Who is most likely to be in a fatal car crash?

Are you among the nation’s most or least likely to be in a deadly car wreck? According to the Georgia Injury Law Blog and Health Day, young males in newer large vehicles are most likely to survive a head-on collision, according to a new study by Indiana University’s School of Public Health. This may sound surprising, as young people are more likely to be involved in these types of crashes than other age groups, and men are involved in more fatal crashes per year than women.  Men tend to drive more miles per year than women, on average, and are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But, of the 1,100 serious accidents studied by Indiana University, young men driving larger vehicles had a better chance of surviving.  Drivers in cars were found to be 9 times more likely to die in a crash than drivers in SUV’s, […]

Surprising Car Accident Facts from the Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneysyers

Car accidents are a leading cause of death in the United States today. The facts below might surprise you. For instance, you may already be aware that drunk, drowsy, and distracted driving are three of the major causes of fatal car crashes in the United States. But, did you know our home state of Pennsylvania is #5  in the country when it comes to the annual cost (medical and lost wages) of auto accidents?

For  more information on car accident statistics, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.  If you have been injured in a car accident, call the personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys at 855-866-5529 for a free consultation.

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Snow storm threatens Thanksgiving travelers: 5 tips to stay safe

Holidays are hectic. Whether you’re planning on cooking or traveling, we know you already have a lot on your plate! So, below are some quick tips to staying safe this Thanksgiving.

This year, about 46 million Americans are expected to be on the road on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, as reported by NBC News. Unfortunately, a snowstorm is predicted for the same day. The snow is expected to accumulate between 1-5 inches in Pennsylvania and New York, and up to 10 inches in parts of Massachusetts.
WNEP reports that the storm is cause for concern for many college students in our area trying to get home for the upcoming holiday, and for travelers all over the country planning to visit loved ones.
Check this out: The Washington Post has composed a regionally-focused outline of when and where the snow will affect people on the road. […]

Personal injury lawyer provides safe driving tips for 40 million Americans hitting the road this Thanksgiving holiday

For many of us, Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and a time to spend with family and friends. AAA Travel projects that 46.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend, many to visit to family.

90% of those travelers, or 41.3 million people will travel by automobile. This is a 4.2% increase over last year, and the highest volume of holiday travelers since 2007. This is due in part to the lowest gas prices we’ve seen in years. According to AAA, the national price of gas has fallen below $3.00 per gallon for the first time since December 2010.

With this increase in traffic, we could also see an increase in accidents. According to an article in the Ohio Journal News, Thanksgiving is usually one of the deadliest holidays of the year. […]

Highway Construction Causes More Than Just Headaches

Finally! Drivers rejoice as construction projects come to a close.

Pennsylvania drivers are no strangers to road construction.  Lately, it seems there are orange cones and flashing signs indicating single-lane traffic on every major roadway.  In our home region of Northeast PA, a $32 million project that’s been three years in the works is finally coming to a close, according to WNEP.   The news comes as music to the ears of the thousands of drivers who use this route daily and have battled maddening traffic jams, lane closures, ramp closures, and a labyrinth of cones and barrels for the last three years. The project, aimed at repairing bridges, widening lanes, and improving safety, is finally winding down, and the major impact on drivers is said to be over.

On the other side of the state, Pittsburgh drivers are enjoying the end of a five-year, […]

Distracted driving is a growing and fatal problem

Nearly everyone agrees that texting and driving is dangerous, yet an overwhelming number of drivers continue to do it. Each time you take your focus off of the road, even for a second, you are putting your life and the lives of others in danger.

Police in Linden, New Jersey, issued 110 summonses to drivers they say weren’t paying attention to the road during two distracted driving enforcement operations this past week, according to the Jersey Tribune. Police data indicates that driver inattention was cited as a factor in more than 30% of the fatal car crashes in New Jersey last year.

Earlier this month, the New York Daily News reported that stricter laws against texting while driving would take effect in New York. Under the new law, newly licensed motorists convicted of texting while driving will have their license suspended for 120 days on the first offense. […]

Personal injury lawyer warns icy roads can cause fatal crashes

It’s that time of year again in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and across the country, when icy and snowy road conditions contribute to many accidents, some fatal.

A fatal tractor-trailer crash occurred this past weekend on I-80 in Luzerne County. Pennsylvania state police blamed icy roads for the one-vehicle crash that killed a 43-year-old New York man. There were many more fatalities caused by icy road conditions across the country this weekend. In Minnesota, NBC station KARE reported that six people died in crashes on icy highways. Minnesota state police reported that in just about every accident, it started with a vehicle losing control on the icy roads.

