Tag Archives: personal injury

FOOD POISONING – FOODBORNE GERMS IS AN ONGOING THREAT

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The Centers for Disease Control issued an alarming report today concerning the problems of foodborne germs.

Foodborne germs, that are antibiotic resistance is a continuing public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that every year, antibiotic-resistant infections from foodborne germs cause an estimated 430,000 illnesses in the United States. Multi-drug resistant Salmonella, from food and other sources, causes about 100,000 illnesses in the United States each year.

Bacteria and viruses are the most common cause of food poisoning. The symptoms and severity of food poisoning vary, depending on which bacteria or virus has contaminated the food. The bacteria and viruses that cause the most illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States are Salmonella, Norovirus (Norwalk Virus), Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria and Clostridium perfringens. Foodborne illness in the United States causes an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths each year.

If you have eaten contaminated food, the onset of symptoms may occur within minutes to weeks and often presents itself as flu-like symptoms. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever are common. The symptoms are often flu-like and many folks may not recognize that the illness is caused by pathogens or harmful bacteria.

Although recent data revealed that multi-drug resistant Salmonella decreased during the past decade. Unfortunately, Salmonella typhi, the germ that causes typhoid fever, resistance to quinolone drugs increased to 68 percent in 2012, raising concerns that one of the common treatments for typhoid fever may not work in many cases.

The Salmonella that has been linked to recent outbreaks associated with poultry. Is resistant to ceftriaxone, a cephalapsorin drug. Ceftriaxone resistance is a problem because it makes severe Salmonella infections harder to treat, especially in children.

A report from Centers for Disease Control NARMS compares resistance levels in human samples in 2012 to a baseline period of 2003-2007. According to Robert Tauxe, M.D., M.P.H, deputy director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases
“Our latest data show some progress in reducing resistance among some germs that make people sick but unfortunately we’re also seeing greater resistance in some pathogens, like certain types of Salmonella,” He said. “Infections with antibiotic-resistant germs are often more severe. These data will help doctors prescribe treatments that work and to help CDC and our public health partners identify and stop outbreaks caused by resistant germs faster and protect people’s health.”

The President’s budget for 2015 requests funding for CDC to improve early detection and tracking of multidrug resistant Salmonella and other urgent antibiotic resistance threats. The proposed initiative would increase CDC’s ability to test drug-resistant Salmonella. With a $30 million annual funding level over 5 years, CDC estimates that it could achieve a 25 percent reduction in multidrug resistant Salmonella infections, as well as significant reductions in other resistant infections.

What this all means is you need to be careful. Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F. Remember to keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Store food in the refrigerator (40 °F or below) or freezer (0 °F or below). Always cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature.
Beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For raw ground ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal cook to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer. All poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

In case of suspected foodborne illness use this general guidelines:
Preserve the evidence. If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, mark “DANGER” and freeze it. Save all the packaging materials, such as cans or cartons. Write down the food type, the date, other identifying marks on the package, the time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred. Save any identical unopened products.

Seek treatment as necessary. If the victim is in an “at risk” group, seek medical care immediately. Likewise, if symptoms persist or are severe (such as bloody diarrhea, excessive nausea and vomiting, or high temperature), call your doctor.

Call our office and we can assist you further. We are always here to help. Please call us, the Law Offices of Richard M. Katz at 626-796-6333. We are located at 1122 East Green Street, Pasadena, California 91106. We are here to assist you on your personal injury claims.

Medical Malpractice: Time Limitations

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In California and is all states there exists strict time limits on when you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit. The time limits vary from state to state. So if you believe you have a medical malpractice claim whether in California or elsewhere it important to contact a local personal injury who handles medical negligence claims and he or she can tell you what the statute of limitations is.

A statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. Most lawsuits MUST be filed within a certain amount of time. In general, once the statute of limitations on a case “runs out,” the legal claim is not valid any longer. The tragedy is that if you have a valid claim but decide to pursue it after the time limit (statute of limitations) has run out, you are out of luck. I have at least one call a week in which that is the case, someone waited to long.

The lesson from all this is: do not keep your suspicions about medical negligence / medical malpractice a secret. If you suspect that you, or a loved one has been the victim of medical negligence, find a medical malpractice lawyer to discuss your concerns with. Most experienced medical malpractice attorneys will provide an initial free consultation either by telephone or in person. Often times he or she will be willing to look at some medical records or review a summary that you have prepared at no charge. Our office offers this service.

One of the most important things you will likely learn by consulting with a medical malpractice attorney is the type of the probable statue of limitations for your claim. For example, in California if a medical malpractice incident involves a private healthcare provider and the victim is an adult the California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5 provides “In an action for injury or death against a health care provider based upon such person’s alleged professional negligence, the time for the commencement of action shall be three years after the date of injury or one year after the plaintiff discovers, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. In no event shall the time for commencement of legal action exceed three years unless tolled for any of the following: (1) upon proof of fraud, (2) intentional concealment, or (3) the presence of a foreign body, which has no therapeutic or diagnostic purpose or effect, in the person of the injured person.

For minors, not including birth related injuries, which is covered by a different statute, California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5 provides for such minors as follows: “Actions by a minor shall be commenced within three years from the date of the alleged wrongful act except that actions by a minor under the full age of six years shall be commenced within three years or prior to his eighth birthday whichever provides a longer period. Such time limitation shall be tolled for minors for any period during which parent or guardian and defendant’s insurer or health care provider have committed fraud or collusion in the failure to bring an action on behalf of the injured minor for professional negligence. ”
For claims involving medical malpractice claims involving California state public / governmental entities the following general guideline applies to medical negligence claim being made against a a public entity (including the state of California, a county, city or special district), including employees. A written claim must be filed. The current law required that the written claim be filed within six (6) months of the loss, even if the claimant is a minor. If the claim is not approved, a legal action must then be filed within a specified time.

You should know that many medical malpractice lawyers will not take on a new case when a claimant / injured party contacts them shortly before a statute of limitations is likely to run. There are exceptions but you must understand that an personal injury attorney / medical malpractice attorney needs enough time to properly consider and evaluate your claim. It can often take weeks or months to obtain medical records and then evaluate them.

So, do not be a victim twice, if you believe you or a loved one has been hurt because of medical negligence, seek legal counsel. Please feel free to give me a call if you live in California and believe you may have a claim. You may contact me Richard M. Katz at 626-796-6333. Our website address is .

Sympathy Does Not Work at Trial! I Dare You to Watch “Le poids des apparences | The importance of appearances”

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I always tell my clients sympathy does not work at trial. Although an initial reaction of a judge or jury may be sympathy, the sympathy does not last long. When is the last time you saw a “homeless person?” Perhaps initially you felt some sorrow or sympathy but did you give them money, food or even the time of day? A shocking video proves what I have learned in over 35 years of practice.

In a staged event by a French comic, who goes by the name Norni Tube (at least on Youtube) in a short clip, entitled ‘Le poids des apparences | The importance of appearances.’ The video shows two scenarios. In the first “experiment” an actor is shabbily dressed. His call for help are ignored by people walking by, you will actually see people looking over and “sneak” a look in his direction. Ultimately, the actor gets up and leaves. Later in the video, the same actor dressed as a business man, wearing a suit and tie again collapses at the same location, this time people come to assist almost immediately.

Norni Tube stated in his description of the video (translated from French) ” I’ve never been so sad and shocked while filming as I was for this experience.
I hope this video will make you want to help anyone. regardless of its appearance.”

 

 

Appearances

Please take the time to watch the ‘Le poids des apparences | The importance of appearances.’

Sympathy? What sympathy?

What would you have done?

