Summer: The Deadliest Driving Season for Teens

The days between Memorial Day and Labor Day have been labeled “The 100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers. The danger begins with proms and graduation parties, but the worry for parents will not end there. Summer vacation means kids driving to their jobs, to friends’ houses, to get-togethers, and more, day and night.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that car accidents are the leading cause of death for youth in America. An average of 399 teens die in traffic accidents during each of the summer months – May through August – compared to an average of 346 deaths per month during non-summer months, according to AAA.

Legislation in Action

The Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act (STAND UP) was introduced to the U.S. House and Senate in the spring of 2011. This legislation would establish minimum federal requirements for state Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) laws in order to reduce new-driver crash risk.

Michigan’s new GDL law requires that teenage drivers with a Level 2 license now must comply with certain driving restrictions. Teens are not allowed to have more than one passenger under the age of 21 in a car they are operating – unless the passenger is a member of the driver’s immediate family, or the driver is traveling to or from a school or school-sanctioned event. Driving between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. is prohibited unless the teen is traveling to or from their job or traveling with a parent or licensed adult over the age of 21.

Cautions for Your Teen Driver

Though it can be incredibly convenient for parents to have teens in the house who can now get themselves (and younger siblings) from place to place, there are inherent dangers that come with teen driving. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning names speeding, careless driving, reckless driving, and failing to yield as the most hazardous actions that contribute to fatal auto accidents involving teen drivers. And, sadly, nighttime fatal crash rates for 16-year-old drivers are nearly double that of daytime crash rates.

Parents can help protect their teens by talking about safety and making smart driving choices, and by setting strict ground rules about car usage. Forbid phone calls or texting while driving – there is no reason for anyone (teen or otherwise) to be sending or receiving text messages while driving a vehicle. Require the use of seat belts at all times. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), low seat belt use is one of the main reasons teen driver and passenger fatality and injury rates remain so high. And, above all, discuss alcohol and that, under no condition, should your teen drive while intoxicated or get in a vehicle with another driver who has been drinking.

If your teen has been involved in an auto accident, contact Femminineo Attorneys PLLC to discuss your case with Michigan personal injury attorney David C. Femminineo.

David Femminineo Settles Auto Negligence Suit for $315K

Macomb attorney David Femminineo is featured in Michigan Lawyers Weekly for settling his client’s auto negligence suit, garnering his client compensation in the amount of $315,000.

The plaintiff in this Michigan auto negligence case – a passenger in the vehicle that was struck – suffered various traumatic injuries after being violently rear-ended by an ambulance. Mr. Femminineo used detailed accident reconstruction to successfully settle this auto negligence suit.

The Texting and Driving Habit Isn’t Getting Better

A recent study conducted by a branch of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that texting-and-driving has not dipped since 2010. In fact, it seems like some bad habits – such as young drivers using cell phones while behind the wheel – are actually on the rise.

Bad Driving Behavior

In 2011, about 660,000 people in the United States, at any moment on a regular weekday, were talking on their mobile phone while in the driver’s seat. But it’s not just talking on a cell phone that is putting drivers, passengers, and anyone on the road in danger. Double those 660,000 people were engaging with a mobile device by texting, emailing, checking the calendar, or mapping a route.

It was also found that teens and young adults were more likely to be texting or emailing while driving than people age 30 and older. A 22-year-old college student lost his life earlier this month when he allowed his car to drift into oncoming traffic because he was writing a text – his parents released the texts to serve as a warning to anyone who chooses to read or type on their phone while driving.

The Stats About Distracted Driving

Plenty of things are happening in cars because of cell phones when drivers should have their eyes on the road. But there are other reasons that auto accidents occur, beyond smartphones or electronic devices like a GPS or satellite radio. Daydreaming was actually singled out as the leading cause of fatal car crashes in this nation – 62 percent of 65,000 auto accidents surveyed involved drivers who were “lost in thought,” according to the Erie Insurance Group.

Ten states have made it illegal to use a cell phone while driving, and texting while driving is banned in 39 states, including Michigan. Laws against electronic device usage is even beginning to extend to apps with a California court ruling that it’s unacceptable to use any app, even a map app, while driving unless it is hands-free.

Putting an End to Cell Phones in Cars

Not so long ago, sitting in your car used to be a time to get away from it all, to listen to the radio and enjoy being disconnected from the office or life in general. Now we are always connected, even when we shouldn’t be. And auto accidents are often the result.

