The investigation is ongoing, but police said it doesn’t appear speed or alcohol were factors in this crash. Could it be another case of distracted driving?

Far too many serious and fatal crashes are caused due to a distracted driver, whether it be talking or texting on the phone, looking at a GPS, fidgeting with the radio or other controls, eating, and more. When a loved one is killed due to driver negligence, the family may wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Life necessities won’t wait for a lawsuit to settle, but victims should also not be forced to settle for pennies on the dollar jut because of pressing financial needs. If the family retains an attorney and files a claim, they are eligible for litigation funding.

Litigation funding is a cash advance against a pending lawsuit to supplement loss of income, pay funeral expenses, pay down debt, and cover everyday living expenses in order to wait for fair compensation. With the financial pressure removed, there is no need to resolve any case for less than the full case value.
The application process is quick and easy, with no cost to apply, no upfront fees, no monthly payments, no credit checks and no hassles. Once a plaintiff is approved for funding, the money arrives typically within 24-48 hours. Repayment of the cash advance is made from the case proceeds, but if the plaintiff is not successful, there is no obligation to pay us back.

If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, and experiencing financial hardship, consider litigation funding from Litigation Funding Corporation. We can be reached at 1-866-LIT-FUND or by completing our online contact form.

How that equates to safer driving is baffling, as numerous studies have clearly indicated that texting, surfing, webbing, going on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest are all driver distractions that may cause a collision.

The ordnance allows drivers to use other hands-free devices, Bluetooth, earphones and even the GPS system while standing still, while banning any use or holding of the phone while the vehicle is in motion. Law enforcement feels this law may be easier to enforce. The question is likely to become what does a driver do when they need to move forward at a red light or move on after stopping at a stop sign.

Although the stated goal of the new ordnance is to prevent crashes, one wonders how that is possible given all the research to the effect that handheld or hands-free technology is still cited as being responsible for a high number of deaths. Using handheld or hands-free technology is still driving while distracted.

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 role of technology in a divorce case has often been ignored, yet in reality it can either make or break your case and your chances of success.

The use of technology can really help you in fighting your divorce case. All that needs to be done is proper and smart use of technology to gain advantage and evidence over the other spouse. What would you do in a case where you think that your spouse has sent a number of texts to his or her business partner highlighting some of his offshore bank accounts that he or she has hidden from you in divorce?

Cons

While the messages may hold the key to proving the dishonesty of your spouse, the problem and the fact remains that it will be next to impossible to get your hands on such a text in any case. The first reason is that the phone company often deletes the volume of messages every three days, therefore ending any chance of them being available in the first place.

This is especially true since, before presenting new evidence, the family law rules requires the party to serve a notice to the opposing party several days in advance of serving a subpoena on a cell carrier provider, for example. This is what can prove to be a con of technology, since it can’t help the person in need of help despite having the evidence required.

Pros

While this is a con of the role of technology in a divorce, there are also a host of pros that technology offers in cases of divorce. What if during the divorce proceedings your spouse or their lawyer accuses you of stalking them and/or harassing them. What can you do to respond to such a claim in the secondary case of a restraining order?

The first and most obvious thing to do is to provide a valid explanation, such as a person who witnessed your innocence. The second way, on the other hand, is to use your smartphone as your verifier of truth.  This can happen by using the phone’s GPS facility to show your whereabouts at the time of the alleged incident.

Some Interesting Tech and Divorce Facts

• A large number of divorce investigators and family lawyers spend a large amount of time on social media interacting with existing and potential customers.
• Any information that is posted by your spouse on their social media account can be used as evidence against them in court.

Gerald A. Maggio is an experienced Orange County divorce and family law lawyer and family law attorney located in Irvine, California, serving the Orange County and Riverside areas. Mr. Maggio assists clients with legal issues including divorce, legal separation, divorce mediation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, stepparent adoptions, and other family law issues. Mr. Maggio has practiced law in California since 1999, and founded The Maggio Law Firm in 2005, focusing exclusively on divorce and family law matters.

