2. Light up a cigarette despite all of the no smoking and oxygen warning signs.

3. Offer a bribe to go to the front of the waiting list.

4. Order pizza to be delivered.

5. Make jokes about the nurses and get overheard.

6. Use the word, “malpractice” in any sentence.

7. Claim to be a celebrity.

8. Pace back and forth by the nurse’s station.

9. Irritate the security guard.

10. Put your iPod on speakers.

Here are ten useful tips of advice from a personal injury lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a personal injury in Torrance, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learning how we can assist you.

Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it’s probably been at least a few days since the accident. However, if it’s only been a few hours or if you ever have another accident, here’s what you should do the next time from the start.

First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They may even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or start a fight.

Second, make sure everyone is safe from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your vehicle is a traffic hazard and you have accident warning devices like flares or triangles, put them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency personnel investigate the scene with the vehicles in place and move them more safely at a later point.

Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later say you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your best recollection is immediately after an accident.

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Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company name and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.

Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the car and you aren’t too injured, take some photos of the vehicles and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.

Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your car if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you may feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only start feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are allowed to seek treatment.

Seventh, call a good personal injury lawyer as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the attorney can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good personal injury lawyer can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about car repairs, car rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good personal injury lawyer can almost always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Also, most personal injury attorneys advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.

Eight, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your lawyer can give you the form for this.

Ninth, do not agree to settle your claim privately with the person at fault for the accident. This almost never works out to your advantage. Don’t agree not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an accident are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.

Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or agree to accept a small payment for your vehicle repairs without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.

If you’ve had a personal injury in Torrance, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Marina del Rey, Carson, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, Cambria or San Luis Obispo, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Torrance Personal Injury Lawyer and your Carson Personal Injury Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane accident experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

If you have a personal injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

www.sebinjury.com 888-528-1614 Simon Eisenberg & Baum in New York handles all areas of personal injury cases, including construction accident, premises liability, discrimination cases and motor vehicle accidents.

Motor vehicle accidents are the most common type of personal injury claim. Generally motor vehicle accident cases include car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicyclist knockdown accidents and bus accidents. If you have been injured as a result of the fault or neglect of another, you have a legal right to recover damages for your injuries and losses. The more serious your injuries or the more complicated your case, the more likely an attorney will be of benefit to you. We need to give importance to attorney who has specialized knowledge of not only motor vehicle accident litigation, but no-fault law and complex insurance coverage issues.   There are often ways to obtain additional insurance coverage – leading to significantly higher settlements and verdicts — which will never be uncovered without representation by a qualified expert in the field.

Finding an experienced accident attorney who has good knowledge on but no-fault law and complex insurance coverage issues is very difficult thing but very important one. We need to be much careful while choosing firm because our complete compensations were depends upon the person or type firm we are choosing but the people of New York bit luck in this aspect. Another important thing we need to check whether the firm allowing to work directly with attorney or not. If they allow try to collect the maximum information which type attorney they were allotting you means the person is experienced one not what he is winning ratio get all this information it will help you. In New York we can find few law firms they were working completely in accident cases over years and obtaining millions of dollars in recoveries for clients injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents.

For over 50 years, our New York car accident attorneys have represented clients who have been involved in a wide variety of auto and other vehicle accidents. For more information on New York car accident injury lawsuit settlements, visit our Web site at www.stephanpeskin.com

More NYC Car Accident Attorney Articles

Statistics

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths according to the Centers for Disease Control. Each year, approximately 5,000 deaths, and more than 400,000 injuries occur that are related to teens and car accidents. Some other sobering facts include:

Teen drivers are four times more likely to crash than older drivers Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use In 2005, 23% of teens that died in car accidents had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher Male teens are one and half times more likely to be involved in a car accident than female teens Teens only make up about 10 percent of the population, but account for approximately 12 percent of fatal car accidents Common Factors

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There are many reasons leading up to any automobile accident. Some of the common factors of teens and car accidents include:

Speeding Distracted driving Drinking Caravanning Inexperience

Some studies show that teen fatalities rates increase for each passenger in the vehicle.

Graduated Licensing

Clearly, steps must be taken to improve these numbers. One method being adopted by many states is with graduated driver’s license programs. These programs appear to be improving some of these grim statistics in states that adopt them.

The GDL programs are designed to give inexperienced drivers more training in low risk conditions. There are some basic parts to managing GDLs;

Different levels for different ages More restrictions apply to lower levels Must meet standards before moving to a new level NY Graduated Licensing

In the state of New York, you must be 16 years old to drive. This includes out of state drivers who have a permit or license issued by another state. The following restrictions apply in the state of New York:

With a learner’s permit, regardless of your age, a supervising driver with a valid license who is over age 21 must accompany you. Junior level drivers cannot have more than two passengers who are under age 21 unless a parent or guardian is supervising. The supervising driver must ride in the front passenger seat.

