How Negligence Can End One’s Life

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Nobody wants any of their loved ones subjected to great danger, right? In as much as possible, you’d want to be able to protect the people you love from harm. You’d do no matter what to ensure their safety. However, one should learn to accept that you can only try so hard to protect one from injuries and pain. You would never be able to always be by your loved one’s side to protect them from being exposed to the many dangers in life.

Knowing that you can’t always protect your loved ones from the dangers in life, it is even more painful to see them get injured or worse, die because of somebody else’s negligence. Take the case of the Valenzuela family in Palmdale, California. They are now facing great pain and despair after their kid, 18-year-old Michael, was struck and killed by a school bus while biking.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Michael just left for his first day of work and was about to go to a park nearby to play soccer with the kids. However, just as he was crossing the street, a bus carrying more than 40 students from Los Amigos School hit him.

Friends and family of Michael Valenzuela are all mourning now as they can’t comprehend why such unfortunate incident happened to their loved one. All of them are remembering how kind-hearted and passionate Michael was and how this unfortunate tragedy prematurely ended his life.

Residents in the area said that this is not the first time that such an incident happened. They have repeatedly asked the city to install warning lights at the intersection since a lot of kids are using the park’s soccer fields. This way, the residents believe that accidents such as this could be prevented. Sadly though, the City government hasn’t complied to their request yet.

Accidents like these should have not happened if the authorities were only quick to react in fixing what needs to be fixed in their areas of responsibility. In cases like these, you can file for personal injury claims if you can prove that there are negligent parties and actions that have caused the accident.

So if you or your loved one has suffered from incidents such as these and you believe that someone is responsible for such things, you can ask the help of Los Angeles personal injury lawyers to assist you in filing for claims. With the right cases filed, you don’t only get monetary compensation as payment for all of the damages that this incident has caused you and your family. Stand up for your rights and don’t let negligent people get away from their actions or the lack of it. By filing the necessary complaint, you can finally get the justice that they deserve.

Some Statistics and Other Valuable Information about the Risks of Teenage Driving

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It is often said that teenagers are highly at risk of getting involved in crashes than any other age group. Fortunately enough, there are valuable statistics that back up this proof. While the same can be said for other age groups, the risks of injuries and deaths related to teenage driving are usually due to various factors.

Therefore, it is important for both young drivers and their parents to be as educated and aware as possible with regard to the entailed risks of teenage driving. Education and awareness are two key components in helping change the behavior towards the wheel, especially for the specific age group.

Meanwhile, here are some statistics and other valuable information about the risks of teenage driving, taken from the ImpactTeenDrivers.org:

• The leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States is due to crashes involving teen drivers. While it is a common notion that teenagers behind the wheel always take risks when it comes to driving, most of these crashes are caused by their inexperience and/or other activities that distract them from operating their vehicles.
• Young drivers account for more crashes than any other age group in the U.S. In fact, about 25 percent of deaths every year involve drivers between the ages of 16 and 24.
• The crash fatality rate is highest for drivers aged 16 to 17 years old. Said rate remains high until the age of 24.
• About 20 percent of 11th grade drivers were involved in at least one accident, according to the National Young Driver Survey. Nearly 3 percent experienced two or more crashes.

Among many things to blame for the teenage driving crashes is the technology, particularly the use of cell phones, coupled with inexperience behind the wheel. According to Thomas Milewski, manager of operations at Driver’s Ed Direct, said that teenagers today “have now a multitude of items to go to and everybody is doing it (using cell phones while driving).”

Incidentally, legal experts, including Los Angeles personal injury attorneys believe that being aware of the entailed risks of teenage driving would help younger drivers become more responsible and safer motorists.

Did You Know that California Has the Third Most Number of Pedestrian Deaths in U.S.?

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Walking down the street may seem like a regular, daily activity for you. For thousands of pedestrians in Los Angeles however, walking by the side of the street can be a matter of life and death. Did you know that the State of California is currently the 16th most dangerous state for pedestrians in the United States? Furthermore, California has the 3rd most number of fatalities in pedestrians?

That is why the state government with the help of town and city governments has been doing its best efforts to make roads much safer. Over the years, city streets have been re-engineered and fitted with modern equipment to further increase pedestrian safety.

However, the government alone can only do so much. As it is your life is in danger, you more than anybody has the responsibility to protect yourself from the dangers on the road. Here are some very simple tips that you keep in mind to help ensure your safety and you walk to where you want to go.

Be Predictable. As much as possible, stay away from freeways and other restricted zones as these places are very dangerous for pedestrians like you. Also, make it a point to only cross or enter streets where you are legally allowed to do so. By doing these things, drivers can better predict your presence and exercise more care as they pass along.

Always try to walk facing road traffic. Especially in places where no sidewalks are available, make it a point to walk opposite the direction of the traffic flow. This way you will be able to see where vehicles are going to, helping you be aware of their presence and avoid them if necessary. Also in cases of accidents or in instances where a wayward vehicle passes, you can immediately react to the situation to avoid getting harmed.

Be conspicuous. One major reason why pedestrians get hit is because drivers can’t see them. Avoid walking in dark areas where it will be harder for motorists to see you. If you could wear clothes in light shades, please do so. Being seen will help minimize the chances of you getting struck by vehicles on the road. In dark areas, carry along a flashlight with you.

Be wary. While most drivers are nice, there are ones who are not. Make sure that you don’t trust them to just notice you. Watch out for them coming and try to avoid them if you can.

Don’t drink and walk on the side of the road. Drinking and driving is bad. The same goes for people who hit the road. Do not walk around drunk or drugged as you are not in your best self and you might just end up in an accident.

Be cautious. You must always cross multiple-lane or streets with high-speed traffic with caution. This way you’d be able to better react to situations whenever it is called for.

If you however get involved in a vehicular accident in Los Angeles, it is best that you have yourself treated immediately for the injuries you have sustained. After that, try to find a good lawyer to represent you in court. But you should only trust the best Los Angeles personal injury attorneys that you can find. They will help you with every step of the way to ensure that you get the reparation that you deserve for all of the injuries that you have sustained due to the accident.