Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents - Most Popular

Des Moines Woman dies on County Road due to a Failure to Stop

Steve Lombardi — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:01:00 GMT

According to the Des Moines Register, Jennifer Sue Peacock from Des Moines was at the intersection of County Road S31 and Iowa Highway 5 near HartfordThe 24-year-old failed to come to a complete stop and was then broadsided. Her 1997 Chevrolet Lumina was broadsided by Jarred Camden Roy, age 33., on Sunday October 18^th around 7:30pm.Knoxville driving a truck. Peacock died when she was involved in this reported two-vehicle collision.

You can't assume that the at-fault driver always hurts others; sometimes their fault hurts them or the passengers in their car. This is one of those cases. As lawyers who represent people we have the kinds of personalities to offer solutions. But in this case there is no viable legal solution. With these kinds of accidents the only advice we give is the advice to move on. Des Moines Register

If the facts are different then the outcome may also be different, but according to this report the fault is her’s for failing to yield the right of way. California stops don’t work. We wish her family well along with the other driver. . On this week coming up to Thanksgiving we should be thankful for the little we have and for the lives we live. Enjoy your holiday with family and friends.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

It's not the tree, but about control, speed and distractions.

Steve Lombardi — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:01:00 GMT

On October 17^th 2009 Luke Schneiders was driving east of Sioux City when he failed to negotiate the curve around the 5900 block of Correctionville Road left the roadway and hit a tree dead on. Luke Schneider died as a result of the injuries suffered in the crash. It is still unknown what exactly caused the crash and Mr. Schneiders was not wearing a seatbelt. He was driving a 2000 Oldsmobile. No word on the reason for losing control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNTAhSfojhc

But here is what I wonder, what was the driver distraction or was it just a factor of speed. Young drivers need to understand driving on the highways of Iowa is about control, speed and driving without distractions. That is what will keep you alive. Control those three things and chances are you can control your risk of an accident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfeGgzlrA3s

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Wrong-Way Accidents - Complete Recap of All July 2009 Collisions

Steve Lombardi — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Wrong-way drivers are causing deaths in America’s interstate highway system all across the United States. Wrong-way collisions can have several causes and there are things we can do to educate ourselves from being involved in one. With two vehicles traveling towards one another at 70 mph death is almost certain. So what can you do to avoid being in one?

For several months I’ve collected news items on wrong-way collisions and have analyzed where, when and how they occurred. There have been so many that I can only cover the month of July for 2009 and that is enough to provide us with 70 separate wrong-way collisions from hundreds of news stories. From these news reported collisions that here are the general causes and how we can avoid being one of those who die from a wrong-way driver coming towards us at 50 to 70 mph.

I became interested in this subject back in November 2008 when I wrote, Interstate Highway Safety: Part I - Ghost drivers continue to be a problem on U.S. Interstate Highways and followed up with Interstate Highway Safety - Ghost Drivers – Part II. Since then other InjuryBoard members have written and the discussion has become varied and lively. So do a search on the InjuryBoard and see what the lawyer in your state has said about wrong-way drivers or “ghost riders”.

Wrong Way Drivers Causing A Rash of Traffic Fatalities In Dallas And Austin, June 22, 2009, Brooks Schuelke

Wrong-way Drivers, June 2, 2009, Beth Janicek.

Merchants of Interstate Death or Injury: Wrong Way Drivers-Usually Drunk or Drugged, June 22, 2009, Rick Shapiro.

What are the causes of wrong-way drivers, aka “ghost riders”?

1. Alcohol or drug related driver confusion.

2. Old age and confusion.

3. Mental defect or disease.

4. Purposeful acts including attempts to commit suicide and criminals attempting to elude law enforcement officers.

5. Inexperience.

6. Signage confusion and road design. Broad medians can cause sight confusion with situational awareness.

7. GPS providing incorrect, inaccurate or confusing information.

What should you do if you see a wrong-way driver?

1. Get to the shoulder and stop.

2. If you can’t get to the shoulder, slow down and attempt to safely stop your vehicle.

3. Sound your horn.

4. Put on your lights.

5. Call 9-1-1.

6. Before getting in the car wear your seat belts.

7. Drive in the right hand lane of travel on the Interstate.

8. When passing or coming to the crest of a hill look ahead for a wrong-way driver making sure the lane is clear.

9. Assume when in the left hand lane of a divided highway that you may come upon a wrong-way driver.

10. When driving on a divided highway stay vigilant and pay attention to what is ahead of you. Avoid allowing distractions to take your attention off the road ahead.

How can drivers avoid wrong-way driving?

1. Don’t drive drunk.

2. When coming to a divided highway come to a complete stop, look at and read the signs, making sure you know which way to go.

3. Don’t allow vehicles to the rear to rush you.

4. Stay off the telephone when driving.

5. Don’t allow distractions to interfere with being vigilant about your driving.

6. If you’re a young driver, don’t drive when the other passengers are a distraction.

7. If you’re an elderly driver, get evaluated once a year to see if your senses and skill level allow you to safely drive. Don’t be so stubborn about giving up your driver’s license that you ignore the signs of perception difficulties. Invest in and use a GPS.

What else needs to happen to reduce wrong-way collisions?

1. States could identify the locations of repeated wrong-way entry points. Those points could be redesigned including tire puncture equipment such as we see in use at most parking ramps.

2. The Court’s must get very tough on drunk drivers and those who cause collisions from being on cell phones (talking or texting); more than they already have been.

3. The DOT should begin an education campaign for drivers to recognize and avoid wrong-way drivers.

4. The DOT should begin an education campaign to instruct drivers what to do when a wrong-way driver approaches.

5. States should further study wrong-way avoidance road and sign designs.

6. State DOT’s should consider a different middle line design with hash marks bent in the direction of travel and against the opposing direction.

7. Juries in civil actions need to send a clear message to offenders with large punitive damage awards.

8. The DOT needs to evaluate older drivers annually for visual and mental awareness; taking away driving privileges where there is risk.

9. Lawyers need to plead punitive damages in wrong-way collisions.

10. Victims need to be educated on what to do when they are involved in a wrong-way collision.

11. Witnesses of wrong-way collisions need to get involved with identifying themselves to police officers investigating a wrong-way collision. Those witnesses may have very valuable information to helping identify the entry points, causes and preventive measures.

12. DOT accident forms need to be amended to allow the collection of information to identify characteristics associated with causing wrong-way entry points, times when wrong-way collisions are most likely to occur and driver characteristics of those likely to drive the wrong-way. Children and friends of older drivers need to get involved with identifying those likely wrong-way drivers.

13. States should consider a radio system that would allow public service interruptions, like what is done on television when a weather emergency is eminent. It wouldn’t be perfect (not all radios are on) but something is perhaps better than nothing.

This week I want to cover wrong-way collisions. I've collected as many news items on wrong-way collisions as were available during the last 3 or 4 months. My intent was to report on all for a six-month period, but in going through them I wrote up only July's since there so many to handle and the theme simply keeps repeating itself. This week I’ll start off with reporting on actual wrong-way collisions or near collisions and then will end the week with what I see as the causes, what to do to avoid a wrong-way collisions and some suggestions as to where this all needs to go to assist law enforcement and the state DOT’s to reduce the number of wrong-way collisions.

Wrong-way collisions are frightening to think about simply because there are so many deaths associate with being involved in one. Also, considering you have two vehicles, or more, traveling in opposite directions towards each other at 70 M.P.H. the forces generated on impact are tremendous and almost certain death. But we do have to examine them and educate ourselves about how to recognize and to avoid this near-certain death car-truck-motorcycle-SUV-van crash.

So come join us on the InjuryBoard, the Des Moines market for a week of wrong-way collisions.

Wrong-way Collisions Blog – Brooks Schuelke, Wrong Way Wrecks Are Still A Problem – This recent post is a good starting point because it refers back to other posts on this subject, listing 6 posts for you to review.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – Fault & Prevention Discussion - The Transportation Blog by reporter Michael Lindenberger suggests lowering the signs for those going the wrong way. He says with wrong-way drivers it’s all about drunk drivers. I don’t agree with him.

Providence, Rhode Island – July 2009 – Inner City - No Injury – Age of driver unknown - The Providence Journal has Wrong-way driver abandons junker at Waterplace Park; reporting a joy ride was driven the wrong-way inside a pedestrian tunnel. No one killed or injured. Here is a description of the route the car thief took for his joy ride the wrong-way:

At the wheel of a clunker at 2 a.m., a motorist sped the car up over the curb outside the tony condo building and drove through the short pedestrian tunnel under the building, then plunged down two flights of stairs to the railing around Waterplace Park, police Lt. Michael J. Figueiredo said. With nowhere to go but into the water, the driver banked a sharp left, drove over the pedestrian walkway over the river and tried, without success, to take a right onto the handicapped ramp at the Memorial Boulevard end.

So, the motorist backed up, parked outside the condo building's plate-glass windows, and ran off -- leaving behind a puzzle: How to get the battered Nissan back out.

Vancouver - Canada – July 2009 - Hwy 99 – Elderly female – 85-year-old – death and serious injuries - southbound in northbound lanes of Highway 99 – 5:38 PM - Two collisions, the first was one car attempting to avoid colliding with the wrong-way driver and the second was a head-on crash with the wrong-way driver. Driver going wrong way on Highway 99 dies + Confused 85-year-old dies after causing two accidents driving the wrong way on Highway 99.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – Dallas North Tollway – June 1, 2009 you can listen to the 9-1-1 call about wrong-way driver on the Dallas North Tollway. Age of driver is 28 years-old, female; head-on collision resulted in killing both drivers. On June 21, 2009 same turnpike a 27 year old male drove head on into another car injuring himself and two other women.

