Auto Accident
by admin@gotechark.com | February 28th, 2012
February 27, 2012
The owner of a restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, has been charged by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission with serving underage and intoxicated patrons just minutes before a fatal crash claimed the life of a 20-year-old man. According to reports from The MetroWest Daily News, the accident happened on October 11, 2010 around 9:30 p.m. at 45 Holliston Street, a short distance from the restaurant.
Reports indicate that the man and two other underage patrons were served between seven and ten drinks from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The patrons then got into a 2005 Dodge Ram Pickup and drove away. Moments later, the vehicle struck a curb and a tree before rolling several times and landing in front of a local middle school. Two of the victims, including the young man who died at the scene, were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle.
The other ejected victim survived after receiving treatment at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worchester for bleeding in her brain, a fractured eye socket and nose, and a broken collarbone, ribs, pelvis, and spine.
Virginia state law allows for restaurant owners and servers to be charged with crimes, and they can be held liable if a patron of their establishment is invoed in an accident after drinking.
The Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley express their condolences to the families of those involved in this crash.
by admin@gotechark.com | February 20th, 2012
February 20, 2012
With snow falling across the state of Virginia, state police say they are overwhelmed with accident calls. According to reports from WTKR Channel 3 News, police have responded to approximately 1,000 calls in the last two days.
A spokesman for Virginia State Police, Sgt. Thomas Molnar, said emergency crews have responded to 881 crashes and 456 disabled vehicles in the past 48 hours, and that 230 of those calls came from the Richmond area. Troopers added that they responded to roughly 40 crashes in Metro Richmond.
The high number of accidents has prompted the Virginia Department of Transportation to offer the following tips to drivers:
- Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter. Be sure to check your:
- brakes and tires,
- battery and ignition system,
- antifreeze and thermostat,
- windshield wipers and de-icing washer fluid,
- headlights, tail and brake lights, blinkers and emergency flashers,
- exhaust system, heater and defroster,
- and oil.
- Leave early and know the conditions for the roads you‘ll be on.
- Keep windows, mirrors, and lights free from snow.
- Always wear your seatbelt.
- Start out in the lowest gear possible.
- Keep a safe distance behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road.
- Don’t pass a snowplow or spreader unless necessary. Treat these as you would emergency response vehicles.
The Virginia Car Accident Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley hope that these driving safety tips help keep motorists safe during the winter.
by admin@gotechark.com | February 13th, 2012
February 13, 2012
Lawmakers are trying to tighten safety regulations for drivers here in the United States. Two separate reports from News Channel 3 say that representatives and senators from around the country are considering several ways of keeping drivers safer on the road, including a nationwide ban on texting and driving and stricter requirements for DUI offenders who are allowed to drive.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will go before a New York State Senate committee this week to testify that distractions stemming from handheld devices, especially texting, have been found to be contributing factors in a growing number of transportation accidents over the last 10 years. The bill would make it illegal to operate handheld devices, except in emergency situations, while behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Virginia lawmakers are also considering passing a new ruling that would require all DUI offenders to have ignition interlock systems installed on their vehicles. The devices require a user to have their blood alcohol content measured before their vehicle will start. Then, the device requires the driver be tested sporadically while the vehicle is in motion.
The Virginia car accident lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley hope that the new rules will make the state’s highways for all drivers who choose to utilize them. They agree that refraining from drinking and distracted driving significantly cuts lowers the chances a driver will be involved in an accident.
by admin@gotechark.com | February 6th, 2012
February 6, 2012
The importance of having your child in a safety or booster seat at all times in the car was shown last Thursday when two children were injured in a crash. According to reports from The Virginia Gazette, the accident happened at around 4:30 PM in the intersection of Hampton Highway and Yorktown Road.
Reports from Virginia State Police say that the 35-year-old father of the injured children did not have the kids properly restrained in safety or booster seats when he ran his 2001 Chevy Malibu through a red light and collided with Chevrolet Sienna. The impact caused the 2-year-old child to be ejected from the vehicle.
Both children were taken to Riverside Hospital to be treated for serious injuries they sustained in the crash.
Under Virginia state law, all children under the age of eight years old must be ride in an approved safety or booster seat when in a moving vehicle. The law is vital in protecting Virginia’s children, as research has shown that seat belts are designed to protect adults, not children, in case of an accident. The belts may be too large to properly restrain a child if a crash were to occur.
The Virginia auto accident attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley ask that all Virginians do their part to keep their children safe by always buckling them into a child safety or booster seat when riding in the car.
by admin@gotechark.com | January 30th, 2012
January 30, 2012
A 24-year-old woman from Hampton, Virginia, was killed early Sunday morning after being struck by a car. According to reports from WAVY-TV 10 News, the crash happened at approximately 4:40 AM, at the intersection of North King Street and Bayberry Court.
Reports from the Hampton Police Department show that the young woman was walking southbound along the roadway when she fell and was hit by a 2008 Chevy Cobalt heading north. The woman suffered massive trauma injuries and was declared dead at the scene.
While the driver of the vehicle has not been charged, police are continuing to investigate the incident.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles say that in the state of Virginia during 2008, there were 76 people killed and 1,696 people injured in pedestrian accidents. Injuries that are caused by pedestrian accidents can cost the victim six figures in medical bills alone.
