Posted on October 09, 2015 in Wrongful Death

California residents know that breaking the rules of the road, such as by speeding or driving while under the influence, can have very serious consequences. Most people would assume that a driver who does so and then ends up in an accident is responsible for the ensuing damages. However, there have been cases where it has been found that a motor vehicle defect may have been a contributory factor as well.

This is the situation in the case of the late actor Paul Walker, whose daughter recently filed a lawsuit against Porsche for wrongful death. Walker was riding in a 2004 Porsche GT Carrera, which has been described as practically a race car on the street. He died when the vehicle crashed into a lamppost and subsequently burst into flames. The official police investigation report concluded that the driver of the vehicle had been going at about 94 miles per hour when it crashed. However, according to the lawsuit, the vehicle was actually going between 63 and 71 miles per hour.

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 Posted on October 05, 2015 in Workplace Accidents

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently released its annual list of the deadliest jobs in California and around the country. Compiled from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the list looked at the 4,679 fatal work injuries that were recorded in 2014. There were 4,585 fatal work injuries reported in 2013, which means there was a 2 percent increase in 2014.

Of the 4,679 work-related fatalities in 2014, 4,251 of the deaths were in the private sector. The civilian occupations that were the most deadly in 2014 included logging workers, fishers and aircraft pilots and flight engineers. There were 77 fatal work injuries for loggers, 22 for fishers and those doing related fishing work and 81 for the pilots and engineers.

Other occupations with high rates of fatal injuries were refuse and recyclable material collectors, agricultural managers like farmers, steel workers and truck drivers. Those who work with electrical power lines and supervisors of construction workers finished at the bottom of the list. The data from the 2014 CFOI also revealed that government workers had fewer fatal work injuries while workers 55 years of age and older had the highest amount of fatal work injuries ever reported. There were 1,047 on the job accidents that led to fatalities for self-employed workers, and men accounted for 92 percent of those fatally injured on the job.

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 Posted on October 02, 2015 in Car Accidents

California drivers who find themselves in situations where visibility has dropped due to fog might be unaware of the dangers posed by these conditions. Because visibility can drop rapidly and because drivers often do not have enough time to react correctly, fog has been a factor in a number of serious crashes around the country over the years.

While research focusing on the role that foggy weather can play in a motor vehicle accident is limited, there have been studies that have addressed the issue. One found that drivers tend to approach foggy conditions in two ways. The study labeled drivers 'laggers" and 'non-laggers" and suggested that the majority of drivers fall into the non-lagger category, which posed its own set of dangers as non-laggers attempt to stay within view of lead cars ahead of them, which sometimes cause them to drive at unsafe speeds. Additionally, another study found that fog can make drivers underestimate just how closely they are following another vehicle, which means that in the event they have to brake to avoid a collision, they might not have enough time to do so.

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 Posted on September 23, 2015 in Workplace Accidents

While OSHA says that workers must have fall safety equipment when working more than four feet in the air, employers don't always provide such protection. In fact, some employers consider it optional or don't buy equipment until after an accident happens. In some cases, employers aren't sure what type of equipment to buy, which is why they forgo it altogether even if they understand its value.

Therefore, it may be a good idea for employers to put together a safety team that can determine the best fall protection equipment for a given company. The team can do research and take other steps necessary to ensure that they balance worker safety with the cost of making such a purchase. Another option is to identify which application is most relevant for a given company and buy equipment for that application.

For instance, if the company's main application is unloading or reloading, equipment should be purchased to protect workers while performing those tasks. Buying the right fall protection gear can help to save lives and reduce workplace injuries. This can help prevent costs related to site shutdowns or medical bills for injured workers. Furthermore, companies that fail to abide by OSHA regulations expose themselves to steep fines for violating federal safety regulations.

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 Posted on September 21, 2015 in Car Accidents

California residents have probably heard about the General Motors recall of many vehicles that could have defective ignition switches, but some may be unaware of how these recalls might influence the legal system. Several past criminal cases are being looked at in light of the new knowledge of the problem.

In one case, a 25-year-old woman previously spent three months in jail for a one-to-two year sentence when losing control of her Chevrolet Cobalt in 2010, which resulted in the death of a 16-year-old male passenger. The authorities thought she was speeding, but the woman said that she was not and that the brakes and vehicle stopped working. The Chevrolet's ignition went into the accessory position, and there was no power for steering or braking. Additionally, the airbags did not deploy when a crash occurred. Instances like this sounded unbelievable before the news about faulty ignition switches, and the woman pleaded guilty to reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter.