 

 

UP TO 40 PERCENT OF ANNUAL DEATHS FROM EACH OF FIVE LEADING CAUSES ARE PREVENTABLE

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, nearly 900,000 Americans die prematurely from the five leading causes of death . However, the Centers for Disease Control estimate that a large percentage of those deaths 20 percent to 40 percent from each cause could be prevented. The percentage varies greatly from state to state.

In the United States the five leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, and unintentional injuries. Collectively they caused 63 percent of all U.S. deaths in 2010. Unintentional injuries include car accidents, slip and fall accidents and other personal injury accidents. The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) seminal study of preventable medical errors estimated as many as 98,000 people die every year from medical negligence and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

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The report, in a recent issue of the CDC’s weekly journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examined premature deaths (before age 80) from each cause for each state from 2008 to 2010. The authors then calculated the number of deaths from each cause that would have been prevented if all states had same death rate as the states with the lowest rates.

The study suggests that, if all states had the lowest death rate observed for each cause, it would be possible to prevent:

34 percent of premature deaths from heart diseases, prolonging about 92,000 lives
21 percent of premature cancer deaths, prolonging about 84,500 lives
39 percent of premature deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases, prolonging about 29,000 lives
33 percent of premature stroke deaths, prolonging about 17,000 lives
39 percent of premature deaths from unintentional injuries, prolonging about 37,000 lives

 

Tom Frieden, MD, MPH was quoted in a CDC article as stating “As a doctor, it is heartbreaking to lose just one patient to a preventable disease or injury – and it is that much more poignant as the director of the nation’s public health agency to know that far more than a hundred thousand deaths each year are preventable,”. “With programs such as the CDC’s Million Hearts initiative, we are working hard to prevent many of these premature deaths.”

Not surprisingly, there are many modifiable risk factors that are largely responsible for each of the leading causes of death, the CDC cites :

Heart disease risks include tobacco use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, poor diet, overweight, and lack of physical activity.

Cancer risks include tobacco use, poor diet, lack of physical activity, overweight, sun exposure, certain hormones, alcohol, some viruses and bacteria, ionizing radiation, and certain chemicals and other substances.

Chronic respiratory disease risks include tobacco smoke, second-hand smoke exposure, other indoor air pollutants, outdoor air pollutants, allergens, and exposure to occupational agents.

Stroke risks include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, previous stroke, tobacco use, alcohol use, and lack of physical activity.

Unintentional injury risks include lack of seatbelt use, lack of motorcycle helmet use, unsafe consumer products, drug and alcohol use (including prescription drug misuse), exposure to occupational hazards, and unsafe home and community environments.

As you can see by making changes in personal behaviors many of the risks are avoidable. Others risk factors are attributable to disparate conditions in social, demographic, environmental, economic, and geographic attributes of the local areas in which people work and live.

The study authors note that if health disparities were eliminated, as called for in Healthy People 2020 all states would be closer to achieving the lowest possible death rates for the leading causes of death.

Harold W. Jaffe, MD, the study’s senior author and CDC’s associate director for science was quoted in the CDC article as saying “We think that this report can help states set goals for preventing premature death from the conditions that account for the majority of deaths in the United States,” He was further quoted as saying “Achieving these goals could prolong the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.”

One can learn from these findings and change their and their family’s lifestyle for a healthier life.

Can I Sue? Can I Win?

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Today I would like to talk about a frequent question that people ask of me regarding personal injury claims. The question that I often hear is “Mr. Katz, can I sue?” An easy question to ask but not always an easy question to answer.

The first question that needs to be answered is what type of claim do you have?
An Automobile Accident? Car Accident? A Slip and Fall incident? Defective Product? Medical Malpractice / Medical Negligence? Kaiser Malpractice / Kaiser Negligence?

The First Question That Need to Be Answered is What Type of Claim Do You Have?
Do you have an automobile accident or car accident claim?
Do you have a slip and fall incident?
Do you have a claim regarding a defective product?
Do you have a medical malpractice / medical negligence claim?
Do you have a claim against Kaiser Permanente for malpractice / negligence?

