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It was a horrendous Labor Day holiday weekend for those traveling on Maine roadways with five fatal accidents and many more resulting in injuries.

Portland car accident attorneys remind us that school resuming, fall tourist season, upcoming holidays, and winter weather will all make the next few months especially dangerous. Common causes of Bangor car accidents include distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving, drunk driving and accidents involving teen drivers.The Saturday of the Labor Day weekend, in Yarmouth, a one car accident left a motorist dead. A 36-year-old man driving his pickup left the road due to unknown causes, crashed into a tree stump and then flipped his vehicle. The victim was ejected from the vehicle which caused the fatal injuries.

That same day, a two-car crash in Mars Hill caused the death of one man and injured three others.

On Sunday, a resident of Mars Hill was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence that resulted in a fatal two-car crash that caused the death of a Medway man. The suspect also had in his possession methamphetamine, according to police. The 51-year-old Medway man was a passenger in his son’s vehicle when it was hit head-on on Route 1 in the accident, killing him instantly. The impact was so severe it sent the victim’s vehicle rolling into a ditch and ending up on its side. There was another passenger in the car that sustained life-threatening injuries. All occupants were trapped in their vehicles and rescue workers had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate them.

Also that Sunday, in Lamoine, police discovered the body of a woman inside a car that apparently had driven into the ocean. According to police, the roof of the vehicle was spotted in the water by a passer-by. The incident happened at the end of Route 184 that leads to the ocean’s edge. The 48-year-old victim was from Florida and was returning to her hotel after attending a family wedding. Authorities believe she got lost in her unfamiliar surroundings.

Also on Labor Day Sunday, a man was killed when he was ejected from a pickup in Hudson. The crash on Route 43 killed a 19-year-old male, when, after missing a turn, his pickup truck overturned into a field and ejected him into the woods. Police are still investigating the crash and it remains unknown if the victim was the driver or the passenger of the truck. Thus far it appears that alcohol and speed contributed to the crash.

Police in an early morning Labor Day Sunday incident in Turner found a car on fire with someone inside. It is unclear what caused the one-car crash that happened around 3 a.m. There has been a tentative ID of the victim but the name is not being released until family has been notified.

As you can see, many people were affected by these terrible accidents — both the victims themselves, but also many friends and family. Don’t mix alcohol and driving and always avoid aggressive driving, which can lead to accidents.

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A man involved in a Bangor construction accident has died. The young man was reportedly working on a natural gas line project when he was crushed by a backhoe on Odlin Road, according to Bangor Daily News.

The 23-year-old was working for Bowdoin Excavation out of North Yarmouth and was working on a line extension project for Bangor Gas., according to WABI 5.Our Maine workers’ compensation lawyers understand the high risk construction workers face around heavy equipment. Accidents that involve these heavy machines can oftentimes be fatal. When a backhoe runs into a ditch, a stump or a hole, it can overturn or cause the operator to fall off and be run over. It is not uncommon for inexperienced driver to run into fellow workers either. This is why federal job safety standards require that operators of industrial lift-type trucks be thoroughly trained on how to operate the equipment before jumping in the driver’s seat. Under these federal standards, all workers that are under the age of 18 are prohibited from driving or operating the machinery.

“OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the Attorney General’s office, would be involved in something like this because it’s an unattended death. A medical examiner would be involved because of the nature of the incident and everybody has their part to do. We’ll at some point find out exactly what happened,” says Sgt. Chip Hodges from the Bangor Police Department.

Federal statistics report that more than 5,000 employees died at work in the United State in 2008 alone. Construction equipment operators were among the categories of workers with the highest number of fatalities during that same year, according to OSHA.

Tips for site workers to avoid an accident with a backhoe or any other hydraulic excavator:

-All workers should be trained to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions. They should also be required to execute safe work practices that apply to their specific work environments.

-All workers on the work site should be aware of the machines’ established swing areas and blind spots. Employers should keep workers on foot outside of these areas by marking them off with rope, tape or other barriers.

-Before beginning a work shift, go over and confirm communication signals between machine operators and surrounding workers.

-Workers should be prohibited from standing under suspended loads or suspended machine components such as the boom, arm or bucket.

-Workers on foot should not be allowed to approach the hydraulic excavator or backhoe loader until they receive the go-ahead signal from the operator.

-Workers should never ride in or work from excavator or backhoe loader buckets.

-All workers should have appropriate personal protective equipment. Employers should make sure that workers use and maintain this equipment.

