Auto Accident App

The new auto accident app launched by LaBovick Law Group is the easiest way to record details at the scene of an automobile accident. The auto accident app, named Crash Detective, is the best mobile app on the market, available for both the iPhone and the Android. It directs victims through compiling the necessary evidence immediately after a car accident has occurred. Easy to use, this app has many features and benefits.

Features of Auto Accident App

The auto accident app is a great mobile tool for accident victims. If you have been involved in a car collision, you now have a free app that guides you through a logical checklist of action items. The auto accident app has a comprehensive list of features including:

• A one touch button to call 911 or instantly contact our Palm Beach personal injury lawyers.
• A Camera, video recorder and text notepad to record all of the important information about the auto accident.
• Concise instructions of what needs to be accomplished before and after an accident.
• Efficient forms to quickly gather accident information from the other parties (drivers, witnesses, passengers).
• Automatic GPS locator which helps in recording critical accident facts like traffic patterns and driving conditions.

Emergency Services Features of Auto Accident App

The auto accident app aids victims by allowing them to quickly search and locate the closest emergency services. So, apart from being an easy to use accident reporting tool, the app doubles up as an emergency services locator. With a single click, users can:

• Find the nearest police station.
• Find a tow truck service.
• Locate auto repair shops.
• Discover nearest taxi services.
• Obtain a map of closest hospitals.

The Crash Detective utilizes the quickest growing way for information gathering. The best part is that it's absolutely free. Easy to use, comprehensive in design, this auto accident app provides all of the resources one will need when faced with the unfortunate circumstance of being a victim in a car collision.

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As a follow up to our post on Florida leads the nation in pedestrian deaths,  we have identified another area of danger for pedestrians: parking lot auto accidents.

Parking lot auto accidents happen all the time. The vast majority of them don't result in serious damages or fatalities.  They can involve two vehicles or a vehicle and a pedestrian.

Usually, parking lot accidents can be avoided with a little caution and defensive driving. Educating yourself about the potential consequences of these accidents and learning ways to avoid them, can help keep parking lots safer.

Recent Parking Lot Auto Accidents
Two notable accidents occurred involving parking lots in recent weeks. One was a Florida parking lot accident that took place in Kissimmee, involved two young girls. The two young pedestrians, ages five and 10 years old , were struck by an elderly driver  who accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brakes. The 10-year-old girl only suffered minor abrasions; the five-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital and needed emergency surgery for leg injuries caused by the accident.

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The automobile has brought many positive changes to the modern world, but it's also given rise to a serious epidemic in the United States: pedestrian deaths. In a recent study, Dangerous by Design 2011, published by the Transportation for America, Florida led the nation in the number of automobile accidents that resulted in pedestrian accidents and fatalities.

According to statistics, from 2000 to 2009, 47,700 pedestrians were killed, equivalent to a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing roughly every month. Despite the magnitude of these avoidable tragedies, little public attention or resources have been committed to reducing pedestrian deaths and injuries.  Over 688,000 pedestrians were injured over the decade, a number equivalent to a pedestrian being struck by a car or truck every 7 minutes.

Between 2000 and 2009 5,163 people were killed while walking in Florida, which cost the state $22.20 billion. 11.1 percent of pedestrians and 17.4 percent of bicyclists killed in the United States died in the Sunshine State.

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Bicycle Safety

Due to economic reasons, many are trying to do more with less and this includes driving habits. One of the ways that people are changing their driving habit, is to ride bicycles instead of driving cars. Using a bicycle to commute to work, run errands, or for entertainment value is an economical alternative to maintaining a car or buying gas at the pump. It even sends an environmentally  responsible message. Unfortunately, it can also be dangerous.

Florida is one of 17 states that has enacted a three foot law with regard to the spatial relationship between cyclists and automobiles. One of the purposes of this rule is to cut down on Bicycle Accidents and Car Accidents.  The law states that drivers must grant cyclists a three foot clearance at all times. Failure to do so can result in being issued with a citation by law enforcement. On its surface the law seems like a good idea, however, police officers find it difficult to enforce, citing reasons such as difficulty determining whether a driver is exactly three feet away from a bicyclist at all times.

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Driver and Pedestrian Risks Increase As Daylight Saving Time Ends
 
On Sunday, November 7, 2010 , we gain an hour as clocks are turned back and daylight saving time ends. We encourage all drivers and pedestrians to be more attentive on the highways. Also change your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm batteries. It  can help save your life.

