Phoenix Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys Blog

Veterans are more likely to be involved in car accidents

2013-05-23T14:56:55Z

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it's a time to think about honoring veterans who have given so much to their country. When they return home they can sometimes struggle to get back into the routine they had before they were deployed. Part of that routine includes driving, and this can leave them at risk for car accidents.

Returning veterans are 75 percent more likely to be in a traffic accident than civilians, and there are many studies that back this up. What's not entirely clear is why this is the case, but there are some theories that shed light on the findings.

]]> One is that returning troops drive the way they had to in war zones. This was lifesaving to them at the time, but isn't appropriate for standard driving on normal roads. It can include straddling lanes, not wearing a seat belt, swerving on bridges, and racing through intersections. These are all necessary in a war zone, but they can be dangerous and even deadly on the US road system.

Another reason for the increase in traffic accidents could be related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many veterans deal with this condition on a daily basis, and that can raise the chances of aggressive driving. It can also lead to thrill-seeking and drunken driving behaviors, neither of which are going to make veterans safer on the roads.

It's very important for veterans to get help with these kinds of issues when they return from combat. That can help keep them from getting into traffic accidents where they might injure or kill themselves or other people.

Source: Washington Post, "Motor vehicle crashes: A little-known risk to returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan," David Brown, May 5, 2013

Phoenix firefighter dies in motor vehicle accident at fire scene

2013-05-21T14:26:45Z

Fire fighting is known a dangerous job. After all, firefighters' jobs involve quickly moving to the scene of fires and other emergencies, places that are too dangerous for other people to be. The dangers extend beyond fires, however. Motor vehicle accidents can also claim firefighters' lives.

Recently, a firefighter was involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident at a fire scene. Police say the vehicles were being moved into position so that firefighters could fight a mulch fire. The firefighter, a 23-year-old man, became pinned between the two fire vehicles. He was seriously injured at the scene and taken to the hospital. He later died of his injuries.

]]> After the accident, about 100 friends and relatives gathered at the hospital to support the firefighter and say good bye. The man's best friend says that his position at the Phoenix Fire Department was a dream job. He says his friend died serving his community, which is a great but painful legacy.

According to statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration, five firefighters died in the U.S in 2011 of motor vehicle crashes. Of those motor vehicle accidents, one firefighter was crushed while acting as a guide for machinery that was backing up. The other four died when they lost control of their vehicles on the way to assist at a fire or emergency.

The 2011 fatality totals are the lowest since at least 1997. The highest number of fatal crashes was 33, in 2003.

Sources: U.S. Fire Administration, Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2011; ABC 15, "PD: Phoenix firefighter has died after an accident at the scene of a Phoenix fire"

Texting and driving is now a bigger teen danger than alcohol

2013-05-16T13:04:14Z

In past decades, public safety advocates struggled to deal with an epidemic of teenage drinking and driving. While no one should drive while intoxicated, teenaged drivers received significant attention because they are more likely overall to become involved in a fatal accident than experienced drivers. That's why a dramatic decline in the number of teens who drink and drive is welcome news.

Unfortunately, one hazard has been replaced by another. Texting while driving now causes more teen injuries and deaths than drinking and driving, researchers have found. The latest estimate found that more than 3,000 teens die nationwide due to texting while driving each year and another 300,000 are injured. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2,700 teens are killed in car accidents involving alcohol each year and another 282,000 are treated in emergency rooms.

]]> The numbers of teen texters have skyrocketed as cellphones and other electronic devices have become more powerful and more popular. In one study, about 49 percent of boys aged 15-18 nationwide admitted to texting and about 45 percent of girls said they texted while driving.

The problem with texting and driving is that it can be as dangerous as drinking and driving. Sending or receiving a text can distract a driver from both traffic and how his or her vehicle is operating. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is concerned about distracted driving of all forms, says that texting is among the worst distraction, because it causes manual, visual and mental distractions.

It's not just teens who are to blame, though. Their parents and even grandparents are also distracted. One study found that two-thirds of adults between 30 and 64 used a cell phone when their children were in the car, and another third said they texted behind the wheel. People of all ages have a responsibility to prevent fatal accidents from texting while driving and other distractions.

Source: Newsday, "Study: Texting while driving now leading cause of death for teen drivers," Delthia Ricks, May 8, 2013

Our law firm handles serious and fatal accidents. For more information, visit our Phoenix fatal accidents page.

