Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
Two families, who suffered a death and several injuries after a ski bus rolled down an embankment in Utah last January, have hired attorneys. A Nebraska-based motor coach company called Arrow Stage Lines was contracted to take 17 busloads of skiers to and from Colorado for a three-day ski trip. A total of nine people died and 23 were injured in the tragic ski bus incident.
Marc Rasmussen, an 18-year-old high school senior, died in the wreckage. His mother, Kim, and four other family members, including a 5-year-old boy, were injured. Some family members have been released, but Kim remains hospitalized in New Mexico.
A Utah Highway patrolman who investigated the accident said the driver, Walland Lotan, 71, was driving at the 65 mph speed limit when he rounded a tight curve, plunging the 52 passengers into the embankment; but, said the patrolman, the driver should have slowed by several miles an hour as he approached the curve.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Utah Highway Patrol are conducting an investigation into the accident, including an analysis of a "data collector" (or "black box") on board the bus that logs speed and position at the time of the accident, and records video of the driver.
If you've been injured due to the negligence of a bus driver, contact us at the Law Offices of Michael L. Neff. We have handled bus wrecks and a prompt phone call or an email us as soon as possible can mean preservation of the black box evidence before it disappears.
Marc Rasmussen, an 18-year-old high school senior, died in the wreckage. His mother, Kim, and four other family members, including a 5-year-old boy, were injured. Some family members have been released, but Kim remains hospitalized in New Mexico.
A Utah Highway patrolman who investigated the accident said the driver, Walland Lotan, 71, was driving at the 65 mph speed limit when he rounded a tight curve, plunging the 52 passengers into the embankment; but, said the patrolman, the driver should have slowed by several miles an hour as he approached the curve.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Utah Highway Patrol are conducting an investigation into the accident, including an analysis of a "data collector" (or "black box") on board the bus that logs speed and position at the time of the accident, and records video of the driver.
If you've been injured due to the negligence of a bus driver, contact us at the Law Offices of Michael L. Neff. We have handled bus wrecks and a prompt phone call or an email us as soon as possible can mean preservation of the black box evidence before it disappears.
Labels: accident, black box, bus wreck, evidence, injury attorney, negligence, wrongful death
February 16th's Atlanta Journal Consitution had an article again noting the importance of sleep. Sleep is frequently a big problem for all drivers - particularly truck drivers who have to drive long hours or at night. As a result, there are limits on drivers hours. However, those rules are sometimes broken with disaterous results that can cause death or serious injuries.
Read the article below for some important tips
DRIVER'S ED: Tired? Well, big sleep is forever
zzzZZZ...
zzzZZZ...
Uh? Wha? Sorry. Must a dozed off for a bit. Which can be embarrassing behind a keyboard but is flat-out deadly dangerous behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 100,000 crashes a year are caused by DWD —- driving while drowsy.
When you're driving at 65 mph, in just 3 seconds you'll travel more than 100 yards. And that is a long ways to go with your eyes closed and no control of your car. Just being drowsy ups the odds you'll make a mistake like misjudging the speed of oncoming traffic when you're making a left turn.
And don't be too sure you know when you're too sleepy to be driving. In one study of drivers who crashed after falling asleep at the wheel, half said they felt only "somewhat sleepy" or "not at all sleepy" just before the loud bang. Here are some tips:
1 Hot java. A cup of coffee is tasty, but it ain't a magic potion. The caffeine will help you be a bit more alert, but it takes 30 minutes to get into your bloodstream and the effects last just a couple of hours. And you can still nod off for a couple of seconds.
2 Start rested. Working hard all day Friday and heading to Orlando to be at Braves spring training first thing Saturday morning is a bad idea. Less than six hours of shut-eye increases risk of falling asleep.
3 Stop and stretch. Stop every two hours or so and get out of the car to move around. Even if it's just to walk into the convenience store to get a Coke.
4 Warning signs. Pull over soon as you safely can if you find yourself having a hard time keeping your eyes open or focusing on the road ahead. If you're drifting from lane to lane or tailgating or hitting the rumble strips on the shoulder, it's time to stop. It's better to take a little longer to get where you're going than not get there at all.
Ed got his tips from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Ed is a shade-tree mechanic who talks like a dipstick but knows his way around one.
Read the article below for some important tips
DRIVER'S ED: Tired? Well, big sleep is forever
zzzZZZ...
zzzZZZ...
Uh? Wha? Sorry. Must a dozed off for a bit. Which can be embarrassing behind a keyboard but is flat-out deadly dangerous behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 100,000 crashes a year are caused by DWD —- driving while drowsy.
When you're driving at 65 mph, in just 3 seconds you'll travel more than 100 yards. And that is a long ways to go with your eyes closed and no control of your car. Just being drowsy ups the odds you'll make a mistake like misjudging the speed of oncoming traffic when you're making a left turn.
