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Tag Archives: new york accident lawyer

Long Island car crash leaves victim dead and one man arrested

New York – The driver of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) died in a multi vehicle car collision on the Long Island Expressway. The man, a senior citizen, was the driver of one of five vehicles involved in the accident. Police report that the chain of events began when the SUV slammed into the highway divider and then rolled over into traffic. The roll-over accident then caused other vehicles to hit into that SUV that was in oncoming traffic. They believe that a medical emergency possibly led to the SUV truck accident. The other drivers and passengers in the accident suffered varying injuries according to emergency responders. However, police were forced to arrest one of those other drivers for driving without a license. A New York accident lawyer explained that there are several complicated factors that will need to be addressed. Investigators and lawyers will need to determine if the driver of the SUV should have ever been permitted to drive in order to determine if any negligence was involved. Doctors are sometimes required to instruct a patient that they are not allowed to drive if they have certain medical illnesses that could precipitate a motor vehicle accident. For example, a patient with an uncontrolled epilepsy seizure disorder may be prohibited from driving under medically cleared. In fact, some jurisdictions require the doctor to contact the department of motor vehicles to report such a case. In addition, patients often bear the responsibility to not drive if they knowingly have a medical condition that prevents their safe operation of a car. This article explains more about this SUV accident.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Rian Castillo [License]

Studies show distracted driving still a danger, even with hands-free technology

Researchers into driver safety and possible causes of car accidents are concerned after having conducted two recent studies on hands-free devices. These include smartphone applications and integrated car entertainment or information systems. Accident specialists say that distracted driving has become a huge cause of injuries and wrongful deaths on the roads in recent years. They attribute this to driving while talking on a cell phone, texting while driving and fiddling with radios or MP3 players. The studies looked at the effect of technology, such as Apple’s Siri system or the integrated voice-activated systems currently being placed into several vehicles made by various car manufacturers. The systems are meant to allow drivers to text while driving, change radio stations or even send out Facebook postings or Tweets while keeping their eyes on the road. The investigators noted that while the technology does help drivers keep their eyes on the road, it has not helped with keeping the driver’s thoughts and concentration on the road. Not only did these cutting edge systems not prevent distracted driving, it may very well have contributed to the problem. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety explained that the studies suggest that drivers need to concentrate even more on their cell phones and in-car computer systems due to the complexity of the devices. The intricate instructions and procedures needed to make the devices work properly may end up being the cause of a car crash or injury, even when the driver of the vehicle is watching the road. A top New York accident lawyer warned that drivers, car manufacturers and technology developers must each take responsibility for the health and safety of other motorists, pedestrians, and bicylists as well as themselves. Ignoring the significance of these landmark driver safety studies can prove dangerous, even fatal, and can open them up to a personal injury lawsuit. Read the full version of the distracted driver safety study here.

Illustrative photo by Intel Free Press [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons