Cherry Hill, New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyer - Vehicle

How Safe is Your Car? IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2010

Mike Ferrara — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:25:03 GMT

Every year, the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety performance-tests the various vehicles on the market to see how each fares in accidents.

After performing high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, and an evaluation of seat and head restraint protection against neck injuries in rear-impact accidents, the IIHS awards each vehicle a rating of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor for each test. Top Safety Picks must earn ratings of good on every single test, in addition to offering electronic stability control.

Here are the IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2010.

Small Cars

Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional ESC

Kia Soul

Nissan Cube

Subaru Impreza (except WRX)

Volkswagen Golf 4-door models

Midsize Cars

Audi A3

Chevrolet Malibu built after October 2009

Chrysler Sebring 4-door models with optional ESC

Dodge Avenger with optional ESC

Mercedes C class

Subaru Legacy

Subaru Outback

Volkswagen Jetta sedan

Volkswagen Passat sedan

Volvo C30

Large Cars

Buick LaCrosse

Ford Taurus

Lincoln MKS

Volvo S80

Small SUVs

Honda Element

Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags

Subaru Forester

Volkswagen Tiguan

Midsize SUVs

Dodge Journey

Subaru Tribeca

Volvo XC60

Volvo XC90

Please visit IIHS Testing 2010 and click on the name of each car model for more information. Let's keep safe cars like these on the road.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Act Now to Stop GM from Abandoning Consumers Injured by Defective GM Vehicles

Mike Ferrara — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:57:27 GMT

An urgent message from www.safetyresearch.net:

Urgent Action Alert -- Contact the White House THIS AFTERNOON to Protect Catastrophically Injured Victims of Defective GM Cars

Unless we act TODAY, the White House will allow General Motors to abandon over 300 consumers seriously hurt by defects in GM vehicles by extinguishing the company's responsibility for these victims. This is a cruel, immoral and un-American result because GM decided last Friday to take responsibility for injuries caused by vehicles in the future. But the company is washing their hands of consumers they have already hurt. PLEASE CALL OR FAX THE WHITE HOUSE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY: PHONE: 202-456-1414. FAX: 202-456-2461.

What kind of company would abandon a catastrophically injured child, a woman paralyzed from the neck down, and hundreds of others who have been injured by defective GM cars? How can our government leave these consumers with no protection -- especially when these are the same consumers who bailed out GM in the first place? And who would want to buy a car from a company that treats consumers this way?

Time is running out. On Tuesday, General Motors will attempt to officially leave these injured families behind in the bankruptcy process. We must take action today to make sure that GM is responsible for the cars they have put on the road -- as well as cars they build in the future.

The Obama Administration's "Auto Task-Force," which is lead by the Treasury Department, is directly responsible for this decision. There are only a limited number of hours left in the bankruptcy process. Contact them THIS AFTERNOON to make sure that they know Americans will not stand for leaving hundreds of injured families behind in the GM bankruptcy process. Tell them we will not buy their cars until these families are protected. And we will not stop speaking up until GM takes full responsibility for injuries caused by all GM cars.

PLEASE CALL OR FAX THE WHITE HOUSE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY: PHONE: 202-456-1414. FAX: 202-456-2461.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Before you turn the key; make sure you can see

Janette Fennell — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:25:26 GMT

At least 16 children have lost their lives in nontraffic incidents so far this MONTH (April); almost one child every day. These tragic headlines should be a warning for all of us. Take heed and incorporate our safety tips below to keep children safe in and around motor vehicles.

April 22, 2009. A 19-month-old Bloomfield, NM boy was killed when a truck backed over him in a driveway. A family friend did not see the boy when he was leaving, and reversed over the child.

April 21, 2009. A Riverton, UT 18-month-old boy died after accidentally being run over in the driveway of his home. The toddler was getting a toy from under a truck when his uncle moved the vehicle without knowing he was there.

