“We now know that at least 1.6 million crashes are caused by drivers using cell phones and texting,” said Janet Froetscher, president & CEO of the National Safety Council. “We know that cell phone use is a very risky distraction and texting is even higher risk. We now know that cell phone use causes many more crashes than texting. The main reason is that millions more drivers use cell phones than text,” she said. “That is why we need to address both texting and cell phone use on our roads.” 

The NSC advocates a total ban on cell phone use while driving.  It says that its study was based in part on statistics from from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and from peer-reviewed research that quantifies the risk of using a cell phone and texting while driving.

Although we at the Davis Law Group cannot state that 25% of the accident cases we handle are caused by cell phone use, we can state that we have noticed a measurable increase in the cases we handle where there is an allegation that the other driver was either talking on the cell phone or texting while driving.

If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident and believe the other driver was using a cell phone at the time, you should speak to an attorney.  Usually the time is limited to collect and/or subpoena cell phone records to verify that the at-fault driver was using a cell phone.  The fact of cell phone use is also a very important factor to use when attempting to settle the claim for maximum value.  We at DLG have had good success at using the fact of cell phone usage as an aggravating factor to achieve an excellent recover for our clients.

Jessie, 16, was severely injured in a car accident when she crossed the center line and hit a school bus head on.  Jessie received a traumatic brain injury among other injuries.  She was in a coma for two weeks.  Jessie has limited use of her limbs, but this is expected to improve over time with therapy.

This is touching story.  We wish Jessie an exceptional recovery, which may take time given the extent of her injuries. 

This story should remind parents to check their auto policies to make sure they have adequate coverage.  With teen drivers, who do have higher accident rates than adults, parents should have coverage of at least $100,000 but preferably higher at $300,000 or even $1 Million.  Without adequate auto insurance, one accident can cause financial ruin.

5. Interstate 5 through Everett, from the Boeing Freeway to the 88th Street exit. WSP and WSDOT responded to 480 incidents in this stretch during 2008. The WSP reports that most incidences were caused by speeders.

4. Interstate 405 and state Route 167 interchange in Renton. There were 612 incidents recorded in this area.

3. Interstate 5 from Fife to Federal way. There were 654 incidents recorded (almost 2 incidents reported each day on average!)

The top 2 “trouble spots” will not be reported by KIRO TV until later this week.  But WSDOT and WSP spokespeople state that driver distraction and inattention are very common causes of the incidences they respond to on a daily basis.

My office handles many auto accident cases.  Here are some of the explanations or reasons I see in my practice as to why the accident took place.  The person who caused the accident was at the time:

1. Putting on make-up.
2. Talking on a cell phone.
3. Texting on a cell phone.
4. Taking photos with the cell phone.
5. Talking to a passenger in the back seat.
6. Trying to read a document while driving.
7. Fell asleep.
8. Playing with the radio.
9. Holding a pet dog or cat.
10. Eating food.

Can you believe these reasons?  Unfortunately, I’ve heard each excuse at least once when I later take the at-fault driver’s deposition or review their interrogatory answers.  People need to remember that they should focus 100% of their attention on the road and vehicle ahead!

This report is every parent’s worst nightmare.  On Saturday, February 7, 2009, a young child was hit by a car while crossing the streets of 55th Avenue NE at 95th Street NE in the city of Marysville, Washington.

The child’s injuries appear serious given that he or she was transported by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.  Harborview is considered the best trauma center in the Pacific Northwest, let alone in the state of Washington.

There was no word on how the accident happened, or the age of the child.  My heart goes out to the parents and I will pray that the child recovers fully.

I do want people to know that child injury claims can be complex and difficult.  The law treats these claims differently than those involving injuries sustained by adults.  There are special legal requirements at play, and the insurance companies can ignore the protections that are afforded to the child injury victims. 

Given the complexity and peculiarity of child injury claims, I wrote and published my book “Little Kids, Big Accidents: What Every Parent Should Know.”  I offer this book for free to parents as a public service.  In this book I go over in detail the laws and insurance claims processes that govern child injury claims so parents have all of the information and knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their children during the claims process.  I also discuss whether hiring a lawyer is adviseable.  Not every case requires a lawyer.

Parents can request a free copy of the book by visiting www.ChildAccidentBook.com.

I can tell you that roll-over collisions can cause the most severe and debilitating injuries.  I’ve handled dozens of these types of accidents.  The injuries are usually severe and long-lasting given the collision forces generated in the crash.  Roll-over accidents are notorious for causing spine injuries, to include fractured spine or vertebrae, disc injuries, facet joint problems, and strain/sprain injuries.

Hopefully the Seattle Police Department will take care of this by carefully investigating the cause of the collision.

On February 1, 2009, it was reported by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office that a 3-year-old child was killed while the child’s mother was backing up a truck.  Reports were that the mother went outside to the truck, and the child followed without the mother’s knowledge.  The toddler climbed into the bed of the truck before it sped off.  Then the child fell off the back and was severely injured.  The child later died.

This is just a horrible, horrible accident.  I have a 4 year-old child, and I just can’t imagine this happening.  I really feel bad for the child’s mother.  I know she must be devastated.  I know I would be.  My heart goes out to this grieving family, and I pray that they have the strength to overcome this terrible tragedy.

A serious car accident occurred today in the Interbay area, just south of Ballard in Seattle.  The accident involved a two-car, head-on collision which caused life-threatening injuries to both drivers.  Another passenger was taken to Harborview Medical Center by ambulance.

Negligent driving is the failure to exercise ordinary care, or the failure to act as a prudent motorist.  In head-on collisions, the most common cause is when one driver fails to pay attention and then crosses the center line.  There were no indications today from the police on which vehicle caused this collision.  But sources report that traffic was backed up for quite a while, forcing at least 3 metrol buses to try alternate routes and also causing significant delays to other motorists.

Sometimes in crashes like these an accident reconstruction expert should be immediately consulted, especially if there is a dispute about which driver caused this crash.  Skid marks should be measured, and other evidence preserved, like photos of the damage to both vehicles.  Damage photos may also be critical to help determine which car first crossed the center line.

This information is being brought to you by the attorneys at Davis Law Group in Seattle, a boutique personal injury law firm that specializes in car accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death and medical negligence. You may also check out the firm founder, Seattle attorney Christopher M. Davis, on the Avvo attorney referral site.

The magazine also relied on a study by the University of Buffalo which found that sitting in the middle back seat area was 16% safer than any other seat in the vehicle.  Overall, riding in the back seat is 59% to 86% safer than riding in the front.  Riding on the back seat “hump” is 25% safer than sitting in a rear passenger seat.  Too bad they didn’t report on different vehicle types like sedan vs. compact vs. truck vs. SUV vs. wagon, etc.  Would have been interesting to compare all of the different models.

Makes you question about riding shotgun anymore — especially if it’s a black colored car.