Driven to Distraction

As a team of dedicated vehicle accident lawyers, we make every effort to stay abreast on the latest news, especially when the headlines relate to personal injury. Unfortunately, distracted driving remains a big problem on the road nowadays, especially for teens who are just getting behind the wheel. Especially as we look forward to a long holiday weekend, when our country's major highways will be bustling with vacationers, we need to be on the lookout for potentially distracted or otherwise inattentive drivers.

The good news is that New York officials have devised a potential method to determine whether a driver was distracted by his or her mobile phone at the time of a collision. The application, called the Texalyzer, would allow law enforcement officers access to the drivers’ operating systems to uncover what, if anything, was happening during the crash. Opponents have voiced privacy concerns with the application, and it's unclear whether this will become the norm. The most important thing is that city officials are taking (or at least appear to be taking) this problem seriously.
 
If you or a loved one ends up in an auto accident in which a negligent party can be determined at fault, we at the Law Offices of Burg and Brock, a highly experienced team of personal injury attorneys, are here to help. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

A Look at Auto Accidents

As a team of expert personal injury attorneys, we try to stay on top of the news in the field. Recently, we read that Google has filed a patent for a unique automotive augmentation - a "sticky" adhesive coating that would take pedestrians along with the car in the event of an accident. It sounds a bit like something from a video game or a sci-fi movie, but the schematics are interesting. The premise is that, if one of Google's self-driving vehicles were to accidentally strike a pedestrian, the coating on the car's hood would "trap" the person like flypaper. So, instead of incurring additional injuries from being sent skyward or being rolled over, the unlucky individual will just be stuck on the car's hood like a fried egg.

Seriously, though, it's clear that Google has put a lot of thought into this idea, and it seems that it may actually reduce the severity of vehicle-related personal injury in the event of an accident. Of course, there's still a long way to go until these self-driving cars become a common phenomenon on our roads. But that being said, considering that the major causes of auto accidents stem from dangerous human behavior (intoxication and distraction), it may be worthwhile to place our faith in finely tuned machines and super-precise navigation systems. It may even end up saving some lives, too.

Until then, if you or a loved one are a victim in an accident in which the offending party can be determined negligent, we're here to help. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us - a highly experienced personal injury attorney will help you sort out your case.

It Can Wait

As a group of dedicated vehicle accident lawyers, we make our best effort to follow the newsreels. We've heard about a recent case involving an 18-year-old girl who was using the smartphone application Snapchat to take a video of herself driving at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. While we're not yet certain as to how the legal case will pan out, we can say that an auto accident occurred that has resulted in a critical brain trauma of the driver whose car the teen rear-ended. Complicating matters, the victim is suing Snapchat and claiming that the application's "speed filter" feature, which tracks how fast someone is traveling while they take a selfie, encourages users to Snap while driving, despite the fact that the app advises users to 'NOT Snap and Drive.'

Obviously, as personal injury attorneys, we sincerely do not anyone, especially very young drivers who seem to be attached to these social apps, to use them while driving under any circumstances. Because approximately 26% of auto accidents involve a distracted driver, a great many injuries and even untimely deaths can be prevented if we manage to eliminate these distractions. Hopefully, we can count on new measures or public service announcements to keep drivers' eyes on the road.

Remember, if you or a loved one has been affected by a personal injury situation in which a negligent party can be determined at fault, we at the Law Offices of Burg and Brock are here to help. 

Ready for the Unexpected?

As we write this, something very unusual is happening in Los Angeles. Yes, we're having a rain storm...in May! That's at least some very minor good news for our ongoing drought situation. However, if you're a vehicle accident lawyer, your first thought it going to be about an inevitably higher risk of traffic accidents caused by suddenly slippery streets and highways.

Don't worry, however, we're not here to remind you, yet again, to slow down when you're driving in the rain (though that's definitely essential advice). No, we're here to remind you to be aware of unexpected situations whenever you're driving. Yes, while rainstorms that seem to come out of nowhere are one of the kind of  road hazard that keep us personal injury attorneys all too busy, that's just one of a long list.

Roadway surprises that can spur accidents range from the sudden appearance of animals -- living or dead -- to large pieces of furniture or other surprising debris that can fall from vehicles and on to roadways. Particularly when we are driving at high speed and even slightly distracted, these obstructions can be extremely dangerous.

In other words, the best way to keep yourself and others from becoming involved in a roadway personal injury situation is to be aware at all times. Everything from sudden ugly cloudbursts to cute squirrels and random pieces of used furniture can be extremely dangerous if you're not paying close attention to the road.