Car accident lawyer

January 24, 2018

Icy Road Conditions Make for Treacherous Maine Driving

Sad news was reported recently when an 88-year-old driver and his 82-year-old wife were killed after the husband lost control of their sport utility vehicle on a snow-covered road in Sanford, ME and collided head-on with another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle he struck was not injured, although a passenger was taken to a nearby hospital to receive medical attention. Although The Bangor Daily News reports the car accident is still under investigation, authorities have been clear to say that snow and ice played a role in the collision.

As our Maine car accident attorneys can explain, no driver can control the weather, but that doesn’t mean the issue of liability is negated. That is because all motorists have a responsibility to drive their vehicles in a manner that is safe, considering the current road conditions.

As noted by the Maine Department of Transportation, that means first of all “maintaining a safe cushion,” or in other words giving yourself enough time to react if another driver ahead makes a mistake or if conditions suddenly change. The only way to do this is to keep enough space between your vehicle and those around you – particularly the vehicle ahead. When the roads are slippery (i.e., rainy, snowy, or icy), motorists need to give themselves even more time to slow or stop. That means maintaining a greater distance and also slowing down.

December 4, 2017

Failure to Disclose Vehicle Defects to Maine Drivers Will Cost GM $1.1M

by Peter Thompson & Associates

As part of a $120 million settlement with General Motors Co. for concealing safety issues related to vehicle defects, Maine is slated to receive $1.1 million in compensation. It stems from a settlement reached between the Michigan-based auto manufacturer and attorneys general from 49 states plus the District of Colombia.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills released a statement characterizing the deception as creating a dangerous situation for the public. It stemmed from information that came to light following seven vehicle recall from GM affecting more than 9 million vehicles that reportedly had defective ignition switches that had the potential to cause a loss of electrical power to the vehicle, affecting power brakes and power steering. There were also reports that airbags could fail to deploy in the event of a Maine car accident. The recalls in and of themselves weren’t the issue, but rather that some GM insiders were aware of these safety problems for at least a decade before the recalls were issued. Furthermore, the company continued to market the vehicles as reliable and safe. These actions, Mills office indicated, ran afoul of Maine’s Unfair Trade Practices Act. The more than $1 million of that settlement slated for Maine will go into a consumer trust account. There is still a class action lawsuit pending that involves several people who allegedly suffered personal injuries and wrongful death as a result of these dangerous vehicle defects, The Press Herald reports.

Although most car accident lawsuits in Maine involve the negligence of other drivers, injury lawyers cannot overlook the possibility of automobile defects, given the fact that the number of vehicle recalls has reached record rates in recent years. Reuters reported U.S. auto recalls in 2016 affected a record 53.2 million vehicles, in large part due to defective Takata airbag inflaters. Last year topped the previous record, set in 2015, of auto recalls affecting 51.2 million vehicles. Continue reading

September 8, 2017

Maine Car Accident Kills Teen on First Day of School

by Peter Thompson & Associates

A 16-year-old girl has died after a collision with a dump truck on her way to her first day back to school in Pittston. According to the Bangor Daily News, the crash happened at the intersection of Route 27 and Old Cedar Grove Road. Her younger brother, who was in the front passenger seat, suffered serious injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.

More than 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil in the teen’s honor, where she was remembered for being smart, athletic, and positive.

Investigators report the teen driver, operating a Jeep, pulled out in front of the truck. The truck then slammed into the driver’s side of the Jeep, causing the Jeep to overturn and come to a rest on the roof. Both teens had to be pried out of the vehicle by rescue workers. The truck driver, meanwhile, suffered only minor injuries.

May 17, 2017

Drugged Driving Stats Shouldn’t Detract from Ongoing Drunk Driving Scourge

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal in Maine, since it jeopardizes the safety and well-being of everyone on the road. It is true that the number of alcohol-fueled crashes has slid slightly in recent years, while the number of drug-related accidents has spiked, driven largely by the rising use of illicit and prescription opioids and the increasing availability of legal marijuana.

Still, as Maine Public Radio reports, people shouldn’t think this means alcohol use is no longer a serious issue on our roads.

Recently, the Governors Highway Safety Association released a report on the issue of drug-impaired driving. Drawing from the most recent 2015 data of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the GHSA revealed drugs were present in 43 percent of all fatally injured drivers with known test results (which were 57 percent of the total). Meanwhile, alcohol was present in 37 percent of those cases. A roadside survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2014 found 22 percent of motorists on weekend nights and days were under the influence of drugs, most often marijuana. In solely looking at the headlines, one might think drugs are responsible for more traffic fatalities than alcohol. That’s actually not what the report says.

September 27, 2016

Police: Maine Law Enforcement Unprepared for Legal Marijuana

by Peter Thompson & Associates

A major police group in Maine has released a statement saying law enforcement would be unduly burdened – and not at all prepared – by legalized recreational marijuana in Maine.

Representatives of the Maine Association of Chiefs of Police said during a recent press conference that legalized marijuana in Maine is going to pose an array of problems that would result. One of the primary areas of concern is how it will affect the safety of the roads.

The group plans to launch a statewide campaign to oppose Question 1, the November ballot issue that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21. If the measure is approved, those of age would be allowed to have in their possession up to 2.5 ounces of the drug, as well as up to six flowering plants. Sales of marijuana at stores and social clubs with proper license (from the state) and approval (from the municipality) would pay a sales tax of 10 percent. Continue reading