Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLCStamford Personal Injury Lawyer | Norwalk Car Accident Attorney | Stamford Workers' Compensation Law Firm2023-12-13T05:28:13Zhttps://www.infolaw.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1101311/2019/05/apple-touch-icon-75x75.pngby Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=495082021-04-28T17:00:11Z2021-04-28T17:00:11Zteam of researchers designed a study that would carefully monitor novice male drivers and the impact different types of listening experiences have upon their safety. They studied 85 drivers who would each take six challenging 40-minute trips:
Two trips would include music from their own personal playlists
Two trips would include background music designed to foster driver safety
Two trips would not include music of any kind
On each trip, the young drivers were accompanied by a researcher/driving instructor who would monitor their attention and reaction time. The results were shocking.
While listening to music of their own choosing, nearly all the study participants (98%) exhibited an average of three deficient driving behaviors in at least one of the trips. 32% of those drivers required a sudden verbal warning or command for action from the instructor. Shockingly, 20% of the drivers needed an assisted steering or braking maneuver from the instructor to prevent an imminent accident.
During these trips, the recorded errors could include distance miscalculation, inaccuracy, aggressiveness and violations of traffic rules. The researchers/driving instructors were required to provide verbal or physical interaction when drivers exhibited behaviors such as speeding, tailgating, careless lane switching, inappropriate passing and one-handed driving.
Distracted driving can lead to devastating collisions and catastrophic injuries. Vehicle occupants can suffer broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord damage, paralysis and amputation. If you were in a collision caused by a negligent or inattentive driver, it is wise to explore your options for monetary compensation.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=495072021-04-22T01:04:19Z2021-04-22T01:04:19Zin an accident. In addition, the small size of their bikes often makes them difficult for motorists to see. However, these factors do no absolve motorists from also having a role in accident avoidance.
SUV collides with motorcycle in New Haven
One can see the devastating results of a motorist failing to fulfill this role in the outcome of a recent accident in New Haven. According to WTNH.com, local authorities responded to a call of a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle on Whalley Avenue and East Ramsdale Street. They arrived to find the motorcyclist involved in serious condition. Despite caretakers' efforts at a local hospital, he died from injuries suffered in the accident. Alcohol apparently played a role in the accident, evidenced by authorities charging the driver of the SUV for driving under the influence.
Civil liability alongside criminal justice
One might think that in a case such as this (where the party responsible for an accident faces criminal charges stemming from it), those affected must wait until criminal proceedings play out before they can seek a liability claim. Yet law enforcement officials understand that an accident victim's expenses often will not wait for a criminal case's resolution. Thus, civil and criminal cases related to the same matter can occur simultaneously.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493742021-04-02T20:23:24Z2021-04-02T20:23:17ZDrive with caution
According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, driving with care when sharing the road with bicycles may help motorists avoid potentially serious or fatal collisions. To this end, drivers may keep watch for bicycles, slow down when coming upon cyclists, and allow cyclists extra time and space at intersections and when faced with road hazards.
Think of bikes as vehicles
When sharing the road with bicyclists, drivers may find it helpful to think of bikes as other vehicles on the roads. For instance, this may include allowing them the appropriate right of way and anticipating them to follow the rules of the road and traffic signs and signals.
Practice safe passing
Taking certain precautions when passing bicycles may help drivers prevent accidents. For example, motorists may ensure they have safe road and traffic conditions before passing a bicycle. Additionally, drivers should make sure to check over their shoulders before moving back into the original lane when passing a cyclist on the road. Connecticut state law requires drivers passing cyclists to allow a three-foot space between their vehicles and the bicycles.
Should collisions involving vehicles and bicycles occur, the cyclists may pursue legal action against the drivers involved to recover compensation for their injury-associated losses.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493692023-08-14T08:22:21Z2021-03-25T17:29:55Zbrain processes information.
Looked-but-failed-to-see crashes
The most common type of crash is the looked-but-failed-to-see. As the name says, the collision happens when the driver looks directly at the motorcycle and then pulls out in front of it anyway.
Similar results held true for a test involving photographs. Researchers showed participants images of common driving situations. In the last picture, the image contained either a taxi or a motorcycle. Afterward, when asked if they noticed the object, 31% of the taxi group did not see it; however, 65% of the motorcycle group failed to see it.
Inattentional blindness
Several factors contribute to the inattentional blindness phenomenon that causes LBFTS crashes. One is the way the brain filters out information to prevent overstimulation. It does not register the things it does not expect.