A growing number of
high-tech devices could help keep seniors safe. These devices are
increasingly advanced and unobtrusive, allowing family members,
caregivers or emergency personnel to intervene promptly when seniors
are in danger.

Technology that
monitors senior safety can increase independence for seniors
suffering from dementia, while also relieving some of the caregiver
strain associated with continually monitoring an aging loved one.

Some of the most
promising tools include:

• SmartSole, a
  shoe sole with GPS that allows caregivers to track patients with
  dementia and receive alerts if the individual leaves a certain area

• Medical alert
  devices that work over Wi-Fi or cellular networks, rather than radio
  signal

• GrandCare, a
  smart home company which uses smart sensors to monitor a senior’s
  home, track activity, and create and monitor a daily schedule

• Accelerometers,
  which are placed in some emergency medical pendants to automatically
  detect falls

Experts believe that
the future will bring even more advanced devices, such as devices to
automatically measure vital signs or handheld electrocardiogram (EKG)
devices.

To contact an estate planning lawyer at Hook Law Center, call 757-399-7506.

The key to making a divorce work is in handling the emotions. If you are able to control your emotional GPS as we like to call it, you’ll be able to get through your divorce with less trauma and delay.

In this blog post, we give you five ways you can set your emotional GPS from suffering and sorrow to goodness. Much like the GPS system in your car, your emotional GPS is likely to determine the course your Orange County divorce will take. To be able to set your emotional GPS to a positive setting,  you’ll need to:

·         Forget the Concept of Perfection

Getting through divorce is not about being perfect. All you need to put your mind and efforts into is to try and be able to get through the process having given it your all. The process of Orange County divorce mediation will warrant you to be compromising, adapting, and understanding of your spouse and get something that both of you agree on, no need for it to be perfect.

·         Stay Nice

How’d you feel if your ex started to treat you like trash? Not very good one assumes. This is exactly the case with your spouse. It is widely believed that you get respect and niceness in response. Try and be nice in your dealings and interactions with your ex spouse. Try to maintain cordial relations with the person you had hoped to spend the rest of your life with, since that allows both of you to escape the bitterness of divorce.

·         Be Forgiving

Forgiveness and forgetfulness are the two single most important ways to eliminate pain from your life. During the course of an Orange County divorce mediation, there are likely to be a wide variety of issues where the spouses may disagree. Yet disagreement shouldn’t be allowed to turn into bitterness and the key to doing that is forgiving the past and moving on.

·         Be Empowered

There is no one in charge of your life and your behavior except you. Feel empowered, and try to change your mood to happy. Make sure you are able to clear your mind that bygones are bygones, there is a future ahead of you, and that you should make the most of it. Ruing past decisions is likely to strip you of the impending opportunities. Keep them in mind and act like you are in charge.

Gerald A. Maggio is a trained Irvine divorce mediator who has amicably resolved cases many cases out of court, as well as an experienced divorce and family law attorney. Mr. Maggio founded California Divorce Mediators in 2012 with the belief that although “not every marriage can be saved, every family can” and a mission to save families from the financial and emotional distress associated with traditional divorce litigation. California Divorce Mediators is located in Irvine, California, and serves the Orange County area and other counties in California offering divorce mediation, child custody mediation and mediation of other family law matters.

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/.

The accident happened at about 10:30 a.m. on the outbound Eastex Freeway, near the overpass at the North Loop. As the trucker was entering the ramp to connect with the westbound North Loop, his truck swerved out of the lane and scraped along the guardrail for 250 feet before flying over the side. Momentarily, the big rig dangled precariously from the ramp before plummeting to the freeway. First responders called it a miracle that no other vehicles were hit.

Because of their size, big rigs cause particularly destructive accidents. One moment of inattention due to texting while driving, adjusting a GPS, talking on a cellphone, eating, grooming, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can change or end lives in an instant.

