North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Each year, our Charlotte, North Carolina car accident law firm awards a number of high school seniors $2,500 college scholarships through the Michael A. DeMayo Scholarship Program. For the 2009 – 2010 academic school year,15 graduating seniors each received this award for their grades, SAT scores, involvement with their school and communities, and winning presentations aimed at educating fellow students about the dangers of underage drinking and drunk driving.

The scholarship program was open to applicants in the North Carolina and South Carolina counties where the Law Offices of Michael A. DeMayo represents clients, including Mecklenburg, Cleveland, Union, Gaston, Cabarrus, Catawba, Lincoln, Caldwell, Rowan, Anson, Iredell, Stanly, Robeson, Burke, Richmond, Scotland, Alexander, Cumberland, York, Chesterfield, Lancaster, Dillon, and Marlboro.

Whereas in years past, applicants had to answer an essay question by offering a suggestion or solution to how we can stop underage drinking and teen drunk driving, this year applicants were asked to choose among the latest technology and different genres to create presentations that provided ideas and solutions to the same topics. Three public service announcements, seven PowerPoint presentations, two speeches, two dedicated Web sites, and one brochure were included among the winning presentations.

Our Hickory, North Carolina car accident lawyers are very impressed with the presentations we received from all of our applicants. It is clear to us that there are many students who understand that driving while drunk can prove deadly. Our applicants offered unique suggestions for how this message can be better communicated to other teenagers.

Our Monroe, North Carolina motor vehicle accident law firm would like to congratulate the winners of the 2010 Michael A. DeMayo Scholarship program. We would like to invite you to visit our Web site so that you can meet this year’s recipients and watch their amazing presentations.

Scholarship Program, The Law Offices of Michael A. DeMayo

Related Web Resources:
Underage Drinking

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Teen Drivers, CDC

Continue reading "Winners of the 2010 Michael A. DeMayo Scholarship Join the Fight to Stop North Carolina Car Accidents Caused by Underage Drinking " »

One month after four people died in a car accident that involved a floor mat that may have jammed the Lexus’s gas pedal to the floor, Toyota announced that it will recall 3.8 million vehicles. This is the automaker’s largest recall ever and affects eight Toyota and Lexus models, including the 2004 – 2009 Toyota Priuses and the 2007-2010 Camrys. While most of the affected autos use key ignitions, many of the vehicles have start-stop buttons, which means that unless someone presses the button for three seconds, the engine will continue to run.

According to Toyota, if the floor mat on the driver’s side comes loose and causes the accelerator pedal to jam, the vehicle may accelerate to high speeds and the driver may not be able to stop the car. Toyota is waiting to figure out a solution before recalling the affected autos. In the meantime, the auto manufacturer wants vehicle owners to remove the driver’s side floor mat from the vehicle.

On August 28, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, his wife Cleofe,45, brother-in-law Chris Lastrella, 38, and daughter Mahala, 13, died in what investigators believe is a car accident that was caused by the floor mat causing the accelerator to become stuck. Witnesses say Saylor’s Lexus was weaving through traffic at a high speed. While turning left, his auto struck a Ford Explorer before driving through a fence, hitting a dirt embankment, flying over 100 feet through the air, and catching fire after landing.

Prior to the deadly car crash, someone from the vehicle called 911 to report that the brakes on the car was not working. The car accident victims died from blunt force trauma to the torso or head.

The government has noted that this floor-mat issue has been reported 102 times and has been linked to 13 car accidents, 17 injuries, and five deaths.

Car makers can be held liable for any auto part defect that results in a North Carolina car crash. Filing an auto products liability claim against a car manufacturer can be challenging without the help of an experienced Charlotte, North Carolina products liability law firm representing you.

Toyota to recall 3.8 million vehicles, Los Angeles Times, September 30, 2009

Toyota says floor-mat recall will be its largest ever, as it's blamed for 13 crashes and five deaths, USA Today, September 29, 2009

Deadly Accident Prompts Floor Mat Warning, NBC San Diego, September 15, 2009

Related Web Resources:

According to Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, more than 50% of US highway deaths and 38% of nonfatal injuries involve deficient roadway conditions. 10 roadway-related accidents happen each minute—that’s 5.3 million accidents a year.

The PIRE notes that these figures make it evident that making changes to the roadway environment so that it is more forgiving and protective is necessary to reduce the number of highway deaths and associated expenses. Dr. Ted Miller, who is the principal author on the study, says that if we placed as much attention on improving road safety conditions as we do in convincing people not to drive drunk, “we’d save thousands of lives and billions of dollars” annually.

Findings in the study, called "On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways," include:

• Deficient roadway conditions cost $217 billion/year (including $20 billion in medical expenses and $99 billion in quality of life costs).
• This figure is over 3.5 times the $59 billion that governments in the US invest each year on roadway capital improvements.

Among the study’s recommendations that transportation officials can implement to improve road conditions so that injuries will be reduced and lives saved:

• More durable, brighter pavement markings.
• Using breakaway poles instead of non-forgiving poles.
• Placing rumble strips on shoulders.
• Mounting additional safety barriers or guardrails.
• Widening shoulders.
• Adding shoulders.
• Better roadway alignment.
• Widening or replacing narrow bridges.
• Decreasing abrupt drop offs and pavement edges.
• Clearing more space next to roadways.

If you or someone you loved was injured in a North Carolina car crash because of a defective roadway condition, you may have grounds for filing a personal injury case.

Some roadway defects that can lead to Raleigh motor vehicle accidents:

• Poorly designed road systems
• Potholes
• Not enough lighting
• Lack of traffic signs or warning signs
• No guardrails or center dividers
• Improper placement of roadway markings
• Excessively high speed limit for road condition

Some roadway defects that can lead to Raleigh motor vehicle accidents:

• Poorly designed road systems.
• Potholes.
• Not enough lighting.
• Lack of traffic signs or warning signs.
• No guardrails or center dividers.
• Improper placement of roadway markings.
• Excessively high speed limit for road condition.

More than Half of Highway Fatalities Are Related to Deficient Roadway Conditions, PR Newswire, July 1, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

Continue reading "Causes of Some Charlotte, North Carolina Personal Injury Accidents: More than 50% of US Highway Deaths Involve Deficient Roadway Conditions" »

The US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that even though the number of US highway deaths dropped last year, there is still a lot of work that must be done to keep our motorists safe. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures show a 9.7% drop in US traffic deaths from 41,259 fatalities in 2007 to 37,261 deaths in 2008—the lowest death count since 1961.

Between 2007 and 2008, there were significant declines in drunk driving deaths (13,041 to 11,773), light truck deaths (12,458 to 10,764), passenger occupant deaths (29,072 to 25,351), large truck fatalities (805 to 677), and pedestrian deaths (4,699 to 4,378). The number of motorcycle rider deaths, however, went up from 5,174 to 5,290—as did pedalcyclist fatalities, from 701 to 716.

Also last year, 2,346,000 people were injured in US traffic accidents—a drop from the 2.49 million traffic injuries in 2007. While the number of motorcycle rider fatalities increased, the number of motorcycle riders that were injured went down significantly from 103,000 motorcycle deaths in 2007 to 96 deaths to motorcycle fatalities in 2008.

There was also a decline in the number of North Carolina traffic deaths, with 1,433 fatalities last year compared to 1,676 traffic deaths in 2008.

More North Carolina 2008 Traffic Figures:
• 1,033 passenger vehicle occupant deaths (down from 1,237 in 2007)
• 423 drunk driving deaths (down from 497 in 2007)
• 475 speeding-related deaths (a decline from the 622 fatalities in 2008)
• 160 pedestrian deaths

Also on a positive note, there were less fatalities from January – March 2009 than there were for the same time period last year. The NHTSA says 7,689 people were killed in US traffic crashes for the first quarter of this year, compared to the 8,451 deaths during January – March 2008.

While the overall decline in US traffic deaths is very positive, there are still thousands of people that are injured and killed because a motorist was driving drunk, speeding, talking on a cell phone, text messaging, or impaired by medication or because a vehicle was defective or another party was negligent.

Related Web Resources:
2008 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment - Highlights, June 2009 (PDF)

Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Quarter (January - March) of 2009 (PDF)

State Traffic Safety Information For Year 2008, NHTSA

Continue reading "Hickory Car Accident Lawyers: North Carolina Traffic Deaths Drop to 1,433 Fatalities in 2008 " »

Every year, our North Carolina injury law firm awards $25,000 in college scholarships to graduating high school seniors scholarships under the Michael A. DeMayo Scholarship Program. This year, 10 students received $2,500 each for their winning essays about ways to prevent underage drinking and driving.

Attorney Michael DeMayo presented the winning students with their scholarship checks at a May 28 dinner at Mama Ricotta’s in Charlotte. This year's winners included Michelle Austin from Hopewell High School in Mecklenburg, Elizabeth Henry from Provide Day School in Mecklenburg, Annalise Farris from North Lincoln High School in Lincoln, India Prather from Monroe High School in Union, Lauren Houston from South Caldwell High School in Caldwell, Kaley Rivera from South Point High School in Gaston, Kaitlin Price from Gray Stone Day School in Stanly, Jennifer Telschow from E. E. Waddell High School in Mecklenburg, Erin Sturgess from Hickory Christian Academy in Catawba, and Jaclyn Wright from Marvin Ridge High School in Union.

Underage Drinking Facts (NHTSA):
• Thousands of teenagers are injured or killed in US traffic accidents because of underage drinking.
• In 2006, 1,377 of the 7,543 15- to 20-year old US drivers and motorcyclists that were involved in deadly auto crashes had a BAC of .08%.
• It is illegal for people under age 21 to drink alcohol.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 16- to 19-years-olds belong to one of the more high risk groups that are likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash. Combine youth, inexperience, and/or a tendency to become easily distracted with the side effects that come from drinking alcohol and you could end up with a deadly combination if a drunk teenager gets behind the steering wheel of a car.

Our North Carolina personal injury law firm applauds our winners’ ideas about how to prevent teen driving accidents from happening. Our Charlotte car accident attorneys witness on a regular basis the tragic repercussions that can result from drunk driving. We know that nothing can assuage the loss felt by our clients that have lost children in tragic motor vehicle crashes. Our scholarship program gives us a way to help teenagers make better decisions, hopefully decreasing the number of North Carolina teen drunk driving accidents.

Related Web Resources:
Teen Drivers - Youth Access To Alcohol

Teen Drivers, CDC

Continue reading "Charlotte, North Carolina Car Accident Law Firm Awards 10 College Scholarships to Students for Underage Drinking and Driving Essays" »