Depending upon the type of claim you have, the facts of your incident greatly affect the strength or weakness of your claim. Some cases, depending upon facts, require the use of expert testimony to establish liability, this is overwhelmingly true in medical malpractice cases and defective product cases.

Do I Have a Strong Personal Injury Case?
In a personal injury action based upon negligence you must prove the elements of your claim to a judge or a jury. If any one element is missing, you cannot win. By way of example, even if you can prove that the defendant was negligent but you did not suffer any injury you will lose your case.

Basically the elements that you must prove at time of trial are:
Duty
Breach of the Duty
Causation both Legal and Proximate
Damages

These four elements are examined in greater detail below.
Duty
Did the defendant ( the other driver, property owner, doctor, nurse, healthcare provider, etc.)
owe a duty to you? A duty of care arises in cases in which the law recognizes a relationship between the defendant and you, and because of the relationship, the defendant is obligated to act in a reasonably careful manner in regard to plaintiff.

A driver on the road owes a duty of due care to other folks on the road or street including motorists and pedestrians for instance. A property owes a duty of due care to people coming onto the property and must inspect and correct dangerous conditions that exist on the property and keep in the property in reasonably safe condition. A doctor or other health care provider owes a duty of due care to their patients.

Breach of the Duty
A defendant is will be held negligently responsible if the defendant breaches the duty of care owed to the plaintiff. A defendant who fails to act as a reasonablely prudent individual in the same or similar circumstances breaches their duty. Generally speaking whether a defendant breached a duty of care is a question of fact. In some cases depending upon the facts and circumstances, we need expert testimony to establish breach of a duty, and this is often true in medical malpractice claims.

Causation – Substantial Factor
A injured party must show that the defendant’s acts or omissions were a substantial factor in causing injury. A substantial factor in causing harm is a factor that a reasonable person would consider to have contributed to the harm. It must be more than a remote or trivial factor. It does not have to be the only cause of the harm.

Often an injured party believes that because a physical issue arose after an incident the defendant must have caused the problem, this is not necessarily so. Often we need expert testimony by treating doctors to establish a causal relationship between an incident and injury. The same applies for claimed economic losses. If you cannot prove that the defendant’s actions were a substantial factor in causing your claimed damages then you cannot win on those claims.

Damages
You must prove that the negligent act of the defendant caused you harm, usually as physical injury to a person or to property. It is not enough that the defendant was negligent, i.e., failed to exercise reasonable care. For instance, suppose a doctor negligently gives you the wrong prescription and you go to the pharmacy to have filled. The pharmacy catches the error and calls the doctor and they give the correct medication to you. Also assume that had the wrong prescription be given to you, and you would have died! In my opinion you have no case because the doctor’s failure to exercise reasonable care did not result in actual damages, now had you taken the wrong medication and you died, well . . .

Conclusion
Whether you can sue and win, depends ultimately on facts or your individual claim and the relative strengths or weakness of each element of your claim.

Should you wish to discuss your matter with me, give me a call at 626-796-6333

THE DANGERS OF BIG RIGS ON THE HIGHWAY

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The 80,000-pound 18-wheeler truck barreling down the highway ON YOUR BUMPER. We all know that feeling when we look into our rearview mirror and see tires and grill. And maybe the sound of an air horn. It makes a nervous and jumpy and for a good reason.

Recent federal and state statistics show that these 18-wheeler trucks and other large trucks cause thousands of traffic accidents a year. Size matters, with a truck’s size and weight, common sense tells us and experience shows that a crash between a big rig and a passenger automobile is likely to turn out badly for the passenger automobile.

In a collision between a big rig and a passenger automobile, the fatalities occur in the automobile 98% of the time. Annual truck crash fatalities are equivalent to a major airplane crash every other week of the year.