Listen to frantic 911 calls warning of wrong-way drivers on Dallas North Tollway.

June 1, 2009 911 Call transcript link.

June 21, 2009 911 call transcript link.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – NTTA to use flashing lights to warn drivers when they are heading the wrong direction.

“New reflective buttons, laid out in the shape of arrows, are being put on lanes at each of the 47 exit ramps on the tollway, North Texas Tollway Authority officials said Tuesday. Headlights from a vehicle headed the wrong way on an exit ramp will make the arrows pointing at the driver glow red.

NTTA has also installed 25 new warning signs, bringing the total number of "wrong way" or "do not enter" signs to 215. By comparison, just three people died in 28 wrong-way crashes reported by the Texas Department of Public Safety between 2003 and 2008. At least 18 involved alcohol or drugs, and alcohol has been a factor in three of the five crashes this year. The other two are still under investigation.

"It's a national and international problem," said Allen Clemson, NTTA executive director. "We're not sure it's ever going to go away."

NTTA revs up effort to warn wrong-way drivers on Dallas North Tollway

Fulton, NY – July 2009 – I-481 – Friday night, 60-year-old male – south direction in northbound lanes. Three deaths. Driver in wrong-way crash entered highway in Fulton

by Sarah Moses / The Post-Standard , Tuesday July 14, 2009, 8:22 PM

In addition the NTTA is considering three other changes to avoid WWD’s.

The NTTA is considering:

• Installing sensors in pavement that would detect a vehicle headed in the wrong direction so law enforcement could be alerted more quickly.

• Using electronic signs to send messages that would alert motorists that a wrong-way driver is headed their way.

• Lowering "do not enter" signs on exit ramps to make them easier to see.

Tags: Interstate safety, semi-truck, wrong-way collisions, ghost riders, Iowa, I-80, I-35, I-235, I-29, I90, I-5, I-680, I-370, I-380

Twin Cities, Minnesota – July 2009 – 49, y.o. female, OWI – BAC .33 legal is .08. Wrong-way driver on McAndrews Road in Burnside, MN. Slight injuries to both drivers, the story is covered by Pioneer Press.

Baldwinsville, NY – July 2009 – Route 481 – three deaths. A 60 yo male driver driving south in the northbound lanes. Victims were the other driver, age 27 and the at-fault driver’s passenger, 82-year old female.

“State Police released more details Monday on Friday night's crash. Troopers say witnesses reported seeing 60-year-old Gary Foster of Syracuse enter the highway's northbound lanes in Fulton and drive several miles south before colliding with another car driven by Reed. Foster and 82-year-old Jacqueline Grove, a passenger in his car, both died in the accident.”

Scottsdale, Arizona – July 2009 – 36-year-old woman left driveway the wrong-way on Indian School Road resulting in a head-on collision injuring all four people. Charged with DUI/OWI. Drunk Driver Causes Wrong-Way Crash. 11:10 A.M.

Asheville, South Carolina – July 2009 – Good luck figuring this one out. Asheville Police have charged a man after initially charging another man with the same crime.

“Police have charged 37-year old Jimmy Eugene Jordan, of Asheville, and charged him with reckless driving to endanger, speeding, fleeing to elude arrest, driving while license revoked and assault with a deadly weapon on a government official. According to a spokesperson for the Asheville Police Department, due to information given to them by 36-year old Nicole Leah Thompson-Dockery, of Candler, they had charged 43-year old Craig Ross Griffin, of Leicester, with driving the wrong way down a one-way street on July 16 and nearly striking an officer conducting traffic enforcement.

The spokesperson says that Thompson-Dockery, who wanted for Parole and Probations violations in Mecklenburg County, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Officials say she intentionally misled officers and gave them Griffin’s name in order to get him in trouble with police and subsequently Jordan was identified as the driver of the vehicle.

Police are currently seeking Jordan. If anyone has any information as to his whereabouts they are asked to call Asheville Police at (828) 252-1110 or Crime Stoppers at (828) 255-5050.”

Delta, Canada – July 2009 - Highway 99 in Delta, 5:30 PM rush hour, Tuesday, five vehicles, one fatality, traveling southbound in the northbound lanes; a three car collision was caused when a driver attempted to avoid colliding with the wrong-way vehicle. The wrong-way driver was an 81-year-old female who was killed.

Syracuse, NY – July 2009 – Three people died, wrong-way driver on Route 481, 60-year-old male. The at-fault driver had an 82-year-old passenger who also didn’t realize they were traveling the wrong way. The driver of the car they struck was 27-years-old and died in the collision. City of Fulton, New York – July 2009 – Route 481 is the roadway that a driver drove the wrong-way for over 17 miles speeding along before crashing with another vehicle. The 60-year-old driver was driving south in the northbound lanes of travel. The police received 16 emergency calls about this car that was going the wrong-way while Oswego County received 23 phone calls. Channel 9 WSYR also covered this story and has video, both edited and raw footage available for viewing.

Chiriaco Summit, California – July 2009 - I-10, 2:05 A.M., 90-year-old driver and his wife passenger escaped serious injury when their pickup truck driving westbound in the eastbound slow lane collided head-on with a semi-truck. The Ford pickup hit the semi-truck head-on even though the semi driven by a Missouri man swerved towards the fast lane in an attempt to avoid the collision sideswiped a van and ended up in the median.

Canada – Highway 99 – July 2009 - entered from highway 10 – heading southbound on the northbound freeway lanes – 84-year-old woman – the only fatality was the wrong-way driver; all others were injured but not severely – one crash occurred on the other side of the highway when a driver attempting to avoid the wrong-way driver crossed the median striking oncoming motorists. Highway closed for six hours. Speed was 100 km/hr.

Spring Hill, Florida – July 2009 - Wrong-way driver on Commercial Way. Driver was suspected of Dui but blew a negative breath test. The 28-year-old driver’s mother indicated she was probably on either prescription drugs or methamphetamines.

Saskatchewan, Canada – July 2009 - A $2,500 fine was issue to a man who had caused a collision when driving the wrong way while driving under the influence.

“Court heard two women travelling (sic) southbound on Ring Road between Victoria and Arcola avenues were shocked to suddenly see a truck heading right for them. Witnesses described something between a head-on collision and a side swipe as the two vehicles connected. They estimated the offending vehicle was travelling (sic) at highway speed or somewhat over at the time of impact.”

Los Angeles, California – July 2009 - Stolen vehicle driving wrong-way on La Cienega Bouldevard. Male driving a stolen Lexus SUV.

Indianapolis, Indiana – July 2009 – I-74, eastbound driver in westbound lanes of travel, 59-year-old female driver struck the rear duals then went airborne and struck another semi-truck head-on. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was driving an SUV although the news reports don’t’ say what make and model.

Fredericton, Canada - December 2007 - A 61-year-old woman drove the wrong-way on a divided highway named Vanier Highway, the other head-on crash victim died. The wrong-way driver suffered a broken ankle but learned the person who died was a friend. The wrong-way driver was charged criminally and the trial testimony along with expert witness testimony is reported in the Daily Gleaner. Factors contributing include no signage of wrong-way entry, a sign that was leaning over and snow banks along the road making pulling over impossible.

“Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Patrick Hurley, he testified that at the time of the accident, there was no signage along the Kimble Drive

off-ramp warning motorists who might be travelling the wrong way down that access point to the highway.

He also said a photo he took showed that the median sign at that Kimble Drive

exit, indicating which side of the median drivers should remain on, was crooked and leaning left.

Conversely, there was a sign with a Do Not Enter symbol at the Liverpool Street

ramp, he said, and since the accident, signage has been added to the Kimble Drive

ramp to warn motorists about travelling the wrong way.

Hurley also questioned several witnesses about the lack of room to pull over on the Vanier Highway

on Dec. 21, 2007.

He suggested that snowbanks along the shoulder made it impossible to pull over and that the area by the median wasn't wide enough for a car.

While Wayne Christie agreed with those suggestions, others witnesses didn't, indicating there was just enough room by the median to pull over in some areas.”

Newport, Michigan – July 2009 - I-275 in Monroe County at 4:30 PM about 28 miles southwest of Detroit. No further details given by

Monroeville, PA – July 2009 – 9:20 A.M. - Pennsylvania Turnpike, heading west in the eastbound lane of traffic. She was 36-years-old and had a 2 ½ year old son in a car seat that survived suffering only a cut above his right eye. She was a nurse and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer semi truck. She had to have been driving the wrong-way for at least 7 miles. It appears she swerved into the right lane to avoid an oncoming semi and struck another semi head-on. Toxicology reports were not available. Inside the car was a toll-ticket and the police are attempting to determine exactly what if anything this can tell us. The news report from Channel 4 News indicated she was facing two charges of driving while under the influence from previous incidents. The video report is very good. See The Pittsburgh Channel with ABC. What is probably more interesting is doing a video search of this site produces more than 20 videos of wrong-way driver reports.

Video: Watch Marcie Cipriani's Report
Slideshow: Photos Of Turnpike Crash

Coos Bay, Oregon – July 2009 – Most wrong-way driving is accidental, but occasionally your run into a story where it was purposefully done. This is one of those news stories. This one involves a masked man on a four-wheeler ATV traveling the wrong-way on a one way street attempting and then succeeding to allude law enforcement.

Clifton, New Jersey – July 2009 – Route 21 in Clifton around 5:00 PM heading south on a northbound lane causing a four-car collision in which five people were hurt, three seriously.

