A Portland woman suffered critical injuries when she attempted to walk across S.E. 82nd Avenue in a marked crosswalk and was hit by two vehicles, according to new information released by the Oregon State Police (“OSP”). On January 6, 2011, OSP reported that both a Ford F-150 pickup and a Kia sedan were involved in the serious pedestrian collision, which occurred on January 3, 2011. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured woman and her family.

Official reports stated that at around 3:00 p.m., the 2004 Kia four-door was turning left from westbound Otty Road to southbound S.E. 82nd Avenue when it struck the 27-year-old pedestrian in the marked crosswalk. A Ford F-150 pickup was behind the Kia, also turning left. The Ford pickup drove to the right of the Kia which had abruptly stopped after the impact. The pickup drove over the fallen pedestrian before the Kia drove forward and over her. The Kia stopped with the pedestrian critically injured underneath.

Pedestrian Injury Accident Statistics
Pedestrian crashes are extremely dangerous—and, unfortunately, fairly common. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) statistics show that. on average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes. In Oregon, data showed that almost ten percent of fatal traffic crashes involved pedestrians killed by vehicle impacts. Alcohol involvement — either for the driver or for the pedestrian — was reported in nearly one-half (47%) of the traffic crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities included in the NHTSA study.

Pedestrian Traffic Safety
Surprisingly, the impacts in this collision occurred while the pedestrian was in a marked crosswalk. Most people hit by cars are struck when they cross the road at places other than intersections. Dark and dark but lighted conditions (almost two-thirds) are another environmental factor that plays a major part in pedestrian fatalities. Nighttime, especially 6 PM to midnight hours, accounts for almost 50 percent of pedestrian collisions.

Portland Car Accident Lawyer
A pedestrian traffic crash may cause extremely serious injury or even prove fatal. As an Oregon personal injury lawyer, I am dedicated to assisting the injured or their survivors in protecting legal rights and recovering compensation. Our Portland accident law firm offers a free, confidential attorney consultation. Contact us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or use our injury attorney contact form online.

Icy road conditions were a contributing factor in at least four traffic crashes Friday morning along Interstate 84 in the Ladd Canyon area east of La Grande, according to Oregon State Police (“OSP”). An unoccupied OSP patrol car and a La Grande Rural Fire District emergency response vehicle were among those struck.

According to an OSP Senior Trooper, on November 12, 2010 at approximately 8:20 a.m., OSP and La Grande area fire and ambulance personnel responded to a report of an auto collision westbound on Interstate 84 near milepost 270. Emergency responders arrived at the scene located at the top of a westbound on ramp and parked their vehicles to check for any injuries and start the investigation.

While an OSP trooper was out of his patrol car talking to a driver of an involved passenger car, the driver of a westbound pickup towing a trailer reportedly lost control. The trailer overturned onto its side, separated from the pickup, and slid into the driver side of the OSP patrol car. The pickup struck the left front corner of a La Grande Rural Fire District vehicle and rolled onto its side.

Officers cited the pickup’s driver, William S. Hardrath, age 24, for Careless Driving. No injuries to Mr. Hardrath were reported. OSP reported that the driver of the vehicle involved in the first crash was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Careless Driving Law and Liability
Under ORS 811.135, a person “commits the offense of careless driving if the person drives any vehicle upon a highway or other premises described in this section in a manner that endangers or would be likely to endanger any person or property.”

Driving in Oregon’s Winter Weather
Winter weather conditions can make driving dangerous for anyone. OSP urges travelers to:

Be prepared and watchful for changing highway conditions.

Oregon Car Accident Lawyer
An Oregon auto accident attorney can assist injured victims or the families of those hurt by driver negligence and ensure that those responsible for the harm are held accountable. Our Portland personal injury law firm offers a free, confidential attorney consultation in all motor vehicle collision cases. Contact us online or call toll free (800) 714-3204.

Oregon State Police (“OSP”) are investigating a fatal SUV rollover accident that occurred on October 7, 2010, along Highway 50 in southern Klamath County. According to OSP, at approximately 4:55 p.m, a sport utility vehicle traveling eastbound on Highway 50 near milepost 19 went off the roadway onto the eastbound shoulder. The vehicle came back across the highway to the westbound shoulder, rolled over, and collided with a utility pole. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and later pronounced deceased at the scene.

SUV Rollover Crash Dangers and Causes
Few details about this Oregon highway accident are available, but we know enough to extend our sincere sympathies to the driver’s family. It’s not clear at this time whether the SUV contributed to the traffic crash.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, however, SUV accidents have high fatality and injury rates due, in part, to the high percentage of rollover crashes in which passengers are ejected from their vehicles. Rollover crashes are one of the most significant safety problems for all classes of light vehicles, especially sport utility vehicles. State crash data indicates that, for all types of collisions, light trucks are only in 68 percent as many traffic crashes per registered vehicle as are passenger cars, but are in 127 percent as many rollover accidents per registered vehicle.

