Posted on October 16, 2015 in Drunk Driving Accidents

There is no doubt that drunk driving is a serious problem here in Virginia, just as it is across the nation. Intoxicated drivers claim innocent lives and spread misery and heartache when their poor decisions result in deaths and injuries.

In a recent year, there were 254 accident fatalities attributed to impaired driving and comprising more than 34 percent of all traffic deaths during that period. This indicated a whopping 21.5 percent jump from the prior year.

There were even more injuries — 5,288 — from collisions where at least one of the drivers had a blood alcohol content of at least.01. The total of alcohol-related wrecks for the year was 8,047.While statistics are unavailable for the number of drunk driving arrests, there were 27,333 DUI convictions.

Here at Locklin & Coleman, PLLC, we understand the havoc a drunk driver can wreak on a person's life when an accident occurs and injuries result. We realize that a criminal conviction does not go far enough to ameliorate the damage that was done. That's why we doggedly pursue justice for our clients through settlements from the insurance companies of drunk drivers and sometimes from the drivers themselves.

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 Posted on October 09, 2015 in Car Accidents

It doesn't seem like it should be fall yet. However, the temperatures are falling, rain and other precipitation keep coming down and pumpkins are starting to appear on doorsteps. While it might not seem like there is much to consider when driving in the fall, that really couldn't be farther from the truth. Here are some safety tips to remember during this season:

— Weather conditions can change rapidly in the fall. A gorgeous, warm afternoon can turn cold and raining in minutes. The days are also getting shorter, so you might be heading to or from work in the dark.

-The first few weeks of fall rain can really be dangerous. The oil and dust that has collected on the road mixed with the rain can make for slick conditions. Keep this in mind when the rain showers start.

— With early mornings in the fall, fog will return. This can make heading to or from work more dangerous than usual. Your perception of distance and your visibility can be affected by fog. Some people use their high beam lights in foggy weather, but this just makes it more difficult to see through the glare of the lights hitting the fog. Low beam lights are much better for driving in fog. In addition, remember to slow down so you have time to react if needed.

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 Posted on October 02, 2015 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motorcyclists are vulnerable when on the road. Other drivers in motor vehicles may not see the much smaller bikes and the lack of protection around the motorcyclists often means serious injuries or death when a crash occurs.

A recent Iowa motorcycle accident has odd ties to Manassas, Virginia. In mid-September, a 69-year-old man died from head injuries he suffered while escorting the remains of six veterans for burial in Arlington Cemetery.

The man was instrumental in creating and operating Missing In America Project in Nebraska. This organization arranges military burials for the unclaimed remains of veterans. In addition, they try to find family members of the veterans.

The man's remains were being escorted to Omaha, Nebraska, from western Iowa by 125 motorcyclists. His remains had been transported from Virginia to western Iowa by his brother-in-law. During the final leg of the journey, a driver changed lanes and struck several motorcyclists. Three riders were injured and one, age 38, was killed. One of the injured was the deceased's wife.

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 Posted on September 25, 2015 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

A 37-year-old man was killed after walking in front of a 2004 BMW on Braddock Road in Fairfax, Virginia, recently. Authorities said the accident happened just before 10 p.m.

The driver of the BMW, a 71-year-old man, remained at the accident scene. Police didn't say if the driver will be charged with any crimes, although they did report that the pedestrian may have been drinking before the accident occurred.

Pedestrian vs. car accidents usually result in serious or even fatal injuries to the pedestrian. With the lack of protection, it's easy to see why this is so common. There is a lot of information about this accident that remains unknown, but police are still investigating the crash.

In accidents like this one, police will determine who was at fault. This determination is important, as a wrongful death case may be filed by the family of the deceased. If it appears that the police have erred, then an accident reconstructionist may be called in by the attorney handling the wrongful death case. This individual will look at all the evidence and determine who was at-fault. In some cases, this expert will come to an entirely different conclusion.

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 Posted on September 17, 2015 in Drunk Driving Accidents

A 47-year-old woman from Springfield, Virginia, has been killed after she was struck on Old Keene Mill Road. The recent Saturday afternoon accident also injured the driver and two of his passengers.

According to the Fairfax County police, the Fredericksburg man drove up over an embankment, then veered back onto the road. The car then crossed the median and struck another vehicle. The driver of that car suffered minor injuries in the collision.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the accident scene. Police say that additional charges will be forthcoming for the driver, he is currently in jail on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Driving while intoxicated is a serious charge on its own. It's possible for someone to be charged with manslaughter when a death occurs as the result of a drunk driving accident. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 251 people lost their lives in Virginia last year because of drunk driving accidents. The average blood alcohol content in the fatalities was.14. This is almost two times the legal limit. The DMV also reported 5,003 injuries in 2014 as a result of drunk driving accidents.