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Amtrak has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts company that owned the truck hit by the Downeaster passenger train last month in North Berwick, Maine. That truck is owned by Triumvirate Environmental Inc. of Somerville, Massachusetts.

The driver of the 18-wheeler truck was killed in the Maine car accident that happened on July 11th, according to boston.com.

The truck was carrying more than 50,000 pounds of trash to a local incinerator. Police are conducting an ongoing investigation into the accident.The Amtrak driver is accusing the big rig driver of ignoring the railroad crossing controls and warnings while he was crossing the railroad tracks. Four passengers aboard the Amtrak train suffered injuries in the collision. Amtrak isn’t seeking specific damages, but they are reportedly seeking compensation for subsequent service disruption costs of $3 million. The suit was recently filed in federal court in Massachusetts.

Our Portland personal injury attorneys understand that the court filings for this case state that the crossing warnings were activated as the truck proceeded through the crossing. They also state that the truck driver “failed to heed the warnings” and drove his tractor-trailer around the lowered crossing gates and caused the accident. This case is important to bring up because accidents near railroad crossings can be oftentimes produce deadly results if the proper safety measures are not taken and if warning signals are ignored.

“Once we get it all done, we’ll release what our finding was,” says Police Chief Stephen Peasley, estimating it could be another couple of weeks.

The suit was filed on August 8th at the U. . District Court of Massachusetts by John Bonistalli, the attorney representing National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

It is estimated that a person or a vehicle is hit by a train every 115 minutes. It is also estimated that about half of these railroad accidents occur at railroad crossings when automatic warning devices, like flashing lights and gates, are present and are properly activated and working.

According to the U. . Department of Transportation, there are approximately 5,800 vehicle-train accidents each year in the United States. A majority of these accidents occur at railroad crossings. These accidents result in an average of 600 fatalities each year. These accidents also injure about 2,300 people yearly.

Common injuries of a train and car accident can include brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, concussions, other head injuries, sprains, fractures, abrasions, burn injuries and internal and various soft tissue injuries. Many of these injures can be life threatening.

Railroad accidents most oftentimes include these scenarios:

-Derailment of a train.

-Train-train collisions.
-Train-car collisions.
-Train-person collisions.
-Damage to property.

Accidents that involve a train can be very complex and difficult for the victims, especially when fighting for deserved compensation. That is why it is critical for you to contact an attorney immediately following a train wreck or railroad accident.

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Our Maine personal injury attorneys would like to wish you a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend. We would also like to ask you to be extra cautious, no matter what your plans are, as many residents are exposed to an increased risk for accidents and injuries.Residents and visitors are more likely to experience an injury in Maine during this holiday weekend, whether you’re celebrating on the water, at the pool or lighting off fireworks. With the proper safety precautions, residents can help to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and injury-free this Independence Day weekend.

Celebrating the weekend on the water?sBe sure you follow these safety tips, provided by Discover Boating, to help keep you and other boaters safe:

-Check the weather reports before venturing out. If you’re out on a boat and you see bad weather approaching, play it safe and get to land. It is encouraged that you get off the water if you notice darkening clouds, volatile and rough changing winds or sudden drops in temperature.

-Be sure to operate at a safe speed all the time, especially in crowded areas.

-Stay away from large vessels that can be restricted in their ability to stop or turn.

-Be respectful of buoys and other navigational aids. These signals have been placed there to help ensure your boating safety.

-Make sure more than one person on board knows every aspect of your boat’s handling, operations and other boating safety tips.

-Make sure that everyone on board has a life jacket. A majority of drowning victims were the result ofsboating accidents in which passengers were found to not be wearing a life jacket.

-Never boat and drive. You’re twice as likely to be involved in a boating accident when alcohol is involved.

-Get a free vessel safety check. The US Coast Guard offers free boat examinations to verify the presence and condition of certain safety equipment required by state and federal regulations.What’s the Fourth of July without fireworks? Using fireworks is as traditional as Independence Day parades and barbecues. According to the National Council on Firework Safety, there were approximately 5,900 fireworks-related injuries during the Fourth of July season in 2009. Dr. John Steinberg, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on Firework Safety, suggests that everyone uses a little common sense to reduce the risks of injury this year.

The Council offers these tips to help keep residents safe this Fourth of July:

-Always supervise teens when they are using fireworks.

-Do not allow children to handle fireworks.

-Only use fireworks outdoors.

-Always have water ready. You should keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby.

-Do not drink alcohol and light off fireworks. Always have a designated lighter.

-Make sure you’re wearing safety glasses whenever lighting off fireworks.

-Do not attempt to relight a dud firework. Instead, let it sit for 20 minutes and then soak it in water.

-Do not combine or alter fireworks in any way. Only use them as instructed.

As summer provides perfect weather for outdoor celebrations, many residents will be relaxing poolside and barbecuing with family and friends, but with the pool comes great risks for injuries — and death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 10 people die every day from unintentional drowning. Two of these deaths that occur every day occur to children that are under the age of 15. As a matter of fact, drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages. It is the second leading cause of death for children ages 14 and younger.

There were nearly 3,500 fatal unintentional drownings in 2007 alone. These were non-boating related drownings. More than half of the drowning victims were taken to and treated in emergency rooms and eventually were transferred to higher levels or care of hospitalized. Many times, injuries from nonfatal drownings can be sever and life altering. A victim can suffer brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities. These disabilities can include memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.

The CDC offers these safety tips to help ensure everyone’s safety this holiday weekend at the pool:

-Supervise children around water at all times.

-Always use the buddy system. Never swim, or let anyone swim, alone.

-Do not use air-filled or foam toys in place of life jackets. These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

-Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming.

-Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In the time it might take for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could help to save someone’s life.

Again, have a safe and fun Independence Day and remember to practice all safety tips, regardless of your weekend plans.

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June is National Safety Month in Maine and throughout the country. In order to raise awareness, the National Safety Council is urging communities and businesses to practice safe behaviors at work and home to reduce the number of preventable injuries and car accidents in Maine and elsewhere.

Our Bangor accident attorneys know that safety is important, but it is often someone else’s irresponsible behaviors that can cause serious injury, so be prepared to take action if you are the victim of negligence.

The NSC has dedicated each week of the month to different safety topics. The first week, June 1-4, is dedicated to summertime safety. Numerous Safety & Health Fact Sheets are provided with a concentration on distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety and home safety.

The focal point of week two, June 5-11, is preventing overexertion. Injuries in the lower back, sprains and strains, are the most prominent example of overexertion injuries. Overexertion is the third-leading cause of preventable injuries that are treated in a hospital emergency room.

June 12-18 is dedicated to teen driving safety. Creating awareness is critical in keeping roadways safe since 5,500 people are killed yearly in accidents with a teen driver involved.

The fourth week, June 19-25 focuses on preventing slips and fall accidents. Falls are a common cause for a trip to the emergency room, especially in older adults (55 and up).

The final week, June 26-30, places attention on driving and cell phone use. It is estimated that 23 percent of car accidents are caused by drivers distracted by cell phones.

A national observance of unintentional injuries and deaths is needed because the number of accidents is escalating to undesirable levels. In 2009, there were more than 128,000 unintentional deaths – a 47 percent increase since 1992. In comparison, the 1992 total (86,777) matched the lowest estimated total since 1924; the 2009 total was the highest estimated total ever recorded.

Each year, families throughout the country spend roughly $5,900 on medical expenses for unintentional injuries and trips to the hospital. These injuries cost Americans and their employers almost $700 billion a year.

As part of overexertion recognition week, the NSC offers the following safety and health tips:

-Keep your home and work environment clutter-free. Store things in a closet or cabinet.

-Refrain from using rolling chairs as a ladder to reach things.

-Stack heavy items near the bottom to avoid them falling on you or straining your back to lift them.

-Make routine visits to the eye doctor to check your vision. Make sure prescription eyeglasses are used when needed.

-Make sure outlets are not overloaded with cords to reduce the risk of a fire hazard.
Visit the website for more safety tips that can be used at work.

Maine residents can reduce the risk of unintentional injuries by being safe drivers, maintaining a safe home and work environment and using a little common sense when it comes to proper safety procedures.

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Speeding is a common cause of car accidents in Maine and throughout the country. Yet, state officials are proposing a bill to increase the speed limit on a stretch of highway in Northern Maine, reports the Bangor Daily News. Our car accident attorneys in Bangor and Portland hope the state considers this bill carefully before they pass it, considering that 38 percent of traffic fatalities in Maine for 2009 were caused by a speed-related crash.

A unanimous vote by a legislative committee is in favor of passing LD 1557, a bill that would permit the state’s commissioner to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on a 100-mile stretch of highway from Old Town to Houlton. The current speed limit for that stretch of Interstate 95 is set at 65 mph. The bill would allow the commissioner to use discretion on parts of the highway that should remain at 65 for safety reasons. The issue came up during his campaign when 10 percent of the public doors he knocked on asked the question “When are we going to be able to legally drive 75 on the highway?”

