According to Distraction.gov, the official U.S. government website for distracted driving, over 420,000 people were injured in vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2013. And, that same year saw over 3,000 people die in crashes with distracted drivers. In fact, approximately 18% of all crashes involve distraction. 

These are huge numbers when you consider that any vehicle collision that occurs because a driver is distracted is a collision that was probably preventable.

So, what are these drivers doing instead of focusing on the road? Unfortunately, the answer to that isn’t very surprising. In the majority of distracted driving cases, the distracted driver is texting or using a cell/smart phone. In fact, one study found that crash risk increases as much as four times when a driver is using a cell phone.

But texting and talking aren’t the only distractions causing crashes. Other activities contributing to distracted driving statistics include eating and drinking, grooming, watching videos, adjusting a radio or CD player, and reading. One frightening statistic pointed out that at any given daylight moment in the U.S., approximately 660,000 drivers are using their cell phones or other electronic devices while driving.

Unlike some other states which have no legislation in place to control distracted driving, Wisconsin law currently bans texting for all drivers and bans all cell phone use for novice drivers. That doesn’t mean, however, that someone who was injured in a car crash with a driver who was distracted for some other reason could not pursue a personal injury lawsuit.

Regardless of why a driver is distracted, if you are injured in a collision due to the fault of a distracted driver, you may be able to mount a successful case.

If you or a loved one was injured due to a distracted driver, we may be able to help. Call Milwaukee car accident lawyer at Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. for a free consultation.

 

If you’ve ever been in a car accident, chances are that it happened five or fewer miles from your home. In fact, there’s precisely a 23% chance that it happened one mile or less from your home and a 29% chance that it happened between two and five miles from your home. Although no one can say for sure why car accidents are so much more likely to happen close to home, one thing is clear: Automobile accidents tend to happen more often in certain places.

If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid being in a car accident so far, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to stay alert.

One of the reasons that people are more likely to crash close to home may be that when people drive in familiar places, they’re more likely to go on “autopilot” and less likely to react in time to dangerous situations. Stay in the moment by staying alert and you may be able to avoid a crash.

Proximity to home isn’t the only factor that can influence the likelihood of an accident. Other factors include:

• Time of day. With so many drivers on the road, it should come as no surprise that rush hour is an especially dangerous time to drive. According to esurance insurance, 16% of fatal car accidents occur between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and another 31% of fatal accidents happen between 6 p.m. and midnight.
• Busyness. Although it may seem counterintuitive, deserted roads may be more dangerous than busy ones. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), there were nearly 3,000 more fatal accidents on rural roads than on urban streets in 2013 alone.

Unfortunately, even someone who does everything “right” on the road can find him- or herself injured in a car accident. With over 250 million cars on American roads, chances are that every one of us will be injured in a car accident some day. And, with that in mind, one of the easiest ways that you can minimize physical harm to yourself in the event of a crash is by wearing your seatbelt.

Unless there is a manufacturing defect in your vehicle’s seatbelt, your seatbelt is more likely to help protect you from physical damage in the event of an accident than harm you. Although many drivers neglect to wear their seatbelts when they make quick trips close to home, the statistics prove that most accidents happen so close to home that no quick trip should be considered in a “safe zone.” Buckle up, no matter how short your trip.

Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. are experienced Milwaukee car accident lawyers eager to represent anyone who has been injured in a car accident through no fault of his or her own. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation if you think you have a case.

GM Recall News for Milwaukee Drivers

GM will not limit recall related car accident compensation

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, July 11, 2014.

This GM recall news for Milwaukee drivers is provided as a service for our readers. Many of our Milwaukee readers have been staying current with the latest from General Motors, specifically the many recalls that continue to plague the company.

According to the attorney overseeing compensation to the victims of car accidents related to faulty ignition switches, the company is not placing a limit on how much it will pay. The total could easily reach billions of dollars.

GM has tied 13 deaths to the faulty switches, including those in popular cars such as the Saturn Ion and Chevrolet Cobalt. There is the chance for hundreds of others to come forward and file personal injury and wrongful death claims against the company.

