Oregon Personal Injury Legal Blog

Driving tips to reduce winter accident risks

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in car accidents on Monday, November 18, 2019.

Car accidents in Oregon and around the country that take place on roadways covered in snow, ice or slush claim over 1,300 lives and injure more than 116,800 road users every year according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, but there are steps drivers can take to greatly reduce their chances of being involved in a winter crash. Motorists should obey speed limits and maintain safe distances at all times, but giving other vehicles ample room and slowing down is especially important when weather conditions are treacherous.

Drivers should also check their local weather forecasts before setting out and allow extra time to complete their journeys when road conditions are expected to be poor. When progress is slow and a late arrival is likely, motorists should resist the urge to make up for lost time if the road opens up. Tire pressures should be checked frequently during the winter months as they fall when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and safety features like anti-lock braking and traction control systems should be monitored as their frequent activation is a sign that motorists are driving dangerously.

Traffic accident risks go up in fall when clocks go back an hour

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in motor vehicle accidents on Friday, November 8, 2019.

The end of daylight saving time ushers in a season for increased risks for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists in Oregon. Shifting clocks back one hour allows people to get an extra hour of sleep on that weekend, but the disturbance to their sleeping and waking cycles raises the possibility of drowsy driving in the following weeks. A report from an insurance organization in the Pacific Northwest identified an increase in collisions during afternoon commutes two weeks following the clock change.

In another study conducted in a major metropolitan area, traffic accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists were the highest in October through December. This study also concluded that people bothered by the clock change tended to be sleepy while behind the wheel. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation plays a role in over 6,400 fatal traffic accidents every year. The foundation also attributed roughly 50,000 debilitating injuries to drowsy driving accidents annually.

Distracted driving poses serious roadway threat

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, October 22, 2019.

Many Oregon drivers are wary of sharing the road with teens, especially because they may drive with many friends packed in the car and be more prone to the errors of inexperienced drivers. For teen drivers to improve their skills, it is important that they get time behind the wheel to develop as experienced operators. However, there are other concerns about teens' safety while driving, and some of those are brought to attention for Teen Driver Safety Week. Teens and their parents pay higher car insurance premiums because they are more likely to have car accidents, a belief backed up by statistics.

A study was released that highlighted teens' behavior behind the wheel. Teen drivers are more likely than those in any other demographic to operate their cars while distracted. Distracted driving has sparked widespread nationwide concern and law enforcement crackdowns, especially as a growing number of serious motor vehicle collisions have been linked to people texting while driving or otherwise keeping their eyes and minds off of the road. The study examined 3,400 drivers between 2011 and 2013, relying on devices to monitor their behavior and driving activity. This provided a unique basis to study distraction without relying on the self-reported narratives in police accident reports, which are often prone to inaccuracy.

What can you do to prevent concussion?

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in brain injuries on Thursday, October 10, 2019.

Compared to other traumatic brain injuries in Oregon, a concussion is often relatively mild. The effects are usually temporary, and the patient typically recovers fully. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, brain bleed and other potentially serious complications may result from a concussion. With repeated concussions, the risk only increases.

Therefore, it is preferable to do whatever you can to prevent a concussion from happening in the first place. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect you and your family.

Driver arrested after fleeing the scene of Portland accident

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, October 1, 2019.

Few people in Salem likely ever anticipate being involved in a car accident. On the contrary, most may believe that their strong driving skills will help them to avoid collisions. There may indeed be some merit to that argument, yet one fact that people cannot overlook is the inability to control the actions of others. Oftentimes all it may take is a single careless decision or reckless action to lead to a chain of events that ends in a devastating accident. Such accidents often leave victims dealing with physical limitations, emotional losses and inordinate expenses, as well as uncertainty as to how they will be able to handle the financial burdens the incidents force them to deal with.

Liability for such accidents lies with the drivers that cause them, yet how can one know for sure who is at fault? Sometimes a party's actions may indicate guilt. Take the case of an accident that recently occurred in Portland. A two-car crash left two people injured (one of whom had to be transported to a local hospital via helicopter. Witnesses to the accident reported that one of the drivers involved fled from the scene. They were located by authorities a short while later and taken into custody. Officials have yet to release why the driver fled, but they do believe that alcohol may have had a hand in causing the collision.

