Drunk Driving

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How Long Do I Have to Tell My Insurance I Was In a Car Accident?

What is the Statute of Limitations After a Car Accident?

Though they may be all too common, car accidents and the potential associated personal injury lawsuits in general, follow very specific statute of limitations and they vary depending on the state you live in.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle accident you have legitimate reasons to be confused, distracted and unsure about your state laws regarding time limits. What IS a reasonable time frame for you to open your claim? What can you expect from the claim process? What is the legal time limit for filing a personal injury claim?

If you were involved in a car accident, the car accident lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.

When Do I Report a Car Accident to the Insurance Company? […]

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How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Car Accident?

What Are the Statute of Limitations in a Car Accident?

In the days and weeks following a car accident, you are focused on a lot of distracting and important things such as medical visits, recovering from any injuries sustained in the auto accident, worrying about finances such as trying to repair vehicle damage, replacing a vehicle that was lost, lost wages from missing work for injury or doctor visits and more. Time can move faster than it seems. So you might be wondering: What are the statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim in Pennsylvania?

You may not know this but car accidents and personal injury lawsuits in general, follow very specific statute of limitations depending on the state you live in. The car accident lawyers Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys explains how long you have to file a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident and what steps you need to take to meet those time constraints. […]

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Teenage Traffic Fatalities Increase Dramatically During Prom-Graduation Season

Prom and graduation season is here again, and although it is a time for celebration, it is also the most dangerous time for teens in regards to traffic fatalities. The biggest danger teens face on prom or graduation night is auto accidents, either because the driver has been drinking, is tired, or is simply distracted by a carload of friends.

How Likely is a Teen Driver to Get into a Fatal Car Accident?

In the United States, although teenagers drive less than their parents, the number of crash deaths involving teens is disproportionately high. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, in the U.S., the fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16-19-year-olds is nearly 3 times the rate for drivers ages 20 and over. The fatal crash rate per mile drove is nearly twice as high for 16-17-year-olds as it is for 18-19-year-olds. […]

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Car Accident Lawyer in Ohio

The trauma of experiencing an accident doesn’t end once you leave the scene. We know that the mental, emotional, physical, and financial impact of a car accident can follow you for a very long time. It can all feel isolating and overwhelming, whether it’s you or someone you love carrying the weight and experience of your accident. In 2020 alone, Ohio saw 1,154 fatal car accidents, and 1,230 total traffic fatalities; there are, of course, thousands more accidents every year that are non-fatal but still traumatizing. 

We at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys know how hard the aftermath of an accident can be, and we are here to help you navigate a way through it. Don’t take this on alone: allow us to help so that you can focus on your recovery. Our highly experienced and compassionate lawyers are standing by and are ready to begin fighting for you at any time. […]

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Bloomsburg Car Accident Lawyer

Have you been injured in a car accident in Bloomsburg? Contact a car accident lawyer at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys today for a FREE consultation.

When you or your loved one have been injured in a car accident in the Bloomsburg area, your choice of legal representation matters. The car accident attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys have a long history of winning cases. Our lawyers have earned national recognition for their success, and have been named among the Best Lawyers in America (via Best Lawyers), Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, and the nation’s Best Law Firms (U.S. News and World Report).

For more than 60 years, the car accident attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys have been handling auto accident claims for injured victims and their families in Columbia County and beyond. […]

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Pennsylvania’s new DUI law goes into effect

A new DUI law, Act 153, went into effect in Pennsylvania on December 23, 2018, introducing tougher penalties for repeat offenders.

What’s new about this law?

Under the new DUI law, individuals convicted of a third DUI with a BAC of .16 or higher, or those convicted of four (or more) DUI’s can be charged with a felony. Under the previous law, Pennsylvania was one of only a few states in which a third DUI was treated as a misdemeanor.

The new law also increases penalties for offenders who cause the death of another person while driving under the influence. Increased penalties include potential felony charges for repeat offenders, and an additional five years of prison time for someone who commits homicide by vehicle while driving without a license or with a suspended license.

Additionally, the law increases fines and jail time for driving under suspension for a prior DUI. […]

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Pennsylvania’s New DUI Law Goes Into Effect

What is the new DUI law in PA?

A new DUI law goes into effect in Pennsylvania this week, placing different restrictions on first-time DUI drivers.

Under the new law, first-time offenders will have to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. Previously, ignition interlocks were only required after two or more offenses; first-time offenders would instead face a license suspension of one year.

What is an ignition interlock device?

An ignition interlock device is essentially a breathalizer that will prevent a car’s engine from starting until the driver blows into a tube to indicate that they are not under the influence. If the device detects alcohol, the vehicle will not start.

Those in favor of the new law say that the ignition interlock will be more effective in preventing drunk driving accidents and deaths, […]

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Drugged driving a greater concern than drunk driving

Opioid addiction, drug use, and reliance on pain medication have come into the national and local spotlight as they claim more and more lives. A new study has illuminated another side of this issue: drugged driving is on the rise.

“The number of American drivers killed in car crashes in which drugs were detected has eclipsed those killed in crashes where only alcohol was found.”

The Governors Highway Safety Association and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility found that 43% drivers killed in crashes tested positive for drugs, illegal and prescription, compared to 37% who tested positive for just alcohol.

Drugged driving is more complicated than drunk driving

The data in this study is imperfect.  The study only reflects drivers who were tested; not all drivers in all states get tested after a fatal crash; this doesn’t include fatal accidents in which the driver was not killed, […]

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Fatal Car Crashes Rise Sharply in 2016

Fatal car crashes are soaring, and the government is scrambling to come up with a way to bring these numbers down.

Nearly 18,000 people have been killed in traffic accidents so far this year, an increase of more than 10% over the same period in 2015. From 2014 to 2015, traffic deaths jumped more than 7%, the largest year-over-year increase since the 1960s. This year’s surge will likely surpass that record.

It’s true that Americans are driving more miles than they did last year (3.3% more), but not enough to account for the increase in crashes.

Road to Zero Fatal Car Crashes

A number of safety groups have come together to form Road to Zero, a coalition aimed at lowering the number of traffic deaths to zero by the year 2046. Their goal is inspired by Swedish policies begun in 1997 that brought crashes down 50% in less than 15 years. […]

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How effective are night driving restrictions for teens?

Most nighttime accidents among teens occur before midnight, a new study shows. This means that night driving restrictions on teens that prohibit driving after midnight may be ineffective.

Driving in the dark increases crash risk for all drivers.  Young and inexperienced drivers face an even greater risk; one-third of fatal teen car crashes happen at night. That’s why every state in the U.S. (except VT) has laws restricting how late newly licensed teen drivers can be on the road unsupervised. In 23 states and the District of Columbia, the ban goes into effect at midnight or later. New research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that this is too late.

Ruth Shuts, a researcher at the CDC, suggests 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. might be a more appropriate curfew for unsupervised newly licensed drivers. […]

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“Textalyzer” Could Help Reduce Distracted Driving

Distracted driving, perhaps the biggest road safety scourge of the decade, is getting worse nationwide.

In Pennsylvania, for instance, distracted driving citations increased by 43% from 2014 to 2015; in our home of Lackawanna County, the number of distracted driving citations skyrocketed from 32 to 115, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.

Last week, our own Dan Munley was quoted about a recent case in which a Lawrence County judge ruled that a person texting a distracted driver who then got into a crash could potentially be held accountable.

In order to combat this growing problem, some safety advocates have suggested that we begin viewing distracted driving the same way we view drunk driving.  While distracted driving does not involve the consumption of an intoxicating substance, distraction can impair your driving ability just as much as alcohol, and it is just as dangerous. […]

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Attention Labor Day travelers: 3 reasons fatal car accidents are up

Distracted driving proves to be largest cause of fatal car accident increases

As Labor Day approaches, holiday travelers are warned that fatal car accidents  are on the rise this year, according to the National Safety Council. Traffic fatalities are up by 14% and injuries are up by 33%.

About 19,000 people have been killed so far this year, and that’s not including July and August, historically two of the deadliest months of the year for drivers. At this rate, deadly car accidents threaten to reach over 40,000, the highest  since 2007. Why is this happening?

It seems surprising. Cars today are equipped with ever-evolving safety technology designed to make them more crash-worthy. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety continues to improve their safety rating system, developing more tests that cars must pass and higher standards they must meet in order to earn a “good” […]

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100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers Start Now

As the school year winds down, so begins the 100 deadliest days of the year for teen drivers. The days surrounding prom and graduation see spikes in teenage driver deaths.

If you’re 18 years old, right now might be the most exciting time of the year. If you’re a parent, it might be one of the most nerve-wracking.

Prom and graduation season is supposed to be a joyous, memorable time. It’s a celebration of lives about to truly begin. Too often, however, this is when teenagers’ lives come to a sudden end.  Prom, graduation and the following summer months see a higher number of fatal teen auto accidents than any other time of the year. Teens drive more during the summer months after the school year has ended, and events like prom and graduation are often accompanied by underage drinking.

Drunk driving is a major cause of teen driving accidents, […]

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Is Uber cutting down on drunk driving?

In February of this year, Uber officially became available to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area.

What is Uber? Born in San Francisco and common in large cities before making its NEPA debut, Uber is a mobile app/service that allows users to connect with professional independent contract drivers hired by the company to provide a ridesharing service, similar to a taxi service. Uber is currently available in 50 countries and 250 cities.

Uber has been in the news a lot lately, particularly for questions regarding its safety. This blog and infographic from the Michigan Auto Law Blog entitle “How Safe is Uber?” does an excellent job of breaking down the safety concerns and what Uber is doing to make its service safer for both riders and drivers.

One reason we’re interested in Uber is because of its potential to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that happen each year. […]

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Looking at the brains of bad drivers

A recent study found that the part of the brain associated with empathy and compassion is less active in bad drivers.

Is a blatant disregard for safety the result of a cognitive malfunction? According to the Association for Psychological Science, the Czech Republic conducted a study in order to better understand why some people follow the rules of the road and others don’t.

Researchers showed participants a series of video clips showing the consequences of dangerous driving behaviors like speeding and drunk driving while monitoring their brain activity using fMRI.  About half the participants had no record of traffic violations, and the other half had at least one traffic safety violation, such as speeding or driving while intoxicated, on their records. It turns out that those viewers with a clean driving record and those with a history of at least one traffic violation reacted very differently to the videos. […]

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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, […]

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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, […]

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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, […]

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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, […]

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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. […]