If you have been involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, seek legal counsel as soon as possible. Filing a truck accident lawsuit can be extremely upsetting and stressful due to jurisdictional issues involving who owns the rig, where they are headquartered and whether or not the trucker is an employee or an independent contractor. You have rights. Find out what they are and how they may be protected as you seek compensation for your injuries.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury attorney 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

• Check your vehicle before you go. Check the condition of your tire treads and windshield wipers (for those summer rains) before long trips. Regularly check your belts, hoses, cooling system and fluid levels, or have a professional do so.

• Share the road. Warmer weather means more pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists will be on the road. For their safety and yours, be on the lookout.

• Drive defensively. When many people travel around the same dates, the roads are full of drivers unfamiliar with heavy traffic. Those drivers may behave in unexpected ways. To make matters worse, travelers are out to have fun, and they may make bad decisions about drinking and driving. Stay alert, and watch other drivers closely.

• Avoid bad driving behavior. Distracted driving is implicated in a solid majority of all auto accidents. All drivers in your party should agree to avoid using cell phones while driving. Likewise, ready your GPS or map before you set out, or leave the navigation to a passenger. Also, it should go without saying, but wear your seatbelt at all times and always designate a driver.

• Pack an emergency kit. An exhaustive list of emergency supplies would be very long, but consider especially these items: a backup cell phone battery, a first aid kit, a jug of water, a flashlight, jumper cables and everything needed to change a tire.

The LaGarde Law Firm wishes you safe travels. If you are injured in an auto accident, we can help.

By Mary Ellis LaGarde

It’s been called “nana technology.” New high-tech devices are being designed to help keep seniors safe.

One such tool is a GPS device that can be embedded in a shoe sole. The devices can be used to help locate Alzheimer’s patients who wander, and they are more discreet than a wrist or ankle band, which patients may try to remove.

The unobtrusive nature of the new devices is a large part of their appeal. Medical alert devices, which can summon help in the event of a fall or a medical crisis, are often rejected by seniors who do not want the stigma of wearing a bulky pendant.

The new medical alert systems are sleeker, and the GPS capabilities allow them to function anywhere. Older devices only worked within a few hundred feet of the home, sometimes discouraging elders from taking walks that provide needed exercise.

Other systems are available that can monitor a senior’s home, letting caregivers keep track of changes in eating and sleeping habits that may be symptoms of a medical issue.

Learn more from an estate planning attorney at Littman Krooks by visiting http://www.elderlawnewyork.com/.

A newly released study by the Monash University Accident Research Center conclusively determined what every parent, nanny, babysitter and sibling already knew: it is more dangerous to drive with children in the backseat. And it’s not just a bit more dangerous. Risks can increase up to twelvefold.

Researchers installed cameras in 12 family vehicles for three weeks. Surprisingly, the cameras revealed that cell phone conversations accounted for only one percent of all distractions (which is not to say that those distractions were not dangerous). Kids in the backseat, on the other hand, amounted to 12 percent. In practical application, their parents were driving blind for about three minutes and 22 seconds of every average, 16-minute errand run. Three minutes and 22 seconds is more than enough time to get into a potentially deadly accident. When cell phones combined with child passengers, the risks of an accident increased significantly.

This is the first time a study of this nature has concluded what parental anecdotal evidence already suggested: young children in the backseat of a vehicle can be a serious distraction. Drivers turn around or use rear-view mirrors to check on kids. They play with the children or hand them drinks, snacks and toys, all of which pull them away from the road. Monash studied 92 trips monitored by in-vehicle cameras. 90 of those trips involved distracted driving. Other safety hazards also appeared: in 70 percent of trips with carseats, children were incorrectly buckled in.

Make sure to attend to the road with children in the backseat. It is the best way to protect them.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury attorney 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 death of Avonte Oquendo, a 14 year old boy with  autism has shocked and saddened NYC and it surrounding area.  Avonte disappeared from his school in October and his remains were  discovered in the East River, after he fled school .

