A Los Angeles motorcyclist was killed in an accident near Point Mugu State Beach earlier this week. According to the California Highway Patrol, the 22-year-old motorcyclist was riding on Pacific Coast Highway on the 4th of July, when a car pulled out of a beach parking lot and into the path of the motorcycle.  The motorcyclist hit the driver’s side of the car, and was thrown off.  He sustained serious injuries, and was rushed to the hospital.  However, he later succumbed to his injuries.

The victim was part of a group of motorcyclists that had been headed back to Los Angeles from Fillmore.  The California Highway Patrol does not believe that alcohol or drug use was involved in this accident.

However, this accident illustrates to Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers the dangers to motorcyclists when they are struck by cars that are pulling out of parking lots or garages.  These kinds of accidents occur more often during summer when there are more motorists on the road.  A motorcyclist can be taken completely unawares when a car backs out into the rider’s path.

This is the reason why Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorneys always advise that motorists look out for motorcyclists when they are pulling out of a parking lot.  Motorcycles can be easy to miss, and can easily fall in a vehicle’s blind spots, which is why a motorist must be extra careful.

A motorcyclist’s risk of an accident always increases during summer, when sharing the streets with more drivers on the road.  It’s not hard to see why summer is one of the most dangerous times for motorcyclists.  Many of these are inexperienced teenage and young drivers, vacationers, or people generally distracted by their summer plans.

The current .08% maximum blood-alcohol limit followed in California and across the country do not really protect against severely injurious accidents.  According to a new study, the risk of an accident involving serious injuries increases even when a person is driving with minimal traces of alcohol in his system.

The researchers, who analyzed accident records between 1994 and 2008 from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, compared accidents on the basis of the severity of the injuries.  They found that accidents in which persons were driving even with the barest minimum alcohol in their system, resulted in injuries that were more serious compared to accidents in which alcohol was not a factor.  In fact, the increase in the severity of injuries was as much as 36.6% compared to when a person was not driving with any alcohol in the blood.

For Los Angeles traffic accident attorneys, it’s easy to pinpoint the reasons for this increased risk of serious injuries when an accident involves a drunk motorist.  For one thing, drunk drivers are almost always reckless and most drunk driving accidents also involve speeding and aggressive driving.  These accidents are typically high-impact accidents that lead to the most catastrophic injuries.

Additionally, drunk drivers are less likely to wear seat belts.  Further, they’re less likely to ensure that the other occupants of the vehicle are safely buckled in.  During an accident, these persons may be at risk of ejection, causing serious injuries.   In a traffic accident, drunk drivers are much more likely to be the motorist driving the striking vehicle.

The researchers have one piece of advice for drivers – If you plan to drink, don’t make plans to drive at all.  Researchers are hoping that their study will coax legislators to review the minimum DUI standards around the country and lower these further.

One of the biggest factors in motorcycle accidents that Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorneys notice is failure by motorists to yield right-of-way to motorcyclists.  The California Department of Motor Vehicles recommends the following tips for motorists to share the roads safely with motorcycles:

• When you’re about to change lanes or enter a thoroughfare, check carefully for motorcyclists.  It’s easy to miss a motorcycle because of its narrow frame, and a motorcycle can easily be hidden in your blind spot.  This is why it’s important that you make an effort to look specifically for these vehicles.
• Allow an adequate following distance between your vehicle and the motorcycle.  Ideally, you should allow a 4-second stopping distance between your car and a motorcycle.  Remember, motorcycles can come to a stop much quicker than your car can, and you run a high risk of hitting the motorcycle if you are tailgating it.
• If you’re sharing a lane with a motorcycle, never pass the motorcycle in the same lane.
• Before you make a turn, look carefully for motorcyclists.
• If you see a motorcyclist, gauge the speed of the motorcycle carefully before turning.
• When parking, look out for motorcyclists when you open the door.
• Lane sharing with motorcyclists is not illegal in California, but that doesn’t mean that it’s safe.  Allow motorcyclists a full-lane width for maximum safety.

Motorcyclists can do their part to prevent motorcycle fatalities and injuries every year by bringing defective road conditions to the attention of the authorities.  Remember, motorcyclists are at a much higher risk of accidents when they run into roads with bumpy surfaces, potholes,  gravel, pavement seams and other defective road conditions.

The fragile optical nerve, which is attached to the back of the eye, is a critical component in facilitating human vision.  Typically, this nerve is loosely tethered to the eye, and can withstand some amount of movement in the head and eyes.  However, during an accident, or other kinds of trauma when there is a head injury, there can be enough damage to the optic nerve to cause inflammation.  Such inflammation can ultimately lead to blindness.  A group of researchers is now looking at ways to limit the extent of damage, and treat a traumatic eye injury.

For too long, there have been very limited treatment options for persons with traumatic optic nerve injury.  Most treatment options for people with such injuries have involved the use of steroids.   Research into such treatment has been fairly limited, but now researchers at the Georgia Health Sciences University hope to change all that.   The treatment that the researchers are looking at involves encouraging the nerve’s natural ability to combat inflammation.