Officer killed when truck driver slams into patrol car

2013-05-14T13:50:15Z

An Arizona man has been charged with manslaughter and other crimes after his truck struck parked patrol cars at an accident scene. A Department of Public Safety officer inside a car was killed by the collision.

The fatal truck accident happened as three officers investigated an injury accident on Interstate 8 east of Yuma. An empty tanker truck bound for Phoenix was headed toward the accident scene. Despite flashing lights on patrol vehicles, and an officer's attempt to alert the truck driver, the truck hit two of the patrol vehicles.

]]> The officer in the first vehicle got out of the way moments before the collision. Another officer had been sitting in the second vehicle, which was parked in the emergency lane as he wrote an accident report. That officer, 47, was killed when the truck collided with it.

The truck driver, 33, was not injured. Several days after the crash, he was charged in criminal court with manslaughter, 14 counts of endangerment and seven counts relating to property damage.

Accident scenes can be dangerous places for first responders and other motorists. Drivers should pay attention and slow down when driving past accident scenes. Rescue vehicles may be parked alongside the road, and first responders, police or Good Samaritans may be assisting accident victims. Failing to drive cautiously at accident scenes can have serious and potentially fatal consequences, as this truck accident shows.

Source: NBC 11, Driver arrested for DPS officer's death, May 10, 2013

3-year-old boy killed, three people injured in car accident

2013-05-09T22:02:00Z

The loss of a loved one in a car accident is usually a sudden, unexpected event. For one Phoenix family, a routine weekday morning ended in the loss of a child and injuries to two others in a severe car accident. The uncle to the children said he had been playing with them before their mother took them to daycare. Fifteen minutes after he shut the door, he got a call from his mother, saying his sister and her children had been in a fatal car accident.

The mother of the children was driving the children to daycare when another driver struck her car. The mother, a one-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl were injured. A three-year-old boy was killed. The driver, an 18-year-old man, was facing criminal charges of two counts of endangerment and one count of manslaughter and aggravated assault.

]]> The family, meanwhile, told reporters that they are grieving searching for answers about how the accident happened and what will happen to their injured loved ones. The injured girl was in a coma.

Family members said that police told them the driver had shown signs of impairment, but he has not been charged with alcohol-related crimes. The driver's family said he told police that he had blown a tire and lost control.

An aunt of the children said that her family has been going through a roller coaster and that the family of the driver is also affected. The uncle who played with the kids shortly before the accident says "it's agony."

Source: Fox 10 News, "5-year-old still in coma after crash that killed younger brother," Anita Roman, May 5, 2013

Our law firm helps people who have been injured or lost loved ones in car accidents. For more information, visit our fatal accidents webpage.

Five women die in a limo fire enroute to a wedding celebration

2013-05-07T19:00:04Z

Five women are dead, including a bride, after the limousine they were riding in burst into flames while driving across a bridge. At least two others were in critical condition at a hospital. In all, nine women were trapped in the limo when it caught fire.

A family member has told news outlets that the bride had recently married in the U.S. and was planning another ceremony in the Philippines next month. When they accident happened, the women were on their way to celebrate the bride's marriage.

As with many catastrophic accidents, witnesses offered conflicted explanations of the situation that led to the women's deaths.

]]> The limo driver told reporters that the trip started well, that music was playing and the women were having fun. At first, he thought the women were asking to stop the vehicle so they could have cigarettes. He then realized the women were telling him there was smoke in the limo. He says that flames quickly spread throughout the vehicle.

A survivor of the fire said that she had yelled at the driver multiple times to stop the limo and open the door because there was smoke. She says the driver was on the phone. The driver's brother, however, says the woman may be confused and that the driver was not on the phone.

The highway patrol in that state has said that the limousine was carrying one more passenger than authorized that day, but that the driver was properly licensed to drive the car. In the coming months, investigators will have to determine how the fire started and whether anyone can be held responsible for the tragic loss of life.

Source: NBC Bay Area, "Limousine Driver Orville Brown Describes Fiery, Fatal Accident," Cheryl Hurd and Lisa Fernandez, May 7, 2013

Our law firm handles wrongful death cases that arise from motor vehicle accidents. Visit our commercial vehicle accidents page for more information.

Driver in fatal bus accident may have blacked out

2013-05-02T17:10:00Z

A recent fatal bus accident has raised troubling questions about the driver.

The bus was taking a group of senior citizens to a casino when it careened off the roadway and struck a concrete barrier last month. Two people were killed and 40 people were injured immediately after the accident. A third person died days later.

