Maine Personal Injury Attorney Says New Federal Study Puts Dollar Figure On Highway Accident Costs, Shows Value Of Improving Highway Safety

Auburn, ME (PRWEB) September 22, 2010

Stephen B. Wade, an attorney with the Maine-based law firm of Skelton, Taintor & Abbott, said a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows how costly highway accidents are for all Americans.

The CDC report, based on data from 2005, said automobile accidents drain the U.S. economy of nearly $ 100 billion a year, with a cost to each licensed driver of about $ 500 annually. Fatalities accounted for more than half the cost, or $ 58 billion.

"We all know the high personal toll car and motorcycle accidents can take on individual lives in Maine, but now we can see the financial toll across the country," said Wade, who handles vehicle accident claims. "As a nation, we need to bring down the cost in pain, loss of life and in dollars."

Wade said improving highway safety isn't complex. The steps that reduce the risk of car accident deaths and injuries are well known, he said. Wade endorsed several steps recommended by the CDC to reduce car crashes and other vehicle injuries:

????Increase the use of sobriety checkpoints;
????Mandate the use of motorcycle and bicycle helmets;
????Pass and enforce primary car seat belt laws that would allow police officers to stop a driver not wearing a seatbelt.

Wade added to the CDC list, saying there is a need for greater enforcement of speed limits. In Maine, Wade said the Department of Motor Vehicles found that in one recent year speeding was a factor in 18 percent of accidents and 47 percent of motor vehicle fatalities.

"We know what we have to do to end the carnage on Maine highways. We need to press those efforts to their maximum effect ? fight drunk driving, make people buckle up and wear helmets on bikes and motorcycles and, finally, press motorists to keep within the speed limit," Wade said.

About Skelton, Taintor & Abbott

Skelton, Taintor & Abbott, located in downtown Auburn, Maine, has earned a reputation since 1853 as one of Maine?s most respected law firms. Several of the firm?s attorneys are listed in The Best Lawyers in America and New England Super Lawyers. The trial attorneys of Skelton, Taintor & Abbott practice in state and federal trial courts in a variety of personal injury cases and have successfully handled cases for numerous car accident victims throughout the state of Maine.

For more information, contact the Maine car accident attorneys of Skelton, Taintor & Abbott at 207-784-3200 or through the online contact form.

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Providence Personal Injury Lawyer Urges Caution On Rhode Island's Highways During Thanksgiving Season

Providence, RI (PRWEB) November 25, 2010

The best way for Americans to ensure they enjoy this Thanksgiving break is to match the abundance on the table with an abundance of caution on the highway, says a leading Rhode Island personal injury lawyer.

?In my practice, I see the damage done by people driving when drunk, drowsy or distracted. The risk goes up with holiday driving. Be sober, alert and careful,? says Mark W. Gemma of Gemma Law Associates of Providence, RI.

The Thanksgiving break brings the highest traffic volume of the year. State police measure it as a 102-hour holiday period starting at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 24th, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 28th.

During that time the Rhode Island State Police will be maintaining high visibility with patrols targeting impaired or intoxicated drivers, seat belt and child restraint violations, aggressive drivers, speeding violations, texting violations and other traffic violations.

?Troopers will practice zero tolerance with regard to impaired, drunk or drugged drivers, as well as child restraint and seat belt violations," said Colonel Brendan P. Doherty, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, in a prepared statement.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is putting a special emphasis this holiday on seatbelt use. According to NHTSA, when lap and shoulder belts are used properly, the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants is reduced by 45 percent, and the risk of moderate to serious injury is reduced by 50 percent.

While seat belt use is at a record high of 85 percent nationwide, 45 million Americans still fail to buckle up when they get in a motor vehicle. On any given day, NHTSA reports, about 38 passenger vehicle occupants who are not buckled up are killed in motor vehicle crashes.

In 2008 alone, nearly 13,000 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants lost their lives on U.S. roadways, the agency says. It is estimated that nearly one third of these lives could have been saved if they had been properly belted. NHTSA statistics also show that those least likely to buckle up are teens, young adults, males, nighttime riders, motorists traveling on rural roads and individuals traveling in pickup trucks.