Some of the reasons are apparent: Trucks are larger, heavier, wider and longer than cars; a big rig needs more space to maneuver; and they need much more roadway to come to a stop. Many collisions involving trucks are caused; speeding, overly aggressive driving, failure to yield the right-of-way, poorly maintained trucks. Statistically, size also matters the larger the truck the greater the risk of a accident. An 80,000-pound truck is more than twice as likely to be involved in a fatal accident as a 50,000-pound truck. Of course weather conditions such as rain or snow can makes matters worse especially when mixed with poor driving or poor maintenance can and do become a recipe for disaster.

Over the last five decades, the industry-standard trailer having grown from 40 feet long in the to 53 feet long today. Longer trucks mean larger blind spots, resulting in more traffic collisions. Road design is another problem, much of our interstates were created under the Eisenhower administration and are more than half century old. They were designed when trucks were shorter. Much of the interstates and local highways have ramps and merge lanes were not designed to with today’s big rigs in mind. As a result, these trucks are using highways not designed with their bulk and size in mind, increasing the risk of a collision.

Larger, longer, and heavier trucks require more braking distance and time, hence a greater risk for causing a collision because the truck cannot stop timely. You probably did not know that a truck weighing 100,000 pounds can take up to 25% longer to stop than one weighing 80,000 pounds. Think about that next time your are on the highway with a big rig behind you.

Another problem is a driver’s inexperience in operating a particular kind or size of truck. Also driver fatigue is a serious problem and increasing problem with the deregulation of the trucking industry. As well, some rules governing how long a trucker may drive before he or she is required to stop for a rest have been relaxed.

Lawsuits involving truckers are often more difficult to prove than other kinds of collision suits, for several reasons. It may be difficult to find the driver/truck after the collision if it involved a sideswipe and they did not stop, perhaps not even realizing they hit another vehicle. Evidence as to the cause of a collision may be difficult to determine, i.e. driver error, road design, truck design, etc . . .

As well, given the nature of truck accidents often far more parties than the typical car crash are involved (the driver, the trucking company, multiple other drivers, the shipper) not to mention multiple insurance companies and adjusters.

Also many trucking companies are not only self insured but are also very skilled in defending themselves against negligence claims. They claims handlers for such companies can be very aggressive in denying claims because every dollar “comes out of their pocket.”

A person who has been involved in a collision caused by a negligent big rig driver, is legally entitled to be compensated for his or her injuries. The complexity of these cases means that you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney. Do not make the mistake of believing that trucking company or it’s insurance adjuster will look out for your interests.

Call me Richard M. Katz, at 626-796-6333 if you or a loved one has been involved in a big-rig collision. I offer free consultation and look forward to helping you.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE IN A CAR OR AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT?

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The weather today, February 28, 2014 is bad. It is raining like heck. We all know that an auto accident can ruin your entire day. I hope no one reading this finds themselves in this predicament.

Apart from ruining your day, a car accident, you will have to deal with damage to your car, liability issues, possible traffic citations and even injuries in some unfortunate cases.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports there were 2.24 million crashes with injuries in the U.S. in 2010. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that cars are safer than ever before and crashes involving serious or fatal injuries are down to their lowest levels in about a half century.

So you have been in a minor fender-bender. Other than thinking “My folks are going to kill me,” What should you do? Make sure everyone is OK. If you or someone has suffered injuries summon assistance, if you have a cell phone use to summon help.

If your car is not moveable or your not sure put on your hazards (Hint: There is usually a red button on the dashboard or center console with a triangle on it, push it and it will start to blink, so will your hazard lights.

If you are safe from approaching traffic, turn off your car and get out. If your car is drivable, move it off to the side of the road and call the police or highway patrol. Depending on circumstances, the police or highway patrol, may not come to the scene to investigate and write a report.