A preliminary accident report shows that the driver said he may have blacked out in the moments before the crash. An attorney for one of the passengers who died in the crash says the fact that the man may have lost consciousness is concerning both for the driver and the company. He questions whether the company knew enough about the man's condition and whether indications had shown up in physicals.

]]> The highway patrol said the driver's inattention and failure to stay in a lane were factors in the accident.

Newspaper reports show that the April accident was not the man's first. In 1998, the man was driving for another company when he struck and killed a man assisting at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. The driver did not face criminal charges as the result of the accident, but he and the company faced a wrongful death suit.

A jury found the bus company was negligent for hiring the driver. It did not award the family any damages, however, because it found that the victim was largely at fault.

Although bus accidents are generally rare, in recent months there have been several fatal commercial bus crashes in the western United States. In February, a tour bus in Southern California crashed on a mountain road and killed eight. In December, nine people were killed in a bus crash in Oregon.

Source: The Associated Press, "Report: Bus Driver Says He May Have Blacked Out," David Warren, April 22, 2013

Our law firm represents victims in serious or fatal motor vehicle accidents. For more information, visit our Phoenix bus accidents page.

Fatal motorcycle accidents increase as the weather improves

2013-04-30T16:43:01Z

The Phoenix metro area is dealing with a string of fatal motorcycle accidents. Authorities say at least nine motorcyclists have been killed since March.

The rise in motorcycle accidents began as the temperatures warmed and the weather improved in March. Motorcycle accidents happen more often during better weather, when cyclists are eager to get their bikes out on the open road. Overall, however, fatal motorcycle accidents are increasing. In 2011, there were 132 fatal motorcycle crashes. In 2010, there were 85 and in 2009 there were 122.

]]> Road safety experts say that many motorcycle accidents happen because other drivers fail to notice the motorcycle rider near them. Accidents could be reduced if other drivers kept a better eye out for accidents, experts say. In several of the fatal motorcycle accidents, another vehicle turned in front of the motorcycle or failed to stop at stop signs or traffic signals.

In others, the motorcyclist lost control of the cycle and crashed. Road safety experts say that in addition to other drivers keping watch for drivers, motorcyclists should learn how to control their motorcycles in hazardous situations. A highway patrol officer says that riders may not know the full capabilities of their motorcycles and how to property uses all of its systems, including the brakes. Operator error is common in many motorcycle accidents, he says.

The officer isn't saying that accidents are motorcyclists' fault. But with all the dangers on the road, motorcyclists need to be as safe as possible. Proper protective gear is a start. Police recommend that motorcyclists wear helmet, eye protection, a riding jacket and pants, gloves and motorcycle boots.

Source: Source: The Republic, "9 Phoenix-area motorcycle deaths spur warnings," Jackee Coe, April 26, 2013

Study shows that more sleep apnea patients fail simulated driving tests

2013-04-25T17:58:44Z

The results of a new study of sleep apnea patients may be particularly important for truck drivers. The study measured the rates at which people with sleep apnea failed a simulated driving test. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person has disrupted sleep because he or she stops breathing for periods of time throughout the night. People with the disorder were more likely to fail those driving simulator tests, the study found.

The study may be noteworthy for truck drivers because at least one study has shown that truck drivers have a higher rate of sleep apnea. In addition, a federal agency estimates that up to 28 percent of truck drivers have sleep apnea, and the government has recently recommended that obese truck drivers be screened for the condition. The worry is that truck drivers with the condition may be more likely to be fatigued, causing a truck accident.

]]> The most recent sleep apnea study was conducted by European researchers. They tested the driving ability of 133 people with sleep apnea and 89 people without the condition. Participants completed a driving simulation that tested them for car accidents, time spent driving in the middle lane, time to complete the course and other factors.

Twenty-four percent of people with sleep apnea failed the test, which is twice the rate of people without the condition. Another study also found that people with sleep apnea were more likely to fail a simulated driving test. The studies are considered preliminary because they have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. However, they are certainly worth noting for truck drivers and others who may have sleep apnea. Being properly diagnosed and treated for this condition could prevent a car or truck accident.

Source: The Huffington Post, "Sleep Apnea Patients More Likely To Fail Simulated Driving Test, Study Says," April 14, 2013

Our law firm represents people injured in motor vehicle accidents. For more information, visit our Phoenix truck accidents page.

Five killed, at least 13 injured in single car accident

2013-04-23T13:03:43Z

Arizona officials are trying to figure out what led to a car accident that left five dead and at least 13 people injured. Usually accidents with that many fatalities and injuries involve multiple vehicles. But this fatal accident involved just one SUV that had up to 20 people in it.

The state Department of Public Safety says that the driver of the SUV may have lost control on an exit ramp of Interstate 10 and rolled. The crash left the SUV mangled and the occupants seriously injured or killed. An assistant fire chief says vehicle parts were strewn about the accident scene and people had been thrown out of the vehicle as well. A young boy was among those killed.

]]> According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, agents had attempted to stop the vehicle on Interstate 10 before the accident, but the vehicle kept going. It's unclear from news reports what speed the SUV was traveling or whether the Border Protection agents were chasing the vehicle.

If they were chasing the vehicle, the chances of a fatal accident were higher. In movies, police chases are often depicted as exciting events that end with criminals in handcuffs. The reality, however, is much different. According to the FBI, one person dies every day because of an accident involving a police pursuit, a number that includes police, occupants of the fleeing vehicle and bystanders. Regardless of the circumstances that led to the accident, the loss of life is tragic.

Source: NBC News, "5 killed, 13 hurt after SUV rolls over near Tucson," Peter Jeary, April 22, 2013

Our law firm represents people who have been injured or lost loved ones in motor vehicle accidents caused by negligence. For more information, visit ourfatal accidentspage.

Three million airbags are recalled for potential auto defect

2013-04-18T14:30:14Z

Could your vehicle's airbag car be dangerous rather than life-saving in a car accident? More than 3 million cars are being recalled worldwide after a problem was discovered with a faulty airbag part. The defective auto part can explode and send shrapnel into the vehicle, potentially harming the occupants inside.

So far, the recall affects cars manufactured by Honda, Toyota, Nissan and General Motors. The recalled cars were manufactured from 2000 to 2004. The problem may affect more automakers and could lead to more recalls.

]]> In a car accident, gases from a propellant in the airbag system are supposed to fill up the airbag. That's what protects passengers in a car accident. The propellant is designed to burn quickly but steadily. If it burns too quickly, the canister can break apart. As a result, the container could explode, sending metal shards into the windshield and then down on the passenger's feet.

One auto industry analyst says that car manufacturers have been recalling cars quickly ever since Toyota was fined for not acting quickly enough to resolve safety problems with its vehicles. This recall is one that vehicle owners should pay attention to, he says.

Car accidents are dangerous enough without auto defects, especially defects involving safety equipment. In this recall, the vehicles known to have the problem are all at least nine years old. That means people may have been driving with a potentially life-threatening problem for years. If a defective airbag or other auto defect caused a serious accident or made one worse, injured parties may be able to hold the car manufacturer accountable for their harm.

Source: Los Angeles Times, "Huge recall for Honda, Toyota, more: Airbags can spray shrapnel," Jerry Hirsch, April 11, 2013

Our law firm handles serious and fatal car accidents from auto defects. For more information, visit our Phoenix auto defects page.

Arizona officers focusing on truck driver safety on Interstate 10

2013-04-16T22:04:28Z

Large semi-trucks may weigh 80,000 pounds. Cars may weigh 5,000 pounds. In a collision between these two vehicles, the occupants of a car are more likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries. That's one reason that the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) crackdown on semis recently.

DPS officers zeroed in on Interstate 10 from Phoenix to California. They called the safety crackdown Operation Desert Thunder. As part of the operation, officers monitored the road and also examined driver logs. Truck drivers are more likely to be in an accident when they are fatigued. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that at least 15 percent of all heavy truck crashes involve some form of fatigue.

]]> Because of the danger, truck drivers face strict limits on the number of hours they may work before taking a rest, and they are required to log their hours. That's a major reason why officers were focusing on logbooks, and it's also why investigations into truck accidents will often focus on logbooks.

After a truck accident, personal injury attorneys will often thoroughly review a truck driver's log to see whether the driver violated federal regulations on the number of hours or miles a driver worked without taking a rest. Attorneys will also look for evidence that the driver records have been falsified. If a driver was fatigued because he or she drove for too many hours, too many miles or too many days in a row, the driver and the company may be held liable for damages from serious or fatal accidents that occur.

Source: FOX 10, "DPS works to bust bad semi drivers," Diane Ryan, April 11, 2013

Driver involved in two fatal accidents within six minutes

2013-04-11T14:05:57Z

Maricopa County sheriff's officials are investigating a pair of deadly accidents that had one driver in common. Within minutes, a driver struck and killed a bicyclist and then T-boned a driver, killing both. The accident has witnesses and authorities asking what happened.