In all states where graduated licensing is in effect, teen traffic deaths have dropped. The teens gain more supervised, but on the road training and are prevented from getting into situations that contribute to car accidents.

If your teen is in an accident, they will often be unfairly targeted as the responsible party. It is important to secure the services of a qualified automobile accident attorney to ensure that your rights are protected.

We see sanitation trucks every day hauling away tons of New York City garbage and recycling materials. We couldn’t live without the work performed by those trucks and the men and women who work on them. According to a new report by the Comptroller’s Office, we all need to watch those sanitation trucks a little more carefully. New York City sanitation vehicles caused over 1,000 accidents in 2009 and cost taxpayers over million in claims.

Sanitation Trucks Caused over 6,000 Crashes in Three Years

The New York Post reports that sanitation vehicles were involved in more than 6,000 crashes in the past three years. That number is all the more startling since there are only 5,500 vehicles in the Sanitation department fleet. That means that each vehicle is involved in an accident once every three years.

To be fair, most of these accidents are fender benders. Many involve property damage when a truck sideswipes a parked car or knocks off a side view mirror. Many of the accidents occur during snowfalls when the trucks add a plow. However, last year, accidents with sanitation trucks injured 294 people, some very seriously.

These accidents cost all of us. Not only do these accidents pose a danger to citizens and visitors, but also they cost the City money. In 2009, the City paid out over million in claims related to sanitation truck accidents. 

Lawsuits Lead to a Safe City

Why am I, a personal injury attorney, writing about this report from Comptroller Jon Liu’s office? Naturally, I am concerned when individuals suffer injuries or property damages. I have represented many clients who have been hurt by City trucks and vehicles. I am always willing to assist people injured in accidents with sanitation trucks.

Yet this situation speaks to a matter of public policy and the role that personal injury lawyers play in making the City safe. I began my legal career working the New York City Law Department where I defended the City against lawsuits. I learned that the City government, like any large business, pays attention when an issue involves money.

I believe that the City government from Mayor Bloomberg on down to the every sanitation driver would like to reduce the number of sanitation truck accidents. However, it is when lawyers hold the City accountable for damages caused by these accidents that the City pays attention.

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When the City has to pay the price for the negligence of the truck drivers who cause these accidents, then we all benefit. When a Sanitation truck driver injures a person or causes property damage, it is important to seek damages not only to compensate the individual for the damages, but also to hold the City accountable. Faced with a payout of over million and a report from the City Comptroller’s Office, the City is more likely to improve training and remediation programs and to remove poor drivers, thus saving the City government money in the future and making the City safer.

What to Do If a NYC Sanitation Truck Has Caused You Damage

If a NYC Sanitation Truck has injured you or caused you property damage, you may be entitled to compensation. To receive that compensation, you need to file a claim against the City and you may need to take the City government to court. For minor property damage, you may want to handle this matter by yourself; for a more serious matter, I advise that you consult a personal injury attorney with experience bringing cases against the New York City government. Here are some questions and answers (FAQ) that may help you in a case against New York City:

A sanitation truck hit my parked car and caused some damages. Do I need an attorney to recover damages?

No, you can file a claim against the City and try to collect the damages yourself. You need to file a claim with the New York City Comptroller’s office. You can click here to learn how to file a claim.  Once you file your claim, a representative from the City government will contact you and work to resolve the matter.

What if the City does not contact me or work with me to resolve my claim for property damage?

If you file a claim for property damage and the City fails to resolve the mater to your liking, you can bring the City to Small Claims Court to collect your compensation. Small Claims Court hears cases involving damages up to ,000. You do not need a lawyer to represent you in Small Claims Court. You can learn more about Small Claims Court by clicking here.

I was hurt in an accident with a NYC sanitation truck, do I need a lawyer to seek damages?

Technically, you do not need to retain a lawyer to pursue damages for an injury. You can file a claim with the Comptroller’s Office and try to resolve the matter yourself. I can tell you from my experience defending the City against such claims, the attorneys for the City tend to assume that persons representing themselves either do not have a real injury or could not get an attorney to take their case. Even with a real injury, the person representing himself or herself runs the risk of not receiving the maximum value for his or her case.  Here’s how I think about this issue: you do not need to hire a dentist to remove a damaged tooth, but you are far better off with the trained and experienced dentist than yanking it out yourself.

What advantages will I gain if I hire an attorney to represent me in a case against the City?