What can be done to prevent a future tragedy? Among other measures, Avonte’s loss has sparked the debate of using technology to track  children with special needs who  are flight risks.  Senator Charles E. Schumer recently proposed “Avonte’s Law,” which would finance a program to provide optional electronic tracking devices to be worn by children with autism.  Senator Schumer noted that Avonte’s running away was not an isolated incident.  Many students with disabilities pose flight risks, and technological solutions may be available.

What is an Electronic Tracking Device?

An electronic tracking device uses radio frequencies to track the location of individuals.  The  device can be worn like a bracelet or attached to clothing or shoelaces, and enables parents and law enforcement agencies to locate a child who  goes missing, within minutes.  Wearable radio frequency identification devices for children have been on the market for nearly a decade. However, their popularity has only recently come to the forefront of discussion with the increase in children whom are supposed to be under direct supervision going missing. Avonte Oquendo represents  just one of many students who have left school premises without notice.

Tracking Devices Used for Alzheimer’s Patients

Programs similar to this already exist for patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and here at Littman Krooks LLP we often recommend many of our clients to engage in the use of tracking devices for elderly parents or relatives that have a tendency to wander. Opponents argue that a tracking device  further objectifies patients with this sensitive disease and leaves them even more powerless. However, proponents of the devices argue that it gives the caregivers and family a sense of security that they will always be able to find their loved one.

Devices Create Debate over Privacy Rights of Children with Special Needs

The proliferation of radio frequency devices is a serious concern and raises  many questions  with respect to tracking children. Should these devices solely be used on special needs children who are flight risks, or would these devices benefit all school children? Moreover, do these devices pose a significant risk to the privacy rights of our children?

Proponents of the tracking devices for use with all students argue that the devices offer security advantages if used in schools, as school officials would immediately know if a student didn’t show up for class and could notify parents quickly if a child was missing from school. School officials could also quickly identify anyone who didn’t belong on campus if they weren’t wearing a tracking device. Schools would also be able to more efficiently and accurately track and verify attendance of their students.

In 2005, a local school in Sutter California attempted to implement a tracking system for all of its students. However, in this case the parents were not informed of the tracking system until it was in place. The tracking system was ultimately abandoned as the ACLU and parents stated various concerns including that the transmitter would jeopardize the safety and security of children by broadcasting identity and location information to outside individuals with a chip reader and subject students to demeaning tracking of their movements.  Again, in San Antonio, Texas in 2012, Northside Independent School attempted to implement a similar program which was ultimately quashed by outrage from parents from lack of informed consent.

Unlike the systems in Sutter and Northside, Akins High School in Austin Texas in 2013 implemented a voluntary tracking program for its students to help raise awareness of truancy issues and prompt students to attend class. The Austin program required parental written consent. Thus far users of the program have stated that it has increased attendance among users and they have not seen negative effects.   Opponents of tracking children compare it to that of tracking of cattle or a system right out of an Orwell novel.  They believe that it is too much of an infringement on the rights of their children and do not believe that it is a proper method to monitor where and when a child moves.

If we raise ethical concerns regarding the tracking of the entire population of students, should we still be tracking special needs children? Specifically, targeting tracking children with autism raises the implication that children are uniquely helpless and should thus be subject to surveillance.  Does this infringe on their privacy rights more than others? Moreover, equipping children with autism with a tracking device, even voluntarily could open the flood gates for tracking devices to be used on all groups of at-risk kids including suicidal teens; domestic violence victims; and children with developmental disorders. Proponents argue what is the problem with opening the flood gates? If tracking works then we should use all available technology to keep our kids safe? The issue of targeting one group of children for tracking rather than all children can lead to issues of inequality.

Parents Must be Informed of Student’s Privacy Rights

Moreover, parents should be well informed of the risks of placing such a device on their child.  The idea of keeping our children safe through the use of technology, inherently clashes with the desire for privacy.  The Supreme Court recently looked at the issue of privacy rights with respect to GPS devices in United States v. Jones 132 S. Ct. 945 (2012). In Jones, the Supreme Court Justices agreed that the Defendant accused of drug trafficking was searched when the police attached a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to his car. However, the Court could not come to a decision on what constituted the search. Was it the attachment of the device or was it long-term monitoring. Justice Alito, concurring, argued that the monitoring was a violation of Jones’s reasonable expectation of privacy.

