NOYES LEGAL NEWS

Tips to Avoid a Car Accident This Holiday Season

The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's is one of the deadliest and most dangerous times on America's roads.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 992 people were killed in car accidents that involved a drunk driver in December 2007.  That's one month!  In all of 2007, nearly 13,000 fatalities occurred in car accidents involving a drunk driver.

The Florida Highway Patrol is cracking down.  The Director of the FHP stated "We want to make it a safe time for everyone.  No amount of good cheer will be able to save you from the consequences of drunk driving.  If we catch you, we will arrest you.  No exceptions.  No excuses." 

The Florida Highway Patrol recommends designating a sober driver and not letting friends drive drunk.  Other important tips include calling a taxi or AAA-HELP to come take you home and to promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways by dialing *FHP (*347) from your cell phone.

You can save a life this holiday season.  It may be yours or it may be someone you don't even know.  Drive safely and be careful for those who don't.

For more information about your rights after a Florida car accident, contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.  Insurance companies have attorneys looking out for their best interest--so should you!

Taking Steps to Avoid a DUI This Christmas Season

Last December, 992 people were killed from drunk driving.  Don't become a statistic.
 
You and your car can get a free ride home if you had too much to drink.  AAA Auto Club South and Budweiser are teaming up again this year for their "Tow to Go" program.  This program provides a confidential ride home and tow--free of charge--to anyone who may have had too much to drink.  You do not have to be a member of AAA to use this wonderful service.
 
In 2007, the Tow to Go program received 1,652 calls.  Since the program's inception, over 8,600 intoxicated drivers have been off the road.
 
Call 1-800-AAA-HELP to benefit from this service.   Again, it is FREE and open to both AAA members and non-AAA members and is 100% confidential.
 
In mypersonal injury business, I see too many lives being forever changed because of a drunk driver.  If you or a loved one is injured because of a drunk driver, you need an attorney to investigate all avenues of recovery.  Contact me anytime for a free consultation.  My Tampa Bay personal injury law firm have been caring for clients since 1955 and look forward to helping others in the New Year.
 
Although our office will be closed for part of the Christmas and New Year holiday, you can always reach me by calling 1-800-5FLALAW or by sending mean email.

Be safe and Happy Holidays!!

We Are Coming Up on Four of the Most Deadliest Days to Drive

The holiday season is full of family, fun and good cheer.  Sadly, it is also full of some of the most dangerous days of the year to drive based on 25 years of research statistics.  December 23rd is the third most dangerous day to drive (behind July 4th and July 3rd).  December 24th is the 4th most dangerous day to drive with December 22nd being the fifth most deadliest day to drive.  January 1st is the 7th most dangerous day to drive.

Enjoy the holiday season, but drive safely and be prepared for those who don't.  For more information on your rights after a Florida car accident, contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes for a free case consultation.  His Tampa Bay Personal Injury law firm has been helping clients after Florida automobile accidents and workers' comp claims for over 53 years.

School Start Times Linked to Auto Accidents

When the school bell rings an hour later each morning, teens may be significantly less likely to get into car accidents, according to a recent article published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

The study focused on changing the start time for high school from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Most importantly, the investigators noted significantly lower motor vehicle accident rates among high school students after the change. The rate dropped by about 16 percent in the region. During the same period, the statewide car accident rate for teens increased by nearly 8 percent.

The later start time led to an increase in sleep for the students. Based on student surveys filled out before and after the change, the percentage of students getting at least eight hours sleep increased from about 35 percent to 50 percent. The percentage getting at least nine hours went from about 6 percent to more than 10 percent.

"It is surprising that high schools continue to set their start times early, which impairs learning, attendance and driving safety of the students," study author Barbara Phillips, M.D., director of the UK Healthcare Good Samaritan Sleep Center in Lexington, Ky., was quoted as saying.

Car accidents are the number one killer of teenagers.  Anything that can be done--including changing the start time of school--that could reduce this epidemic would be helpful.  I know that I spoke at first period in a local high school recently.  I had to be there at 7:00.  I know that my driving skills were not at their best that early in the morning!

For more information about your rights after a Florida car accident, contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.  Insurance companies have attorneys working for them--so should you!

Falls & Car Accidents Cause Most Injuries to U.S. Kids

According to a recent report from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, falls and motor vehicle accidents are the leading causes of unintentional injury and death among U.S. children and teens.

