Modesto Injury Lawyer Blog

Later this month, Modesto will be holding its 2nd Annual Child Watch event to kick off the new school year. This is an event that's free to everyone. Children are invited to enjoy free food, a bounce house and face participating. Parents are urged to bring along a donation of school supplies in exchange for a raffle ticket for each donation. The collected donations will then be given to local schools, according to ABC 10. Parents will also be able to enter their chosen school into a raffle to receive some of the school supplies.

California Highway Patrol will be providing free child seat safety checks. Free child seats will be given to those who officers feel are in need. Children will also be provided with a free CPR class and with free digital fingerprinting. Modesto City Schools will also be addressing school bus safety to help keep kids safe from child injury in Modesto during the upcoming school year.

Our Modesto child injury attorneys understand that the new school year comes with some dangerous risks for school bus-related injuries. Parents are urged to speak with their children about bus safety before sending them off to school. There are basic safety measures that your child can practice to help avoid being involved in a school bus-related accident.

The event will be held at:

Modesto Free Will Baptist Church
225 E. Orangeburg Avenue
Modesto , Ca 95354

This year, roughly 25 million students will use the big yellow bus to get to and from school. Unfortunately, many children are injured and several killed in school bus accidents every year. It is estimated that school bus-related accidents killed more than 130 people in 2005 alone. Another 11,000 people were injured in these accidents during that same year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Of all the people injured in school bus-related accidents from 2000 through 2004, nearly 50 percent were school bus passengers, 8 percent were school bus drivers and another 41 percent were occupants of other vehicles. The rest of the injuries were sustained by pedestrians, bicyclists and other or unknown type persons.

School bus safety tips for your child, from the National Safety Council:

-While waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. Children should not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.

-Wait until the bus stops and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.

-When on the bus, find a seat, sit down and keep your voices down.

-Never put head, arms or hands out of the bus window.

-Keep the aisles clear of books and bags as they are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.

-At your stop, wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting up from your seat.

-Make sure that the driver can see you when walking near the bus.

-Wait for a signal from the driver before you cross in front of the bus.

-Stay away from the bus' back tires at all times.

Continue reading "Free Food and Entertainment to Kick Off New School Year and to Raise Awareness about Child Injury in Modesto" »

A Marin Academy student was killed after the vehicle she was riding in left the roadway during a car accident in Yosemite National Park, according to Twin Cities Times. According to Kari Cobb, a Yosemite National Park ranger, the car accident happened at about 7:15 a.m. on a stretch of Tioga Road, a well-traveled thoroughfare in the northern end of Yosemite. This area is also a popular summer destination for tourists.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the Dennison family at this very difficult and tragic time. We are here to support the family and members of the MA community in any way that we can," said Travis Brownley, Marin Academy's head of school.

Our Modesto car accident attorneys would like to warn motorists about the dangers motorists can expect to face on our roadways through this rest of this month. The beginning of August kicked off the start of the deadliest month of the year for American motorists. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, going back to 1994, concludes that more Americans die in car accidents in the month of August than during any other time of the year.

"We are all devastated by the loss of Alena Dennison," said Brownley. "She was a wonderful, vibrant young woman and a valued member of the MA community.

The vehicle involved in the accident was carrying 7 young passengers at the time of the accident. The teens had taken part in a hike the was held the night before and were returning to the Bay Area when the accident happened, the park official said.

In 2009 alone, the NHTSA says on average 93 people killed each day in U.S. traffic accidents. That's an average of one death every 16 minutes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety backs up the information by concluding that from 2005 to 2009 seven of the 25 deadliest days of the year happened in August.

The roadways are so deadly during this time of year because more people are out on our roadways, according to MSN Money. According to the NHTSA, per 100 million miles traveled, August has an average fatality rate of 1.09. September followed at a close second with a death rate of 1.09. March ranks in as the safest with a 0.94 death rate.

"A large proportion of crashes happen in late afternoon and early evening in general, but especially in August," says Russ Rader, a spokesman for the institute. That is a time when our roads fill up both with commuters and vacationers.

Who is most at risk for a fatal car accident?:

-Ages 13 to 15; typically experience 2 percent all traffic deaths.

-16 to 19, 9 percent.

-20 to 34, 31 percent.

-35 to 49, 23 percent.

-50 to 69, 22 percent.

-70 and up, 12 percent.

It's no surprise that weekends are deadlier than weekdays. Americans use weekends to get out and run extra errands, visit family members or friends and take more day trips. This is also a time when drunken driving increases.

Saturdays have the most accident-related deaths, with an average of 123 deaths each Saturday in 2009 nationwide. Sundays followed close behind in 2009, with an average of 107 deaths, followed by 102 on Fridays.

Tuesday is your safest day on our roadways as it has an average of 69 deaths occurring each Tuesday.

Remaining weekday daily death rate averages:

-Mondays, 79 deaths.

-Wednesdays, 78.

-Thursdays, 84.

Continue reading "Yosemite Teen Car Accident Kills Marin Academy Student" »