The increasing popularity of smart phones has had a noticeable impact on driver behavior, according to a new study from State Farm. Annual surveys conducted by the insurance company demonstrate that smart phone-specific behaviors such as surfing the Internet, checking email and accessing social media sites have risen steadily over the past six years. The […]
Legislators Call for Changes at the NHTSA
President Obama is expected to name a new permanent chief for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the next two weeks. Three U.S. senators have called for the President to use the opportunity to make substantial changes to the NHTSA and its practices. They want the NHTSA to reform its safety mission and make […]
NHTSA Defends Recall Actions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has come under fire for its actions concerning the recalls of GM vehicles with defective ignition switches and the vehicles containing Takata air bags. Critics have suggested that the NHTSA has moved too slowly or taken limited action in addressing serious auto defects. NHTSA leaders recently responded with a […]
David Rapoport Joins Panel of Distinguished Speakers on the Growing Trend of Specialty Certification for Attorneys
Today, the Professionalism Center and the Maryland State Bar Association hosted the first “Maryland Law 20/20: a vision” symposium. Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop attorney David Rapoport, President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, was invited to be part of a panel that included distinguished guest speakers Honorable Alan M. Wilner, retired judge of […]
Fatal Bicycle Accident Demographics
Motor vehicle deaths rose one percent from 2010 to 2012, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. During that same time period, bicyclist fatalities rose 16 percent. The troubling trend is largely the result of accidents affecting a specific demographic – adult males in urban areas. Adults in general were once a small percentage of […]
Too Tired To Drive
The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a highway safety forum this week on the topic of drowsy driving. The public forum will cover various topics, including the prevalence of drowsy driving, potential countermeasures to combat the problem and risk factors tied to the issue. The NTSB has given the forum the title Awake, Alert, […]
Are Cesarean Births Driven By Medical Needs?
The World Health Organization suggests that the optimal rate for Cesarean section births is somewhere between 5 and 10 percent. At the turn of the century, the rate of C-section births began to rise sharply. By 2009, almost one-third of the babies born in this country came by Cesarean section. The number has declined slightly […]
Voice-Activated Systems and Distracted Driving
Two recent studies have called into question the safety of voice-activated technology used by drivers. Distracted driving accidents injured an estimated 421,000 people in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA defines distracted driving as “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” The definition does […]
New Child Car Seat Information Available to Parents
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be placed in car seats until at least the age of 5. All children less than 57 inches tall should use a car seat or a booster seat. Having your child secured in the right seat, installed in the correct manner, is not always a […]
Victim’s Compensation Expert Raises GM Death Toll to 21
The compensation expert chosen by General Motors has increased the number of deaths attributed to defective ignition switches to 21. The number is expected to rise higher. The victim’s compensation fund has now received 143 claims involving a traffic fatality and a total of 675 claims involving injuries caused by the defective switches. The fund manager, Kenneth […]
Report Critical of NHTSA Response to GM Ignition Switch Issue
The House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report concerning the ignition switch defects plaguing General Motors, as well as the response of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to the faulty vehicles. The report leveled criticism as GM for failing to take action to protect consumers. It further criticized the NHTSA, claiming that the administration […]
Investigation into the Speed of Vehicle Recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is tasked with reducing motor vehicle accidents and losses that result. Among the responsibilities taken on by the NHTSA is the duty to investigate motor vehicle defects and determine whether a recall should be ordered for a vehicle with a safety concern. The actions surrounding the ignition switch defects in […]
New Technology for Combating Distracted Driving
General Motors is investing in new technology designed to track the eyes and face of the people driving their vehicles. The information gathered is used to determine whether a driver is succumbing to fatigue or distraction. If a driver turns his or her attention away from the road for too long, such devices could trigger […]
A New Tool for Finding Auto Recall Information
When car makers discover a defect that impacts the safety of a vehicle, they are required to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as vehicle owners, dealers and distributors. What those groups do with that information varies. Accidents continue to cause injuries and deaths even after safety problems are identified and these parties are […]
The Impact of Texting Bans on Fatal Accidents
Recent research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health analyzed the impact of texting bans and found that they have been effective. Illinois was one of 24 states to ban texting by drivers of any age during the period analyzed in the study, 2000 to 2010. An additional seven states banned […]
Controversy Over Veto of Truck Speed Limit Law
A measure that passed unanimously in the Illinois House and Senate was vetoed by Governor Quinn this week. The law would have raised the speed limit for trucks traveling on interstates in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties from 55 miles per hour to 60. The law was positioned as a return to […]
The Growing Problem of Truck Accidents
From 2009 to 2012, car accident fatalities dropped 1.74 percent according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The drop was typical of the past 15 years during which fatal crashes fell substantially. NHTSA data indicates that there were 42,013 motor vehicle deaths in 1997 compared to 33,561 in 2012. That decrease occurred despite a […]
David Rapoport Begins Second Year as National Board of Trial Advocacy President
The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) Board of Directors met in Baltimore, Maryland, last week. The meeting marks the beginning of Mr. Rapoport’s second year as the President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy Board of Directors. The NBTA is the oldest American Bar Association (ABA) accredited attorney board certifying agency in the […]
David Rapoport Accepts Invitation From the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys to Serve as Regional Chair
David Rapoport of Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop was recently invited by the President of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys to serve as Regional Chair in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Mr. Rapoport agreed to take on this new role in support of the ABPLA and its mission. For more than four decades, the […]
Log Book Violations and Drowsy Driving
Last week’s tragic truck accident on Interstate 55 near Elwood has renewed concerns about log book practices and overworked drivers. The driver in that case is accused of falsifying his log book entry. His paper log book indicated he began working around 6-6:30 a.m. Investigators have uncovered evidence that he actually started work at around […]
