Montgomery Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents

Roof strength standard update on hold until Oct. 1

Scott Thomas — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:39:06 GMT

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was scheduled to release its amended and upgraded federal standard on vehicle roof strength requirements July 1. However, after input from a U.S. Senate hearing on June 4 that featured testimony from groups such as the People Safe in Rollovers Foundation, and which called for the proposal to be significantly strengthened, the NHTSA has delayed its announcement of the final roof strength standard to Oct. 1.

The original NHTSA proposal would upgrade the Federal Motor Vehicle Saftey Standard No. 216, extending coverage to vehicles with gross weight ratings up to 10,000 pounds, and requiring a roof withstand an applied force equal to 2.5 times the vehicle's weight while still maintaining sufficient headroom for an average adult male.

The upgrade would for the first time regulate the roof strength of many SUVs and pickup trucks, many of which are currently exempt under a 6,000-pound standard. The current requirement for roof strength is that a roof withstand applied force equal to only 1.5 times the vehicle's weight.

However, despite the suggested increases, research and consumer groups objected to the NHTSA proposal, saying the suggested new standard is still not tough enough to protect drivers and passengers. They call for a standard that would increase roof strength to withstand at least 3.5 times the vehicle's weight.

Results of a 2008 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research and communications organization, supports the call for a stronger standard. The study found that occupants in vehicles that meet the current strength requirements by a narrow margin have elevated injury risks compared to occupants in vehicles with stronger roofs. The IIHS estimates that a standard requiring roof strength to increase to a level of 3 or 3.5 times the vehicle's weight would save hundereds of lives each year.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Scott Thomas

Macon County Car Accident Injures Six

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:53:00 GMT

A holiday weekend car accident on Interstate 85 in Macon County injured six people on Sunday. They were all in a single vehicle headed north when the accident occured. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

State Troopers say the driver lost control and ran into the median. All six people were in the same vehicle. Two of them were "seriously" injured, but their wounds do not appear to be life threatening.

Two of the victims were airlifted to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries. It is unknown what caused the car accident. Alabama State Troopers are still investigating the accident and no charges have been filed. The interstate was closed in both directions while the victims were being tended to and the accident scene was cleaned up.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Man Killed in Montgomery Car Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:42:17 GMT

A 33-year-old man was killed in a car accident on Friday. The accident happened in Montgomery on Interstate 65. The driver lost control of his vehicle and hit a concrete barrier.

The area where the fatal crash occurred was in the northbound lane of I-65, beyond most of the construction hazards that have been a constant in the area since state highway crews began work on a widening and resurfacing project last year.

A spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Public Safety said Monday that preliminary reports don't indicate that construction hazards played any role in the fatal crash.

The victim was from Millbrook. There was no one else in the vehicle and it was a single car accident. Alabama State Troopers are still investigating the accident to find out the cause. It is unknown if the victim died at the scene.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Car Accidents in Alexandria Kills Two

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:30:13 GMT

Two men were killed in an Alexandria car accident on Wednesday evening. The victims were 19 and 20-years-old. There was a third person in the car that was injured.

It happened on Highway 431 near Wright’s dairy farm.

The southbound lanes were closed as crews cleaned up the scene.

No other vehicles were involved in the car accident. The accident is being investigated by Alabama State Troopers. It is unknown what condition the third victim is in. He is currently at Regional Medical Center undergoing treatment for his injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Alabama Girl Scouts in Car Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:13:00 GMT

Member of a Girl Scout troop from southern Alabama were involved in a single-car accident this week. The accident happened after a day of kayaking. The troop was making their way home in a caravan when when one of the vans was involved in an accident.

Brent says the girls were traveling in a caravan "They were all seat belted in. They were paying attention. The driver was paying attention, and just sort of over-corrected and went into the guard rail as we understand it," explained Brent.

