Resources

This Sunday, most of us will be “springing forward” one hour.  In the week that follows this change, the loss of an hour due to daylight savings time, has been linked to increases in car accidents, medical errors, hospital admissions and heart attacks. According to a recent study by the University of Colorado, auto accidents increase, due to the fact that it takes about 6-7 days to adjust to the darker morning commutes, coupled with the fact that the loss of an hour of sleep causes drivers to be less alert. According to the study, there is a 6.3% increase in traffic fatalities over the six days following the March time change.

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We frequently receive calls from individuals injured in a car accident caused by a driver that did not stop or who left the scene of the collision before exchanging driver and insurance information. In Pennsylvania, leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to another vehicle or property is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for not more than 90 days. Leaving the scene of a collision involving injury or death to a person can carry a minimum sentence of three years in jail, in addition to any punishment imposed for other criminal offenses.

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A recent snowstorm caused a United States Senator to endure a twenty-seven (27) hour commute from his home in Virginia to the U.S. Capital.  He was one of hundreds of drivers trapped in freezing temperatures on a 50-mile stretch of I-95 following a multi-vehicle crash, which brought traffic to a standstill.  Could you survive such an ordeal?   Here are some simple tips to help you comfortably wait for traffic to start moving again or for help to arrive. Pack a Bag If you must travel during a snowstorm, it is important that you are prepared.  In winter, always keep some snacks, such as granola bars, and bottled water in your car.   If traveling with children or pets, be sure to keep food and supplies for them, too.  Bringing essentials such as food, water, and a charged cell phone can make a huge difference if you find yourself stuck on the road. Beyond these essentials, it would also be helpful to bring survival gear such as blankets, winter garments, boots, sleeping bags, flares, medications, a first-aid kit, a shovel, an ice scraper, jumper cables, and a full tank of gas. Stay Warm If you find yourself stuck on the road during a snowstorm you should not leave your car. Your car is the safest place to be until the storm subsides. It will always be colder outside your car than the air temperature within.  Don’t leave your car unless help or assistance is within a short distanced of your vehicle Focus […]

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As personal injury attorneys,  this most recent snow storm, reminds us again of the dangers of snow and ice flying off the back of moving vehicles.  The dash-cam video below shows how this dangerous this driving hazard can be.

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Get Help From a Knowledgeable Doylestown Accident Lawyer If you’ve been harmed in a motor vehicle accident due to the fault of another, then you may have a right to sue the defendant and secure compensation.  But what initially appears — on the surface — to be a straightforward case may be complicated by certain facts. What happens if you weren’t wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident?  It is almost certainly a form of negligence on your part — but does it prevent you from suing the defendant and recovering damages? Not necessarily!  In Pennsylvania, evidence of whether you were or were not wearing a seatbelt is inadmissible at trial.  However, in states like New Jersey, the absence of using a seatbelt can be raised as a defense to the plaintiff’s claim for damages. Let’s take a closer look. Causal Link So, in states that allow a “seatbelt defense,” the defendant must show that your negligence (in failing to wear a seatbelt) is associated with your injuries.  They have to establish a causal link.  Let’s use an example to clarify how this works. Suppose that you are harmed in a car accident where you were not wearing a seatbelt.  Were your injuries caused by not wearing a seatbelt or would you have been injured regardless, even if you had been wearing one?  The use of a seatbelt may have had no impact on the nature of your injury.  Moreover, and tragically, we have represented clients who suffered […]

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According to Georgia State University’s HyperPhysics research project, even a minor accident can generate tremendous forces. A 160-pound person stopping suddenly from a speed of 30 mph experiences force upon their body equivalent to 2.4 tons. Without a seatbelt, that force could be as high as 12 tons. This impact force can cause unexpected symptoms. Accident victims often experience severe injuries to their head or neck. Some of the most frequent unexpected side effects can include nagging jaw pain, difficulty chewing, ringing in the ears, difficulty hearing, or pain located around their inner ear. If you have been injured in a car accident, contact a Doylestown accident lawyer for help. About Tinnitus Tinnitus has been defined as “the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds.” Sometimes, individuals experience ringing in the ears after a car accident because of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Whiplash can result in tinnitus after a car accident. Whiplash is a neck strain or injury that occurs as a result of the rapid movement of the head during a collision, resulting in nerve and ligament damage. Sometimes, these whiplash injuries result in tinnitus. It is important to seek medical attention if experiencing ringing in the ears after a car accident involving a whiplash injury. The deployment of an airbag after a car accident may also result in tinnitus. Upon impact, airbags immediately deploy, causing a very loud noise. This loud noise can injure the ear and result in tinnitus. Furthermore, the sound […]