Mexico – June 2008 – Minutes after a bike race began just across the border from Brownsville, Texas a man allegedly drunk drove the wrong-way on a roadway then fell asleep at the wheel careening into the pack of riders. The Daily Telegraph published a photograph of the incident with bikes and riders flying up above the car. The man was 37-years-old. Here is a blog titled the Brooklynian that discussed Wrong way in bike lane.

Dallas, Texas - July 2009 – Letter to the Editor “Nothing will work” states that putting more signs up will not help stop wrong-way drivers due in part to drunk drivers being totally unaware they are the one’s going the wrong way and being unable to read a sign. Interesting point the author is making.

Kingsport, Tennessee- Driving the wrong-way on Stone Drive leads to drunk driving and drug charges. The incident is reported to have happened at around 1:35 a.m. on a Saturday.

Green Bay, Wisconsin - July 2009 – Main Street driver just before 1:00 a.m. crashed head-on into another car. Alcohol was involved.

Chicago, Illinois – July 2009 – Reported on a lawyer’s blog, I-55 about 6:30 a.m. the driver was 25-years old charged with DUI and driving the wrong way on an Interstate highway. In another report of this wrong-way incident on Stevenson Expressway the reporter has it the car entered the wrong-way using the incorrect entrance ramp but doesn’t say which exit ramp.

Wrong-way avoidance helpful suggestion – July 2009 - While it won’t help with drunk drivers or drugged drivers, the elderly and those unfamiliar with their surroundings may find help with using a GPS device that warns about wrong-way turns. These systems run from $60 to $2,000. The news story can be found at the Press-Enterprise from California.

Santa Fe, New Mexico – June 2009 - A wrong-way driver crashed into a car loaded with teenagers killing four of them. The teen driver may also have been driving illegally as the driver had a provisional driver’s license that prohibits driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m. or carrying more than one passenger. The collision occurred after midnight. The police stated the BAC was 0.16, more than twice the limit in New Mexico. The 28-year-old driver was later held on $3 million bond. One of the 16-year-old passengers was listed in critical condition. The teen driver attempted to swerve away from the wrong-way driver but was hit head-on.

Croatia – As reported by the Croatian Times a man turned his car around on a four-lane divided highway and began driving the wrong way. Then realizing he was driving the wrong way he performed another u-turn and started driving in the right direction. Which leads to the question of what should a driver do when they realize they are driving the wrong-way. While this one occurred on July 10, 2009 the Times reports that a previous wrong-way accident killed two people and severely injuring two others occurred on June 22. The driver in the July incident apparently got away safely and before officers could locate him.

Glasgow, Scotland - United Kingdom – July 2009 - A 78 year old driver received a life-time ban from being able to drive when he drove the wrong-way on the M-77. He was driving south in the northbound lanes. The report indicates an alcohol limit of more than twice the allowable limit was detected. Apparently in the UK they measure BAC by “microgrammes” of alcohol. This report is 82 “microgrammes” of alcohol and the legal limit is noted to be 35. Report by The Herald.

Petersborough City, United Kingdom – July 2009 – Councillor’s wife seriously injured after driving the wrong-way driving a Ford Escort struck another car head-on. The report indicates that alcohol was involved and the driver was despondent; meaning it may have been intentional.

Charlotte, North Carolina – July 2009 - Two people died on U.S. Highway 74 involving a wrong-way and fiery crash involving a Ford Explorer driving westbound in the eastbound lanes. Three people were killed. The wrong-way driver was reported to be a 52-year-old man from Charlotte and the other driver a 58-year-old man from Georgia. The crash occurred as each were cresting a hill, which should tell you something about how to avoid having this occur to you. Both were driving at 55-mph.

InjuryBoard – Hawaii – July 10, 2009 by Wayne Parsons – Discusses and provides a link to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the number of deaths from “wrong-way” drivers.

Fort Wayne, Indiana – July 2009 - a 70-year-old man drove from the across the median an into the westbound lanes of traffic, continued for about a tenth of a mile against traffic then suddenly veered off the road into a pole where he suffered head trauma and then soon after died. The man was a diabetic but there is no report about whether or not this may have contributed to the accident. The roadway is U.S. Highway 30 in Whitley County, Indiana.

Aurora, Ohio – July 2009 – The Aurora Advocate reports on a wrong-way collision on Interstate 480 in Brooklyn Heights. The 36-year-old wrong-way driver allegedly drove up the westbound exit ramp from I-480. The collision occurred at around 5:00 a.m. According to the story the wrong-way driver was charged with vehicular homicide.

Belfast, Maine – July 2009 – Wrong-way driver involving two-car crash. I was unable to access the story.

Bellingham, Washington – July 2009 – Drugs and alcohol are alleged to be involved by the State Patrol. This is an I-5 Interstate collision with the offending driver driving north in the southbound lanes on a Saturday night causing his own fatality. The driver was 22-years old.

Waco, Texas – July 2009 –Wrong-way teen rider of a bike on a one-way street was struck as he attempted to cross an intersection. In this instance it appears the driver of the van probably didn’t expect to see any vehicle or bicycle from the direction the 13-year-old boy was coming from; which should tell you something about riding bicycles in the wrong direction on the roadway. If you do so you take a huge chance and should be hyper-vigilant for those drivers not expecting to see you coming from that direction.

Albuquerque, New Mexico – From the Los Angeles Times this story about New Mexico requiring an ignition interlock device for all convicted drunk drivers. They report several interesting statistics, like New Mexico led the nation in alcohol-related crash rates for years and that there are more than 1.4 million people convicted each year for drunk driving that take the lives of over 4,000 people annually. Here is what it took for the New Mexico legislature to act.

“The statewide backlash against DWI took off in 1992, when a drunk driver going the wrong way on Interstate 40 crashed into a car carrying a family on Christmas Eve, killing a mother and her three young girls.

The ensuing outrage spurred lawmakers to lower the blood-alcohol level (from 0.1 to 0.08), shutter the state's drive-through liquor windows, and mandate jail time for repeat drunk drivers.”

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – July 2009 – I-94, northbound in the southbound lanes, struck another car and the driver of the wrong-way car was arrested for operating while intoxicated. The wrong-way car had a passenger, but there is not report on her sobriety. The time was about 3:00 A.M. as reported by TMJ-TV-4. There have video of the extrication.

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/49972752.html?video=pop&t=a&bctid=CLIP_ID_88694

Shropshire, England – July 2009 – M-54, wrong-way driver noted to be an elderly man, but no age was given.

Columbus, Ohio - I-270 wrong-way driver strikes two other vehicles early on a Saturday morning, about 1:25 A.M.

Madrid, Spain – July 2009 – A 40-year-old man died as a result of a wrong-way driver hitting him head-on on the M-50 at about 5:30 pm; three cars were involved.

Dexter, Michigan – July 2009 – I-94 between Baker and Zeeb roads. A diabetic who works for the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department entered the highway going the wrong way. Low blood sugar is believed to have caused the driver to not be aware of what he was doing. No serious injuries were noted although the driver did hit several cars while going the wrong way.

Salem, New Hampshire – July 2009 – I-93 off-ramp, there is only one mentioned, was the location of this wrong-way collision at 2:35 a.m. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Grants Pass, Oregon – July 2009 – An I-5 wrong-way crash lead to the death of one man but caused a four-car crash. The police were dispatched at 11:37 p.m. to I-5 to investigate a southbound driver in the northbound lanes eventually finding the crash around milepost 53. The driver, Malcolm H. Armstrong, 81, was listed as a missing/endangered person to memory-related problems. The driver that died was not the wrong-way driver.

Minneapolis, Minnesota – July 2009 – A man driving the wrong-way on a one-way street was stopped by an officer on a bike after the officer ran on foot, was struck by the side mirror and managed to get the driver stopped in a parking lot. The 29-year-old driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated. The driver registered .23 on a breath test.

Sumter County, South Carolina – June 30, 2009 – In this case a 14-year-old girl was driving the wrong-way on U.S. 378, west in the eastbound lanes of travel. The time was about 11:18 p.m. The minimum age for driving in South Carolina is 15, when a person is able to receive a learners permit. Apparently this girl didn’t understand she was in enough trouble. She produced another person’s driver’s license, and then when questioned about the photo gave a false name and birth date. In the car were five passengers including an unconscious 22-year-old male in the back seat. A search of the car produced a lot of beer and a marijuana blunt.

Amarillo, Texas – June 30, 2009 - A 56-year-old driver was going south in the northbound lanes on South Georgia Street when he collided with several vehicles. The wrong-way driver is the only person who died or was seriously injured. Alcohol was not a factor and an autopsy was ordered to try and determine the reason for the driver’s behavior.

Garmin GPS Navigator Field Test - The field test involved several different Garmin models in Mexico The specific model is a 010-10755-00 and the Mexico Navigator Card in Mexico. The experience or finding important to this post is as follows:

“In other cases, the GPS/card can give incorrect directions to an address, even though the street has not been changed, or, worse, actually direct the driver to make an illegal turn. In Malinalco, for example, the GPS/card directed a driver to turn the wrong way on a desired hotel's street, and into oncoming one-way traffic. Again, the driver needs to pay attention to street signs while listening to the GPS.”

There is no indication if this would be true with other models or this same model in other cities or towns in other countries. Barbara and I have used GPS navigators in both Ireland and Germany with great success.