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 Posted on September 11, 2015 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Being in a commercial vehicle accident usually involves great damage to your car and often leaves you injured. Below is some information about big rigs that may help you be more informed and could help you avoid getting into a serious accident.

The trucks weigh more than 10,000 pounds and can be either single-unit trucks or have two trailers being pulled. Getting directly in front or directly behind a semi-truck can put you in one of the truck's blind spots if you are too close. Give them plenty of room to operate. Generally, if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you.

Trucks of this size travel so many more miles than the average driver does. They are usually on interstate highways which are considered to be the safest roads around. In 2013, these trucks accounted for a full 4 percent of registered vehicles and 9 percent of all miles traveled. Overall, they are considered to be safer than cars and small trucks because they account for a much lower per mile crash rate.

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 Posted on September 03, 2015 in Car Accidents

The reason a lot of people in the United States purchase sport utility vehicles is because they appear to be much safer. Indeed, in some kinds of car accidents, the massive bulk of an SUV can help to protect its occupants. However, if the SUV flips over — as they are prone to do in crashes — the consequences of the driver and his or her passengers can be serious and fatal.

Certain studies have revealed that SUV's are twice as likely to flip over as other types of automobiles. When any kind of vehicle flips and rolls, there is a higher likelihood of passengers and drivers being ejected and suffering fatal injuries or permanent disabilities as a result.

SUV manufacturers are aware of the fact that their vehicles are likely to roll over in a crash. Nevertheless, they fail to add safety features that could limit these rollover risks. In some cases, a manufacturer's failure to add safety features is negligence, and the manufacturer can be held accountable for that negligence in court.

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 Posted on August 28, 2015 in Truck Accidents

Passenger cars sharing the highways with big rigs are at a distinct disadvantage if and when the two collide. Research shows that nearly one in 10 road fatalities involve a wreck with a large truck.

The majority of deaths in collisions with commercial trucks are those drivers and passengers of small trucks and cars. Due to their inherent vulnerability, passenger vehicles are just not a match for the crushing weight of a fully loaded truck bearing down on them. Those big rigs can weigh as much as 30 times the weight of a small car. Worse, the higher ground clearance can cause a smaller vehicle to underride a large truck, resulting in catastrophic injuries for the occupants.

Other factors increasing the disparity include the braking capacity of a large truck. A fully loaded semi can take up to 40 percent more distance to stop. If the truck's brakes are poorly maintained or the highway is slick with rain or ice, the distance for stopping only increases.

Fatigued truckers behind the wheel are another safety hazard. The federal government imposes Hours-of-Service regulations for drivers that allow them to operate their big rigs for up to 11 hours with no rest period and as many as 77 hours within seven days. Yet it is widely known that violations are common in the trucking industry.

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 Posted on August 21, 2015 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Can the parents of an intoxicated minor be held liable if an accident occurs? The answer is yes. Parents are liable for the actions of their minor child. In other words, the parents may be sued by the victims of a drunk driving accident if their child was driving while impaired.

According to Virginia laws, there could be criminal charges if the parents knowingly allowed their minor child to consume alcohol. However, an adult does not need to be a parent to be held liable for the actions of minors who were under his or her control, such as at a party at the adults' home. Adults may be held accountable and responsible if someone under their care gets drunk and:

— Damages property

— Drinks too much alcohol and dies

— Sexually assaults someone

— Gets into a physical altercations and hurts the other person

— Injuries or kills another person while driving after drinking

The parents may be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to a year in jail, as well as a fine of up to $2,500.

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 Posted on August 14, 2015 in Car Accidents

Some people are nervous about the idea of a self-driving car. What if the computer makes a mistake and the car drives through a red light or into the side of a building? Do the people inside really want to put their lives in the hands of a machine? In short, people wonder if self-driving cars will be safe or if they'll cause accidents.

Google has been working on these cars for a long time now, so there is some hard data that can give people in Virginia an idea of how safe or dangerous these cars are. Even the workers at Google admit that not all accidents can be avoided.

The project has been going on for six years. In that time, the cars have driven a total of 1.8 million miles. All in all, they've only been involved in 12 accidents, all of which were minor.

The kicker, though, is that Google says even that very small number of accidents has to be chalked up to other drivers. The self-driving cars were not at fault in even a single one of those cases.

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