Cincinnati Car Accident Law Blog

Since Ohio is centrally located in the United States, it is common for large trucks to pass through the state on a regular basis. Drivers of passenger vehicles who share the road with trucks are justified if they are intimidated by the size of these trucks. Collisions with these trucks can cause serious injuries and fatalities. Because the roads are becoming increasingly dangerous, it is important for lawmakers to find solutions.

A plan is in place for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to compile information regarding how distracted driving is impacting truck safety. The agency says that it intends to research the factors that lead to truck accidents. In addition, systems that are placed in vehicles to measure the speed at which trucks are traveling, track if they are drifting into other lanes, and record when drivers hit the brakes hard will be part of the study. The goal is to determine where the main problems are and take steps to address them, to help make the roads safer.

Spring is coming soon and a greater number of motorcycle riders will be taking to the roadways. Because of this, it is important for motorcyclists to be familiar with the legal protections available to them in their time of need after an unexpected motorcycle accident.

Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents are not uncommon due to inattentive, distracted and negligent drivers who fail to see motorcyclists or observe their right of way. These drivers can cause serious motorcycle accidents that injure and otherwise harm motorcycle riders. In two-thirds of motorcycle accidents that involve another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcyclist's right of way and caused the accident.

Traumatic brain injuries can be the result of a serious head injury that can be suffered in a motorcycle, car, or other type of severe accident. Brain injuries can significantly disrupt the lives of victims, which is why car accident victims and their families should be familiar with what they are and how they can get help coping with the aftermath of such an occurrence.

Brain injuries can be the result of either open or closed head injuries. A traumatic brain injury is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury, that disrupts normal brain activity. Traumatic brain injuries can result in significant disability or death. During 2014, for instance, traumatic brain injuries resulted in 2.87 million in combined emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Also during 2014, an estimated 155 victims died each day due to injuries including traumatic brain injuries.

This blog recently discussed trucking industry regulations, and one area where truck driver regulations are strict is the area of distracted driving and texting while driving. Truck accidents can be caused by truck drivers who are texting while driving with catastrophic results for truck accident victims.

Federal rules limit the use of hand-held mobile phones and texting while driving by truck drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's research revealed that the odds of a trucker being involved in a safety-critical event increased by 23.2 times if the truck driver was texting while driving compared to truck drivers who made the decision not to text while driving. Research also showed that truck drivers who text while driving remove their eyes from the roadway for an average of 4.6 second which, while traveling at 55 miles per hour, is equivalent to removing their eyes from the roadway for the length of a football field.