Phoenix Car Accident Attorney Blog

In an effort to stop pedestrian accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has come up with safety programs that aim to enforce traffic rules and regulations as well as increase safety awareness among pedestrians of all ages. But despite such programs, reports of pedestrian injuries and fatalities continue to stay at an alarming rate, especially in Arizona, with the 8th highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country.

Earlier this week, a pedestrian was seriously injured after a collision that happened along Broadway road in Phoenix (KPHO 1/27/2011). The 17-year-old victim suffered a severe head injury after almost being hit head on.

Police say the driver did not see the girl walking and stayed on the scene after the accident. The driver will not face any charges as the girl was not in a crosswalk at the time. The victim was rushed to a local hospital and continues to be in critical condition.

In 2008, approximately 12 pedestrians died each day due to motor vehicle crashes, while another 189 more suffered from injuries. Though lower than previous years, these numbers can be pushed significantly lower by practicing basic pedestrian safety concepts. While many pedestrians may see cars coming from a distance away, the cars may not spot the pedestrians until it is too late. Utilizing crosswalks and sidewalks at all times helps ensure pedestrians will stay out of harm’s way. Even if a pedestrian believes he or she is seen by an oncoming car, it is best to wait until the traffic signals change to begin to cross.

Continue reading " Teen Pedestrian Critical After Phoenix Car Crash " »

Impaired driving accidents kill thousands of people every year in the U.S. You may remember only a month ago, a statewide holiday task force made more than 3 thousand DUI arrests in just a span of 5 weeks. But despite admirable efforts of police to curb impaired driving, there remains a number of people who continue to put everyone’s life at risk.

In Phoenix, a woman was arrested for driving the wrong way on the Loop 101 at Cave Creek Rd while under the influence of alcohol early Tuesday morning (AZ Central 01/25/2011). The 42-year-old driver was seen driving east in the westbound lanes and was forced by police to stop. The woman will be facing charges of driving under the influence, endangerment, unlawful flight and criminal damage.

Luckily, no one was reportedly hurt in what could have easily led to another fatal Phoenix car accident.

In 2009, 32 percent of all driving fatalities involved an impaired driver—these fatalities alone reached over ten thousand. Impaired driving is a preventable risk—individuals can make the choice to designate a sober driver, friends and acquaintances can stop others from getting behind the wheel after drinking, and hundreds of free services are available to get drunk drivers home safely without endangering others. As observers and other drivers sharing the roads, we must always be alert to suspicious behaviors such as speeding, drifting lanes, and tailgating and report these risky actions to the authorities to prevent these dangerous drivers from harming more innocent victims.

Continue reading " Impaired Driver Arrested After Driving Wrong Way on 101 " »

Did you know that students are 8 times less likely to be involved in road accidents when riding in a school bus than when being sent to school by their parents or guardians (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2002)? In the United States, school buses make nearly nine million trips in a year!

However, recent data released by the NHTSA in 2008 has created doubts on the safety that school buses provide. The data revealed that there were 1,409 fatal accidents involving school buses that year and 1,564 people lost their lives.

A Scottsdale school bus was involved in a road accident on Thursday afternoon on Thompson Peak Parkway (AZ Central 01/20/2011). Based on initial reports from Scottsdale police and fire officials, the incident involved two or three more vehicles other than the school bus.

The authorities estimated that 30 children were inside the school bus when the incident happened and fortunately, there were no injuries reported.

Due to numerous road accidents involving school buses, school transportation safety awareness issues are being more strongly advocated by the National Highway Traffic Safety and other non-profit organizations. School administrations are also becoming more stringent in hiring bus drivers. It is the responsibility of the students to stay seated while the bus is moving in order to prevent falling injuries.

Continue reading " Scottsdale Bus Accident Leaves 30 Lucky Children Unscathed " »

Another life was lost in a freak Phoenix car accident Saturday morning as an SUV crashed into the bedroom of a 30 year old man, killing him in his sleep (KPHO 1/15/11).

