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world health organization

Traffic deaths in cars? U.S. is No. 1

October 20, 2015 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

The World Health Organization released numbers on Monday morning as part of its “Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015,” prompting the Wall Street Journal to promote a headline on social media titled “11 Deadliest Places to Drive.” I came across the article as I was scrolling through my news feed and noticed that the United States ranks sixth on WSJ’s Deadliest list with more than 34,000 traffic deaths per year, trailing densely populated countries like China and India. Also tucked in the report: The U.S. ranks first in the percentage of traffic deaths in cars. More on that in a sec.

You can click here for a comprehensive look at the WHO report, but here are some highlights in the meantime:

  • 105 countries have good seat-belt laws that apply to all occupants;
  • 47 countries have good speed laws defining a national urban maximum speed limit of 50 Km/h and empowering local authorities to further reduce speed limits;
  • 34 countries have a good drink–driving law with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of less than or equal to 0.05 g/dl as well as lower limits of less than or equal to 0.02 g/dl for young and novice drivers;
  • 44 countries have helmet laws that apply to all drivers, passengers, roads and engine types; require the helmet to be fastened and refer to a particular helmet standard;
  • 53 countries have a child restraint law for occupants of vehicles based on age, height or weight, and apply an age or height restriction on children sitting in the front seat.

The stats seemingly provide positive news given how many cars/drivers there are on the road. In fact, this year’s total traffic-related deaths (1.25 million around the world) are slightly down from last year’s total.

The bad news, however, is that the numbers are still way too high, and the U.S. is No. 1 when it comes to the percentage of traffic deaths in cars at 64 percent; meaning 64 percent of most traffic deaths took place in cars, as opposed to a pedestrian who may have been struck by a vehicle while walking. That’s higher than Russia, Iran, Brazil and China, the next five respective leaders, one of which has a gross population that’s more than triple the number of people living in the U.S.

Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 3.15.07 PM
Source: World Health Organization

What does the WHO report mean as it relates to drivers in the U.S.? On the surface, it could mean that many of us are simply bad drivers. More likely, it means that driving laws in the U.S.—whether it involves seat belt enforcement, hours-of-service laws, or speed limit restrictions—need to be re-evaluated. The WHO noted in its report that countries that have the most success reducing the number of road traffic deaths have done so through legislation and an emphasis on enforcement.

If you’re like us, that means taking a closer look at lax trucking legislation that could spell problems down the road. Earlier this month, Jay wrote about semi-trucks getting heavier by the ton, and we’ve been keeping watch on a law that may eventually allow 18-year-olds to get behind the wheel of a 40-ton tractor-trailer. Insurance policies are capped at a level that often proves meager for truck crash victims, forcing many of them to battle it out in court for an equitable sum. Here in Illinois, for example, the state increased the maximum speed limit at the beginning of the 2015 for trucks in certain rural parts of the state—from 55mph to 60mph. The question safety advocates were asking: was it really necessary?

The bottom line with regard to all of this is that, yet again, the driving laws in the U.S. need to be looked at with a more critical eye. As mentioned, traffic-related deaths have decreased in comparison to years past: that’s a shred of progress, but it’s still happening too slow. It’s time to start moving a little faster.

Spinal injuries and the long road to recovery

September 11, 2015 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

Auto accidents account for 36 percent of new SCI cases

Part of representing injury victims is conducting a thorough analysis of their injuries. When we submit images of dismantled cars and busted limbs, or talk in detail about the drunk driver who decided to get behind the wheel of a car on his/her way home from a bar, it’s not to indulge in gruesome details but to point out the consequences of dangerous conduct. For many of our clients that have suffered because of carelessness, it’s a long road to recovery, even a life-long affliction that never goes away.

Spinal injuries are some of the worst injuries we see on a regular basis. And unlike other injuries, they’re impossibly difficult to overcome both physically and financially. We’re talking damage to generative tissue, disc fractures and limb paralysis that require long hours of rehab. That’s to say nothing of the medical bills. The average yearly health care, living expenses and estimated lifetime costs attributed to Spinal Chord Injuries (SCI), hovers around $70,000 per year. That’s taking into account several financial variables but you get the idea. What’s worse is that victims go broke on their way to a civil case, which insurance companies aim to settle for barely a fraction of what most people would consider fair compensation. That’s a different conversation altogether. It’s these types of cases that ultimately cause more frustration than anything else, the injury notwithstanding.

The Rehab Institute of Chicago sees these cases each day. Michele Lee was one of them. Michele, just 26-years-old, was in car accident that fractured one of her vertebrae, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. You can read about it on the Rehab Institute’s website. She suffered limited mobility in her hands and had trouble breathing. She eventually made her way back to China, only to be disappointed by the treatment she was receiving. Several hospital stints later, all of which turned out to be costly and ineffective, Lee wound up at RIC. Through the Institute’s Second Look program, she was able to get detailed evaluations and work her way back toward a relatively normal life here in Chicago.

Lee is just one of hundreds of thousands of people around the world dealing with chronic conditions that has turned into an epidemic. Roughly 450,000 people are living with SCI in the United States, 12,000 of which are newly classified each year. Thirty-six percent of all new cases are the result of motor vehicle accidents, says the Shepherd Center, a private medical hospital in Atlanta that specializes in SCI. Think about that for a minute: 36 percent of new cases are the result of motor vehicle accidents. That’s close to half. The World Health Organization notes that 90 percent of Spinal Chord Injuries are the result of traumatic causes like road traffic crashes, falls and violence. However you want to look at it, whether by global region or economic status, I think we can all agree the stats are not good.

What we aim to achieve through the legal system is to provide fair compensation for those accident victims who have suffered the consequences of negligent activity. It’s no coincidence that nearly half of spinal injuries are related to auto accidents, as they can be vicious and unexpected. We’ve handled many of these types of cases, and they’re not easy. They’re uncomfortable. And many times, it’s our job to recreate the events leading up to an accident, much of which is painful for client. We’re also here to understand the injuries of our clients as comprehensively as possible, something that most people wouldn’t necessarily assume a trial lawyer would be inclined to do. We take depositions, hire expert witnesses and gather as much information as possible to make the lives of our clients easier in the face of incomprehensible circumstances.

That’s always been our priority, and it always will be.

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