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Richmond Personal Injury Law Firm Supports Tougher Virginia Distracted Driving Laws

Richmond Personal Injury Law Firm Supports Tougher Virginia Distracted Driving Laws

Richmond, VA (PRWEB) July 28, 2011

The Virginia personal injury lawyers of Marks & Harrison say the state’s lawmakers should take a close look at a recent Governors Highway Safety Association report and consider strengthening the state’s distracted driving laws.

The comprehensive GHSA report features a review of 350 scientific studies on distracted driving. The report concludes that cell phone use increases the risk of motor vehicle crashes, and that texting “likely increases crash risk more than cell phone use.”

The GHSA is non-profit organization comprised of highway safety officials from across the country. The State Farm insurance company provided a grant to support the distracted driving report, which the GHSA released earlier this month.

Marks & Harrison is a Virginia personal injury law firm, with its headquarters in Richmond and offices across the state. The firm represents accident and injury victims, including those harmed by negligent and reckless individuals in automobile accidents.

The firm has long supported tougher Virginia distracted driving laws, such as:

Making texting while driving a primary offense. Virginia is one of only three states with laws that make texting behind the wheel a secondary offense. This means a driver cannot be ticketed for texting unless they have been pulled over for some other traffic violation, such as speeding, running a red light or drunk driving.

Banning the use of both hands-free and hand-held cell phones for all drivers. Current Virginia law prohibits only drivers under age 18 and school bus drivers from talking on cell phones behind the wheel.

Although there are many different forms of distracted driving, such as eating, drinking, talking with passengers or playing with a radio, texting and cell phone use are considered the most alarming. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, texting or talking on a cell phone involves all three of the main types of distraction – visual, manual and cognitive.

Despite the public safety risks associated with texting, Virginia lawmakers rejected several measures introduced during the most recent legislative session, including bills that would have raised texting while driving to a primary offense and banned the use of hand-held cell phones by all drivers.

Marks & Harrison is hopeful that the GHSA report will be reviewed by lawmakers and spur calls for change in the next legislative session.

In the meantime, the law firm will continue to stand up for the rights of injured motorists to hold distracted drivers accountable and work on securing compensation for those who suffer property damage, bodily injury and wrongful death from negligent and reckless driving.

About Marks & Harrison

Established in 1911, Marks & Harrison represents clients in a variety of practice areas, including personal injury, wrongful death, car accidents, tractor trailer accidents, motorcycle accidents, alcohol/drug-related accidents and pedestrian injuries. The firm features offices located in the Virginia cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Louisa, Charlottesville, Tappahannock, Hopewell, Staunton and Fredericksburg. To learn more about the firm and its car accident attorneys, call (800) 283-2202 or use the firm’s online form.

http://www.marksandharrison.com/car-accidents.asp

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New North Carolina DWI Law Dramatically Increases Punishments for Drunk Drivers

New North Carolina DWI Law Dramatically Increases Punishments for Drunk Drivers

Raleigh Criminal Lawyer Damon Chetson

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) July 31, 2011

A recent bill signed into law by Governor Bev Perdue dramatically expands punishments for people convicted of Driving While Impaired (DWI) in North Carolina.

The law – called Laura’s Law – increases punishments for DWI offenders in North Carolina by adding a new level of punishment called Aggravated Level One.

Under the law, a person who is convicted of a North Carolina DWI and who has three or more grossly aggravating factors is sentenced as an Aggravated Level One.

Aggravated Level One imposes punishments of up to three years in prison and up to $ 10,000 in fines, in addition to other punishments including post-release supervision which requires complete abstenance from alcohol consumption.

In addition, the new law imposes other penalties. As of December 1, 2011, the new law requires a judge to impose Level One punishment for someone who has been convicted with a DWI and who has a companion in the car under the age of 18.

“These punishment enhancements are quite severe,” says Raleigh criminal lawyer Damon Chetson. “For instance, a young person who is convicted of a DWI and has a 17-year-old friend in the car at the time of the DWI will be sentenced as a Level One.”

Level One punishments require at least 30 days in jail as a special condition of probation.