The fact is, motorists already take their chances on this solitary stretch of highway, often driving above the permitted speed limit. With very few cars and even fewer exits, motorists and state officials feel the risks of a car accident related to speed is minimal.

“The motorists on this section of I-95 are traveling at speeds at which they feel comfortable regardless of the posted speed limit,” Nina Fisher, the DOT’s legislative liaison, said in testimony to the committee. “Past data has proven that a driver’s level of comfort does not increase as a function of posted speed limit but as a function of the drivability of the road.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 61 of the 159 traffic fatalities in 2009 were in speed-related crashes. During 2005-2009, speed was a factor in a high percentage of traffic fatalities in Maine. The highest percentage reported during that period was in 2005 when speed played a role in 51 percent of Maine traffic fatalities for that year.

The next step for LD 1557 is presentation to the House and Senate for deliberation.
Speed tips to consider on Maine roadways this summer:
-Maintain the legal speed limit on unfamiliar or rural roads. Curves in the roadway or unknown obstacles like groundhogs or moose can appear from nowhere and make it difficult to avoid at high travel speeds.

-Pass slower moving vehicles on the left-hand side. Passing on the right could cause an accident with merging vehicles that may not see your vehicle.

-Slow down on exit ramps or sharp corners to avoid a rollover accident or collision with another vehicle.

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Maine is going to be hit with a double whammy this Memorial Day holiday weekend as not will we see an increase in traffic because of the kickoff weekend to the summer season but construction season gets into full swing as well. Enforcement officers will set out in full force on our roadways to reduce risks of car accidents in Maine caused by speeding, drunk driving, aggressive driving and other poor driving habits.The National Safety Council recently released their yearly estimates for the number of traffic accidents for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. This weekend is marked as the time between 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The Council estimates that there will be more than 400 traffic fatalities and another 39,400 injuries requiring medical attention just over the celebratory weekend because of motor vehicle collisions.

Our Maine personal injury lawyers would like residents to be extra careful on our roadways this holiday weekend as we will have the added dangers of construction zones. According to NBC 2, areas in Maine will be seeing a ton of construction as new bridges and other construction projects are underway. Drivers are urged to be extra cautious in these areas as risks for an accident are greatly increased when workers and road work is present. The city is trying to get all of the work done before all of the visitors flock to the area.

In an attempt to keep motorists safe this holiday weekend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be running its “Click It or Ticket” campaign. The campaign began last week and will be running through the first week of June. The “Click It or Ticket” is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign ever. It has been proven to contribute to the highest national seat belt usage rate of more than 90 percent. Law enforcement everywhere will enact a zero-tolerance enforcement practice of seat belt laws nationwide throughout the campaign.

Over the last past six years, the long Memorial Day holiday weekend has seen an average of more than 12 percent increase in traffic fatalities than similar non-holiday periods. Many contribute this increase to the increase in the amount of travel by Americans.


Motorists are urged to follow these safety tips to help ensure road safety during the Memorial Day weekend and through high construction areas:

-Put away all distractions while your car is in motion.

-Be sure that all of your passengers are wearing a seat belt and all children are placed in an appropriate child safety seat.

-Be sure that you leave for your destination with time to spare and leave prepared with directions and routes already planned out.

-Drive defensively. Use caution and abide be all road signs and signals, especially in construction areas with frequent lane changes.

-Avoid driving while drowsy. Rest up before you venture out on to the roadways so that you can place your full attention on the road.

-Do not drink and drive. Any amount on alcohol consumption can impair your judgment and reaction time behind the wheel.

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After months of cold weather and icy roads, motorcycle enthusiasts in Maine are finally hitting the streets again. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness month so motorists are encouraged to share the roads wisely while keeping a watchful eye for bikers in order to avoid motorcycle accidents in Portland or elsewhere in the state.
Motorcycles are a fuel-efficient mode of transportation so it should come as no surprise if we begin to see more traveling on roadways due to the elevation in gas prices recently. Last month the Bangor Daily News reported that motorcycle fatalities decreased by 2 percent nationwide during the first nine months of 2010. This isn’t a trend believed to continue moving forward as the statistics indicated the drop in fatalities was during the beginning of the year. In fact, it is highly doubtful considering motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled in the last decade — from 2,483 in 1999 to as many as 5,290 in 2008. Each year has shown a steady increase during this 10 year time period according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. sInjuries have also shown a steady increase from 1999 to 2008 with the highest mark in 2007 at 103,000 people injured in motorcycle accidents. Maine recorded 18 motorcycle rider fatalities in 2008.

