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Nearly 300 Arizona traffic accidents a day injured more than 50,000 motorists and claimed 806 lives in 2009, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Our Phoenix car accident attorneys reported earlier this month on our Injury Lawyer Blog, that fatal traffic accidents hit a 16-year low last year, in part because of the struggling economy. But all totaled, the state reported more than 100,000 car accidents. Among the highlights of Arizona’s 2009 traffic report:Number of crashes Drunk Driving Accidents: 5,854 Pedestrian Accidents; 1,523 Bicycle Accidents: 1,995 Motorcycle Accidents: 2,958 Serious an fatal injuries Total: 806 fatalities/50,610 injuries Drunk Driving accidents: 261 fatalities/4,142 injuries Pedestrian accidents: 122 fatalities/1,304 injuries Bicycle accidents: 25 fatalities/1,643 injuries Months and Days December: Most crashes February: Most fatal crashes Friday: Most crashes Saturday: Most fatal crashes At a glance -More than two motorists a day died in Arizona traffic accidents. -One person was killed every 10.88 hours. -138.56 injuries were reported per day. -Drunk driving was involved in more than 5 percent of all crashes and more than one-third of all traffic fatalities. -Single-vehicle accidents accounted for less than 20 percent of all accidents but almost half of all fatalities. -Three-quarters of all accidents occurred during daylight hours. The most common type of collision was rear-end accidents while driving too fast for conditions was the most common driving violation. The total cost of the state’s traffic fatalities was estimated at more than $1 billion, while overall cost of traffic accidents in Arizona in 2009 was $2.7 billion.


An Arizona auto accident occurred on Sunday in the area of 75th Ave. and Mountain View Rd. in Phoenix where a driver crashed into a garage at a home, according to azfamily.com. The incident occurred when a man who was backing out of this own driveway lost control of his vehicle, drove across the street and struck an attached garage where his neighbor was working. No injuries have been reported. Making the situation even more odd, it is being said that the driver of the truck works for a garage door company. Accident cleanup is supposed to be underway at the home. While luckily it sounds like no one was injured in this accident, that is not always the case, and car crashes where motorists hit buildings is not all that uncommon. Phoenix personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have handled a couple of these cases. In one case, our law firm represented a woman who was at home when her elderly neighbor lost control of her vehicle, drove into her house and hit her while she was lying in bed in a first-floor bedroom. The injuries in the case were non-life-threatening and the claim settled without having to file a lawsuit. In another injury case we worked on, accident lawyers from our office represented a man who was eating lunch at a busy hot dog stand in downtown Chicago when an elderly motorist lost control of his car and drove right into the restaurant, striking several patrons. The plaintiff was taken by ambulance to an emergency room with complaints of neck and back pain, and headaches. He ended up having to go through medical treatment for several months with an osteopathic physician. A lawsuit was filed in the case which settled prior to going to trial. And speaking […]


The number of traffic fatalities on Arizona roads reached a 16-year-low in 2009, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. As our Phoenix car accident attorneys recently reported on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, the federal government recently reported the fewest traffic fatalities in 60 years. Safety experts pin the decline on a number of factors, including the economic downturn.Nationwide, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that traffic deaths dropped to 33,808 in 2009, the lowest level since 1950. Arizona recorded 807 fatal traffic accidents in 2009, the lowest number since 1993. By comparison, 938 people were killed in Arizona traffic accidents in 2008. The numbers represent a two-year decline of 14 percent in the number of fatal car accidents in Arizona. ADOT gave some credit for the reduction to what it calls the “Four Es,” engineering, enforcement, emergency response and education. “There are a variety of modern improvements that we have already made to our state highway system and continue to implement,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “This includes enhancements to the roadway and the addition of technology along our freeways. All of these innovations work together with law enforcement officers and others in the safety sector to create a safer driving experience.” The state program to cut rumble strips into the shoulders of the state’s entire highway system was also cited for the reduction. The warning grooves at the edge of highways have been shown to reduce accidents by up to 33 percent as they warn drivers who are drifting onto the shoulder of the road. Other improvements include: -Reflective pavement markers -Larger traffic signals -Crash cushions on guardrail endcaps -Wider highway stripes — ADOT uses 6-inch stripes compared to the 4-inch stripes that are the national average -Cable barriers on urban divided highways that keep cars […]


An Arizona truck versus bike accident in Phoenix on Tuesday has injured a woman, according to ABC news. The Phoenix bicyclist sustained a fractured leg in the collision. The Phoenix Police Department is saying that the bike rider was crossing at 16th St. and Camelback road when a truck took a left turn, failing to yield the right-of-way, and struck the bicyclist. The vehicle, described as a large box type truck, hit the front wheel of the bicycle. Some witnesses thought a Phoenix city bus struck the bicycle, but police are saying that is not the case, and that the bus traveled through the intersection after the accident took place and was not involved. No citations were reportedly issued to the truck driver, as police say he may have not even known he hit the bicyclist due to the size of the truck. As far as a civil claim is concerned, the fact that the trucker failed to observe the bicyclist is irrelevant. When making a left turn, drivers have to keep a proper sufficient lookout and yield the right-of-way to bicyclists on the road, and other vehicles for that matter. Failing to observe the bike rider was negligent. The fracture sustained by the woman is been described as severe. How severe is the question. Some fracture cases that Phoenix bike accident lawyers handle at our office require surgical intervention, such as open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) to repair the break. That being said, some would consider it lucky to escape from a Phoenix bicycle vs. truck accident with just a broken leg. In a case like this where the trucker didn’t even know the bicyclist was there, the woman could have been fatally injured.


CBS news in Phoenix is reporting that a multi-vehicle Arizona car accident at a red light intersection on Sunday morning has hurt five people involved. The collision occurred on Buckeye road near Interstate 17. A man driving a white pickup truck in a northerly direction on a frontage road for I-17 reportedly disobeyed a red light at Buckeye road and struck a gold pickup truck in the intersection. The impact caused the gold pickup to flip over and then collide with a third pickup truck and a minivan. After a police investigation, the driver that ran a red light was ticketed for disobeying the signal. Drugs or alcohol reportedly did not play a factor in the accident. Due to the collision, a total of five people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. One person injured was a young girl. The most seriously injured was an elderly woman that was a passenger in a white pickup truck, but none of the injuries are supposed to be life-threatening. It was not reported if there is a Phoenix car accident lawyer involved in the case yet. Sometimes red light cases can be difficult for attorneys to prosecute, especially if there are only two vehicles involved and no independent witnesses. These types of accidents often turn into “he said she said” disputes as to who ran a red light. In this case, the Arizona injury attorney that gets involved shouldn’t have that problem due to the fact that there were multiple parties involved. Another issue that can arise when multiple parties are injured in accident is whether the at fault driver has enough insurance to cover the loss. Currently, the minimum requirements for Arizona auto insurance is only $15,000 per person/$30,000 per occurrence. If the defendant does not have enough insurance, the Phoenix […]


A Phoenix pedestrian injury lawyer at Abels & Annes has reached a settlement on behalf of a woman that was hit by a bus in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The plaintiff is a claims adjuster with the major insurance carrier. Our law firm takes it as a compliment to represent insurance adjusters who have been injured in accidents. Off the top of my head, we currently represent two claims adjusters, an insurance agent, and the daughter of insurance agent, all from major insurance carriers. The bus vs. pedestrian accident took place back on February 25, 2010 at the intersection of State Street and Lake Street, which is a major downtown intersection. The plaintiff was walking across the intersection in a crosswalk with a green walk sign. At that time the defendant, who was driving a city bus, was traveling northbound and took a right turn to go eastbound. The bus driver failed to observe the pedestrian in the marked crosswalk and hit her. The Chicago Police Department responded to the collision and handled the investigation. The investigating officer ticketed the bus driver for striking a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk. The defendant later pleaded guilty in traffic court. Our client started having left leg pain right after the accident. She was seen at an area emergency room the next morning. There, she was examined by physicians and x-rays were taken. X-ray films showed a fracture in her left leg. The plaintiff went to follow up treatment with an orthopedic physician. The break in her leg was later confirmed by an MRI in March of 2010. The case was negotiated and resolved without having to go to court. If you have been hurt in a Phoenix pedestrian accident or bus crash, contact an Arizona injury attorney at Abels & Annes for free […]