“It’s clear that the North Carolina General Assembly is taking a hard line against drunk driving,” adds Mr. Chetson. “It’s also clear that someone charged with a DWI needs to find a good attorney to help defend against these charges.”

Since the 1990s, North Carolina has progressively increased punishments and toughened its DWI laws. In addition, many District Attorneys have policies against dropping charged DWIs.

“Even marginal or weak DWI cases are headed for trial in many counties,” Raleigh DWI lawyer Damon Chetson notes. “Most DAs simply refuse to drop or dismiss DWIs, which makes these new punishment enhancements all the more problematic for defendants.”

The changes to the laws are set to go into effect December 1, 2011, and would apply to any DWI committed on or after that date.

There are many other changes to a law. Mr. Chetson recommends consulting with a criminal defense lawyer about your case before making decisions about how to proceed.

Disclaimer: While The Chetson Firm works hard to achieve the best possible results in every case it handles, no outcome can be guaranteed. Past results do not guarantee future results. Each case is different. If you are facing a criminal investigation or arrest, seek the immediate assistance of a criminal lawyer licensed in your state. The Chetson Firm’s lawyers are licensed to practice in the state courts of North Carolina and in the federal courts of the Eastern District of North Carolina.

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Stephen Estey Given ?Top 10 Attorney? Status from San Diego Daily Transcript

Stephen Estey Given “Top 10 Attorney” Status from San Diego Daily Transcript

Stephen Estey secured one of the top 100 largest verdicts of 2010 with his winning of the John Doe v. Eastfield Ming Quong, Inc. case.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 01, 2011

Stephen Estey, founding partner of ESTEY BOMBERGER, has been awarded a “Top Attorney” designation for 2011 from the San Diego Daily Transcript. Estey was selected in the Personal Injury Law category, and was one of ten attorneys selected in the personal injury category. The Daily Transcript’s “Top Attorney” designation is based on a peer review voting process to determine the most qualified attorneys in San Diego County private, corporate, academic and government practice.

During his nearly 20 years of practicing law, Stephen Estey has received numerous accolades for his work. In 2010, Estey was selected by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the 100 Top Trial Attorneys in the State of California. A graduate of California Western School of Law, Estey has received an AV-Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and was selected to the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 San Diego Super Lawyers, an honor bestowed on only 5% of attorneys each year.

In the last 12 months, Estey’s successes include a $ 30 million verdict for sexual abuse a child endured for four years at the hand of his foster father, resulting from the negligence of a private foster company licensed supervise and monitor the foster home by the state of California The verdict was handed down by a Santa Clara County, CA jury in August, 2010 (Case No. 106CV070642). Other recent successes include a $ 6 million drunk driving accident settlement, a $ 2.3 million car accident settlement, and a $ 800,000 arbitration award for an injured cruise ship employee.

“Steve is a valuable asset to our team, and more importantly, to the clients he represents, said partner Mike Bomberger. “His skills are rivaled only by the dedication and effort he puts into each case.”

Estey and his team of San Diego personal injury attorneys have actively and exclusively represented victims of serious personal injury and wrongful death in San Diego and throughout California. The lawyers have won numerous catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog attacks, work-related injuries and dangerous and defective products. To learn more, visit http://www.estey-bomberger.com or http://www.sandiegopersonalinjuryattorneyblog.com.

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Atlanta DUI Accident Attorney Hails Georgia Supreme Court Decision

Atlanta DUI Accident Attorney Hails Georgia Supreme Court Decision

Atlanta personal injury lawyer Bruce Millar

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) August 02, 2011

A store can be held accountable for any harm that results from selling alcohol to a noticeably drunk driver, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled earlier this month.

Atlanta personal injury lawyer Bruce R. Millar says the July 5 decision in the case, Flores, et al. v. Exprezit! Stores 98-Georgia, et al. (S10G1652), will help Georgia residents who have been injured by an intoxicated driver or lost a loved one in a DUI accident.

His Atlanta personal injury law firm, Millar & Mixon, LLC, has secured numerous substantial verdicts and settlements for drunk-driving accident victims and their families throughout the state of Georgia. The law firm was not involved in the Flores case but followed it closely because of its potential impact on Georgia accident victims’ rights, Millar says.