According to the Avalanche Journal, in Texas, the Lubbock police department reported they responded to 103 accidents in a 12-hour period on Sunday, four of them fatal. Heavy snow and sleet contributed to the crashes. […]

Nov. 16 is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we know as well as anyone that car accidents, and the tragedies they can leave behind, are all too common. Each year, over 30,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United States alone. Hundreds of thousands more are injured. We hear about these incidents every day, but there is nothing routine about the pain and trauma that they can cause. That is why, on November 16, we will pause to remember the victims of traffic accidents and their families.

According to the World Health Organization, The World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims was first observed in 1993. In 2005, the United Nations endorsed it as a day of remembrance to be observed annually on the third Sunday in November.

All across the United States and the world, there will be parades, […]

Daylight savings time leads to more accidents

Last weekend, Americans gained an hour of sleep as daylight savings time (DST) ended and the clocks were set back one hour. For most people, the time change means a slight adjustment to our sleep schedules and to the evenings becoming darker earlier. However, the overnight time change can also lead to an increase in car and pedestrian accidents.

Not surprisingly, traffic and pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur in darkness. Loss of daylight means lower visibility, which is especially dangerous for pedestrians. Darkness is also more conducive to drowsy driving, a leading cause of car and trucking accidents.

According to CBS New York, the Monday after clocks are set forward when DST begins in the spring is “one of the deadliest days on the road,” as drivers are more likely to be tired, having “lost” an hour of sleep, […]

St. Louis Cardinals player killed in car crash

Oscar Taveras, the 22-year-old outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, was killed in a car crash on Sunday in the Dominican Republic. Taveras, who was from the Dominican Republic, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro near his hometown of Sosua at the time of the crash. ESPN reported that Taveras lost control of the vehicle and went off the road. His 18-year-old girlfriend was also killed in the crash.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Taveras was the second active Cardinals player to die in a car crash in the past seven years. In 2007, pitcher Josh Hancock died in a crash in St. Louis.

Many other professional athletes have lost their lives in car crashes as well. In 2009, Los Angeles Angels pitcher, Nick Adenhart was killed in car accident. And several NFL players have also been killed in crashes, […]

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer stresses importance of National Teen Driver Safety Awareness

This week is National Teen Driver Safety Week, and it’s a time to focus on the real dangers teens face when driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that almost half of the teen drivers involved in a crash die, yet a recent survey found that only 25% of parents have had a serious talk with their kids about the importance of driving safely.

The NHTSA stresses the following rules for teens in its “5 To Drive” campaign:
1. No cell phones while driving
2. No extra passengers
3. No speeding
4. No alcohol
5. No driving or riding without a seatbelt

The “5 to Drive” campaign was launched during Teen Driver Safety Week in 2013, […]

Many states concerned over guardrail-related deaths and amputations

Last month, Missouri banned further installation of guardrail heads, joining Nevada who banned further purchases in January, followed by Massachusetts.

Lawsuits claim the guardrails were to blame for at least five deaths and many severe injuries, including loss of limbs, yet the Texas manufacturer, Trinity Industries, denies there is a problem.

The New York Times reported that although federal highway officials in Missouri had long insisted that the guardrails in that state were safe, apparently some guardrail heads had malfunctioned, turning the rails into spears when a car hit and injuring those inside, rather than cushioning the blow.

Although the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) continues to deny there’s a problem, the Daily Beast reported a 2012 email from a senior engineer at the FHA as saying that it’s “hard to ignore the fatal results” of the guardrails. […]

Dangerous weekend for motorists on I-81 with drowsy and wrong-way driving

A 36-year-old Plymouth man was killed when the Toyota sedan he was driving, collided with a tractor-trailer near the Blackman Street exit of I-81 around 3:45 a.m. on Saturday. The driver of the Toyota was traveling in the wrong direction at a high rate of speed when the accident occurred.

Wrong way driving often results in deadly, high-speed collisions. ABC News reported that wrong way driver accidents are responsible for 1,100 deaths per year. The news organization reported that intoxicated drivers and those over age 80 make up a large percentage of wrong-way drivers and that most wrong way driving accidents occur at night or on the weekends. While cities and states need to work to improve signage on certain roadways, we must also stop drunk driving to help stop wrong-way driving accidents.

Another accident occurred on I-81 in Mahanoy Township late Saturday morning when a 59-year-old woman told police she fell asleep at the wheel, […]

In the fall, bikers at risk for motorcycle accidents

Motorcycle accidents can be traumatic and tragic events. Due to their lack of bodily protection, motorcycle riders are much more vulnerable than other motorists to suffer more severe injuries and deaths when accidents occur. This time of year, as drivers are viewing the beauty of the fall colors around them, they may not be paying as much attention as they should to the road.

Motorcycle fatalities rose for the third consecutive year in 2012, with 4,957 riders killed according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 2012, the most recent completed report, also shows that 93,000 motorcyclists were injured in crashes.

It has been reported that collisions with another vehicle account for about half of all motorcycle accidents. Information provided by the Insurance Information Institute stated that motorcyclists were about 26 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per vehicle mile traveled and five times more likely to be injured. […]

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers warn of the dangers of speeding

Speed played a factor in many accidents this past week, including a fatal accident in Monroe County. Four children and one adult were killed in a four-vehicle crash on Saturday on Route 115 in Effort, PA. WNEP News reported that none of the children were wearing seat belts or in booster seats at the time of the crash. All of those killed were in the same vehicle, an SUV that hit two other vehicles before flipping on its side. State troopers reported that the driver of the SUV was speeding at the time of the accident.

Teens in another SUV, in Salt Lake City, Utah, were also believed to be speeding, before their vehicle lost control, went airborne and ended up landing upside down in a river. ABC news aired a video showing bystanders rushing into the river to help the teens, […]

The importance of car seats and booster seats for children

Child Passenger Safety Week is September 14-20 and it’s the perfect time to bring awareness to the importance of car and booster seats. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), car crashes are the leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old. The best way to protect your child in a vehicle is by using a properly installed car seat that is appropriate for the child’s age, height and weight. Often times, fatalities and serious injuries can be prevented by the proper use of car and booster seats, as well as set belts.

Safe Kids Worldwide estimates that children ages 2 to 5 who use seat belts prematurely are four times more likely to suffer a serious head injury in a crash than those in child safety seats or booster seats. Safe Kids also reported that of those children ages 12 and under who died in vehicle crashes in 2011, […]

Drunk driving kills 12-year-old boy in Old Forge, PA

Drunk driving continues to be a serious problem in our area and across the country. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that across the country, about one in every four people who were convicted for drunk driving was a repeat offender. A Philadelphia Inquirer article published earlier this week reported that Pennsylvania has a high rate of offenders. The article said that although someone dies on average every day in Pennsylvania from a DUI accident, it is one of the few states that require a conviction before yanking a license for DUI.

Although than 600 Pennsylvania police departments, including the state police, participated in a nationwide DUI crackdown over Labor Day weekend, with DUI checkpoints and roving patrols, drunk driving that weekend caused heartbreak for many families. Locally, there was a much accident-related tragedy. WNEP TV reported that crashes killed nearly a dozen people, […]

Personal injury lawyers on safe driving and teen car crashes

Over Labor Day weekend near the Pocono Mountains in Northeast Pennsylvania, three teens died in a tragic SUV crash. According to NBC 10 Philadelphia news reports, an unlicensed 15-year-old girl was behind the wheel of the SUV.

The three teens that were killed in the car accident were all sophomores at Council Rock High School South in Holland, Pennsylvania. The driver was injured in the crash, as well as a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy. The Wayne County DA reported that the girl picked up everyone in the SUV to go to breakfast. A witness said the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed before flipping over at a curve in the road.

This crash is a parent’s worst nightmare and an all too common occurrence with teen drivers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), […]

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys urges drivers to use caution on Labor Day weekend

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, and is one of the busiest on the roads, as families and individuals take advantage of the weather for last minute summer trips.

AAA travel reported that more people are expected to get away this Labor Day than in the past six years. AAA says that 34.7 million Americans are expected to travel over Labor Day weekend, with nearly 86% likely to head to their destinations by car.

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates there will nearly 400 fatalities in car crashes during Labor Day weekend, with an additional 42,300 injured in car crashes. They estimate the holiday to be from Friday night at 6 thru Monday at midnight.

According to an article in USA Today, there are two major reasons for accidents on highways: losing concentration while driving and ignoring the risk of big trucks. […]

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys urges motorists to slow down as school children return to the classroom

Millions of students are returning to the classrooms this month, which means extra care must be taken for all who are driving motor vehicles. With the start of the new school year comes increased traffic on area roads, and also an increased risk of accidents.

Drivers must be aware at all time, especially when near school zones and along bus routes. Watch for children walking on sidewalks, in parking lots and crossing streets, they can be unpredictable. AAA estimates that 55 million children across the country are returning to school this fall, warning drivers to be especially vigilant for pedestrians before and after school hours.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the highest percentage (42%) of fatalities among pedestrians under 15 occurred between 4p.m. and 8p.m. The NHTSA reports that 23 million students nationwide ride on a school bus, […]