Maine Injury Lawyer Blog

Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Portland and Bangor understand the high risk teenagers face each time they get behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers ages 15 to 20.

In 2008, 6,428 motorists were killed in car accidents involving teen drivers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Maine car accidents involving teens claimed 19 lives. Teens are at high risk for virtually every poor driving decision in the book, including speeding, drunk driving, failure to wear a seat belt, distracted driving and riding with too many passengers in the vehicle.

But, as a recent report in Health News Digest points out, too often the emphasis is on teen as victim, which may ignore the true victims of such accidents.

Nationwide, 1,518 victims of teenage car accidents were riding in another vehicle that was involved in a crash with a teen driver. Another 517 were defined as non-occupants, which usually means a bicyclist or pedestrian.

"When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of the teens behind the wheel. We must also consider the significant impact of these crashes on other members of our communities: occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road-users," says Dr. Dennis Durbin, a co-author of the report. "Whether or not we have a teen driver in our family, we should all care about this issue. This report provides a concrete way to measure the effectiveness of laws, education, and other programs in reducing teen crashes and their impact on communities."

The report by State Farm Insurance and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found more than 681,000 crashes involve a teenage driver.

"Reducing speeding and alcohol use, increasing seat belt use, and eliminating distractions for teen drivers are the four calls-to-action we see in this report that would have great impact on reducing injuries and fatalities for all road users," says Dr. Durbin, who is also an emergency physician. "More than half of teens who were fatally injured in crashes were speeding, 40 percent had a positive blood alcohol level, more than half were not wearing seat belts, and 16 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving."

We encourage you to take a proactive approach when it comes to keeping your teenagers safe behind the wheel. Have regular conversations about the importance of making good driving decisions.

Continue reading "Car Accidents in Portland Frequently Involve Teen Drivers " »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is optimistic about new technology that officials say has the potential to eliminate the danger of drunk driving accidents in Maine and across the country.

Our Portland personal injury attorneys know that drunk driving can be a habitual problem and this new technology should help reduce the risks associated with chronic offenders getting behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

The NHTSA is working to develop a new in-vehicle technology that would keep intoxicated drivers from being able to start their engine. The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) is currently in the development phases at the QinetiQ lab in Waltham, MA. Once the project is completed, DADSS could be installed by the manufacturer in new model vehicles voluntarily, with the intent of keeping drivers who have tested over the legal limit of .08 from operating their vehicle.

The mechanism is designed to detect alcohol levels either by testing a driver's breath, or having a touch-based approach to detect a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

While the government calls installation voluntary, so were seat belts at one time. It could be the first step toward having such equipment as a standard feature in all new automobiles.

"Drunk driving continues to be a national tragedy that needlessly claims the lives of thousands of people on our highways each year," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We need to put an end to it."

In 2009, the NHTSA reported 10,839 fatalities in crashes with a driver over the legal limit of .08. This accounted for 32% of total traffic fatalities for the year.

Maine reported a total of 159 traffic fatalities in 2009. Over a third of these fatalities occurred in crashes when a BAC of .01 or higher was detected by at least one driver. And there were 47 fatalities in Maine when at least one driver was driving over the legal limit of .08.

Federal data shows that a deadly drunk driving accidents occurs about every 48 minutes in the United States. In addition, drivers in fatal accidents over the legal limit are 8 times more likely to have a previous DUI offense than drivers without any alcohol detected at the time of the crash.

The DADSS technology is expected to consume about $10 million in development costs and take approximately 5 years to fine tune and complete. The next phase will be practical demonstrations of the touch-based and breath-based technologies.

"The technology we are seeing here today could quite simply signal a new frontier in the fight against drunk driving," said NHTSA Administrator Strickland. "Whatever the future holds for these advanced drunk driving prevention technologies, one thing remains clear; no technology can, or should, ever replace a driver's personal responsibility not to drive drunk."

Continue reading "Technology Takes Aim at Drunk Driving Accidents in Maine, elsewhere" »

The Maine Campus reports an arrest has been made in the wake of a hit-and-run car accident in Orono, Maine that claimed the life of a student.

Our Bangor Personal Injury Lawyers are often asked whether those who are victimized in a hit-and-run accident, or by a driver without insurance, should still seek legal representation. We believe it is critical to seek experienced legal guidance in such cases. A thorough investigation should be conducted as soon as possible after the accident. A claim can be made against the driver if and when he or she is located. In other cases, a claim can be made against a driver's assets, against the insurance policies on other vehicles in the driver's household or even against your own insurance carrier. In cases where a crash occurs on government property, or on business property, a claim may also be made against the property owner and their insurance company.

In this case, the Penobscot County District Attorney's Office said evidence will prove the 22-year-old defendant was responsible for the deadly crash, despite the passage of more than a year. The defendant pleaded not guilty last May to charges of manslaughter, aggravated criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants, criminal operating under the influence of intoxicants, and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in serious bodily injury.

A newspaper delivery person discovered the student's body in downtown Orono in the early morning hours of Jan. 30, 2010. Maine State Police reportedly matched pieces of the defendant's Chevy Silverado to debris recovered at the scene.

Continue reading "Hit-and-Run Accidents in Maine Require Experienced Legal Representation" »

Maine is a long way from Super Bowl XLV in Texas this weekend but football fans are still going to tune into the game -- whether its the commercials or one last football fix your're after, Super Bowl parties have become an American tradition.

However, they also increase the risk of car accidents in Portland, Bangor and elsewhere in the state.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable weekend of parties, good snacks, lots of laughs, and great memories. Our Maine personal injury attorneys at Peter Thompson & Associates also encourage fans to drink and drive responsibly this Super Bowl Sunday.

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a total of 159 total traffic fatalities in Maine. Just over a third of these fatalities occurred as a result of one driver having a BAC of .01 or higher. There were 106 traffic fatalities reported in which no BAC level was present.

Nationally, 32% of all traffic fatalities (33,808) involved an alcohol-impaired driver with a BAC of .08 or higher. An alcohol-related traffic fatality occurred on average about every 48 minutes in the U.S. in 2009. The age group most at risk nationally for alcohol-related crashes is 21-24 year-olds. In this age group, 35% of the drivers in fatal crashes had a BAC over the legal limit.

"Football is one of America's favorite pastimes, but fans can put themselves in serious danger if they don't plan ahead," NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said. "Whether you're at the game or watching from a sports bar or a friend's house, designate a sober driver before the game. And remember, Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk."

Fans attending a Super Bowl party or watching from a restaurant or bar should practice the following suggestions:

-Before the party begins, designate the driver who will remain sober.

-If you plan to drink, leave your keys at home so there is no temptation to get behind the wheel while you are intoxicated.

-If you drink, pace yourself by not drinking too fast, alternating between non-alcoholic beverages, and stopping plenty early before you drive home.

-Place the number of a friend or cab company in your wallet who you can call if you have had too much to drink.

Continue reading "Super Bowl Weekend Increases risk of Car Accidents in Portland, Bangor" »