May 11, 2012

Researchers say that in a car crash, there are three collisions actually occurring. First, there is the vehicle hitting an object, then comes the collision between occupants of the vehicle and the vehicle itself. Finally, the worst impact is the occupant’s internal organs being impacted inside the body.

Take, for instance, the case of an accident Sunday that left one Utah woman dead and several others injured. According to an article from KSL News, the crash happened around 2:00 p.m. along US 189, just outside the town of Wallsburg, Utah. The State Highway Patrol stated that the driver of a Nissan Altima, carrying three other passengers, was heading south along the highway when she veered across the median of the road and collided head-on with a Subaru.

All seven individuals who were involved in the accident were taken to several local hospitals to receive treatment for a wide range of injuries. The driver of the Altima died later at the hospital and another passenger in her vehicle remains in critical condition as well. All other victims were treated and released.

Utah Car Accidents are to blame for thousands of deaths per year in the state. That is why the Utah Personal Injury Lawyers with Robert DeBry and Associates suggest always buckling up first thing when you get in a vehicle. This simple step will significantly increase your chances of survival in a crash.

April 13, 2012

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that one of the most common places where vehicle accidents occur is in parking lots—specifically, those surrounding schools.

An article from KSL News stated that a combination of excited children, parents being in a rush, and a lack of visibility are the reasons for the high number of injuries that occur in these locations. The findings have prompted one group of parents to fight back by making improvements to their children’s school parking lots.

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Highland Park Elementary School knew they couldn’t make any physical changes to the layout of the parking lot at the school, so they looked at ways to improve its traffic flow. They have since implemented those changes to the flow of traffic through the lot by utilizing volunteers, teachers, and staff to enforce drop-off zones and no-parking areas. The principal is also onsite every day with a flag and a vest helping to direct traffic.

While the PTA was first met with resistance, parents are now beginning to appreciate the effort and join in.

The Utah Car Accident Attorneys with Robert DeBry and Associates can appreciate all the effort made by the teams of volunteers and staff to make this school safer for both children and motorists. The firm hopes that other schools also will implement similar programs to protect children.

March 16, 2012

A man is in critical condition in the ICU of a Utah hospital after he was injured last Friday by a faulty brake system in his Land Rover SUV. According to reports from the Herald-Journal, the crash happened as the vehicle was coming out of Sardine Canyon, just outside Logan, Utah, that afternoon.

The driver of the Land Rover, who was on his way to propose to his girlfriend, called 911 and said that the brakes in his vehicle weren’t working and the accelerator was stuck. While the dispatcher tried to pinpoint the vehicle’s location, the phone call suddenly went quiet.

Troopers located the vehicle down an embankment next to the road. Trooper Cory Thomas said that it appeared the vehicle had swerved across the highway several times before striking a concrete barrier. Thomas believes the vehicle was traveling at roughly 80 mph when it rolled down an embankment 50 yards from the highway. The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle.

The victim was taken to Logan Regional Hospital in critical condition and with massive head injuries. He was later transferred by helicopter to Ogden McKay-Dee Hospital Center with several brain tears, bruised lungs, and a fractured skull

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates would like to wish this young man a speedy recovery and would also like to remind all motorists to always buckle up.

March 9, 2012

The parents of a 15-year-old Utah girl who was killed when the car she was riding in crashed into a giant storm-related sinkhole are suing the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) for the wrongful death of their daughter. According to reports from KSL News, documents filed on behalf of the suit in Salt Lake City’s 3^rd District Court Tuesday morning indicate that the family is seeking at least $1 million in damages.

The accident happened on July 13, 2011, along Route 35, after the girl’s father had driven her and a friend to Altamont. By the time they headed back down the highway, it was dark and they were unable to see the giant 20-feet deep and 30-feet wide sinkhole that had formed when the road had been washed away during an earlier storm. The vehicle crashed, killing the young girl; her father suffered only minor injuries and was treated and released from a local hospital.

The lawsuit alleges that UDOT was negligent by not posting warning signs of the imposing danger near the area. UDOT contends they had just checked the flooded culvert before a later storm washed out the road.

The Utah Wrongful Death Attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates would like to send their condolences to the parents and family of the girl who tragically died, and wish her parents the best of luck in holding the negligent parties accountable for this accident.

February 24, 2012

New legislation in Utah could change the requirements for individuals over the age of 19 who are attempting to get a driver license. According to an article released by The Salt Lake Tribune, HB 266 would eliminate the need for drivers over the age of 19 to take a driver training course.

Rep. Bradley M. Daw, R-Orem, came up with the idea after noticing that a friend’s wife had gained enough driving experience with a learner permit to pass her license exam. His idea is to replace the mandatory driving education class in Utah with a set number of hours drivers must log with a learner permit and a licensed driver accompanying them. Under the new legislation, drivers would have to log 40 hours of driving, including 10 hours at night, during their 90-day period under a learner permit.

Opponents of the law say that the quantity of time behind the wheel doesn’t necessarily make for quality driver training, and not all licensed drivers are good drivers or good driving instructors. They also warn that the licensed passenger might not correct the learning driver’s mistakes like a qualified instructor would.

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates help victims of accidents that were injured by another driver’s negligence. If you have been hurt in a crash that was no fault of your own, contact us today for a free consultation of your case.