The Court’s landmark decision in Katz v. United States, 389 U.S.347 (1967), altered the focus of the Fourth Amendment from property to privacy rights. The use of GPS and tracking devices both to track a person’s property and themselves, will inevitably lead to future Supreme Court rulings with respect to the expectation of privacy. Specifically, if one voluntarily places a tracking device on themselves, by giving tracking information to a third party, do they still have an expectation of privacy? With each advance in technology, the courts and Congress are asked balance privacy issues.  It will take many future cases and statutes to determine what those rights are.  With respect to tracking devices on children, parents need to be aware of the risks that placing a device of their child may have.

The Use of Tracking Devices Should Remain an Individualized Decision

Many parents will argue  that the risk of the invasion of privacy is far outweighed by the safety and security they can gain for their child by employing one of these devices. With ever evolving technology and laws, parents need to keep appraised of changes. With the development of a database of information established on children, families need to be aware their information might be shared with other agencies and/or third parties. While these programs may ultimately do more good than harm, parents still need to be mindful regarding the accessibility and availability of their children’s private information.

We support Avonte’s Law as a voluntary protection for children with severe disabilities, but with the strong caveat that legislators must be mindful of privacy concerns. We urge legislators to adopt the law but draft it to maximize privacy protections for our most vulnerable students and absolutely ensure that it is voluntary and that a child only will wear a tracking device if his or her parents provide informed consent.  Parents need to carefully evaluate and understand the infringement of privacy for their child and make an informed decision.

In the interim, be proactive with your child.  Work with your school district on developing a program .  You and your child’s IEP team should evaluate whether your child poses a flight risk and include such information on your child’s IEP as a special alert and in their present levels of achievement and functional performance.   Make sure you alert all of your child’s teachers.  .  Ask about whether your child requires a functional behavioral  well as an intervention plan with regard to your child wandering is an extremely important conversation that should be had with the school district.

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Honda is introducing two new safety systems that alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians and motorcyclists using signals emitted by their mobile phones. The systems use Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC), the same type of technology currently used to collect some highway tolls and planned for future vehicle-to-vehicle safety systems.

When an approaching pedestrian is sensed by the system, which uses the GPS from the pedestrian’s phone, a warning sounds in the car and an alert is sent to the pedestrian’s phone. The car warning even lets the driver know whether the pedestrian is on the phone, texting or listening to music, which strikes some critics as invasive and unnecessary.

In the case of motorcyclists, a warning sounds in the vehicle but no alert is sent to the motorcyclist’s phone. The system could help warn drivers of pedestrians and motorcyclists who are hidden from view, for example a pedestrian who is about to step out from between two parked cars.

When the system senses a pedestrian or motorcyclist, it calculates the risk of a collision. If a risk is detected, then alarms sound in the vehicle and a display flashes reading “brake.” The pedestrian’s cell phone gets a message reading “watch out” and a honking sound.

The system is similar to one unveiled by General Motors last year, except that the GM system uses WiFi Direct to detect pedestrians, rather than DSRC.

Both systems have obstacles to overcome before they will be widely useful. In the case of GM’s system, most cell phones are equipped with WiFi Direct, but if users do not download GM’s app, they will not be detected by GM cars. In Honda’s case, DSRC is not usually found in cell phones, so the automaker would have to convince manufacturers to include the technology in future handsets.

Of course, neither system does anything to protect a pedestrian or motorcyclist who is not carrying a cell phone.

The new technologies are still in the experimental phase, and are part of a wave of advances focusing on so-called active safety, such as warnings of collisions ahead of the driver or lane-departure warnings. Honda sees the wireless technologies as a feature that could become widely available in vehicles, in contrast to built-in sensors and backup cameras that are only available on higher-end models.

