Motor City Accident Attorneys

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Holiday Injuries Send Thousands to E.R. Annually

It’s the most wonderful, and dangerous, time of the year. The holidays are filled with decorations, festivities, and travelling, but unfortunately this results in all kinds of accidents. These accidents can range from cooking/burn injuries to dog bites from visiting relatives, to car accidents. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says there are about 250 injuries a day during the holiday season and about 13,000 patients are seen each year for accidents related to the holiday/winter season.

The most common type of injury around the holidays is from car accidents. People are attending holiday parties and are more likely to be intoxicated before getting back on the road. Others are traveling long distances and may feel fatigue from driving or be unfamiliar with the area, increasing the chance of an accident. The fact that so many people are travelling at the same time means there are more cars on the road. The more cars there are, the more likely it is for accidents to occur. December has one of the highest rates for traffic accidents in the year.

Aside from car accidents, many house and shopping-related incidents are reported during the holiday season. Falling merchandise injuries can occur when store employees don’t stack products or boxes properly or stack them too high, which can fall on customers who are shopping.

Injuries from putting up holiday decorations also tend to bring people to the hospital each year. Many accidents (about 5,800) are reported each year where people fall from ladders while hanging Christmas lights and hurt their head or neck. About 2,000 people every winter are treated for lacerations, sprains, and other injuries due to tripping over extension cords.

The number of fires also goes up during the fall/winter season. Thanksgiving is the day where the most fires in the U.S. occur with 4,000 fires occurring annually. Christmas season causes many fires as well, though not as much as Thanksgiving. Christmas-related fires may not just be due to cooking but to Christmas trees or space heaters. Many fires that occur during the holiday season are reported that the Christmas tree was the first object to ignite on fire. Candle-related fires reported from 2009 through 2011 have an estimated number of 70 deaths, 680 injuries and $308 million in property loss.

Many people don’t realize how common these accidents are until it unexpectedly happens to them. The holidays are a time for happiness, but it’s so easy for the slightest thing to go wrong and ruin a good time. Always be careful when putting up holiday decorations, make sure you frequently water your tree, and always drive and travel safe.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Tips to Remember Before Traveling For The Holidays

Planning on making a bit of a drive to get to your family this holiday season? Plenty of people are as well. The roads are usually heavier with traffic right before Christmas Eve and after New Year’s Day. Below are some tips that can help you get to your loved ones safe and comfortably.

- Do your research
Plan alternative trips if traffic makes your way home too overwhelming. Perhaps there is a scenic drive that might be a little longer but have less traffic and be less stressful.

- It’s ok to take breaks

Some people like to drive straight through in order to not waste any time but taking a break can ease the rest of your trip. Break up a long drive by stopping at a few places or rest stops and give your eyes a break from the tension of a long drive. If you’re feeling hungry, get a bite to eat or pack some snacks. Hunger can affect your concentration and decrease your energy.

- Travel early or late in the day

The best time to get on the road is either early morning or late at night when people are asleep. Most people travel during normal afternoon hours. Go to bed very early the night before so you can leave early morning and get a head start before everyone else on the road. You can also always take a nap when you get to your destination. However, only drive during these hours if you’ve been well rested. Driving drowsy should never be a risk to take.

- Check out the expected weather conditions before heading out

If a winter storm is expected to hit while you are driving, be prepared beforehand. Keep some grit in your trunk in case you get stuck in snow or ice. It’s also a good idea to be equipped with a blanket, flashlights and road flares in case you get stranded. If heavy rain is predicted to fall, make sure your windshield wipers work well. Knowing the weather conditions can help you plan ahead as well so you can leave before the weather hits.

- Make sure your vehicle is working in proper order

Check your tire pressure, oil, and water. This is especially important for older vehicles. Check that both of your headlights and taillights are working. Don’t wait last minute to check if everything is working properly; you will need time to get any engine issues fixed before having to leave on your trip.

- Keep distractions away

Last but not least, refrain from checking your phone for emails or texts. The road should have your undivided attention. You can check your phone once you reach a rest stop. Checking your phone is especially dangerous if you are going to be traveling at fast speeds on the highway.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Automatic Emergency Brakes soon to be required for 5-star vehicle safety rating

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced it will soon require new vehicles to come equipped with automatic emergency braking systems if they are to be given a 5-star safety rating. This new mandate will begin with model year 2018.

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) technology relies on sensors in the vehicle that detect when a crash is likely about to happen and warns the driver, and then engages the brakes if necessary. This technology is mainly used to prevent rear-end collisions, as well as other scenarios where drivers fail to brake on time in order to avoid a crash.

