Last updated 10 hours ago
Nearly everyone has seen the aftermath of a serious car accident or even witnessed one in person. However, it isn’t always obvious what to do next. While responding quickly and effectively to an accident can save lives, acting incorrectly can put the lives of others at risk and even leave you vulnerable to a lawsuit.
If you witness a car accident or drive past the scene of one, follow these steps:
- If you need to provide assistance at the scene of a car accident, you should pull over to the side of the road. Park your car well away from the flow of traffic and from the vehicles involved in the accident. Then, turn on your car’s emergency lights. Make sure that your car is in a position where your lights can be seen easily by emergency workers.
- Find out whether anyone involved in the accident has been injured. Once you have confirmed whether or not anyone is hurt, call 911. You will need to be able to explain where the accident scene is, whether anyone involved needs help, and anything else that may be pertinent to emergency workers.
- If anyone is injured, do not move them unless they are in imminent danger where they currently are. Moving an injured person can result in exacerbating their injuries, and could result in your being held liable for their damages. Do not attempt to treat injuries yourself.
- If you personally witnessed the accident, you should provide your contact information to the drivers involved. If possible, take some pictures of the accident and give them to the drivers or to police.
- If you see a hit-and-run accident, memorize and write down the license plate number and give it to police. Do not try to confront the driver or stop the vehicle.
Are you in need of an injury attorney in the Orlando area? Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D., is a personal injury attorney whose areas of practice range from car and truck accidents to medical malpractice and wrongful death. To learn more about how he can help you with your personal injury claim, call (407) 329-3923.
Last updated 1 day 9 hours ago
If you’d like to learn more about the dangers of underinsured and uninsured drivers, precautions you should take when traveling with your pet, the dangers of elderly drivers, and our other recent blog topics, check out the informational links below. If you need an attorney in the Orlando area, call Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D. today at (407) 329-3923.
Last updated 10 days ago
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Last updated 13 days ago
In the United States, teenagers are more likely to be killed by a car accident than by any other cause. Drivers from the ages of 16 to 19 are four times more at risk for a traffic-related fatality than drivers ages 25 to 69. If you’re a parent, there are a number of ways in which you can reduce your teenager’s risk of becoming part of that statistic:
· Ride as a passenger with your teen regularly during the first six months and watch how he or she behaves. Is your teen wearing a seat belt and staying under the speed limit? Speeding and failing to wear seat belts are the leading factors in fatal car accidents; each mile per hour over the speed limit a driver goes raises the likelihood of a car accident.
· Giving your teen a strict curfew can also reduce the chances of an accident. The majority of car accidents involving teenagers happen between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight. If your teen is going out, offer to drive them.
· You should also encourage your teen to be cautious about riding with other teens. About two-thirds of all teenage passenger deaths happen when other teenagers are behind the wheel, and having multiple teens as passengers has been shown to significantly increase the likelihood of an accident.
Inexperience plays a primary role in most teen traffic accidents. The risk of being involved in a car accident is 10 times higher in the first year of driving than in any subsequent year, and the highest number of fatal accidents for teen drivers happens in the first six months after they obtain their license. Parental supervision can put an end to many bad driving habits before they have the opportunity to spark tragedies.
When you, a family member, or another loved one has been hurt in a preventable car accident, contact the office of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D. Michael Barszcz is a personal injury attorney, and a medical doctor. He serves the greater Orlando area and practices in car accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and other injury claims. Call (407) 329-3923 today if you have any questions.
Last updated 14 days ago
When a motorcycle is involved in an accident with a larger vehicle, the results are nearly always deadly for the motorcyclist. A motorcycle driver is six times more likely to die in such an accident than the driver of a car or a truck. As recent statistics about motorcycle accidents and the various factors involved in them indicate, Florida motorcyclists are in danger of harm every time they ride.
Florida is a popular state for motorcycles; unlike many states, you do not have to buy insurance for your motorcycle in order to register it. In 2009, motorcycle fatalities accounted for slightly more than 15% of all traffic-related deaths in the state of Florida, and 94% of those who were killed were Florida residents. The chief factors involved in motorcycle deaths included:
· Age. According to a study, of the 7,435 motorcycle fatalities in the year 2009, the vast majority of motorcyclists involved in accidents are between the ages of 25 and 54, with the risk of fatal injury and non-fatal injury being highest for the age group 45-54.
· Alcohol. More than one-fourth of all Florida motorcycle fatalities in 2005 involved the use of alcohol by the motorcyclist, and the number rose to more than 40% by 2008. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 33% of motorcycle accidents involved motorcyclists with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.
· Failure to observe proper safety precautions. Failing to wear a helmet drastically raises the chances of sustaining a serious head injury in a motorcycle crash. Florida’s law requiring motorcyclists to wear a helmet was repealed in 2000, and a study two years later found that little more than half of all Florida motorcyclists wore helmets while riding. In 2009, 47% of all motorcyclists who died in accidents were not wearing helmets.
If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, it’s important to find a qualified personal injury attorney. Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D. is an Orlando-area personal injury attorney who practices in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and other personal injury claims. Call our office today at (407) 329-3923 to learn more about our legal services.
