Safety Measures to Do Before Going on a Long Drive for Vacation

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Many Los Angeles citizens love to travel to other states via vehicles, and if you are one of them, then you should learn certain tips before hitting the road.

Every year, because of road accidents, thousands of people get injured in a supposedly fun vacation. This is why it is imperative for any Los Angeles driver to know how to avoid accidents especially in long trips.

The following are some of the helpful tips for drivers who are planning to go on a long trip for a vacation:

1. Check your vehicle – Make sure that everything in your car is in good working condition. Check the brakes, lights, oil, water, battery, air, and gasoline (BLOWBAG). If you are about to go on a long drive for a vacation, it would be best to have your vehicle checked by certified mechanics to ensure that it will not have a problem during the trip. Additionally, make sure that you have with you spare tools and supplies like tire, jack, wrenches, oil, water, and gasoline in case your vehicle suddenly experienced mechanical problems while on the road.

2. Know your route – Before hitting the road, make sure that you know the routes to and from your destinations. If you are not familiar with the routes, it would be better to use a reliable GPS device or a map. However, make sure that you will not be distracted by such tools because you could end up in an accident.

3. Get enough sleep – If your destination is hundreds of miles away from home, it is necessary for you to get a good sleep the night before the trip. You need to be in perfect condition when you are driving on a long trip; otherwise, you will feel drowsy and could get involved in a sleepy driving-related accident. Also, make sure to take some stops after a couple of miles just to refresh your mind and body.

4. Do not drive drunk – Alcohol could add some fun to the trip but it could also get you into a fatal or debilitating accident. Alcohol can impair your reasoning and driving competence, thus making you vulnerable to road accidents.

In case you get involved in a road accident and you are not at fault, it would be best to contact a Los Angeles car accident attorney to have your case assessed.

Ultimately, Los Angeles drivers must remember that vacations are best spent in a relaxing and hassle-free place, and not inside a hospital or a court room.

Drugs that Can Make Drivers Drowsy and Prone to Accidents

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Whenever people hear news stories about sleepy driving caused by drugs, they always tend to associate them with illegal substances such as cocaine, heroin, “mushroom,” and meth. However, these drugs are not the only culprits of drowsy driving in the United States.

There are over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can make a person feeling drowsy or sleepy. According to various drugs-related websites, the following are some of the typical legal drugs that are known to induce drowsiness:

•    Antidepressants
•    Sedatives or tranquilizers
•    Anticonvulsants (drugs used for treatment of epilepsy and seizures)
•    Antiemetics (drugs used for treatment of nausea)
•    Medical marijuana
•    Antihistamine

Any of the said drugs can make a driver sleepy if he or she takes it before or during driving. Hence, it is vital for any Los Angeles driver not to drive while under the influence of any drowsiness-causing drug.

Sleepy driving is not only dangerous but is also potentially fatal. Every year, thousands of people get killed in accidents caused by drowsy driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every year, about 100,000 car accidents are caused by fatigue and/or drowsy driving. NHTSA also estimates that 1,550 people die and 71,000 people injure due to fatigue driving annually.

Los Angeles motorists or pedestrians who get injured in a road accident caused by a sleepy driver should file a car accident claim. Under the law, accident victims can be entitled to various compensatory payments as long as they are not at fault on the accident and that the accident was caused by another person’s negligence.

In the legal sense, driving while sleepy can be considered grounds for negligent driving because all drivers are expected to drive their vehicle effectively and safely. Hence, sleepy drivers can be held liable if they cause injury or harm to other people.

Car accident victims in Los Angeles are advised to get the services of an experienced and aggressive Los Angeles injury attorney. Proving the negligence of a drowsy driver in a car accident claim is not easy, which is why it is advisable for victims to get legal assistance from a personal injury lawyer.

Their attorney can help them in proving the liable driver’s negligence in the accident, and in negotiating with his or her insurance company to ensure that only just payments will be provided.

Los Angeles drivers who do not want to injure other people and to get in trouble with the law should refrain from driving while under the influence of drugs.

Basic Safety Tips for Los Angeles Motorcycle Riders

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Los Angeles roads are packed with different types of motor vehicles—from cars, trucks, SUVs, big rigs, and motorcycles. The city is known for its busy roads that are common places for major traffic accidents. Among the types of road accidents, motorcycle mishaps are among the most devastating since motorcycle riders do not have ample bodily protection.

Motorcycle accidents are fairly common in the Golden State. Based on the records of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the year 2009, almost 400 people were killed as a result of motorcycle accidents. Although this fatality rate is comparatively lower that others, it still poses significant threat to riders.

There are particular safety precautions Los Angeles motorcycle riders can do to avoid being involved in an accident, and these include:

1. Check motorcycle first before riding it – It is a must for all riders to check their vehicle if it is free from any mechanical problem. They should be particular with certain parts of the motorcycle, including its brake system, lights, motor, oil, tires, and fuel. Riders who think that their vehicle is not in good shape should refrain from using it and have it checked by an expert motorcycle mechanic.

2. Wear safety gears when riding – Before a rider hits the road, it is a must for him to wear all safety gears and wears. In California, all motorcycle riders are required to wear a crash helmet to protect their head in case of an accident. They are also advised to wear bright-colored outfit for them to be easily noticed by other road-users. Additionally, wearing knee and elbow pads is advised for the protection of their joints.

