Posted on April 22, 2016 in Car Accidents

If you are a frequent driver in Virginia, chances are you have frequently encountered road crews. These men and women may be repaving a road or replacing a culvert. Whatever the reason for their presence, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants to remind drivers to pay attention.

The statewide safety compliance manager of VDOT said that because the noise level is so high when working, hand signals and eye contact are used for communication. He also said that these workers are so focused on their job that they hope drivers are paying attention. Last year, though, seven people lost their lives in work zone crashes.

While there were fewer work zone auto accidents in 2015 than in 2014, drivers must remain aware of what is going on at times. Driving while texting, talking on the phone, eating, messing with the radio and doing other tasks can result in an accident happening in a split second. Those actions can cost a worker his or her life and completely change the lives of his or her family members. In addition, the distracted driver and his or her passengers can suffer injuries or death, as can the occupants of other vehicles on the roadway.

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 Posted on April 15, 2016 in Truck Accidents

In Virginia, 80 percent of crashes are related to someone who is driving while distracted. It only takes a second or two for a serious accident to happen. That can result in injuries or death for you, the passengers in your vehicle, the driver and passengers in the other vehicle or pedestrians.

One of the most common causes of distracted driving is talking or using a mobile phone or device while driving. When a driver is texting or talking on his or her cellphone, this increases the chances that he or she will be in an accident — 23 times over.

Cellphone use isn't the only cause of distracted driving. Anything that keeps someone's mind or eyes off the road for a second or more is can be distraction.

The non-profit group DRIVE SMART Virginia wants to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. They work with law enforcement, government agencies, safety advocates and employers about how distracted driving is unsafe.

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 Posted on April 08, 2016 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

commercial vehicle drivers are being paid to do a job. One part of that job is to safely drive the vehicle from one location to another. There is no room for error when a commercial vehicle driver is performing one's duty. This is especially true if the commercial vehicle driver is driving a large vehicle, such as a semi-truck.

Sadly, large commercial vehicles that slam into smaller passenger vehicles can often cause fatal accidents. If you have lost a loved one in a fatal commercial vehicle accident, you might decide that you want to take action. One possible option that you can exercise is to seek financial compensation for the loss of your loved one.

When we begin to build your case for compensation, one of the first factors that we have to determine is how we are going to present the case. This means that we must determine from whom we are going to seek compensation. When it comes to fatal commercial vehicle accidents, we have a few different options to consider. If more than one party or person can be held liable, they must all be named in the claim for compensation.

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 Posted on April 01, 2016 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Each day in the United States, 28 people die because an alcohol-impaired person chose to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. In 2014, there were almost 10,000 people killed in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, which accounted for 31 percent of all deaths related to traffic accidents in the U.S.

There are effective measures that can help prevent such tragic deaths from occurring every 53 minutes. However, for families who have lost a loved one, the fact that those measures didn't protect their loved one can haunt them.

The people that are most at risk for being involved in a fatal crash are young people, ages 21 to 24. Motorcyclists who died in crashes in 2014 also had high levels of driving while impaired. Twenty-nine percent had a blood alcohol level of at least.08 percent.

Drivers involved in a fatal crash and had a BAC of at least.08 percent were also more likely to have a DWI conviction in the past — seven times more likely.

In 2014, there were more than 1.1 million drivers arrested for impaired driving involving drugs or alcohol. However, that only accounts for 1 percent of the 121 million times U.S. adults reported that they drove while impaired by alcohol.

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 Posted on March 25, 2016 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Pedestrian deaths in motor vehicle accidents, according to a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association, rose in the first six months of 2015 by 10 percent nationally. Virginia saw an increase of 9 percent. There were 35 pedestrian deaths in 2014. In 2015, there were 38 pedestrian deaths. According to the GHSA's director, the increase is likely due to distraction. "Any time you go out you see people walking and looking at their phones and you see drivers driving and looking at their phones," he said.

It's not known yet what caused the accident that took a man's life in Manassas on Thursday right about lunchtime. The man died at the scene, according to the Prince William County Police Department. The person who was driving the vehicle that struck the pedestrian did remain at the accident scene and cooperated with police.

The victim's name has not been released by police yet, as they are waiting to identify him. Police will continue their investigation into the matter.