April 20, 2009. In Fresno, CA a two year old girl died after she toddled after her aunt uncle as they left a family gathering. They got into their 2008 Toyota Tundra Pickup truck not realizing she had followed them out to the driveway from the backyard.

April 19, 2009. A Mendota, CA Mom accidentally ran over her two children. Her 5-year-old was killed and 3-year old sibling is in serious condition.

April 18, 2009. 2-year-old died after being hit by a vehicle in an alley on Chicago’s South Side.

April 18, 2009. Five Houston, TX children drown when the vehicle they were traveling in landed in a drainage ditch filled with 9 feet of water.

April 16, 2009. A Houston, TX 2-year-old boy died after his father’s car hits him in their home driveway.

April 12, 2009. In Morganton, NC a 3-year-old was killed by a rolling SUV while playing with friends. The boy was hit by a Chevy Tahoe in his grandfather’s driveway.

April 11, 2009. A toddler was run over and killed by a SUV at a Los Angeles car wash as it moved from the washing area to a drying area.

April 9, 2009. A 4-month-old baby by died after being forgotten in a childcare van in Milwaukee, WI.

April 6, 2009. A Lynnwood, WA family is devastated after their 14-month-old boy died after being left in a hot vehicle for 7 hours.

April 4, 2009. A toddler died in Tampa, FL when a car rolled over her by a woman backing up without seeing the child behind the car.

KidsAndCars.org recommendations to keep children safe include:

· Walk around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.

· Know where your kids are. Make children move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children before moving your vehicle.

· Teach children that “parked” vehicles might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle; but the driver might not be able to see them.

· Consider installing cross view mirrors, audible collision detectors, rear view video camera and/or some type of back up detection device.

· Measure the size of your blind zone (area) behind the vehicle(s) you drive. A 5-foot-1-inch driver in a pickup truck can have a rear blind zone of approximately 8 feet wide by 50 feet long.

· Be aware that steep inclines and large SUV’s, vans and trucks add to the difficulty of seeing behind a vehicle.

· Hold children’s hand when leaving the vehicle.

· Teach your children to never play in, around or behind a vehicle and always set the emergency brake.

· Keep toys and other sports equipment off the driveway.

· Homeowners should trim landscaping around the driveway to ensure they can see the sidewalk, street and pedestrians clearly when backing out of their driveway. Pedestrians also need to be able to see a vehicle pulling out of the driveway.

· Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.

· Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway and always set your parking brake.

· Keys and/or remote openers should never be left within reach of children.

· Make sure all child passengers have left the car after it is parked.

· Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays.

Put something you'll need like your cell phone, handbag, employee badge, lunch or brief case, etc., on the floor board in the back seat. Get in the habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to make sure no child has been left behind. This will soon become a habit. We call this the “Look…then lock campaign”

Keep a large teddy bear in the child's car seat when it’s not occupied. When the child is placed in the seat, put the teddy bear in the front passenger seat. It's a visual reminder that anytime the teddy bear is up front you know the child is in the back seat in a child safety seat.
Make arrangements with your child’s day care center or babysitter that you will always call them if your child will not be there on a particular day as scheduled. This is common courtesy and sets a good example that everyone who is involved in the care of your child is informed of their whereabouts on a daily basis. Ask them to phone you if your child doesn’t show up when expected. Many children’s lives could have been saved with a telephone call from a concerned child care provider. Give child care providers all your telephone numbers, including that of an extra family member or friend, so they can always confirm the whereabouts of your child.
Use drive-thru services when available. (restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc.)
Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump.
If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. If they are hot or seem sick, get them out as quickly as possible. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
When a child is missing, check vehicles and car trunks immediately.

· These precautions can save lives.

For additional information visit www.KidsAndCars.org

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Janette Fennell

Yamaha Rhino Defect Caused Crushing Injuries – Cases to be Consolidated for Pretrial Proceedings

Mike Ferrara — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:07:58 GMT

Last week, the Federal Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Panel ruled in favor of creating an MDL for cases involving Yamaha Rhino all-terrain vehicles, to consolidate pretrial proceedings for more than 50 separate injury cases currently pending against Yamaha. The product and alleged defect are the same in every case, with Rhino drivers who had rollover accidents sustaining serious crushing injuries due to the design of the vehicle’s roll bar.