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As Doylestown and the rest of the state continues to reopen and people begin to reunite with small groups of family and/or friends, there will come a time when your loved ones will begin to travel long distances for visits and vacations. When that time comes, imagine that you’re picking up your in-laws from the airport. You make sure everyone fastens their seatbelts before hitting the road.  On the way back, you notice that the car next to you keeps veering close to the line separating your lanes.  The woman driving it is distracted, texting on her cell phone. You speed up a little, engage your blinker, and move into her lane to get out of the danger zone.  Ten minutes later, while you’re deep in a discussion with your mother-in-law about her favorite cake, the car behind you plows into the rear of your vehicle.  Sure enough, it’s the distracted driver who caused the accident.  To make matters worse, she’s uninsured. Both you and your in-laws are injured in the accident and require medical treatment. Plus, you’re out of work for a few weeks while getting treated for your injuries. Not to fear. Speak to our Doylestown accident lawyer today to find out what you need to do next. Since Pennsylvania is a no-fault insurance state, all Pennsylvania drivers are required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP provides a certain amount of compensation for medical care and lost wages after an accident. Since PIP typically has low […]

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Truck accidents typically involve a motor vehicle crash with a “big rig,” semi-truck, tractor-trailer or some other commercial vehicle. There are many differences between truck accidents and car accidents. For instance, there are a lot more car accidents than truck accidents. More than 7.2 million car accidents occur in the U.S. every year, but less than 300,000 truck accidents occur yearly. To put that into perspective, that means hundreds of truck accidents take place every day in the U.S.  While truck accidents occur less often than car accidents every year, they pack a larger punch. Commercial truck accidents account for 287,000 insurance property damage claims and result in more than 77,000 personal injuries and 4,300 deaths in the U.S. each year. This is probably because trucks are much bigger than cars and thus, make a bigger impact.  While the average car weighs between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds, a tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Since trucks are so much larger and heavier than cars, truck accidents are much more likely to result in catastrophic injuries and death. If you have been involved in a truck accident, contact our Doylestown accident lawyer today to discuss your legal rights and options. Another factor that may contribute to the deadliness of truck accidents is that trucks are allowed to carry flammable and hazardous materials – a condition that would certainly make a potential collision more dangerous. Moreover, if cargo isn’t properly secured in a truck, it could break loose in traffic and […]

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The last Friday in April, is National Arbor Day, a day set aside to celebrate the role of trees in our lives and to promote tree planting and care. J. Sterling Morton is considered the founder of Arbor Day. In 1854 Morton and his wife moved from Detroit to the virtually treeless plains of Nebraska. The Nebraska pioneers needed trees for windbreaking, fuel, building materials, and shade from the hot prairie sun. Morton decided to use his role as editor of Nebraska’s first newspaper to promote tree planting in Nebraska. In 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture accepted Morton’s resolution to set aside one day to plant trees. The Board declared April 10, 1872 to be Arbor Day, and offered prizes to both counties and individuals for the largest number of trees properly planted. On that day alone, 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. Shortly thereafter the rest of the states began passing legislation to observe Arbor Day, with the actual date in April determined by the best time to plant trees in each particular state. While trees add to the visual landscape and provide many helpful benefits to people and the environment, they can present as hazards to motorists. Trees that are not properly maintained can block road signs and roadways. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2017, 1,581 fatal crashes in the United States were caused by obscured vision, including poorly maintained trees and shrubbery. Dead and diseased trees can also fall on cars and roadways, […]

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  This Sunday morning, at 2 AM, Daylight Savings Time will end. We will move our clocks back one hour. While many will welcome the extra hour of sleep we gain, when Daylight Saving Time ends, many people will find themselves spending more time driving in the dark. According to the National Safety Council, traffic fatalities are 3 times greater at night than during the day. Fatigue, compromised night vision, and impaired drivers are some of the risks we face when driving at night. These risks become especially pronounced moving into the weekend, with fatal crashes peaking on Saturday nights, according to NSC analysis of NHTSA data. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision can be compromised in the dark and the glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle can temporarily blind a driver. Even with high-beam headlights on, visibility is limited to about 500 feet (250 feet for normal headlights) creating less time to react, especially when driving at higher speeds. Ninety percent of your reaction time depends on your ability to see what’s around you. Since your depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision decrease after sundown, your chances for a car accident tend to increase. According to the American Optometric Association, as we age, we have greater difficulty seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old. At age 60 and older, driving can become even more difficult due to compromised vision as a result of cataracts […]

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