A well-known compensation expert is making the call on how much victims or relatives of the deceased will receive, not the automaker. At a recent press conference he added that, “GM has basically said whatever it costs to pay any eligible claims under the protocol, they will pay it. There is no ceiling.”

The company did note that any victims from the most recent recall of 8.2 million vehicles will not be included in the fund, which could add to trouble down the road.

There are times when a car accident happens because a driver is negligent in their actions. There are also times, such as in the case of these GM accidents, where a driver crashes because of a defective part. The automaker continues to issue recalls for related issues, while also working on a plan to provide compensation to those who have been injured, or for the family they left behind.

Source: Journal Sentinel, “GM won’t limit ignition switch crash compensation”

Do you need legal advice from a Milwaukee personal injury attorney following an accident? Contact Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. today for a free consultation.

News for Milwaukee GM Drivers

General Motors must realize safety comes before profits

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, May 17, 2014.

The president of the Wisconsin Association for Justice, recently penned an article about the importance of automakers, specifically General Motors, putting safety before profit.

A car accident can happen at any time, but this should never be the result of a defective automobile. Unfortunately, GM knew about several million vehicles with a faulty ignition switch but neglected to issue a recall as it would have a negative impact on the company’s finances.

General Motors has worked hard to hide the facts from millions of consumers, which has led to multiple deaths and many more injuries.

Fortunately, some victims are not going away easily. Instead, they continue to fight in hopes of finding out what went wrong. For example, the family of a 29-year-old woman who died when her Chevy Cobalt lost power and crashed continues to push forward, with the help of an attorney, in digging up information that GM tried to hide. This includes a report showing that it would have cost the company $0.57 to replace the faulty part.

Not only did GM build and sell millions of cars that were unsafe, the company did not do anything to fix the problem once it became aware of the dangers. Instead, they kept this under wraps.

When corporations, such as GM, decide that profits are more important than safety, it is often times up to the civil justice system to step in and hold the at fault party responsible. Despite the many lives that were lost, it is good to see that the families of these people are fighting to learn what really happened.

Source: Wisconsin Association for Justice, “A Calling: Safety First” Chris Stombaugh, May. 14, 2014

If you or your family needs legal representation following an accident, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

News for Milwaukee GM Owners

GM recall leads to lawsuit over Wisconsin car accident

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

GM has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, as the company continues to deal with the backlash of its most recent recall. Not only is the company dealing with troubles in the here and now, but the recall is bringing up bad memories for people throughout the country. In 2006 in Wisconsin, a car accident left two teenage girls dead and a third with brain damage.

For many months, the families of the girls searched for information as to what may have happened. One of the girl’s father’s said, “Accidents can happen and we figured it was a bad turn of events. We weren’t OK with it because it didn’t make a lot of sense. We always knew something happened. We know the car shut off within five seconds (before) the crash. The steering wheel locked up.”

While the trio of teens returned from a trip to a local store, the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by one of the girls lost power and steering. Subsequently, it hit a raised driveway and eventually crashed into two trees and a telephone pole. Furthermore, the airbags did not deploy.

At the time, investigators said that the car’s ignition was in the accessory position as opposed to run. It was not until last month that the families found their answer when the 2005 Cobalt was part of a GM recall related to faulty ignition switches.

A defect led to this car accident, which killed two girls and severely injured a third. On top of this, it took several years for the families to finally find out what happened. As a result, the families have filed a lawsuit against GM.

Source: Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, “General Motors recall spurs lawsuit over fatal 2006 Wisconsin accident” Gitte Laasby, Mar. 22, 2014

If you need legal representation an accident involving an auto defect, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

News for Milwaukee Chrysler Drivers

Chrysler issues another recall for midsize vehicles

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

For the second time in as many months, Chrysler LLC has issued a recall on vehicles to correct a potentially fatal problem. As we reported in a prior post, the American automaker reluctantly yielded to federal regulators and issued a recall for Jeep Grand Cherokees and Jeep Liberty models that had fuel tanks that could be compromised in rear-end collisions. That recall involved more than 2 million vehicles.

The current recall has to do with defective microcontrollers imbedded in a vehicle’s headrest. The controller is supposed to move the seat forward in rear-impact crashes, thereby reducing the potential for neck injuries.

However, researchers discovered that many of the microcontrollers were not working. Chrysler blames the defects on a product shortage out of Japan stemming from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled vehicle production (as well as production of vital parts) for months. The shortage led to a number of subpar controllers being installed.

As such, Chrysler is recalling almost 500,000 vehicles that may have defective chips. This includes 442,000 in the United States, as well as 25,000 sold in Canada. The affected vehicles include 2011 through 2013 Chysler Sebrings, Chrysler 200s and Dodge Avengers; 2011 and 2012 Dodge Nitros and 2011 through 2013 Jeep Libertys.

Recalls are a necessary part of auto safety. Automakers have a legal duty to produce safe vehicles and notify consumers of defects that could put them in danger. If they fail to do so, they could be held liable for the injuries that occur as a result of an uncorrected defect.

Source: CNN.com, Chrysler recalls nearly half-million vehicles over head restraint issue, July 5, 2013

Contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney for a free initial consultation for your car accident injury case.

Recall News from Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyers

More than 2 million Jeeps to be recalled

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, June 19, 2013.

We noted in a prior post the potential danger late model Jeep Grand Cherokees had for fatal accidents due to the positioning of its gas tank. Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that if another car rear-ended the Cherorkee at a high rate of speed a fire could ensue which threatens the safety of its occupants.

Because of this, the NHTSA recommended that Chrysler (Jeep’s parent company) recall these vehicles so that safety enhancements could be added. However, Chrysler resisted; explaining that the danger was remote and unnecessary given the cost of such a recall.

The decision caused a standoff between the automaker and federal regulators and threatened to spark additional action to get Chrysler to comply. This ostensibly included public hearings where victims of horrific accidents would testify and tell their stories of fuel tank fires caused by rear-end collisions, and would have led to a public relations nightmare for Chrysler.

The potential for lost sales was likely the impetus for the automaker’s change of heart. It quickly reversed course and reported that it would allow owners to add trailer hitches to vehicles that previously did not have them. Chrysler explained that the hitch adds more protection for gas tanks.

Automakers have a legal duty to protect against (and correct) defects that could lead to accidents and injuries. Reasonable care must be taken to ensure that consumers are protected from such dangers, and a product recall is a common example of how an automaker satisfies such a duty.

The recall will affect Jeep Grand Cherokees built between 1993 and 2004, as well as Jeep Liberty models between 2002 and 2007.

Source: ABC News.com, Chrysler agrees to recall of Jeeps at risk of fire, June 18, 2013

To contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney regarding your car accident injury lawsuit, call 414-289-0909 today.

Manufacturer News from Milwaukee Auto Defect Attorneys

Chrysler rebuffs recall of late model SUVs and Libertys

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, June 5, 2013.

Chrysler Group, LLC has gone through a renaissance since being bailed out by the federal government. Many of its models, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Dart have enjoyed robust sales. Also, they have been noted for customer quality and safety, two things that could not be said about previous models.

Because of this, it is not surprising that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommended that Chrysler recall thousands of Grand Cherokees built between 1993 and 2004. The same recommendation was issued for Jeep Liberty models built between 2005 and 2007.

NHTSA researchers found that the gas tank located near the vehicle’s rear axle could be damaged in rear-end collisions. A ruptured gas tank could spill fuel which can spark an explosion or lead to a deadly fire. Either poses a substantial danger to the vehicle’s occupants.

Despite the research, Chrysler insists that no recall is necessary and that its vehicles are safe. It believes that the likelihood of a gas tank explosion is so remote that the vehicles do not need repairs, which would cost the company upwards of $200 million.

Nevertheless, automakers have a duty to keep vehicles safe. Recalls enable them to correct defects and prevent consumers from being injured. If an automaker breaches this duty by not complying with a recall order, they could be held liable for injuries suffered in accidents caused by the defect.

In the meantime, the NHTSA may seek legal action to enforce its recommendation, as it did once before (in 1996) with the Dodge Stratus, and Milwaukee auto defect attorneys will continue to watch as this story evolves.

Source: ABC News.com, Chrysler refuses US request to recall vehicles, June 5, 2013

To contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney regarding your car accident injury lawsuit, call 414-289-0909 today.