Category Archives: Consumer Questions

Arizona may change law for child-restraints

Posted on by

PHOENIX — A proposed child restraint law made progress in the Arizona State Legislature this week. HB2452, which would change child passenger restraint requirements, cleared the House with a vote of 32 to 24. The bill will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.

Under Arizona’s current child passenger law, children can be moved from a car seat to an adult seat belt at the age of 5. However, studies show children using an adult seat belt without a booster seat can suffer from serious head, spine and abdominal injuries, slip out of the belt, or even be ejected from the vehicle in the event of an accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with proper use of a safety seat, a child’s fatality risk can be reduced up to 71 percent. Research by the agency also indicates that using a booster seat with a seat belt as opposed to using a seat belt alone can reduce a child’s injury risk in a crash by up to 59 percent.

In spite of Arizona’s law, NHTSA recommends that once children outgrow their forward-facing seats, children between the ages of 4 and 8 should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. That usually happens at about age 8 or when the child grows to 4 feet 9 inches tall.

“By following current Arizona law, parents may unknowingly put their child’s safety in jeopardy,” said Linda Gorman. “If we adopt this new legislation, we can help parents keep their children safe with the most up-to-date child passenger safety research available.”

Source

Drugs were in 1 in 5 drivers killed in 2009

Posted on by

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 1 in 5 drivers who were killed last year in car crashes tested positive for drugs, raising concerns about the impact of drugs on auto safety, the government reported Tuesday.

Researchers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the new data underscored a growing problem of people driving with drugs in their systems. But they cautioned that it was not clear that drugs caused the crashes and more research was needed to determine how certain drugs can hinder a person’s ability to drive safely.

Drugs were reported in nearly 4,000 drivers who were killed in 2009, or 18 percent of the nearly 22,000 drivers killed last year. In 2005, drugs were found in the systems of 13 percent of the more than 27,000 drivers killed in car accidents.

Researchers said the numbers could be higher because only about 3 in 5 drivers who were killed in car crashes were tested for drugs after the crash and testing varied from state to state. Among all the drivers who were killed in 2009 and later tested by authorities for drugs, about one-third had drugs in their systems.

“Drugged driving is as inexcusable as drunk driving or driving irresponsibly,” said NHTSA administrator David Strickland.

Researchers are just beginning to understand the problem. Strickland said the data did not allow them to know whether the influence of drugs caused the fatal crashes. He said testing procedures were evolving and many states and communities test for different drugs or use different types of tests.

The tests took into account both legal and illegal drugs, including heroin, methadone, morphine, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, LSD, prescription drugs and inhalants. The amount of time the drug could linger in the body varied by drug type, the researchers said, so it was unclear when the drivers had used the drugs prior to the fatal crashes.

Aspirin, nicotine, alcohol and drugs administered after the crash were excluded from the tests.

White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said the research was a “good first attempt” to understand the role that drug use plays in automobile fatalities.

Many drugs can affect a driver’s judgment and reaction time but researchers are still trying to determine the level of drug use that can impair a driver’s ability to drive safely. A blood alcohol level of 0.08 is the legal limit for all 50 states but a similar level of impairment is uncertain for many drugs.

“It’s very clear that we’ve got a significant problem,” Kerlikowske said. “We’ve made great progress on alcohol-impaired driving through education and enforcement. There’s just no reason we won’t be able to make progress in this area once we start bringing it to people’s attention and we start doing the enforcement that’s needed.”

Some recent high-profile crashes have involved drug use by drivers.

In July 2009, a New York mother sped the wrong way for more than a mile with a minivan full of children, leading to a crash that killed her and seven others. The woman had a blood-alcohol level 2½ times the legal limit and had smoked marijuana within an hour of the crash.

In Phoenix, the driver of a dump truck struck a group of motorcycle riders in March, killing four people and injuring five others. Initial tests found the driver had methamphetamine in his system.

Kerlikowske said efforts against drugged driving could be helped by improved testing procedures and standards for detecting drug use by drivers, along with more police officers trained to detect drug use by motorists.

4th of July is the deadliest weekend for DUIs

Posted on by

The Fourth of July is the No. 1 holiday for alcohol-related fatal crashes. And even if you don’t get in a wreck, driving impaired could send your insurance rates soaring.