Honolulu, Hawaii – June 2006 – Kanehoe-bound in the Halawa bound lanes of the H-3 near Halawa Valley Road at 3:45 a.m. on June 17, 2006. He was intoxicated with a BAC of 0.16. He crashed head-on into a car with a single-mother of two school-age children, all died at the scene. One month to the day the wrong-way driver died.

Toledo, OHIO – Suit was filed against the wrong-way driver and the bar that served him alcohol by the husband of the wife and four children who died in the wrong-way crash. The wrong-way driver is serving 43 years in prison for the crash.

Los Angles, California – This wrong-way driver fled on foot escaping officers and responsibility for this wrong-way crash on I-57, Orange freeway. He was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes at approximately 2:39 a.m. The wrong-way truck was stolen.

Charlotte, North Carolina – June 2009 – A wrong-way drunk-driver was arrested after traveling north in the southbound lanes of I-85 in Charlotte and causing a car accident. The 57-year-old was arrested and released on $5,000.

Topeka, Kansas – A wrong-way crash that took a life occurred in the west-bound lanes of I-70. She was later charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving while under the influence of alcohol. The driver was 38-years-old and the 27-year-old driver of the no-fault vehicle died. The accident occurred around 10:47 pm.

Kansas City, Missouri – June 2009 – This wrong-way driver went northbound in the southbound lanes on U.S. 71 in Kansas City. He crashed head-on into a semi-truck upon which both vehicles then exploded and became engulfed in flames. The offending driver was seriously injured but the semi-truck driver received only minor injuries.

Reva, Virginia – July 2009 - This one involved U.S. 29 and was a head-on collision. The title to the article states alcohol was not involved but few details are given in the article.

Virginia Beach, Virginia – June 2009 – The wrong-way driver was arrested for OWI, but was appears also to have been taking prescription medications for brain damage that predated this accident. The brain damage was alleged to be caused by a work-related injury when he as shocked or electrocuted while working on a tower. He was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 264.

Palm Bay, Florida – July 2009 – The driver is 84 from Melbourne and accidentally drove north in the southbound lanes of I-95. She got on at Palm Bay road. She drove about a mile, then stopped but not in time for other cars attempting to avoid here to collide. Two southbound cars that stopped were rear-ended by a semi-truck. Some were injured. And then?

“When she (Phillips) calmed down, she was not confused,” Montes said. “She was upset that someone might have gotten hurt.”

Then Phillips turned her 2007 Hundai around and drove off.

Phillips was cited for going the wrong way and must undergo a medical evaluation. Depending on the outcome of the test, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles could make her take a driving test. She has a current driver’s license, officials said.

South Dallas, Texas – July 2009 - Three people died from a head-on crash when a wrong-way driver traveled eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-20 in the Red Bird area of Dallas. Alcohol was found in the wrong-way driver’s car.

Las Vegas, Nevada – A wrong-way driver allegedly high on prescription drugs came the wrong-way towards a police officer who was in the process of taking a drunk driver to jail. The drug was Lortab.

Vigil admitted to taking the powerful narcotic Lortab before driving. He then failed a series of sobriety tests.

"While processing him in the medical center in Las Vegas, a baggie fell out of his sock containing a baggie of blue pills which turned out to be Xanax," State Police Spokesman Lt. Eric Garcia said Thursday.

The pills weren't in a prescription bottle and Vigil couldn't show cops prescriptions for either medication, so they added possession charges to his DWI.

Even after that, Vigil still can't grasp what just happened.

He asked in the dashcam video, "What did I do wrong?"

New York, New York – July 2009 – Taconic State Parkway – Eight people died - Driving 70-mph two-miles the wrong-way on a highway she was very familiar with what caused this 36-year-old mother with her children in the van to do the unthinkable? In her van was her 2-year-old daughter, 5-year-old son and three nieces. All but one died in the head-on crash. It was a Sunday and she was driving from a campground. Her son was the only one to survive the crash. In the other head-on car, an SUV, three men died. This is an unbelievably busy interstate. So why did she continue going the wrong way? There is a video at the first link. And a video of the timeline involved just previous to the crash; the cause remains a mystery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGRU5wYGKbE

Gastonia, South Carolina – July 2009 – A wrong-way driver on I-85 in Gaston County, traveling south in the northbound lanes of travel was accused of trying to strike cars driving the wrong way and finally driving into a cement wall. He was under psychiatric care.

A man who passed him told Eyewitness News it looked like Ghent was going 100 mph. That driver said he was on his way to his Charlotte home from work in Gastonia, and he remembers seeing headlights coming directly at him in his lane. He said he thought it could only be a trooper traveling on the wrong side of the road at night. He said he moved two lanes over and watched as the car passed by.

Seconds later, troopers fell in behind the vehicle.

They said they stopped Ghent near exit 23 and he refused to take a breathalyzer. They said a blood test found an unnamed prescription drug in Ghent's blood. There is a video-tape report.

InjuryBoard.com – Blog by Brooks Schuelke - What Can Be Done To Protect Dallas Motorists From Wrong-Way Drivers? Discusses how Dallas highway officials need to approach the problem. He points out what automakers are looking at the situation.

Bloomington, Indiana - Wrong-way driver on Ind. 37 told police she was following her GPS – July 31, 2009 - By Marcela Creps, 331-4375 | mcreps@heraldt.com

Brownsburg, Indiana – July 2009 – Near the I-74 interchange with Ronal Reagan Parkway near the western Indianapolis suburb of Brownsburg around 8:15 A.M. The collision occurred in Hendricks County involving a 59-year-old woman heading eastbound in the westbound lanes. She died when her SUV struck the rear axle of one semi, then airborne and struck another semi head-on.

Chicago, Illinois – July 2009 – I-55, near South Halsted Street at 1:50 a.m. The wrong-way driver was headed south. A 38-year-old woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash. The male wrong-way driver was neither identified nor charged although he was reported to be in custody.

Nevada – July 2009 – This on occurred on Pyramid Highway just north of Queen Way heading north in the southbound lanes. The wrong-way driver sideswiped a van and then collided head-on with a car. The accident occurred at 6:50 a.m. The wrong-way driver was reported as “sleepy”. The crash caused injuries but no one was killed.

Charlotte, North Carolina – July 2009 - I-85 is the scene of this chase by state troopers attempting to stop a DUI driver for over 20-miles in a 2008 Honda. The driver was spotted at around 1:30 a.m. in Charlotte’s University City area.

Santa Rosa, California – July 2009 – Highway 101, the wrong-way driver was arrested on suspicion of OWI. The time was around 5:40 p.m. The driver made two attempts to make a u-turn and each time to reenter the highway the wrong way. The driver was 46-years-old.

Denver, Colorado – July 2009 – A 21-year-old driver was killed after driving the wrong-way on I-225 and colliding with a skyRide bus. The collision occurred at 1:48 a.m. near Aurora. The cause of this wrong-way is not obvious. The force of the impact with the bus drove the Taurus backward about 250 feet into the median.

Police Sgt. Kevin Rollins said that moments before the collision, a Colorado Department of Transportation employee spotted Gordon standing outside her Ford Taurus in the median of I-225, just south of East Yale Avenue. The employee, who was in a marked CDOT vehicle, turned on his flashing lights and was driving up to assist her when Gordon jumped back into her car and drove north in the southbound lanes of I-225.

Rollins said Gordon accelerated quickly and had driven about 500 feet when she crashed into the bus.

San Bernardino, California – July 2009 – I-215 is the interstate where four-cars were involved in a collision after one drove northbound in the southbound lanes.

Hillside, New Jersey – July 2009 – Wrong-way driver on Winans Avenue spun off of the roadway and then crashed into a home. The driver is a 37-year-old woman. At the time of the story no causes were established beyond careless driving.

Evansville, Indiana - July 2009 – A 28-year-old woman drove the wrong-way on I-164, driving southbound in the northbound lanes at freeway speeds. Her blood alcohol level is reported at more than twice the legal limit. (0.20) The time of the incident was just after 1:00 a.m.

Also other videos from ABC 4 News in Pittsburgh.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Negligence, failing to yield, other driver and passenger deaths. Who's at fault?

Steve Lombardi — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:01:00 GMT

On October 8^th 2009 a Ford Tempo was heading westbound on 63^rd St. when the driver failed to yield at the stop sign at the intersection of 19^th Avenue and collided with a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Jennifer Engler. The name of the driver of the Ford Tempo is not being released at this time however the two passengers in the vehicle, Paul Steven Lauritson and Stephanie Ann Dripps, died as a result of injuries suffered in the crash. Jennifer Engler and two other unnamed passengers in the Suburban were injured and taken to area hospitals no other information is available at this time.

Answering “why?” most always goes back to speed, control, paying attention and distractions along with the number one cause OWI. We don’t have a lot of details about this crash/wreck but chances are it will fall under one of these causes. The driver of the Chevrolet Suburban and all the passengers will have a cause of action against the driver. The main question being was he “negligent”, or in Iowa we now say “at fault”, which is simply a lay person’s way of saying negligence. The Uniform Jury Instructions in Iowa have gotten very user friendly. To make people friendlier to it, the courts have tried to demystify the language it uses when coming into contact with the public. Is it working? Hardly, it’s adding another layer of confusion to what we lawyers have to do in this still noble profession. I for one am tired of trying to do what McDonald’s did for the fast food industry. Dumbing down the court system for a generation who grew up on participation trophies is not my idea of streamlining the legal system.

And for the driver of the Suburban and its passenger, call us if we can help you.

Steve Lombardi

515-222-1110

sdlombardi@aol.com

Lombardi Law Firm

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Seniors: When it comes to a drivers' license, how old is too old?