January 27, 2012

State lawmakers in Utah are arguing the debate on teenage use of cell phones behind the wheel and just how dangerous the activity can be. According to KSL 5 News, The Utah legislature’s transportation committee will examine a bill today that could possibly ban teens from being able to talk on or use cell phones while driving.

Senator Ross Romero is sponsoring the bill and says he was inspired to do so by the stories of parents and teenagers from across the state who had lost friends and loved ones in fatal distracted driving accidents.

The law will make it illegal for anyone under the age of 18-years-old to operate a handheld cellular device while operating a motor vehicle. Using a device would be considered a primary offense and would be punishable by a $50 fine that would not stay on the offender’s permanent record.

The only exceptions to the rule would be if the teen is calling their parents or if they are making an emergency call. Experts estimate that teens are involved in more than 200,000 crashes per year because of texting and driving.

The Utah auto accident attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates think that this law would be of great benefit to keeping inexperienced teenage drivers, and other motorists on the road around them, safe from the dangers distracted driving can pose.

January 20, 2012

A patch of black ice on a Utah highway is being blamed for a multiple-vehicle accident that injured four people, one of whom is listed in critical condition.

An earlier report from The Salt Lake Tribune said that the chain of accidents  started at around 3:00 AM in the eastbound lanes of I-84 near Tremonton, Utah.

A spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol, Corporal Todd Johnson, stated that a tractor-trailer slid and jackknifed when it hit an icy patch and was then hit by a second tractor-trailer. A third big rig  plowed into the wreckage that was now stretched across the highway.

The 34-year-old driver of the first truck suffered critical injuries to the face and head. The driver and passenger in the second truck complained about chest and back injuries. The driver and passenger of the third truck suffered non-life threatening back injuries as well. All of the victims are recuperating at area hospitals.

At around 4:00 AM, as crews worked to clean up the scene of the accident, an SUV approaching the scene too fast lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a Box Elder County sheriff’s pickup truck.  No one was injured.

The Utah Truck  Accident Lawyers with Robert Debry & Associates understand just how dangerous black ice can be. That’s why they would advise motorists to slow down in winter conditions and be cautious of shaded areas in the road, as they tend to be slicker.

January 13, 2012

The family of a Salt Lake City, Utah, teen who suffered permanent injuries after being hit by a car while crossing a street is filing a lawsuit for her injuries. According to KSL News, the lawsuit alleges that the Granite School District, Salt Lake County and Utah Departments of Transportation, and the Unified Police Authority all, “Failed to properly maintain and operate the speed limit sign beacons within the reduced-speed zone,” of the school.

Reports showed that flashing yellow lights attached to a speed limit sign, marking the area as a 20 MPH school zone when flashing, were not working and on when the accident happened at 7:30 AM at the intersection of West and Magna. That is when a driver going at “speed greatly exceeding the reduced limit” was unable to stop in time for the 12-year-old girl crossing the street on her way to school. The girl was seriously injured and is still in the process of recovering.

The article added that the lawsuit states, “The girl’s family is seeking an undisclosed amount of money for pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, and impaired earning capacity.”

The Utah pedestrian accident attorneys with Robert DeBry & Associates urge parent’s to keep their children out of danger by teaching them the importance of safely crossing streets. Teaching them to always stop and look twice before entering the street–even in a crosswalk–may save their life one day.

January 6, 2012

Expiration dates are all around us. On food, credit cards, coupons, and even prescription drugs, all these items are only to be used before a certain date rolls around. Now, it is being discovered that many parents don’t realize their children’s car seats also have an expiration date.

KSL 5 News told the story of a woman who was getting ready to have twins. In order to save some money she thought she would use a car seat she had bought several years before in 2003. That is when she noticed the “best if used by” date on the underside of the seat.

Experts say that the seats are required to have an expiration date because the parts break down over time. A representative for SafeKids of Northeast Florida, Lesley Seaton, explained these breakdowns by saying, “The shell inside, that we can not see, can be broken down and worn out. The harness strap itself that holds the child in safely can be frayed and torn, but look okay.”

These breakdowns could cause the seat to malfunction in the event of a crash, and may not properly restrain the child in the seat.

This is why the Utah auto accident attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates would like to encourage all parents to check for expiration dates in either the product’s user manual or on the seat itself. Doing so will truly increase the safety of your child in the case of a crash.

December 16, 2011

A 24-year-old woman is still listed as being in stable condition at Intermountain Medical Center after being struck and pinned beneath a Utah Transit Authority (UTA) bus Monday morning. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the woman was struck in a crosswalk at 3650 S. 3200 West by the Route 41 bus as it made a left turn at 10:35 AM.

West Valley Police spokesman, Sgt. Mike Powell, stated it appeared the driver did not see the woman in the crosswalk and confirmed he was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian. UTA spokesman, Gerry Carpenter, told the press that the driver had also been placed on administrative leave pending review.

The woman was upgraded to serious condition Tuesday after undergoing surgery to repair the two badly broken legs she suffered after being hit and run over by the bus. Powell said that the woman is now expected to make a good recovery, but doctors are unsure if she will make a full recovery.

UTA has reportedly had an extremely high rate of accident involving pedestrians this year. The agency has reported a total of 10 accidents so far, seven of which resulted in deaths.

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys with Robert Derby and Associates have handled cases involving all kinds of vehicles, including buses. If you have been injured in a collision with a bus that was no fault of your own, contact us today. Our experienced team of attorneys offers free consultations to clients who want to discuss the options available in their cases.