent highs recorded in 2005. That year, there were 43,510 deaths on American roads. This year’s figures represent the first statistically significant increase since 1995.

In addition to these fatality totals, auto accident fatalities can also be usefully measured as a rate per miles traveled. After all, if the total number of miles traveled rises or falls, one would expect the number of injuries and deaths to move in the same direction. It turns out that the fatality rate rose by nearly the same percentage as the overall number of deaths. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) rose from 1.10 to 1.14 — an increase of 3.6 percent. The injury rate rose somewhat more steeply, from 75 to 80 per 100 million VMT — an increase of 6.7 percent.

The report noted that no one particular factor accounted for a large portion of the increase in deaths. In fact, crashes associated with some high-risk factors decreased in 2012. For instance, fatal crashes involving young drivers have continued to decline, as they have since 2005.

However, fatalities among motorcyclists, pedestrians and pedalcyclists increased at rates slightly higher than those of the overall 3.3 percent fatality increase. Motorcyclist deaths increased by 7.1 percent, pedestrian deaths by 6.4 percent and pedalcyclist deaths by 6.5 percent.

Fatalities involving alcohol-impaired driving increased by 4.6 percent in 2012. Particularly notable is the fact that crashes in which one or more drivers were legally intoxicated account for nearly one third of total deaths on the road. When one considers that the vast majority of drivers never drive drunk, and even those who do engage in such reckless behavior tend not to do so very often, it is plain to see that drunk drivers die (and cause deaths) at an astronomically higher rate than sober drivers.

Although an increase in fatal accidents is discouraging, the NHTSA report must be viewed in a larger context. Deadly crashes have fallen at a significant rate for several years. The nation continues to make headway in road safety. When the statistics for 2013 and beyond begin to be tallied, we may very well learn that last year’s numbers were simply an anomaly in a long downtrend.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The agency added rearview video systems to its list of recommended advanced technology features – part of its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The program serves as a non-binding list of recommendations for automakers and customers to consider when making or purchasing new cars.

The change to NCAP will be implemented in two phases. Beginning immediately, the agency will list vehicle models having rearview video systems on its website at safercar.gov. Next, the agency will evaluate those systems to determine whether they meet certain criteria. Those criteria are: video coverage of a 10 by 20 foot zone directly behind the vehicle; display of the video image within two seconds of changing gears into reverse; and a display large enough to discern objects in the image and avoid crashing into those objects.

The NHTSA also turned its attention in a recent report to a decidedly low-tech vehicle system: tires. The agency pointed out safety issues with tire aging, saying that rubber breaks down over time regardless of whether the tire is in use – a process accelerated by heat. As tires age, they become more prone to failure. The age of spare tires and of tires sitting on store or warehouse shelves must therefore be considered as a safety factor just as crucial as tread depth.

That same report also covered the importance of tire pressure and systems that monitor it. Tires gradually lose air over time even when the vehicle is at rest, so drivers should check their tire pressure at least once per month. Underinflated tires lead to longer stopping distances, decreased handling, and increased heat buildup. They are more prone to tread separation and blowout.

Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are mandatory in the U.S. for all passenger cars, light trucks, and vans beginning with model year 2008. TPMS systems automatically alert drivers when a tire is underinflated by more than 25 percent. The NHTSA estimates that TPMS cuts in half the probability that a given vehicle will have one or more significantly underinflated tires. The fuel savings attributed to proper inflation due to TPMS in a single year is estimated at over half a billion dollars.

Help prevent auto accidents by checking your tires regularly for proper inflation and familiarizing yourself with your vehicle’s TPMS, if applicable.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

If you know the person you want to text (or call, for that matter) is on the road, it is best simply to wait. But in the end, it is solely the responsibility of the driver to avoid distraction. Or is it?

A recent case in New Jersey may have punched a hole in that theory. Just before an 18-year-old man there veered out of his lane and struck a husband and wife on a motorcycle, he had received a text message from a friend. The trial court dismissed a claim that the friend might be liable in the accident. The appeals court ruled that there was not enough evidence against the friend for the claim, but they left the door open for such arguments in the future, saying that third-party texters could be held liable if they know the recipient of the text message is driving a car.

It remains to be seen whether the legal standard will be upheld or applied in other states. While the actual legal risk one faces in sending texts to drivers is remote, the personal responsibility is clear: if the recipient is behind the wheel, the message can wait.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

People are generally aware of the developmental disorder ADHD. They know it can make some individuals restless or hyperactive and typically includes a short attention span. In many situations, this can run from just aggravating to downright frustrating. However, when it comes to driving, the short attention span is a potential danger, since the driver is not able stay focused on driving.

Medications for those with ADHD are a blessing and may control symptoms, but perhaps not enough to ensure an ADHD driver can handle the normal distractions of driving. In fact, a recent study has revealed that with the usual distractions that come with driving, ADHD drivers demonstrated a higher degree of variable speeds and changed lanes more often than those without this condition.

The study utilized 61 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 17. Thirty-three of the participants did not have ADHD. There were three tests used to determine distraction levels: test one had zero distractions in place; test two involved having a chat on a cell phone; and test three required participants to text and drive. The findings of the study showed ADHD adolescents fared worse in their efforts to maintain a steady lane position and speed.

On the same note, those with traumatic brain injury may face a similar problem when it comes to driving as well. There is more going on, on the road, than we might think. Even if we take to heart the “Drive Safe” admonition many are sent off with when we go somewhere, we can never know what other drivers are contending with as they drive.

If you have been involved in an accident with a distracted driver, contact an experienced injury attorney for information on obtaining possible compensation for injuries you may have.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP is one of the premier trial firms in Austin Texas. Contact a auto accident lawyer by calling 512-476-4944 or learn more at http://www.civtrial.com/.

On the national level, male teenage drivers cause insurance premiums to rise by an average of 96 percent, compared with 72 percent for females, the study found. The rises in premiums range from 116 percent in Arkansas to 18 percent in Hawaii. Hawaii does not allow insurers to consider the age, driving experience or gender of drivers, according to InsuranceQuotes.com, the quote-comparison website that produced the report.

The ten states with the highest rises in premiums for teen drivers all had increases of more than 100 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, only Hawaii had an increase of less than 50 percent for adding a teen driver. Illinois ranked in the middle with the 25th highest rise.

Quadrant Information Services performed the study for InsuranceQuotes.com, using data from the largest insurance carriers in each state to calculate rates based on a married man and woman, both 45 years old, with good credit and clean driving records, who each commute to work 10 miles away from home. The hypothetical couple drives a 2012 Honda CRV or Civic, Toyota Camry or Prius, or Ford F150 and has a policy with $100,000 individual injury liability and $300,000 total injury liability.

Premium increases decline with older teenage drivers. The average rise for 16-year-olds was 99 percent; for 17-year-olds, 90 percent; for 18-year-olds, 82 percent; and for 19-year-olds, 65 percent.

For parents who find the cost increase unaffordable, there are ways to reduce expenses. Parents can consider increasing their deductible or not letting their child drive until he or she is older. Some insurers may also offer student discounts or discounts if the teen driver takes advanced driver training courses.

The rise in insurance premiums is based on the fact that teenage drivers cause a disproportionate number of accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the fatal crash rate for teenage drivers is almost three times higher than the rate for drivers age 20 and older. The risk is highest for 16-17-year-olds, who have a fatal crash rate almost twice as high as the rate for 18-19-year-olds.

Over the past 20 years, all states have adopted graduated driver’s licensing requirements, which impose restrictions on young drivers. According to the institute, states that adopted graduated licensing requirements saw accident rates for teen drivers decrease by 10-30 percent. Raising the licensing age and imposing restrictions on nighttime driving for teens were found to reduce crash rates and insurance claims.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

For purposes of the report, a pedestrian is anyone on foot, sitting, or lying down, and a traffic crash is any collision involving one or more vehicles on a public roadway. Note that accidents occurring on private property, including parking lots and driveways, were not included.

Pedestrian fatalities numbered 4,432 in 2011. That represents an increase of 3 percent over 2010 and the second year in a row that an increase was recorded. But the number is 7 percent lower than that of 2002. An estimated 69,000 pedestrians were injured in auto accidents in 2011.

The total number of auto accident fatalities declined rather steeply over the period 2005-2011, while pedestrian fatalities declined at a more modest pace. Accordingly, pedestrian fatalities share of total deaths increased to a new high of 14 percent in 2011.

Alcohol was a factor – either for the driver or the pedestrian – in 48 percent of auto accidents in which a pedestrian was killed. In 35 percent of those cases, the pedestrian was legally drunk, with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. Clearly, roads are a dangerous place for anyone with significant levels of alcohol in their system, whether behind the wheel or on foot.

Automobiles have become much better at protecting occupants from bodily injury over the years, but the extent to which they protect pedestrians is progressing rather slowly. The greatest danger to pedestrians struck by cars occurs when their heads hit the vehicles’ hoods. Depending on the force of impact, the hood deforms until it comes into contact with the immobile engine or other components, and then the head suffers a devastating deceleration. A system designed by Volvo uses contact sensors in the bumper to detect a collision with a pedestrian and responds by inflating a large airbag beneath the hood, which extends to cover the lower portion of the windshield. The pedestrian’s head therefore contacts either the airbag itself or the hood, which, supported by the airbag, decelerates the pedestrian’s head in a controlled manner.

All drivers and pedestrians should take personal responsibility to keep themselves and others safe on roadways. When walking, cross with signals at crosswalks. When driving, be vigilant for pedestrians and expect the unexpected – pedestrians, especially children, do not always behave predictably.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The collision happened at the intersection of two rural roads. An SUV and a gas tanker collided in a ball of flames, scorching the earth around the two vehicles. None of the five teens in the SUV lived to see another day and the tanker driver was critically injured.

In the course of reconstructing the accident to determine how it happened, investigators found that the SUV driver had run a stop sign. It was a fatal error in judgement, one that put the SUV right in the path of the gas tanker. The truck slammed into the passenger’s side and the subsequent explosion and fire incinerated everyone in the SUV. The trucker, still alive when first responders arrived, was flown to the nearest burn unit.

Police at the scene and first responders noted with grim realization that yet another accident had claimed several young adults that had their whole lives yet to live. In Texas, the crash statistics show that accidents were responsible for almost one quarter of the deaths for those in the 15- to 24-year-old age range in 2010. The figures, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show vehicle accidents lead the parade of teenage deaths, outstripping suicides, homicides, gunfire and accidental poisonings.

Despite the serious nature of this particular accident, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims traffic fatalities have been declining since 2005. Their figures indicate there were 43,510 deaths in 2005, and 32,367 in 2011. While the numbers are still high, they are apparently lower each year than they have been since 1949. In 2009, traffic accidents were deemed to be the eleventh leading cause of death in the nation.

Numbers do not reveal the faces and lives behind the accidents, nor the families left behind as a result of someone’s negligence. In this case, the driver of the SUV was negligent by running a stop sign. Five people died and one was seriously injured as a result of that decision. It would not be surprising if there were several wrongful death lawsuits and a personal injury lawsuit filed in the wake of this terrible crash.

The families of those who died need to move forward and would likely wish to send a message to other teens about the necessity of driving with due care and attention to the rules of the road. Life can change in an instant. Life can come to an end in an instant. A wrongful death lawsuit can become an effective vehicle to send that message to others. A skilled Austin injury lawyer is the voice those in grief need to deliver their concerns to others.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP is one of the premier trial firms in Austin Texas. Contact a auto accident lawyer by calling 512-476-4944 or learn more at http://www.civtrial.com/.

There were 81 fatal crashes involving tractor-trailers, which accounts for 9.7 percent of the total of 835 fatal crashes. There were another 1,750 truck crashes resulting in injury and 8,202 that involved only property damage.

There were 93 people killed in the 81 fatal truck crashes in 2011. Fifteen of the people killed were occupants of the truck, while 74 were occupants of another vehicle. Truck crash fatalities decreased 3.6 percent from the total of 96 in 2010.

The fatality rate for motor vehicle crashes overall in the state was 0.33 percent, with 918 deaths occurring and 281,788 crashes taking place. The fatality rate for truck accidents was 0.93 percent, with 93 people killed and 10,033 truck crashes occurring.

The overall injury rate for motor vehicle accidents was 29.9 percent, with 84,172 people injured. For truck accidents, the injury rate was 17.4 percent.

The data were released by the Illinois Department of Transportation in its publication Illinois Crash Facts. Governor Pat Quinn noted that traffic fatalities were decreasing and seat belt usage was up, but that there was work still to be done to improve traffic safety.

Paul Greenberg is a commercial truck accident lawyer and attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

We all see warning signs on the road every day, but do not always pay attention to what they mean. In fact, some ignore them completely —- until there is a nasty accident.

Consider the case of four teens who slammed into a tree because they did not pay attention to a warning sign about a treacherous road. It was one of those wrecks that neighbors in the area clearly heard. The sound of the impact reverberated through the night. By the time first responders and police made it to the scene, one teen was dead and three others were seriously injured. People in the immediate area were certain the driver missed the posted warning sign that there was no exit for the road they were on. It was a dead end —- straight into a copse of trees.

According to the safety agency that looks after signage for various roads within their purview, the warning sign that indicated the road was a dead end was new and highly reflective. However, they would consider adding another sign that indicated how much further someone could drive on the road before it ran out. Whether or not the addition of another sign will reduce the number of accidents is questionable, as the real issue is not so much the signs, but the ability of a driver to see and react to those signs.

Another question worth asking at a wrongful death trial would be whether or not the existing signage was sufficient to act as a warning, and whether or not it was obstructed by trees or other foliage, particularly if the weather was bad or it was late at night. This is certainly an approach a good injury attorney would use to obtain compensation for the deceased, or funds for those with injuries facing medical bills as they heal.

While a case such as this one may end up with fault being apportioned, particularly if the driver were texting or drinking, or under the influence of a drug, it still might result in some form of compensation for the family of the deceased teen and other three injured occupants of the wrecked vehicle.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP is one of the premier trial firms in Austin Texas. Contact a auto accident lawyer by calling 512-476-4944 or learn more at http://www.civtrial.com/.