A lawyer will help you assess your case to make sure that you understand the value of the case. The attorney will file the claim against the City and make sure that you meet all the legal requirements for filing a suit. (Many cases handled by individuals are lost when they miss a filing deadline or serve papers incorrectly.) The attorney will work to settle the case and if an appropriate settlement is not offered, an attorney will file a lawsuit and prosecute the case so that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries.

With a good personal injury attorney, the lawyer does the work for you and makes sure you get the most money possible. That’s far better than doing the work yourself, not knowing if you are doing it right and not knowing if you got the money you should have received.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with a sanitation truck or other motor vehicle and believe that you have a case, I will be glad to assist you. You can call me at 1-800-660-1466.

This material is intended for informational uses only. It is not meant as legal advice. To receive legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Step 1 – Ensure your own safety and that of your passengers. Many fatal accidents occur after a relatively minor fender bender while people are standing in the roadway or near their vehicle. If possible, move the car off the road and out of the flow of traffic. In the event that the car is disabled and cannot be moved, all passengers should get out of the car and immediately get to a place of safety. Place lit flares or a warning sign in the roadway to alert oncoming drivers. Injured passengers should be kept calm and comfortable until help arrives.

Step 2 – Call 911. Call 911 to notify the police, ambulance service, and, if necessary, the fire department. If you don’t know your exact location, look for landmarks that responders can use to find you. It always is ad­visable to call 911, even if no one appears to be injured, to notify the local police department about the accident. Injuries often become apparent at some point after the accident once the shock and adrenaline subside.

Step 3 – Get the other driver’s information if the accident involves another vehicle. If police are not yet present, exchange the following information with the other driver:

driver’s name, address, and telephone number;

driver’s license number;

license plate number;

name of the vehicle’s registered owner; and

name of the insurance company and the insurance policy number.

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The police will gather similar information for the police report. Ask any witnesses for their name and contact information; this will be critically important in the event of a lawsuit.

Step 4 – File a police report. If police do not come to the scene of the accident and take a report, go to the precinct where the accident occurred and file one yourself. Accident victims who cannot go to the precinct because of injury and who do not have someone to go on their behalf must call the precinct where the acci­dent occurred and request that a police officer visit to their home or hospital bed to make a report. Under all scenarios, cooperate with the police by providing as much information about the accident as possible.

Find out your accident or aided police report number, along with the name and badge number of the police officer or person who takes the report. Police reports usually are complete several days after an accident and should be picked up as soon as possible.

Step 5 – Seek necessary medical help.

Let the police know of any injuries or suspected injuries. If there is no need for an ambulance, go to the nearest hospital to be examined. Accident victims frequently go into shock or are dazed after an accident. A hospital visit will ensure an examination to identify serious injuries even if they are not immediately apparent. Passengers may feel that what they were experiencing was minor and just got a little ‘banged up.’

Carry auto insurance information into the hospital or doctor’s office. (Always keep a copy with your insurance card in your car in the event that it is needed.) If you live in a state like New York that has a no-fault law, all of your reasonable medical bills must be paid for by the insurance company of the car that was in the accident, regardless of whose fault the accident was. Keep in mind that the hospital or treating doctor will need your insurance information to bill the insurance company directly.

Step 6 – Notify your insurance company.

Notify your insurance company and file a Notice of Claim about the accident as soon as possible after it occurred. In no-fault states, forms can be claimed from the no-fault insurance company and are required to be filed with the claim within a “reasonable time” after the accident. Ask your insur­ance company about requirements for filing an accident report with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Step 7 – Consult with a personal injury attorney.

A personal injury lawyer will know all of the necessary steps to take to protect an injured person’s legal rights, including a course of action if the other driver is uninsured. Depending on the insur­ance status of the other driver, there may be only a short time to file a Notice of Claim with your own insurance company or the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation in New York, before your chance to bring a lawsuit is lost. In New York State, for example, the accident must be reported to the police department within 24 hours, and the claim itself must be made within 180 days after the accident.

Working with a competent accident attorney protects one’s rights as an injured victim and increas­es the likelihood that an individual will be fairly compensated for injuries, disabilities, loss of earn­ings and loss of the ability to earn a living in the future, in addition to loss of quality of life, loss of ability to enjoy life and even loss on the part of a spouse for injury to their husband or wife.

This is the worst thing to do. Don’t ever think about leaving the scene of the accident whether or not you caused the New York City car accident in the first place. You will be booked under the hit-and-run case if you drive away from the spot of the accident. Maintain cool and bring emotions under control. Park the car to the side of the road so you don’t disrupt any vehicular movement. Call for an ambulance if anyone has been injured and notify the police. Ensure you call you insurance provider too and inform them about the details of the New York City car accident you are involved in.

