When the news broke right before New Year’s that Michael Schumacher, arguably the world’s most famous race car driver, had been seriously injured in a skiing accident it immediately focused public attention on safety and winter sports. According to numerous media reports Schumacher was skiing ‘off piste’ (a common term…
As we enter the New Year’s holiday period let me add my voice to the many out there reminding everyone to be safe and act responsibly tonight and tomorrow. Throughout the country – perhaps even the world – New Year’s Eve and the days surrounding it have a reputation for…
A new year begins on Wednesday and, with it, a collection of new laws take effect. From my perspective as Portland distracted driving lawyer one of the most important new measures involves the tightening of our state’s laws concerning texting and the use of cellphones while driving. Concerning distracted driving,…
Following up a story I wrote about earlier this month, the Associated Press reports that Washington State officials “are revoking the operating license of a Washington retirement facility after an 88-year-old woman froze to death in its courtyard earlier this month.” In the weeks since the incident new details have…
A recent issue of Inside Higher Education calls attention to a little-known battle that American consumers have been losing more and more frequently. Few of us realize the extent to which we are signing away hard-won consumer protections. Worse still, even people who are aware of the situation often find…
A story published last week in the Los Angeles Times spotlights both the help technology can offer in the fight against traumatic brain injuries, and the surprising resistance that such technology can, and does, encounter. The paper reported on a “wireless alert system” that can be placed in football helmets.…
The death of an 88-year-old Longview woman last week has raised Washington wrongful death questions and serves as a tragic reminder of the high level of responsibility we rightly expect when placing loved ones in a professional care facility. According to the (Longview) Daily News, the elderly woman “froze to…
With the holiday season now in full swing, a recent Associated Press article, republished in The Oregonian, highlighted both the importance of the Christmas tree industry to our local economy and the importance of workplace safety. The Salem-datelined piece begins with the image of 50,000 freshly cut Christmas trees stacked…
As we move through this holiday weekend here is a sobering thought about Oregon distracted driving: at any given moment during daylight hours nine percent of all drivers on the road nationwide are using cellphones, according to the National Safety Council. The Council has just released its annual analysis of…
The non-profit National Safety Council has published an excellent tip sheet to help parents prepare teen drivers for the special challenges that come with winter. Oregon car accidents can happen any time of the year, of course, but winter is different. As the website notes: “Winter conditions can challenge even…