The Yamaha Rhino, introduced in 2003, is still sold today without any changes to its design despite its propensity for crushing occupants in a rollover accident, though Yamaha has made available the option of having doors installed. The first case against Yamaha was filed in August 2007; about 40 were filed in 2008. Still more are expected to surface in 2009.

The MDL Panel is planning to consolidate the pretrial proceedings for all but two cases (Clark in Northern District of Alabama and White in the Northern District of Texas), which it deemed far enough along to proceed to trial individually.

If you are among the many drivers who have been injured in a Yamaha Rhino accident, contact The Ferrara Law Firm to learn more about your right to compensation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

One Man's Fat is Another Man's Gasoline - CA Plastic Surgeon Used Liposuction Waste to Power his SUV

Camryn Hansen — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:28:39 GMT

Lawsuits filed by liposuction patients against California plastic surgeon Craig Alan Bittner for allegedly allowing his assistant and girlfriend to perform surgeries without a medical license (removing too much fat in some cases, and leaving clients disfigured) have led to disturbing findings on the energy front: for quite some time, Bittner was using his patients’ suctioned fat to power his SUV.

"The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel--and I have more fat than I can use," Bittner wrote on lipodiesel.com. "Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly but they get to take part in saving the Earth." Bittner's lipodiesel Web site is no longer online. -Peter C. Beller, Forbes.

By now, most of us are familiar with biodiesel, the natural-source fuel made by chemically altering vegetable oil or animal fats to burn at the same rate as petroleum diesel. Eco-conscious car owners all over Europe and the United States have converted their vehicles to run on it. Though people are generally tickled to hear about the old neighborhood hippie who goes around collecting used restaurant fryer oil to power his car for free, 21^st century biodiesel sources are not always this endearing. Poultry companies are exploring the idea of powering their trucks on rendered chicken fat, and biodiesel companies are already mixing beef and pig fat into their soybean bio blends.

A gallon of grease will get you about a gallon of fuel, and drivers can get about the same amount of mileage from fat fuel as they do from regular diesel, according to Jenna Higgins of the National Biodiesel Board. Animal fats need to undergo an additional step to get rid of free fatty acids not present in vegetable oils, but otherwise, there's no difference, she says. -Peter C. Beller, Forbes.

Though Bittner had no chemical trouble rendering his patients’ unwanted fats into usable fuels, it is illegal in California to power vehicles with human medical waste. The public health department is currently investigating Bittner’s behavior. Bittner, in the meantime, has closed his Beverly Hills Liposculpture practice and moved to South America.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Camryn Hansen

17 Year Old Latest To Die in Tragic New Jersey Auto Crash

Mike Ferrara — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:21:55 GMT

Another Springtime - another tragic teen driver death in New Jersey. There are over 8,000 teen deaths each year from auto crashes. They begin to pick up as the weather gets nicer and the teens take their friends for rides. Interestingly, alcohol and drugs are not major factors in these deaths. Rather, the inexperience and distractions that come from teen driving are the primary culprits. New Jersey is studying ways to cut down the number of teen driving deaths. One solution is to greatly increase the amount of behind the wheel training. The present six hour rule is not sufficient. European countries like Germany and Great Britain have serious programs of driver's education. It's simple. All we have to do is copy what they do. The latest death was a 17 year old Burlington County teen, killed in Mansfield Township, Ocean County. There was no evidence of drinking or drug use and it happend at 7 PM. Parents, educators and legislators need to continue working to solutions to these needless tragedies. Hopefully the day will come when teen-age driving deaths are a thing of the past.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