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 Posted on March 18, 2016 in Car Accidents

Did you know that in 2013, there were 30,000 fatal car accidents? In another 1.6 million accident, someone was injured. The damage and destruction of car accident can be horrifying. Car accidents often cause similar injuries to victims; however, the cost of car accidents is estimated to be an incredible $277 billion each year. That means that each person in the U.S. would have a bill for $897.

What are some of the most common injuries suffered in a car accident? Whiplash is one that is well-known. It's caused by the sudden back and forth movement of the neck and head. The extent of the injury depends on how severe the accident was. Some people suffer from vocal cord paralysis, but it is usually temporary. Swelling and pain are quite common.

The blunt force of a car accident can cause serious injuries in the chest area, too. From collapsed lungs to internal bleeding, these injuries are life-threatening and can require extensive medical care.

Head injuries, both closed and open, are some of the most serious injuries suffering in a car accident. From mild concussions to traumatic brain injuries, these often require long-term medical care. Vision and hearing problems can occur with a head injury, as can skull fractures.

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 Posted on March 09, 2016 in Drunk Driving Accidents

If you or a loved one are injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, how do you prove the driver was intoxicated? How do you prove that driver is liable for your medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress or other losses?

In order to prove liability in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, you have to establish for the court that the driver had an intoxication level that made it unsafe for him or her to operate a vehicle. You will also need to show the court that he or she did not show reasonable care for the safety of the public. In many cases, you'll have the police report of the accident, which could show the other driver's arrest for suspicion of DUI; however, it's unlikely that you will be able to access the defendant's criminal file without your attorney filing a subpoena to get it.

You can also have your attorney speak with witnesses to the accident, take depositions from police officers at the accident scene or use expert witnesses to prove the defendant was impaired when the accident occurred.

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 Posted on March 04, 2016 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

When a family member is killed due to the actions of another person, a wrongful death lawsuit might be a possible legal action. There is a limit, though, as to who can bring a wrongful death action against the person who caused someone's death.

A wrongful death lawsuit must be brought by the personal representative of the person who died. If the lawsuit is for a fetal death, then the action must be brought by the natural mother. If the mother died, then the action must be brought by her personal representative, guardian or estate. If the deceased is an infant who was in the care and custody of a parent, but is bound by a written agreement or court order with the other parent, the parent with custody will be the one who needs to file the lawsuit. That parent, though, can waive his or her right to file a wrongful death action to anyone else he or she chooses. If there is no one who files for administration within 30 days' time of when the infant died, then the laws regarding administration will apply.

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 Posted on February 26, 2016 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

When a truck driver is responsible for an accident that claimed the life of your loved one, you have a right to seek compensation. However, you may also have a right to seek compensation from the trucking company, the truck maintenance crew and/or the truck manufacturer.

A truck accident can occur because of truck driver error, inadequate maintenance, a defective part or many other reasons. At Locklin & Coleman, PLLC, we represent truck accident victims and their families. We understand how difficult a time this is for all of you. We also know that you want answers about why the accident happened in the first place. We work with investigators, accident reconstructionists and other experts to determine why an accident happened. We will expose the negligent behaviors that contributed to the fatal injuries your loved one suffered.

We aggressively pursue wrongful death cases against all parties who were at fault in the accident. Some of the questions we ask include:

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 Posted on February 17, 2016 in Car Accidents

A subcommittee of the Virginia House Transportation Committee has approved House Bill 461 that will expand the state's current law against texting while driving. The bill, which was approved by a vote of six to one, would prohibit drivers from various activities, such as reading social media posts or other information displayed on the device. In addition, drivers would not be allowed to "manually select multiple icons" on any handheld communication device such as a cellphone. Currently, only text messages and email are prohibited.

House Bill 461 was proposed by a Republican delegate from Prince William County. Delegate Richard Anderson had a brother-in-law who was injured in a car wreck with someone who has texting and driving. Anderson said, "It should be called impaired driving, not distracted driving." He wants the bill to apply even when people's vehicles are stopped, such as at a red light.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that 68 people lost their lives because of distracted driving from January and July last year. Police officers have to worry about getting struck by a distracted driver when they pull someone over for texting and driving. One police officer from Manassas is still recovering from being struck. She suffered brain damage and was in the hospital for two months. She has not yet returned to full duty.

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