Articles Posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents

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A Springfield pedestrian death is drawing new attention to an especially dangerous stretch of road. The Springfield Oregon auto accident took place last week when 49 year old Harold Leroy Singleton was hit by a car while crossing Main Street according to the Associated Press and other media outlets.

The accident occurred last Saturday evening. The AP quoted police saying their initial investigations indicate Singleton was not paying attention when he stepped out into the street, initiating the Springfield fatal accident. Singleton was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in River Bend, where he died a short time later.

No charges have been filed against the 78-year old driver of the car that hit Singleton. The incident, however, highlights the especially dangerous reputation of Springfield’s Main Street. The AP reports that over the last 12 years at least eight pedestrians have been killed and 40 injured on Main Street in Springfield.

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A Eugene car crash involving eight vehicles sent two women to the hospital Thursday and snarled traffic on Interstate-5 according to police and media reports. The women’s injuries were not life-threatening.

According to Oregon State Police spokesman Lt. Gregg Hastings, the incident began early Thursday afternoon when a car stuck in traffic on the Willamette River Bridge was rear-ended by a van. The van’s impact pushed the car into the vehicle in front of it, setting off a chain reaction that eventually left a total of eight vehicles damaged, including two commercial trucks. State troopers on the scene blamed the crash on congested traffic on the bridge.

The Oregon injury crash closed northbound traffic on the bridge for about 20 minutes and slowed it for another hour when a single lane was initially re-opened. Rubbernecking by drivers also slowed traffic in the southbound lane to a crawl for a time.

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Two Nevada men died in an Oregon truck accident Friday. According to police, the Oregon motorcycle deaths occurred north of Chiloquin on Highway 97 when an SUV hit the riders as it tried to overtake a truck.

Police identified the victims as John Lyman Howell, 65, and James Scott, 49, both of Reno, Nevada. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Redmond resident Gary Couch, 63, was driving the SUV and sustained minor injuries. He was taken to a hospital in Klamath Falls by ambulance. His wife Susan, 68, who was riding in the SUV’s passenger seat was more seriously injured and had to be airlifted to the hospital.

According to investigators at the scene of the Oregon motorcycle accident, the Couch SUV was traveling north on Highway 97 early Friday afternoon. It struck Howell and Scott, who were traveling in the southbound lane, while trying to overtake a commercial semi-trailer truck. The driver of the truck, identified as 53-year old Alan Galloway of Idaho, was uninjured. The highway was reportedly closed for more than three hours while police cleared the debris and conducted investigations at the Oregon accident scene.

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A 17-year old died in a one-car Salem car accident Saturday, according to local sheriff’s deputies. Authorities have not released the name of the victim, but say the wreck involved a jeep that crossed into the northbound lane of Lancaster drive before going off the road and striking a tree. Officials are still investigating the accident, but say there were no signs of braking at the scene. They do not believe alcohol was involved.

According to the Oregon DMV the state has more almost 412,000 licensed drivers between the ages of 15 and 24. Nationally, people in this age group represent only 14% of the US population, but account for nearly one-third of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries.

If you have been involved in a Portland motor vehicle accident, or an accident elsewhere in the state, you have certain responsibilities, and should seek the immediate assistance of an Oregon car accident lawyer.

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Construction site flagger John Sparks, 51, of Salem died Saturday after being run over by a dump truck. The Beaverton accidental death took place on 173rd Avenue, near Walker Road in Washington County where construction crews have been at work since July.

Witnesses said Sparks was doing his job as a traffic flagger when the dump truck backed over him. Police investigating the Oregon truck accident say it is likely Sparks was standing in the truck’s blind spot when he was hit. The driver of the truck was checked for drug or alcohol use, but a Beaverton police detective told reporters at the scene the tragic death “just looks like a freak accident.”

Sparks, an employee of Mama Jo’s Flagging, died at the scene. Residents near the work site lit candles in Sparks’ memory, and have also constructed a makeshift memorial.

