Phoenix Car Accident Attorney Blog

On Halloween, twice as many children are killed in pedestrian accidents as compared to any other day of the year (Safe Kids USA 2009). More pedestrians populate the sidewalks during the dusk and evening hours of 5:30-9:30pm, and children are more excited, so they may move unpredictably.

To protect children this Halloween holiday, there will be more officers patrolling the streets in the valley looking for impaired drivers (ABC 15 10/29/10). Drivers are reminded never to drink and drive and to avoid distractions like texting. It is even more important this weekend with the increased number of pedestrians on the roads to be 100% attentive to the road.

Parents are encouraged to also speak with their children before going out to trick or treat about pedestrian safety. Safe Kids USA has also compiled a list of tips for parents and trick-or-treaters this holiday:
• Try to wear light-colored costumes and clothing, and attach reflective tape or other materials to improve visibility in the dark.
• Walk with flashlights or glowsticks so they can see better and avoid tripping hazards as well as be more visible to motorists.
• Only cross the street at corners and always use crosswalks. Look both ways before and while you cross the street.
• Stay on sidewalks, where available, or walk facing traffic as far to the right as possible. Try to stick to residential streets where there may be less traffic.
• Use makeup, face paint, and wigs instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.

We wish all families a safe and happy Halloween!

Continue reading " Pedestrian Accidents Twice as Likely on Halloween " »

Standard traffic rules are in place for a reason. No-passing zones prohibit passing in areas with difficult visibility, train gates come down to allow a train to pass, and stop signs force drivers to look both ways before crossing an intersection. When these rules are ignored or violated is when car accidents happen.

After blowing a stop sign, a driver of a sedan with one passenger wedged himself under a passing semi truck (AZ Family 10/27/10). Both driver and passenger were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the truck driver was unharmed. It is not known if impairment was a factor in the accident.

When driving in an unfamiliar area, it may be difficult to spot stop signs, so it is important to always drive on the look out for them. Most accidents are preventable, and oftentimes it only is a few seconds that can make the difference between a safe trip and a destructive one. If you find yourself in an accident, there are a few things you should do while still at the scene:

• Exchange information with the other driver(s), including names, phone numbers, insurance, license plate numbers, and any passengers or other witnesses.
• Never admit fault. That is not your determination to make.
• Always seek medical attention, even if nothing hurts. It may take a few days for the pain to set in sometimes, so the earlier the diagnosis, the better.

Continue reading " Surprise, Arizona Car-Truck Accident Leaves 2 Injured " »

From the time they are born, children are exposed to and taught new things constantly. One activity most children can’t wait to learn is how to drive. As exciting as driving may seem, children must understand first and foremost how dangerous driving a car can be. As Phoenix area car accident attorneys as well as parents ourselves, we hope all new drivers drive safely.

On Sunday in Phoenix’s west valley, a female teenager was driving her car erratically on the highway and crashed through the median of the 101 by 67th Ave, running into an oncoming SUV (KPHO 10/25/10). The SUV was being driven by a 65 year old man; he, the girl, and the girl’s teenage male passenger were taken to the hospital in serious condition.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that teens driving with other teen passengers are much more likely to wreck than those driving with older passengers or alone; the likelihood increases dramatically with the more teen passengers present. To help spread the message of how important it is to be completely attentive while driving, we are sponsoring a Viral Video Scholarship Contest with the American Lawyer Academy. Students are to create a viral video to promote safe driving practices and post it on YouTube to enter for a scholarship up to $10,000. Further rules and regulations are available on our website at: http://www.breyerlaw.com/viral-video-scholarship-contest-southwest-region.html.

Continue reading " Phoenix Teen Driver Causes Serious Injury Accident " »

Probably one of the worst nightmares a parent could have is the one where their child is hit by a car. As parents and Arizona bike accident attorneys, we worry about the safety of our children when they are playing outside. Despite constant supervision, education, and preparedness, unfortunately accidents still seem to happen.

On Wednesday in Maricopa, an 11 year old boy was hit by an SUV as he was riding his bike (ABC 15 10/21/10). He was trying to cross a residential street when the car hit him. He suffered a serious head injury requiring emergency surgery to stop major bleeding in his head, and he remains in critical condition. Our thoughts are with this family during this difficult time and we wish him a speedy recovery. It is not known if he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

What do you know about bike safety and kids? Take a look at these facts from Safe Kids USA (2009).
• Every year, there are about 140 child bicyclist deaths, and another 275,000 nonfatal injuries—14,000 of which were hit by cars.
• Only about 15-25% of child bicycle riders wear helmets, even though they could prevent 135-155 deaths and 39,000-45,000 head injuries annually.
• If at least 85% of children wore bike helmets while riding for one year, the U.S. could save $134-$174 million in lifetime medical costs.

