Modesto Injury Lawyer Blog

A recent article in the Sacramento Bee reported that fatal car accidents in Modesto, Stockton and throughout the state of California have dropped for the fifth consecutive year. According to the article, the California Office of Traffic Safety reported 2,715 deaths on roadways last year, a 12 percent decrease from the previous year and nearly 40 percent decrease from 2005 when an all-time high was reported.

Normally we would find these statistics commendable but with the economic downturn and high unemployment rates, our Modesto car accident attorneys know that less traffic has a lot to do with it.

Very little has changed in terms of the number of distracted drivers, speeders, drunk drivers, and now drivers who operate under the influence of legally prescribed medical marijuana. If you have been involved in an accident, an experienced attorney can help determine the cause of your accident and who is responsible for damages.

Legal use of medical marijuana has become an issue in more and more car accident cases. The Los Angeles Times recently reported about a man sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter. The medical marijuana user had run off the road and killed a school teacher while she was jogging.

Little is known about the effects of how much marijuana is needed to impair a driver's ability to operate a vehicle but California is one of 16 states that allow the drug to be prescribed for medicinal purposes. After performing roadside checks the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration assessed that over 16 percent of all nighttime drivers stopped nationwide were under the influence of legal or illegal narcotics. Approximately half of the drivers were under the influence of marijuana. Each year, California reports roughly 1,000 fatalities and injuries caused by drugged drivers. From 2000-2009, deaths in drug-related crashes where alcohol was not a factor increased 55 percent.

California passed Proposition 215 in 1996 which allowed residents to use medical marijuana legally.

When comparing the effects of marijuana to alcohol, much research still needs to be done. Learning how much drug in your system is needed to affect your ability to react and make quick decisions is critical at this point.

"A lot of effort has gone into the study of drugged driving and marijuana, because that is the most prevalent drug, but we are not nearly to the point where we are with alcohol," said Jeffrey P. Michael, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's impaired-driving director. "We don't know what level of marijuana impairs a driver."

One thing is for sure. With more states considering passing legislation to permit medical marijuana, a national standard will need to be set similar to blood alcohol content being illegal at .08. To date, each state has a different allowable limit which leaves it up to law enforcement to decide if someone is impaired beyond their ability to drive safely.

Continue reading "Medical Marijuana a Contributing Factor in Impaired Driving Accidents in Modesto" »

Modesto personal injury attorneys would like to wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. We would also like to ask that everyone be extra cautious during this time whether you're driving, enjoying the holiday by the pool, out on the water or staying local and watching some of the fireworks events in Modesto.

It is during these summer months that residents experience an increased risk for injury in Modesto and elsewhere throughout the state. Your risk for a car accident increases drastically during this holiday weekend. During these holiday weekends there is not only an increase in traffic flow, but more drunk drivers take to our roads than any other time during the year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 11,000 deaths in 2009 because of car accidents that involved an impaired driver. A number of these accidents occurred during the holidays. These accidents accounted for more than 30 percent of all of the traffic fatalities for the entire year. Motorists are four times more likely to be involved in a motor-vehicle accident at night than during the day. Motorists are also more likely to be involved in these types of accidents on the weekends instead of during the week days.

Residents are asked to keep themselves and their loved ones from driving a motor-vehicle while impaired. You are also urged to report any suspected intoxicated drivers to local authorities to help reduce the risks of serious -- if not fatal -- traffic accidents.

Even if you're staying off our roadways and hitting the pool, you're still at an increased risk for injury -- and death. It is estimated that about 10 people die every day from unintentional drownings. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages. It is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 15.

There were more than 3,400 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in five people who die from drowning are children under 15. For every one of these deaths, four children receive care at an emergency room.

Nonfatal drownings can cause severe and permanent brain damage. Nonfatal drownings can cause memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.

Parents are urged to keep an eye on children who are in the pool at all times. It is beneficial to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) so that in the event of a drowning, you can help to keep the victim alive until paramedics arrive. Make sure that no one swims alone. Always encourage the buddy system near pools.

Many residents will be boating on the open water to celebrate the long weekend. Once again, you're faced with an increased risk for injury or death. During these holiday weekends, a number of inexperienced boaters hit our waterways, serving as potential dangers to everyone. Boaters are urged to keep life vests on board for every passenger, if not for safety then because it's the law.

According to the United States Coast Guard, there were more than 4,500 boating accidents in 2010. Nearly 700 fatalities resulted from these incidents and another 3,153 injuries were sustained by boaters. These accidents cost nearly $40 million dollars in property damage.

There's no denying that there's going to be booze out on our waterways this weekend. Boaters are asked to follow the same rules as the road. Never drink and drive a boat. Always have a designated driver. Alcohol use is the number one contributing factor in fatal boating accidents as it accounted for nearly 20 percent of boating deaths.

In 2010, there were more than 12 million recreational vessels registered by the United States. This weekend there were be a significant number of boaters on the water and with cautious and alert boating habits we can help to reduce the number of serious boating accidents.

When it's the Fourth of July, there will be fireworks. Everyone is asked to follow these safety tips to help avoid firework-related injuries:

-Always have a sober designated shooter.

-Make sure the shooter is always wearing safety glasses.

-Follow all local firework rules and regulations.

-Don't allow children under the age of 12 to play with fireworks or sparklers.

-Never relight a dud firework. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then soak it in water.

-Always keep water handy. Keep it in a bucket or keep a hose near you at all times.

-Do not shoot off fireworks near houses or near trees.

According to Prevent Blindness America, there were an estimated 9,800 injuries treated in emergency rooms because of firework-related injuries in 2007 alone. Eyes are the most likely body part to be injured in one of these accidents. Contusions, lacerations and foreign bodies were the most common injuries to eyes. Men accounted for nearly 75 percent of all of these victims.

Even though children shouldn't be playing with fireworks, some residents ignore this advice and still expose them to serious danger. Of the 1,100 estimated sparkler injuries, roughly 200 were to children under the age of 5. Approximately 2,600 of these child fireworks injuries were to children under age 15.

Continue reading "Have a Safe and Fun Fourth of July Weekend From Modesto Personal Injury Attorneys " »