During an optic nerve injury, the body automatically produces adenosine in response to the injury.  This adenosine can help reduce the amount of inflammation at the site.  However, when inflammation occurs, the body also conversely triggers the degradation of an enzyme that helps synthesize the adenosine.  The researchers are looking at introducing an agonist that can encourage the adenosine in its inflammation-combating activities, in order to contain eye damage.

Los Angeles car accident lawyers know that loss of vision often has some of the most devastating impact on a person’s life.  A person with even moderate eye injuries may not be able to return to a full-time job, and may need extensive therapy and rehab as well as aids to help with daily routine activities.  Such persons may be looking at not just immediate medical expenses and financial difficulties because of lost wages, but also long-term financial difficulties because of lost future income, and additional medical costs.

Much attention has been focused recently on the issue of driver fatigue as a factor in 18-wheeler accidents.  However, many accidents are caused because of negligent or inadequate maintenance of 18-wheelers, and this issue barely gets the attention it deserves.

The average truck is under immense pressure as it travels on miles of highway, hauling tens of thousands of pounds of cargo.  This means that an 18-wheeler may be susceptible to severe wear and tear.  Signs of wear and tear can be seen especially quickly in the tires and wheels, which are the only component of the tractor-trailer in direct contract with the road.  Other components including brake systems and steering system can also wear out over a period of time.  In order to ensure the safety of truckers and others on the roadway, it’s important that the truck be put through a periodic maintenance schedule to ensure that it’s operating safely.

Many accidents are the result of defective wheels, tires, malfunctioning brakes and safety belts, and problems with the steering wheel mechanism.  That’s the reason why one of the duties of a commercial truck driver is to conduct a complete pre-trip inspection before he begins driving for the day.  This inspection must include a once over of the engine compartment, a cabin check and an engine check as well as a overall external inspection of the truck.  All details of the inspection must be recorded in the log of the truck driver’s vehicle.  If any component needs repairs, then these must be repaired, and this must be mentioned in the vehicle log too.  If repairs are needed, and have not been performed, then the driver is responsible for making sure that these repairs are performed before he sets out.

If you have been involved in a truck accident that is related to maintenance failures, it is essential to begin filing a truck accident claim as quickly as possible.  That’s because a trucking company will only maintain the driver’s logs for about six months.  Without access to driver logs, it will be more challenging for your Los Angeles truck accident lawyer to prove your claim.

The Food and Drug Administration has been the subject of great criticism from California pharmaceutical liability attorneys because of its lax approval procedures. The concern over super-quick approvals of drugs that are not 100% safe for American consumers is probably the reason for the reduced number of drug approvals issued in 2010 by the agency.

In 2010, just 21 new drugs were approved by the FDA, the lowest number since 2007. According to estimates based on the FDA database, the 21 drug approval tally is down from 25 approvals in 2009 and 24 in 2008.

To California personal injury attorneys this may be an indication that the agency is now being much more cautious with its approvals, and is less likely to speed up drug approvals. Much of the criticism leveled against the federal agency has to do its approval processes, especially the controversial 510(k) approval process. Under this process, drugs or medical devices that are sufficiently similar to drugs or medical devices in the market, can be approved quicker, bypassing many of the normal rules and procedures.

The rule has been severely misused by pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers, and has been the subject of severe criticism. In fact, California injury attorneys have called for a complete revocation of the rule and new rules requiring all pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers to go through the regular process before getting their devices and drugs approved.

The rush to approve a drug so it can be released into the market as quickly as possible has often meant severe patient injuries, side effects, complications and even death. The agency’s new cautious approach, if true, is a welcome change from its attitude in the past.

Mismatches between the heights of bumpers of passenger cars and larger cars and SUVs, mean that the smaller car is at a higher risk for severe damage even during a minor accident. A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that federal failure to regulate bumpers of SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans places the drivers of smaller passenger vehicles at a higher risk of injuries during even low-speed crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted tests on seven pairs of small car-small SUVs from the same automaker, and compared the extent of the damage to the two cars during collisions at a speed of 10 mph. They conducted tests with the SUV striking the back of a passenger car it was paired with, as well as the car striking the back of the SUV that it was paired with. Researchers found car damage ranging from $850 to more than $6,000. According to the researchers, if these accidents had actually occurred in the real world, even at those low speeds, the impact of the crash would have been severe enough to destroy the engine and severely damage the body of the car.

According to the study, when there is a mismatch between the bumper heights of an SUV and a passenger car in an accident, the kind of energy that is released causes severe disruption to the body of the passenger vehicle. The SUVs in the study did sustain damage too, but the damage was higher for the passenger vehicle.

The problem exists because of a federal failure to regulate bumper heights for SUVs, pickup trucks and vans. The federal legislation has standards for all bumpers of passenger cars. These rules protect the car within a zone of 16 to 20 inches from the ground. However, there are no such corresponding height standards for SUVs, pickup trucks and other larger vehicles.