Motolight explains that another contributor to inattentional blindness has to do with perception processes. Cars and trucks become larger as they get closer, and most drivers are able to judge the speed based on the size. Because motorcycles are smaller, they look farther away, so it is easy to misjudge both the speed and the distance.
With this understanding of the science behind the phenomenon, the need to consciously look for motorcycles should be obvious. Riding a motorcycle does not have to be dangerous.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493602021-03-09T02:44:56Z2021-03-09T02:44:50Z20% of drivers report having fallen asleep behind the wheel in a recent one-year period. More than 40% of surveyed drivers said they had fallen asleep at some time in the past.
Clearly, if you are not alert enough to maintain control of your vehicle, you are in danger of having a serious accident that may result in life-altering injuries. Here are three tell-tale signs you may be too drowsy to drive safely.
1. Irregular blinking
Your body has a few ways to tell you it needs rest. Frequent and irregular blinking are two of them. If you are blinking more or less than usual, it is probably time to stop your vehicle and take a nap. This is especially true if yawning accompanies your changes in blinking.
2. Memory difficulties
If you cannot seem to remember some of your trip, you may be experiencing fatigue or may have even fallen asleep behind the wheel. Likewise, if you miss a turn, forget directions or have other memory difficulties, you may no longer be a safe driver due to a lack of rest.
3. Unsafe driving
To keep yourself and others safe, you must maintain your lane. If you drive over a shoulder rumble strip, drift into a different lane, blow through a stop sign or unintentionally engage in other unsafe driving behaviors, drowsiness may be to blame.
It is not only your responsibility to drive safely, of course. If another driver’s drowsiness causes a collision that injures you, you may be eligible for financial compensation to help you recover from the crash and move on with your life.
]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493552021-03-03T19:09:14Z2021-03-04T19:08:48ZIncreasing frequency of drowsy driving
Sleep Foundation takes a look at just how dangerous drowsy driving often is. As they answer this question, they also discuss the prevalence of drowsy driving. Several factors contribute to its frequency. For one, anyone who survives driving drowsy once will try it again. After all, it creates a false feeling of safety. The more times you drive drowsy without anything happening, the more tempting it is to keep doing it.
Next, drowsy driving sometimes feels like a "necessity". Of course, there are ways to get a ride to where you need to go without risking drowsy driving. But people do not always have the time or money to consider them. This means drivers end up hitting the road when exhausted to get to work or school on time. In fact, 40 percent of drivers in a survey admitted to driving drowsy in the last month.
Lack of laws addressing drowsiness
Finally, police cannot do much to combat drowsy driving currently. There is no way to test for drowsiness as one might do with alcohol. There are also few visible signs of drowsy driving, unlike texting while driving. Thus, drivers often do not get caught unless their drowsiness causes them to drive recklessly. In other words, drowsy driving will likely continue to rise while there is no way to crack down on it.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493522021-03-03T04:07:46Z2021-03-03T04:07:40ZFalls are a leading cause of both serious injury and death for Americans over the age of 65. They are also alarmingly common, with an elderly individual falling every second of every day. While seniors may suffer traumatic brain injuries or other life-altering injuries in a slip-and-fall accident, serious joint injuries are increasingly common.Following any slip-and-fall accident, it is a good idea to seek a full medical evaluation. After all, some injury symptoms may not appear immediately after a fall. When talking to a doctor, it is important to mention any joint pain or mobility issues you are experiencing.
Hip fractures
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 300,000 older adults require hospitalization for hip fractures, with 95% of hip fractures happening during falls. Those with broken hips often require surgery and then face a long road to recovery.
Elbow injuries
Just as it is possible to break a hip in a slip-and-fall accident, you may fracture an elbow. The tendons and other connective tissues in your elbows are likewise vulnerable to damage in a fall. That is, a fall may leave you with sprained, stretched or torn ligaments.
Shoulder damage
Your rotator cuff is the collection of tendons and muscles in your shoulder that holds arm bones in place and facilitates movement. A torn rotator cuff may require a surgical repair. Regrettably, following surgery, you may develop scar tissue that restricts arm movement for the rest of your life.Even though shoulder and other joint damage may be serious, you probably do not have to face your recovery without some help. If someone caused or contributed to your slip-and-fall injury, you may be eligible for financial compensation.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493472021-02-21T00:06:51Z2021-02-21T00:06:45Zupward trend in pedestrian deaths is not unique to Connecticut. Instead, such trends have become apparent nationwide, with the number of these fatalities rising steadily year after year.
