Traffic Accidents | Lane Brown, LLC

The National Transportation Safety Board voted to recommend to states that they lower the blood-alcohol content that constitutes drunk driving.

Currently, all 50 states have set a BAC level of .08, reflecting the percentage of alcohol, by volume, in the blood. If a driver is found to have a BAC level of .08 or above, he or she is subject to arrest and prosecution.

The NTSB recommends dropping that to a BAC level of .05.

Each year, nearly 10,000 people die in alcohol-related traffic accidents and 170,000 are injured, according to the NTSB. While that’s a big improvement from the 20,000 who died in alcohol-related accidents 30 years ago, it remains a consistent threat to public safety. Studies show that each year, roughly 4 million people admit to driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The recommendation prompted immediate criticism from restaurant trade groups. “This recommendation is ludicrous,” said Sarah Longwell, managing director of American Beverage Institute. “Moving from 0.08 to 0.05 would criminalize perfectly responsible behavior. Other comments included: “Further restricting the moderate consumption of alcohol by responsible adults prior to driving does nothing to stop hardcore drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.”

The United States, Canada and Iraq are among a small handful of countries that have set the BAC level at .08. Most countries in Europe, including Russia, most of South America and Australia, have set BAC levels at .05 to constitute drunken driving. The lowering of blood-alcohol levels to .05 has worked where it’s been tried. When Australia dropped its BAC level from .08 to .05, provinces reported a 5-18 percent drop in traffic fatalities.

Even the lowered levels have been shown to cause drivers’ impairment. The NTSB reports that at .05 BAC, some drivers begin having difficulties with depth perception and other visual functions. At .07, cognitive abilities become impaired. At .05 BAC, the risk of having an accident increases by 39 percent. At .08 BAC, the risk of having an accident increases by more than 100 percent.

The NTSB believes that if all 50 states changed their standard to .05, nearly 1,000 lives could be saved each year. It is also considering other steps to help bring down the death rates on America’s roads.

The NTSB is an investigative agency that advocates on behalf of safety issues. It has no legal authority to order any change to state or federal law. It would be up to individual states whether to accept the NTSB’s recommendation, and up to the Department of Transportation whether to endorse the recommendations.

The last move from .10 to .08 BAC levels took 21 years for each state to implement.

If you or someone you know was injured in an alcohol or drug-related accident, the lawyers at Lane Brown, LLC will work with you as a team help you recover. Please contact us by calling Lane Brown at 312-332-1400, or on our website, at lanebrownlaw.com. We can help!

When asked if they would consider driving at or above the adult legal limit of .08 for blood alcohol, teens almost always say they would not.

But when asked if they would consider texting or talking on the cell phone while driving, many honestly say they would. Studies indicating that the risk of an accident is similar for talking on a cell phone and driving at the .08 limit are eye-opening for many teens.

If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries as a result of the negligence of a drunk driver or a distracted driver, you may be able to take action. Please contact the attorneys of Lane Brown, LLC, or call us at 312-332-1400 to speak with us about your options. We can help. To learn more about Lane Brown, please visit our website at lanebrownlaw.com.

A parking lot accident can be a frustrating experience. Car repairs, insurance claims, medical bills, and “whodunit” questions can be quite an inconvenience. Following are some practical tips from a Chicago car accident lawyer to make the experience easier:

Remain Calm – Do not argue with the other driver. You may say or do something that could jeopardize your rights. Simply exchange names, contact information, and insurance information. Then, call your insurance company to report the incident and find out what they want you to do.
Look for Witnesses – Look around to see if there were any eyewitnesses to the accident. Find out if they are willing to provide testimony as to exactly what happened.
Document the Accident – Do not move your car until you have collected evidence. Take pictures of the accident scene using a camera or your phone. The pictures should include skid marks, broken glass, vehicle damage, and car locations. If possible, take pictures of the other driver’s car and location after the accident.
Determine Fault – Try to determine who was at fault for the accident in a calm and objective manner. Do not declare fault at the scene of the accident. Let your insurance company deal with that.
Be Proactive – Avoid parking lot accidents by looking for parking spots that allow you to pull straight out, rather than having to back up to leave. Watch for wind gusts that cab catch your door, causing it to smash into another vehicle. Know the blind spots on your vehicle and take extra care to watch for objects in those areas.

If you have been injured in a parking lot accident, an experienced Chicago car accident attorney at Lane Brown can help. Our skilled car wreck lawyers regularly work to get car accident victims the justice they deserve. Give us a call today at 312-332-1400 to schedule your free case evaluation. We are here to help.