Seven of the Girl Scouts were injured as well as the driver of the van. The most severe injuries involved a broken pelvis and a broken arm. Liz Brent, the CEO for the southern Alabama Girl Scouts, says they all understand the importance of wearing a seat belt much better now.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

U.S. Senate Hearing tomorrow on 'roof crush' issue

Wendi Lewis — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:04:51 GMT

The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Automotive Safety will convene tomorrow, June 4, for a hearing on the issue of "roof crush" in relation to driver and passenger safety in vehicle rollover accidents. The hearing is scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. ET in Washington, D.C. Sen. Mark Pryor, chairman of the committee, called for the hearing after meeting with representatives of the non-profit People Safe in Rollovers Foundation, a citizen action group. He was particularly impressed with the group's Kevin Moody, whose son Tyler was killed in a vehicle rollover accident in 2003 as a result of roof crush.Under debate is an upgrade to the Federal Motor Safety Standard No. 216 (FMVSS 216), proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The proposal would require that a roof withstand an applied force equal to 2.5 times the vehicle's weight while maintaining sufficient headroom for an average size adult male, and extends coverage to vehicles with gross weight ratings up to 10,000 pounds.The current requirement is that the roof withstands an applied force equal to 1.5 times the vehicles weight, with a limit of 5,000 pounds for cars. The current standard also applies only to vehicles with ratings up to 6,000 pounds, which exempts nearly 45 percent of the SUV and pickup trucks currently on the road.People Safe in Rollovers Foundation is opposed to the NHTSA proposed standard because they say it is not strong enough. They believe it will not protect from the crushing of the roof into the occupant’s survival space in the event of a rollover accident, yet would protect automobile manufacturers from liability in the event of a roof crush injury or death, if the car were manufactured according to this standard. Their proposal calls for a standard that roofs withstand 3.5 times the vehicle’s weight.Scheduled to testify are one representative each from NHTSA, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Advocates for Highway Safety, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Public Citizen, and quadriplegic roof-crush victim Dr. David Garcia.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wendi Lewis

Man Dies in Natchez Trace Car Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:33:47 GMT

A man driving his car on the Natchez Trace was killed after his car left the roadway and entered a flooded creek. He drowned in the floodwater. His wife was a passenger in the car. She was able to escape and get to safety. The car accident happened near Central at Burcham Creek.

The vehicle was northbound and crossed over the southbound lane and into a ravine that leads to the creek. Two muddy lines in the ditch from the wheels indicated the path the car took. The path began shortly before the bridge and ended at the creek, where some tree limbs were broken from the impact.

Rescue workers said the creek had swelled to about 7 or 8 feet deep with brown, muddy water. They said a resident of the area told them it normally is only about a foot deep.

The accident is being investigated by the National Park Service. They have jurisdiction in that area. They are not sure what caused the accident. It was raining at the time of the accident but it is unknown if that was a factor.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Plantersville Teen Dies in Car Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:26:00 GMT

A senior from Dallas County High School was killed in a car accident after his pickup truck hit a school bus. He was set to graduate with his class this week. The accident happened on Alabama 22 East. The school bus was carrying six school children.

None of the children suffered serious injuries and Dallas County High School Principal Don Ingram credited that, in part, to seat belts that secured them to the vehicle.

"I believe it could have been much worse if they had not had seat belts on," said Ingram, who tried his best to console students mourning the loss of the popular senior.

The police are investigating. They believe the victim was trying to pass another vehicle when he hit the bus head on. He was wearing his seat belt but the force of the collision caused fatal injuries. The school was offering gried counselors to help the students cope with their loss.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Three Car Accident near Attalla

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:37:31 GMT

Two people were injured when three cars collided in Etowah County. The car accident happened on Interstate 59 yesterday afternoon. The cars were on an overpass for Alabama Highway 77. The 34-year-old driver of one vehicle and five-year-old passenger were both hurt.

The victim was trapped in the car for almost an hour before finally being freed from the wreckage by emergency crews, after which she was airlifted by LifeSaver Helicopter to UAB for treatment. The child was transported to Riverview Regional Medical Center.

The drivers of the other vehicles were the only other people involved. They were not injured in the crash. The victims are both listed in stable condition. The police are still investigating the accident and the cause is not known. Traffic was delayed in the area for several hours following the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Phil Campbell Car Accident Kills Two

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Two people were killed in a car accident in Phil Campbell on Friday night. The car burst into flames, making identification of the victims difficult. The accident happened on Alabama 13. The victims were in a Mercury Cougar.

Potter said the Cougar they were in was northbound on the two-lane portion of Alabama 13 when the accident occurred.

"It appears that the car went off the (east side of the roadway), then swerved back across the roadway into the path of a Ford pickup in the southbound lane."

Potter said the car was sideways when it crossed into the southbound lane and collided with the pickup.

The driver of the pickup truck was injured and taken to a local hospital. His injuries were reported to be minor. It is unknown what caused the accident and autopsies of the victims is underway. The police are still investigating.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann