Articles Posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents

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A 17-year old died in a one-car Salem car accident Saturday, according to local sheriff’s deputies. Authorities have not released the name of the victim, but say the wreck involved a jeep that crossed into the northbound lane of Lancaster drive before going off the road and striking a tree. Officials are still investigating the accident, but say there were no signs of braking at the scene. They do not believe alcohol was involved.

According to the Oregon DMV the state has more almost 412,000 licensed drivers between the ages of 15 and 24. Nationally, people in this age group represent only 14% of the US population, but account for nearly one-third of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries.

If you have been involved in a Portland motor vehicle accident, or an accident elsewhere in the state, you have certain responsibilities, and should seek the immediate assistance of an Oregon car accident lawyer.

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Construction site flagger John Sparks, 51, of Salem died Saturday after being run over by a dump truck. The Beaverton accidental death took place on 173rd Avenue, near Walker Road in Washington County where construction crews have been at work since July.

Witnesses said Sparks was doing his job as a traffic flagger when the dump truck backed over him. Police investigating the Oregon truck accident say it is likely Sparks was standing in the truck’s blind spot when he was hit. The driver of the truck was checked for drug or alcohol use, but a Beaverton police detective told reporters at the scene the tragic death “just looks like a freak accident.”

Sparks, an employee of Mama Jo’s Flagging, died at the scene. Residents near the work site lit candles in Sparks’ memory, and have also constructed a makeshift memorial.

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This week, the US Department of Transportation is hosting the Distracted Driving Summit. During the two-day meeting, attended by senior transportation officials, safety advocates, government officials, academics, and law enforcement representatives, attendees are expected to discuss the dangers that can arise when a motorist is texting while driving or engaged in another distracted driving habit.

Our Portland, Oregon car accident lawyers welcome the good news that lawmakers and safety officials are taking a closer look at distracted driving. About 8,000 auto accidents occur each year due to distracted driving. Distracted driving is any activity that compels a motorist to take his or her eyes off the road, the hands off the wheel, and/or focuses the mind on anything other than driving. Talking on the phone, reading, painting one’s nails, putting on makeup, text messaging, surfing the Web, and Twittering are just some examples.

Each of these harmless activities become dangerous when done while driving. The injuries that result during an Oregon motor vehicle accident can be fatal. Meantime, surviving loved ones are left to cope with the inconsolable loss of a loved one who died because someone was distracted while driving.

To get motorists to stop engaging in distracted driving, AAA and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety are calling on drivers to put away any distractions for just one week. Heads Up Driving Week will take place from October 5 – 11. The recommendation is “Try it for a week – do it for life.”

More Facts about Distracted Driving:
• Driver inattention is a factor in over 1 million North American auto accidents each year.
• Most drivers spend more than half of their driving time engaging in a secondary task.
• Using a cell phone while driving increases a driver’s crash risk by up to 4 times.
• Even though the AAA Foundation’s 2009 Traffic Safety Culture Index found that 95% of motorists now know that texting while driving is not acceptable, 18% still text or email while driving.

Throughout the state, Portland, Oregon injury attorney Matt Kaplan represents clients who were injured in car accidents, truck crashes, bicycle collisions, pedestrian accidents, and motorcycle crashes involving negligent drivers.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Agenda for Distracted Driving Summit, Department of Transportation, September 16, 2009
The Facts about Distracted Driving – Know the Dangers/Avoid the Risks, AAA Foundation.org
Related Web Resources:
Hands Free, Text Messaging, and Cell Phone Driving Laws

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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A three-vehicle crash on Highway 30 injured three people on Monday. The Oregon car accident took place around 5pm when Clatskanie resident Jeffrey Lidgett swerved his van to avoid hitting a deer. In an attempt to avoid Lidgett’s vehicle, Castle Rock driver Justin Aldrich drove onto the road’s eastbound shoulder. Another vehicle, a BMW, also tried to get onto the shoulder, but was struck by Lidgett’s van.

The driver of the BMW, Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division Captain Eric Hendricks, and his wife Nadine, sustained serious injuries from the Oregon auto accident. Hendricks had to be flown to Legacy Emanuel Hospital. His wife was also transported by air to Oregon Health Sciences University. Lidgett, who sustained non-life threatening injuries, was taken to the hospital.

Oregon State Police have been investigating the accident. The Oregon Department of Transportation reports that 2% of Oregon car accidents involve wild animals.

Motorists are expected to drive carefully at all times—even when avoiding wild animals and pets on the road. The Oregon State Police recommends that if faced with the choice of striking the animal or swerving into another vehicle, it is safer to hit the animal if stopping in time is not an option.