Steve Lombardi — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:16:00 GMT

Hit and Run that kills Bicyclist spurs debate on the impact of age on driving privileges

On August 30, 2009 a hit-and-run occurred killing bicyclist, Mark Grgurich age 54. Hit by a white truck on Warren County Road G14, according to the Des Moines Register.

The white 1986 Chevrolet pickup was discovered to belong to Paul “Jud” McKinney, through investigating surveillance photographs, according to the Des Moines Register. The 79 year old McKinney will go to court on September 22, 2009 to face the following charges:

If convicted of all charges he could face seven years in prison.

An underlying cause for McKinney hitting the bicyclist is a vision problem called macular degeneration which causes a decline in vision especially in the central visual area, vital for driving. According to the Des Moines Register, “McKinney's sister, Elsie Manning, told The Des Moines Register that her brother has macular degeneration, a condition usually found in older adults that results in a loss of vision, especially central vision.” Though, “a Warren County sheriff's investigator said he was unaware that McKinney had macular degeneration and did not know if it figured in any way in the fatal crash.” McKinney was to renew his license in October, having to renew it every two years due to his eye condition. Scott Falb, a DOT driving specialist said, “in Iowa, drivers may be issued a four-year license until the age of 70, but after that the state ‘wants them to come in every two years to appraise their condition as a driver’." Even though McKinney had macular degeneration, because of his age he still had to go in every two years to be evaluated.

According to the Des Moines Register:

“In Iowa in 2008, 15- to 24-year-old drivers had a rate of 3.28 fatal crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers. That dropped to 2.54 in the middle years and then headed up again as drivers reached their 70s, Falb said. At age 85 the rate reached 3.56 fatal crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers.”

From this current issue debate is rising on whether there should be stricter rules applied to older drivers. A news article from channel 13, WHO, discusses this question in regards to other cases besides McKinney. One such case is Margaret Winter who is in her 80’s and uses a walker to get around, but also feels she should be able to drive her car. She went in to renew her license and the DOT required her to take a test, which she failed at least twice. Winter feels it’s unfair and wrong that she cannot have her license since she has been driving for 55 years. Watch a clip from this issue on Ms. Winter.

What do you think is too old and how this impacts our roads we all use in some way or the other?

http://www.whotv.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=e97bf4db-82e0-4cb1-bb8b-340c10da9616&src=front

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Walking in Cyberspace Can Kill You

Steve Lombardi — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:12:00 GMT

A couple of pedestrian accident reports caught my eye because they were killed due to being distracted by cell phones, mp3 players or iPods. A search in the Internet turned up much more information than I expected. Here is a sampling of what is out there in cyberspace.

NPR recently aired a very good story about digital distractions while driving.

NPR Story, Caution: Walking And Cell Phones Don't Mix, Carol Guensburg.

Megan Roth and I have written before about distractions caused by cell phone use along with iPods. Some other articles of interest are listed.

Driver Safety: Starts before you turn the ignition key

Driving Safety: No Text Messaging While Driving | InjuryBoard Austin

Cell Phone Use While Driving Increases Risk of Collision ...

Cell Phones: INTOXICATION V. IN-TEXT-ICATION - Which is worse ...

Driving Safety: No Text Messaging While Driving | InjuryBoard Austin Cell phone use causes car accident, case settles for $5.2 million ... Cell Phones, Like Alcohol, Cause Wrongful Death | InjuryBoard Salt ...

So what is going on with pedestrians? Like car and truck drivers pedestrians are allowing their cell phones to distract them to the point of getting killed. Here are a few examples.

Joshua Phillips White, 16, was killed while wearing MP3 player earphones and walking on a train track. February 22, 2009.

Lisa Carolyn Moran, 20, a University of North Carolina exchange student from Scotland, was listening to an iPod while jogging when she stepped into the path of a bus in Chapel Hill last May. Lisa Moran’s personal website.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/2899538/

Alan Eaton-Chandler, 17, was killed under the same circumstances just last Tuesday when he was hit by an Amtrak train in Comstock Township, Mich. February 2009.

Vicky Baker, 39, was talking on her cell phone when she was struck and killed by a train in Albertville, Ala., in December 2008.

Apple, the most prominent manufacturer, declined to comment for this story. Christine Monaghan, spokeswoman for its iPod line, said Apple's Web site offers guidance for safe use.

COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP -- A funeral will be held Saturday for a Galesburg-Augusta High School junior who was hit by an Amtrak train Tuesday afternoon.

Alan Michael Eaton Chandler, 17, was hit as he crossed the tracks near his house in the 8800 block of East Michigan Avenue.

Feb. 2009

According to preliminary reports, Baker was using a cell phone while walking and apparently did not hear the train’s warning and walked into the path of the train, Smith said. The train struck Baker as she was attempting to move from the tracks, he said. December 2008

Tara McAvoy, 18, was killed while she was text-messaging her family. Tara, who was named Miss Deaf Texas in June, 2005, was struck by a train as she walked along the railroad ties.

Zachariah Smith, 18, of Ohio, was texting on his phone while walking across railroad tracks. Witnesses report that Smith let one train pass, walked around a gate and was struck by a second train. Although he was thrown 50 feet, Smith survived. August 21, 2007.

Scott Slaughter, 31, of Berkeley, California was talking on his cell phone when he was struck and killed by an Amtrack train. Similar to the Ohio case listed above, witnesses said that Slaughter let one train pass and walked into the path of a second train. November 19, 2007.

Florida Woman Struck and Killed While Using Her Phone

Dawn Ann Thoma, 32, of Florida was killed when she drove into the path of a freight train. Dawn was talking to her brother on the phone at the time of the crash.

There is a website mycellphoneiskillingme.com that lists many of these accidents caused by electronic distractions. As they point out many of these accidents are underreported because people don’t want to admit to having used their cell phones. Here is the list they compiled.

• New York — Five girls who had recently graduated high school were killed when their SUV crashed. Phone records show that the phone registered to the driver (Bailey Goodman) was in use at the time of the crash. Evidence also suggests that she was speeding.

• New York — Five people were killed when Shawn E. Roush lost control of his car. Roush was legally drunk, driving 90 and arguing with his wife on his cell phone at the time of the crash.

• Wisconsin — Witnesses report that 48-year-old Janet Indermuehle was talking on her phone when she lost control and crashed. Indermuehle, her 15-year-old son Daniel Hall, and 14-year-old Tiffany Kastner were all killed.

• Indiana — Eight people were killed when a semi-trailer slammed into a line of cars. The trucker, Leonardo Cooksey, 32, was trying to charge his cell phone and didn't notice that traffic had stopped.

• Minnesota — 21-year-old Leanne Toepper was killed while chatting on her phone. The person she was talking to heard her screams before the phone went dead.

• Montana — 13-year-old Frances Margay Schee was killed when her school bus was hit by a semi-trailer. The trucker, Reinaldo Gonzalez, admitted that he was talking on his cell phone at the time of the crash.

• Arizona — Police report that 18-year-old Ashley Miller was sending a text message when she crossed the center line and slammed into a vehicle driven by Stacey Stubbs. Both Miller and Stubbs were killed.

• Wisconsin — 22-year-old Adam Teumerd was killed after his vehicle left the road and crashed into water. Adam was talking on his cell phone when the person he was speaking with heard the accident.

• Ohio — Karyn Cordell, 22, and her unborn child were killed when 16-year-old Alexander Manocchio reached over to answer his phone and slammed head-on into Cordell's car.

• Illinois — Katlin McGuire, age 20, was killed when she was distracted by her cell phone. Her passenger received serious injuries.

• Ohio — Seventeen-year-old twins, Kathy and Kimberly Seager, were killed while stopped at a railroad crossing. The twin's car was crushed from behind by a 23-year-old driver who was talking on his cell phone. The driver didn't even try to stop.

• California — Los Angeles commuter train engineer Robert Sanchez missed a signal that caused 25 people to lose their lives. Records indicate that Sanchez had been texting on his phone.

• California — Gladis Andrade-Zepeda, 33,

dropped her cell phone and was looking for it when she crashed. Andrade-Zepeda was killed when her car was struck by a second vehicle.

• Washington — Witnesses told the FBI that Sela Anne Kalama, 19, was texting on her phone when she drove off the road and into a river. 17-year-old Vanna K. Francis and 15-year-old Ronnie Scroggins were killed in the crash.

• Wyoming — Brittany Rentas, 16, was killed after the car she was driving collided with another vehicle. Rentas had been texting on her phone.

• Montana — Christie Johnson, 34, was killed while trying to plug in her cell phone. Four passengers were injured.

• North Carolina — Macy Winslow, 16, was killed when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck another vehicle. State Police report that there is strong evidence to suggest that Macy had been using her phone when she was killed. Two other people suffered injuries.

• Montana — An unnamed 43-year-old man was using his cell phone at the time he slammed into the back of a logging truck on U.S. 93, near Missoula. The man died in the crash.

• Oklahoma — 19-year-old Brittanie Montgomery was killed while driving and using her phone. Brittanie was a dancer for the Hornets NBA basketball team. Her mother is now an advocate for banning the use of cell phones while driving.

• Massachusetts — John McCarthy, 58, was hit and killed by a driver who admitted to sending a text message at the time of the crash.

• Ohio — Five-year-old Dameatrius McCreary was killed after exiting a school bus. Angelique Dipman told police that she hit Dameatrius because of reaching down to answer her phone.