In 2009, Maine recorded over 49,000 registered motorcycles on roadways. There were 102,763 licensed motorcyclists in the state in 2009. Maine requires all riders and operators under age 18 or any motorcyclist with less than one year driving experience to use a federally mandated helmet when riding a motorcycle.

Motorists should keep riders in mind this summer with the following helpful tips:
-Keep plenty of space between you and the motorcycle in front of you.

-Never change lanes or merge with traffic unless you signal first and turn your head to look before you cross the line.

-Make sure the bike in front of you turns before approaching them too closely. Many bikes don’t have an automatic shut-off for the turn signal so they could be signaling inadvertently.

-Never engage in aggressive or distracted driving activities. Motorcycles can appear from nowhere and are difficult to spot.

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April showers may bring May flowers but in Maine spring means floods and often winter-like storms. The combination of bare trees, frozen ground and ice in rivers is a recipe for flooding when spring rain arrives.

Our Maine personal injury lawyers caution motorists that as spring arrives so does the risk of Bangor car accidents from bad weather and flooding.

The National Weather Service is very helpful in giving advance notice when Maine’s large rivers have the potential to flood. However, flash flooding occurs when too much rain comes down too fast. And even the weather service might not have enough time to issue warnings before the flooding starts.

Maine’s Emergency Management Agency want you to know that that almost 50% of all flash flood deaths are vehicle related. It only takes about 2 feet of water for small cars and trucks to float. Recent deaths from flooding included: a man traveling on a road flooded by water came upon a section that had been washed away, a man trying to kayak in a stream, and a grandmother and her granddaughter who were swept away when they attempted to walk in flood water.

Flood and flash flood safety tips:

-Don’t drive a car on a flooded road. You have no idea how deep the water is and unknown to you the road could be washed away.

-Avoid streams during heavy rainfalls. Quick moving water is very powerful and can easily knock you off your feet.

-Never try recreational boating in flood water. The combination of swift moving water and heavy debris makes this a deadly activity.

-Don’t let children or pets outside; keep them away from flooded culverts, streams and streets.

-Always notify the appropriate authorities of any flooding.

-Never go through road blocks or barriers. You might not see water but the road could be damaged from the power of the water.

-Have a plan if you live in a flood prone area. Listen to flood or tornado warning horn signals in your town or a town nearby.

-Immediately evacuate if told to do so.

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Our Maine personal injury lawyers know there is no worse tragedy for a parent than a child being seriously injured or killed in a Bangor car accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released guidelines for the best method of securing your child while riding in a vehicle.Up to 12 months

-Always use a rear-facing car seat for any child under age 1.
A rear-facing car seat is the best seat to use for securing very young children. Its harness protects the child in a crash because it cradles and moves with your child. This helps to reduce the stress to the child’s body especially their spinal cord and fragile neck.
1 – 3 years

-Children should be kept in rear-facing seats until they reach the maximum height or weight limit per the car safety seat’s manufacturer. They can then be put in a forward-facing car seat.
The harness and tether in a forward-facing car seat greatly reduces the child’s forward movement during an accident.
4 – 7 years

-Children should be kept in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the maximum height or weight limit per the car seat’s manufacturer. They can then be put in a booster seat.
A booster seat is the interim step used when a child is too big for a car seat but not big enough to use a seat belt.
8 – 12 years

-Children should be kept in a booster seat until they can fit in a seat belt properly.
An improperly placed seat belt can cause serious injuries. The lap portion of the belt should lie across the upper thighs and never rest on the stomach. The shoulder portion of the belt should be snug across the shoulder and never lay across the neck.
The guidelines from the NHTSA match up pretty well to Maine’s law. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, Maine requires children less than 40 pounds be in a child safety seat. Children 40 to 80 pounds and less than 8 years old must use a safety system (booster seat) that lifts the child high enough so that a seat belt fits properly. Children 11 years of age or younger and weigh less than 100 pounds should ride in the rear seat. The first offense is a $50 fine while subsequent offenses carry a maximum fine of $250.

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Contact Information
92 Exchange St
Portland, ME
Toll Free: 800.804.2004Local: 207.874.0909Fax: 207.874.0343
23 Water St
#207
Bangor, ME 04401
Toll Free: 800.804.2004Local: 207.942.0909Fax: 207.874.0343
43 U.S. Route 1
Falmouth, ME 04105
Toll Free: 800.804.2004Fax: 207.541.9077
227 Water St 2nd Floor
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207.626.8300
639 Main St
Rockland, ME 04841
Phone: 207.236.6209
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Lewiston, ME 04240

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