Through the first half of this decade, about 9.2 million kids younger than 20 visited an emergency department for an unintentional injury and about 12,175 died each year.  Unintentional injury accounted for 44% of the deaths among children and teens younger than 20 from 2000 through 2005, with the rest coming from non-injury (38%) and intentional injury (18%). For infants, only 4% of total deaths resulted from unintentional injury.

Overall, nonfatal injuries occurred at the highest rate among teens ages 15 to 19 (13,036 per 100,000), followed by those ages one to four (12,873 per 100,000), ages 10 to 14 (11,220 per 100,000), ages five to nine (9,311 per 100,000), and younger than one (5,870 per 100,000).

Males had a higher nonfatal injury rate than females (13,122 versus 9,331 per 100,000) for children ages one to 19; for infants, the rates were about the same in each sex.

The majority of nonfatal injuries were caused by falls, at a rate of 3,420 per 100,000 children. Other leading causes of unintentional nonfatal injury included being struck by or against an object (2,463 per 100,000), overexertion (1,019 per 100,000), being an occupant in a motor vehicle during an accident (829 per 100,000), cuts or piercings (746 per 100,000), and insect bites and stings (658 per 100,000).

The majority of deaths occurred in teens ages 15 to 19 (56%), followed by kids ages one to four (14%), ages 10 to 14 (12%), ages five to nine (10%), and younger than one (8%). Overall, most of the deaths due to unintentional injury (60%) were traffic-related, involving occupants of motor vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists.

Similar to the situation with nonfatal injuries, males were more likely to die from unintentional injury than females (death rate 19.3 versus 10.4 per 100,000). The difference was most striking in the 15- to 19-year-old age group; males had a death rate of 45.1 per 100,000 compared with 20.3 per 100,000 for females.

Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes can provide more information about your rights (or your children's rights) after a Florida car accident or other personal injury matter.  Contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes for a free consultation.

Tool To Prevent Text-Messaging While Driving

"I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely." 

Wouldn't that be great if this recording automatically turned on when a teenager was driving?  Well, it could happen. 

A new automobile ignition key designed by researchers at the University of Utah called Key2SafeDriving, can prevent teenagers from talking on cell phones or sending text messages while driving. Incoming calls and texts are automatically answered and out to voicemail. The university has obtained provisional patents and licensed the invention to a private company that hopes to see it on the market within six months at a cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee, according to a statement released today.

The system includes a device that encloses a car key — one for each teen driver or family member. The device connects wirelessly with each key user's cell phone via either Bluetooth or RFID (radio-frequency identification) technologies.

To turn on the engine, the driver must either slide the key out or push a button to release it. Then the device sends a signal to the driver's cell phone, placing it in "driving mode" and displaying a "stop" sign on the phone's display screen.

"The key to safe driving is to avoid distraction," says Xuesong Zhou, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering who co-invented the system with Wally Curry, a University of Utah graduate now practicing medicine in Hays, Kan. "We want to provide a simple, cost-effective solution to improve driving safety."

Car accidents are the fifth leading cause of all deaths in the country. Among teens, however, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death.  Zhou says that "at any given time, about 6 percent of travelers on the road are talking on a cell phone while driving. Also at any given time, 10 percent of teenagers who are driving are talking or texting."

Click here to read the full LifeScience Report.

To get more information about your rights and responsibilities after a Florida car accident, contact Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.  His Tampa Bay personal injury law firm has been representing people involved in Florida car accidents, motorcycle accidents and other personal injury matters for over 53 years.  Insurance companies have attorneys working for them--so should you!!

 

Poem Reminds Us of the Dangers of Driving

For about 2 years now, I have been writing about how a car accident impacts more than ther persons involved in the car accident.  How a car accident impacts a family.  How innocent people are being injured and/or killed because of the carelessness of other drivers. 

However, no words that I have written have more impact than the following poem:

I WENT TO A PARTY, MOM

I went to a party, 
And remembered what you said. 
You told me 
not to drink, Mom, 
so I had a sprite instead. 
 
I felt proud of myself, 
The way you said I would, 
that I didn't drink and drive, 
though some friends said I should. 
 
I made a healthy choice, 
And your advice to me was right. 
The party finally ended, 
and the kids drove out of sight. 
 
As I got into my car, 
Sure to get home in one piece. 
I never knew what was coming, Mom, 
something I expected least. 
 
Now I'm lying on the pavement, 
And I hear the policeman say, 
the kid that caused this wreck was drunk, 
Mom, his voice seems far away. 
 
My own blood's all around me, 
As I try hard not to cry. 
I can hear the paramedic say, 
this girl is going to die. 
 
I'm sure the guy had no idea, 
While he was flying high. 
Because he chose to drink and drive, 
now I would have to die. 

