San Diego Personal Injury Attorney Blog

Can New Technologies Reduce the Number of Truck Accidents?

Four highway safety groups have petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require large tractor-trailer trucks to be outfitted with collision alert systems. The collision alert systems would alert truck drivers to stopped traffic and automatically brake if the trucker failed to respond. According to the petition, the requirement would apply to all trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more. Groups supporting the petition are arguing that 2,500 truck accidents could be avoided every year. The groups responsible for the petition also cite research from the NHTSA, showing that automatic braking systems cost $270 to $290 per truck. Trucking companies have previously explored the option of using computers and other sensors to detect objects and avoid accidents. Presently, 50,000 of the largest trucks on the road are equipped with collision safety systems that use a front-mounted radar to sense potential accidents. However, 50,000 is a small fraction of vehicles,…
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How Can I Help Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries?

March has been declared Brain Injury Awareness Month in recognition of the 5.3 million adults and children living with disabilities resulting from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). On March 18, several organizations, non-profits and government agencies will come together and discuss how to address issues that affect individuals with TBIs and their families, such as societal stigma and access to public resources. The theme for this year is “Not Alone”, and the nationwide campaign will seek to educate the public on how they can be more accommodating towards individuals with TBIs. The organizers of Brain Injury Awareness Month hope that by educating the public, TBIs can be de-stigmatized and more people can get involved in aiding those who are in recovery. One of the best ways to help is to learn about how TBIs affect individuals and their families. How Do People Get TBIs? Over two million Americans sustain TBIs…
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Can Victims of Hit-and-Runs Sue for Their Injuries?

Ventura County was the scene of a truck accident last week, after a driver left his pickup truck on a railroad track and ran for safety. According to police, the driver had attempted to move his very large F-450 pickup truck over the rails, causing it to become stuck. Repeated attempts to move the truck failed, and the driver eventually tried to push the multi-ton vehicle out of the way. Unfortunately, his efforts were not fast enough, and an oncoming passenger train slammed into the abandoned truck, killing one person and injuring dozens of others. The train’s conductor died from his injuries and four people are in critical condition. Police later found and arrested the truck driver on the suspicion of a felony hit-and-run and are now investigating whether drugs or alcohol were involved. An investigation uncovered evidence that the driver had a prior drunk driving conviction and had received…
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