The experienced Virginia pedestrian accident lawyers with Lowell “ The Hammer” Stanley are strong advocates of victims rights. If you have been injures, our legal team may be able to help get you the compensation needed to pay medical bills and other injury-related expenses. Call an experienced attorney today for a free initial consultation.
by admin@gotechark.com | January 23rd, 2012
January 23, 2012
A suspected drunk driver was in court twice today after being involved in a pedestrian accident last Thursday in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Reports from WAVY-TV 10 News indicate that the accident happened at around 7:40 AM at the corner of Chester Street and Paladin Drive.
The Virginia Beach police department indicate that a school bus was stopped at the corner with its lights on and stop sign out as children loaded on. The adult male victim was walking his niece, son, and daughter to the bus when a truck hopped the curb, drove across the driveway, and into the front lawn to avoid hitting the stopped bus. In the process, the driver hit the man and all three children.
All four victims were taken to an area hospital where the young boy remains in critical condition. The father and other children are still listed in stable condition.
The driver, who has a history of drug and alcohol related offenses, was taken into custody after failing a sobriety test and was held without bond over the weekend. The driver remains in jail after a bond hearing earlier this morning.
The Virginia auto accident attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley believe that a victim of an accident should not be responsible for medical bills that come from an injury caused by another person’s negligence. That is why they would encourage you to contact an attorney immediately if you have been injured in a drunk driving accident.
by admin@gotechark.com | January 2nd, 2012
January 2, 2012
The Virginia Beach police department increased patrols over the weekend in the hopes of deterring drunk drivers from getting on area roadways. According to a report on WAVY-TV 10 News today, those efforts were successful in netting six arrests on DUI charges in about an hour and a half.
Officers added that the checkpoints also allowed them to cite other dangerous drivers for minor infractions. It was estimated that 17 tickets were written at a single checkpoint Saturday night.
Numbers suggest that the increased patrols, in conjunction with the checkpoints, may be reducing alcohol related fatalities. Virginia Beach police department statistics show that DUI fatalities are down in the city by four percent over last year. In 2010, it was estimated that 17 fatal crashes in the area were alcohol-related. That same year, Virginia Beach police say that they arrested 2,429 people on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The problem of drinking and driving is just as bad across the country. The US Department of Health and Human Services suggests that 37 percent of all fatal traffic accidents in the United States are in some way related to alcohol.
The Virginia auto accident attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley ask that we keep each other safe on Virginia highways by not getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Instead, contact a friend or a cab company for a safe ride home from your location.
by admin@gotechark.com | December 29th, 2011
December 29. 2011
The New Year will bring changes to the ways drivers of commercial vehicles communicate while behind the wheel. According to WVEC 13 News, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has mandated a ban on commercial driver’s use of handheld cell phones that will begin January 3.
The new law will allow truckers to use hands free devices to talk, but even holding a phone behind a moving vehicle will now be enough for law enforcement to stop a commercial driver. Opponents of the ban say they aren’t necessarily declaring the ban a bad thing, they just believe it should be enforced against all drivers, not just truckers.
The ban comes nearly two years after a research team from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) found that truckers who text while driving were 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident than undistracted drivers. Their research showed that compared to other distractions that phones can produce through dialing, holding, and talking the device, texting was by far the most dangerous because of an average of around five seconds the drivers eyes are off the road to preform the task.
The Norfolk auto accident attorneys with Lowell “ The Hammer” Stanley handle cases for accident victims who have been injured because of a commercial driver’s neglect to pay attention to the road. If you have been injured at no fault of your own in an accident with a commercial vehicle, contact us today to discuss your case.
by admin@gotechark.com | December 5th, 2011
December 5, 2011
Drunk driving in the Virginia area this past week has cost one college student their life and a high ranking government official their job. According to ABC 13 News, both incidents occurred on Sunday over the past weekend.
It was reported that a freshman at Christopher Newport University was killed early Sunday morning after the car in which she was riding in crashed after colliding head-on with another vehicle. All other occupants in the car and the driver of the other vehicle suffered numerous other injuries and all were taken to local hospitals to receive treatment. Virginia State Police say alcohol was a factor in the crash and charges are pending.
ABC 13 News reported Monday that the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was taking a leave of absence from his position following being arrested for suspicion of DUI a day before. The Fairifax City Police Department reported that an officer had pulled over Randy Babbitt at about 10:30 PM after observing him driving on the wrong side of the street. He was arrested that night and had sent a letter asking for a leave of absence from his position as Administrator the following day.
The Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys with Lowell “ The Hammer” Stanley hope that these stories will serve as a message that drunk driving can affect everyone. Young to old, rich to poor, drunk to sober, the consequences of drunk driving can hurt us all.
by admin@gotechark.com | November 28th, 2011
November 28, 2011
A 24-year-old Navy sailor was fatally wounded in a Sunday morning motorcycle crash. According to WAVY-TV 10 News, the accident happened at 11:00 a.m. along Crags Causeway in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Beach Police Department said today that a preliminary investigation of the crash has determined that speed was a factor when the biker lost control of the 2005 BMW while negotiating a curve. After losing control and dropping the bike, both the driver and the machine skid nearly 100 feet across the asphalt before coming to rest in a ditch. Police say that while the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, he sustained massive bodily injuries and was declared dead at the scene by medical professionals.
The number of motorcycle crashes resulting in injury and death has risen over the years in the state of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (VDMV) reports that in 2008, the number of injuries in motorcycle crashes increased by 120 crashes over the previous year to a total of 2,404. The number of fatalities has also steadily increased over the past decade.
The Virginia Motorcycle Accident Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley understand the dangers bikers face on roadways today. That is why they would encourage anyone injured in a motorcycle accident that was no fault of their own to contact an attorney today!