So why do people do it, Mom 
Knowing that it ruins lives? 
And now the pain is cutting me, 
like a hundred stabbing knives. 
 
Tell sister not to be afraid, Mom 
Tell daddy to be brave. 
And when I go to heaven, 
put ' Mommy's Girl' on my grave. 
 
Someone should have taught him, 
That it's wrong to drink and drive. 
Maybe if his parents had, 
I'd still be alive 
 
My breath is getting shorter, 
Mom I'm getting really scared 
These are my final moments, 
and I'm so unprepared. 
 
I wish that you could hold me Mom, 
As I lie here and die. 
I wish that I could say, 'I love you, Mom!' 
So I love you and good-bye. 
 

Kiss your kids and spouse before they get into the car today.  Drive safely and be careful for those who don't.

For information about your rights after a car accident, contact me, Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes, for a free case consultation.

This is not a repeat article, but rather another motorcycle accident resulting in death and serious injuries.  Hopefully, this article will alert drivers to be more careful about motorcycles and maybe one person can be saved from a future motorcycle accident.

Yesterday, Kim Roberts, a 42-year-old woman from Land O'Lakes, Florida died and Michael Gizzi, a 42-year-old Brandon man, was critically injured when a car crashed into the motorcycle they were riding, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said a 2006 Hyundai Sonata, driven by 89-year-old Gustav Harder of Palm Harbor, was turning west on U.S. 19 from Oakdale Medical, 32615 U.S. 19. The motorcycle, driven by Michael Gizzi, was going north in the outside center lane. Harder turned in front of the motorcycle, violating the right of way and throwing Gizzi and his passenger, Kim Roberts, off the bike.

Ms. Roberts recieved critical injuries and was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital where she died a short time later. Michael Gizzi was flown to Bayfront Medical Center with critical injuries.

My prayers and thoughts go out to both to Kim Roberts' family and Michael Gizzi's family.  It is tragic, especially during the Christmas holiday!  Sadly, too many families' holidays are darkened because of motorcycle accidents, car accidents, and other personal injury matters.

For more information about your rights after a Florida motorcycle accident, car accident or other personal injury matter, schedule a free case consultation with Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.

New Florida Seat Belt Law Being Discussed

Many Floridians are dying in car accidents around the State.  Some of these deaths could have been avoided if the occupants were wearing seat belts.  One State Representative wants to change the law in hopes of more seat belt use.

Florida State Representative D. Alan Haysintends to re-introduce legislation which would give law enforcement more leverage when enforcing seatbelt safety.  Presently, Florida is a “secondary offense” state, meaning that the police officer may not pull you over simply for not wearing aseat belt, but must observe some other road violation before he may pull you over.  Named after two teenagers who died in separate car accidents, the "Dori Slosberg and Katie Marchetti Safety Belt Law" would have amended current laws to allow officers to stop any person who was not wearing a seat belt.

This bill was brought up in the 2008 regular session, but it  did not pass a second reading in committee.  The bill died during a second reading this past May, but is likely to be reintroduced for the upcoming legislative session.

Seat belts can save lives.  If you don't wear a seat belt and are involved in a car accident, your damages could be reduced.  For more information about your rights after a a Florida car accident, schedule a free case consultation with Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes.

St. Petersburg Rear-End Collision Sends Woman to Hospital With Serious Injuries

A St. Petersburg woman, Margie James, was seriously injured after she was rear ended and thrust into oncoming traffic on I-275 this morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The car accident occurred at 6:38 a.m. James, driving a 2002 Buick, was stopped at the foot of the northbound entrance ramp to I-275 from 54th Avenue S when she was rear-ended by a 1991 Plymouth driven by Theodore Johnson, 21, of St. Petersburg, the report said.  The report said Johnson tried to merge into traffic but did not see the idling car.

Ms. James' car was then "vaulted" into the center lane, where it was struck on the driver's side by a 2001 Chevy sport utility vehicle driven by Georgia Pedersen, 48, of St. Petersburg. Ms. James was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with serious injuries.

I see this type of collision way to often in my personal injury practice.  Drivers are attempting to merge into traffic and are busy looking at the oncoming traffic and fail to pay attention to the vehicle in front of them.  Sometimes, it results in a fender-bender but other times-like this morning--it can result in very serious injuries.

Drive safely and be careful for those who don't.  Remember, insurance companies have attorneys working for them after your car accident--so should you!  For information regarding your rights after a Florida car accident or to schedule a free case consultation with Personal Injury Attorney Matthew Noyes, simply click here.