Archive for August, 2016

Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys React to Data That Traffic Fatalities Are On The Rise

Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

According to estimates just released by the National Safety Council (“Council”), for the first half of 2016 traffic-related deaths were up almost 9 percent when compared to the same period last year. From January to June, more than 19,000 people were killed in car crashes. The Council also predicted in its release that the number of people that will be killed in the upcoming Labor Day weekend will make it the deadliest Labor Day weekend since 2008. The Council estimates that 438 people will be killed on the roadways over the three-day holiday weekend. What makes this news particularly tragic is the fact that these deaths are preventable. In fact, traffic accidents are the number one cause of preventable deaths in the country. On the flip side, this means that there are things that each and every motorist can do to reduce accidents. So before you hop into your car this holiday weekend, do your part to make the roadways safer for everyone. You can do your part by remembering the following:

  1. Drive sober. Driving requires all of your mental faculties. You need to be able to think fast, react quickly and make sound decisions in the blink of an eye. A driver who is under the influence of alcohol, street or prescription drugs is impaired. If you are not able to drive sober, leave the driving to someone else. In 2014, nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
  1. Obey the speed limit. If you have a need for speed, find a go-kart track, because exceeding the speed limit in an automobile put you and those around you in danger. Speed limits are set for a reason, and that reason is not to be broken. Excessive speed is a factor in close to 30 percent of all traffic-related.
  1. Keep your vehicle well maintained. A vehicle that has failing brakes, worn tires or burnt out headlights is a vehicle that can cause an accident. Before you get behind the wheel, make sure that your vehicle is in good driving condition. Remember that what you are driving is as important as how you drive it.
  1. Leave your phone alone. More than eight people are killed each and every day by drivers who are distracted behind the wheel. Drivers who are talking, texting or using an app on their phone do not have their complete focus on the roadway. At 55 mph, in the amount of time it takes a driver to read one text message, he or she has traveled the entire length of a football field with his or her eyes not looking at the road. If you need to use your phone for any reason, pull over.
  1. Buckle up. Wear your safety belt and make sure that any children riding in your vehicle are fastened properly into height and weight appropriate safety seats. While these actions will not prevent an accident, they will keep you and your passengers safe in the event you are in an accident. As a driver, every time you hear the click of your buckle, let it serve as a reminder to keep your focus on the roadway at all times.

If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries after being involved in an auto accident, you can trust the experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help. Our team of skilled Personal Injury Attorneys will work tirelessly to make sure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries. Trust the Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to assist you, just as they have helped countless injury victims around the area, both in Kansas and Missouri. To discuss your potential injury case with a seasoned Injury Attorney contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule a consultation.

Kansas City Injury Attorneys Discuss The Number One Cause of Traffic Fatalities

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

On any given night, this scenario is playing out in homes across the country: You are curled up on your couch, watching your favorite prime-time television drama when your phone rings. The tell-tale ring alerts you that it is a loved one calling, so you answer. However, you do not turn off the tv. Instead, you let the caller chat away, unable to tear your full attention away from the screen. Now, in this situation, one of two things happens. Either the loved one becomes annoyed, asking if you are listening to them when you give one word or inappropriate responses or, you miss a critical segment of your show. So, in the end, someone, you or your caller, is not happy with your decision to multi-task. Now if we as Americans cannot watch a television program and listen to a third party simultaneously, what makes us think we can operate a car while chatting on our cell phone?

While multi-tasking may be a sought after quality with some employers, it is more of a fatal flaw than an attribute in a motorist. Attempting to do anything more just drive while behind the wheel, is the basic definition of distracted driving. Sadly, distracted driving is the number one cause of traffic fatalities in the United States.

Talking and texting while driving are both extremely distracting behaviors. However, the problem has grown bigger than just these two issues. Social media apps and games, like “Pokemon Go” are becoming a cause for major concern. All cell phone usage is dangerous because it takes a driver’s focus off the task at hand. Even something as seemingly innocent as entering an address into a map app for directions should not be done while driving. Lawmakers and safety campaigns continue to try to encourage drivers to put down their phones.

But shockingly, Americans are often undaunted about the dangers that can result when a person is “multi-tasking” while driving close to 4,000 pounds of machinery at speeds of well over 50 miles per hour. Motorists often forget that certain tasks, like driving, require a person’s complete attention. For example, you would not want your cardiac surgeon browsing Facebook while he or she was performing a triple bypass. Although driving is not nearly as complicated as open heart surgery, it does require the same complete focus.

Distracted driving is not just a cell phone problem. NPR reported, for example, that more than 25 percent of teenage drivers admitted to changing clothes or shoes while driving. Teens also reported to changing contact lenses, doing homework and applying makeup behind the wheel. But distracted driving cannot be blamed on teenage drivers either. According to a study, almost 50 percent of drivers over the age of 35 admitted to eating while driving. All motorists need to remember that all it takes is one little error or miscalculation and lives are changed forever.

If your loved one was serious injured or killed after being involved in an auto accident with a distracted driver, you need to contact an experienced Kansas City Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney right away. The seasoned Kansas City Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. will work with you to make sure you receive the compensation you are due. Our team of skilled Attorneys will work diligently to make sure that justice is served. You can trust the Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to work for you, just as they have worked for countless injury victims around the area, both in Kansas and Missouri. To set up a consultation with one of our compassionate Injury Attorney contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673.