Posted on June 14,2019 in Car Accident

By this time of year, most schools are out of session for summer vacation. For a teenager with a brand-new driver’s license, this newfound freedom is exciting. Operating a car is a privilege and a responsibility that may be overlooked with the long summer nights and lack of supervision. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, car accidents are the leading cause of the deaths of teenagers in the United States.

Colorado Driving Laws for Teenagers

In Colorado, the minimum age for a teenager to have an initial driver’s license is 16 years old. This is only after taking a drivers' education course, having a permit for at least 12 months, and completing a minimum number of hours on the road driving with an adult over the age of 21 who has a valid driver's license. During this time, there are restrictions for new drivers under the age of 18, but a teenager may choose to ignore these rules.

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 Posted on June 07,2019 in Car Accident

Walking is an easy and inexpensive way to get places, and it provides the added benefit of physical activity. However, a pedestrian may be involved in a collision with a car or truck, and these types of accidents can be incredibly dangerous. In 2017, 5,977 pedestrians were killed throughout the United States as a result of being hit by a vehicle. Although this is down 1.7 percent from the year prior, the large number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries continues to be a serious concern.

In this type of accident, a person on foot is likely to suffer a serious injury or even death. In a car, the driver and passengers have seat belts and airbags, while a pedestrian has no protection. Pedestrians who are hit by a car may experience injuries such as broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord damage, nerve damage, amputated limbs, and lacerations.   

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 Posted on May 31,2019 in Workplace Injury

A head injury can be one of the most dangerous and life-altering situations a person can face on the job. In regard to the workplace, most head injuries are the result of a fall. It is more common for physical laborers, such as construction workers, to suffer a fall as a result of working conditions, but it is possible for an office worker to fall and receive a head injury, too. Regardless of the circumstances, a traumatic brain injury can be devastating. If you sustain head trauma at work, you may be entitled to benefits for medical expenses or lost wages. 

Symptoms of Head Injuries

After falling and hitting your head, it is recommended you seek medical attention immediately. This is especially important to ensure that you receive workers’ compensation. A doctor will be able to verify the severity of your injury to report to your employer and workers’ compensation representative. This will allow you to be eligible for benefits such as compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. Head injuries are also not always apparent right after a fall or accident. If the following symptoms appear after you fall, be sure to visit a doctor:

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 Posted on May 24,2019 in Car Accident

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the number of accidents involving a large truck or bus increased by 40 percent from 2009 to 2017. An 18-wheeler truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and can cause massive destruction in an instant. Driving on the road next to a semi-truck can give anyone anxiety. Knowing what circumstances can lead to a truck accident may make you a more mindful driver. Being knowledgeable about truck accidents may also help you determine if a truck driver or trucking company was liable for your accident.

Contributing Factors

There is more at stake during a truck accident due to the size and weight of trucks versus passenger cars. It takes an experienced truck driver to know how to properly handle safe road conditions, let alone poor weather. When a truck driver or company is at fault for a severe or fatal accident, passenger car occupants are the most vulnerable. Even with a seat belt, the force of a truck and its impact can change a person's life forever. To know your rights after a truck accident, it is important to consider the following factors that contribute to truck accidents:

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 Posted on May 16,2019 in Car Accident

Car accidents have the potential to cause physical and emotional trauma. Cars are large machines that can reach high speeds, and upon impact, create havoc for the people inside. Physical trauma to the body has the potential to change a person's life, but mental recovery is also critical. Surviving a car crash can lead to mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression. 

Severe car accidents often cause an emotional response, but a person facing mental trauma after an accident may feel extreme feelings that do not go away quickly. In fact, they may worsen. In this case, a person may have developed PTSD or another mental illness. PTSD symptoms may include:

• Constant feelings of uneasiness;
• Uncharacteristic anger or irritability;
• Nightmares or insomnia; 
• Feeling disconnected from your surroundings; and

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 Posted on May 13,2019 in Personal Injury

With the weather getting warmer, motorcyclists are now able to enjoy the open road once again. Whether used as primary transportation or as a hobby, motorcycles have many benefits as an alternative to a passenger car or bicycle. While motorcyclists are sometimes characterized as reckless thrill seekers, the vast majority are committed to safe riding. 

A motorcyclist is always more exposed to danger on the road than other vehicles. Except for protective gear such as helmets, gloves, and thick jackets, motorcyclists have direct contact with the environment they are driving in. There are no airbags or large physical barriers for protection. Although motorcycles are one of the smallest groups of motorists, motorcycle accidents make up 20 percent of all road fatalities in Colorado. 

Driving a motorcycle carries different challenges than a car or truck. These are the most common ways motorcycles are involved in accidents on the road: 

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 Posted on April 23,2019 in Wrongful Death

When your family member dies as the result of an accident, the accompanying financial ramifications can be devastating and drain any savings you or your deceased family member might have. These include costs related to medical expenses, funeral costs, and lost wages. While accidents do happen, if a death occurs as a result of negligence by another person or party, then you may be able to hold them accountable by filing a wrongful death claim.

Under the Colorado Wrongful Death Act, wrongful death is defined as a death caused by neglect or a wrongful act. If a wrongful death occurs, then the person or party at fault may be held liable for both economic and non-economic damages suffered by the deceased person's family.

Types of Wrongful Deaths

Wrongful death can occur in a variety of situations, including:

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 Posted on April 16,2019 in Personal Injury

Throughout the United States, there are approximately 288,000 people living with some type of permanent spinal cord injury. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), an average of 17,700 spinal cord injuries occur each year in the U.S. In many of these cases, victims suffer from tetraplegia or paraplegia. 

Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries 

Spinal cord injuries come in two types of injury: a complete spinal cord injury, and an incomplete spinal injury. An incomplete spinal injury is an injury to the spine that results in partial damage to the spinal cord. Whether a person suffers a change in mobility depends on the extent of the injury and where the spine was injured. A complete spinal injury is an injury that ultimately results in permanent damage to the affected area. In many of these cases, victims suffer from tetraplegia or paraplegia.

Car Accidents and Spinal Cord Injuries

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 Posted on April 10,2019 in Car Accident

On April 8, a speeding driver hit a pedestrian on Colfax Avenue in Aurora, fatally injuring the pedestrian. Aurora Fire and Rescue rushed the individual to University Hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead. Police now believe the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. 

Drunk driving continues to be one of the largest traffic safety threats nationwide. Thousands of Americans are fatally injured each year due to the recklessness of inebriated drivers. If you or a loved one were injured in a collision involving a drunk driver, you are likely entitled to substantial injury compensation.  

Drunk Driving Statistics 

Drinking and driving substantially increases the likelihood of reckless driving. The most dangerous forms of reckless driving include speeding, swerving from lane to lane, and following other vehicles too closely. Due to the dangers that routinely accompany inebriated driving, many people lose their lives in crashes involving drunk drivers. 

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 Posted on April 03,2019 in Car Accident

On March 26, a 51-year-old woman was fatally injured near Lyons when she veered off the road and lost control of her vehicle. After swerving off the right side of the road, the driver over-corrected, which ultimately caused the vehicle to roll over. As the vehicle rolled, the woman, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead when medical personnel arrived on the scene. 

Despite the fact that rollover accidents make up a small percentage of motor vehicle accidents, they are among the most dangerous. If you or a loved one were injured in a rollover crash due to another driver’s negligence, seek experienced legal guidance immediately. 

Dangerous Rollover Accidents 

According to statistics compiled by the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS), vehicles only roll over in approximately 1 percent of all car accidents. Yet in 2016, a total of 7,488 people were fatally injured in rollovers throughout the United States. In all, rollover fatalities made up 31 percent of all traffic deaths that year. Here in the state of Colorado, rollover accidents are more common than in other states, due in large part to inclement winter driving conditions and hilly terrain.

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