Greenwood Village Personal Injury Law Blog

Facing the loss of a limb after a motorcycle crash

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP on Monday, June 24, 2019.

Riding a motorcycle has many advantages. Firstly, no one can deny that riding a motorcycle is fun. It is exhilarating to feel the rush of the wind and not to be confined on your journey. Practically, motorcycles are less expensive than cars, use less gas and are easier to park.

Of course, there is no denying the downside of using a motorcycle as your source of transportation. Lack of confinement also means a lack of protection. Other drivers may give you little respect on the road, and this can make for dangerous situations. Those motorcyclists involved in accidents with larger vehicles have a greater chance of suffering catastrophic injuries, including the loss of a limb.

Study: blind spot alert, AEB and other devices prevent crashes

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP posted in auto accidents on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Drivers in Colorado may have looked into Advanced Driver Assistance Systems as a way of improving their safety on the road. A 2018 study from J.D. Power shows just how beneficial such technology can be. Over half of new car owners who participated in the study said that ADAS had helped them avert a collision before even 90 days had passed with their new vehicle.

The most widely cited device was blind spot alert with 49% crediting it with crash prevention. This was followed by backup cameras and parking sensors (42%) and either automatic emergency braking or forward collision warning (35%).

Four essential ways to improve parking lot safety

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP posted in premises liability on Thursday, June 6, 2019.

Many business owners in Colorado may not know that parking lot safety is their responsibility, but it is. If they only maintain a safe indoor environment, they may be held liable for accidents that occur outside. This can mean workers' compensation claims from employees, premises liability claims from customers, lost productivity and a lowering of morale among the rest of the workforce.

There are four essential steps that employers need to take to keep everyone safe in the parking lot. First of all, parking lots and garages see about 50,000 car crashes every year, according to the National Safety Council. To prevent crashes, employers should install appropriate signage, directional arrows and striping to direct traffic flow. Parking spaces, crosswalks and emergency vehicle lanes should be clearly marked.

Maintaining your mental health after suffering a serious injury

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP on Friday, May 24, 2019.

Suffering a major injury can change your life. You may have once led a very active lifestyle only to find yourself having limited abilities, whether temporarily or permanently, after suffering injuries in a car accident. Now, you wonder how you will carry on.

Understandably, you may have some feelings of disappointment, anxiety and even depression over the fact that your sudden injury has affected your life so significantly. You may even find yourself not wanting to think about the future because it will not be what you had once imagined. However, it is important that you find ways to cope with your injury and work to maintain your physical and mental health as you recover.

Drowsy driving: the dangers and common factors

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP posted in auto accidents on Monday, May 20, 2019.

Drowsy driving is behind 9.5% of car accidents, according to a 2018 AAA study. Colorado residents should know not to drive after getting inadequate sleep (the CDC recommends a minimum of seven hours) or an extended period of wakefulness. Yet many people still drive when they shouldn't.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, being awake for 24 hours will make drivers as impaired as someone with a .10 blood alcohol content-- in other words, someone who is legally drunk. However, there may be other issues factoring into drowsiness. Some individuals may have sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, without knowing it.

Colorado drivers who think they're invincible place you at risk

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP on Friday, May 17, 2019.

There's always a possibility that something might go wrong when you are traveling by motor vehicle in Colorado or elsewhere. However, if you adhere to traffic laws and are a cautious driver, you can reasonably expect to arrive safely to your destination or at least reasonably expect that drivers with whom you share the road will also adhere to state laws.

Current accident statistics show this is often not the case, however. For instance, most states have laws against using hand-held electronic devices while driving, but people still do it. When licensed drivers participate in surveys regarding why they use cell phones, text or exhibit other dangerous driving behaviors, they often give similar answers. While you can use such information to improve your own safe driving habits, you can't control what another motorist does. If someone hits you, it's important to know where to seek post-accident support.

Opioids double the chances of a fatal car crash, study says

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP posted in auto accidents on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Roughly 214 million opioid prescriptions are issued every year. The prevalence of this drug has led to many concerned road safety advocates in Colorado. Because they make one sedated and sometimes dizzy, opioids should not be taken before driving or operating heavy machinery.

In the 1990s, before the epidemic, 1% of all fatal car accidents were linked to opioid use. Now, that number is 7%. Researchers at Columbia University have conducted a study showing how opioid use increases the risk of fatal crashes. Their results have been published in JAMA Network Open.

Recovering from a brain injury after a collision

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

No matter how alert and cautious a driver you are, if another Colorado motorist who is sharing your roadway is negligent or reckless, you are at great risk for injury. If you or your loved one were recently in a car accident, the events that transpired moments before the crash may be deeply etched in your mind. On the other hand, if you suffered a severe brain injury in the incident, the first memory you may have had was waking up in a hospital bed.

The levels of severity of a brain injury vary widely. Even a slight bump on the head upon impact in a motor vehicle accident can cause a concussion. In a situation where the other driver was traveling at highway speeds, the blunt force trauma to the head can cause immediate, life-threatening injuries. In either case, recovery can range from mildly challenging to long, arduous and highly stressful.

Studies find that Americans want safer roads

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP on Friday, April 26, 2019.

If you take just a short drive on any Colorado road, you will probably notice a number of dangerous driving behaviors. From speeding to distracted driving, people behind the wheel are often reckless and unconcerned with the potential consequences of their actions. Like many others, you may acknowledge the need for stronger and better-enforced driving laws.

A national study recently found that the majority of American drivers favor stricter laws regarding road safety. This shows that most people do not mind more restrictions on behavior as long as there is proof that these measures can reduce fatal accidents and potentially save lives. This is particularly prevalent as distracted driving continues to be a growing safety concern across the country.

Drivers use cellphones despite distracted driving fears

On behalf of Tomazin, Hillyard & Clor, LLP posted in auto accidents on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

Almost half of American drivers say that distracted driving is their top traffic safety worry, according to a new survey. However, many motorists throughout Colorado and across the U.S. continue to use cellphones while behind the wheel. The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Root Insurance, an insurance company that offers rate discounts to drivers who do not use their cellphones while driving.

According to the survey, 47% of U.S. drivers say that distracted driving is their number one road safety concern. In addition, 99% of drivers think that cellphones are one of the top reasons drivers get distracted. One might think that those beliefs would discourage drivers from engaging in distracted driving behaviors, but that doesn't appear to be the case. The survey found that drivers use their cellphones an average of 13 minutes per day while behind the wheel. Meanwhile, 38% of people who use their cellphones while driving fail to put them down when they see law enforcement officers.