Texting is among the most dangerous examples of distracted driving and is popular among drivers in several countries including the United States and several within Europe.

In 2009 more than 448,000 people were injured because of distracted driving.

More than 24,000 of the aforementioned were involved in distracted driving accidents that resulted in injuries. About 1,000 deaths were also related to the use of cell phones as a major cause/distraction.

A recent study analyzed the use of technological devices such as cell phones and driving. The study found 25 percent of the drivers admitting that they chat on their mobile devices on a regular basis, “fairly often or regularly” to be exact.

The percentage of drivers admitting to use their cell phones behind the wheel climbs even higher as we look at countries overseas. For example, the study showed 21 percent of drivers in Netherlands admitting to chat and drive.

Back in the states, the study also showed 75 percent of the respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 admitting to using their cell phone while driving at least one time within the past month. Among this group, about 40 percent say they talk and drive on a regular basis.

Text Message and Emails

Statistics also show that 9 percent of drivers in the US admit to texting and emailing while they drive on a regular basis.

Even more startling, more than half of the aforementioned say they’ve exhibited this dangerous behavior at least once within the past 30 days!

Ways to Minimize Distracted Driving

Distracted driving has become an unfortunate regular practice for several drivers. Part of the reasons distracted driving has been on the rise lately is because of the continuing demand on technology. Several drivers have access to their iPhone and Blackberry on a regular basis. While this is convenient for you as the driver, it also poses as risk for you and others on the road. One way you can minimize the chances of getting involved in a distracted driving related accident is by putting down your cell phone before you drive. Make sure you make all the necessary phone calls you have to make before you hit the gas. If you have to email or text message someone, this is a good time to so, as well.

Putting your cellphone away can help minimize the chances of distracted driving, as well. If you put your cell phone in a place that’s not visible or within arm’s reach, you will likely be less tempted to use it while you are driving. No matter what you do, don’t use your cell phone while you are driving. This is a prime example of distracted driving that continues to plague a new generation of drivers and other drivers alike.

What’s Considered an Accident

Talk to your insurance provider directly to see if you have an accidental insurance policy in place.

Most Accidental Insurance Benefits include payment for the following:

•  Accidental death/loss of life
• Dismemberment/loss of limb or sense
• Reimbursement for Time Lost or Income
• Medical Expenses

Injuries From Accidents

Accidents often have serious consequences. Sometimes accidents can cause severe physical and medical injuries and sometimes even death.

Some common injuries associated with accidents include:

Head Injuries

Broken Bones

Torn Ligaments

Abrasions

Concussions

Dismemberment

Accidental Insurance Payments

Obviously nothing in life is ever free. The same goes for accidental insurance coverage. But the good news is, the money you are likely already putting down on a policy can help you in the long run, if you’re ever in an accident and file a claim.

Accident insurance provides payouts to you and other people who were injured in the crash. However, as stated earlier it is important to review your state’s driving laws and how it applies to your accidental insurance policy. It is important that you understand what your policy does and does not cover. For example, one policy may cover payouts to you as the driver, but will not cover other motorists involved in the collision.

Accidental Insurance does not cover the following:

-  Negligence

-  Natural Disasters

-  Acts of God

It is also important to note that such policies often have limitations, which may or may not include caps on your payout.

Insurance policies can be purchased as a standalone policy or bundled with other policies, depending on the insurance provider. Oftentimes insurance companies will promote bundled packages that include more than one type of policy at a fraction of the price. State Farm, Allstate and Progressive are among the most popular insurance providers offering accidental insurance coverage.

People who don’t have health insurance or sufficient coverage for health care usually benefit from accidental insurance, as payments would help pay for potential medical injuries sustained in a crash.

Different insurance providers provide different types of plans, depending on your budget. In order to find the best plan that works for you, make sure you research different insurance options that include accidental insurance. Make sure you read all the fine print associated with the plans each insurer provide.

Talk to your friends, family, and others about the importance of accidental insurance. Some people have accidental insurance to thank for saving their lives, and providing stability in times of need.  You can fine such policies by entering popular insurance providers into various search engines. If you are looking for a specific insurance provider based on your location, include the city name in the search engine as well. If you do not have accidental insurance, you may be missing out on something that could very well pay off, if needed.