Los Angeles car accident lawyers believe that this is one of the reasons why occupants of passenger vehicles are at a higher risk of injuries during an SUV-small car collision. Small passenger vehicle occupants in such an accident are likely to suffer injuries, and better bumper matches could possibly reduce that risk.

Years after a deadly crash on California’s Route 46 killed one person and seriously injured members of a family, authorities are beginning safety improvements to the accident magnet that also claimed the life of James Dean in 1955.  A project to make safety improvements to Route 46 will now receive funding of $78 million.  These funds will be used to widen the road, and eventually, the entire 110-mile stretch of the highway may be turned into a four-lane road.

For years, this spot has been the scene of deadly accidents.  Since 2000, there have been at least 30 people killed in car accidents on the road.  The road was built back in the 20s, and quickly became one of the most congested roads in the state.  In 1955, Route 46 claimed its first high-profile victim.  Actor James Dean was killed as his car approached the Route 46-Highway 41 junction.  His car collided with a Ford Coupe, and he sustained fatal injuries.  The spot where he died is now known as James Dean Memorial Junction.

However, the safety improvements didn’t start soon after that accident.  In fact for several decades later, there were no safety improvements made to Route 46.  In 1995, authorities implemented several new safety rules, including the mandatory use of headlights during the day.  New rumble strips were installed, and speeds were reduced on the highway, encouraging Los Angeles car accident lawyers.

Then in 1999, another major accident severely injured four members of a family and one motorist.  A couple and their two sons were headed to the coast for Fourth of July celebrations, when their car was involved in a collision with another car.  The driver of the other car died, while the couple and their two sons sustained serious injuries.  They sued the California Department of Transportation claiming that the accident was caused due to poor highway conditions.  They ultimately settled for $4 million with the state.

Los Angeles car accident lawyers wouldn’t have believed that the Toyota saga, complete with a whistleblower’s accounts of shady practices, and a teary chief executive, could possibly get messier.

It just did.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article alleging that, according to confidential sources, driver error had been found to be a major factor in most of the acceleration-related accidents being investigated by the National Traffic Safety Administration.  As the WSJ might have expected, everyone went ballistic over that article, which clearly implied that driver error and not floor mats or sticky gas pedals, were to blame for the sudden and unintended acceleration problem.  The federal agency shot back with a representative informing a popular auto blog that the WSJ article was actually planted by Toyota. The Wall Street Journal has showed a sympathetic side towards Toyota, ever since the company’s image began to receive a beating more than months ago.

According to the NHTSA representative, it is all part of the Toyota PR machine at work, trying to build a case that points to driver error as a factor in these accidents that are currently under investigation.

This week, Toyota retaliated, strongly denying any claims that it had planted the WSJ story.  According to the automaker, any reports that it had manipulated the publication of a story in the WSJ in order to prove that driver error was a big factor in these accidents, were patently false.  There have been several more updates to the murky plot.  The NHTSA has since confirmed that it has not shared any investigation data, but could not confirm that Toyota had not accessed confidential records from the agency. The pressure is on WSJ to reveal its confidential sources, and the agency to prove that the automaker did not gain access to its records.

In this entire mess of finger pointing and intrigue, it’s important to remember that the focus needs to be an investigation into the exact causes of the problem.

In honor of Tire Safety Week, tire makers and Las Vegas personal injury lawyers are drawing attention to the need to maintain your tires properly to prevent accidents. Tires are the only part of your car that are constantly in contact with the road, and therefore, must be kept in optimum condition. However, tire safety is often overlooked, resulting in adverse incidents like blowouts etc.

The most important thing you can do to ensure your tires are in optimum shape is to make sure these are inflated properly. Tires must be inflated according to the vehicle’s specifications. Tire pressure must be checked at least once a month.

Get wheel alignment checked at least one every year.

Get your tires rotated every 5,000 miles.

The most common problems that frequently result in accidents are poor tire tread. Check the tire tread frequently. Your tire should optimally have a 2/32 inch of tread.

Check the grooves of the tire frequently to make sure that they’re clean and free from debris, like stones, pebbles and other foreign objects.

Make sure that there are no cuts on your tires, or bulges.

It’s the right time to bring attention to tire safety. The past two years have been tainted with tire safety scandals, including one in which a TV channel exposed the fact that several tire companies were pushing old and outdated tires into the market. Tires are like any other product, and have a shelf life of a few years.  When they are past their prime, they are in danger of a blowout and accidents.

Since the scandal broke, a bill has been introduced that will require manufacturers to hand over documents at the time of sale indicating the date of manufacture of the tire. Not surprisingly, tire manufacturers have not exactly been enthusiastic about this idea.

Tread separation is one of the most common causes of tire defect-related accidents. A sudden tread separation at high speeds can cause a motorist to lose control of his vehicle, contributing to a rollover accident. This week, it’s time for more attention on the need for frequent checkups of tires.