• Florida — Stephanie Phillips, 37, and Heather Hurd, 26, were killed when a tractor-trailer ran a stop light. The trucker was distracted by text-messaging on his phone. Numerous other people suffered injuries. (Accident Pics)

• Florida — Dawn Ann Thoma, 32, was killed when she drove into the path of a freight train. Dawn was talking to her brother on the phone at the time of the crash.

• California — According to the Highway Patrol, Ronald Rudisill, 63, was killed by a driver who was allegedly driving under the influence of drugs and sending a text message. The driver didn't see that traffic had stopped.

• California — 16-year-old Kayla Preuss was killed when the vehicle she was driving went out of control and crashed. She had been drinking, speeding, and sending text messages at the time of the crash. Her open cell phone was found at her feet.

• California — 5-year-old Kyle Coble and his two sisters Emma, 4, and Katie, 2, were all killed when the vehicle they were in was slammed into by trucker Jorge Miguel Romero, who was trying to check his cell phone voice mail.

• Missouri — Two-year-old Jackson Moore was killed when his dad—who was riding an ATV with his son—looked down to check an incoming text message.

• Missouri — Three people were killed and 15 injured when trucker Jeffrey R. Knight was distracted by his cell phone.

• Virginia — Joan D. Skupien, 40, was using her phone when her car left the road and crashed into a tree. Skupien died in the crash.

• Virginia — Michael Ozyjowski, 75, was killed when he was run off the road by a woman driving and talking on a cell phone.

• Indiana — Sarah L. Woodruff, 20, was killed when her car left the road and flipped 6 times. State Police report that Sarah had been texting on her phone.

• Indiana — Rodney O. Thompson, 18, was killed when his vehicle slammed into a tree. A passenger said that Thompson had been text-messaging at the time of the crash.

• Connecticut — 82-year-old James Morrissey died a month after being run down by a driver chatting on a cell phone.

• Illinois — Matt Wilhelm, age 25, was killed by a driver who was busy downloading ringtones onto her phone.

• New Jersey — 7-year-old Sierra Kerber was killed when a driver on a cell phone ran a red light and crashed into an SUV driven by Sierra's father.

• Oklahoma — Jessalyn Sanders, 6, was killed while walking across a street. The driver, Justin Pearsall, told police that he didn't see Jessalyn because he had reached down to answer his phone.

• Colorado — 18-year-old Makayla Lynn Belew was killed after being hit by a driver who was text messaging on his phone.

• Colorado — 18-year-old Nancy Trimpe was killed when Donte Brown, 24, ran a light and struck Trimpe's vehicle. Police report that Brown was distracted by his cell phone.

• Colorado — Jim R. Price, 63, was hit and killed while riding his bicycle in the bicycle lane of Wildcat Reserve Parkway

. The 17-year-old driver was text-messaging on his cell phone when he hit Mr. Price.

• Colorado — Samantha Ann Loy, 18, was killed when she rolled her vehicle into oncoming traffic. The Colorado State Patrol suspects that she was texting at the time.

• Wisconsin — Tracey McDonald-Iwunze, 28, was using her phone when her car ran a stop light and killed Kathryn Marjama.

• Texas — Ryan Perez, 24, reached for his cell phone and slammed into a vehicle driven by 18-year-old Samantha Ibarra. Ibarra died in the crash.

• Texas — Dr. Michael Sanchez was hit and killed while jogging. The driver told police that he was was answering his cell phone.

• Maine — Police believe that Heather Bouchard, 24, dropped her cell phone which caused her to cross the median and crash into oncoming traffic. Bouchard was killed, two others were injured.

• West Virginia — Michael Shelley blew through a red light while talking on his phone. One person was killed.

• Massachusetts — Jordan Cibley, 18, was killed when his car left the road and struck a tree. Jordan was talking on the phone to his dad when the accident occurred.

• Michigan — Jun Joseph Kojima, age 27, died after being hit by an 18-year-old driver who was reaching for his cell phone.

• Georgia — Ryan Duffner, age 2, was killed when his mother's car was hit by a 16-year-old girl who was using her cell phone while driving. Ryan's mother, Lisa Duffner, sustained serious injuries in the crash.

• Florida — Lesley Beers, 32, was killed when her car was slammed into from behind by a vehicle driven by Sheila Hulick. Cell phone records show that Hulick was on her phone. A jury later awarded Beers' husband 21.6 million dollars in a wrongful death suit.

• Michigan — Twelve-year-old Joe Teater was killed when Holly Jo Smeckert, 20, drove through a stop light and crashed into the Teater's vehicle. Smeckert was so consumed by her phone conversation that she didn't even apply her brakes at the stop light.

• New Mexico — Witnesses report that 41-year-old Douglas Flores was trying to text message when his moped slammed into a telephone pole. Flores was killed.

• Arkansas — Paul Davidson, 41, was killed when 27-year-old Michael Blanchard crossed the center line. Authorities said that Blanchard had been texting on his phone. He later killed himself after being charged in causing the death of Davidson.

• Texas — Stephanie Phelps, 16, was using her cell phone when she ran through a stop sign and crashed into a cement truck. Phelps and her 4-month-old daughter were killed.

• Texas — Officer Jason Norling was killed by a driver who was using a cell phone. His wife, Lisa, told local media that she lost her husband to a cell phone.

• Texas — Witnesses report that 49-year-old Gabriele Zarecor was text-messaging when her vehicle struck a concrete barrier. Zarecor was killed in the crash.

• Indiana — Witnesses report that 52-year-old Delbert Majors was talking on his cell phone when he ran through a stop light and killed 56-year-old Raymond Ferrari. Police report that Majors' also had cocaine in his system.

• Massachusetts — Craig P. Bigos, 31, told authorities that he was trying to drive and send a text message when he lost control of his SUV and killed 13-year-old Earman Machado.

• Utah — 17-year-old Lauren Mulkey was killed by a driver who ran a light because he was trying to find a number on his cell phone.

• Utah — James A. Furfaro, 38, and Keith P. Odell, 50, were killed when 21-year-old Reggie Shaw sideswiped their vehicle. Phone records show that Shaw had been text-messaging at the time of the accident.

• Wyoming — Bradley Johnson, 20, was killed while apparently reading a text message when his vehicle crashed.

• Pennsylvania — Two-year-old Morgan Lee Pena was killed when the car she was riding in was struck by a driver on a cell phone. The driver was too distracted to notice the stop sign.

• Wyoming — 17-year-old Mitchell Birch was killed when his car left the road and went down an embankment. State Police suspect that he was either sending or reading a text message at the time of the accident.

• Kansas — Valorie Graham, 38, told State police that she was on her phone when she struck another vehicle, killing Terry Higginbotham, 60, and Jeanie Larson, 64. Graham later said in court that she wasn't using her phone.

• Colorado — Erica Forney, 9, was struck and killed by an SUV driven by Michelle Smith, who was driving and talking on her phone.

• Arizona — An 18-year-old girl slammed head-on into another car killing both drivers. Police report the accident was caused by the teen texting on her phone. (Video)

• Mississippi — Puckett High School senior Daniel Howell was killed when he crashed his car while using his cell phone.

• Arkansas — Kevin L. Castillo, 22, was text-messaging on his phone when his truck left the road and crashed. Castillo died in the crash.

• West Virginia — Chad Ray, of Hurricane, W. VA., is accused of talking on a cell phone at the moment he collided head-on with a school bus.

• Indiana — Kira Hudson, 20, was having an emotional phone conversation with her boyfriend when she crashed. She is now a paraplegic and gives talks about the dangers of driving while using a phone.

• Texas — Cameron Bates, 23, reached for his cell phone, became distracted, and rolled the pickup he was driving.

• New Jersey — Adele Loring, 47, suffered critical injuries after hitting another car and overturning. Police report that witnesses saw the victim talking on her phone at the time of the crash.

• Ohio — Sarah Stearns, 18, told police that she had been sending a text message when the car she was driving hit a mailbox and overturned.

• Connecticut— Sharlyn Ayala-Gonzalez, 19, was talking on her cell phone while trying to pass another car and slammed into a guardrail. She suffered serious injuries.

• California — Brittany Nichole Rodrigues, 20, was talking on her phone when she left the road and slammed into a utility pole.

• California — Miriam Duarte, 39, reached for her ringing cell phone, ran off the road and flipped her vehicle. Duarte and her passenger Maria Loyola, 49, had to be removed from the vehicle with the Jaws of Life.

• Washington — A 16-year-old girl told authorities that she smashed into a parked car because she was reading a text message from her boyfriend.

• Washington — Police believe that Brandy Anderson Bergen, 22, was reading a text message when her car failed to round a curve. Bergen suffered severe head trauma.

• Virginia — A Virginia State Trooper was injured when 24-year-old Sabrina Farbor hit the Trooper's car, which had pulled over another vehicle. Farbor was using her phone at the time of the accident.

• Washington — Three people were injured when a 29-year-old man lost control of his vehicle on I-5 and crossed the median, slamming head-on into another car. The 29-year-old was trying to put his cell phone on speaker mode when he lost control.

• Kentucky — Two people were injured when 54-year-old Jacqueline Toombs slowed down to answer her cell phone.

• West Virginia — A minivan driver lost control, hit a car and overturned because of trying to find his cell phone.

• Maine — A 16-year-old girl told authorities that she smashed into a parked car because she dozed off, but officers discovered that she had really been texting.

• New Jersey — Christine Davis, 21, was too busy reading text messages to notice that her car was getting ready to crash into a parked Cadillac. The insurance company said the Caddy was a total loss.