There are severe penalties for those who engage in drunk driving in Arizona. This is helpful in reducing the number of accidents.  Arizona car accidents are also due to technical faults in cars. These are usually manufacturer issues that can’t be controlled by the driver. The US Department of Transportation works in collaboration with the National Highway and Safety Administration to ensure safe driving practices are enforced. They also help inform the public if there are any major recalls for particular car manufacturers.

Stop Speeding

Speeding is also a major concern in the southwest state. Often times, you will see plenty of drivers with their windows down or convertible tops down. While this is welcoming news in terms of weather in Arizona, it can be a source for distraction for drivers. Sometimes drivers pay more attention to everything else they’re doing on the road, besides driving! The fact of the matter is driving should be your number one concern, when you are behind the wheel at all times. Failure to follow this can result in a serious if not fatal car collision.

Failure to yield or slow down is another common reason for car accidents in Arizona. For example, there are sometimes accidents at stoplights simply because a driver failed to stop. Common sense tells you to stop when there’s a car ahead of you, but unfortunately that doesn’t work for everyone. For these types of instances, it’s helpful to have advanced technological devices.  There are cameras installed at different places on the road, including stop lights. Through these cameras it is easy to trace the places where accidents are occurring.

Some accidents are so severe that death occurs on the spot. In many cases there is time to save the lives through special emergency teams. These teams are ready to assist the victims of accidents in Arizona and through them many lives have been saved.

Media Help

There is also a massive safe driving campaign within the state of Arizona. There are various ways media outlets continue to emphasize safe driving techniques. Devastating stories about severe accidents are helpful in that they inform the public about the accident and all the car accident details. However, many people don’t realize that these types of stories are also a means of deterring others from drunk driving and other dangerous driving activities. Arizona car accidents are also caused due to increased workloads. People are working for long hours and they are tired when driving. This condition is leading to accidents which are caused by people dozing off and not watching the road. It is important to start driving when you are awake and fully alert in order to remain safe.

Now, there are states that have stricter rules whether it is a privately owned or publicly owned parking space such as in Virginia. In this particular state, it is illegal to drive recklessly even on private driveways or business properties that are open to the public such as malls, schools, churches, government properties or any industrial establishments. Any violation in the traffic rules such as reckless driving or hit and run is subject to punishments and penalties.

Hitting an Illegally Parked Vehicle: Who’s at Fault?

If you accidentally hit an illegally parked car, you would automatically assume that the other driver is at fault of the accident. The truth is, this is not always the case. Even if the vehicle you hit is illegally parked in areas where they are more likely to be hit, you as a driver will be cited for the accident. If you run away from the accident, your case may be escalated to hit and run. Now, as a driver you have the most basic responsibility of all, and that is to maintain control of your vehicle. Clearly if you hit a vehicle or a pedestrian, then you are not in control of your vehicle, which is why anyone or anything you hit is your liability. Now, if the accident happens inside a privately owned parking lot, the owner of the establishment may be held partly at fault. So the owner of the parked vehicle may sue both of you and the owner of the establishment.

What is Premises Liability?

You might wonder why in the example cited above, the establishment’s management is held liable for an accident that they are not involved in. Well, according to rules of law, whether or not they are directly liable for the accident, they have premises liability that they are required to answer to such as in the above scenario. Malls, churches, schools and other privately owned establishment are required to provide their customers with safe shopping experience. Their parking lots must be designed in a way that could foresee an accident and could prevent it from happening. Most parking lots provide assistance to their customers, and permitting a driver to park illegally is their liability. In case of an accident they can held partly responsible for the accident. Now, if you are the victim, you will be up against the mall’s lawyers, and so you should consult a professional to defend your case, otherwise you will just be facing an insurance adjuster. Mall will have an insurance coverage for such cases. Parking lot law is usually governed by state law. Consult a lawyer before making a move. It would not be easy but your lawyer will know exactly what to do and just how much compensation you deserve to get.

While many people would automatically assume that the cause of motorcycle accidents is usually the rider themselves, there are ways that other motorists can be at fault. In order to get appropriate compensation, you have to prove that you are not at fault of the accident. Even if you are partly at fault of the accident, it is how you or your lawyer defends your case that matters.

Types of Motorcycle Accident Claims

Like any other kind of accident, victims are usually entitled to compensation or claims. In general there are two kinds of motorcycle accident damages: Special and General Damages. The general damages includes pain and suffering, permanent injury, shortened life expectancy, loss of loved one, loss of relationship, mental trauma and so on. In other words, these damages are intangible. The monetary value of such claim is harder to determine but is just as important. The special damage on the other hand includes medical expenses, loss of income and vehicle damages or replacement. These are tangible damages that you can easily calculate. The monetary value of such compensation will always be based on hard fact and solid evidence such as your medical bills, the value of your property and your monthly yearly income. Both of them are equally important when making a claim.

Not Sustaining Physical Damages

If you are lucky enough to escape death or to no suffer any scratched after a motorcycle accident, doesn’t mean that there is no case at hand. Psychological trauma is a valuable part of personal injury. You need to have a medical report backing up your claim for that matter. If your motorcycle was damaged because of the accident, you may also file for damage to property. Now, this is not going to be easy as some people usually immediately assume that you are at fault of the accident and even if you are partly at fault, you have rights to practice.

Determining who’s at Fault of the Accident

In all types of lawsuits, the party at fault of the accident must be determined immediately. Knowing who is liable for the accident is very important. If you accidentally slipped and a vehicle hit your motorcycle, then you can easily assume that the road is at fault of the accident. But it is not. The road is just partly responsible but the other driver is 75 percent at fault of the accident. Why? This is because all drivers are required to maintain control of their vehicle and in such case; the driver lost control of the vehicle and is quite inattentive when the accident happened. Now, there is also such thing as contributory negligence, wherein both the victim and the defendant is partly at fault of the accident. Now, this would be assessed by the court differently. For example, you are 25 percent at fault and the other driver is 75 percent at fault. In this case, you compensation will be 25 percent lower than expected, still you will entitled to compensation, which is determined by the types of damages you have attained. Nonetheless, seeking a legal advice would be more than appropriate.

Smoking One of the Leading Causes of Distracted Driving

Smoking is one of the leading causes of distracted driving. Distracted driving is the number one cause of car accident in the United States and elsewhere in the world. More than 20 percent of all accidents are related to distracted driving. Although the act of smoking while driving is not included in the top ten causes of distracted driving, experts believe that it increases the risk of being involved in a car accident. While you don’t need both of your hands nor a large part of your attention to smoking, the mere fact that you are holding a burning stick of cigarette while you’re behind the wheel is already an accident waiting to happen. The ember from the cigarette may get into your eyes or into your lap while driving, burning you and distracting you from driving. The distraction could get worse and there is a high potentially that you may get into an accident.

Smoking and your Auto Insurance

In countries where it is illegal to drive and not have an auto insurance policy, everyone is left with no choice but to pay for their insurance premium. Now, smoking on the other hand increases your premium. While there is generally a 5 percent discount given to all auto insurance applicants, a smoker gets more than 5 percent increase in premium. While some people might think ridiculously of the idea, insurance companies just hate smokers. Whether for your life insurance or your health insurance, auto insurance is also highly influenced by this vice. It is not enough that smokers have to pay higher tax sales for buying a pack of cigarette and pay higher premium for their life and health insurance, not to mention risking their overall health for a puff of smoke. They also have to pay higher price for their auto insurance. Well, apparently the only way to save lots of money is to quit smoking, or better yet quit risking yourself into getting into an accident.

Summary

In conclusion, while everyone has the right to smoke their lings out, it is best not to risk your life like that because no matter what you do, even if you are a victim of a car accident you are doomed to pay a hefty price. You may quit the habit on the other hand and stop paying unnecessary dues. Your health and life insurance premium will be back to as how it was supposed to be and in 10 years you can now reduce your risk of getting a lung cancer by 50 percent. In 15 years your lungs are going to be as fresh as if you never took a puff. Plus you can now rule out smoking as one of the potential cause of a car accident.

Seat Belt Legislation

On January 1, 1986, a law governing the use of seat belts on all vehicles with the exception for buses was passed. The law was revised three times but the revisions are not far from the original legislation. While this is a federal mandate, the legislation may vary depending on the state. New York is the first state that passed the law that requires all vehicle occupants to wear appropriate type of seat belt. Not wearing seatbelts is illegal in all states except in New Hampshire. The good news is that about 90 percent of all drivers are now properly wearing seatbelts.

Two types of Seat Belt Law Enforcement

There are two kinds of seat belt legislation enforcement: primary legislation and secondary legislation. The primary enforcement allows traffic enforcer to stop and issue a ticket if they think that you are not wearing our seat belt. The secondary enforcement allows traffic enforcer to cite you and issue you a ticket for violating the seatbelt law only if the violation is committed with other traffic violations such as beating the red light, over speeding, etc. Currently, there are 32 states including the Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and District of Columbia that uses primary enforcement. 17 states apply the secondary law to young drivers as well as the passengers. In New Hampshire, none of these enforcements apply.

Importance of Seat belts

Seat belts are designed to keep the driver or their passengers on their seat during a collision. First of all, seat belts come in two parts. One rests on the driver’s pelvis and the other rests over their shoulders and across their chest. In other words, your seatbelts holds a large part of your body. During a collision, the seat belt will hold your body in place and prevent you from getting thrown off the vehicle, which could cause more severe physical damage. Seatbelts are engineered to do this job efficiently and they come hand in hand with air bags. In case of an accident, the air bag will immediately deploy while the seatbelts holds you in a safe position.

Kinds of Seatbelts

One of the most important things that you need to understand is that seatbelts come in many different types. Children in particular are required to use a special kind of seatbelt or in some cases a booster chair that comes with harness that keeps your child safely tucked inside the vehicle. Pregnant ladies are also required to wear seat belts more than what most of them think. To keep their unborn child from getting hurt, they need to wear a special kind of seat belt.

. Rear End Collision

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 29 percent of all accidents are rear end collisions. Rear end collisions vary from minor fender benders to serious car accidents. In most cases, the second driver fails to stop abruptly in tome to prevent the accident. However, there are also times when the first driver suddenly stops abruptly in high speed, leaving the next driver no time to step on their brake pedal to prevent the accident. While in most cases, the driver behind is usually the person at fault of the accident, there are cases like cited above where in the second driver is not at fault of the accident. Now, the case depends on the state where the accident happened as well as the supporting evidence.

. Head On Collision

A head on collision is when your vehicle collides with another vehicle or a stationary object such as a lamp-post. Most head collision happens when a vehicle enters another lane or the opposite side of the street. It could be because the driver fell asleep or they simply lost control of their vehicle. There are occasions when a head on collision happen if the driver unknowingly entered a one way street or a freeway driveway. More than 2 percent of all established accidents in the US are head on collision.

. Rollover

Although rollover accident rarely happens, 2.3 percent of car accidents in the US are rollover accidents. This is according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. Most of the time, rollover accident is caused by sudden impact such as a head on collision, side impact or rear impact. Big trucks and SUVs are the most common victims of a rollover accident because of their height. For this reason, truck drivers and SUV drivers are advised to drive cautiously and slowly at all times.

. Run Off

A run off collision on the other hand is when the vehicle runs off the road. This usually occurs if the driver is not paying enough attention to their driving or when swerving to avoid hitting a pedestrian or a stray animal. The city government has installed city railing to prevent a run off accident. According to statistics, over 16 percent of all accidents in the United States is a run off accident.

. Left Turn Accidents

Left turn accidents usually occur when the driver is over speeding. It may also be caused by failure to yield to another vehicle. According to reports most left turn accidents result to severe injuries and severe damages to properties.

]]> http://personal-injury-case.info/types-of-auto-accident-on-median/feed/ 0 http://personal-injury-case.info/getting-into-an-accident-in-a-friends-car-legal-implications/ http://personal-injury-case.info/getting-into-an-accident-in-a-friends-car-legal-implications/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:59:15 +0000 Sri http://personal-injury-case.info/?p=591 Continue reading →]]> There is no time and place for an accident – it can happen to you when you are driving a friend’s car or family member’s car. So what happens in this situation? As, one can imagine, this type of an accident creates a situation that can be confusing for some.

As the driver of the vehicle, you may think that the responsibility lies with you, because, after all, you were behind the wheel and got involved in the incident. But, there is also the other thought that you are driving someone else’s vehicle and they have given you permission to use their vehicle.

The fact of the matter is that primary financial and legal responsibility for the auto accident will always be on you as you were the driver. The owner of the vehicle can also be held financially responsible as it was they who allowed you to use the vehicle. In majority of the cases, the policy of the car owner will invoke. This is the reason a lot of people make the false assumption that the coverage follows the vehicle.

Despite what many people think, car liability insurance doesn’t automatically follow the vehicle. A car can’t drive itself. The liability insurance follows the stated insureds liabilities according to law that may come out of car ownership or car operation. This might or might not include another driver. Liability will follow the stated insureds, while coverage for property will follow the car.

According to law, it is your responsibility as the operator of the vehicle to have with you proof of financial responsibility when you are on a public road no matter who owns the vehicle. You don’t get an exemption from this rule if you are not the owner of the vehicle.

Based on the insurance policy that the owner has selected, another driver may not have insurance coverage. A standard policy usually offers coverage to other drivers who have not committed a crime. Policies, such as a “Limited Policy” or a “Named Driver Policy” may be better in terms of costs in some cases but it will cover other permitted drivers.
Contact your insurer to get appropriate coverage.  It’s not a good idea to make broad assumptions regarding your financial responsibilities. If you have to drive a vehicle that you don’t own, remember to verify insurance coverage before getting behind the wheel or check your own policy to ensure that you will be followed as a named insured driver to a loaner or replacement car.
Different states have different insurance regulations. You should consult a local insurance agent for information, as they will be most familiar with the regulations. It is also advisable to contact a car accident lawyer. Car accident attorneys are experienced in dealing with different types of car accidents. There are certain laws that may impact both the driver and/or the policyholder. This is the reason why it’s so important to understand the rules of the road. Let’s face it, accidents happen whether we like them or not. There are some proactive steps drivers can take to avoid car accidents, but if you have been in a car accident driving your friend’s car, the aftermath can be a messy process. Contact your attorney and car insurance representative in order to address the situation immediately.

It is a fact that all states have laws or regulations for protecting good Samaritans during a rescue or rescue attempt.

The purpose of Good Samaritan laws is to provide protection to people who help others in kindness. These laws are only helpful if you are helping without expecting any reward for your effort. So, if you are receiving compensation for the task you cannot be considered a Good Samaritan. A paid rescuer is expected to perform the job in the right way and can be held responsible for mistakes.

Getting a reward after the incident can also be considered reward expectation, depending on your state. So, you may be excluded from the good Samaritan category if you lend a helping hand to a person involved in a car crash and then receive a reward.

Depending on your state, the laws for good Samaritans may only apply to you if you are a medically trained rescuer. The concept of a good Samaritan is usually applied in courts; therefore, a case reaching the court may still go in the favor of the person whose intention was to help. Good Samaritan legislation basically provides rescuers with an opportunity to get out of the court for free. So, an unpaid rescuer may be successful in court even if not protected by good Samaritan law; however, it’s a lot less expensive to be protected by law.

The best method of protecting oneself from the possibility of being held liable is to act on behalf of the victim at all times. That sounds obvious, however, if you are motivated by the thought of becoming a hero and not the thought of helping a another person, then there is a risk of making mistakes that take you out of good Samaritan protection.

Following is some useful advice for avoiding a lawsuit: take a first aid and CPR class; act with common sense; avoid attempting something you are not trained to do; seek professional assistance for the victim; and don’t accept a gift or reward for your effort. Being a good Samaritan should come from the heart. It should not be something an individual strives for to receive immediate gratification or recognition. Often times, you will hear stories about good Samaritans performing courageous acts, after a car accident, building fire, or other unfortunate event. While these Samaritans are certainly putting their best foot forward, they are doing it out of the sheer goodness of their heart.

The laws made for protecting Good Samaritan are useful but they don’t protect you from everything. Humans make mistakes all the time. Good Samaritan legislation takes this fact into consideration and provides protection to helpful people if the mistakes made by them are reasonable. However, since it’s so difficult to define “reasonable,” even those who have coverage under the law may have to defend a lawsuit.