In 2017, a 52-year-old man was struck by two cars as he rode his bicycle through an intersection in Sloan Lake. The cyclist was initially struck by a driver who failed to notice the bicyclist as they turned left in the intersection. The first collision knocked the rider off his bicycle, and a second vehicle ran over the victim as he laid on the ground, dragging him a number of feet on the road. The man suffered severe spinal injuries and now has paralysis in his arms and legs. 

Just over a year later, the man was awarded $52 million in one of the largest civil victories in Colorado’s history. For bicyclists throughout the state, the jury’s decision was an encouraging step toward helping those injured in bicycle accidents due to driver negligence. Still, insurance companies try to fight against providing injured bicyclists the full compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one are injured in a bicycle accident, seek skilled legal assistance immediately. 

On February 3, an SUV driver was fatally injured near Colorado Springs when they lost control of their vehicle, crashed into an oncoming car, and ultimately collided with a concrete barrier. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision after being ejected from the vehicle. A female passenger was in stable condition after suffering injuries in the accident. 

For drivers throughout the state of Colorado, the accident served as a reminder of the importance of wearing a seat belt. Ejection from a vehicle significantly increases the chance of fatal injuries. If you or a loved one are involved in a motor vehicle collision, the use of a seat belt could save a life. 

On January 16, an elderly man was seriously injured when he crashed his vehicle into several homes in a small housing community south of Denver. According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the collision was ultimately caused by a medical condition that prompted the 86-year-old driver to lose control of his vehicle. 

While not all elderly drivers face an increased risk of motor vehicle collisions, many suffer from pre-existing medical conditions or face a decline in motor skills and vision. These issues can create danger whenever they operate a car, especially during bad weather.

On January 6, a car crash on Interstate 25 outside Colorado Springs sent three people to the hospital with severe injuries. The accident occurred when the car flipped on the roadway and ultimately crashed into a light pole. Of the passengers injured, one was a young child. For parents in Colorado, this accident serves as a reminder of the serious injuries young children can suffer in motor vehicle collisions. 

In 2016, 730 children under 13 were fatally injured in car crashes in the United States. That number is around half of the total number of children killed in car crashes in 1975, thanks largely to improved vehicle safety measures. Listed below are a few simple steps you can take to lower their risk of severe car accident injury. 

Over the past few years, law enforcement personnel and state agencies have noticed a dangerous trend: fatal car accidents are rising throughout the United States. While initiatives to increase safe driving practices are helpful, including mandatory seatbelt use, other factors seem to be offsetting the positive effects of these initiatives. Increases in cell-phone use and other forms of distracted driving have played a role in the increase of fatal collisions, but highway traffic agencies now think another primary reason for the jump in traffic deaths is increased speed limits. 

Traffic Fatalities Rising in the United States

According to statistics compiled by the National Safety Council (NSC), there were 40,100 motor vehicle deaths throughout the United States in 2017. While this number marked a 1 percent decrease when compared to 2016, the bigger concern is the steady climb in fatalities over recent years. In 2016, the number of traffic deaths rose by more than 5 percent. While the slight decrease in 2017 is encouraging, recent trends suggest much more work is needed to increase safety nationwide. 

Every year, thousands of Americans are hurt in motor vehicle collisions. The most common car accident is when one vehicle hits another from behind. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 28 percent of all car accidents in the United States are rear-end collisions. Studies conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found an average of 1.7 million rear-end accidents occur each year, with a staggering 500,000 serious injuries. 

Despite the fact only 6 percent of rear-end crashes result in fatalities, these collisions can result in severe injuries with long-lasting symptoms. If you or a loved one were injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact a legal team you can believe in and seek medical attention even if injury symptoms are not immediately present. 

Despite the fact that drunk driving charges can come with extensive jail time, substantial fines, and potential driver’s license suspension, hundreds of thousands of American drivers continue to drive drunk. In Colorado, drunk driving continues to pose a massive problem for law enforcement officials throughout the state. Although traffic officials throughout Colorado have implemented more DUI checkpoints and increased surveillance of the roadways, drunk driving continues to increase, and many people are seriously injured in accidents caused by drunk drivers. If you or a loved one are impacted by the reckless and negligent actions of a drunk driver, you should work with an experienced attorney to determine your options for pursuing financial compensation. 

Drunk Driving Rising in Colorado

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, DUI arrests rose by just under 30% from 2016 to 2017. In all, a staggering 10,359 drivers were arrested by Colorado state police in 2017 for driving under the influence of alcohol. This increase in drunk drivers has resulted in a tragically high number of fatalities. In 2017 alone, 226 people died due to alcohol-impaired driving in Colorado. While excessive speeding and distracted driving continue to be traffic issues that cause concern, drunk driving is a leading cause of motor vehicle collisions in Colorado. 

Alcohol-Impaired Driving Nationwide

Around the country, drunk driving is as big of an issue as it is here in Colorado. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 29 Americans die due to drunk driving every single day. Throughout 2016, more than 10,400 people died in motor vehicle collisions involving drunk drivers across the United States. Fortunately, law enforcement officials throughout the country are working diligently to lower the number of drunk drivers. Every year, state patrol officials and police officers arrest more than one million drivers for inebriated driving. 

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, you may not know what to do in either the immediate aftermath of the collision or the days following. Whether you were seriously injured and required emergency medical care or were able to safely leave the scene of the accident, you should take the following steps to protect yourself: 

Step 1 - Ensure Safety 

The first thing that should always be done following an accident is to calm down and ensure that everyone is okay. Unless you are severely injured and cannot move, it is a good idea to help others out of harm’s way and note the physical condition of each person and vehicle immediately following the accident. While making a mental note of all parties’ damages and injuries may is a good start, writing down detailed notes or taking pictures on a smartphone will ensure that this information is preserved. 

Step 2 - Call the Police

Call 911 to report the accident. It is in your best interests to have a police officer come to the scene of the accident and make a police report, which can be very helpful in determining who was at fault for the collision. Without a police report, the determination of fault will likely be based on incomplete information, such as statements from each party. A report from an impartial, trusted officer can be used to demonstrate what actually happened, reducing the likelihood of a dispute.