Sheriff's officials say the woman was driving her vehicle one recent morning when she hit a bicyclist. The bicyclist, a woman in her 50s, died at the scene. Instead of stopping at the scene as required by law, the woman fled the scene of the fatal accident.

]]> As she continued driving, she a red light and hit another vehicle. Just six minutes had passed since the first accident. The driver of that vehicle, a man in his 50s, died at the scene. This time, the woman remained at the scene. She was airlifted to a hospital and is expected to survive. A witness says the crash was the worst he's ever seen.

Sheriff's deputies did not have an explanation for the woman's actions during the fatal accidents. Was the woman impaired? Did she have a medical condition? Was there some other explanation? Because of the woman's injuries, they were unable to interview her right away.

News reports, however, say that the woman is expected to survive, and she could face charges of hit-and-run or other criminal allegations as a result of the fatal motor vehicle accidents. In addition to criminal charges, she could face civil personal injury lawsuits from the families of the deceased.

Source: Fox 10 News, "Alleged hit-and-run driver causes second fatal accident," April 3, 2013

More than 30 students survive bus accident with minor injuries

2013-04-09T14:53:20Z

A sheriff's official says it was a blessing that no children were killed in a horrific school bus accident one recent morning. The accident involved a school bus carrying 34 elementary school students and two other vehicles. Even though the bus rolled during the accident, the students suffered relatively minor injuries.

The bus accident happened when the three vehicles converged at an intersection. The bus was headed west on its way to an elementary school, a Jeep Cherokee was headed east and a Jeep Wrangler was headed south. The bus hit the passenger side of the Jeep Wrangler, flipped, rolled over, landed on its side and slid across the road. The bus then hit the Cherokee and continued sliding before coming to a rest facing east.

]]> The driver of the Wrangler was killed. Two people in the Cherokee were taken to hospitals in the state where the accident happened. The driver of the bus and the students were all taken to hospitals for treatment. An 11-year-old girl had a skull fracture, but officials say other student injuries were minor. A fire chief says he still can't believe the minor injuries. He says it's "amazing."

Meanwhile, investigators were piecing together what happened. The intersection had signals, and it appears that one of the vehicles disregarded a signal. It was unclear yet which vehicle ran a light, however, and authorities had received conflicting information from witnesses.

School bus accidents are frightening because so many children travel by bus. But statistics show they are involved in relatively few fatal accidents. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 1,236 fatal accidents involving school-transportation vehicles between 2001 and 2010. That's .34 percent of the 363,839 fatal motor vehicle accidents during that period.

Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "School Transportation-Related Crashes," August 2012;

Daily Herald, "No charges in fatal bus crash; investigation continues," Lee Filas and Bob Susnjara, April 5, 2013

Our law firm provides representation when children or occupants of other vehicles are injured or killed in bus accidents. For more information, visit ourPhoenix bus accidents page.

$15 million verdict for family of women who were killed by truck

2013-04-04T14:03:38Z

The family of two women killed when a truck struck them as they crossed the street in a sidewalk has been awarded $15 million. Lawyers for the women said that a jury returned that amount as a verdict in a wrongful death claim filed against the truck driver and his employer.

The women, a 28-year-old woman and her 55-year-old mother, were crossing the road as allowed by law at the time of the 2010 truck accident. As they walked, a semi-truck pulling two trailers turned right and hit them. Witnesses said that the truck driver never stopped.

]]> The women were killed, leaving behind grieving family members. The 28-year-old had two young children, whose interests were represented in the lawsuit. A lawyer for the children says that the truck accident could have been avoided. He says the verdict will provide the family with relief - and hopeful some closure.

Sometimes drivers who cause fatal truck accidents are charged in criminal court, but the driver in this case was not charged. A prosecutor says there wasn't sufficient evidence that the truck driver knew he had hit the woman.

Even though the driver was never charged with a crime, he and his employer could still be held liable through a civil wrongful death lawsuit. Civil lawsuits have different standards of proof than criminal lawsuits and are handled differently in other ways. When criminal sanctions are not possible, a civil lawsuit can provide some families with the emotional closure they need as well as the financial compensation to overcome their loss.

Source: KBAK & KBFX Eyewitness News, "$15 million awarded in civil suit for women killed by big rig," March 28, 2013