The holidays are a deadly time to be on the road. Every year, hundreds of Americans die as a result of alcohol-related car crashes. The Fourth of July has repeatedly ranked as the deadliest holiday of the year for such crashes — even deadlier than New Year’s Day.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious risk. In addition to being irresponsible on the road, impaired drivers also face insurance consequences. If your insurer discovers you’ve been convicted of a DUI, your car insurance rates could increase or your policy may be canceled or not renewed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been tracking car crash statistics for a quarter-century. The Fourth of July almost always tops the list. Statistics gathered over the past 25 years show that, on average, about half of all deadly traffic crashes on July Fourth are related to alcohol. Other holidays on the grim list include Labor Day, New Year’s, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In the summer of 2008 (the latest statistics available), 491 people died in car accidents during the three-day Fourth of July weekend. Out of that total, 43% died as a result of alcohol-impaired driving. By comparison, 423 people died that same year during the four-day period surrounding New Year’s Day. In that case, 41% were alcohol-related.

When people think of a deadly holiday, they generally associate it with New Year’s Day (or, rather, very late on New Year’s Eve). However, that association may be precisely why people stay off the roads on New Year’s more than they do on July Fourth. (While the New Year’s statistics are totaled over four days, the Fourth of July statistics are for three days.)

“Drunk driving is a major public safety threat that still claims thousands of lives every year,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a recent media release. “Many states continue to step up their efforts to get drunk drivers off our roads, but the numbers tell us we have to do more.”

In addition, research by the traffic-safety administration has consistently shown that more people are killed in crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver on the weekends and at night. In 2008 alone, 58% of drivers and motorcycle riders were killed in alcohol-related crashes that took place over the weekend and at night. But no matter what day it is, most crash fatalities occur on two-lane roads. Also, more people die while driving in rain compared with snow or sleet.

The deadliest holidays
Holiday Fatalities % of deaths alcohol-related
Fourth of July 491 43%
Labor Day 487 40%
Memorial Day 425 41%
New Year’s 423 41%
Thanksgiving 502 36%
Christmas 420 34%

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008

4th of July and Car Accidents 2010

Posted on by

According to American Automobile Association (AAA) “more residents in mountain states will hit the road this Independence Day weekend than last year”.

Before hitting the road on holidays, it is important to plan ahead to avoid road congestion. According to the Washington University in Saint Louis (WUStL), holiday weekends are considered the heaviest times for driving so it is important to prepare for bad traffic. The holiday season also makes people apprehensive and preoccupied so drivers should be more vigilant by giving people more distance and be forgiving when someone does something irritating or absent-minded. Internal uneasiness of a driver is proven to cause serious accidents on the road.

Also, be sure to have your vehicle checked so you won’t be upset by unplanned repairs on the road. Check your engine performance, windshield wipers, oil, brakes, air filter, belts, battery, lights, fluids, tires. Examine tires for remaining tread life. Replace old windshield wipers.

Once you get on the road, drive safely. Since you have your teens or toddlers in the car, it is very obvious that they are the most vulnerable in case of an accident. So avoid risks by shunning drinking before driving. Enjoy your weekend by driving safely and carefully.

Source

What are contingent attorney fees?

Posted on by

The experienced attorneys at Phillips and Lyon works on a contingent fee system. What that means is that we have no up front costs to you and we don’t get paid unless you get a settlement. No Recovery, No Fee…No Exceptions! This is very helpful to most clients because most people can no afford to pay out money to an attorney especially after they have suffered financial hardship from an accident with deductibles, lost time from work, etc.

Phillips and Lyon will represent you with experience and excellence! We have a special internet fee of 25% which is only paid if you receive a settlement and is much lower then most other firms in the Valley. We will also help you find a doctor who will take a lien. What does this mean? A doctor who will treat you but not expect any payment until you receive your settlement. We have a great relationship with a lot of doctors who will accept a lien because they trust our firm will obtain a settlement and pay them at the end. This is a great alternative to expensive deductibles and hounding invoices from the doctor’s offices. You can focus on getting better, not how much money you have to pay out!

Call us if you have been injured in an auto accident and have severe injuries. We are available 24/7 at 1-800-272-5297.