In what police suspect to be a case of a drunk driving accident, the 21 year old driver was driving irresponsibly, “doing donuts” with his SUV in the intersection near 7300 W. Roma Ave at 4:30 a.m. when he lost control and hit another vehicle parked in the driveway of the victim, pushing it into his bedroom.

The driver and the passenger, his 16 year old brother, were not hurt in the accident, but fled the scene. The other people inside the victim’s house, children aged 1, 4, 7 and 10, were unharmed.

Investigations reveal that the two were drinking in a nearby friend’s home just before the wreck as confirmed by witnesses. Authorities were able to convince the suspects to turn themselves in after making phone contact. The driver faces charges of manslaughter, leaving the scene of an injury accident, eight counts of endangerment, and criminal damage.

Thousands more fatal car crashes involving alcohol impairment will sadly claim loved ones’ lives this year. Annually, the average number of drunk driving fatalities recorded by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is over 10,000. Their latest count from 2009 revealed fatal car crashes for that year involved 10,102 drivers having .08 blood alcohol concentration or greater.

Continue reading " Man Dies after Drunk Driver Crashes Through Bedroom in Phoenix " »

Every year school buses in the United States provide almost nine million trips. Many parents prefer school buses to send their kids to school due to the level of safety and convenience that it offers. In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that students who ride school buses are actually eight times less likely to be involved in road accidents compared to those driven by their parents or guardians.

But a few recent reports about accidents involving school buses has raised concern among some parents, as they realize that school buses are unfortunately still vulnerable to traffic accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in a span of ten years, there were 1409 fatal crashes involving school buses and other school transport vehicles, resulting in 1564 deaths (2008).

On Thursday, another fatal Phoenix accident involving a school bus occurred when a man walked directly into a school bus' path (KPHO 1/13/11). The Phoenix police said that the victim was an 18-year old man who exited the Valley Metro bus.

The bus was on its way to school and was carrying around twelve very young students. Police said that fortunately, no students were hurt and none of them saw the actual accident.

Alarmed parents who want to take a stronger stand for child transportation safety can make a difference. Talking to the school board about school bus safety or suggesting even more stringent procedures in hiring school bus drivers are ways parents can be heard. Making the bus driver’s job easier by reminding children to stay seated while the bus is moving can also help since children are likely to fall and get hurt if they are not seated properly, and curbing children’s misbehavior can help by eliminating yet another distraction for bus drivers.

Continue reading " Fatal Phoenix School Bus Accident " »

Efforts to stop distracted driving accidents continue as a company has come up with a device that shuts down texting while the user is driving. TASER International launched what it calls “The Protector,” which has the ability to jam cellular signals rendering cell phones almost useless (KPHO 01/06/2011).

“The Protector” is installed in the vehicle and is triggered as the engine runs, emitting a Bluetooth signal that limits the cell phone’s functions via software that is downloaded directly to the phone. This device targets to save people, especially teens, from fatal car crashes caused by texting and driving.

In the United States, distracted driving still leads the list of factors that lead to car accidents. Cell phone use is one of the most common forms of distractions, along with eating or drinking while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that more than five thousand people were killed on U.S. roadways via distracted driving, injuring 448,000 people at the same time (2009).

Of the above recorded cases of distracted driving accidents, 995 fatalities involved cell phone use as a distraction, or 18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related accidents, while the number of people injured reached to 24,000, or 5 percent of injured people in distraction-related accidents.

Continue reading " New Device Aims to Curb Distracted Driving Accidents " »

According to research done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration back in 2002, American students are nearly eight times less likely to be involved in traffic accidents when riding a school bus as opposed to being driven by their parents or guardians to school. School buses are more visible in traffic, and drivers must pass rigorous testing before being cleared to drive a school bus, and additional security testing is required for drivers transporting children.