U.S. Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, states that this automatic emergency braking system has the potential to “substantially” increase safety, especially considering the large amount of distracted drivers on the road. Unlike drivers who may feel drowsy or distracted while driving, the AEB system is always on alert in the event that a driver’s reaction time and motor skills are delayed.

This system is important and will be a benefit to future car-buyers who can’t afford expensive vehicles, considering this safety technology right now is only available with the most expensive models of vehicles. Therefore, while this technology already exists, the majority of people don’t have access to it. So by making this technology a standard feature, soon more drivers may be able to benefit from this feature.

So far, there are 10 auto manufacturers that plan to make AEB technology a standard feature in all future vehicles. These manufacturers include: Volvo, Volkswagen, Toyota, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, General Motors, Ford, BMW, and Audi. And although the 5-star rating system is used for “recommended safety technology,” auto manufacturers do not legally have to include it. However, being able to market a vehicle with a 5-Star rating title is very useful seeing as how safety is a major concern to many consumers.

Consumer Reports recently evaluated a number of AEB systems available and the director of auto testing believes this technology can be the “biggest safety advancement since the introduction of stability control,” which was introduced over 20 years ago. A report by the National Transportation Safety Board also indicates that AEB technology could possibly prevent 80 percent of all rear-end collisions, which in turn could end up saving about 1,700 lives each year.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Smartwatches More Distracting Than Cellphones?

Cellphones and smartphones have been blasted within the past decade for being the cause of many distracted-driving accidents. As a result, many states have passed laws banning the use of cellphones while driving. These days, however, your watch could be next. If you have a smartwatch, that is. As new gadgets and devices come out every year, the next big thing could be smartwatches, which are still fairly new to the market but steadily growing. This means in time more people will have smartwatches and therefore this will add to the list of driving distractions.

A study by the U.K. Transport Research Laboratory found smartwatches are far more distracting than smartphones. The study found that it takes 2.52 seconds for someone to react in the event of an emergency after looking at their smartwatch, compared to 1.85 seconds if they were using a handheld cellphone.

These smartwatches such as the Apple watch, can beep and light up with new texts, emails, social media notifications, calendar and other app notifications. It also taps you on the wrist with a light vibrating touch to get your attention. It’s just like your smartphone but this one is conveniently placed on your wrist. It may be more convenient for faster checking, but that also means you get distracted more easily. All you have to do is look at your wrist when you see it light up, which even if you know you shouldn’t do while driving, you might naturally do it anyway without realizing.

Despite tougher enforcement of banning cellphone use while driving, the amount of related crashes is not decreasing. According to the National Safety Council, cellphone-related car accidents already account for 27 percent of all accidents in the United States. Can you imagine this percentage increasing if we throw smartwatches into the mix?

With the likely increase in popularity of smartwatches in the near future, especially with the holidays around the corner where people may be gifted one, this is a cause for concern. If you have one of these watches or will have one in the future, treat it just as you should with any other distraction while driving and leave it alone. Drivers don’t need another distraction behind the wheel.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Can Child Restraints Be Re-used After Minor Car Accidents?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that child car seats be replaced after a moderate or severe crash to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers. However, it is not necessary to replace child safety seats following a minor car accident.

You may be wondering how do you distinguish between a minor and moderate/severe accident? The NHTSA defines a minor crash as the following:

- The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site

- The vehicle door closest to the child’s car seat was undamaged

- Nobody present in the vehicle during the crash was injured

- The air bags did not go off

- There is no visible damage to the safety seat

Crashes that meet all of these criteria are much less severe and therefore highly unlikely to affect future child safety seat performance. Therefore, parents and caregivers can feel confident that child restraints involved in these types of minor accidents will continue to provide proper protection. However, it is still a good idea to check the manual that came with the child restraint and see what it says. If you’re still uncertain, contact the manufacturer.

In the past, the NHTSA recommended to replace a child restraint whenever it was involved in a crash no matter the severity of the crash. However, they have now revised that recommendation in order to reduce the number of children without a safety seat while their seat is being replaced, as well as to reduce the costs for consumers and insurance companies. The NHTSA has also cited many international studies since then that shows that child restraints still perform well in subsequent crash tests after being tested in minor crashes.

However, in severe crashes, car seats should be replaced, even if the child was not in the car seat or booster during the crash. The force of car crashes can be extreme as they can even bend the steel in your car’s frame, therefore, powerful enough to damage the plastic in your child’s car seat.