What's behind the rise in trucking accidents?

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC on Friday, September 27, 2019.

The trucking industry is vital to the nation's economy. Transporting goods and other cargo wouldn't be as easy without truck drivers and the companies that employ them. Despite the importance of these trucks, they can be dangerous, and even deadly, on the road in some instances.

Earlier this year, a report released by the Oregon Department of Transportation showed that 2017 had the highest number of large truck crashes in 10 years. This is concerning because that truck crash rate shows a sharp rise in comparison to the previous year. Full data for 2018 and 2019 aren't yet available. So, what might be the cause for the increase in trucking accidents? More importantly, are there any efforts underway to reduce the rates now?

Breaking down the Glasgow Coma Scale

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in brain injuries on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

The greatest concern that you and others may have in the immediate aftermath of a loved one sustaining a traumatic brain injury in Salem may be the perceived uncertainty surrounding their future. Some TBI victims are able to completely recover from their injuries in just a few days; others, however, can be left with serious physical and mental impairments that can affect them for the rest of their lives. For many of those that we here at Swanson Lathen Prestwich PC have worked with in the wake of a TBI, knowing what one's long-term prognosis may be can have a dramatic impact on any civil action taken against those responsible.

Is there indeed a way for you to know how extensive your loved one's TBI is in those first few days after their injury? While knowing for certain can be difficult, clinicians have developed a method through which an often-reliable estimation can be achieved. It is known as the Glasgow Coma Scale, and it is based on observations made of your loved one by the clinicians who treat them immediately after having sustained a TBI. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the GCS measures responses in the following areas:

Verbal communication
Motor skills
Eye opening

Contributing factors in tire blow-outs

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in car accidents on Friday, August 30, 2019.

On the roads in Oregon, there are plenty of dangers that a driver can face. For example, a tire may blow out mid-drive. Though there are many things that can cause this to happen, how a driver should react in the aftermath remains the same.

I Drive Safely states that tires can blow out for numerous reasons. It’s the actions that a driver takes in the immediate aftermath that can allow them to cut down on the chances of crashing. For example, drivers should not stomp on the brakes or quickly swerve to the side of the road.

What are bedsores?

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC posted in nursing home neglect and abuse on Monday, August 19, 2019.

If caring for your infirm loved one becomes too difficult, you may feel confident entrusting their care to a nursing home or care center believing that its staff will be able to provide the attention and supervision your family member or friend needs. Sadly, that does not always happen. Nursing home staffs might overlook some of their residents' more subtle needs. While they may feel as though they can get away with omitting care practices that might be minor, when your loved one is in need of constant care, no aspect of their life should be overlooked.

This is especially true if they are confined to a bed or to a wheelchair. While some might mistakenly believe that people in such a position require less care and supervision, the opposite is often true. If your friend or family member is unable to get up and ambulate frequently, they run the risk of developing bedsores. According to information shared by the Mayo Clinic, bedsores (or "pressure ulcers," as they are called by clinicians), occur when constant pressure is applied to a certain area of the body. Blood flow to that area eventually slows, causing the skin and surrounding tissue to slowly die. Bedsores typically start as discoloration to the affected area, followed by swelling and (if left untreated) the drainage of pus. Severe bedsores can lead to serious infections that can often lead to amputation or even death.

What kind of car or booster seat does your child need?

On behalf of Swanson Lathen Prestwich, PC on Friday, August 2, 2019.

Parents will go to great lengths to keep their children safe. This is particularly true when parents need to drive their children somewhere. Not many parents these days would dream of putting their child into a car without a proper car seat, booster seat or seat belt.

However, standards for child safety in vehicles are constantly changing. While that isn't a bad thing, when you consider that it's all about keeping kids protected, it can be difficult for parents to keep up. If you're unsure of what the updated car seat laws in Oregon entail, here's what you need to know.