Posted on April 16, 2019 in Personal Injury

Throughout the United States, there are approximately 288,000 people living with some type of permanent spinal cord injury. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), an average of 17,700 spinal cord injuries occur each year in the U.S. In many of these cases, victims suffer from tetraplegia or paraplegia. 

Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries 

Spinal cord injuries come in two types of injury: a complete spinal cord injury, and an incomplete spinal injury. An incomplete spinal injury is an injury to the spine that results in partial damage to the spinal cord. Whether a person suffers a change in mobility depends on the extent of the injury and where the spine was injured. A complete spinal injury is an injury that ultimately results in permanent damage to the affected area. In many of these cases, victims suffer from tetraplegia or paraplegia.

Car Accidents and Spinal Cord Injuries

According to the NSCISC, the vast majority of spinal cord injuries occur in motor vehicle collisions. Around 38 percent of all spinal injuries are caused by car accidents. Unfortunately, serious damage to the spine can occur in even minor rear-end collisions. While the most common spine-related injury in car accidents is whiplash, significant spinal damage occurs often due to the victim’s inability to brace for the collision. 

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 Posted on April 10, 2019 in Car Accident

On April 8, a speeding driver hit a pedestrian on Colfax Avenue in Aurora, fatally injuring the pedestrian. Aurora Fire and Rescue rushed the individual to University Hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead. Police now believe the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. 

Drunk driving continues to be one of the largest traffic safety threats nationwide. Thousands of Americans are fatally injured each year due to the recklessness of inebriated drivers. If you or a loved one were injured in a collision involving a drunk driver, you are likely entitled to substantial injury compensation.  

Drunk Driving Statistics 

Drinking and driving substantially increases the likelihood of reckless driving. The most dangerous forms of reckless driving include speeding, swerving from lane to lane, and following other vehicles too closely. Due to the dangers that routinely accompany inebriated driving, many people lose their lives in crashes involving drunk drivers. 

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 Posted on April 03, 2019 in Car Accident

On March 26, a 51-year-old woman was fatally injured near Lyons when she veered off the road and lost control of her vehicle. After swerving off the right side of the road, the driver over-corrected, which ultimately caused the vehicle to roll over. As the vehicle rolled, the woman, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead when medical personnel arrived on the scene. 

Despite the fact that rollover accidents make up a small percentage of motor vehicle accidents, they are among the most dangerous. If you or a loved one were injured in a rollover crash due to another driver’s negligence, seek experienced legal guidance immediately. 

Dangerous Rollover Accidents 

According to statistics compiled by the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS), vehicles only roll over in approximately 1 percent of all car accidents. Yet in 2016, a total of 7,488 people were fatally injured in rollovers throughout the United States. In all, rollover fatalities made up 31 percent of all traffic deaths that year. Here in the state of Colorado, rollover accidents are more common than in other states, due in large part to inclement winter driving conditions and hilly terrain.

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 Posted on March 26, 2019 in Personal Injury

On March 22, a man in a wheelchair was fatally injured when he was struck by a motor vehicle in Pueblo. The accident occurred when the 55-year old man attempted to cross at the intersection of Highway 50 and Club Manor Drive. As police continue to investigate the exact cause of the accident, it is clear pedestrian collisions are an issue across the country. 

If you or a member of your family are injured after being struck by a motor vehicle, reckless or negligent actions by the driver may be to blame, and you should seek legal assistance immediately. 

Pedestrian Fatalities a Major Traffic Safety Issue 

Here in the United States, thousands of pedestrians are fatally injured in collisions involving motor vehicles each year. According to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 129,000 American pedestrians are hospitalized for injuries every year.

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 Posted on March 19, 2019 in Car Accident

While temperatures are beginning to rise, and Coloradans are gearing up for spring, hazardous weather is not gone yet. On March 14, drivers throughout the state were reminded of that when a winter storm brought blizzard conditions. Unfortunately, the impact was disastrous, as what initially began as a collision involving six vehicles on I-25 resulted in a pileup of 100 automobiles. The accident, which occurred near Wellington, left hundreds of passengers stranded on the interstate for hours. 