“Under Georgia’s dram shop law, drunk-driving accident victims can seek the compensation they deserve from not only the drunk driver, but also the person or business that recklessly or negligently provided the alcohol to the driver,” Millar says.

“This decision makes it clear that the law doesn’t apply only to bars or restaurants that sell alcohol to customers who are drinking at the establishment, but it also applies to any grocery store or convenience store that knowingly sells the alcohol to a person who is drunk and will soon be driving away and endangering others on the road.”

According to the Flores opinion, the driver pulled up to a Clinch County convenience store and bought a closed 12-pack of beer while noticeably intoxicated. The driver and a passenger drove off, drank the beer and smashed head on to a van four hours later, the opinion says.

Six people, including the drunk driver, died in the crash. Three others received serious bodily injury, including a 6-year-old girl whose family brought the dram shop claim against the store.

The trial court and Georgia Court of Appeals ruled against the girl’s family. The Supreme Court reversed. In the decision, the high court said it was clear that the dram shop law “was intended to encompass the sale of an alcoholic beverage at places other than the proverbial dram shop.”

“A store clerk, just as much as a bartender or waiter, has the opportunity to see whether a customer is drunk or whether they are going to drive away,” Millar says. “It’s logical that the store should have to face the same consequences as a bar or restaurant if they sell beer, wine or liquor to that person.”

Millar says Georgia’s dram shop law plays a crucial role in making sure drunk-driving victims and their families receive proper compensation. Those funds can pay for their medical expenses, funeral costs, lost wages and pain and suffering, he says. Punitive damages, which are aimed at discouraging and punishing drunk drivers, can also be recovered.

The Atlanta law firm recently secured more than $ 1.7 million for the family of a DUI accident victim in a case brought against the driver and the tavern that had served the driver. (Gordon v. Butler, et al., Superior Court of Henry County, Georgia, No. 09 CV 3230A.)

“Each case depends on the facts,” Millar says. “Our law firm closely investigates each case in order to determine how a car accident occurred and who is responsible for it.

“Above all, we are passionate about standing up to drunk drivers, bars, restaurants and stores – and their insurance companies – in order to protect the rights of their victims.”

About Millar & Mixon, LLC

The Atlanta personal injury law firm of Millar & Mixon, LLC, represents persons injured in car, truck, motorcycle, bus and other motor vehicle accidents. The firm also handles DUI cases, slip and fall injuries and animal attacks and bites, among other personal injury claims. Since 1993, Atlanta attorney Bruce Millar has obtained judgments and settlements exceeding $ 60 million for his clients.

The firm represents Georgia accident and injury clients throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area and the state of Georgia, including Jonesboro, East Point, North Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Forest Park, College Park, Decatur, Roswell, Marietta, Peachtree City, Fayetteville and Riverdale. For more information, call (877) 475-7015 or contact the firm through its online form.

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105/365 At The Drive Thru

Check out these driving drunk images:

105/365 At The Drive Thru


Image by Theophilus Photography
Guess you can see what we had for dinner tonight. I got home and poured my entire drink on the carpet. Oh well.

don’t drink and fly


Image by theloushe

Nice Driving Drunk photos

Check out these driving drunk images:

Drinking and driving – no little problem.


Image by swirlingthoughts

Estonia – Energy drinks


Image by One From RM
When you drive through Estonia and tend to doze off, here it comes: "HUSTLER" the energy drink for the real man…

Texas Trucking Accident Attorney Says Roadcheck 2011 Reveals Truck Driver Fatigue Problem

Texas Trucking Accident Attorney Says Roadcheck 2011 Reveals Truck Driver Fatigue Problem

East Texas personal injury lawyer Randy Roberts

Tyler, TX (PRWEB) August 03, 2011

The good news: The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance recently reported that its Roadcheck 2011 had the lowest out-of-service rates since the commercial motor carrier safety program began in 1988.

The bad news: The overwhelming number of driver violations uncovered during the three-day event involved hours-of-service regulations, which are supposed to reduce fatigued truck driving.

