Diagnosing Errors

Currently under Austin city ordinance, you may not text while driving (I hope!) or use your smart phone to make dinner reservations, movies times, or check football scores while caught in Austin traffic, as these activities are both illegal and dangerous. But, how many of you will admit to talking on your phone while behind the wheel? Just a quick glance at the drivers around you on any road will confirm that most of us do it. Maybe it’s just a way to pass the time during a boring commute or you try to squeeze a few more minutes of work conversations before meeting the family at home for dinner. In Austin, these conversations soon may be illegal.

Austin and the other major cities throughout Texas are notorious for their traffic problems. And, there is compelling evidence that phones and other such devices play a significant role in the frustrations. Throughout the state, one in five car crashes is caused by distracted driving. In 2013, that equated to 94,943 crashes. If pulling over to the side of the road or investing in hands-free technology likely would save lives, then there is merit to considering a change to our current laws.

At Bertolino LLP, we see people in our offices every day who have been injured as a result of poor decisions made by others. Another driver’s focus on a text message or phone call instead of the road can mean physical pain, time missed from work, and the trauma that lingers following a car wreck. If you have been hurt in a car accident and it was not your fault, please contact our office today. We will stand with you to get the compensation you deserve.

A police officer with the North East Independent School District and retired member of the San Antonio Police Department was injured last weekend while directing traffic for a funeral procession. The driver of an SUV allegedly looked away from the road just long enough to slam into another car, spin around, and then hit the motorcycle on which Sergeant Charles Langley was sitting (“North East ISD officer hit by SUV in San Antonio,” MySanAntonio.com, June 4, 2014). Fortunately, while both Sergeant Longley and the woman in the third car were hospitalized, the incident did not appear to cause any serious injuries (“Off duty NEISD officer hit while on motorcycle for funeral procession,” KENS5.com, June 4, 2014).

Tony R. Bertolino is managing attorney with our firm, a Texas law firm with attorneys who represent clients in personal injuries and property damages stemming from motor vehicle accidents, and he shares that the number of collisions that could be avoided by more attentive drivers is quite substantial.

Car Accident Lawyer

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and as part of a collaborative effort, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Georgia Department of Highway Safety and retired NBA player Shaquille O’Neal have teamed up to educate young drivers of the potential dangers.

Study finds 1 in every 4 accidents involves cell phone use

Distractions can also be blamed on approximately 450,000 injuries each year.

A recent report from the National Safety Council indicates that 1 of every 4 wrecks can be attributed to cell phone use. Interestingly, only a small portion of those are blamed on text messaging, though teens are more prone to texting than other drivers.

This kind of faulty thinking is perpetuated by the fact that while all states have some form of text messaging ban, none ban talking on a phone for all drivers. What’s more, none forbid hands-free cell phone devices, despite the fact that research has proven they are equally as dangerous as handheld devices.

Measuring the Scale of Loss

There are three specific types of collisions that are responsible for the majority of these costs and losses: drunk driving accidents, speeding accidents and collisions caused by distracted drivers.

Crashes caused by drunk drivers accounted for a total of 18 percent of all of the economic losses and 23 percent of the overall societal harm that resulted from motor vehicle collisions in 2010. In total, there were $49 billion in economic losses and another $199 billion in losses to society that occurred because of drivers who were impaired by alcohol. The economic losses alone averaged out to $158 for every single person in the country.

Crashes caused by speeding drivers accounted for 21 percent of all of the economic losses and 24 percent of the overall societal harm that occurred due to motor vehicle accidents in 2010. In total, the economic losses from speeding drivers equaled $59 billion or an average of $191 per person in the United States.

Finally, crashes caused by distracted drivers accounted for 17 percent of total economic loss and 15 percent of overall societal harm. The economic losses totaled $46 billion and the societal losses totaled $129 billion.

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C
www.garymartinhays.com

If you have been injured you can contact an Atlanta law firm today!

Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer

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If you have a question you would like for me to answer, or if you would like to speak with me regarding a potential claim, please pick up the phone and give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.

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I was riding on my motorcycle on Pleasant Hill Road. It was about 2:00 p.m. – early afternoon. The roads were dry. This elderly woman pulls out of a fast food restaurant’s parking lot. She was trying to turn left and pulled out in front of me. She didn’t even look – or wasn’t paying attention when she pulled out. I couldn’t swerve to avoid hitting her.

Glenn – thanks for the question.

And I’ll answer this in a little more detail in a moment.

* Over 80 percent of all reported motorcycle accidents resulted in injury or death to the motorcyclist.

* Most of the motorcycle accidents in Georgia occur within the metro-Atlanta area.
* But the majority of the motorcycle related deaths in Georgia occur on rural roads versus city streets.
* Motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to experience a deadly accident on the road than those in passenger cars.
* A 2009 report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that 42% of fatal motorcycle crashes involved a vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle.
The at fault driver was attempting to turn left out of the fast food restaurant driveway when she pulled out in front of you.

(1) Perform a Bike Safety Check BEFORE you ride!
Start with the tires. Make sure they are property inflated by using a good tire pressure gauge.
Look at your tires to see if they have any surface cuts or foreign objects in them.
Check your lights, turn signals and brakes. Please make sure they are in working order.
(2) Follow the speed limit!

Obeying the speed limit will not only help you keep better control of your motorcycle, it may also give you a little more time to react if a car or truck comes into your lane or pulls out in front of you.

Head injury is the #1 cause of deaths in motorcycle crashes.
In fact, a motorcyclist not wearing a helmet is 40% more likely to die of a head injury than one who wears a helmet.

Georgia requires all riders and passengers to wear a helmet.
It is also a good idea to wear protective eye wear.

This is just one other factor that may help you be seen by other drivers.

And it is always a good idea to wear thick pants, boots, shirts with long sleeves or a heavy protective jacket.

ALWAYS check your blind spot before changing lanes or merging into traffic. Motorcycles can be harder to see than other types of vehicles.

Let’s be attentive to the road when we operate our vehicles.

No Texting and no trying to dial the phone.

She received the ticket for failure to yield.
However, just because she was cited for causing the wreck does not mean her insurance company is going to compensate you fairly for your injuries.
Through no fault of your own, you have no idea what YOUR rights are, nor do you know the insurance company’s responsibilities.
And the insurance company is not in the business of telling you everything that they should be doing for you.

And as soon as they hang up the phone with you, they pick up the phone to speak with THEIR lawyer.

A consumer panel survey of auto accident victims by the Insurance Research Council showed the following:

But this next stat tells the real story . . .

3 and ? times more money.

Suppose an injured victim that DID NOT have an attorney settled their claim for only $3,000.00. If they had hired an attorney, they could have settled the case for $10,500.00.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a wreck, I encourage you to talk with a lawyer.

You owe it to yourself – to your family – to get the help you need.
So give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.
And stay tuned for more of “Do I Need A Lawyer”

Personal Injury Law