Posted on August 25, 2020 in Car Accidents

Many newspaper and TV accounts of auto accidents in Prince William County and Manassas end with the statement that the accident is "still under investigation." What, exactly, is meant by that vague phrase? Usually, it means that one or more forensic engineers are trying to understand the exact sequence of events that led to the accident. The forensic investigation has two basic purposes: identifying any mechanical or human element that may have caused the crash, and, if necessary, establishing legal liability for the accident.

Accident reconstruction

Another term for "forensic engineering" in this context is "accident reconstruction." In plain English, reconstructing an accident means the use of standard rules of physics and chemistry to identify each event in the chain of events that comprised the accident. Forensic engineers usually begin their investigation by making a careful record of the accident scene. Many photographs and videos are taken to record the position of the various vehicles after the accident. Once these records collected, the investigators gather up the physical evidence from the crash scene. Such items may include pieces of the involved vehicles, tires, personal effects from occupants of the vehicles such as cell phones and containers for alcoholic beverages, and anything else the investigators think may be pertinent.

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 Posted on August 24, 2020 in Firm News

Many vehicles made in the past decade are equipped with sensors that detect oncoming collisions, such as backing into a wall, running into an oncoming vehicle, or striking an oncoming pedestrian. These sensors are designed to alert the driver to the obstacle or person so they can brake before the collision.

Unfortunately, this technology is largely only available in higher priced vehicles, making it inaccessible to some. With that sort of limitation, its effectiveness is diminished, since only a certain percentage of vehicles are equipped with it.

Cutting the numbers in half

Meanwhile, over 36,500 people were killed in car wrecks in 2018. This lifesaving technology clearly doesn't have a far enough reach.

Some advocates say that automobile manufacturers should include this technology uniformly across production. According to Consumer Reports, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that if all vehicles were outfitted with sensors and automatic braking, the number of people involved in fatal accidents would be cut in half.

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 Posted on August 20, 2020 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Every summer, tourists pack Virginia's scenic roads. Between the gorgeous beaches and rich history, Virginia makes a popular vacation spot for U.S. residents. With more tourists comes more traffic and, when combined with teens out of school and not working, makes for dangerous roadways.

Known as the "100 Deadliest Days," the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day sees a significant increase in traffic fatalities, especially among teens. So, what can a parent do to help keep their kids safe?

Protect teenage drivers during the summer

The American Automobile Association (AAA) reports that during the 100 Deadliest Days over ten years, over 8,300 people lost their lives in car accidents with teen drivers. In 2016, American roadways claimed the lives of nearly ten people every day.

With the onset of the pandemic and high unemployment rates, some experts believe Virginia's roadways may become more dangerous in 2020. The Executive Director of AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety, Dr. David Yang, says, "[F]or every mile driven, new teen drivers...are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults." When surveyed, 70% of teen drivers admitted to the following high-risk behaviors:

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 Posted on August 13, 2020 in Car Accidents

It's a challenge to safely operate a motor vehicle when conditions are perfect. So, if you throw rain into the equation, you have good reason to be concerned about your well-being.

There are many reasons why car accidents happen in the rain, including the following:

• Speeding: When roadways are slick, it's more difficult for your car's tires to maintain traction. Adding to this, if you strike standing water at a high rate of speed, you're at risk of hydroplaning.
• Low visibility: In heavy rain, your visibility, as well as that of other drivers, is limited. Even if you can see where you're going, your ability to spot other vehicles or objects on the roadway is greatly reduced.
• Following distance: It's more difficult for a motor vehicle to come to a stop when the road is wet. So, if you don't leave enough following distance, there's a greater chance of hitting a vehicle from behind. It's better to be safe than sorry, so leave extra space when possible.

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 Posted on August 11, 2020 in Car Accidents

Some criminal offenses obviously do harm to others. Robbery deprives one person of possessions and can also produce emotional trauma for the victim. Drug possession, on the other hand, while illegal, often does no direct harm to other individuals beyond the person hurting their body with dangerous substances.

In the eyes of some people, that makes the possession offense a so-called victimless crime. Quite a few people also think of speeding as a victimless crime. After all, they are the ones who have to trust in their own driving capability and who might wind up hurt if they get in a crash because they go too fast for road conditions.

However, speeding is not necessarily a victimless crime. If a driver going too fast causes a collision, the people in the other car could wind up hurt or even dying as a result.