But despite the impressive reputation, school buses are still vulnerable to road crashes. In a news story reported by KPHO 01/05/2011, a school bus accident happened in Queen Creek Wednesday morning, temporarily jamming an intersection. Luckily, no students were reported to have been hurt in the accident.

The collision occurred at around 9 am at the intersection of Power and San Tan roads. Authorities responded at the scene and confirmed that there were students inside when the accident happened.

School bus accidents are recorded every year all over the country. Many reports include seriously injured passengers and even fatalities. In a span of ten years, there were 1409 cases of fatal crashes involving school transport vehicles, resulting in 1,564 lives lost (NHTSA 2008). Because of this, the NHTSA has been exerting additional efforts to increase school transportation safety awareness.

Continue reading " Queen Creek School Bus Accident Jams Intersection " »

In an effort to eradicate drunk driving accidents, a special DUI task force was formed by a number of police departments in Arizona. The operation, which lasted for five weeks, completed more than 3500 DUI arrests when it ended January 1st of this year.

Included in the wave of arrests was the case of a man involved in a Phoenix car accident Friday last week (AZ Central 01/03/2011). The 19 year old suspect appeared to be intoxicated when Surprise police responded on the scene. Although he admitted to having rear-ended the other vehicle, the suspect was not very cooperative, spitting on and kicking one of the responding officers.

The accident happened at West Greenway Road and 175th Drive intersection at around 7:30 pm. Two people were hurt and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The suspect will be facing aggravated assault against an officer, DUI, disorderly conduct, and a few more charges.

Continue reading " Man Charged With DUI and Assault in Phoenix Car Crash " »

Motorcycle riders are often times prone to dangers not being met by car drivers. In fact, recent statistics showed that motorcycles have higher fatality rate per unit distance travelled compared to automobiles.

Did you know that helmets are 37 percent effective in preventing fatal head injuries according to a study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2006? CODES or the Crash Outcome Data Evaluation, stated that helmets can prevent brain injuries by 67 percent.

The alarming number of Phoenix motorcycle accidents continued to rise when two new victims of a motorcycle accident were sent to the hospital on New Year's Day. The riders were not wearing helmets and were identified to be a man and a woman in their 40s. The incident happened at 19th Avenue and Jomax Road when the victims failed to completely make the left turn and laid the bike down in the intersection (KPHO.com)

The woman acquired a broken arm due to the impact of the accident while the status of the man was unknown. Although the reason of the accident is still unclear, authorities suspect alcohol to have been a cause.

Helmets can protect and save lives, but in Arizona it is a choice for riders to wear one or not. NHTSA research has shown that 1,829 motorcycle riders were saved by helmets in 2008, and helmet usage has increased by 8 percent in 2009 compared to 2008. We hope all riders choose to ride as safely and as aware as possible, free of impairments and alert to all surrounding drivers and circumstances.

Continue reading " Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Leaves 2 Injured on New Year's Day " »

A woman lost her life earlier this week after being involved in a Tucson fatal car accident late Tuesday. The 74 year old driver from Tucson reportedly crashed her car into a pond in the 2300 block of North Sun Lake Place (KPHO 12/30/2010).

Responding officers managed to pull her out of the car, which was entrenched in the pond and immediately transported her to a Tucson hospital where she was pronounced dead the next day. Authorities are still continuing the investigations with regards to the factors that led to this fatal car accident.

This unfortunate event serves as a reminder to all of us that driving comes with clear and hidden dangers that we always need to be aware of. As reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are the number one cause of death among people aged 3 to 33 in the United States.

Why the high numbers? A lot of factors can lead to car accidents, but did you know that that many car crashes are caused by distracted driving? Using a cell phone, talking to a passenger, rubber necking--how many drivers have you seen guilty of these accident causing activities? Unfortunately these habits are common practice on the roads, which is a big reason why the number of car accidents and fatalities resulting from accidents each year are never low enough.

Continue reading " Fatal Tucson Crash Leaves Woman Dead " »