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This week, the US Department of Transportation is hosting the Distracted Driving Summit. During the two-day meeting, attended by senior transportation officials, safety advocates, government officials, academics, and law enforcement representatives, attendees are expected to discuss the dangers that can arise when a motorist is texting while driving or engaged in another distracted driving habit.

Our Portland, Oregon car accident lawyers welcome the good news that lawmakers and safety officials are taking a closer look at distracted driving. About 8,000 auto accidents occur each year due to distracted driving. Distracted driving is any activity that compels a motorist to take his or her eyes off the road, the hands off the wheel, and/or focuses the mind on anything other than driving. Talking on the phone, reading, painting one’s nails, putting on makeup, text messaging, surfing the Web, and Twittering are just some examples.

Each of these harmless activities become dangerous when done while driving. The injuries that result during an Oregon motor vehicle accident can be fatal. Meantime, surviving loved ones are left to cope with the inconsolable loss of a loved one who died because someone was distracted while driving.

To get motorists to stop engaging in distracted driving, AAA and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety are calling on drivers to put away any distractions for just one week. Heads Up Driving Week will take place from October 5 – 11. The recommendation is “Try it for a week – do it for life.”

More Facts about Distracted Driving:
• Driver inattention is a factor in over 1 million North American auto accidents each year.
• Most drivers spend more than half of their driving time engaging in a secondary task.
• Using a cell phone while driving increases a driver’s crash risk by up to 4 times.
• Even though the AAA Foundation’s 2009 Traffic Safety Culture Index found that 95% of motorists now know that texting while driving is not acceptable, 18% still text or email while driving.

Throughout the state, Portland, Oregon injury attorney Matt Kaplan represents clients who were injured in car accidents, truck crashes, bicycle collisions, pedestrian accidents, and motorcycle crashes involving negligent drivers.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Agenda for Distracted Driving Summit, Department of Transportation, September 16, 2009
The Facts about Distracted Driving – Know the Dangers/Avoid the Risks, AAA Foundation.org
Related Web Resources:
Hands Free, Text Messaging, and Cell Phone Driving Laws

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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A three-vehicle crash on Highway 30 injured three people on Monday. The Oregon car accident took place around 5pm when Clatskanie resident Jeffrey Lidgett swerved his van to avoid hitting a deer. In an attempt to avoid Lidgett’s vehicle, Castle Rock driver Justin Aldrich drove onto the road’s eastbound shoulder. Another vehicle, a BMW, also tried to get onto the shoulder, but was struck by Lidgett’s van.

The driver of the BMW, Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division Captain Eric Hendricks, and his wife Nadine, sustained serious injuries from the Oregon auto accident. Hendricks had to be flown to Legacy Emanuel Hospital. His wife was also transported by air to Oregon Health Sciences University. Lidgett, who sustained non-life threatening injuries, was taken to the hospital.

Oregon State Police have been investigating the accident. The Oregon Department of Transportation reports that 2% of Oregon car accidents involve wild animals.

Motorists are expected to drive carefully at all times—even when avoiding wild animals and pets on the road. The Oregon State Police recommends that if faced with the choice of striking the animal or swerving into another vehicle, it is safer to hit the animal if stopping in time is not an option.

If you have been injured in an Oregon car accident, it is important that you are represented by a Portland, Oregon injury attorney who has the resources, manpower, and knowledge to successfully pursue your case. Not only will you need someone who knows how to examine the crash site and any accident evidence, but your car accident lawyer can deal with the insurers and push for the maximum recovery possible during settlement negotiations or in court.

Clatskanie man cited for Monday’s accident in which senior Portland policeman and wife were hurt, The Daily Astorian, September 23, 2009
Portland traffic captain, wife remain in critical condition after 3 car crash, Oregon Live, September 22, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Oregon Department of Transportation

What to do after a car accident, MSN

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Traffic was backed up for miles on Interstate 5 on Friday following an Oregon traffic accident involving several motorcycles. The riders belong to the Brother Speed outlaw motorcycle club.

