New regulations were proposed last May concerning the installation of anti-rollover systems in buses and heavy duty trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that rollover accidents cause roughly 700 traffic deaths per year. NHTSA researchers estimated that electronic stability control systems would prevent thousands of crashes and between 49 and 60 fatalities every year. The […]
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Federal Officials Want Stronger Drunk Driving Laws
The administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expressed his support for laws that require first-time offenders of DUI laws to have interlock devices installed in their vehicles. Federal data shows that a drunk driver who is involved in a fatal traffic accident is 400 percent more likely to have a prior DUI on his or […]
FAA To Investigate Miscommunication Among Washington D.C. Controllers
Federal rules dictate how close together aircraft are allowed to fly. An incident involving three aircraft around Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. has prompted an FAA investigation, according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Early reports indicated that the planes were on a head-to-head course, but Mr. LaHood and FAA administrator Michael Huerta indicated that while […]
Bus Accidents Underscore Need For Safety Improvements
Last week, a Megabus crashed into a bridge support, injuring at least 33 and killing one. Yesterday afternoon, a second Megabus accident claimed the life of a 76-year-old West Loop resident. These accidents shine a spotlight on recent efforts to improve bus safety for occupants and for everyone who shares the road with buses. The National Transportation […]
In-Car Technology A Concern For Many Drivers
Cell phones, iPods, and other portable electronic devices have been the source of significant scrutiny among traffic safety experts. Recently, the efforts of automakers to make their vehicles more appealing to technophiles have also drawn attention. As car accidents involving distracted driving continue to plague U.S. roadways, many consumers now believe that in-car technologies have become too […]
Fatal Southern Illinois Bus Crash
A double-decker bus was headed from Chicago to St. Louis yesterday when it struck a bridge support. The bus crash killed one woman and injured at least 33 others. According to the Illinois State Police, a tire blew out on the bus shortly before it went off the road and struck the bridge support on […]
Distracted Driving And The Dangers Of Multi-Tasking
A study conducted at Ohio State University has demonstrated that multi-tasking between two visual tasks is more difficult than multi-tasking between a visual task and an audio task. The study has implications for those concerned about distracted driving. The laws that have been passed to ban texting and driving address situations where a driver is splitting […]
Pilot Who Reported Safety Concerns Ordered Reinstated
A pilot working for Ameriflight PR Incorporated repeatedly raised concerns about the way fuel calculations were made for planes flown out of the airline’s Puerto Rico base. Fearing a potential plane crash, he took further steps including refusing to pilot a flight, emailing management and fellow pilots, and finally raising the issue with the Federal Aviation […]
A Connection Between Road Rage And Texting
The dangers of texting while driving may go beyond the distraction and reduced reaction time that comes with it. In addition to causing car and truck accidents by taking the driver’s attention off the road, texting while driving may also inspire road rage. Road rage is a more common problem than people may realize. According to a […]
Boeing Faces Second Largest FAA Fine In History
In 1996, TWA Flight 800 exploded killing more than 200 people. The aviation accident was the result of a fuel tank explosion that occurred shortly after the Boeing 747 took from John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens. In response to the tragedy, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board developed regulations that required airlines […]
Can Technology Solve The Problem Of Distracted Driving
Putting a stop to texting and driving is a top priority among many safety experts. Several devices claim to be able to prevent people from engaging in this form of distracted driving. A device developed at an Indian university is taking the fight against texting and driving to a new level. The device, known as a […]
Lawyers Lending a Hand
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop attorney Octavio Duran participated as a volunteer for the “Lawyers Lending a Hand” project organized by the Young Lawyers Section of the DuPage County Bar Association. The project strives to provide youth and families with safe, constructive programs to enhance family life and offer a positive influence to the communities. […]
Medical Malpractice Claims At All Time Low According To Public Citizen
A consumer advocacy group known as Public Citizen claims that medical malpractice payments in 2011 were a record low. The group additionally claims that medical malpractice payouts have been decreasing for eight consecutive years. The data provided by the group was meant to demonstrate that malpractice payments are not to blame for the rising cost of health […]
Oversight Of Railroad Bridges Raises Safety Concerns
A train derailment occurred at a bridge on the Glenview-Northbrook border last Wednesday. The fatal railroad accident has drawn attention to the safety standards and oversight of thousands of bridges in Illinois and across the nation. While the Illinois Department of Transportation is responsible for the condition of most bridges, oversight of railroad bridges is left to […]
Product Liability Lawsuit Filed Against Manufacturers of Paroxetine (generic form of Paxil)
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop and Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman filed a wrongful death lawsuit today in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, against pharmaceutical and wholesale drug companies for the death of a 57-year-old man. According to the lawsuit, the man suffered worsening anxiety and depression, began to have extreme thoughts, and took his […]
Drivers Could Hit Roads In Unprecedented Numbers This Week
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop Files Appearances in Wrongful Death Case Arising Out of Dana Airlines Flight 992 Plane Crash
A lawsuit has been filed against Boeing Co., manufacturer of the MD-83 airliner that crashed in Nigeria on June 3. The personal injury attorneys at Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop in Chicago, Illinois, recently filed their appearances in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a Nigerian plane crash earlier this month. The firm is involved in representing […]
License of Nigerian Airline Suspended After Deadly Crash
Dana Air, based in Lagos, Nigeria, first began operating in 2008. On June 3, Dana Air flight 0992 crashed, killing 153 passengers and crew as well as at least 10 individuals on the ground. In response, Nigerian aviation officials have suspended the airline’s operating license. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority in Nigeria indicated that […]
Surgeons May Still Be Too Fatigued, Despite New Regulations
A study of orthopedic surgical residents in two Boston hospitals analyzed the impact fatigue had on performance, as well as the frequency with which new surgeons worked while tired. The study participants averaged 5.3 hours of sleep per day. When the results of the residents were compared to a group of well-rested residents, it was […]
NTSB Releases Tour Helicopter Crash Information
On December 8, we blogged about a tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four passengers and the pilot who were on route to the Hoover Dam. The National Transportation Safety Board has now opened the public docket concerning this tragic aviation accident. While the docket does not contain the NTSB analysis of the crash, […]