3. Do not drink and ride – Los Angeles motorcyclists should never ride while under the influence of alcohol as it could lead to disaster. Intoxicated motorists are more likely to be involved in a motorcycle crash because their motor and logical skills are compromised.

4. Use motorcycle lanes and do not swerve – Riders who keep on changing lanes are likely to crash their vehicle in one point. Hence, for their safety, motorcyclists are advised to ride only on motorcycle lanes. Using these lanes can save them from the dangers other bigger vehicles could cause.

Los Angeles motorcycle riders who got involved in an accident caused by another motorist should consult with a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney. Hiring an attorney is important, most especially if the victim is claiming for personal injury damages.

Teenage Driving: Parents’ Role to Mold Them into Responsible Drivers

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Immaturity and inexperience—these are just two of the underlying reasons why teenage drivers get involved in road accidents. This is due to the fact that teenagers, in nature, have that strong fondness for being adventurous, which involves taking risks. Doing so, however, doesn’t always yield favorable results.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), some 1,963 young drivers between the ages of 15 to 20 were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2010. Meanwhile, more than 187,000 others were injured that same year.

Surely, immaturity and inexperience are the basic reasons for these injuries and deaths. However, these two can be understood more deeply by looking at some factors.

Basically, distracted driving—outside distractions and use of mobile phones while driving, night driving, and failure to wear seatbelts are three of the most common factors for the injuries and deaths within the said age group.

In fact, in 2010, some 368 young drivers between 15 to 19 years old who were killed in motor vehicle crashes were found out to be distracted at the time of the accidents. Nighttime accidents, meanwhile, occur to them between 9 p.m. to midnight. In addition, three of five 16- to 20-year-old passengers were killed because of failure to use the seatbelt.

The statistics alone only show that teenage driving is a growing concern. Fortunately, this alarming situation has been addressed through the graduated driver licensing systems (GDL) and the implementation of state laws that ban the use of cellphones while driving for teenagers.

Aside from these key improvements, parents should also play a role in reducing such incidents. As it is, teenagers tend to bend the rules when it comes to driving. As such, parents must do a better job in reminding them of the consequences of their actions.

Apart from that, they should also serve as their “guiding light,” especially if they’re still learning to drive. That way, the young drivers learn to prioritize safety behind the wheel and to prepare themselves well in certain emergency situations while on the road.

Incidentally, legal experts, such as a Los Angeles car accident attorney who closely monitors teenage drivers, remind all drivers to be responsible enough behind the wheel, regardless of age.

Personal Injury: What “Duty of Care” Means

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The legal theory of negligence is what governs most personal injury cases. As it is, this concept is used to determine who is at fault in the accident; in other words, it is entirely dependent on who was doing what.

If you have been injured in a personal injury accident such as a vehicle accident or slip and fall, one of the key elements that you must take into account is if the liable party owed you a duty of care.

In determining liability through negligence, there must be proof that the liable party breached or violated his or her duty of care towards you and other people in a certain situation. If such thing happened and it resulted in injuries, then it is said that there is negligence involved.

To begin with, every person has a legal duty to act with reasonable care in every situation. A reasonable standard of care, to be exact, should come in play here, and usually depends on the type of situation and the level of responsibility that a person carries on that instance.

Take for example a person driving a car on a busy road. As any average person would, he or she should be driving with the same level of care. To do so, he or she should maintain speed like the other motorists who are with him or her on the road, and should make sound driving decisions such as changing lanes carefully and slowly stopping the vehicle as the traffic in-front of him or her stops.

Another example is a female property owner in-charge of a residential or commercial area. She owed a duty of care to other people who are visiting her property. However, the level of care that she owes them depends on who the visitor is. If she is running a store, the highest duty of care is owed towards her customers. Trespassers, on the other hand, are owed the lowest of duty of care.

The failure to uphold a duty of care towards another person may lead to a lawsuit if there is injury involved. Incidentally, if you were injured because of another person’s negligence, then you should retain a Los Angeles injury attorney to establish a claim and be compensated for your suffered damages.

Ready for Your Los Angeles Car Accident Case? If Not, Read This

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Car accident cases are among the most common forms of personal injury cases in the City of Angels. Every year, hundreds of car accident cases are being filed in Los Angeles because of road accidents here and there. The relatively high frequency of car accidents in the city is the main reason for the rise of personal injury cases not only in the city, but in the whole California.

If you are a Los Angeles driver or car owner, it is your duty to know the basics about personal injury law for you to effectively protect yourself in case you get involved in an auto accident.

What does the law say?

Under the existing tort laws in California, a driver who causes harm or injury to another individual because of his or her negligence could face legal charges. Additionally, car accident victims can press civil charges against the driver who caused them injuries for them to recover compensations. Such monetary relief could help them take care of the various expenses brought about by the accident.

What are the types of compensations one could recover?

Every car accident case is unique; hence, there is no exact answer to such question. However, the most common forms of personal injury damages that could be awarded to car accident victims include:

•    Payments for loss of income
•    Payments for future loss of income
•    Payments for hospitalization and medication expenses
•    Payments for pain and suffering
•    Payments for emotional anguish
•    Payments for mental distress

Can I settle a car accident case on my own?
There is no rule that requires accident victims to hire a lawyer for their case. However, expert legal practitioners strongly suggest to claimants to retain the services of an experienced and aggressive Los Angeles accident attorney for their case. A car accident lawyer can help them in speeding up the process of their claim so they can get the compensations they need in time.