Supporters of the change said that an increase in the speed limit would be a boon for the trucking industry and would bring Illinois in line with nearby states, but opponents said that the change would result in more traffic fatalities.

According to Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, a Jacksonville Republican, some drivers traveling south from Chicago avoid driving through Illinois because the lower speed limit increases travel time. Davidsmeyer said this results in the state missing out on revenue from motorists’ gas and food purchases.

However, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, said that both the state police and the Illinois Department of Transportation opposed the bill because the higher speed limit would endanger drivers’ lives. Rep. Deb Mell, also a Chicago Democrat, said that increasing the speed limit to 70 mph would not greatly reduce travel time.

Speeding was the cause of the majority of the 900 traffic fatalities in Illinois last year. Higher speed limits are opposed by the Governors Highway Safety Association, the American Automobile Association and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The change would also come with the cost of replacing about 900 speed limit signs, which the state transportation department estimates will be about $200,000, including the cost of manufacturing the signs and the labor involved in replacing them.

Gov. Quinn’s office said that the bill will be carefully reviewed. The governor’s office had earlier said that there were safety concerns involved with the bill. However, the bill received broad support in both houses of the state legislature. In the Senate, the vote was 41-6 in favor of the proposed legislation, and 36 votes would be needed to override a veto. The House voted 85-30 in favor of the bill, with 71 votes necessary to override a veto in that chamber.

Thirty-four states have a maximum speed limit of 70 mph or higher, and Illinois is currently among 16 states with a 65 mph maximum. If the current bill becomes law, the change would take effect on January 1, 2014. Where interstate highways enter urban areas, the speed limit would continue to be lower, and the bill provides that six counties surrounding Chicago and two Illinois counties near St. Louis may keep all interstate speeds at 65 mph via local ordinance.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

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The first report says that in 2011, there were 677 cyclist fatalities and 48,000 injuries due to collisions with motor vehicles. Those numbers amount to 2 percent of total deaths and injuries in traffic crashes during the period. The number of fatalities was 9 percent higher than in 2010, during which 623 cyclists died in collisions.

The average age of cyclists killed in traffic accidents in 2011 was 43 years. This average age has been steadily increasing over the past ten years. In 2002, the average age was 36. The age group with the highest fatality rate was 45-54, and the highest injury rate belonged to the 16-20 age group. The share of fatalities and injuries belonging to children age 16 and younger decreased significantly between 2002 and 2011. This may be due to increased helmet usage.

Male cyclists were injured and killed at far higher rates than females. Males accounted for 85 percent of fatalities and 78 percent of injuries in 2011.

The second NHTSA report concerns children age 14 and under in motor vehicle accidents. These accidents were the leading cause of death for children age 4 and every age 11 through 14. However, the total number of deaths of children 14 and under decreased 46 percent from 2002 to 2011.

The report highlights the importance of using seat belts and child safety seats. According to the report, research has shown that when front seat occupants wear seat belts, their risk of death in an accident is reduced by 45 percent and their risk of moderate or critical injury is reduced by 50 percent. Child safety seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent for infants under one year old and by 54 percent for toddlers 1 to 4 years old.

Children 14 and under accounted for five percent of pedestrian fatalities in 2011. Between 2002 and 2011, the number of pedestrian fatalities decreased by 41 percent. Children accounted for nine percent of cyclist fatalities, and the number of cyclist fatalities decreased 58 percent over the past decade.

As a cyclist or pedestrian, obey traffic signals and practice greater awareness of the traffic around you. Wear a helmet when cycling and make sure your children do as well. And of course, always wear a seat belt and teach your children the importance of doing so. As auto accident attorneys, we know that most accidents, injuries, and deaths on the road are preventable. If you are injured in an auto accident and believe another may be to blame, speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

State by state, the number of bikers meeting their death on the road is on the rise. In fact, one state, Indiana, recently completed a comprehensive survey of the number of motorcycle accidents in 2012.

In 2011, 118 were killed on the road. In 2012, that number was 152 – a cause for concern for traffic safety officials in Indiana, but also a bellwether for other states. Across the nation the death toll for bikers was 2,850 in 2011 and 2,935 in 2012.

There are several things at the top of the list when it looking at what causes motorcycle accidents. The most likely culprit is alcohol consumption, either by the bike rider or by an automobile or tuck driver who hits them. Another issues which causes the majority of accidents is motorcycle riders who hit the road while not legal to ride – they took no training and had no proper motorcycle endorsement on their license. They just hopped on their ride and took it out on the road.

With the price of gas slowly creeping up in response to the warmer weather, more people are opting to buy motorcycles, because they are easy on gas, compact, responsive, take up less space and go fast – all factors that make them virtually sitting ducks on the road. Drivers just do not see them.