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File a police report

Make sure you call the police from the scene of the accident. This is even more important when there is property damage, injury or death that has been caused due to the accident. The police will analyze the scene of the accident and file a firsthand report. This report is of utmost importance when you you’re your car insurance claim or when you file a case in court. You can also give a copy of this report to your attorney once you engage their services.

Obtain relevant information

Since you don’t have the services of a New York City injury lawyer as yet, it is your responsibility to ensure that you make a note of all the important information. You will have to make a note of the name of the other drivers and get details like their license number, car number, phone numbers and physical addresses. This is the information that your lawyer will ask you for. The absence of this information will weaken your case. Put your camera phone to use and click the pictures of the scene of the accident. Pictures of skid marks, signals, traffic lights and sidewalks will also prove to be valuable.

Make a note of the witnesses

Witnesses play a major role in any accident. Make sure you make a note of the names, addresses and phone numbers of the witnesses. The success of your case depends on them to a great extent. The greater the number of witnesses, the stronger your case will be. Also, make note of their version of the accidents and share a copy of all these details with your lawyer when you hire one.

Undergo a complete physical examination

Before you undertake any other work post the accident, it is highly recommended that you undergo a complete physical examination and get the physician’s report. This report is also invaluable in case of an accident and will make a big difference to the case.

www.sipersonalinjury.com 718-442-9000 The attorneys of Ameduri Galante & Friscia handle serious car accident cases. The role of the firm is to get the best results on serious injury cases. Contact us in Staten Island, New York.
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Here are some to keep in mind:

Get information about the other driver. That includes: name, address, license and insurance company.

When the police arrive to the scene, get the officer’s name, badge number and police report number.

Seek medical treatment immediately even if you think you are fine because you may later discover. The shock from the accident may be preventing you from noticing the pain in your body.

Call your insurance company and report the accident.

If you or any passenger has been injured, contact a car, auto injury lawyer who will help you to recover money damages for your pain and suffering and for medical expenses. Up to ,000 of these benefits are available in New York regardless of who is at fault under New York’s “No-Fault” Insurance Law, provided you file a claim with the insurance carrier within 30 days of the accident. If you were the driver or passenger in a vehicle at the time of the accident, you must file a “No-Fault” insurance claim with the insurance company for that vehicle. If you were a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, you must file the claim with the insurance company for that vehicle with the help of expert auto injury lawyers.

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If your injury is such that the pain and suffering and medical expenses exceeds ,000, you need to start a lawsuit against the driver and the owner of the vehicle that caused your accident to recover the additional amount. Do not sign away any of your rights if you are contacted by the insurance company and offered any amounts of money. Your lawyer will insure that your rights are protected and that you file your claims within the time limits required by law. Typically, in New York you must bring a lawsuit within 3 years but this is not always the case. For example, if the vehicle that hit you is owned or operated by a City, Town, Village or other public agency such as a New York City Sanitation Department truck or NYCTA bus or subway, then you must first file a “Notice of Claim” within 90 days, and then you have only one year and 90 days after the accident to start the lawsuit with the help of new york car injury lawyers. These time limits go by very quickly and the Courts strictly enforce them. So don’t delay when it come to protecting your rights.

Related Car Accident Lawyer Nyc Articles

But with that high level of use comes a high rate of taxi accidents. And because passengers in taxi cabs are often more lax when it comes to wearing seat belts and using child car seats, there is a greater risk of personal injury in a taxi accident. Of course, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists are also at risk of an accident involving a taxi cab.

Injuries from taxi accidents can range from minor bumps and bruises to permanent, life-changing head and spinal injuries and even death.

Causes of Taxi Cab Accidents

Accidents involving taxi cabs can happen for the same reasons that typical passenger vehicle accidents occur. High speeds, reckless driving and failure to follow traffic rules are among the most common factors resulting in taxi accidents.

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Additional factors that can result in a taxi accident include:

• Poor overall maintenance of the taxi cab. This could include bad brakes, worn tires, power steering fluid leaks, lack of engine coolant, and broken or missing seat belts, among other things.
• Failure to act on vehicle repair needs or recall notices
• Use of faulty parts in repair work
• Taxi driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Poor hiring policies for taxi drivers at the parent company

All of the above factors are preventable. If they are present in a taxi accident that causes serious injury, there may be a case for a personal injury lawsuit against the driver, the parent taxi cab company and other parties at fault in the crash.