The Arizona Republic is reporting that a fatal Phoenix car crash that occurred back in the summer of 2009 has resulted in a 21-year-old man pleading guilty to manslaughter. The defendant reportedly was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash that resulted in three people being killed. The defendant, who is an Arizona resident, pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault back on September 28 in Maricopa County Superior Court. He is currently scheduled to be sentenced on October 28. The defendant reportedly had a 0.137 alcohol level after the vehicle he was driving struck an SUV carrying a family of four. An adult and toddler in the SUV and a passenger in his own car died the collision. The at fault driver was speeding at least 70 mph eastbound on lower Buckeye Road. The collision occurred around 6:30 AM on June 20, 2009. The SUV was spun around in the accident and three of the four passengers were ejected. A third person in the SUV was also seriously injured and another male passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries. It was not reported if a civil claim is pending or if Phoenix injury lawyers are involved in the case.


CBS news in Phoenix is reporting that alcohol may have played a role in a Arizona car accident that occurred early Monday morning. A mother and three children were injured in the crash. Police are stating that the woman was headed northbound on 19th Ave. somewhere between lower Buckeye and Broadway when her car crossed the median and hit a brick wall around 3 AM. All three kids were in the backseat of the car, according to azfamily.com. The 28-year-old woman and her kids, ages 9,8 and 5 were taken by ambulance to area hospitals in serious to critical condition. A portion of 19th Ave. had to be closed for a period of time after the accident, according to the Arizona Republic. The Phoenix Police Department is handling the crash investigation. It is not been reported what evidence the police have obtained to indicate alcohol was a factor.


A three vehicle Arizona auto accident seriously injured a 17-year-old teen on Thursday, according to ABC 15. The crash involved three vehicles and occurred in the area of Val Vista Drive and Germann Road in Gilbert, AZ. The teenager, who is from Gilbert, was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Trauma Center after sustaining a head injury and a loss of consciousness. He was transported to the hospital by helicopter in serious condition. Four other people involved were treated at the scene and not hospitalized. The Arizona car crash reportedly occurred when a Ford F-150 that was southbound tried to make a left turn when act the same time a Nissan that was headed northbound ran a red light. The Ford was then knocked into a minivan that was stopped at the intersection for red light. The injured teen was riding as a passenger in the Nissan. The Arizona Republic reported that a hazmat team had to respond to the scene of the accident because the pickup truck rolled over and spilled pool cleaning chemicals onto the road. The intersection had to be closed for a period of time for cleanup. As far as a civil claim is concerned, the Gilbert teen definitely has a case, however there could be some difficulty in resolving the claim. This is a “he said she said” type of red light accident, and often both sides will end up pointing the finger at each other. The Phoenix area car accident attorney that gets involved in the case will most likely pursue claims against both the driver of the Nissan and the driver of the Ford, and attempt to reached settlements with both sides’ insurance carriers.


Six people a minute are injured in car accidents on the nation’s roads and a motorist dies every 8 minutes, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our Phoenix Injury Lawyers agree with the report’s findings that concentration in four main areas would help reduce the risk of serious and fatal Arizona car accidents and accidents throughout the nation: Improve child passenger safety, improve teen driving, reduce drunk driving and increase seat belt use.Each year the nearly 40,000 motorists die and 270,000 are hospitalized at a cost of $99 billion. Child Safety More than 1,300 hundred children are killed in accidents each year, making motor vehicle crashes the leading cause of death. Lawmakers should strengthen child safety laws, increase educational programs and provide financial assistance to those in need. Drunk Driving Accidents Someone dies in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes — or about 12,000 times a year. The increased use of ignition interlock devices for convicted drunk drivers could substantially reduce repeat offenses. The minimum drinking age saves more than 700 lives per year and should be maintained. Sobriety checkpoints are another valuable tool to combat drunk driving and programs should be continued or expanded throughout the country. Teen Driver Safety Car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, more than 5,800 young people were killed in car accidents. States without strong graduated driver’s license programs should make improvements; those with the strongest GDL programs have experienced a 40 percent average reduction in fatal and nonfatal accidents involving new drivers. -Additionally, teens should be limited to one teen passenger unless an adult is along to supervise and should be restricted from driving between 10 p.m. […]


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