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Study: Wearing Headphones And Walking Can Be Deadly

by on January 18, 2012 in Accident, accidental death, train accident

A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that serious injuries to pedestrians listening to headphones has more than tripled since 2005.

According to the news release, in many instances a car or train is sounding a horn to alert the pedestrian, but that person is unable to hear it. Those cases lead to fatalities in 70 percent of all incidents.

Dr. Lichenstein, along with some colleagues, studied 116 accident cases after gathering case reports from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Comission, Google News Archives and the Westlaw Campus Research databases for reports of pedestrian injuries or fatalities from crashes with trains or motor vehicles between 2004 and 2011.

Their findings were released online Monday in the journal ‘Injury Prevention.’

Sixty-eight percent of the victims were male and 67 percent were younger than 30. According to their findings, more than half of the accidents involved trains and 29 percent reported sounding a horn or other warning prior to the incident.

The study was initiated after a local teen died at a railroad crossing. The teen was noted to be wearing headphones and did not avoid the train, despite several warnings.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured or killed in any type of motor vehicle accident, the Chicago personal injury attorneys at Dwyer & McDevitt, Ltd. are here for you. Contact us today for your free, initial consultation.

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New Law Requires All To Buckle Up

by on December 29, 2011 in accidental death, car accident, seat belt law, transportation news

It will now be illegal for anyone riding in a vehicle in Illinois to not buckle up.

Beginning January 1, a new law takes effect requiring all occupants of a motor vehicle to be properly restrained while the vehicle is in motion. Currently, only the driver and front-seat passengers must wear a seatbelt.

If someone is cited for riding without a seatbelt, a $60 fine will be assessed and if the person is younger than 16 years old, the driver will be responsible for the fine.

Those riding in buses and taxis will be exempt from the new laws.

If you or someone you love have been injured in a car accident, you need an experienced Illinois accident attorney by your side to fight for you. Contact us today so we can discuss your case.

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Motorcyclists Allowed To Run Some Red Lights

by on December 28, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, new law

A new Illinois law taking effect Sunday will allow motorcyclists to run red lights.

The law is an attempt to problems motorcyclists have encountered with road censors. Many censors do not detect the weight of motorcycles because they do not weigh as much as cars or other motor vehicles.

The law states if the light has not changed after a “reasonable amount of time” the motorcyclist can run the light. However, not everyone is in support of the new law. Some have expressed concern that it will increase accidents.

Both Wisconsin and Indiana have similar laws in effect already.

If you have been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, you need an attorney who will fight for you as you work to recover. Contact us today for your free, initial consultation.

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New PSA To Warn Teens Of Texting While Driving

by on November 29, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, car accident, teen driving, texting while driving

A new public service announcement geared toward teens and texting while driving is set to run in time for the holidays.

The United States Department of Transportation revealed the campaign “OMG,” Monday to help spread the message that texting while driving is not only dangerous, but can be deadly as well.

Two versions of the PSA are set to run. One will run in Regal movie theaters across the country, while a more somber one will run on 12,000 gas pump screens near busy roadways.

According to the government site, distraction.gov 5,474 people were killed in 2009 in crashes where a driver was distracted and nearly 50,000 were injured. Also, in June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent, which was up nearly 50 percent in two years.

Research has found that sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured, or your loved one has been killed by a texting or otherwise distracted driver, our lawyers may be able to assist you. Contact the Chicago car accident attorneys at the law office of Dwyer & McDevitt, LLC today for your free, initial consultation.

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AAA Study: Teens Drivers 50% More Likely To Crash In First Month

by on October 20, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, car accident, teen driving

A study released this week by AAA showed that teen drivers’ risk of crashing is significantly higher in the first month of driving compared to after they have been driving for a year.

According to the study, teen drivers are 50 percent more likely to crash in that first month. Researchers at the University of North Carolina’s Highway Safety Research Center conducted the study and found three key factors contributed to the rise in crashes: failure to reduce speed; inattention and failure to yield.

Researchers found some types of crashes occurred at a relatively high rate and dramatically decreased after the driver gained experience. Crashes, such a left-hand turns were common in the first few months, but declined dramatically after that.

Crashes that occurred from lack of mastering a specific skill took more time to decrease.

AAA suggests it is important for parents of teen drivers help their teen improve their driving skills before they get their license and parents continue to work with their new drivers after they get their licenses to master their driving skills.

AAA also suggests parents take the following steps:

- Practice is key – help your teen by taking them out in various types of driving conditions, such as during rain, snow, bright sun and night time.

- Keep passengers out – Set limits for who can ride with your teen, where they can go and how many at a time

- Limit night driving – Try to keep teens off the road at night when not with an adult until they gain more experience.

- Keep rules – Parents need to set limitations for their teen driver to follow.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured in a car or truck accident, you need the Chicago Accident Attorneys at Dwyer & McDevitt, Ltd. Contact our offices today for a free, initial consultation.

AAA Study >>

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CPSC Fines NJ-based Company $1.1M For Defective Product

by on October 18, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, product liability, wrongful death

A New Jersey-based company agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1.1 million last week after they allegedly failed to report a defective product to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

According to a press release from the CPSC, Henry Gordy International, Inc. of Plainfield, N.J. agreed to pay the penalty after failing to report hazards involving their children’s dart set.

At least three deaths have been associated with the dart set. The CPSC said Henry Gordy knew about the hazard as early as May 2006, but failed to report it to the CPSC, which is a requirement by federal law. The CPSC also alleged Henry Gordy made a misrepresentation about the product and didn’t disclose what they were aware of when the CPSC was investigating in 2009.

In May 2010, the Family Dollar Stores, Inc. along with the CPSC announced a recall of 1.8 million Auto Fire Target Sets after Henry Gordy refused to conduct the recall. The sets were sold between September 2005 and January 2009 at Family Dollar and each set contained a toy gun, soft, pliable plastic toy darts and a small target.

CPSC believes this product is hazardous because if a child places the toy dart in his or her mouth, the toy can be inhaled and may block the child’s airway.

Federal law mandates manufacturers, distributors and retails report to the CPSC within 24 hours after obtaining information of a potential product hazard.

Henry Gordy denies all allegations of knowledge of the defect.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, you need a Chicago products liability lawyer to review your case and guide you. Contact the lawy offices of Dwyer & McDevitt, Ltd. today for your free case evaluation.

Read press release >>

 

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CDC Study: Drunk Driving Rates Decrease, But Still High

by on October 10, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, drunk driving, wrongful death

A study released this month showed that although rates of drinking and driving has decreased by nearly 30 percent in the past five years, U.S. adults still drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010.

The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, also found that men were responsible for nearly all of the drinking and driving last year (about 81 percent) and 32 percent of those who drank and drove were men between the ages of 21 and 34.

Many who drank and drove also reported binge drinking, which means men consumed five or more drinks and woman consumed four or more drinks in a short period of time.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or you have a loved one who was killed in an accident involving a drunk driver, we may be able to help you. Contact us today for your free, initial case evaluation.

To read more about the study, click here >>

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Chicago Becomes First City To Ban Crib Bumpers

by on September 10, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, product liability

Chicago became the first city in the United States to ban the sale of crib bumper pads Thursday after the Chicago City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to ban the sale of all crib bumpers within the city of Chicago.

On Wednesday, the ordinance passed a joint health and consumer protection meeting, despite protests from industry representatives. It then headed to the entire council for a vote.

Bumper pads are oftentimes found in coordinating crib sets sold in all types of stores. They usually wrap around the inside of the crib and tie to the crib slats.

Numerous investigations have found that crib bumpers may be linked to some infant suffocation deaths and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents avoid bumpers that are “pillow-like” if they use them.

Recently, the Consumer and Products Safety Commission said it was investigating several reports of infant deaths in connection with the use of the bumpers. The ordinance is expected to take effect in 180 days.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous or defective product, the team at Dwyer & McDevitt, LLC can fight for you. Call us today for your initial free consultation.

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More Than 5,000 Children Seriously Injured From Window Falls Yearly

by on August 28, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, fall, window fall

A study published in the journal Pediatrics last week showed more than 5,000 American children are seriously injured or killed yearly from falls out of windows.

The study, conducted at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found children younger than five were more than three times as likely to die from head injuries they got in a window fall than children five to 17.

The study gathered nearly 20 years of data from 1990 to 2008 from a survelliance system that gathers data from 100 different emergency rooms around the United States.

More falls occurred in the warmer months and one- and two-story falls made up about 94 percent of the falls where the height was in the records.
Researchers found less than 1 percent resulted in death, but some reports point out that number is probably higher since many who had died may not have been taken to an emergency room.

Safety experts remind parents screens may not prevent falls. They recommend moving furniture away from the windows, installing screen guards and adding cushioning below windows such as bushes or flower beds to reduce injuries if a child does fall.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, you need an experienced Chicago personal injury attorney. Contact the offices of Dwyer & McDevitt today for your free case evaluation.

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Patients’ Right To Know Act Signed Into Law

by on August 23, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, health news, wrongful death

Patients will have access to Illinois’ doctors detailed histories once again.

On August 9, Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Patients’ Right To Know Act, which will require the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to post doctor profiles on its site.

The profiles are expected to go live in mid-October. The Governor allowed for a two-month period for doctors to review their profiles before they are made public.

The profiles will contain information about the doctors including which medical school they attended, what types of specialty board certifications they have, how many years they have practiced, where they have practiced and if they participate in Medicaid.

This will enable patients to look up if their doctors have been arrested for any crimes, have been convicted of any crimes, have been fired or have made a medical malpractice payment over the past five years. Advocates said this is long overdue and is a big step in patients’ rights.

The physicians’ profiles were available after an ammendment to a 2005 law capping settlements that could be obtained in medical malpractice lawsuits. When that law was ruled unconstitutional in 2010, the profiles became unavailable. Reports state the web site had been drawing more than 130,000 clicks a week when it was live.

If you or your loved one has been injured by a medical mistake, we may be able to help you. Contact Dwyer & McDevitt, Ltd. today for your free case review.

 

IL Press Release

Web Site Where Profiles Available (as of mid-October)

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