• Kentucky — Witnesses report that 22-year-old Melaine Berryhill was talking on her cell phone when she turned in front of 43-year-old Sharon Howard. Howard's vehicle was forced down an embankment. Both drivers were taken to the hospital.

• Arkansas — Thomas Jones was looking at his cell phone when he crashed into Robin Matlock, causing injuries to Matlock and her passenger.

• Illinois — Witnesses report that Richard Handzel was talking on his cell phone when he crashed into 53-year-old James White. Mr. White suffered severe leg injuries.

• Washington — A truck loaded with propane crashed and overturned near a school. Authorities said the driver was on his cell phone when the crash occurred.

• Illinois — Sandra Jeffers, 58, crashed and overturned in a cornfield because of reaching down to answer her cell phone.

• Illinois — Ronald Funes-Pineda, 26, was legally drunk and talking on his cell phone when he crashed into a police car injuring the two officers inside.

• Kansas — According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 15-year-old Megan Renae Thacker was reaching for her phone when her car went through a fence and airborne into a field.

• Kansas — UPS driver Jeremy L. McMillion looked down at his ringing cell phone and crossed the median, went through a fence and hit a building.

• Nebraska — Barbara Baltzell, 53, told authorities that she was distracted because of looking at her cell phone when she slammed into a Nebraska State Patrol officer.

• Indiana — An unnamed 17-year-old girl told police that she was using her cell phone when she left the road, drove over 70 feet through a yard, and smashed into a house.

• Iowa — An unnamed 21-year-old male told police that he was text-messaging when he caused a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 35/80.

• Arkansas — Two children received head injuries when Linda Childers Knapp struck the vehicle of Shadrick Adams. Knapp was talking on her cell phone.

• Montana — Breanne Ledbetter, 29, was on the sidewalk jogging while pushing a stroller when she was hit by 16-year-old Tyrell Littlebird. Littlebird told police that he was text-messaging at the time of the accident.

• Pennsylvania — Erica L. Rodriguez, 20, was reaching for her cell phone when she smashed into parked cars, injuring a 7-year-old boy.

• Texas — An unnamed man said he was trying to answer his cell phone when his vehicle slammed into a tree. His 10-year-old son received critical injuries in the crash.

• Utah — Utah State Police report that a man—identified only as a man in his 40's—rolled his vehicle on I-80 because he was trying to answer his phone.

• New York — 22-year-old Lance Homer had been drinking, looked at his cell phone to read a text message, and crashed his car on RT 48.

• Colorado — Police report that a trucker was distracted by his cell phone and hit a guard rail pushing it into traffic.

• Montana — Carol Fowler, 20, reached to pick up her cell phone which caused her vehicle to slam into and roll an oncoming van.

• Utah — Utah State Police report that a woman—identified only as a 64-year-old female—was so consumed in her phone conversation that she didn't even hit the brakes before slamming into a truck that was parked in the emergency lane of I-15. The woman suffered critical injuries.

• North Carolina — William Daniel Edwards, 59, was looking for his cell phone when his car sideswiped a parked car, drove across a sidewalk, then crashed into the front glass of a flower shop.

• Indiana — Thirty-three-year-old Amber Parsons was drunk and trying to send a text message when her vehicle left the road and crashed into a tree.

• New Hampshire — Jeremy Marcelonis, 22, suffered numerous injuries when his vehicle slammed into the back of a trash truck. It is reported that Marcelonis told police that he was distracted due to looking down at his phone.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Cell Phones: Motor Vehicle Crashes Leading Cause of Teen Deaths, But Who (or What) is to Blame?

Steve Lombardi — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:46 GMT

Did you know that teens are four times more likely than a 65-to-69-year old to get in a serious car wreck? Did you know this number is increasing and that the reasons are as clear as the coined phrase: "Can you hear me now?"

Its official: the Department of Health and Human Services has released a fact sheet stating "motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens" and 16- to 19-year olds have a higher risk of fatal accidents than any other age group. In fact, a teen's risk of being involved in a crash is four times greater than that of a 65- to 69-year old.

These statistics seem less than shocking when we consider the many factors teens have working against them. First and foremost is their obvious lack of experience. This alone could be used in justification of their high accident rates; however, one must also look to the ever-evolving cell phone as part of what's to blame.

In July 2007, I wrote of an alarming statistic: "Iowa Ranks Third in the Nation for Young Driver Fatalities." Now I look at this statistic and can't help but wonder: how many of these fatalities can be attributed to cell phone usage - in some form or another?

In the world of teenagers, owning a cell phone has become a thing of the norm and, as of 2005, 56 percent of young drivers used cell phones while driving. Quite obviously, reliance on cell phones has increased since then and so has the number of teenagers who use them while driving.

Doing so is more than just dangerous, it's downright deadly. When you're driving, your attention should be focused on the road in front of you. As many are probably aware, this can prove difficult to do when reading a text message on your cell. Cell phones are a distraction and divert the attention of the user.

In fact, 37 percent of teens claim they find text messaging to be extremely distracting; yet, 19 percent of motorists admit to doing it, while 73 percent confess to talking on their cell while driving. Shocking behavior, considering it's a well-published fact that motorists who use cell phones while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a serious crash, making using a cell phone while driving as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.

Now, the problem and many of its key consequences have been identified. However, it remains to be seen how the government and independent agencies have addressed and will go about dealing with the issue. Read on next week to find out....

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Go-Carting Safety and Riding on the Public Streets

Steve Lombardi — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:25:00 GMT

On September 04^th 2009 14-year-old William Beaulieau and a class mate 15-year-old Jacob Murray were go-carting when the go-cart they were riding in collided with a Ford truck driven by Chad Stange. The accident occurred at the intersection of 300^th Street and Stanley Road near Fredericksburg at about 5 p.m. Mr. Beaulieau was driving the go cart and both boys were ejected on impact and both died as a result of the injuries sustained in the crash.

First of all the report isn't clear but appears to say they were driving the go-cart on the public’s right-of-way; the road or street. If so, our first thought is to ask what are they doing riding on the street? And why at 5:00 p.m. when commuter traffic is likely to be increased due to people coming home from work? No license, no registration, no tags and no reason to be there. Was there a moped type flag on the go-cart? Go-carts are too low to be seen by normal drivers, so it's an accident waiting to happen.

The next question that always comes up is about supervision. Where were the adults who should be supervising them and why did they think it permissible to be driving a motorized go-cart on the public streets? What were they taught about riding it on the streets? Was someone home watching Oprah when they should have watching the kids? These are the types of questions that would need to be answered.

I've got experience with this in my neighborhood. I see my neighbor's children and adult children running an unlicensed ATV on the streets while trying to pull wheelies. When I see them out there my first thoughts are when the accident is going happen; you know the one that is inevitable. You see I live on a corner and I know my neighbors driving habits; probably too well. Here is my one neighbor who is also a lawyer and he drives way too fast through that intersection and now we are adding kids and young adults on an unlicensed vehicle. And then there are the neighborhood teen drivers going through that intersection as if they owned it. I’m shaking my head as I ponder the sound of metal to metal as the crash unfolds in my head; that's what happens to aging personal injury lawyers; we dream of all the crashes we've had cases about. Maybe I should move to the end of the cul-de-sac; then I wouldn’t know so much about the intersection down by Lombardi’s house.

These situations lead to tough questions with very unsatisfying answers.

If you’ll recall we’ve discussed a similar type of accident involving an ATV running into a parked car.

But it also raises another question. What was the driver of the Ford truck doing? How fast was he going? Did he have any distractions that took away from his awareness as a driver on the public roads? His actions may not excuse his negligence. Was he aware from previous occasions that this kid would be out riding his go-cart in the street? If so, was he watching out for him? Did he know the kid was there and just ignored him? Determining negligence is such a multi-faceted task with many questions about the behavior of each actor that need to be answered about whether it lived up to the reasonable man standard. In this case it’s probably too easy to just want to blame the kids on the go-cart; but our first inclinations aren’t always the fairest either.

So let’s wait till we know all the facts before judging and coming to a conclusion.

We wish the families well and I rest my case.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Key2SafeDriving: New Device Jams Cell Phone Use While Driving

Barbara Tubridy Lombardi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:23:30 GMT

Key2SafeDriving

New Device Jams Cell Phone Use While Driving

Researchers at the University of Utah have developed an ignition key that prevents teenagers (or anyone else) from talking or texting on cell phones while driving.

Key2Safe Driving has been patented by the university and licensed to a private company who hopes to see it on the market soon.

The cost to protect your child’s life?

$50 per key, plus a monthly service fee

PRICELESS

As mentioned yesterday on this blog, Driving While Intexticated, nearly 60% of teenagers admitted to texting while driving which accounts for 80% of motor vehicle accidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Key2Safe Driving works like this:

· A device encloses the car key and connects wirelessly to the users cell phone

· To turn on the engine, the driver slides the key out, sending a signal to the driver’s cell phone placing it in “driving mode” and displays a “stop” sign on the phone screen

· While the key is engaged, the cell phone is unusable except for 911 calls and pre-approved numbers, usually the parents

· Incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message that says, I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”

When the engine is turned off, the key is put back into the device which automatically signals the cell phone back into normal communication mode. The device can not be tricked because when the key is out, the signal to disengage the cell phone is on.

Adult drivers would benefit from this system as well. Even though calls and text messages are stopped, the device does allow for hands-fee cell phone use. Although experts agree that even this qualifies as distracted driving and is not all together safe. But our culture and society has become so accustomed to driving, walking, and talking that to stop all cell phone use while driving would be impossible.