While it is a fact that bikers may be their own worst enemy when it comes to riding safely, other statistics show that the cause of most accidents between a biker and another vehicle is the driver making a sudden and unexpected move in front of the motorcycle rider. For instance, a left hand turn, a lane change without looking or crossing right in front of an oncoming rider.

It has also been recently demonstrated that drivers have a poor sense of judgment when it comes to determining how fast a biker is going and how much time they have to drive in front of them. This has something to do with the brain’s spatial abilities.

Riders that have been involved in an accident with another vehicle and survive the injuries need expert legal counsel to obtain fair and just compensation. If you have been injured in a Georgia motorcycle accident, contact an Atlanta personal injury attorney for help.

Stephen M. Ozcomert is an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Atlanta Georgia. To learn more, visit http://www.ozcomert.com/ or call (404)-370-1000.

State by state, the number of bikers meeting their death on the road is on the rise. In fact, one state, Indiana, recently completed a comprehensive survey of the number of motorcycle accidents in 2012.

In 2011, 118 were killed on the road. In 2012, that number was 152 – a cause for concern for traffic safety officials in Indiana, but also a bellwether for other states. Across the nation the death toll for bikers was 2,850 in 2011 and 2,935 in 2012.

There are several things at the top of the list when it looking at what causes motorcycle accidents. The most likely culprit is alcohol consumption, either by the bike rider or by an automobile or tuck driver who hits them. Another issues which causes the majority of accidents is motorcycle riders who hit the road while not legal to ride – they took no training and had no proper motorcycle endorsement on their license. They just hopped on their ride and took it out on the road.

With the price of gas slowly creeping up in response to the warmer weather, more people are opting to buy motorcycles, because they are easy on gas, compact, responsive, take up less space and go fast – all factors that make them virtually sitting ducks on the road. Drivers just do not see them.

While it is a fact that bikers may be their own worst enemy when it comes to riding safely, other statistics show that the cause of most accidents between a biker and another vehicle is the driver making a sudden and unexpected move in front of the motorcycle rider. For instance, a left hand turn, a lane change without looking or crossing right in front of an oncoming rider.

It has also been recently demonstrated that drivers have a poor sense of judgment when it comes to determining how fast a biker is going and how much time they have to drive in front of them. This has something to do with the brain’s spatial abilities.

Riders that have been involved in an accident with another vehicle and survive the injuries need expert legal counsel to obtain fair and just compensation. If you have been injured in a Georgia motorcycle accident, contact an Atlanta personal injury attorney for help.

Stephen M. Ozcomert is an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Atlanta Georgia. To learn more, visit http://www.ozcomert.com/ or call (404)-370-1000.

State by state, the number of bikers meeting their death on the road is on the rise. In fact, one state, Indiana, recently completed a comprehensive survey of the number of motorcycle accidents in 2012.

In 2011, 118 were killed on the road. In 2012, that number was 152 – a cause for concern for traffic safety officials in Indiana, but also a bellwether for other states. Across the nation the death toll for bikers was 2,850 in 2011 and 2,935 in 2012.

There are several things at the top of the list when it looking at what causes motorcycle accidents. The most likely culprit is alcohol consumption, either by the bike rider or by an automobile or tuck driver who hits them. Another issues which causes the majority of accidents is motorcycle riders who hit the road while not legal to ride – they took no training and had no proper motorcycle endorsement on their license. They just hopped on their ride and took it out on the road.

With the price of gas slowly creeping up in response to the warmer weather, more people are opting to buy motorcycles, because they are easy on gas, compact, responsive, take up less space and go fast – all factors that make them virtually sitting ducks on the road. Drivers just do not see them.

While it is a fact that bikers may be their own worst enemy when it comes to riding safely, other statistics show that the cause of most accidents between a biker and another vehicle is the driver making a sudden and unexpected move in front of the motorcycle rider. For instance, a left hand turn, a lane change without looking or crossing right in front of an oncoming rider.

It has also been recently demonstrated that drivers have a poor sense of judgment when it comes to determining how fast a biker is going and how much time they have to drive in front of them. This has something to do with the brain’s spatial abilities.

Riders that have been involved in an accident with another vehicle and survive the injuries need expert legal counsel to obtain fair and just compensation. If you have been injured in a Georgia motorcycle accident, contact an Atlanta personal injury attorney for help.

Stephen M. Ozcomert is an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Atlanta Georgia. To learn more, visit http://www.ozcomert.com/ or call (404)-370-1000.

Experts predicted the 2025 availability date at the 2013 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, according to the Detroit News. The SAE issues standards that affect every aspect of car design. Panelists at the conference said that “semiautonomous” vehicle technology, which combines steering and vehicle-detection systems to keep cars in the lane and far enough away from the vehicle in front of them, would be available much sooner.

