Abels & Annes, P.C. Personal Injury Blog

Tens of millions of Americans consider themselves fans of professional football, and if you count yourself among them, you may have watched Super Bowl 50 last night. Even if you are not a fan of football, you may have watched the game just to see the famous television advertisements that accompany it or simply because your friends and family were watching. But even if you avoided the game entirely, know that the Super Bowl could have a significant impact in your life as experts relate an increase in the incidence of drunk driving on America’s roads with Super Bowl celebrations. This can translate to innocent victims becoming injured due to drunk driving accidents and having their lives changed forever due to the actions or inactions of others.

Maricopa County is now home to more than four million people. Back in 1970, the population was right around one million people which helps to bolster the commonly understood belief that the population in the Valley has exploded recently, bringing many to our cities, our business, and our schools. With this population growth has come a large increase in the number of motorists that drive on the streets in and around Phoenix, and unfortunately, with more traffic has come more car accidents. But when it comes to crashes, not all intersections are created equal. In fact, some intersections have been found to be much more troublesome than others as the number of accidents that happen annually are large in certain spots around town. Based on 2013 data, it is bad news for residents of Glendale as an intersection in that portion of the Valley had more collisions than any other intersection.

When you are sick or injured, you may seek the help of a doctor or physician and trust in their medical judgment as they evaluate and treat you. It is reasonable to do that as doctors, physicians, and others in the medical field are trained and licensed to practice in their specialty, indicating that they have the knowledge and skill necessary to help you when you are hurt. But unfortunately, not all encounters in the medical field end positively as medical malpractice happens in the Phoenix area every week, threatening the lives of those who only sought to get well. While some forms of medical malpractice are widely publicized and understood, others are not openly discussed or not well understood, making them even more dangerous to patients. An example of a less understood form of medical malpractice is mistakes made with medications or drugs, whether they are made by doctors, nurses, or even pharmacists. Since 1992, the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 30,000 reports related to medical errors in the United States but experts agree that the number of mistakes is much larger than this. Often, patients are unaware or remain uninformed about mistakes which means that they do not have the ability to report them or to investigate any potential harm that may have been done.

For many Americans, their dogs are much more than their best friends – they are family. Current estimates indicate that between 37 and 47 percent of all households in the nation have a dog and that there are approximately 70 to 80 million dogs in the country. With so many dogs in so many households, canines are a part of the American life and culture for all, including those who choose not to own a dog. Dogs and the safety around them affect everyone in the Phoenix area because they live in our homes, in our neighbors’ homes, use our parks, and walk our sidewalks and streets. While dogs add much joy to the lives of many, they can also be the cause of extreme injuries or even death if a dog bite attack takes place. Each year, roughly 4.5 million dog bites take place and roughly 800,000 of those are severe enough for a victim to seek medical attention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one out of every five dog bites becomes infected. Add to that the fact that dogs may transmit rabies, capnocytophaga spp. bacteria, pasteurella bacteria, MRSA, and tetanus to their victims and it is clear that the public in Maricopa County should not only be alert for dog attacks but should also take appropriate steps to prevent them whenever possible.

The though of the aftermath related to a car accident does not cross the average driver’s mind when she gets into her car. Instead, a driver is thinking about where he needs to go or what errands she may need to run before the end of the day. But if you find yourself the victim of a collision in the Phoenix area, odds are that your perspective will change as a result and you will begin to look at the impact that crash has on your daily life. Dealing with a car accident can be particularly challenging. Often, the damage done to a vehicle needs to be fixed, traffic tickets may need to be fought, and there is the overall inconvenience of being without a vehicle for some time. But when someone is hurt, the reality is much more extreme as the biggest part of a car accident claim is often the portion related to personal injuries sustained by a victim. Whether a victim was a driver, a passenger, or even a pedestrian who was hurt by a car, the victim may be entitled to compensation for the damages that get caused by the crash.