?Buckling your seatbelt is such an easy step you can take to stay safe during the holidays,? Gemma said. ?Take a minute to put on your seatbelt and make sure you arrive safely at your destination.?

About Gemma Law Associates, Inc.

Gemma Law Associates, Inc., is a Providence, Rhode Island, personal injury law firm that has represented the people of Rhode Island for more than 48 years while earning a reputation for success in several practice areas, including drunk driving accidents, car accidents, personal injury, workers? compensation, Social Security disability, divorce, criminal defense and bankruptcy law. The law firm?s staff works as a team to ensure success in cases and is backed by a state-of-the-art collection of resources, including an advanced computerized case management system and an extensive legal library.

The firm represents clients throughout the state of Rhode Island, including Providence, Pawtucket, Warwick, Washington County and Newport County. To learn more about Gemma Law Associates, Inc., call (401) 467-2300 or use the firm?s online contact form.

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Toledo Personal Injury Lawyer Says Ohio Should Adopt Ban On Texting While Driving

Toledo, OH (PRWEB) July 19, 2011

Toledo personal injury attorney Michael D. Bell says a recently released report on distracted driving provides strong support for Ohio to adopt a statewide ban on texting while driving for motorists of all ages.

The report, issued July 7 by the Governors Highway Safety Association, features a review of more than 350 scientific studies on distracted driving. The GHSA concludes that ?texting likely increases crash risk more than cell phone use? and recommends that all states prohibit texting while driving.

Just one week prior to the report?s release, the Ohio House of Representatives voted in favor of a statewide texting ban similar to ones that are in place in 34 other states and the District of Columbia. The measure is expected to go before the Ohio Senate in the coming months.

?This report makes it clear that the problem of texting while driving justifies that some action needs to be taken by our state to keep drivers safe,? said Bell, a senior associate attorney with the Toledo personal injury law firm of Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer Co., L.P.A.

Bell?s legal practice is dedicated to representing accident and injury victims throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, including handling personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of those who have lost loved ones to car crashes.

?Safe driving comes down to individual decisions,? Bell said. ?Just as seat belt laws have led to more drivers buckling up in their cars, my hope would be that a texting ban would lead to more drivers putting down their iPhone or Blackberry when they?re behind the wheel.?

In an article on the Ohio law firm?s blog site, askgallonlaw.com, Bell noted that, since January 2010, a City of Toledo ordinance has banned texting while driving. The proposed Ohio law would give the state?s motorists a six-month warning period before enforcement kicks in.

?I understand that these texting bans are difficult to enforce,? Bell said. ?However, without a ban in place, it sends a message that it?s somehow OK to text while driving, and as the GHSA report shows, that is a dangerous message to be sending to our state?s motorists.?

The GHSA report cites four studies that have found that texting ?increases the time that a driver?s eyes are not on the road and also affects speed and lane-position variability.?

?The lack of focus while driving can also lead to delayed braking at stop signs and red lights and cause a driver to be unable to avoid a collision with a pedestrian, motorcyclist or bicyclist,? Bell said.

According to the Toledo lawyer, the problem highlighted by the GHSA report is that, despite the obvious risks of texting behind the wheel, a large percentage of drivers engage in the practice.

According to the report, 24 percent of motorists said they had texted while driving within the past month, while 7 percent said they texted ?fairly often or regularly.? The 18-24 age range was reported to have the highest rate of texting while driving.

?These drivers need to be dissuaded from their negligent and reckless conduct,? Bell said, ?and when their careless driving causes serious injury or death, they need to be held accountable. That?s why it?s important to seek legal assistance immediately if an individual or their family member has been harmed by a distracted driver.?

About Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer

Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer Co., L.P.A. is a full service Toledo law firm that represents working men and women, individuals with disabilities and labor unions throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, including the communities of Toledo, Findlay, Bowling Green, Northwood, Oregon, Perrysburg, Sylvania, Lima, Defiance, Fremont, Sandusky and Waterville. In addition to a general practice, the firm assists clients in personal injury, workers? compensation, Social Security disability, labor and bankruptcy cases. The firm?s personal injury areas include construction injuries, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, slip-and-falls, farming injuries, defective products, medical malpractice and nursing home injuries. For more information, call Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer Co., L.P.A. at (800) 352-1976 or use its online form.

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