100 Kids Died in 2006 in ATV Crashes - An Underreported Horror Story - The Time Is Now To Ban ATV's.

Mike Ferrara — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:49:08 GMT

Imagine an American child dying a needless death every third day of every year. That is the latest statistic on ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) deaths in 2006 as reported by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. These 100 child death cases do not include another 455 adult death cases in the same year. Imagine - 555 deats blamed on ATV crashes in a single year. If that wasn't bad enough, the CPSC also reports an additional 146,000 others that were hurt seriously enough to required emergency room treatment. These figures are expected to go much higher as the government received additional information from coroners and hospitals nationwide. The time has come to ban this product. It serves no useful function. The "fun" that you get from the brief ride can never compete with the tragedy of having to bury your loved one. The time has come for the CPSC to act before thousands more are killed or permanently injured.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

23 Year Old New Jersey Man Indicted in Drunk Driving Death Case

Mike Ferrara — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:40:14 GMT

When a bunch of young adults go out to drink on a weekend and then decide to drive, the consequences can be devasting to them and to their victims. Everyone knows you must not drink and drive. The problem stems from the fact that when you are drunk, you may not remember that rule. That is why the designated driver rule is so important. Also, bartenders and servers must NEVER serve alcohol to someone who is visibly intoxicated. The latest tragegy involved the death of a 88 year old Monroe woman who was struck by Jason Grochowski, 23. His blood alcohol reading was 0.16, twice the legal limit of 0.08. He was indicted today by a Middlesex County grand jury for aggravated manslaughter and other charges and faces lengthy jail time. We must all work together to make sure senseless tragedies stop.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

28 Year Old Sentenced to 18 Years in NC Car Crash

Mike Ferrara — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:57:19 GMT

It was a hot summer afternoon in July, 2004. Bill Carawan, 28, and his two brothers, Len, 20, and Jason, 26, along with a friend, were out for a ride. It was estimated that Bill's Mustang was going 113 miles per hour when it struck a Toyota driven by Emma Roof, 65, of Kure Beach. She was killed and her husband Ralph was seriously injured. The three passengers in Bill's car were killed. Superior Court Judge Russell Lanier sentenced Bill to 18 years in jail for causing the needless and tragic death of these four individuals. Bill had a prior record of unsafe driving, but this auto crash did not involve alcohol or drugs. A genuine tradegy for this rural North Carolina community.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

New Jersey Senate and Assembly Pass New Wrongful Death Bill - However Governor Corzine Vetoes It

Mike Ferrara — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:11:52 GMT

The New Jersey Senate and Assembly passed changes to the state's 130 year old Wrongful Death bill. The bill then went to the Governor's desk for his signature but he refused to sign it. Under New Jersey law, his failure to sign the bill had the same effect as a veto and the bill died. It will be reintroduced again in the next session of the legislature that began last Tuesday. Supporters of the bill were shocked that the Governor would favor big business, insurance and hospital lobbies over the rights of everyday citizens and grieving families.

"We would have expected this from a Republican Governor, but never from Governor Corzine who always lined up against these monied interests when he was a United States Senator", said Michael A. Ferrara, Jr., an attorney from Cherry Hill, NJ, and a Past President of the New Jersey Trial Lawyer's Associaton (ATLA-NJ) and the Civil Justice Foundation.

The bill was strongly supported by the AARP, The New Jersey Bar Association, consumer and labor groups, and the Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA-NJ). Fierce opposition to the bill was waged by the big pharmaceutical companies, lobbyists for doctors and hospitals, insurance companies and big business. They contended the bill will drive business out of New Jesey and raise medical malpractice premiums. However, the sponsor of the bill, Assemblywoman Shirley Oliver, said opponents of the bill were unable to provide her with proof of their allegations. Amos Gern, President of ATLA-NJ, said when the bill was passed: "this is a good day for New Jersey citizens. The surviving family members of those who die as a result of the negligence of others will be able to seek justice for the emotional harm they suffer." Up until now, that was not an item of compensable damages under New Jersey's antiquated Wrongful Death Act. "Unfortunately, the Governor let the citizens of New Jersey down and everyone hopeful he will sign it when it returns to his desk next session", Gern added.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Wrongful Death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara