Every 48 minutes in the United States, someone dies in a motor vehicle crash involving a drunk driver. That is 30 people a day, and over 10,000 a year.

Nearly a third of traffic related deaths are due to alcohol impaired drivers at a cost to the nation of more than $51 billion.

In 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs which is only one percent of the 112 million who say they have driven whilst under the influence.

Those who are most likely to drive whilst drunk are younger rather than older. Among drivers with a Blood Alcohol Concentration above the legal limit over one in three were between 21 and 24 years old.  The next two largest groups were ages 25 to 34 (30%) and 35 to 44 (25%).

Motorcyclists are also driving whilst impaired as of those killed in fatal crashes in 2010, 28% had BACs above the legal limit.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

About one mile south of Pierce on Wednesday afternoon, at 2:19 p.m., on Highway 13, a tanker truck hauling diesel was involved in a deadly collision with a pickup.

Pierce County Sheriff Rick Eberhardt said  that a pickup driven by Chance White, 16, which was travelling northbound, was attempting to turn west onto County Road 852, when it was hit from behind by a semi-trailer, also travelling northbound and hauling a large amount of diesel fuel. The pickup was forced off the road and the semi tanker overturned in the ditch on the west side of the road.

The sheriff said that the Jaws of Life were used to remove the semi tanker driver, Eldon “Red” Kassebaum, 66, of West Point, from the vehicle, and he was taken to Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, where he later died from his injuries.

Following the accident, the tanker was leaking fuel which caused the highway to be shut down for several hours until fire crews were able to stop the leak.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

According to the Nebraska Department of Highway Safety, one in every 46 Nebraska drivers will be involved in an auto accident each year, with the most common injury being neck strain, also known as whiplash.  These injuries usually occur where a vehicle is hit from behind causing the driver’s head to snap forward and then back again. The injury, if serious can cause chronic pain and joint dysfunction.

The second common type of injury is a back injury which can be either soft tissue or spinal damage. The back is easily injured by impact and trauma which can cause nerve or muscular damage and herniated discs.

Head injuries are the third most common auto accident injury as the body can be tossed around the vehicle on impact.  On the one hand it may be simple bruising or lacerations but it can be a TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury which is the result of a severe blow to the head. A TBI can be mild or extensive, and can occur regardless of how minimal the impact may be. They can cause memory loss, functional deficits, headaches, dizziness or loss of consciousness.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

GM Compensation
http://youtu.be/kEkmi6opc7o

Following the discovery that a faulty switch was responsible for several fatal car accidents involving GM vehicles, Lawyer Kenneth Feinberg has been appointed to operate the compensation scheme to ensure that the relatives of the victims, and those who were injured, receive compensation.

Following a meeting with the families Feinberg has revealed the eligibility process and outlined how the awards will be calculated.

He said that he will be the one calculating the awards, which will be worked out using the same mathematical formula which has been used for years by judges, juries and lawyers. Firstly he will assess the potential lifetime earnings of the victims, should they not have died nor have been injured. On top of this he will then add an amount for pain and suffering and any other additional expenses.

Feinberg stated that under the protocol agreed with GM, they would not interfere in his work, would have no say on the amounts he agreed nor was there any cap in place. Finally they had no right of appeal concerning the payouts.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident with defective vehicle, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

There is currently a debate underway at the U.S. Senate proposing a change to the federal rules on safety measures for truck drivers.

Last week there was a move to suspend the current regulations, which took effect a year ago.  The regulations establish rest periods for truck drivers, stating that they have to rest for at least 34 hours consecutively, which must include two nights from 1 a.m. to  5 a.m. before they begin their working week and limit their maximum working week to 70 hours, a reduction from the previous 82 hours. There is also a prescribed rest period of 30 minutes in the first 8 hours of work.

However, there is now a move afoot to suspend these measures, proposed by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, as the regulations apparently have had some unanticipated consequences on the industry.

Trucker Sleep

The requested change comes in the wake of the deadly truck accident involving actor Tracy Morgan, which killed his friend and left him badly injured.  Many experts believe that the controls had resulted in a reduction in the quantity of tractor trailer related trucking accident injuries and deaths.

Tractor trailer accidents are some of the most devastating and deadly on the roads.  If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident with a tractor trailer, or other kind of truck, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today.

Truck drivers operate the largest, most powerful, vehicles commonly found on United States roads and highways. Due to the massive sizes of these automobiles, truck drivers have a special responsibility to always operate their trucks in the safest manner possible. Due to the nature of trucking, in which truck drivers attempt to deliver goods as quickly as possible, there have been a number of notable trucking accidents over the years in which truck drivers have driven without getting sufficient sleep, causing them to lose focus and clarity and eventually crash.

Last week comedian Tracy Morgan, who rose to popularity for his role on the television show “30 Rock”, was severely injured in an automobile accident involving a Wal-Mart 18 wheeler. Reports indicate that the driver of the big three had not slept in at least 24 hours. The accident, which injured several and killed Morgan’s friend and fellow comedian, occurred when the truck driver failed to slow down in response to slowing traffic. If reports that the truck driver had been awake for over 24 hours prove true, this will mean that he was in violation of federal law at the time the accident occurred.

It is not wise or fair to imply that all truck drivers engage in the dangerous practice of driving while drowsy. However, without a doubt truckers who fall asleep at the wheel pose a significantly greater danger to the drivers around them than other automobile drivers do under similar circumstances. We encourage all Nebraska drivers to only drive when they are sure that they can safely operate their vehicles. This means only driving when well rested.

If you have been injured, or a loved one of yours has been killed, in an accident involving a truck in Nebraska, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today.