Even if you’re shaken up, be sure to get information regarding the other driver. The information you should get is the name, address, phone number, driver’s license number and insurance information for the other driver. And also the names, telephone numbers and addresses of any witnesses. Either write the information down on a piece of paper or put the information in your cell phone. As well, since so many folks have cell phone taking pictures might be a good idea. Pictures of the damage of the vehicles and the scene of the incident are probably a good idea.

If you or passenger is hurt, get medical attention!!!

Avoid getting into any heated discussions with the other driver. You should report the traffic accident to your insurance company.

Call your family and let them know what happed. If necessary they can come and pick you up if you need a ride . Even the best drivers get in accidents now and then.

In the event the car accident caused you or someone you love personal injuries or worse, you should contact a personal injury attorney. I am here to answer your questions and give you help. For a free consultation, please feel free to give me a call. 626-796-6333.

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MC DONALD’S WAGES FOR THE FRIENDLY SKIES ?

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As a personal injury attorney, I would like to share with you something that is a little disconcerting and raises questions about safety. Throughout the United States regional airline pilots earn less than cab drivers and some pilots earn about the same as people working at fast food restaurants.

Today the regional airplane you get onto may have a pilot that earns roughly equivalent to fast-food wages and less than a cab driver. According to the U.S. pilots union, starting pilot salaries at regional carriers in the United States average $22,400 a year, according to the largest U.S. pilots union. As of 2012, taxi drivers employed directly by taxi cab company have an average income of about $27,670 per year. Some smaller airline carriers pay as little as $15,000 a year, this is about what a full-time worker would earn annually at the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum wage. However, working at Mc Donald’s or Starbucks does not take much special training . However, becoming a commercial pilot takes time and money. In 2010, Congress mandated that airlines’ first officers would need to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and have at least 1,500 flight hours as opposed to the 250 hours and commercial pilot certificate previously required. This mandate was in response to the Continental Express regional flight crash of 2009. FAA investigators linked the Continental Express crash to inadequate pilots’ training.
Getting a commercial pilot license is not cheap and it now costs more than $100,000 for the necessary hours of training flights before getting a first job. Good if you are a passenger on a regional flight.

However, low salaries combined with expensive training costs put many new pilots deep in debt. Not unlike those graduating college or graduate schools. The result of low pay and expensive training, lack of pilots, especially for regional airlines. Exacerbating the situation, is the fact that the airline industry has a mandatory retirement age of 65, which has caused large airlines to replace their pilot ranks by hiring from the regional carriers. Big airlines pay their pilot salaries that are much higher.

Next time you get onto a regional airline, consider that your pilot may be earning about the same as the guy or girl who handed you that hot cup of coffee at Mc Donald’s . . . and less than the Yellow Cab driver who took you to the airport. . . Happy Flying

The Three Reasons Young Drivers are at a Greater Risk For Car Accidents

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Automobile crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. A study done in 2010 revealed that seven teenagers 16 to 19 died every day from injuries sustained in car accidents. And 282,000 teenagers suffered injuries in car crashes. On a per mile basis, teenage drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely to be involved a fatal car accident than drivers aged 20 or older. A combination of inexperience, impulsiveness and exposure during the adolescent years contribute to this increased risk in being involved in a fatal car accident.

1. Inexperience
Most new drivers, when they are first licensed, have insufficient experience in the real world to handle the complexity of driving. Although driver education courses are offered in some schools and also available privately, the fact is that these courses usually only provide a relatively small amount of time actually driving practice – certainly not enough for a new driver to become minimally competent, much less proficient. Drivers, like in any activity, become more proficient in their driving skills the longer they have been driving and in a variety of conditions and locations.

One study has shown a statistical decrease in crash rates among young drivers who had about 110 hours of supervised driving practice before obtaining a drivers license. No research project has concluded / determined how much driving experience is “sufficient” for new drivers. There is empirical findings that new drivers continue to improve for at least two years. Not surprisingly car crash rates for new drivers are very high in the first few months of driving. Car crash rates for new drivers then begin to sharply decline over after the first several months and then continue decline but at a lower rate. The bottom line, there is no substitute for experience.