The Oregon motorcycle accident happened as approximately 26 riders, traveling in the left lane and following a car, were forced to slow down because traffic ahead had slowed down. Unfortunately, several of the motorcycles collided with one another, causing a pileup on the road. A vehicle in one of the lanes also hit one of the motorcycles.

Two riders sustained critical injuries. They were flown to Portland hospitals. Seven other traffic crash victims were driven to hospitals for hip injuries, shoulder injuries, and broken bones.

With so many vehicles involved, it can be difficult to determine who was liable for causing the Oregon motorcycle collision without the help of an experienced Oregon personal injury lawyer.

Getting thrown off a motorcycle can lead to serious injuries and the rider’s helmet and protective gear are often not enough to prevent serious injury or death. Hospital expenses and rehabilitation costs for motorcycle injuries can start to add up, and a Portland, Oregon motorcycle accident lawyer can make sure that you receive your financial recovery.

Motorcycle accidents can result in broken bones, burn injuries, paralysis, other spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death.

Protective steps motorcyclists can take to avoid getting involved in traffic accidents with other motorcycles or vehicles:

• Watch out for possible hazards.
• Make sure you are visible to other drivers and riders.
• Make sure that you can see the other vehicles and pedestrians around you.
• Make sure that there is enough stopping distance between you and other vehicles. This will vary depending on how fast you are going.
• Always pay attention to the vehicles in front of and around you.
• Pass other vehicles carefully.

26 Brother Speed motorcycles crash on I-5; traffic back, Oregon Live, September 18, 2009
Multiple motorcycle accident closes I-5, Newberg Graphic, September 18, 2009
Related Web Resources:
The Hurt Report

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

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As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs from September 12 – September 18, 2009, parents and caregivers can go to one of many free safety seat inspection stations located throughout Oregon (see link below) to get their child safety seats checked. The inspection allows trained passenger safety technicians to make sure that you are using the correct seat for your child’s size and that the seat is correctly installed in your vehicle.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the child safety seat use is at its highest rate ever, 75% of the safety restraint devices are not being used correctly. This can be very dangerous for the child, who can get seriously hurt or die in a Portland, Oregon car accident without a properly fitting, or fitted, child car safety seat.

Of course, there are also the child injuries and deaths that can occur during motor vehicle crashes because a child car safety seat was defectively designed or product flaws occurred during the manufacture process. Over the last several years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has had to recall child safety seats when these flaws have proved too dangerous that lives are at risk.

Some examples of child car safety seat defects that may lead to products liability lawsuits involving injuries to minors:

• Defective plastic shells
• Harness defects
• Design flaws involving the buckle or latch
• Failure to warn of possible hazards
• Inadequate instructions
It is devastating for a parent to have his or her child suffer serious injuries in any kind of Oregon auto accident. It can be even more upsetting to know that those injuries could have prevented if only your son or daughter had been properly protected by a child car safety seat, a booster seat, a seat belt, or another safety restraint system.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Launches Child Passenger Safety Week, NHTSA, September 10, 2009
Related Web Resources:
National Child Passenger Safety Week

Child Safety Inspection Stations in Oregon offering free inspections this week

Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2009, American Academy of Pediatrics

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In Multnomah County Circuit Court, Jack Alvord pleaded guilty to reckless driving, drunk driving, and third-degree assault in the Portland, Oregon pedestrian crash that seriously injured 51-year-old Norman Larkin, who is blind. Alvord, 61, pleaded no contest to hit-and-run driving. Yesterday, a judge sentenced Alvord to 22 months in prison.

Larkin broke his pelvis and legs during the Oregon traffic accident that took place on February 7. Alvord’s car drove onto the sidewalk, struck Larkin, and pinned him against a utility pole. 14 people saw the catastrophic pedestrian crash.

Some of the witnesses followed Alvord and boxed him in so he couldn’t get away. His blood-alcohol level was more than four times the drunk driving limit at .3%.

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50 SW Pine St 3rd Floor Portland, OR 97204 Telephone: (503) 226-3844 Fax: (503) 943-6670 Email: matthew@mdkaplanlaw.com
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