Colorado Springs Personal Injury Blog
Running Red Lights Can Cause Serious Injuries and Deaths
While most Colorado drivers know that running a red light can cause serious injuries or even death, many don’t realize just how pervasive the problem is. And while many Colorado communities have begun to address the problem with red light cameras and other tools, drivers who run red lights continue to pose a risk.
According to research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 673 people lost their lives in 2010 and about 122,000 were injured in crashes caused by a driver who ran a red light. In context, this means a driver runs a red light in the U.S. about once every twenty minutes. About 39 percent of all red light runners cause a crash that leaves someone injured or killed.
About half of those who are injured or killed in red light running accidents are pedestrians, bicyclists, and passengers – not drivers. Meanwhile, drivers who run red lights are more likely to be younger, to not use their seat belts regularly, and to have poorer driving records than other drivers – including multiple speeding convictions.
Distracted Driving Continues to Put Drivers, Others at Risk
Despite campaigns by Colorado and other states to raise awareness of distracted driving risks and encourage drivers to keep their attention on the road, distracted driving continues to claim thousands of lives throughout the U.S. each year and to cause serious injuries to drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and others on the road. Many experienced Colorado distracted driving injury attorneys have seen too many clients injured by just a moment’s loss of focus.
In 2011, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released a detailed study of distracted driving. Key findings included:
Most drivers are distracted between 25 and 50 percent of the time while they are behind the wheel.
What are the Causes and Effects of Single-Vehicle Rollovers in Colorado?
When a single-vehicle rollover accident occurs, it’s common to assume that the driver was somehow at fault. However, other factors can also lead to a rollover crash that does not involve more than one vehicle. Negligent drivers of other vehicles, roadway obstacles, adverse weather conditions, and defective vehicle steering or tires may also be to blame.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than most other accidents on the road. One NHTSA study found that although only two percent of accidents on U.S. roads in any given year are rollovers, these fatal car accidents claim 23 percent of the lives lost in U.S. crashes every year.
Traumatic Brain Injuries Seen as Number-One Risk Factor for Dementia
A study published in JAMA Neurology recently suggests that the number-one risk factor for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) – not the existence of amyloid plaques in the brain, once thought to be the defining factor of these diseases.
The study followed 61 men and women, ages 65 to 90, who had varying degrees of mental impairment and/or had been diagnosed with dementia. From time to time, the patients were given tests that tracked their memory, organization, and problem-solving skills. Their brains were also scanned using an MRI to check for vascular damage characteristic of TBI and a PET scanner to check for amyloid plaques in the brain.
Does Opioid Use Increase Car Accident Risks? One Study Says Yes
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicates that the risk of a serious car accident is linked to long-term opioid use – and that the risk of a crash goes up along with the dose.
The study examined patients who were prescribed varying strengths of opioids like oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. It looked both at patients who were taking the medications for the first time, those who had recently had their doses increased, and those who had been on a stable dose for a period of time.
Trucking Safety Organizations Urge Drivers to Avoid Speeding
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have teamed up to urge drivers of both passenger vehicles and commercial trucks and buses to avoid speeding in order to reduce the risks of serious or deadly crashes, according to a recent article in Land Line Magazine, a trucking trade journal.
The recent concerns are driven by the results of a study by the CVSA of speeding tickets issued in October 2012. The study found that the number of tickets issued to commercial vehicle drivers had increased 2.8 percent over the previous year, and the number of tickets issued to passenger vehicle drivers had increased 10 percent.
Overall, passenger vehicle drivers received half of all speeding tickets in the U.S. in the past year, while commercial drivers received 19.6 percent of tickets. Failure to use a seat belt and to obey a traffic control sign or signal were also common reasons police stopped drivers during the study, which involved over 35,000 vehicles, according to the CVSA.
FMCSA Imposes New Health Requirements for Truck Drivers
Beginning in 2014, professional commercial drivers of trucks and buses will have to meet new, more stringent health examination requirements, according to a recent article from The Associated Press.
The medical examination requirements that will take effect in 2014 are designed to enhance rules already enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Currently, truck drivers are required to have a medical examination once every two years in order to maintain their Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL). Drivers are referred for follow-up care if they have conditions or risk factors that might impair their driving, such as sleep apnea.
What Can I Expect After a Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have lingering effects that last for months, years, or even the rest of an injured person’s life.
The long-term consequences of a TBI depend on the severity of the injury and what part of the brain was injured, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some of the more common long-term symptoms suffered by TBI patients include:
- Problems with thinking, including memory and concentration;
- Issues with sensation, like experiencing garbled or confusing touch, taste, and smell sensations;
- Difficulty with language, including communication, expressing thoughts or feelings, and understanding written or spoken messages from others; and
- Problems with emotions, such as irritability, depression, anxiety, or personality changes.
Make the Season Bright, Not Burned: Tips for Preventing Holiday Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are notoriously dangerous and painful, and can even be deadly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.1 million burn injuries in the U.S. each year require emergency medical care, and about 4,500 are fatal.
The holidays often pose an increased risk of fire or burn injuries, especially when candles, holiday lights, and extra cooking and baking become part of the festivities. Here are some simple ways you can help reduce the risk of a burn injury hurting you or someone you love this season:
Motorcycle Accidents Cost U.S. Riders Billions
Tens of thousands of motorcyclists across the U.S. are injured or killed in crashes each year, imposing a high personal and financial cost on bikers and their families. Many experienced motorcycle accident attorneys in Colorado and other states are dedicated to helping families deal with many of these costs, which topped $16 billion in 2010.