Continue reading " Maricopa Boy Critically Injured in Bicycle Accident " »

What would you do? You are walking down the street with your friends or family and you see a car or motorcycle heading your way, fast.

For one Mesa teen, the answer was to push his friends out of the way and take the hit, leading to several injuries.

The fourteen year old suffered broken ribs, dislocated and broken jaw, missing teeth, and missing some of his tongue when he was hit by an out of control motorcycle on Tuesday afternoon (KPHO 10/21/10). He and his friends had been walking down the street when he spotted the motorcycle speeding out of control, so he pushed his friends out of the way and was hit by the bike, sending him seven feet into the air. It is not known yet if there are any citations for the motorcycle rider. The teen is recovering at Maricopa medical center and we wish this hometown hero a speedy recovery.

Children ages 14 and under and adults aged 65 and older are the two most at-risk groups for pedestrian accidents (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 6/17/10). Surprisingly, about 83% of child pedestrian fatalities are not at intersections, even though as parents, we stress the importance of crosswalk safety more than most other safety messages to our kids (Safe Kids USA 2009). Safe Kids USA has created a helpful video to share with children about the importance of pedestrian safety, you can check it out at: http://youtu.be/GPxZKI1mfpo.

Continue reading " Mesa Teen Injured after Saving Friends from Motorcycle’s Path " »

Everyday there is a new message out there about safe driving, often a reaction to a recent accident in which a driver wasn’t being so safe. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we appreciate all conscious efforts to improve everyone’s safety on the road, and encourage all drivers to be proactive in their daily commutes to make safer choices.

The Arizona Truckers Association and Department of Public Safety have teamed up this week to launch Operation Safe Driver across the state (ABC 15 10/19/10). Large trucks present dangers on the road for other drivers, sometimes weighing up to 8,000 pounds and traveling at speeds of 75 miles an hour or faster. Police officers around the valley will be starting a “crackdown” this week of aggressive car and truck drivers who speed or follow too closely, as well as trucks with safety equipment violations.

Are you an aggressive driver? Ask yourself these questions:
• Do you multitask while driving by eating, talking, or reading?
• Do you tailgate?
• Do you change lanes frequently?
• Do you run red lights?
• Do you drive over the speed limit?

If you are guilty of at least one of the above 5 questions, you could have aggressive driver tendencies. To combat the symptoms before it turns into an accident, try to leave extra time when you are traveling somewhere, plan alternative routes in case of traffic, use public transportation, or just embrace your tardiness—it’s better you get there late than in an ambulance or not at all.

Continue reading " Operation Safe Driver Week in Arizona " »

Sometimes safe driving isn’t enough to protect you and your family. Other drivers on the road may have unpredictable behaviors, making it difficult to act defensively. Accidents will happen but there are some things drivers can do to make an effort at preventing them.

Nogales police tried to stop a 19-year old male driver, but he did not comply (KPHO 10/17/10). The police officers attempted to shoot the man, but he was only grazed by the bullet, which sent him into the officer’s car and on to hit a car carrying a mother and her two children. The woman and her 14 year old daughter were air-lifted to a Tucson hospital, where they both had emergency surgery, and her 9 year old son suffered a fractured bone.

Our thoughts are with the family and we hope they recover quickly. The accident is another scary reminder of the dangers all drivers face when they get on the road. Unpredictable events may happen, but it is important to be as prepared as possible to deal with whatever happens.

After an accident, there are a few things you must do immediately if you are lucky enough to be uninjured.
• Never leave the scene of an accident, even if it doesn’t look like there is any damage.
• Never admit liability, leave that determination to the authorities and your attorney(s).
• Always seek medical treatment from the accident scene, even if your injuries may not be apparent at the time. It is important to have on record that you sought treatment in connection with an accident so any future pains that arise may be connected back to it as well.

Continue reading " Nogales Mother and Two Children Injured in Car Accident " »

“Go play outside” is the message I was always given as a child, but as a parent in today’s world, this message has more than one caveat. There are many precautions we take before going outside to prevent injury or accidents, such as putting on sunscreen or a helmet, and always keeping a cell phone in your pocket. Parents fear phone calls from a police officer or hospital, but unfortunately the parents of one Glendale teen got that call Wednesday night.