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

We read about motorists being involved in an accident with a semi tractor trailer, or some other large commercial trucking unit, but rarely do we put that one incident into perspective. Across the nation, there are over 500,000 people that tangle with big rigs every year. The outcome is never good and those that survive typically have catastrophic injuries that affect the rest of their lives. It is rare that someone walks away from a big rig wreck unharmed.

What causes so many accidents with 18-wheelers? There are a number of common causes, and some of them may shock you. The number one reason that truckers get involved in an accident is drug use. Recent figures indicate that roughly 26 percent of truckers in an accident are taking prescription or street drugs. It goes without saying that if someone is driving under the influence of drugs, it can impair their thinking, judgment and reaction time.

Another 23 percent of 18-wheeler accidents are caused by speeding. Many drivers can attest to being on a highway and having a huge rig breeze by them, almost as if they were standing still. Increased speed means an increase in time needed to stop an 80,000 pound behemoth. The faster they are going, the longer it takes to stop. The mess and carnage they create if they run into a line of waiting cars at a construction zone is the stuff horror movies is made of.

Big rigs, like cars, have blind spots, and many drivers just don’t check them often enough, or check them at all, particularly when they are about to make a turn or back up. In some ways this is odd, as all truckers are taught in driving school that over 14 percent of truck accidents are because the drivers do not check blind spots properly.

Sleep deprivation is another cause for big rig accidents, which is not much of a surprise given the nature of what a long-haul trucker does —- drives for miles under orders from head office to get the load there on time. If “on time” means not sleeping now and then, that is how it gets done. This is an accident looking for a place to happen.

Modern technology does not help trucking accident statistics. In fact, it escalates them as truckers text while they drive, use cell phones while piloting their rig down the road, fiddle with GPS tools, watch a movie or surf on a laptop or iPhone. One second of distraction sets them up to lose control of their vehicle, and the consequences may be serious injuries or death for them and the person they hit. If it isn’t technological distractions, it’s road rage. The fact is, fully 7 percent of trucking accidents are the result of road rage.

Big rig wrecks leave people’s lives in shambles. If you have been in an accident with a heavy commercial vehicle, do not wait to call an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer. If you want justice and compensation to provide the necessities of medical care for you, an Atlanta personal injury lawyer is your voice in court.

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

We read about motorists being involved in an accident with a semi tractor trailer, or some other large commercial trucking unit, but rarely do we put that one incident into perspective. Across the nation, there are over 500,000 people that tangle with big rigs every year. The outcome is never good and those that survive typically have catastrophic injuries that affect the rest of their lives. It is rare that someone walks away from a big rig wreck unharmed.

What causes so many accidents with 18-wheelers? There are a number of common causes, and some of them may shock you. The number one reason that truckers get involved in an accident is drug use. Recent figures indicate that roughly 26 percent of truckers in an accident are taking prescription or street drugs. It goes without saying that if someone is driving under the influence of drugs, it can impair their thinking, judgment and reaction time.

Another 23 percent of 18-wheeler accidents are caused by speeding. Many drivers can attest to being on a highway and having a huge rig breeze by them, almost as if they were standing still. Increased speed means an increase in time needed to stop an 80,000 pound behemoth. The faster they are going, the longer it takes to stop. The mess and carnage they create if they run into a line of waiting cars at a construction zone is the stuff horror movies is made of.

Big rigs, like cars, have blind spots, and many drivers just don’t check them often enough, or check them at all, particularly when they are about to make a turn or back up. In some ways this is odd, as all truckers are taught in driving school that over 14 percent of truck accidents are because the drivers do not check blind spots properly.

Sleep deprivation is another cause for big rig accidents, which is not much of a surprise given the nature of what a long-haul trucker does —- drives for miles under orders from head office to get the load there on time. If “on time” means not sleeping now and then, that is how it gets done. This is an accident looking for a place to happen.