2. Impulsiveness
Teenage drivers, particularly 16 year olds tend to engage in more impulsive behaviors. This is often attributed to their level of cognitive, social, emotion and biological development. When a teenage is driving a car, their impulsiveness, can be dangerous. As well, the young drivers lack of experience add to his or her inability to regularly recognize the conditions that create risks for the driver. The presence of other teenage passengers in the car with a youthful driver frequently adds to the innate inclination to act impulsively.

Not surprisingly research suggests that teenage / young drivers are distracted more easily than an experienced driver. The inexperienced driver is not equipped to effectively address the myriad of skills necessary to drive even without the interference of distractions. Such drivers find that attention can be easily diverted because of inexperience. This is particularly problematic combining lack of experience with impulsiveness.

3. Exposure
Teenage drivers tend to drive frequently at night and often with multiple teenage passengers. These factors pose significantly increase the likelihood of a car crash.

Studies have shown that driving after dark (well before midnight) sharply increases the risk of a serious or fatal car crash. The after midnight the risk factor is even higher. For 16 and 17 year old drivers, more than 80% of nighttime car crashes occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight. Many states, because of this high risk factor, prohibit teenage drivers from driving at night for the first six months after obtaining a driver’s license.

Young teenage drivers because of activities associated with school and school related events tend to “car pool” and as a result tend to have more passengers, their own age, than older drivers. Studies have shown that the risk for car crashes are higher for inexperienced drivers, driving with passengers. The risk of a serious or fatal crash substantially increases with the number of young passengers in the car. Because of this, in many states prohibit young beginning drivers to have more than one young passenger. This restriction is usually for the first six months driving.

CAR ACCIDENTS IN AMERICA, THE THREE TOP CAUSES

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Did you know there are about 10 million people involved in car accidents in the United States annually? Some consider it an “epidemic.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America Automobile accidents needless cause thousands of injury and death every year.

1. DISTRACTION
The number one cause of car accidents in the United States according to recent studies is distracted driving. That can include talking on the cell phone, texting, eating, reading, grooming, and talking these are just the most prevalent reasons drivers get distracted. Did you know that motor vehicle operators who use a hand-held device are 4 times more likely to get into a car accident than drivers who do not use hand-held devices? People who text message while driving are 23 times more likely to get into an accident then those who simply drive. It is no secret that a driver should not risk his safety or the safety of others. Does a driver really need to be told to pay attention to the highway or roadway? It is a strong probability that many of you out there will be involved in a car accident in his or her lifetime. As you already know, some car accidents can severe resulting in death or serious bodily injury. A driver’s neglect, carelessness, or recklessness causes many of these accidents.

2. SPEEDING
This should come at no surprise. As a society, Americans are centered on the lure of quick convenience. We have drive-thrus for coffee, food and laundry to name a few. We have drive thru banking (ATMs) and many other driver thru convenience stores. These are a few examples of “our need for speed.” Nevertheless, on the highway our need for speed is toxic and deadly. According to U.S. Department of Transportation, speeding is one of the greatest causes of car accidents. Official data shows that speeding contributes too about 1/3 of all car accidents in the United States.

3. DRUNK DRIVING
No one needs to tell you that driving while intoxicated (DUI or DWI) is one of the most dangerous behaviors on the road today. In 2010 more than 1.41 million drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. It is estimated by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) estimates that about 300,000 incidents of drunk driving occur in the Untied States daily.

If you are involved in a car accident and have suffered personal injuries you should first get medical attention for your injuries and then contact a skilled Los Angeles personal injury lawyer. It is important that you begin to preserve all of the necessary evidence to help you prove your case should you need to file a claim. I offer free consultations, if we can be of assistance, please contact that the Law Offices of Richard M. Katz at 626-796-6333. Visit our website at

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