Teenage car crashes are the number one killer of youth across America. Too often, teen drivers cause serious accidents due to inexperience with complex driving situations. Graduated driver’s license laws are in place in many areas of the country to help reduce these risks and to provide teen drivers with the driving experience they need to become safe, responsible drivers.

Most states have enacted graduated driver’s license laws, but specifics vary across the states. Illinois’ graduated driver’s license laws break down driving privileges for teens into three phases in order to allow them to learn safe driving skills under the supervision of responsible adult drivers. Following is a general description of Illinois’ three-phase graduated driving laws:

Driving Permit Phase (age 15)

Teenage drivers must have a driver’s permit for at least nine months prior to obtaining a driver’s license at age 16.
Teenage drivers must complete a specified number of driving hours with an adult or parent over the age of 21 who has a valid driver’s license.
Teenage drivers with a permit cannot legally drive without a parent or other adult driver over the age of 21 in the front seat.
Teenage drivers with a permit are restricted from nighttime driving.
Teenage drivers with a permit may not use a cell phone except in an emergency.

Initial License Phase (age 16-17)

Parent or legal guardian must certify that the teen met all of the driving requirements during the permit phase.
Teen must have completed an approved driver’s education course.
Teenage drivers are restricted from nighttime driving.
For the first 12 months, teenage drivers may not carry more than one passenger under the age of 20. This restriction does not apply to siblings, stepsiblings, or children of the driver.
Teenage drivers may not use a cell phone except in an emergency.

Full Licensing Phase (ages 18-20)

Age related restrictions are dropped, except for the statewide cell phone laws for drivers under the age of 19.

Parents and teenage drivers should know about the following laws:

Parents have complete access to their teenager’s driving records.
Any teenager caught violating alcohol laws will automatically lose their license for a specified amount of time, based on the circumstances. In addition, they could face additional fines and legal consequences.
Teenagers convicted of street racing could have their driver’s license revoked. In addition, authorities may legally impound the car for up to five days.

Graduated driving laws help keep the roads safer for everyone by gradually introducing driving responsibilities to teenage drivers. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to the negligence or carelessness of another driver, a Chicago car accident lawyer at Lane Brown can help. We will take the time to review your case, answer your questions, and help you to understand your legal options. Contact us at 312-332-1400 to set up a free appointment.

Labels:

The AP (4/11, Kageyama) reports, “Toyota, Honda and Nissan are recalling more than 2 million vehicles globally for an identical problem with air bags on the passenger side whose inflator may burst, sending plastic pieces flying.” The AP notes that “the recall for air bags made by Japan’s Takata Corp. affects other automakers including non-Japanese manufacturers, and may be as many as 3 million vehicles, Takata spokesman Akiko Watanabe said Thursday.” The AP notes that “a worker forgot to turn on the switch for a system weeding out defective products and parts were improperly stored, which exposed them to humidity, according to Honda spokeswoman Akemi Ando.”
CNN Money (4/11, Riley, Wakatsuki) also reports that “Honda said it was aware of one crash in which a passenger front airbag casing had ruptured after being deployed with too much pressure” but is not aware of any injuries or deaths resulting from the defect. Meanwhile, “Toyota said it had reports of five airbag malfunctions, but no injuries.”

Accidents involving cars, trucks, and motorcycles can result in serious personal injuries to drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The Chicago law firm of Lane Brown, LLC practices in personal-injury lawsuits resulting from vehicle accidents. If you, your family or other loved one has been injured, please contact Lane Brown, LLC. We can help.

The National Law Journal (4/2, Bronstad) reports, “A lawsuit filed against Ford Motor Co. on behalf of consumers alleging economic damages tied to sudden acceleration comes months after Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to pay more than $1 billion in cash and repair costs to resolve similar claims.” The Journal continues, “The suit, filed on March 28, asserts that Ford, despite receiving hundreds of reports of electronics defects tied to sudden acceleration, failed to install brake override systems in some North American vehicles until 2010, even though it knew about problems as early as 2002. As a result, the cars manufactured during that interval put drivers in an ‘unreasonably dangerous’ situation, the suit says.”

If you or a loved one have suffered a severe injury, the law offices of Lane Brown, LLC can help you. Please contact us or call now (312) 332-1400 for an immediate consultation with an injury attorney in Chicago, Illinois.

If you suspect a manufacturing or design defect caused your auto accident and serious injury, we invite you to contact our office. A lawyer with experience in defective equipment claims will provide a free consultation and case review.