The most common type of personal injury case is a road traffic accident, but did you know the term personal injury also includes medical and dental accidents? Depending on the intent or negligence of the responsible party, the injured party may be entitled to monetary compensation through settlement. General damages may be emotional stress or pain and suffering whereas special damages are measurable costs which can be itemized. These may include medical bills, property damages and lost wages. Injuries sustained may last a lifetime and in some cases result in an inability to do one’s job. Personal injury is usually...[ Read More ]
We have all read prospective employment resumes that state, “I’m great under pressure and handle multi-tasking efficiently.” As a nation, we pride ourselves for being able to accomplish multiple things at once. Furthermore, all of us believe that we can improve productivity by doing so. What really happens when we begin doing more than one thing at a time? Researchers have utilized MRIs to observe the human brain while multi-tasking and performing various interrupted tasks. What they found is that when working on one task the brain devotes both frontal lobes to managing the work. When two tasks are performed...[ Read More ]
With texting and driving on the rise, there are now a number of simulators and games that have been released recently to show young adults just how difficult it is to text while maintaining complete control of a moving vehicle. The New York Times published one simulator that measures your reaction time and how it is affected by external distractions. You can find the link to test out your skills at: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/19/technology/20090719-driving-game.html?_r=0 I tested out the simulator and found that there is a delayed reaction when switching between viewing something close up and then something further away due to focusing...[ Read More ]
The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only. You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney. Here in Seattle a lot of us commute to and from work. During long commutes we might get tired from a long work day mixed with a warm car. Sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your overall risk of crashing. Factors that may affect your level of tiredness while driving include: sleep loss from restriction or too little sleep, interruption or fragmented sleep, chronic sleep debt, driving patterns or work schedules, undiagnosed or untreated...[ Read More ]
Often times, after an auto accident an insurance adjuster will contact you on behalf of the at fault party who caused the collision. The insurance adjuster is looking to take advantage of your vulnerability because they know that it is easier to convince you to take a lower settlement during a stressful situation. It is your decision whether to handle matters on your own or to contact a personal injury attorney. The following is four criteria as to why you should speak with a personal injury attorney. 1. You have been seriously injured, or a loved one was killed as...[ Read More ]
Your dog loves car rides. He loves feeling the wind on his face as his head sticks out the window and the privilege of going everywhere his owner goes. Pets are a common driving distraction. Unrestrained cats and dogs inside a car can be just as distracting as swatting an insect or changing the radio station. In the event of a crash, an unrestrained pet can become a serious hazard to everyone. In a 35-mile-per-hour accident, an unrestrained 60 pound dog will carry the force of a 2,700 pound projectile when they are sent flying. Additionally, they are more likely...[ Read More ]
In Washington state, where marijuana is legal, many people might not realize that D.U.I. laws apply to any mind altering substance. While approximately 88% of drunk drivers can be identified through a field sobriety test, only 30% of people under the influence of THC failed the same test in a 2012 study published in the journal Psychopharmacology. The determining factor seemed to depend heavily on whether or not the driver was accustomed to being stoned. This raises the question, how dangerous is it to drive while stoned. Independent researchers estimate that the risk of an accident doubles when there is...[ Read More ]
Americans eat more in the car than any other country. As a matter of fact, a study in 2009 published in the Daily News found that 80% of U.S. car accidents are caused by distracted drivers who are preoccupied with eating and driving. Eating is problematic while driving because drivers are unable to react quickly and tend to be unable to turn sharply while one hand is on a burger. Additionally, drivers take their gaze off the road to look down and see if anything has spilled. Speaking of spillage, our love for wide cups doesn’t align with our love...[ Read More ]
More than 15,000 lives are saved each year in the United States due to seatbelts. However about 20,000 lives are lost as a result of not wearing them. There are five ways that seat belts protect us when we are in a car accident: Seatbelts keep occupants of a vehicle inside. Otherwise your body could be thrown from the vehicle, increasing the likelihood of fatality by four times. The strongest parts of the body are restrained. Contact is made at the strongest parts of your body (hips and shoulders). Force from a collision is spread out. This means less stress...[ Read More ]
As distracted driving receives more attention by our local police departments, research is being gathered to potentially implement "distracted driving" laws. In a CBS2 News investigation in Chicago, cameras were installed in vehicles of drivers with a variety of situations. Some had no children, but talked on their cell phones and others had multiple children. Researchers watched for the amount of time drivers had their eyes off the road during an average trip and compared distraction levels among all participants. They found that mothers of young children were the most distracted, frequently looking back to check on their children and...[ Read More ]