And don't be too sure you know when you're too sleepy to be driving. In one study of drivers who crashed after falling asleep at the wheel, half said they felt only "somewhat sleepy" or "not at all sleepy" just before the loud bang. Here are some tips:
1 Hot java. A cup of coffee is tasty, but it ain't a magic potion. The caffeine will help you be a bit more alert, but it takes 30 minutes to get into your bloodstream and the effects last just a couple of hours. And you can still nod off for a couple of seconds.
2 Start rested. Working hard all day Friday and heading to Orlando to be at Braves spring training first thing Saturday morning is a bad idea. Less than six hours of shut-eye increases risk of falling asleep.
3 Stop and stretch. Stop every two hours or so and get out of the car to move around. Even if it's just to walk into the convenience store to get a Coke.
4 Warning signs. Pull over soon as you safely can if you find yourself having a hard time keeping your eyes open or focusing on the road ahead. If you're drifting from lane to lane or tailgating or hitting the rumble strips on the shoulder, it's time to stop. It's better to take a little longer to get where you're going than not get there at all.
Ed got his tips from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Ed is a shade-tree mechanic who talks like a dipstick but knows his way around one.
Labels: accident, car wreck, drivers, fatigue, sleepy
National News
Car Airbags Can Cause Permanent Hearing Loss, Study Says
February 14, 2007
A researcher at a national hearing conference will present data that predicts 17 percent of people exposed to deployed airbags in American cars will suffer from permanent hearing loss. His data also shows, contrary to what experts have previously thought, airbag deployment is more hazardous to the ear when a car's windows are rolled down.
These are among the results that will be presented by auditory physiologist Dr. G. Richard Price at the National Hearing Conservation Association's 32nd annual hearing conference. The conference, titled, "A Passion to Preserve," will be held Feb. 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Ga.
In Price's study of car airbag deployment, he sought to determine whether the auditory danger was greatest in cars with the windows down or the windows up. Previously, experts thought rolled-up windows were more dangerous because they allow for higher pressure to be created inside the cabin.
The research concludes, counterintuitively, that having car windows rolled up when airbags are deployed is actually less hazardous to the ear than rolled-down windows. This is because the higher pressure generated in the closed cabin actually prevents greater damage to the ear. The pressure causes a displacement in the middle ear that stiffens the stapes, a small bone outside the inner ear. This stiffening limits the transmission of energy to the inner ear, where hearing damage takes place. In airbag experiments where the cabin is completely sealed and pressure is even higher, hearing damage is reduced even further.
Price's study only included cars sold in the United States with front and side airbags. Under U.S. regulations, American cars must have larger, more powerful airbags than cars sold in places like Europe. Cars with smaller airbags sold in other parts of the world would likely pose less auditory danger when tested under identical circumstances, Price said.
"We often consider only the benefits of safety technology, rather than the unfortunate potential side effects," said NHCA Director of Education Brian Fligor. "This type of study highlights how common everyday occurrences present a very real hazard to our hearing."
Find this article at:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/02/14/76958.htm
Car Airbags Can Cause Permanent Hearing Loss, Study Says
February 14, 2007
A researcher at a national hearing conference will present data that predicts 17 percent of people exposed to deployed airbags in American cars will suffer from permanent hearing loss. His data also shows, contrary to what experts have previously thought, airbag deployment is more hazardous to the ear when a car's windows are rolled down.
These are among the results that will be presented by auditory physiologist Dr. G. Richard Price at the National Hearing Conservation Association's 32nd annual hearing conference. The conference, titled, "A Passion to Preserve," will be held Feb. 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Ga.
In Price's study of car airbag deployment, he sought to determine whether the auditory danger was greatest in cars with the windows down or the windows up. Previously, experts thought rolled-up windows were more dangerous because they allow for higher pressure to be created inside the cabin.
The research concludes, counterintuitively, that having car windows rolled up when airbags are deployed is actually less hazardous to the ear than rolled-down windows. This is because the higher pressure generated in the closed cabin actually prevents greater damage to the ear. The pressure causes a displacement in the middle ear that stiffens the stapes, a small bone outside the inner ear. This stiffening limits the transmission of energy to the inner ear, where hearing damage takes place. In airbag experiments where the cabin is completely sealed and pressure is even higher, hearing damage is reduced even further.
Price's study only included cars sold in the United States with front and side airbags. Under U.S. regulations, American cars must have larger, more powerful airbags than cars sold in places like Europe. Cars with smaller airbags sold in other parts of the world would likely pose less auditory danger when tested under identical circumstances, Price said.
"We often consider only the benefits of safety technology, rather than the unfortunate potential side effects," said NHCA Director of Education Brian Fligor. "This type of study highlights how common everyday occurrences present a very real hazard to our hearing."
Find this article at:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/02/14/76958.htm
Labels: accident, air bag, car wreck, hearing loss
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