The area in the Valley is relatively flat. If you stay in the Phoenix area, you may see a few hills but not much more than that. If you are adventurous, you may try hiking Camelback Mountain or walk around Buckeye Hills for the day. But if you want to leave Maricopa County, odds are that you will cross some pretty significant hills by road. Many drive north from Phoenix at least once or twice a year towards Sedona, Flagstaff, or even Las Vegas and the topography of the area is a little different that way. Mountains and hills roll through much of Arizona, adding additional challenges to the normal issues faced by motorists. While these mountains can make driving difficult, many vehicles are equipped with advanced technology designed to make traversing hills both easier and safer. Commonly called hill descent control, vehicles may have the ability to keep a driver’s speed consistent when that driver begins to go down a hill. Without hill descent control, it can be easy for a vehicle to pick up speed continuously as elevation decreases and when a downward path is long, it may mean that a vehicle increases by 20 miles per hour or more. In contrast, those vehicles that have hill descent control will maintain a speed consistent to that which the vehicle was traveling before the hill began to slope downwards. By keeping speed in check, a driver will be able to better control a vehicle and will be less likely to be involved in a car accident. 

Many people believe that injury claims should be straight forward and to the point. The common thought is that if someone else is to blame for an accident, that at-fault individual should be financially responsible for the damage. This basic principle holds true often in Arizona but the reality is that the unique facts of any car accident make most matters anything but easy. In some situations, it may not be clear who is to blame. The laws here compare the actions of those involved to determine whether one or more individuals is responsible, and if so, how much responsibility should be assigned to each motorist. Sometimes, police come to one conclusion about the fault of a crash and may or may not issue tickets in response but a different result can be reached in a civil court of law. And yet in other instances, a victim who is already suffering from physical injuries is involved in a collision which then worsens those preexisting damages. These victims may wonder if they have the same legal rights as healthy victims or if they are out of luck for the damages done to them by another driver.

Anytime an accident takes place in the Phoenix area, it is a bad thing that affects the lives of those involved. If someone is hurt in a crash, not only will the victim’s life be altered but so will the lives of that victim’s family members, friends, and coworkers. The far reaching effects of motorcycle accidents show how serious these incidents are and why we should be treating them as a threat to the safety of the entire public – and not just those who choose to ride motorcycles. Preventing motorcycle accidents is a responsibility that everyone in Arizona bears for even if you never ride on a motorcycle, you can still be involved in a collision with one. While experts have identified numerous factors that contribute to a large percentage of all collisions, one of the biggest issues continues to be the presence of alcohol in the system of bikers or other drivers on the roadways.

This weekend, residents of the Valley were shocked to hear of reports of another road rage incident on Tempe’s roads, claiming the life of a young Arizona State University student and injuring several others. It has sparked a debate about road rage in Arizona as well as what rights victims of these incidents may have but the information available has not been clear. Road rage in Arizona is defined as an assault against another individual with a vehicle or other deadly weapon. Often, road rage begins with a disagreement among motorists before escalating into something that can be physically threatening or even deadly. Typical actions that may cause road rage among motorists are tailgating, cutting off another car, failing to yield when required, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, being involved in a car accident, or using a cell phone while driving. There is a legal distinction between road rage and aggressive driving with road rage being a more serious, and often criminal offense that can lead to incarceration, loss of a license, and fines and fees for anyone convicted.

When you drive around Phoenix, you come across countless other vehicles occupying the same roads as you. Though people are all moving in different directions, they do so in an organized fashion thanks in part to the state laws that govern the flow of traffic. While some rules are clear, others are more confusing and can lead drivers to make mistakes or to err, potentially leading to a car accident. One area of the law that regularly gives rise to questions continues to be the right-of-way, and how to respect it. Put simply, the right-of-way determines who or which vehicle gets to continue moving before others in the area. It allows one driver priority to move into an intersection, across a road, or in another direction while others must yield, or wait. In most cases, issues with the right-of-way arise when vehicles traveling in opposite directions cross paths and in particular at intersections that are not otherwise controlled.