Los Angeles Top Attorneys Blog: (310) 826-6300 » car crashes

California Elderly Driver Safety Programs: The First Step to Avoid Accidents

Los Angeles Lawyer — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:40:29 +0000

According to the Federal Highway Administration, as of 2008, there are as many as 21.6 million licensed drivers aged 70 and older and this number is expected to triple in the next 20 years.

While elderly drivers are less likely to speed, drink, or drive recklessly compared to other high-risk drivers such as teens, they are extremely vulnerable to intersection accidents, angle crashes, or overtaking/merging collisions. The primary reason for this is their age – their declining reflexes, flexibility, visual acuity, and motor skills make it either difficult for them to see the other vehicle (or object) or even if they do see another vehicle, they may misjudge the distance or fail to react in a timely manner to it.

If you live in California, with an elderly parent or grandparent, or if you have relatives or people you care about who are still driving despite their age, you may want to consider enrolling the elderly driver in driving programs even before a car accident can happen.

Aside from California Department of Motor Vehicle’s Mature Driver Improvement Course, the Glendale Adventist Hospital has created an innovative program to assess a senior’s fitness to drive. The good news is, this course may even be covered by your medical insurance if the rehabilitation is related to a current medical condition or if the elderly driver suffered a stroke.

The Driver Rehabilitation and Community Mobility program provides a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the elderly driver’s physical, visual, cognitive, and executive functions such as his or her reaction time and ability to multi-task. Aside from evaluations, the program therapists may also arrange for refresher courses and prescribe adaptive driving aids or recommendations for vehicle modifications. Also, in the event that the assessment is bad and the elderly driver would have to give up driving, the program will teach ways on how the elderly can still be independent and mobile even without driving.

Elderly car crashes is a growing health and public safety problem so don’t wait for an accident to happen before taking action. California may require drivers over 70 to retest if they are involved in two or more crashes in one year but given the fragility of their bodies and the potential liability to cause injury or property damage to other motorists – it would be wise to take the initiative to have your loved one take tests or evaluations especially if they have certain medical conditions.

For more questions about dealing with elderly driver car accidents, go to http://www.mesrianilaw.com or call the Mesriani Law Group at their toll free number at 1-866-325-4529 or email them at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

Reminders for the Child Safety Week on Sept.19–25

Los Angeles Lawyer — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:23:15 +0000

Even though some of us think that travelling in a motor vehicle is safe for children, the truth is, car crashes is the leading cause of unintended death for many children aged 3 to 14 years old. Further, federal statistics show an increasing number of children who die from heat-stroke in parked cars.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 4 children (aged 14 years and under) are killed in car accidents every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported that on the average, nearly 504 children suffer motor vehicle accident injuries each day.

With the oncoming celebration of the Child Safety Week on September 19 to 25, it is important to emphasize child safety in motor vehicles, such as proper use of child safety restraints like booster seats or even simple reminders on how dangerous it is to leave a child unattended inside the car.

Here are some tips to keep kids safe in your car and how you can prevent child injuries and death in motor vehicle accidents:

• Educate your kids. Toddlers and young children tend to be inquisitive and some get overly excited when they see a car pull over in the drive way which may lead to back over accidents. It is important to teach them to keep away from vehicles and not play around cars. Likewise, teaching your child how to properly cross the street such as waiting for traffic lights and walking in crosswalks can help prevent collisions and accidents.

• Know how to properly install child safety seats. Using age and size appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries by more than half. However, even if you strap a toddler in or have the appropriate child safety seats, it may not be enough especially since according to the NHTSA, a majority of these safety restraints are not correctly installed, as much as 75 percent. Visit the NHTSA website to learn about the proper installation of these child safety seats.

• Parents should know what kind of safety restraints should be used on their child. As children grow older, there are different child safety seats and measures that should be applied. The NHTSA recommends booster seats for children until they are at least 8 years old or 4’9 tall. Further, all children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat.

• Lastly, never leave your child especially babies unattended in a closed vehicle, even if you think you’ll only be gone for a minute. Children’s bodies overheat easily and infants and children under the age of 4 are the most at risk for heat-related illnesses which can lead directly to heat stroke and death.

As parents or even as guardians of children, it is important to prioritize their safety and well-being. Hopefully, the celebration of the Child Safety Week this Sept. 19 – 25 will serve as a timely reminder to everyone on motor vehicle accident deaths for children can be easily avoided by following the above-mentioned tips.

Man Killed in High Speed Cadillac Crash in Irvine

Los Angeles Lawyer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:51:46 +0000

“Live fast, die young.”

For 21-year old John Avinger who is driving his Cadillac SRX at a high rate of speed, the proverb was proved to be tragically true.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Avinger lost control of his car while driving fast at the carpool lane and he veered across all lanes before striking the sound wall along the on-ramp.

The crash sent the car flipping over and the driver got ejected and was killed immediately. A 20-year old passenger, Brandon Baker survived the crash with moderate facial trauma and lacerations and was taken to the Western Medical Center.

The CHP is still investigating the cause of the crash.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more men die in motor vehicle crashes compared to women and usually because men engage in more risky driving behavior such as not wearing a seatbelt, speeding and drunk-driving.

Although the cause of the crash is still under investigation, all three may have been a factor in the fatal crash which killed Avinger. He also happened to belong to the age group of male drivers (21-24 years old) who had the highest fatality rate.

Speeding alone is already a leading cause of car crashes but if you add alcohol and immaturity to the mix, the consequences are often fatal. Wearing a seatbelt may have been the only thing that could have saved Avinger’s life but failing that, he got thrown out of the vehicle and killed.

Drunk, speeding or reckless and/or negligent drivers can be held liable for any injuries incurred by the other party who got in involved in an accident.

Drivers, when they drive, owe a duty of care in operating their vehicle and the violation of DUI laws and speeding laws often places the presumption of negligence upon the drunk or speeding driver.

Living fast may seem exciting but usually, the risks that comes along with it is not worth losing your life over.

Car Crashes and Elderly Drivers

Los Angeles Lawyer — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:47:01 +0000

In San Diego, a truck ran off the ravine when its 75-year old driver mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake.

It fell 200 feet down the ravine through thick vegetation before landing on its roof. The truck’s 77-year old passenger managed to get out of the vehicle but the elderly driver was trapped and unconscious. The driver was extricated by rescuers and was airlifted to the hospital.

The 77-year old passenger allegedly told authorities that his friend had a bad hip. Park Ranger Noel Adams also said that the driver told her he had a bad foot.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Maurice Luque said that the two old men were wearing their seatbelts which saved them from getting thrown out of the truck.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, people aged 70 years and older represented approximately 12 percent of the driving age population and about 10 percent of all drivers in the US.

The Federal Highway Administration reported that there were more than 20 million licensed drivers 70 and older in 2007.

While elderly drivers are involved less in fatal car crashes than teenagers, there were still 4,598 people above 70 years old who died in motor vehicle crashes back in 2007. An elderly driver’s physical, cognitive, and visual abilities may decline as they advance in age.

It is impossible to generalize that like drunk drivers, all older drivers are potential road risks. Some elderly drivers are in excellent shape while some, like the 75-year old driver who drove his truck have certain physical limitations that may impair their driving skills.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has a Mature Driver Program which is an eight hour course for drivers 55 years old and older. It covers a variety of topics of special interest to the mature driver and some insurance providers offer discounts for elderly drivers who complete the class and receive a completion certificate.