“It amazes me when the trucking industry denies there is any widespread problem with drowsy driving,” says Randell C. “Randy” Roberts, a board-certified East Texas personal injury attorney. “If you look at these results, it’s clear that there is, indeed, a very serious problem with drivers spending too much time on the road. If we can’t rely on commercial carriers to act on their own to fix it, then we need new rules that will force them to address it.”

Law enforcement officials in Mexico and Canada partnered with the U.S. during the recent Roadcheck 2011, which was held June 7-9 at 2,550 locations across North America. According to the CVSA, 16 trucks or buses were inspected, on average, every minute for 72 hours by a certified inspector from the CVSA or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, resulting in 70,712 inspections.

Inspectors checked commercial driver’s licenses, medical exam certificates and record-of-duty status as well as brakes, tires, lights, load security and other major safety components. The CVSA reports that 95.8 percent of the drivers passed their inspections, while 80.7 percent of the buses, trucks, 18-wheelers and tractor-trailers passed.

However, among the drivers who were pulled out of service, more than half (52.5 percent) had violated the FMCSA’s hours-of-service rules, which are intended to keep fatigued truck drivers off the road. Only 14 percent of the drivers inspected were using electronic on-board recorders, or EOBRs, which are designed to ensure that truck drivers properly log the hours they spend behind the wheel.

“The longer a trucker is on the road, the higher the risk of accidents, injuries and deaths caused by tired driving,” says Roberts, whose East Texas personal injury law firm, Roberts & Roberts, has been recognized by Time, Newsweek, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and other national media outlets for its work on behalf of its clients.

Roberts, who has recovered substantial verdicts and settlements on behalf of numerous accident victims and their families, says the Roadcheck results show the need for tighter hours-of-service regulations and a mandatory EOBR requirement.

The FMCSA currently is considering proposed rules changes that would reduce driver hours and require that EOBRs be installed in certain types of commercial motor vehicles.

The East Texas trucking accident lawyer points out that, in a recent Wall Street Journal article, an official from the Virginia-based American Trucking Association trade group dismissed the proposed hours-of-service rules as “solutions looking for a problem.”

“With stronger rules and enforcement tools in place, the trucking industry would be forced to deal with this serious public safety issue,” Roberts says.

“It’s also important to take legal action if you or a loved one has been harmed by a negligent trucker or trucking company,” he says. “By holding careless members of the trucking industry accountable for their wrongful conduct, you not only secure compensation for the losses you’ve suffered, but you also help to improve trucking safety for everyone.”

About Roberts & Roberts

Roberts & Roberts is a nationally recognized East Texas personal injury law firm that assists clients in bodily injury and wrongful death claims resulting from drunk drivers, auto accidents, auto defects, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents and oilfield injuries as well as accidents resulting from dangerous or defective products and unsafe equipment. The firm serves clients throughout Texas and the United States, including the communities of Tyler, Waco, Beaumont, Lufkin, Texarkana and Longview. Several Roberts & Roberts’ attorneys are board certified in personal injury or civil trial law. The firm also holds the highest rating (AV) from the Martindale-Hubbell Attorney Rating Service and is included in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. To learn more, call (800) 248-6000 or use the firm’s online contact form.

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Taxi Driver

Set in sixties of Mumbai the film is directed by Chetan Anand and stars his brother Dev Anand Kalpana Kartik and Johnny Walker. Anand while rescuing a damsel Mala is attracted to her. As he plans to confess his love to Mala she gets to know about his previous girlfriend. Will Anand ever get a chance to profess his love to Mala. Watch this movie to know more.

Save Your Car ? Save Your Life: Getting Defensive About Safe Driving

Save Your Car – Save Your Life: Getting Defensive About Safe Driving

VEHICLE STARS

(PRWEB) August 04, 2011

Vehicle Stars this week announces a list of simple tips that every motorist should keep in mind when taking to the road – each is a potential life saver.

Vehicestars.com 2011 safe driving tip sheet

The first step is the need to accept that accidents don’t happen, they are caused. Put simply, there are no automotive “accidents” – there are collisions or crashes. It may seem like hair splitting, but the word accident implies luck, rather than an individual, is to blame.