If you have been injured in an Oregon car accident, it is important that you are represented by a Portland, Oregon injury attorney who has the resources, manpower, and knowledge to successfully pursue your case. Not only will you need someone who knows how to examine the crash site and any accident evidence, but your car accident lawyer can deal with the insurers and push for the maximum recovery possible during settlement negotiations or in court.

Clatskanie man cited for Monday’s accident in which senior Portland policeman and wife were hurt, The Daily Astorian, September 23, 2009
Portland traffic captain, wife remain in critical condition after 3 car crash, Oregon Live, September 22, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Oregon Department of Transportation

What to do after a car accident, MSN

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Traffic was backed up for miles on Interstate 5 on Friday following an Oregon traffic accident involving several motorcycles. The riders belong to the Brother Speed outlaw motorcycle club.

The Oregon motorcycle accident happened as approximately 26 riders, traveling in the left lane and following a car, were forced to slow down because traffic ahead had slowed down. Unfortunately, several of the motorcycles collided with one another, causing a pileup on the road. A vehicle in one of the lanes also hit one of the motorcycles.

Two riders sustained critical injuries. They were flown to Portland hospitals. Seven other traffic crash victims were driven to hospitals for hip injuries, shoulder injuries, and broken bones.

With so many vehicles involved, it can be difficult to determine who was liable for causing the Oregon motorcycle collision without the help of an experienced Oregon personal injury lawyer.

Getting thrown off a motorcycle can lead to serious injuries and the rider’s helmet and protective gear are often not enough to prevent serious injury or death. Hospital expenses and rehabilitation costs for motorcycle injuries can start to add up, and a Portland, Oregon motorcycle accident lawyer can make sure that you receive your financial recovery.

Motorcycle accidents can result in broken bones, burn injuries, paralysis, other spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death.

Protective steps motorcyclists can take to avoid getting involved in traffic accidents with other motorcycles or vehicles:

• Watch out for possible hazards.
• Make sure you are visible to other drivers and riders.
• Make sure that you can see the other vehicles and pedestrians around you.
• Make sure that there is enough stopping distance between you and other vehicles. This will vary depending on how fast you are going.
• Always pay attention to the vehicles in front of and around you.
• Pass other vehicles carefully.

26 Brother Speed motorcycles crash on I-5; traffic back, Oregon Live, September 18, 2009
Multiple motorcycle accident closes I-5, Newberg Graphic, September 18, 2009
Related Web Resources:
The Hurt Report

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

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As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs from September 12 – September 18, 2009, parents and caregivers can go to one of many free safety seat inspection stations located throughout Oregon (see link below) to get their child safety seats checked. The inspection allows trained passenger safety technicians to make sure that you are using the correct seat for your child’s size and that the seat is correctly installed in your vehicle.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the child safety seat use is at its highest rate ever, 75% of the safety restraint devices are not being used correctly. This can be very dangerous for the child, who can get seriously hurt or die in a Portland, Oregon car accident without a properly fitting, or fitted, child car safety seat.

Of course, there are also the child injuries and deaths that can occur during motor vehicle crashes because a child car safety seat was defectively designed or product flaws occurred during the manufacture process. Over the last several years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has had to recall child safety seats when these flaws have proved too dangerous that lives are at risk.

Some examples of child car safety seat defects that may lead to products liability lawsuits involving injuries to minors:

• Defective plastic shells
• Harness defects
• Design flaws involving the buckle or latch
• Failure to warn of possible hazards
• Inadequate instructions
It is devastating for a parent to have his or her child suffer serious injuries in any kind of Oregon auto accident. It can be even more upsetting to know that those injuries could have prevented if only your son or daughter had been properly protected by a child car safety seat, a booster seat, a seat belt, or another safety restraint system.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Launches Child Passenger Safety Week, NHTSA, September 10, 2009
Related Web Resources:
National Child Passenger Safety Week

Child Safety Inspection Stations in Oregon offering free inspections this week

Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2009, American Academy of Pediatrics

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In Multnomah County Circuit Court, Jack Alvord pleaded guilty to reckless driving, drunk driving, and third-degree assault in the Portland, Oregon pedestrian crash that seriously injured 51-year-old Norman Larkin, who is blind. Alvord, 61, pleaded no contest to hit-and-run driving. Yesterday, a judge sentenced Alvord to 22 months in prison.

Larkin broke his pelvis and legs during the Oregon traffic accident that took place on February 7. Alvord’s car drove onto the sidewalk, struck Larkin, and pinned him against a utility pole. 14 people saw the catastrophic pedestrian crash.

Some of the witnesses followed Alvord and boxed him in so he couldn’t get away. His blood-alcohol level was more than four times the drunk driving limit at .3%.