Modern technology does not help trucking accident statistics. In fact, it escalates them as truckers text while they drive, use cell phones while piloting their rig down the road, fiddle with GPS tools, watch a movie or surf on a laptop or iPhone. One second of distraction sets them up to lose control of their vehicle, and the consequences may be serious injuries or death for them and the person they hit. If it isn’t technological distractions, it’s road rage. The fact is, fully 7 percent of trucking accidents are the result of road rage.

Big rig wrecks leave people’s lives in shambles. If you have been in an accident with a heavy commercial vehicle, do not wait to call an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer. If you want justice and compensation to provide the necessities of medical care for you, an Atlanta personal injury lawyer is your voice in court.

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

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders may be prone to wandering or elopement, which can raise a significant health and safety risk. It is important for family members and caregivers to be aware of the risks and prevention strategies.

Wandering may include moving about with no apparent fixed plan in mind, or moving toward a location such as a landmark or place of obsession. Individuals with autism may also respond to loud noises or excitement by wandering or quickly fleeing. Elopement refers to a situation where a person with autism leaves a safe setting unnoticed or unsupervised. One of the leading causes of death among people with autism is drowning, exposure and other wandering-related factors.

Wandering has a medical diagnosis code approved by the Centers for Disease Control. Caregivers for people at risk of wandering should discuss the diagnosis code with the treating physician. A medical diagnosis can be helpful in obtaining insurance coverage for safety equipment and support requests for safety equipment in a school environment.

Caregivers should also be aware of strategies to prevent and deal with wandering. The first step is to understand wandering patterns and triggers in order to be aware of the problem. The individual’s home should be as secure as possible and the individual should be made aware of the importance of safety. Caregivers should consider identification materials such as a medical ID bracelet and location devices such as a personal GPS locator. Swimming lessons should also be considered. Finally, caregivers should make sure that neighbors and first responders are aware that an individual with autism lives nearby, which may improve response if an incident occurs.

For more information about autism safety, visit www.autismsafety.org. To learn more about our legal services for people with special needs, visit www.specialneedsnewyork.com.

We read about motorists being involved in an accident with a semi tractor trailer, or some other large commercial trucking unit, but rarely do we put that one incident into perspective. Across the nation, there are over 500,000 people that tangle with big rigs every year. The outcome is never good and those that survive typically have catastrophic injuries that affect the rest of their lives. It is rare that someone walks away from a big rig wreck unharmed.

What causes so many accidents with 18-wheelers? There are a number of common causes, and some of them may shock you. The number one reason that truckers get involved in an accident is drug use. Recent figures indicate that roughly 26 percent of truckers in an accident are taking prescription or street drugs. It goes without saying that if someone is driving under the influence of drugs, it can impair their thinking, judgment and reaction time.

Another 23 percent of 18-wheeler accidents are caused by speeding. Many drivers can attest to being on a highway and having a huge rig breeze by them, almost as if they were standing still. Increased speed means an increase in time needed to stop an 80,000 pound behemoth. The faster they are going, the longer it takes to stop. The mess and carnage they create if they run into a line of waiting cars at a construction zone is the stuff horror movies is made of.

Big rigs, like cars, have blind spots, and many drivers just don’t check them often enough, or check them at all, particularly when they are about to make a turn or back up. In some ways this is odd, as all truckers are taught in driving school that over 14 percent of truck accidents are because the drivers do not check blind spots properly.

Sleep deprivation is another cause for big rig accidents, which is not much of a surprise given the nature of what a long-haul trucker does —- drives for miles under orders from head office to get the load there on time. If “on time” means not sleeping now and then, that is how it gets done. This is an accident looking for a place to happen.

Modern technology does not help trucking accident statistics. In fact, it escalates them as truckers text while they drive, use cell phones while piloting their rig down the road, fiddle with GPS tools, watch a movie or surf on a laptop or iPhone. One second of distraction sets them up to lose control of their vehicle, and the consequences may be serious injuries or death for them and the person they hit. If it isn’t technological distractions, it’s road rage. The fact is, fully 7 percent of trucking accidents are the result of road rage.