As a Florida Law firm we handle many personal injury accidents involving motor vehicles including car accidents, truck accidents and pedestrian accidents. Each year we notice that in November, personal injuries sustained in auto accidents increase. This could be attributed to several factors, such as time change, holiday celebrations, increased holiday shopping traffic, or school and businesses closing for the holidays. 

According to the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2009, approximately 59,000 people sustained injuries in traffic accidents. This was in addition to 4,092 pedestrians that died in traffic accidents.  The time of the most traffic accidents occurred between 4 pm and 8pm and between 4 am and 8an.  The NHTSA suggests that drivers adjusting to the new time change, the change in the light and distracted driving increases the risk of death and injuries on the roads.

The NHTSA makes the following suggestions to Motorists and Pedestrians:

• Pedestrians should carry a flashlight or wearing reflective gear or to make sure they’re visible to drivers at greater distances. Here are additional pointers.
•  Drivers should slow down, especially during evening hours.
• Drivers should be aware that pedestrians who are wearing headphones or earphones may not hear vehicles.
• Drivers should keep the windshield, windows, and mirrors clean. Make sure that defrosters and windshield wipers are serviced regularly.
• Pedestrians should not depend on the traffic signals. Use common sense when on the road. Look both ways and watch the traffic closely.
• Pedestrians should avoid jaywalking and crossing between parked vehicles.
• Pedestrians should walk on sidewalks whenever possible. If you must walk on the street, face traffic.

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

• Residents of Arizona and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Savings Time
•  U.S. Territories of  Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands do not observe Daylight Savings Time
•  There is no federal rule that mandates that states or observe Daylight Savings Time

Attorney Paul Napoli, brings out important fact in his New York InjuryBoard blog post How Daylight Savings Time Could Save Your Life This Winter.  He provides the following consumer safety message:

"As we turn back the clocks this weekend, it is a great time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors because winter is the most dangerous season for residential fires and CO poisoning caused by heating systems."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminded consumers to change the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries this weekend and test these alarms monthly for proper operation. According to the CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum,

“Properly working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can save lives by alerting you to a fire or to poisonous carbon monoxide in your home.”

South Florida CBS4 also shares helpful advice for Consumers on How a Daylight Savings Time Act Can Save Your Life.  Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths occurred in homes without a smoke alarm or properly working smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  Non-working smoke alarms contribute to as many 36 hundred deaths and 19 thousand injuries each year from fires in the home.This is a staggering number of lives that could potentially be saved with one simple step - Periodically checking the smoke alarm.

In our family, we change our smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries twice a year, once when we spring forward and once when we fall back. The CPSC and the NFPA both make excellent pointers about monthly smoke alarm checks. It is always better to be safe

Enjoy your extra hour of sleep tonight. Don’t forget to set the clocks before you go to bed.

Pleasant Dreams…

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In an unusual negligence case, a judge rules that a case involving a 4-year old on a bicycle and an elderly woman can proceed. The case happened two years ago in Manhattan. Two 4-year olds, riding bicycles with training wheels on a New York Sidewalk, struck down an elderly 87-year-old woman, who died three days later as a result of injuries. According to court documents, the two children were under the supervision of their parents at the time when the tragic incident occurred.

The Judge presiding over the case, Justice Paul Wooten, cited cases dating back as far as 1928, that the young girl, racing a bicycle with training wheels on a Manhattan sidewalk two years ago can be sued for negligence. He stated the following after the defense attorney tried to argue that the child should not be held liable since her parent was present.

“A parent’s presence alone does not give a reasonable child carte blanche to engage in risky behavior such as running across a street,” the judge wrote. He added that any “reasonably prudent child,” who presumably has been told to look both ways before crossing a street, should know that dashing out without looking is dangerous, with or without a parent there.

The crucial factor in this case is whether the parent encourages the risky behavior; if so, should the child be held accountable? This is a unique case that stirs controversy for both sides. It will be interesting to see what a jury will find, if the case does not settle before trial. The court of popular opinion is split down the middle. How can you hold a child so young, responsible for this tragedy?
 
Click on the following link to read more on the story from the New York Times "  4-Year-Old Can Be Sued, Judge Rules in Bike Case

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Three teens were tragically killed by a train crossing a bridge in Melbourne, Florida. They were seen earlier taking pictures and joking around on a railroad that spans 200 feet over a creek. Unfortunately, they were not able to move out of the way fast enough as an oncoing train barreled down the tracks, According to an Associated Press article.

Reportedly, onlookers shouted for the teens to run or jump into the 20 feet creek of water below, sadly only one was able to jump out of the way safely. The train accident occured just before dusk on Saturday evening.  