Speeding causes thousands of fatal crashes each year

While some people think that speeding offenses are only a priority for law enforcement because writing tickets helps generate income for police departments, the truth is that stopping people from speeding may prevent fatal crashes. It's the same reason that officers are often proactive about deterring drunk driving.

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 Posted on August 10, 2020 in Car Accidents

When one area in a city or county sees more collisions than others, it's very important for the government there to make decisions to help keep people safer. For intersections, that might mean installing traffic lights or stop signs to make people slow down and look both ways. It may mean reducing the speed limit, trimming back trees or removing items that block people's vision.

In Manassas, you may have struggled with traffic on Williamson Boulevard and Stonehouse Drive in the past, but you can rely on a new traffic signal to help you avoid collisions there now. Of course, it will take some time for people to get used to these new traffic signals, so approach with caution as you drive through the area.

This new signal was commissioned and cost approximately $815,000. The funds came from the state and federal government's Highway Safety Improvement Program. The goal was to help improve the intersection for drivers and pedestrians, as well as to help improve operations at the intersection. There are now pedestrian crossings in two places as well as yellow arrows that flash and signal when it's acceptable to make U-turns and left turns from Williamson to Stonehouse.

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 Posted on August 05, 2020 in Car Accidents

Temperatures are rising around the nation, and summer is in full bloom. Lots of motorists, relieved that the winter snows and the spring storms are over, are finally relaxing a little.

Unfortunately, that's a mistake. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, summer is actually the most dangerous time of all to be on the road. Every year, traffic fatalities start rising after the snows wind down. They peak around August and then decline again once the cold weather returns.

What's behind the phenomenon? There are probably a number of different factors in play, including:

• Increased travel due to vacationers, day trippers and more: With more vehicles on the road, you're likely to have more accidents.
• More motorcycles and bicycles in traffic: When the weather gets nice, the bikes come out. However, drivers in trucks and passenger vehicles aren't always as observant as they should be.

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 Posted on July 30, 2020 in Car Accidents

You were in a car accident. The other driver was distracted by their cellphone or radio and plowed right into you at a stoplight. You felt lucky to walk away from the wreck of your vehicle with nothing more than a few bad bruises.

Hold on. Before you decide your bruises aren't worrisome, you should know that bruises can be a signal that something is seriously wrong. For example, a lot of car injury victims suffer from something called "seat belt syndrome," where they suffer internal injuries related to the compression of their bodies against their own seat belts. Sometimes these life-threatening conditions are erroneously dismissed as "nothing more than a few bruises" until a patient collapses.

Your bruises may be hiding a severe injury if:

• They appear somewhere where you feel no pain from an injury
• They are on your legs and black

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 Posted on July 27, 2020 in Truck Accidents

According to the IIHS, truck accidents were responsible for the deaths of over 4,100 people in 2018, and 67 percent of these fatalities were people traveling in passenger vehicles. Many of these truck accidents are caused by the negligence of truck drivers. This negligence may include:

• Driver Fatigue – Federal regulations require that truck drivers take regular breaks and limit the number of hours a driver is allowed to drive continuously. However, some drivers and their companies violate these rules in an effort to make their deliveries on time. As a result, drivers fall asleep behind the wheel and lose control of their trucks.
• Drug and alcohol use – Driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol can caused slowed reaction times and impaired judgment, resulting in devastating accidents.
• Speeding - Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than standard passenger vehicles, and take much longer to come to a complete stop. Truck drivers that operate their trucks at an excessive rate of speed may not be able to stop in time to avoid an accident. Drivers may also be driving too fast while making a turn, causing the truck to jackknife out of control.

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 Posted on July 22, 2020 in Firm News

As states begin to open and people return to work, the once empty highways, city streets, and back roads are buzzing with traffic. When you have traffic, you have accidents. The current pandemic is by no means over, so what do you do when you are in an accident? What precautions do you need to take and know?

Below are the four top safety measures you need to know to protect yourself at the scene of a crash.

1. Grab your mask: Wear your mask at all times while at the scene of the accident. Also, remember to keep six-feet of the distance between yourself and others at the scene, and do not touch anything or anyone.
2. Call the authorities: If it's a fender bender or a more serious accident, call the police to file a report and protect against false claims by the other party.
3. Exchange Information: While you are gathering information from another driver, pedestrian, or property owner, make sure to wear your mask and gloves if need be, and keep a safe distance of six-feet apart. The best option is to use your cell phone to take a photo of the necessary information.

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