What to Do After a Taxi Accident

1. Document the cab driver’s name, cab registration number and the name, address and telephone number of the taxi cab company involved. (In fact, it is a good policy to write down this information any time you get into a taxi cab, just in case you are not able to after an accident occurs.)
2. Get the names and contact information of other drivers involved.
3. Seek medical attention right away.
4. If you are able, document the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
5. If possible, use your camera/cell phone to take pictures of the accident scene.
6. Note any relevant factors about the taxi cab, such as missing seat belts, a cracked windshield, etc., that might indicate the taxi did not meet reasonable standards of ongoing vehicle maintenance.
7. Talk with an experienced auto accident attorney who can advise you of your legal rights to potential compensation.

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Although they may not be as common as vehicle accidents or construction site accidents, elevator accidents happen more often than people think. In fact, it is estimated that over 12,000 people were involved in elevator accidents the last year. It also reported that elevators and escalators kill approximately 30 people per year and injure over 17,000 people.

Causes of Elevator Accidents

Elevator accidents can arise from any number of malfunctions or careless maintenance. However, the most common causes of elevator accidents are:

· Mechanical malfunction of the pulley system allowing the elevator to “free fall” down the shaft

· Improper leveling that keeps the elevator from lining up correctly with the floor

· Asphyxiation from being trapped inside an elevator too long

· Accidental electrocution due to defective wiring in the elevator

· Becoming trapped between the elevator car and side wall

· Falls resulting from an open or exposed elevator shaft

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While elevators must pass state inspections before they are put into use, elevators are not subject to federal regulations or supervision like other products. This increases the potential for serious injuries to elevator passengers, as well as to maintenance providers.

Responsible Parties

Depending upon the facts of the elevator accident, many different parties can potentially be at fault and held liable in court for injuries resulting from the accident. For example, if the cause was poor maintenance, the owner or service company responsible for maintaining the elevator could be held responsible. If the elevator malfunctioned due to a product defect, the product manufacturer may be held liable.

Recoverable Damages

When elevator accidents result in injury or death, the victim and his or her family may be entitled to recoup the following damages from the responsible party:

· medical expenses

· pain and suffering

· lost wages

In order to win these damages, it must be proved that the responsible party acted negligently, or failed to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances to prevent the accident.

What to Do if You Have Been in an Elevator Accident

If you gave been in an elevator accident, you should first contact the police and an elevator accident lawyer immediately in order to preserve the evidence at the accident scene and discuss your legal rights. An accurate inspection of the elevator will need to be performed and photographs will need to be taken of the elevator, all of the components and the elevator’s control room. If severe injury or death has resulted from an elevator accident, qualified experts will need to be called in to investigate the scene. Depending upon the nature of the accident, these experts could include:

· An elevator engineer

· An elevator safety expert

· A building management expert

· A fire or rescue expert

Since lawsuits involving elevators are extremely technical and equipment specific, please contact an experienced elevator accident lawyer to discuss your case.

More Car Accident Lawyer Nyc Articles

Even though you may be the perfect driver, other drivers are more careless or apt to make a poor judgment. Below are five common causes of car accidents. By having awareness of common causes of car accidents, hopefully awareness will be increased and less poor decisions made.

1. Driver’s Negligence to Legal Regulations

Drivers commonly break traffic laws. While these habitual law infractions may appear minor, eventually they will lead to an automobile accident that may cause serious injury or even death. Common traffic laws broken by drivers include:

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• Disobeying traffic signals
• Tailgating
• Exceeding speed limits
• Running stop signs or stop lights

By breaking traffic laws that other vehicles and pedestrians adhere to, you are compromising not only your own safety but the well-being of innocent civilians, too.

2. Driving Under the Influence

Alcohol and other toxins lower a driver’s reaction time and judgment. While states allow drivers to have minor levels of alcohol in their bloodstream, anything above the legal limit compromises your ability to successfully operate a motor vehicle, increasing the potential risk of an automobile accident.

In addition, other distractions, such as cell phones or texting—both of which are illegal in many states—commonly cause car accidents.

3. Sleep Deprivation

No matter how many Red Bulls or No Doses you consume, depriving your body of needed sleep will lower your reaction time and increase the likelihood of a car accident. Sleep deprivation is a common cause of truck accidents due to operators attempting to meet stressful, and often unrealistic, deadlines.

4. Bad Weather

Poor weather, such as sustained wind, heavy snowfall, rain or ice drastically increases the likelihood of an automobile accident. Driving in these conditions should be performed with extreme caution.

5. Defective Vehicles

Even though manufacturers recall defective vehicles, this action is not undertaken until enough injurious or fatal accidents have occurred. Defective vehicles can also be the fault of a mechanic who failed to notice an issue or an owner who procrastinated addressing an issue.