Wally Curry, M.D. developed this device with Xuesong Zhou, an assistant professor of engineering after his concerns of “the hospital calling [him] all the time on [his] cell phone when driving” and witnessing a teenage girl texting while driving. His own two daughters were approaching driving age and he was worried, stating, “It struck me pretty hard that something should be done.”

I spoke with Mike Fahnert, President and CEO of Safe Driving Systems, who informed me that due to huge demand, the company who has begun taking orders for the device for July delivery. The Version I device retails at $49.99 plus $10 for the monthly service charge. This device includes the key, and mobile phone software. A Version II device is scheduled for delivery in September or October 2009. The system works on a single key device per vehicle. As new information becomes available, I will provide that information here.

Those involved with Key2SafeDriving hope to gain automobile and insurance industry support so that discounts on premiums will be an additional benefit to this product.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Barbara Tubridy Lombardi

What are interrogatories and how do I answer them?

Steve Lombardi — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:28:00 GMT

It’s a new week and the InjuryBoard group is again writing about commonly asked client questions. We have seven topics to cover, each lawyer is choosing one per week, and by the end of seven weeks we will each have covered all seven topics. I will also post them on the Lombardi Law Firm web blog, The Verdict. That way if you have questions or comments you’ll be able to contact me directly. Enough talk let’s get to the subject today, which is answering written questions in your lawsuit.

Interrogatories are written questions sent to you through your lawyer by the other attorney. They are questions that when you read it your brain goes, “Huh? What?” The questions are written in lawyer-speak. In law school we lawyer(s) are taught the importance of gobbledygook and over time we strive to perfect it. Hardly ever are interrogatories written in plain English and if you were a lawyer you’d know why, but you’re not so you won’t and I can’t tell you why because if I did you wouldn’t understand me. That was a mouthful.

Okay, if you promise to tell no one I’ll take a stab at explaining why. This is an entirely sexist example but for many of you it will work. If you were a woman and you had to write a question for your boyfriend or husband to understand and it was about buying you the latest fashion jeans at the mall, how simple could you write it? Or, if you are a man and had to write a simple description of how to catch a fish or mow the lawn, how wordy would the explanation get? Now you understand. In the end you’d just break it down to simple questions that you yourself would ask and then you’d do it yourself. And that’s why it’s easier for most lawyers (he or she) to just ask you a few simpler more straightforward questions and then write the answer for you. See I did it there with the “he or she”; I slipped it in to see if you were awake. After doing this for 30 years I’ve begun to talk at our house just like a lawyer. “Barbara, what did you mean by that?” And raising teenagers was even more fun, with questions in my repertoire like “That’s an interesting answer. Now can you answer my question?” Teenagers absolutely hate that question, because they were hoping the smoke screen was working.

In law nothing is simple because in reality the English language is extremely imprecise.

So let’s try to make this easy. Interrogatories are questions. That’s easy. The word interrogatory sounds like interrogation so think of it in those terms with the exception you aren’t tied down to a chair, there is no hot-bright light beating down on you and no one is putting cigarettes out on your forehead.

HOW NOT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A LAWSUIT

Let me warm you up with one example of how not to answer the questions. I’m fond of telling Shannon that if you know what you don’t want it helps you narrow down the possibilities and that helps you know more about what you do want. So let’s look first at what you don’t want for an answer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

Huh? Let me hear that again only this time with Jimmy Kimmel explaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR75L08SBHo

Thank you for explaining that Jimmy Kimmel, now it’s much clearer. The good news is in answering your lawsuit questions, you won’t be on TV. And it’s not likely Jimmy Kimmel cares about the issues in your case; so relax.

YOU HAVE TO SWEAR TO YOUR ANSWERS – REALLY, I SWEAR !

These interrogatory questions require answers you will swear to so make sure you think before answering. Of course some don’t require much thinking. Like the ones that ask for your name, age and dependents. Then there are others that have moderate levels of thinking, like tell us about your work and educational history. And then there are those that take a lot of thinking, like how did you get injured and why do you think the guy you sued is at fault? Of course your lawyer should help with answering the tougher questions. If they don’t help you, then fire them and get a new lawyer; one that actually works.

GROUPING QUESTIONS INTO BUCKETS

These questions have answers that go into four big answer buckets.

Bucket One: How did the accident happen? (This is the liability bucket.)

Bucket Two: How bad were you injured? (This is the damages bucket.)

Bucket Three: Tell us about yourself? (This is the, who are you bucket.)

Bucket Four: Have you ever done anything bad. (This is the help me make you look bad to the jury bucket.)

So how do you answer these questions?

1. Truthfully.

2. Accurately.

3. Completely, as is possible with available information.

4. And precisely.

Now truthfully means you tell it like it is, without drama and without being deceptive or cute. Accurately means you provide the amount of detail available to you. Completely means if all you have to do is read a tax return to get the information, and you have the tax return then you dig it out of the closet and provide the necessary information or you provide the tax return and say, “See the tax return attached.” Precisely means you need to read the question asked and answer that question; not the one you’d like them to ask but the one they did ask.

We can’t talk about answering questions without visiting Bushisms.

"I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." --at the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test." -Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

"Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a -- you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." --Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004 (Watch video clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xVRXLgLxw

"I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." --at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001 (Listen to audio clip)

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." --interview with CBS News' Katie Couric, Sept. 6, 2006

That last one is really about truthful deposition answers so keep it in mind for a later blog post.

THE ENEMY TO ANSWERING INTERROGOTORY ANSWERS

Your enemy is procrastination. Don’t delay in answering the lawyer questions. Sit right down on the day you receive them and begin to jot answers down on the paper. Don’t let the words confuse you. Read it and ask yourself, “What is the main point of this question?” Get as much done in one sitting as you can and then call your lawyer’s secretary to set up an appointment to go over your answers. The lawyer will help you finish adding to the answer to make it complete. Before you do the sit-down-with-your-lawyer you should review and add information several times over that first week. I realize the questions are hideously complex or confusing, but do your best. Don’t worry so much about all the verbiage; focus more on the import of the question. Most lawyers can’t ask a question straight up because there are so many times when they did and the other side didn’t give them information they claimed was outside the scope of the request. So instead of asking, “What medical bills did you get from your injuries in this accident?”, they will ask much more involved question with nine subparts and in a way that only a Judge could understand. Hey I do it too, we have to or else those dastardly defense lawyers will play the word game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P785j15Tzk

A BETTER DEFENSE LAWYER

If you want my opinion I think Marina Orlova, Hot-For-Words would have made a good defense lawyer. Her Russian accent would have been more enjoyable to listen to than most defense lawyers I come into contact with. I’ve never read the Nerd Word of the Day, anatidaephobia in interrogatories, and my guess is neither has your lawyer. But you could really shock them by writing into your answer that you give to your lawyer. If you wrote one big word into your answers it would make the lawyer’s job more enjoyable.

HELPFUL AND NOT-SO-HELFUL PHOBIAS FOR WRITING INTERROGATORY ANSWERS

Most people when reading interrogatories for the first time experience atelophobia. (Fear of imperfection.)

Many people when reading the interrogatory asking for the amount of damages suffered develop arithmophobia. (Fear of numbers.)

The first time you meet the adjuster you’ll likely suffer from autodysomophobia or blennophobia. (It’s the fear of one that has a vile odor or slime.)

It’s alright to have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia when answering interrogatories. The shorter the words you use, the better. You don’t have to use long words; you don’t even have to appear smart. In fact the dumber you are the better; remember who it is you’ll be dealing with. Just be straight and honest, accurate and complete. Do not succumb to logophobia or kakorrhaphiophobia, because your lawyer will help you with the words you don’t understand this will assist you to avoid failure.

Having a healthy dose of mythophobia (fear of myth or stories or false statements) is helpful.

Next time I’ll talk about your frame of mind before the deposition, but until then read the works of Devon, Rick, Wayne, Mike, Pierce and I about all those common questions you have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrm_OcVDmkE

Amy Winehouse - Procrastination

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpXj5tgt9uk

Join these lawyers for more on commonly asked questions that clients ask.

Wayne Parsons, Devon Glass, Mike Bryant, Rick Shapiro and Pierce Egerton

I was in an automobile accident. What should I do? Ten Tips For Hawaii Drivers, Wayne Parsons on September 14, 2009 - 3:59 AM EST.

What would a caveman bring to meet with the lawyer?, Steve Lombardi , September 15, 2009 11:00 AM

Solving Legal Problems, Being a Client, Back to the Basics, Steve Lombardi , September 15, 2009 8:48 AM

Car Accident Injury Client: What Makes the Case Good or Bad? (The Collision & Medical Care) , Rick Shapiro September 16, 2009 9:38 AM

Being a Client: More Tips To Help Improve Your Case If You've Been In An Car Accident , Devon Glass , September 17, 2009 8:39 AM

Presumed Guilty: How to Avoid Having Insult Added to Injury When You’ve Been Hurt in a Car Crash, Pierce Egerton , September 18, 2009 4:28 PM

What To Do After An Accident When The Adjuster Is There First, Mike Bryant | September 19, 2009 6:26 PM

What Questions Is The Lawyer Going To Ask Me At The Initial Interview For My Injury Or Death Case?, Wayne Parsons | 20 September 2009 12:01

What makes a case good or bad?, Steve Lombardi, 21 September 2009 12:57 PM

What To Do After An Accident When The Adjuster Has A Tape Recorder, Mike Bryant , September 23, 2009 10:01 PM

Do I have a good or a bad case?, Devon Glass, September 24, 2009 What are interrogatories and how do I answer them?, Steve Lombardi, September 29, 2009

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi