Drunk Driving

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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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Pregnant workers treated worse than drunk drivers? Discrimination case goes to Supreme Court

Workplace discrimination, in one form or another, is, unfortunately, a common occurrence for women in the workforce today.  The most recent case to make national headlines involves former United Parcel Service driver Peggy Young, who will take her pregnancy discrimination case to the Supreme Court later this week.

When Young, a resident of Maryland, became pregnant with her third child, she was instructed by her doctor not to lift more than 20 lbs. She requested light duty assignment, as was offered to her company’s employees who had been injured on the job or affected by other types of disability and work restrictions. Young was denied, and placed on unpaid leave.  She lost her health benefits and seven months of wages.  Young sued her employer for pregnancy discrimination, arguing that she should be eligible for the same accommodations afforded to non-pregnant employees with similar limitations. She lost twice, […]

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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. […]

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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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Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer warns that Halloween is one of the deadliest days for pedestrians

As children head out in their Halloween costumes to trick-or-treat this Friday, parents should be aware of the dangers they face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year. An estimated 41 million children will be out trick-or-treating in the United States this week. Young trick-or-treaters are often dressed in dark costumes and masks, they are excited and rushing, and may forget about safety when crossing streets or when walking near traffic.

A study by State Farm released in 2012, found an average of 5.5 pedestrian fatalities each year on Halloween, which is more than double the average on other days. The report found that a quarter of the accidents occurred between 6pm and 7pm and over 60% between the prime trick-or-treating hours of 5pm to 9pm. […]