Much of the debate about self-driving cars centers on the potential for distracted driving. In theory, autonomous vehicles have the potential to greatly reduce traffic accidents, since most crashes are caused by human error. However, a malfunction could have serious consequences. And if drivers cannot safely attend to other matters while the vehicle is traveling, then the benefits of the technology are greatly diminished. In October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would spend $1.75 million on a multiyear research endeavor to determine what human controls would be necessary in self-driving cars.

A recent survey found that 49 percent of drivers would prefer a driverless car. Google has successfully driven a robotic Toyota Prius over 140,000 miles in heavy traffic in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many features of self-driving cars are already available in today’s models, such as lane departure warning systems, crash-avoidance, self-parking and adaptive cruise control.

Convenience is one of the features consumers welcome most in self-driving cars. Autonomous vehicles offer the promise of turning “wasted” driving time into time available for other activities. All of the activities that currently amount to distracted driving – cell phone use, eating, conversations with passengers – could be engaged in without threatening safety. Commuters could get work done or simply relax as their cars transport them to their destinations.

The potential for enormous gains in traffic safety is another predicted benefit of driverless cars. Google has claimed that at some point in the future, self-driving car systems will be able to decrease traffic accidents by 90 percent. This would amount to saving almost 30,000 lives annually, preventing nearly 2 million injuries and decreasing costs due to car crashes by about $400 billion.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

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The safety council’s study, financed in part by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, analyzed data from 180 fatal crashes in the period from 2009 to 2011, where strong evidence existed that the driver was using a cell phone. The group found that in 2011, only half of the crashes were listed as involving cell phone use in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s database of accidents involving the use of cell phones. This was still an improvement from previous years. In 2010 only 35 percent of the accidents were coded as involving cell phone use; in 2009, 8 percent.

Even in cases where drivers told law enforcement officers that they were using a cell phone at the time of the crash, the crashes were recorded as such in the database only half the time. In other cases, the evidence of cell phone use did not emerge until later. In one case, a teen driver’s last words to her friend during a cell phone call were that she was going to crash. The driver hit a snow bank and was propelled into a lane of oncoming traffic. She died shortly afterwards at a hospital. Police at the scene attributed the crash to an inexperienced driver, not to cell phone use, as the phone ended up in the back of the car and was not found until later.

The database maintained by the safety administration lists 32,000 traffic fatalities in 2011, but only 385 of those are listed as involving cell phone use. The safety council believes the number is much greater. According to the group, there are many factors that contribute to the underreporting, including inconsistency in the way data are collected at crash scenes and the fact that drivers may be reluctant to admit cell phone use.

Researchers rely on the safety administration’s database, but it is dependent on state data collected from police reports. According to the safety council, many people assume that because it is a federal database, the data are standardized, but in fact the data may have been gathered according to varying local standards.

Bob Briskman is a car accident lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

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Perhaps legislators are simply focusing on passing more practical and politically palatable laws instead of more stringent ones. Or perhaps they truly believe that hands-free devices eliminate or significantly reduce the distraction mobile gadgets present. Drivers who text while using hands-free devices would probably agree that doing so keeps them safer than they otherwise would be. But does it really?

According to a recently-published study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), the answer is no. The study is the first to compare manual texting to voice-to-text using a handheld phone during actual driving. The performance of 43 drivers on a closed course was measured first without any cell phone use, then while using a voice-to-text application, and finally while entering a text message manually. Researchers measured how long it took drivers to send the messages. They also measured reaction times by recording how long drivers took to respond to a light that turned on during the exercises at random intervals.

The results showed that driver response times increased significantly during text entry regardless of the entry method. In each case, reaction times nearly doubled. Interestingly, researchers found that both methods of entering text messages caused the drivers to spend significantly less time with their eyes on the road.

Contrary to what you might expect, the study showed that voice-to-text entry required slightly more time than manual entry. But during that time, driver performance took the same hit regardless of the method. Crucially, despite each of the texting methods impacting ability the same way, drivers reported feeling safer when using the voice-to-text feature.

A distracted driver is a dangerous driver. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to keep not only your hands on the wheel but your mind on the road around you. Eliminate or reduce your distractions whenever possible. And drive defensively, because even if your car has an attentive driver at the wheel, you can be assured some other car does not.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

During the week-long event, participants brought their message of commitment to road safety to students and communities at Florida universities. Eighteen firefighters, police officers, and civilians participated in the strenuous 400-mile ride to bring awareness to the issue.

The tour’s closing events took place on a recent Thursday morning in Tallahassee. Safety fair attendees enjoyed exhibits such as the “fatal vision” station, where goggles simulated the effects of various levels of alcohol intoxication, and received free gifts such as bicycle helmets and fittings.

Following the safety fair, attendees listened to speakers address the crowd from the steps of the Old Capitol.

At noon, police officers rang their sirens to announce that the 18 cyclists had arrived in Tallahassee. Spectators could see them climb the steep Apalachee Parkway as they made their way toward the Old Capitol.