Connecticut pedestrian death statistics
In 2020, there were 65 pedestrian deaths that occurred across Connecticut. The year prior, there were only six such deaths. Interestingly, the total number of crashes involving pedestrians went down quite a bit between 2019 and 2020. There were 1,568 pedestrian-involved crashes occurring within state lines in 2019 and 842 such crashes in 2020.
Potential causes
Why are pedestrian deaths on the rise despite fewer drivers taking to the roadways and fewer pedestrian-involved crashes occurring on them? Some of the uptick may have to do with the fact that more Americans started exercising and walking through their neighborhoods in 2020 than they did in 2019. More drivers speeding or driving distracted, whether by using cellphones or otherwise engaging in something other than the task at hand, may also contribute to the rising number of pedestrian deaths in Connecticut. The fact that more drivers are opting for SUVs, rather than passenger vehicles, likely also plays a role.
Safety advocates believe that communities must do more to make their roads safe for pedestrians. Lowering speed limits and stiffening fines for distracted driving are among the steps that may make traveling on foot safer for everyone.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493422021-02-14T23:39:22Z2021-02-14T23:39:17ZAfter your recent encounter with a drunk driver while traveling Connecticut's roads, you feel shaken. You have a legal case against the irresponsible driver, but do you understand the extent of your case?Absolute Advocacy explores the mental, physical and emotional impact of drunk-driving accidents. While your body only sustained minor injuries, the same may not apply to your mental and emotional health.
Physical effects
Have a doctor examine you for delayed injury symptoms that may take a while to appear. You could have a traumatic brain injury, which you may have trouble identifying on your own. Other common injuries associated with car crashes include those to the knees, chest, spine and legs. If these parts of your body sustained harm, ask a physician if you should anticipate ongoing pain.
Emotional effects
You must monitor yourself for more than physical injuries after a car crash. If others were in the vehicle with you during the accident and sustained injuries while you did not, you may experience misplaced guilt. Survivor's guilt may occur when a person survives a collision while others in the vehicle do not. You may also feel rage at the drunk driver who injured you or other passengers.
Mental effects
Do you think you may have post-traumatic stress disorder because of the crash? Common PTSD symptoms include trouble sleeping, irritability, feeling emotionally numb, trouble focusing and nightmares. You may startle easily after the incident. Pay close attention to how you feel about getting back into a car, as you may experience distressing memories of the accident.By checking in with your mind, body and emotions, you understand how deeply the drunk-driving collision affected you. Understand the worth of your legal claim.]]>On Behalf of Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLChttps://www.infolaw.com/?p=493382021-02-13T01:24:36Z2021-02-13T01:24:30ZFor many Connecticut area drivers, distractions and operating motor vehicles go hand-in-hand. Some motorists regularly engage in distractions while behind the wheel, even though the behavior is unlawful.Unlike motorists who have the protection of their vehicles to help shield them in motor vehicle collisions, pedestrians rarely have any protection to help buffer the impact of collisions and help them to avoid serious injuries. They may also make mistakes or use distractions themselves, which increase the likelihood of them becoming car accident victims. To improve road safety and lessen the number of dangers of pedestrians, motorists should review the following ways driving distractions impacts pedestrian safety.
Reduces response time
To maneuver their vehicles safely and in accordance with traffic rules and regulations, drivers must remain fully alert and able to avoid hazards. Distractions impair their ability to respond to rapidly changing driving and road conditions. Many accident hazards are avoidable when motorists are fully aware of them and can take proper evasive actions in a timely manner.
Lowers ability to recognize hazards
Distracted motorists cannot spot potential hazards in time to avoid them. Driving conditions are dynamic, meaning conditions can change in the blink of an eye. Drivers must be able to anticipate and identify issues that can impact overall road safety so they can make sound driving decisions.
Increase in driving errors
Drivers who are under the influence of distractions are more likely to make mistakes or critical errors. They are also more likely to panic and experience confusion when presented with dangerous conditions that develop suddenly leading to poor judgment calls and distracted driving motor vehicle accidents.Pedestrian safety requires drivers and people to act responsibly and logically. Pedestrians should pay attention when walking, especially near roads and other areas with motor vehicles. Motorists should avoid distractions and follow all laws while operating their vehicles cautiously to keep pedestrians safe.]]>