As temperatures dropped, and gusts of wind became more severe, those stranded were fearful for their lives. If your family is involved in a car accident during winter months, the failure to prepare can be a life-threatening omission. 

Car Accident Safety Tips 

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, approximately 116,800 Americans are injured in motor vehicle collisions while traveling in winter driving conditions every year. From snow to slush and ice, driving during the winter can decrease your ability to control your vehicle and bring it to a complete stop. An estimated 1,300 people die in car accidents every winter. Preparing for the possibility of a collision can be critically important to ensure you and your family make it out alive, especially in rural accidents.

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 Posted on March 12, 2019 in Car Accident

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Chicago and Rice University, traffic fatalities are on the rise throughout the United States. The study states fatal collisions have risen consistently since 2011, and it cites an increase in rideshare use as the primary reason.

A rideshare program is a network arranged by a website or phone app in which passengers travel to a destination in a private automobile and compensate the driver of the vehicle. Uber and Lyft are the best-known rideshare apps in the U.S.

If you or a member of your family are injured while traveling in a rideshare vehicle, securing injury compensation is a complicated process, and one best navigated by an experienced personal injury attorney.

Ridesharing Accidents

Estimates suggest rideshare programs have increased annual traffic deaths by 1,100 victims per year. In the event of a rideshare collision, it is important to act quickly. 

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 Posted on March 06, 2019 in Workplace Injury

Workers’ compensation claims involve many types of workplace injuries, including falls and motor vehicle collisions. Some of the most traumatizing work injuries come in the form of severe burns. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 486,000 Americans were hospitalized due to serious burns in 2016, and here in the state of Colorado, burn injuries are not uncommon for workers in the construction and oil and gas industries. If you or a loved one suffered a burn injury while at work, it is time to seek experienced legal representation to ensure your rights are protected.

Issues for Severe Burn Victims

With thousands of oil and gas workers throughout the state of Colorado, burn injuries are a fairly common occurrence. This past October, an oil worker was severely burned when the oil tank he was working on suddenly exploded. The oil field was located outside of Briggsdale, and the worker was rushed to a hospital in Greeley. After months in the hospital, the worker was finally able to return home.

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 Posted on February 26, 2019 in Car Accident

On February 14, a woman was fatally injured in a motor vehicle collision on Interstate 70. The crash occurred outside of Glenwood Springs, and when law enforcement arrived at the scene, the vehicle that caused the fatality had fled. The woman killed was a pedestrian and was found fatally injured on the roadway when emergency personnel arrived. 

According to a recent study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, approximately 65 percent of people killed in hit-and-run collisions are either pedestrians or bicyclists. In the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision, it is important to know how to react. If you or a loved one are involved in a motor vehicle collision, seek experienced legal help as soon as possible. 

Acting Quickly After a Hit-and-Run 

An average of 682,000 hit-and-run collisions occur each year in the United States. Alarmingly, annual fatal hit-and-run accidents have increased by an average of 7 percent each year since 2009. If you are involved in a hit-and-run crash, it is important to act quickly. 

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 Posted on February 20, 2019 in Uncategorized

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. 

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 Posted on February 13, 2019 in Workplace Injury

According to studies conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 2.8 million American workers were injured on the job in 2017. For employees in the oil and gas industry, injury risks are constantly present. From working on oil rigs to transferring hazardous materials, fossil fuel workers are among the most commonly injured in the U.S. Unfortunately, many oil and gas companies aggressively fight against compensation for employees who suffer on-the-job injuries.

Common Oil and Gas Industry Injuries 

Working in the oil and gas industry comes with greater risks than most occupations. From oil rig fires and explosions to platform construction accidents, workers face a heightened risk of injury on a daily basis. Many oil and gas workers are tasked with driving potentially explosive cargo on their site and to other work sites. More than 300 fossil fuel workers have died in transportation accidents over the past decade. 

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