The tour was funded by the Dori Slosberg Foundation, various Florida agencies, and the GEICO Philanthropic Foundation.

“The commitment to road safety that has been shown through the riders and through every agency that has participated in this is because of the deadly statistics, especially in the demographic of college students,” said Tara Kirschner, executive director of the Dori Slosberg Foundation. “College students were the focus of this week to make sure that the tragedies on the road, fatalities and serious injuries will decrease through awareness and education.”

The Dori Slosberg foundation is named for the daughter of State Representative Irving Slosberg. She was killed in a car accident while riding without a seatbelt.

If you need to speak with a car accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

The bill is being pushed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. According to White’s office, in 2012, about half of newly-licensed drivers age 18-20 did not take driver’s education courses. If the bill becomes law, applicants with no driver training would have to take six hours of online education courses on topics such as rules of the road, drug and alcohol awareness and texting while driving.

Currently, teenagers can obtain a driving permit at age 15 and a driver’s license at age 16 provided that a parent or guardian certifies that the person has driven 50 hours or more, with 10 hours of driving at night.

White said that teen driving fatalities had decreased by almost 60 percent since comprehensive driver’s license programs were implemented in 2008, and the new bill would build on that success.

Rep. John D’Amico, a Chicago Democrat, sponsored the bill. D’Amico said that ideally young drivers would receive greater than six hours of education, but the bill was a good place to start. He said the cost of the training to the applicant would probably be approximately $25.

D’Amico said that graduated licenses had been a success for safety. Graduated licenses allow drivers to begin practicing driving at age 15 with an adult in the car, if they are enrolled in a driver education course. At age 16 or 17, the driver may obtain an initial driver’s license with restrictions, provided a parent or guardian certifies that the requisite amount of driving practice has been completed. However, D’Amico said, the requirements had prompted some young people to wait until they turned 18 to obtain a driver’s license with no training.

According to White’s office, car accidents are the most common cause of death among people age 15 to 20. The risk of a fatal crash increases with each additional teenager in the car. Illinois’ graduated driver’s license program for drivers age 16 or 17 limits the number of passengers under the age of 20 to one, with the exception of close family members.

Paul Greenberg is a car accident lawyer in Chicago and car crash attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

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The Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a notice that stated emphatically that federal law prohibits the use of marijuana by truckers and that the prohibition also applies in states that allow people to use it for recreational purposes. The fact that they had to issue the notice in the first place is depressing. This should be a no-brainer. However, legally speaking, there appears to be wiggle room due to conflicting laws. In short, many states are beginning to contemplate the passage of laws allowing the use of medical marijuana. However, federal statutes against the drug’s use are still in place.

The very idea that a trucker would even contemplate smoking up and driving is distressing, but human nature being what it is, there is a likelihood of it happening, if it has not already, and chances are that it has. Contemplating an 80,000-pound semi barreling down the road being driven by an individual under the influence of marijuana is a frightening thought.

More frightening still is the need for the DOT to point blank spell out that such behavior is prohibited. In my law practice, I see the results of big rig crashes, and they are horrendous. Opening a Pandora’s Box by legally allowing smoking marijuana while driving a semi would defy all logic. Common sense may have just left the building should anyone attempt to mount such a defense.

As the DOT pointed out, state initiatives do not impact on their regulated drug testing program and they do not give permission to use Schedule I drugs, including marijuana, for any reason, which means medically recommended use will not cut the mustard as an excuse. How would this kind of a situation impact on a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death suit? Negligence is the main factor in most lawsuits and it would be absolutely beyond the pale of negligence, if a trucker smoked marijuana and then hit the road. Despite the conflicting laws, there has to be common sense at play here.

Driving while under the influence is still driving under the influence and it is an act of supreme negligence in that it may seriously maim or kill someone. If you have been in a situation like this, you need to discuss the circumstances of the case with an experience Austin injury lawyer. The buck stops in his office and if you want justice after being involved in a crash where the trucker may have been smoking up before driving, you need an Austin injury lawyer to take the case to court and obtain the proper compensation you deserve.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP is one of the premier trial firms in Austin Texas. Contact a auto accident lawyer by calling 512-476-4944 or learn more at http://www.civtrial.com/.

The majority of accidents – and the majority of driving – occurs on low-speed roads close to drivers’ homes, where drivers and passengers use seatbelts at lower rates. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that if drivers and front-seat passengers always used seatbelts, traffic fatalities would fall by 45 percent.

“We wanted to find out what makes occasional seatbelt users buckle up more than half the time,” said Jon Hankey, a director of the study at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. “They know it is a good idea, so why don’t they do it all of the time?”

The study was the first of its kind. Over the course of one year, instruments in 100 cars gathered data on more than 150,000 trips by 108 primary drivers and 299 secondary drivers. Participants answered questionnaires designed to measure certain personality traits such as aggression and risk-taking.