A survey by the NHTSA last year revealed that 74 percent of drivers support bans on phones while driving, 94 percent supported a texting ban, and those surveyed supported fines for distracted driving. Even though people are aware of their own bad habits, it still seems that legal action is necessary to stop dangerous behavior.

Be safe. Put the phone away when you get behind the wheel. And if you or a loved one has been affected by a distracted driving auto accident, contact Femminineo Attorneys PLLC to discuss your case with Michigan personal injury attorney David C. Femminineo.

David Femminineo Settles Third-Party Auto Negligence Suit for $1.4 Million

David Femminineo settled a third-party auto negligence suit for $315,000. A rear-seat passenger in that same accident was in a coma for three weeks as a result of the accident and, after her release from the hospital, required 24-hour home nursing.

The plaintiff – who had just retired after 35 years of work and not one sick day – received a settlement in this auto negligence suit of $1.4 million thanks to Mr. Femminineo. Michigan Lawyers Weekly features David C. Femminineo again as the Michigan attorney responsible for one of only a handful of settlements of over $1 million in the year this case was settled.

R U Still Txting in UR Car?

Chances are, you don’t even have a mobile device on the seat beside you if you or a loved one has been involved in an auto accident as the result of careless texting by a distracted driver. And now, by law, texting while driving is considered a primary offense in Michigan.

The Michigan no-texting law was signed last spring and is meant to protect Michigan drivers and make the roads safer for all drivers and passengers. Michigan cell phone laws now prohibit any form of texting – reading, writing, or sending text messages – while operating a motor vehicle. Each offense is considered a civil infraction and can incur a fine of $100 for the first violation and $200 for all subsequent violations.

Unfortunately, some Michigan drivers will go to any lengths to maintain their methods of on-the-go communication, even if it puts themselves and others at risk. Not only is having a communication device in your hands illegal, that iPhone, Blackberry, and plain old cell phone are also prohibited from being in your lap. However, on the lap is where many mobile devices reside when drivers are aiming to hide their indiscretions from the eyes of officers patrolling Michigan highways.

One quick look down while driving is enough to cause an auto accident. But a texting driver is more likely to take their eyes from the road for longer periods of time than a non-texting driver. And that results in far too many auto accidents, and preventable deaths. If you have endured injuries and damages or faced the loss of a loved one because of an auto accident caused by texting, you now have an even stronger defense for your case with this new no-texting legislation in place.

There is no excuse for carelessness on the highways. Drivers distracted by mobile devices – whether they’re texting or talking – are simply less responsible on the road. And if you’ve suffered an auto accident because of it, we can help you file a personal injury case and collect damages inflicted by the hands of an unobservant and irresponsible driver.

David C. Femminineo Proves Future Wage Loss Is Key to $300,000 Settlement

In this third-party auto accident case, the plaintiff, represented by David C. Femminineo, was violently rear-ended on Michigan’s I-75 by the defendant who was traveling at a high rate of speed. The plaintiff needed to be removed from his car with the “jaws of life” and the injuries he sustained ultimately landed him on permanent disability.

Mr. Femminineo is featured in Michigan Lawyers Weekly for proving that substantial future wage loss was a major key in garnering the $300,000 settlement for this plaintiff. Also crucial to the case: The plaintiff’s own insurance carrier never challenged the veracity of the plaintiff’s permanent disability claims and the carrier went to great efforts to rehabilitate him; the plaintiff’s deposition testimony made clear how drastically his personal finances and relationships were challenged following the accident.

 

Hire the Best Personal Injury Lawyer in Michigan

David C. Femminineo Has Helped Thousands Prove Their Case and Recovered Over $40 Million for Accident Victims

David C. Femminineo is Michigan's finest personal injury attorney. He has succeeded in recovering over $40 million for victims of highway accidents, medical malpractice, slips and falls, and those who have filed wrongful death suits in Macomb County and the surrounding areas.

David C. Femminineo – Personal Injury Lawyer

Call David C. Femminineo at 855-65-CRASH (27274) or click here to schedule a no-obligation, free consultation or request more information about the personal injury attorneys of Femminineo Attorneys, PLLC.

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(586) 954-9501 

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Why Hire A Personal Injury Attorney

When someone you loved dearly or you yourself have been hurt due to other people’s doing they must offer something that could compensate what you’ve been through in return. If they are the busy type, their insurance company could either take care of what’s needed to be done and give out a fair action. But then, in some cases, it won’t happen. Thus, you need to act on things and look out for experienced personal injury attorney. But what are personal injury attorneys?

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If you have suffered any sort of injury that was due to someone else's negligence, such as a dog bite, a serious accident, or even medical malpractice,

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