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A dump truck accident on Oregon 18 has claimed the life of a 16-year-old Yamhill girl, while seriously injuring her father. Now, Heather Ann Snyder’s family is left to deal with her loss, as well as with the challenges of helping her father, Frank D. Snyder, recover from his injuries while facing a life without his daughter.

On August 25, the two of them were crossing the Intersection of Lafayette Highway and Highway 18 in their Toyota Camry—the teenager was driving—when the vehicle was struck by a dump truck that was pulling a dump trailer carrying a full load.

The driver of the dump truck was 65-year-old Sheridan resident Roger Dean Wise. Wise reportedly tried to prevent the Oregon truck accident from happening by braking hard and steering left. Unfortunately, his large truck struck the driver side of the Camry.

Heather Ann was pronounced dead at the crash site. Her 47-year-old father had to be flown to Oregon Health Sciences University. Wise was not injured in the Yamhill, Oregon truck collision.

2008 Oregon Truck Facts (Oregon.gov)
• 1,261 truck accidents
• The truck was at-fault in 688 of these collisions
• 633 truck crashes can be attributed to the truck driver
• 35 truck crashes were caused by mechanical challenges
• 498 Oregon truck accident deaths
The sooner you report your Oregon truck accident, the faster your Portland, Oregon truck crash lawyer can send someone to examine the collision evidence as soon as possible. Truck logs will need to be obtained, and your injuries will have to be evaluated to determine the likely cost of recovery.

Most trucking firms are equipped to combat personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits brought by Oregon truck accident plaintiffs. This is why you need someone working for you who will protect your right to financial recovery.

Teen dies in Yamhill County accident, KGW, August 26, 2009
Truck-at-fault crashes decline in 2008, Oregon.gov

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With the new school year beginning to get under way, it is important that motorists remember to watch out for child bicyclists as well as young pedestrians. Injuries sustained by a person during any motor vehicle crash can be serious. They can be especially detrimental to a young boy or girl who is completely unprotected, except for his or her protective gear, from the impact of colliding with a car, a truck, a van, an SUV, or a bus. Unfortunately, Portland, Oregon bicycle accidents resulting in injuries children do happen—especially during the school year.

Per a study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, bicycle-related injuries involving children and adolescents in the United States are greater public health concern than previously thought:

Per the study’s findings:

• Over 50% of the 85 million US bicycle riders are minors.
• Some $200 million in hospital inpatient charges a year are a result of bicycle injuries involving people younger than age 20.
• Bicycle riding is also the child recreational sport that results in the largest number of emergency room visits.
• Some 10,700 kids are hospitalized each year for an average of three days because of their bicycle-related injuries.
• Motor vehicles are a factor in about 30% of bicycle-related hospital stays.
• 1/3 of kids with a bicycle injury serious enough to require hospitalization had sustained a traumatic brain injury.

The study was published in Injury Prevention’s October 2007 issue.

If your child is going to ride a bicycle, it is important that you teach him or her the proper safety precautions to avoid getting involved in an Oregon bicycle accident. Safety measures include:

• Using a helmet.
• Wearing clothing that is close fitting and allows for easy visibility.
• Knowing the traffic laws.
• Staying on the right side of the road even as you flow with traffic.
• Watching the vehicles around you.
• Paying attention.
• Signaling when making turns.
• Making sure that the bike is properly maintained.

In many cases, a bicyclist will get involved in a collision with a motor vehicle because a motorist or another party was negligent. This can cause catastrophic injuries to the minor or adult bicyclist.

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Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in the Portland, Oregon truck accident lawsuit against C.R. England and truck driver Jesus Nieves Olivares. The trucker was transporting a trailer loaded with bananas in late 2005 when he ran a red light and struck the Ford Escort Station wagon driven by Marjorie Dunn.

The 85-year-old woman sustained serious injuries from the accident and Dunn would go on to sue Nieves Olivares and the trucking company for Portland, Oregon personal injury. Following Dunn’s death from cancer, her daughter, Andrea Lister, pursued the truck accident case against the defendants. The complaint accuses the defendants of gross negligence.

C.R. England Inc. considers itself the biggest refrigerated trucking company in the US. Lister says C.R. England ignored Nieves Olivares’s inexperience as a truck driver, his criminal record (for murder), and his history of drug use. She also contends after determining that Nieves Olivare met the minimum hiring requirements, the trucking company hired him, provided him with just a few weeks training, and then put him to work.

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50 SW Pine St 3rd Floor Portland, OR 97204 Telephone: (503) 226-3844 Fax: (503) 943-6670 Email: matthew@mdkaplanlaw.com
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