A 14-year old boy was hit by an SUV as he and his friends crossed a Glendale street, sustaining serious upper body injuries (Arizona Republic via AZ Central 10/13/10). Witnesses say the four boys were carrying their skateboards across the street, not in a crosswalk. The female driver of the SUV did not show any signs of impairment, admitting that she didn’t see the boy. The teen was airlifted to the hospital from the accident scene.

This accident served as a scary reminder to us as parents to remind our children how to enjoy sports safely. Skateboarding has been growing in popularity for many years now among children, but it remains a very dangerous sport. In 2004, 18,743 head injuries were reported due to skateboarding accidents (Safe Kids USA 2009). Wearing a helmet can prevent many of these serious injuries. It can reduce the risk of head injury by 85% and save 135-150 deaths of children between 4 and 15 every year (Safe Kids USA 2009). Some state counties require helmets on skateboarders, but Arizona’s do not. Arizona only requires helmets are worn by bicycle riders under 18. Set an example for your family by wearing a helmet, it could save a life.

Continue reading " Skateboarding Child Seriously Injured in Glendale, Arizona Car Accident " »

Children usually go running towards an ice cream van, but in a recent turn of events, an ice cream van ran into a school bus full of children. Car accidents can happen no matter where you may be located or what you may be traveling in, so please be careful!

On Tuesday afternoon in Phoenix, an accident with an ice cream van and a school bus filled with children left one man injured (KPHO 10/12/10). There were 21 children on the bus when it collided with the ice cream van, which subsequently rolled over. The driver of the ice cream van had to be extricated from the van and was sent to the hospital. Luckily, none of the 21 children were injured, but most likely had to find another way home. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but from the aerial photos, it looks like the accident took place at an intersection.

Intersections are hubs for accidents, so they require more caution as you pass through them. Here are a few tips to avoid car accidents (Courtesy of The Teenager’s Guide to the Real World Online):

1. Before pulling into an intersection, look both ways twice. There may be blind spots in your line of sight that can block the view of an oncoming car. Checking twice will help you identify more threats.
2. When sitting at a red light, remember to look both ways before you proceed when the light turns green. As we’ve seen many times, some drivers may push the yellow light and end up going through the intersection after your light has turned green, which can lead to a serious t-bone accident.
3. Look out for cars or trucks that may be pulling trailers; they may be difficult to discern in oncoming traffic, so try to always assume that a car has a trailer behind it before entering the space after it passes.

Continue reading " Phoenix School Bus and Ice Cream Van Collision " »

Every parent will do all they can to keep their children safe and healthy. Unfortunately there are sometimes situations that can be unforeseen and an injury accident may happen. It always seems to occur in the few seconds that a parent glances away from the child and exactly what a parent fears happens.

On Wednesday in Glendale, a toddler was run over by his grandmother’s car and sent to the hospital in serious condition (KPHO 10/6/10). His grandmother was backing out of the garage, planning on manually shutting it behind her, and in the process, ran over the boy. There was no speeding or impairment involved but the accident is under investigation.

This story is a scary reminder to parents of the extra cautions they must take to keep their children safe. Children often play outside in their home’s driveway using their bike, chalk, or jump ropes, and while the driveway keeps them some distance from the road, it doesn’t mean they are safe from traffic. Because of their short stature, children are often more difficult to spot when driving a car, and because they are often pre-occupied with playing, children may not spot an oncoming car in time to avoid an accident.

Safe Kids USA advises drivers to take precautions before taking off in a car:
• Walk all the way around your car to check for children or anything nearby that may attract a child like toys or animals and remove them before getting in the car.
• Accompany children by holding their hand tightly when walking around cars or getting in and out of them.
• Designate safe play areas for children to play in the driveway as well as a stationary spot for children to wait if cars are coming in or out of the driveway.

Continue reading " Glendale, Arizona Toddler Seriously Injured After Car Accident " »

Now that fall seems to finally be arriving in Arizona, more residents are coming outside to enjoy the cooler temperatures by riding bikes and walking around their neighborhoods. Evening time is not only a beautiful time of day in which the temperatures start to drop and the sun is setting, but it is also one of the most dangerous times for cycling and pedestrian accidents.