Realizing there are a lot of bad drivers out there is a key factor in improving one’s own driving. In the first instance, by learning from their mistakes.

The US-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states the top six causes of collision are:

1. Distracted drivers: the most dangerous activity is reaching for a moving object inside the car, followed by cell phone use

2. Fatigue: being over-tired slows reaction and depth perception

3. Drunk driving: alcohol makes people disorientated and confused, and there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel in this state

4. Speeding: the higher the speed, the longer it takes to stop

5. Aggressive driving: a loss of self-control, and also of complete control of the vehicle

6. Weather: usually it’s a case of driving too fast for the conditions

Given that most automotive collisions are entirely avoidable, and that most are due to a very limited list of factors, the first step is to avoid getting behind the wheel in a state of mind that would lead to a dangerous situation. In other words, drivers should be calm and alert before starting out, and stay this way out on the road.

But drivers can do more. It’s called defensive driving and it’s the art of avoiding all those dangerously distracted drivers out there. It is about being aware and ready to take action.

Top defensive driving tips are:

●    Mental approach: drivers must realize that fellow road users are likely to do something stupid at any moment, so keep a distance (i.e. let aggressive, speeding drivers get ahead of you, where you can see them better)

●    Awareness: constantly check mirrors and scan the road well ahead, lookout for potential hazards. Anticipate.

●    Trust no one: drivers should not assume other drivers will notice them, especially when merging or even pulling up at a red light

●    Escape plan: drivers must position their vehicles where they can see and be seen, and also have space to move into if they need to get out of danger at short notice

●    Keep a distance: the greater the space in front, the more thinking time – and stopping ability.

●    Evaluate the risks: there will be more than one risk factor when on the roads, drivers should keep them all in mind – attention may be drawn to the aggressive driver rather than the motorist using the cell phone, but both are a threat.

According to Transport Canada, each year 2,900 people are killed and more than 220,000 are seriously injured on the nation’s roads. Motorists that are aware of their fellow road users and anticipate dangers around them are many, many times less likely to end up in these statistics.

VehicleStars.com is the online solution for quick, private auto sales – connecting hundreds of people every day to buy or sell all types of quality used vehicles. The company’s platform and up-to-the-minute database offers a wide and detailed choice of autos, trucks and other vehicles for sale in all categories and available in buyers’ local areas. In addition, this legitimate, secure service ensures fairness for advertiser and buyer while helping all to avoid on-line auto scams – as the company verifies accuracy of all postings through extensive referencing on CarFax.com and Kelleybluebook.com. Experienced agents assist sellers in determining an equitable sale price, along with an estimated sales time based on historical data. To help facilitate deals, important links and key relationships with the industry’s best finance agencies help buyers to secure vehicle financing and loans. Facebook, Walmart.com, Myspace, Twitter and AOL are among the company’s affiliate sites.

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Boyce Avenue – Kina Grannis – Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) Lyrics and Photos

CHECK OUT SOME MUSIC COVERS HERE: youtube.com Lyrics: You got a fast car I want a ticket to anywhere Maybe we make a deal Maybe together we can get somewhere Anyplace is better Starting from zero Got nothing to lose Maybe we’ll make something Me Myself I got nothing to prove You got a fast car I got a plan to get us out of here I been working at the convenience store Managed to save just a little bit of money Won’t have to drive too far Just ‘cross the border and into the city You and I can both get jobs and finally see what it means to be living You see my old man’s got a problem He lives with the bottle That’s the way it is He says his body’s too old for working His body’s too young to look like his My mama went off and left him She wanted more from life than he could give I said somebody’s got to take care of him So I quit school and that’s what I did You got a fast car Is it fast enough so we can fly away We gotta make a decision Leave tonight or live and die this way So remember when were driving driving in your car The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk City lights lay out before us And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder And I had a feeling that I belonged And I had feeling I could be someone Be someone Be someone You got a fast car We go cruising to entertain ourselves You still ain’t got a job and I work in a market as a check-out girl I know things will get better You’ll find work and I’ll get promoted We’ll move out of the shelter Buy a bigger …
Video Rating: 4 / 5