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 Posted on September 14, 2015 in Car Accidents

Every year, car accidents cause serious injuries to California residents. However, some injuries don't show up right away. Mental trauma and many physical ailments can surface hours or days after an accident. It is important to recognize the symptoms of delayed trauma to ensure that certain injuries are not left untreated.

Many car accident victims suffer from headaches after a crash. Though usually benign, some headaches may indicate serious issues like a blood clot on the brain, a concussion or a neck injury. Delayed neck and shoulder stiffness, commonly known as whiplash, may also occur. Serious cases may require x-rays, MRIs or CT scans. The delayed onset of abdominal pain or swelling could indicate undetected internal bleeding. Other symptoms of internal bleeding include deep bruising and dizziness.

Car crash victims should also be on the lookout for back pain, numbness in the extremities and changes in their personality, which could all signal serious injuries. Post-traumatic stress disorder, which may involve disturbing dreams, could also occur after a crash. PTSD is especially common in children. To be on the safe side, health care professionals suggest that anyone involved in an accident should seek immediate medical attention even if they do not initially believe they suffered an injury.

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 Posted on September 10, 2015 in Truck Accidents

Vehicles with defective braking systems pose a danger to all California road users, but the threat is particularly serious when the vehicle involved is a semi-tractor trailer. The air braking systems used on large commercial vehicles are more complex and require more maintenance than the systems found on passenger cars, and random roadside inspections often result in citations for poorly maintained or defective truck brakes. Trucking companies can avoid such issues by ensuring that their vehicles are properly maintained, and truck drivers can help to improve road safety by pointing out vehicle behavior that could be caused by braking problems.

Commercial vehicle braking systems are designed to work evenly, and semi-truck accidents can occur when brakes on some wheels are not working as well as those on others. This kind of defect can sometimes go unnoticed during visual inspections, but truck drivers may be alerted to the problem by their vehicles pulling to one side or the other after the brakes are applied.

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 Posted on September 08, 2015 in Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists in California might wonder how they can ride more safely. It is important to anticipate specific dangers and consider what can be done to avoid or deal with them.

For example, avoiding excessive speed can help prevent the dangers of taking a corner too fast as well as going around a blind corner and hitting a patch of leaves, gravel or other debris that can cause an accident. Riders should also be observant so that they will notice cars changing lanes or making left turns.

Motorcyclists should space themselves between cars or while riding among other motorcyclists to avoid being hit from behind. They should not ride between a traffic lane and a line of parked cars so they do not hit pedestrians or car doors. Practicing the use of the front brake is also important. The front brake is more powerful than many motorcyclists realize and riders who are unfamiliar with its operation may lock the brake and be thrown.

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 Posted on September 03, 2015 in Car Accidents

As California motorists know, driving the wrong way on a highway is responsible for serious accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board completed a study detailing accidents caused by motorists accessing on ramps and off ramps incorrectly. The study did not include drivers who cross over the center or those driving on two-lane roads, since the recommendations for those types of accidents would be different.

Although wrong-way drivers account for only a small percentage of accidents every year, those types of accidents frequently result in serious injuries and fatalities. Because wrong-way drivers have been a problem since the introduction of the Interstate Highway System, research into ways to prevent it have been recommended since the 1960s.

Recommendations by the NTSB in 1990, following a study of truck drivers involved in fatal accidents, included establishing a standardized method for specimen collection. It also called for legislation requiring alcohol and drug testing of drivers who were involved in truck accidents that resulted in fatalities.

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 Posted on August 26, 2015 in Car Accidents

California drivers may be interested to learn that newer technologies are making driving safer. Companies such as Volvo and BMW are introducing devices that help detect when a driver may be getting drowsy and alert the motorist to that possibility.

While it is difficult to measure fatigue as a factor in car accidents due in part to the fact that there is no test for drowsiness as there is for drunk driving, it is estimated that at least 7,500 fatal accidents each year have fatigue as a factor. It was considered one likely cause of the 2014 accident that seriously injured comedian Tracy Morgan and killed another passenger in his limousine. The truck driver who hit them had been awake for 28 hours.

These new devices function by detecting when a driver makes an error such as slipping into another lane or when a front-end collision is likely. The devices sound an alert, and in some cases, may make a correction such as braking automatically to avoid a collision. Other devices and apps check for driver alertness through checks such as how often the driver is manipulating the steering wheel or by predicting if the driver will become drowsy based on factors such as how much the driver has slept. They sound alarms or flash lights if the driver is not responsive.

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