“The first objective was to determine if there were variables, such as trip distance, speed, and time of day, that uniquely characterized consistent, occasional, and infrequent seatbelt users,” said Hankey.

“The second objective was to conduct a more detailed analysis of the group defined as occasional seatbelt users to identify factors associated with these drivers’ decisions to wear their belts on some trips but not others,” he added.

Data showed primary drivers wore their seatbelts 79.1 of the time and second drivers buckled up 81.2 percent of the time. Researchers found that during trips around town averaging 30 mph, occasional seatbelt users opted for the seatbelt 72.7 percent of the time, but trips averaging 50 mph saw seatbelt usage at 89.0 percent.

“Occasional users may have an unrealistic view of a certain trip’s risk, and an education program targeting this unrealistic view may have a significant impact on seatbelt compliance,” said NHTSA fellow Sharon P. Berlin.

The study also showed that individuals with more formal education were more likely to be consistent seatbelt users, and those with aggressive driving habits were more likely to be occasional seatbelt users.

The NHTSA is planning another, much larger, study, called the Strategic Highway Research Program. The study will involve driving data on 2,000 cars.

If you need to speak with a auto accident lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

Meanwhile, a new report by US Mobile Data Market, Update Q3 2012, suggests that there has been a drop in the number of texts sent each month by users via cell phone, from an average of 699 texts sent during the second quarter of 2012, to just 678 in the third quarter. While some safe driving advocates lauded the drop as a potential indicator that texting-while-driving laws were influencing behavior, the information in the US Mobile report does not drill down enough to indicate which texts were sent via a potentially distracted driver and which were sent in other situations.

According to NHTSA data, there were more than 416,000 car crash injuries and more than 3,000 car crash fatalities in 2010 due to distracted drivers. The NHTSA report also notes an increase from 2009 to 211 by 50 percent in the number of sent text messages.

Texting only seems to be picking up. A survey by the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry states that text messaging is only growing: 2.206 trillion texts were sent in 2011 and 2.273 trillion (and counting) texts have been sent by late 2012.

The issue with texting during driving is one of distraction. Texting takes enough attention away from the road – researchers believe texting while driving reduces brain activity by some 37 percent and reduces attention by as much as 50 percent, according to the NHTSA. Studies by the federal government show that human error such as distracted driving, is now the leading cause of car accidents nationwide. In 2010, more than 3,000 people in the U.S. were killed in distracted driver car accidents.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been pushing for more public education on the dangers of texting behind the wheel, from pushing for a ban, now enforced, which forbids commercial drivers to text or use their cell phone while driving, to advocating for tougher laws and penalties for distracted drivers, to launching http://www.distraction.gov, a website devoted to getting the public to “commit to distraction-free driving.”

Nathan Williams is a Brunswick personal injury lawyer, Brunswick divorce attorney, criminal defense and Brunswick DUI lawyer in Southeast Georgia. Visit http://www.thewilliamslitigationgroup.com or call 1.912.264.0848.

The news is filled with far too many deaths as a result of wrong-way crashes. There was yet another one in New York, involving a Nissan Maxima and a Dodge Caravan. All reports, police and eyewitness, indicate the Maxima was heading north in the southbound lane. The inevitable happened. It creamed a Dodge Caravan, causing a Mazda to rear-end the Caravan.

Needless to say, given the rate of speed, the male driver of the Nissan and the Caravan’s driver were killed instantly in the carnage. The two occupants of the Mazda made it to the hospital in fairly stable condition but with serious injuries.

There is a lot of clean-up work to do in cases like this. The Nissan only had one occupant, who died at the scene, so the investigation will require autopsy findings to determine why the 26-year-old man was driving the wrong way that night. The police suspect alcohol and/or drugs may have played a factor in this senseless accident. Two were killed ostensibly because someone wanted an extra drink or was driving high.

What will the victims do in this case? It’s highly likely the family of the 53-year-old Caravan driver will file a wrongful death lawsuit. The two surviving individuals in the Mazda will want to talk to a personal injury accident lawyer, and find out how to recover compensation for their injuries. This group of people will have enormous bills and no way to pay them from their regular incomes. What can they do as they wait for justice? They can apply for lawsuit funding.

Litigation funding, also referred to as lawsuit financing, is an emergency loan to an approved plaintiff, to help them handle all of their expenses until their case is resolved. All a plaintiff needs to do to apply for lawsuit settlement funding is to contact a litigation funding company. The case is reviewed and once it is approved, based on the chances it will win, the pre-settlement funding is sent directly to the plaintiff’s bank account.

A lawsuit loan helps the plaintiff get back on their feet financially, and once those pressing necessity bills are paid, they can just wait until their case is decided. There is no pressure to deal with insurance companies, and should the case lose in court, and that does happen sometimes, the plaintiff walks away, keeping the lawsuit funding without any strings attached.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.