One can't help but ask the question why this tragic train accident occurred and how it could have been avoided? Pedestrians and drivers should exercise caution when crossing railroads. We encourage parents and teachers to discuss the importance of exercising caution at Railroad crossings, both as a driver and a pedestrian to students of all ages.

Driver safety educator and trainer for the National Safety Commission,  Dave Herron, states the following in his articleon Railroad Safety Tips that unfortunately can apply to pedestrians as well:

 "Drivers are still not getting the word that trying to outrace a train at a railroad crossing is a lose/lose proposition. 94% of the collisions and 87% of the fatalities at railroad crossings are caused by risky driving behavior or poor judgment on the part of the driver."

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, reports that in 2008, Florida had 50 accidents at rail-road crossings between trains and cars or  pedestrians that resulted in 12 deaths and 19 injuries. There were a total of 378 total injuries at rail-roads as a crash site location. The numbers are down 2007, where there were a total of 90 accidents at rail-road crossings involving trains and cars or pedestrians that resulted in 20 fatalities and 63 injuries. 

Taking a look at pedetrian fatalities from 2008, Brevard County, the location of the train accident, reported 18 pedestrian fatalities. The top five counties in Florida ranked by pedestrian fatalities and injuries, includethe following:

• Miami Dade: 66 pedestrian fatalities   and     1466 Injuries
• Broward :       51 pedestrian fatalities   and    1005  Injuries
• Hillborough:  47  pedestrian fatalities  and      618  Injuries
• Palm Beach: 32 pedestrian  fatalities  and      583  Injuries
• Orange:          28 pedestrian fatalities   and      569  Injuries

 
Dave Herron provides a few helpful and practical safety tips on Railroad Crossing Dangers:

• Assume that there is a train on every track at all times, even tracks that are rarely used.
• If there are two or more tracks, make sure there a train isn't coming in the other direction.
• When stopping at a railroad crossing make sure you stop no less than 15 feet from the tracks.
• Never cross a railroad track unless you are sure there is room on the other side for your vehicle to completely clear the tracks. 
• Don't shift gears while crossing a railroad track; it could cause your vehicle to stall.
• If your car stalls on a railroad track, get out of the car immediately, clear the tracks and call 911 for help.
• If a train is coming, run away from the tracks in the direction of the approaching train.
• Never try to beat a train at a crossing or snake around the lowered crossing gates. Once the lights start to flash and the crossing gate arms go down, the train will appear in about 20 seconds.
   

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As pedestrian, Deborah McDonald, walked home from celebrating the arrival of her first check, a car struck and killed the Ohio Lottery winner. According to the Ohio Highway Patrol, the vehicle struck McDonald in the evening, as she walked along a road after leaving the bar.

The 47-year-old Crystal Rock, Ohio resident had reportedly spent some of the $5,520 check on wedding rings for herself and her husband shortly after receiving the winnings. Items the couple had been previously unable to afford. She had also treated her husband and some friends to dinner before heading to the bar to celebrate.
 

An Ohio Lottery spokesperson indicated that McDonald won approximately $8,000 in the lottery’s TV game show “Cash Explosion Double Play” on January 12.
 

Joe Wentworth, a patrol sergeant with area police, said investigators are looking into whether or not alcohol played a factor in the death. However, he indicated that police officials do not think the driver of the car who struck and killed McDonald was drinking.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,378 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2008. The NHTSA also indicates that a pedestrian-related traffic fatality occurs every two (2) hours, and a pedestrian is injured every 8 minutes in a traffic crash.

McDonald’s home state of Ohio reported 98 pedestrian fatalities in 2008, or roughly 8.2 percent of the nation’s total amount. These grim statistics remind us of the possibility of personal injury or even death resulting from motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians.

The number of deaths involving pedestrians in Florida decreased, however, the number of injured pedestrians injured and pedesrtians in crashes saw an increase over 2007.

2008 Florida Pedestrian statistics from the NHTSA related to car accidents:

Pedestrians Killed 502

Pedestrians Injured 7,878

Pedestrian Crashes 8,471

2007 Florida Pedestrian statistics

Pedestrians Killed 530

Pedestrians Injured 7,529

Pedestrian Crashes 8,139

The NHTSA reminds pedestrians and drivers alike to be safe and courteous, and to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians when required by law.

Click the following link to read the 2008 NHTSA Traffic Data Fact Sheet

Click on the following link to read more on the story from the Miami Herald Associated Press article, Ohio lottery winner received check on the day she died.

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