White Plains Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

We've all heard stories about car accidents that were caused by a driver who was more focused on his or her cellphone than on the road. It seems that every week a new study on the dangers of texting or talking while driving surfaces, offering a reminder that the devices providing the most convenience to our lives also have the power to end ours or someone else's. 

But a summary of car accident reports shows very few are actually attributed to cellphone use. In the state of New York, statistics for 2011 -- the latest data available -- show only one fatal accident involving a cellphone. Figures for 2010 revealed only 10 fatal crashes blamed on talking or texting while driving. Nationwide, there were more than 32,000 fatal traffic accidents in 2011 -- only 385 of which reportedly involved a cellphone.

While the rest of the country has been starting to use their bicycles more and more, people in Brooklyn have been using their bikes as their main means of transportation for years. As more people have been switching over to bicycles, however, including new cyclists in Brooklyn, the number of fatal bicycle accidents has increased. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number has increased by 9 percent between 2010 and 2011.

And it is not just the overall number of deaths that have increased, because that could just be a matter of more bicycles on the road, but bicycle deaths has increased as an overall percentage of traffic deaths. In 2011, bicycle deaths composed 2.1 percent more of traffic deaths than they had in years past. It is an utter tragedy when these kinds of fatal accidents happen, but working with a wrongful death lawyer may help families recover some sense of justice for a family member killed by a reckless driver.

There is no telling exactly how much a motorcycle accident will cost someone. It is more than just the cost of emergency medicine. Depending on the severity of the motorcycle crash, a biker could be out of work for days, months or, potentially, his or her injuries could be so severe that he or she will never be able to work again. Without a job, it is very possible that a biker will be out of insurance and left to pay for his or her bills.

In addition, there is the cost of therapy, training and potentially the cost of refitting a home to accommodate someone with serious injuries. Insurance will only go so far to cover these costs, which is why it is so important for anyone injured in a motorcycle accident to speak with a personal injury attorney and explore filing a lawsuit against the driver who caused the crash.

It may have been a while since anyone in New York had heard of the band 3 Doors Down, but the band is coping with the arrest of its bassist for apparently driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Sadly, the bassist may have done more than just drive under the influence; his driving may also have cost another man his life.

The 41 year old had been driving after drinking and taking a variety of prescription medications when he allegedly hit another vehicle and forced the truck off the side of the road. Police say that the man had been driving fast in his Cadillac CTS when he clipped a pickup truck. The driver lost control of his truck and it flew off the road and down an embankment before flipping. The 47 year old behind the wheel died.