Personal Injury Law Blog

CHINA – A study performed by researchers at Chang’an University in Xi’an, China, looked into tankers transporting hazardous materials (hazmat) in China and found that the industry needs some safety improvements. The study, published online on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website, analyzed several years of data from accidents involving hazmat tanker trucks in China.*

UNITED STATES – Teenage drivers are much more likely than adults to engage in behaviors that lead to serious car crashes, according to an online article at FOX41YAKIMA.com*

JACKSONVILLE, FL. – Florida officials have discovered that a fair ride involved in a 2018 injury incident was a “knock-off,” according to a news report on NEWS4JAX.com. During investigation of the incident, which injured seven people, state investigators found out that the claimed manufacturer did not actually make the ride.*

UNITED STATES – A congressman from New Jersey, Representative Josh Gottheimer, is seeking to make seat belts mandatory for all school buses under federal law, according to  FOX17.com.*

MEMPHIS, TN – A man's Tesla reportedly slammed into his garage after overriding the manual driver commands, according to an online news report published on AUTOEVOLUTION.com.*

ALABAMA - Over 6,000 pedestrians tragically died on American roadways in 2018, according to ABC3340.com. Pedestrian fatalities now account for around seventeen percent of all traffic-related fatalities. The rise in pedestrian deaths is higher in Alabama than the national average. The state ranks seventh out of all states in pedestrian fatalities.*

ATLANTA, GA. – Residents of Atlanta, Georgia, are expressing concern about safety at the crossing of Interstate 285 and Roosevelt Highway, according to CBS46.com. This intersection is located in South Fulton, and people who live in the area say that accidents have been on the rise.*

UNITED STATES – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging states to pass bicycle helmet laws, as the agency is reporting a rise in deadly bicycle accidents in the country, according to an online news story reported by WSOCTV.com. Not all states have mandatory helmet laws for riders of all ages, including North Carolina and South Carolina.*

UNITED STATES – According to a news story posted online by businessinsider.com, a whistleblower complaint has been filed against Boeing detailing alleged faulty oxygen systems in the 787 Dreamliner. The complaint comes on the heels of intense scrutiny over Boeing’s 737 MAX line of airplanes, two of which crashed on flights in other countries.*

GEORGIA – The Georgia Department of Transportation and Scholastic, a worldwide publishing company for children that produces educational materials, have teamed up to offer a safe driving initiative to students in the state, according to a news story posted online at WRCBTV.com.

MACON, GA – Roadway deaths have decreased while pedestrian accidents are increasing, according to an online news report at 41NBC.com. A report by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) indicates that 2018 had 913 less deaths than in 2017.  

USA - Technology used in modern vehicles is continuously improving and changing the way we drive. However, as technology advances, the federal tests to determine whether a car is safe have failed to keep up, according to CBS17.com. 

UNITED STATES – Automobile cases against Amazon's delivery network can be quite complex, according to Buzzfeed News and AUTOBLOG.com.  Over the past few years, Amazon has chosen at times to use independent delivery startup companies rather than FedEx, UPS and the United States Postal Service. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you likely enjoy free shipping on thousands of products, and also, the quick delivery turnaround that this membership offers.  In most circumstances, products arrive within two days, however, more and more products show up at Prime members’ doors within a day.

South Carolina- Over 900 cyclists died on South Carolina roads within the last six years, according to POSTANDCOURIER.com. The death toll has made South Carolina one of the deadliest places to be a pedestrian or cyclist in the United States.*

TEXAS – Texas is the third highest in the nation for vehicle-pedestrian deaths, according to an online news report published on CHRON.com.  The Governors Highway Safety Association put together the Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State report using preliminary data comparing a six-month period in 2017 to a six month period in 2018.  The results indicated that Texas had an increase in pedestrian deaths.

GEORGIA – Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers who engage in distracting behaviors such as talking on a cellphone are four times more likely to be involved in an accident than motorists who are paying attention when behind the wheel, according to an online editorial published on WTVM.com.   Even more disturbing is the fact that the chances of a collision are 23 percent higher when a motorist is texting or emailing while driving.  

UNITED STATES – According to an online news report published on USA.StreetsBlog.org, three members of Congress proposed providing cities in the U.S. several billion dollars in federal transportation funds to increase roadway safety, given that that the number of bicyclist and pedestrian deaths have reached an all-time high since 1990.*

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – A report from an Indonesian investigation into the 2018 plane crash of Indonesian budget airline Lion Air states that a multitude of factors caused the horrific tragedy that occurred just thirteen minutes after takeoff, according to an online news article published by BAYNEWS9.com. These factors included issues with the design of the Boeing 737 MAX plane, issues with pilot training, and issues with maintenance on the plane.*

UNITED STATES – According to an online news report at usa.streetsblog.org, fatal automobile accidents have decreased for the second year in a row across the United States.  However, the amount of pedestrians and bicyclists who have been killed have increased again, which demonstrates that vehicles are becoming safer only for individuals inside of them.*

Riskiest Cities for Drivers

USA- Opelika-Auburn News (Oanow.com) reports that cities are not created equal when it comes to the chances of being involved in a traffic accident.  Across the United States, the average driver is involved in a collision approximately once in every 10.6 years but this statistic can vary significantly depending on where a person lives. For example, the average person is in a collision every 14.9 years in Brownsville, TX and every 4.2 years in Baltimore, Maryland.