In Mesa this past weekend, a man on a yellow BMX-style bike was hit by two cars (Arizona Republic via AZ Central 10/5/10). The bicyclist has not yet gained consciousness and the police are having a difficult time identifying him. He is described as an 18-25 year old white male with dark medium-length hair, 5’10” and 185-190 lbs, wearing tan shorts and dark shoes. If you have any information regarding this victim, you can call Mesa police at (480) 644-2211.

When riding a bike, there are traffic laws to follow just as in driving a car. In Arizona, there are a few important statutes even casual riders should be aware of (Courtesy of Pima Association of Governments 10/5/10):
• Riders must always travel the same direction as traffic.
• For bicyclists that have no turn signals on their bikes, riders should always use their left hand to make the hand and arm movements to signal their turns. Extend your arm parallel to the ground for a left turn. Bend your elbow to a 90 degree angle upwards to signal right. While stopping, make a right angle pointing downwards.
• Every rider must have a regular seat to sit on.
• While riding on the road, stay as far to the right as possible and only ride in a single or double line with other riders, except on bicycle-only routes.
• Always maintain at least one hand on the handlebars.
• For nighttime riding, equip your bike with at least one white headlight that illuminates up to 500 feet and a red rear reflector visible up to 300 feet.

Continue reading " Police Seek Help in Identifying Critically Injured Mesa, Arizona Bicyclist " »

Despite increased education, enforcement, and awareness, sadly, impaired drivers still make it on the road. Lately there have been a few instances in which police officers stopped a driver who was traveling under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or even prescription drugs with children in the car, but it was luckily before any accidents occurred.

Unfortunately early Monday morning, authorities did not stop one mother before she crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into a wall, critically injuring her three children in the car, ages 5, 8, and 9 years (KPHO 10/4/10). No other cars were involved in the crash that wrecked the family’s sedan. Police suspect that alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Our thoughts are with the families of these drunk driving victims, and we hope all have a speedy recovery.

Drivers who get behind the wheel under the influence are typically not doing so for the first time. They may not be necessarily addicted to their drug or drink of choice, but they utilize it to a higher level than the average consumer, seriously impairing themselves. The resulting poor choices may lead to medical treatment, either for an injury or addiction treatment. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been working with hospital emergency departments by teaching alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI). All patients who enter an emergency room are screened with SBI to identify those individuals who are at risk, and those individuals are given counseling on site to help prevent a recurrent visit for the same or a worse condition. These efforts help reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road.

Continue reading " Drunk Driving Mother Injures Self and 3 Children " »

Whether it is early morning, late afternoon, or mid-day traffic, drivers sometimes have trouble keeping their cool. When traffic seems to appear and disappear without reason, it may be enough to make drivers very frustrated. However, just as a child’s temper tantrum doesn’t help their situation, road rage does not get drivers to their destination any faster. As Arizona car accident attorneys, we encourage drivers to take a moment to breathe instead of doing something that may put themselves and/or others in danger.

A mother put herself and her 15 year old daughter in danger on Thursday when road rage got the best of her, causing her to roll her SUV (AZ Republic via AZ Central 9/30/10). Both were ejected from the vehicle and sent to the hospital with serious injuries. The police officers reported that the SUV and a red Mercedes were stopped at a light and were trying to beat each other through the intersection as the two lanes merged. The SUV had been in front when the Mercedes cut them off and hit the brakes, which led to the mother swerving to avoid a collision, and in turn rolling her vehicle. The other driver kept driving from the scene.

When sharing the road with road-raged drivers, it is best to give them room. Follow posted speed limit signs and traffic laws, and if you’re approached by a road-rage or aggressive driver, get out of the way. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that aggressive driving accounts for almost 1/3 of all accidents and a resulting 2/3 of total fatalities.

If you find yourself starting to lose your cool as you sit in traffic on the 10 or the 202, try taking these few steps to calm yourself:
1. Listen to relaxing music, a comedy channel, or an audio book—Loud, “aggressive” music may increase your stress level.
2. Fake a smile and hold it for 30 seconds—Even though you are consciously faking it, your facial muscles don’t know the difference, and will communicate that to your brain. Don’t be surprised when you feel a little better.
3. Don’t take things personally—When you are cut off or someone is driving erratically, realize they probably aren’t getting a kick out of making you angry.
4. Use restaurant etiquette—Good manners will keep your actions in check. If you are cut in line at the movies or lets a door close in front of you, usually there is no resulting brawl. Apply the same manners to your driving habits.

Continue reading " Road Rage Accident Injures Two " »