Authorities Remind Motorists to Avoid Using Hand Held Devices after Fatal Vehicle Accident

Police officers are again reminding motorists to avoid using hand held devices, particularly mobile phones, while driving to avoid further vehicle accidents.

After the guilty plea of a Newport Coast woman last Tuesday, the Newport Police Department issued a statement reminding motorists not to text and drive.

Danae Marie Miller was involved in a vehicle accident that occurred last February, 2011 and was sentenced to 4-year state imprisonment after pleading guilty for the death of a former Olympics athlete, Amine Britel.

It appeared from police investigation that Miller has been distracted from her driving mainly due to her texting and intoxication. Miller’s vehicle struck and consequently killed Britel, who was cycling along San Joaquin Hills Road.
Miller admitted her fault and pleaded guilty of the charges against her.

Police spokeswoman, Kathy Lowe said in an e-mail that driver distractions are among the leading causes of fatal vehicle accidents. Oftentimes, momentary distractions such as reading or sending text messages can lead to fatal consequences.

Lowe also noted that under California Law, the use of hand held devices while driving a vehicle is illegal. Also, drivers under the age of 18 may not use cell phone while driving

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) shows that texting brings a vehicle accident risk that is 23 times worse than driving without distraction, while sending or receiving text message takes an average of 4.6 seconds when drivers take their eyes off the road.

Apparently, drivers who use hand held devices are four times more likely to be involved in fatal vehicle accidents, according to a police statement.

Every year, there is a statewide Distracted Driver’s Awareness Month campaign held and this year, it will be on April wherein the Newport Beach Police Department plans to participate.

All injuries from a vehicle accident can be subjected to so-called personal injury claims, as mandated by federal laws. However, it is still best to avoid such injuries and claims through proper safety measures. Motorists should be fully aware of a more comprehensive safety precautions while on the road. Therefore, vehicle accidents, injuries, vehicle accident lawyer fees, and other grief related matters can be avoided.

Alarming Number of Head Injury Cases from Bumbo Baby Seats in Infants

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents to never leave infants unattended in a Bumbo baby seat. Placing the same in uncertain places like countertops and other raised surfaces may also cause accidents to infants.

Statistics shows that infants aged from 3 to 10 months old have fallen out of the Bumbo baby seat and suffered serious head injuries.

Bumbo baby seats are created to help infants to sit in an upright position as soon as they can b support their head. However, a 3-month-old infant can easily fall or escape from the said baby seat through leaning backward, sideways and worst - when the baby gets excited or upset and rocked the seat.

Despite the product recall and safety precautions done by the CPSC and Bumbo International Trust of South Africa, the numbers of head injuries arising from Bumbo seat falls significantly increased to 14 from 46.

The CPSC and the Bumbo International Trust of South Africa after being alarmed by the growing number of head injures caused by the Bumbo baby seat, is encouraging parents to follow strict product warnings for the safety of their children.

Since 2003, about 3.85 million Bumbo seats have been sold in US. Therefore, the CPSC had seen a huge possibility of receiving more reports of head injury incidents resulting from Bumbo baby seat fall.

If an infant suffered from an unpleasant accident caused by the negligence of other people or more particularly failed to comply with the proper safety standards, parents have the right to demand and file for a personal injury claim. However, it is still best to take safety precautions than seeing children get hurt.

2 Injured and 10 Cars Damaged in San Francisco Tow Truck Accident

A tow truck accident in San Francisco has injured two people, damaged ten parked cars and disrupted the Muni Railway’s N-Judah line.

According to reports, the tow truck was either returning or removing a car when the car slipped and the driver lost control of the tow truck.

The tow truck proceeded to roll about half a block down Third Avenue hitting ten parked cars along the way.

The driver of the car that slipped off the tow truck and another person who was inside one of the parked cars sustained minor injuries.

The cars that were struck sustained major damages and Muni’s N-Judah line was out of service up to 12:43 pm.

The injured parties can file a personal injury claim for the medical expenses they have spent for their injuries while the car owners can file a property damage claim against the tow truck company.

When filing a property damage claim, get at least two estimates for the repair of the car. It will help speed up the processing of your claim.

Hopefully the insurance company of the tow truck company will take care of all the needed expenses as I don’t see much reason for any claim to be denied.

However it is still advisable to hire the services of a personal injury and property damage attorney for assistance and to avoid being at the short end of any negotiation.