Big rig wrecks leave people’s lives in shambles. If you have been in an accident with a heavy commercial vehicle, do not wait to call an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer. If you want justice and compensation to provide the necessities of medical care for you, an Atlanta personal injury lawyer is your voice in court.

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

Consider the case of one American family tooling down the highway on the way to see friends. They could see for miles and were enjoying the scenery. Suddenly, the rear-view mirror offered a glimpse of a nightmare on wheels; an enormous semi barreling down the road and seemingly inches from their bumper. Just before impact, the car driver saw the trucker slumped over the wheel. Then, the world went black. The car driver woke up in hospital later that day, his wife and three kids had died at the scene.

Too often truckers get involved in accidents because they are not watching what they are doing. It’s incredibly easy to get distracted while in the cab of a large commercial vehicle. If they take their eyes off the road for just a split second, that second could result in a monumental wreck, as a vehicle that size, going highway speeds, travels the distance of a large football field. Anything in front of a trucker is doomed to be in a path of great destruction.

The most common causes of big rig wrecks are driving while distracted using a cell phone, GPS system, lap top, smartphone, iPad, portable TV, surfing the web on their mobile devices or dropping something on the floor. There is also driving while fatigued, as in being over the legal number of hours they are supposed to be driving, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, poor weather and visibility conditions, aggressive driving and mechanical failures.

In short, no one can really predict when an accident will happen, and many times, it may not happen, at least not that particular day or year. Chances are though, that the more the trucker is not paying attention to his job, driving safely, the risk of having an accident goes up exponentially. When accidents happen involving large commercial vehicles, do not take the chance that an insurance company will offer you a decent settlement. The only decent settlement would be to their advantage, not yours.

If you are seriously injured and need extensive medical care, contact an experienced Austin injury lawyer. If you want compensation for your injuries, medical bills and the like, the only way to get a fair settlement or jury verdict is by having an Austin injury lawyer represent you.

Bobby Lee is an Austin personal injury lawyer for Lee, Gober and Reyna. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from Lee, Gober and Reyna. Visit RWLeelaw.com.

While you would like to believe that everyone out on the road is careful, cautious, alert and paying attention to what they are doing while driving a large and potentially deadly vehicle, that is not always the case. Consider the circumstances involved in one really bizarre case where a woman relied on her global positioning system for instructions instead of paying attention to where she was. The result was an accident that could have been avoided.

Sure, GPS systems have their place in driving, but what if the GPS system, as may be the case here, is not accurate? If you are not watching where you are going and what you are doing, you too could have an accident, and not necessarily a minor one.

You may recall the story of a woman who was walking while distracted and followed the instructions of a GPS to take a route right down the middle of a freeway to get to her destination. She was hit by a car. Walking while distracted and driving while distracted have the same potential to be deadly, the same potential to result in personal injury accidents and the same level of personal distraction that has a serious impact on others.

In the case of the driver relying on a GPS system that provided erroneous directions, the woman was on her way to her daily workout and made a left turn when she was told to by her GPS. What happened was, instead of ending up in the parking lot of the gym, she turned left into the path of another car.

The accident was bad enough that both drivers needed to be treated for injuries. She was two-tenths of a mile from where she should have been and incurred physical injuries to her body and complete embarrassment over how those injuries were inflicted.

Luckily, the GPS driver in this story was not seriously hurt, but then again, the jury may still be out on that issue, as seemingly insignificant injuries often turn out to be worse than they look. As for the whole story itself, either you believe the GPS did the deed of providing lousy instructions that caused an accident or you believe that the woman just was not paying attention and caused the accident without the help of the GPS. Should this case go to trial, the outcome may be interesting.

For accident victims who have been in a crash and sustained personal injuries as the result of someone else’s negligence, make it a point to discuss your case with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer.

Robert Webb is an Atlanta personal injury lawyer with Webb & D’Orazio, a law firm specializing in Atlanta personal injury, malpractice, criminal defense, and business law. Learn more at Webbdorazio.com.