Taller, narrower vehicles such as SUVs, pickups, and vans have higher centers of gravity, and thus are more likely to rollover in a single-vehicle crash. Driver behavior and road and environmental conditions can also contribute to an SUV roll-over accident.

Portland Car Accident Lawyer
Rollovers are complex crash incidents. An Oregon personal injury attorney with experience in car crash cases can assist injured victims or survivors in protecting legal rights and recovering compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation, and other related damages. Our Portland car accident law office is prepared to analyze all aspects of SUV rollover crash cases and dedicated to improving vehicle safety to prevent harm to others. We offer a free, confidential attorney consultation. Call us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or use our online contact form.

Oregon State Police (“OSP”) troopers are investigating into a two-vehicle serious injury traffic crash accident on Highway 26 east of Sandy. According to an OSP report, on October 1, 2010, at approximately 5:19 p.m. a 2007 Freightliner Sprinter van driven by Anglina Wilson, age 36, was eastbound on Highway 26 at Weber Road near milepost 31 moving from the right lane to the left lane to pass another vehicle. A westbound Jeep Cherokee driven by Delilah La Blue, age 78, from Welches, moved into the left turn lane and began turning south toward Weber Road in the path of the van. The van crashed into the Jeep’s right side and rolled off the south side of Highway 26. The Jeep came to rest against the guardrail along the westbound lanes.

OSP reported that Ms. La Blue was transported by LifeFlight with serious injuries, and Ms. Wilson was transported by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. Our Portland car accident law firm hopes that both drivers make a prompt recovery.

Oregon Car Accident Law
The collision accident remains under investigation. It appears unclear at this time whether an unsafe turn was involved. Under Oregon law, a “person commits the offense of making an unlawful or unsignaled turn if the person is operating a vehicle upon a highway and the person turns the vehicle right or left when: (a) The movement cannot be made with reasonable safety; or (b) The person fails to give an appropriate signal continuously during not less than the last 100 feet traveled by the vehicle before turning.” A driver commits the offense of making a dangerous left turn if he or she Intends to turn the vehicle to the left and does not yield the right of way to a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction that is within the intersection or so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. All drivers also have a duty to drive in a manner that is not likely to endanger any person or property, including maintaining a speed that is reasonable and prudent under the applicable conditions.

Consult an Oregon Auto Accident Attorney
An Oregon car accident lawyer can help injured victims obtain full and fair compensation for personal injuries caused by negligent drivers. Portland injury lawyer Dane E. Johnson provides a free, confidential attorney consultation in all traffic crash and motor vehicle collision cases. Contact us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or online.

An elderly driver sustained serious personal injury early Wednesday morning in a truck collision on Highway 97 north of Madras, Oregon. According to official reports, a 2002 Chrysler Sebring driven by Clinton Daniel Deshazer, age 71, was northbound on Highway 97 near milepost 90 when, for unknown reasons, it crossed the centerline into the two southbound lanes. The Chrysler collided with the front of a southbound Kenworth truck pulling two trailers loaded with wood pallets in the right hand southbound lane. The truck and trailers veered to the right and came to a stop off the southbound shoulder. The Chrysler came to rest near the center of the highway. No injuries to the truck’s driver or passenger were reported. An investigation is ongoing.

Oregon Car and Truck Accidents
Truck collisions accounted for around eight percent of traffic crashes in Jefferson County in 2009. Oregon Department of Transportation car accident statistics show that there were four fatalities and 52 injuries involving car accidents in Madras and other parts of the county in which today’s collision occurred.

Oregon crash statistics published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration showed that there were 1,433 fatal and non-fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2008. 37 of those truck collision car accidents resulted in deaths.

Portland Auto Accident Lawyer
An Oregon personal injury lawyer with experience in car crash cases can assist injured victims in protecting legal rights and recovering compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation, and other related damages. Our Portland law office is prepared to analyze all aspects of a traffic crash and dedicated to holding any negligent parties accountable. We offer a free, confidential attorney consultation. If you or loved ones are hurt in a car accident, call us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or use our online contact form.

An Oregon motorcyclist died yesterday in a fatal Oregon motorcycle collision with a pickup truck at the intersection of Highway 42 and Grange Road east of Winston according to Oregon State Police (“OSP”). An OSP spokesman said that the fatal accident occurred after a 2006 Chevrolet pickup stopped in the westbound left turn lane on Highway 42 near milepost 75 began to turn left. The truck reportedly collided with an eastbound 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle operated by George Jones, age 64. Police said that Mr. Jones was wearing a helmet. Tragically, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Our Portland law office extends deepest sympathies to the family.

How Motorcycle Accidents Happen
A comprehensive motorcycle collision study has shown that 90% of all threats, both from traffic and the environment, came from in front of the motorcyclist. The most common cause was driver failure to see the rider.
There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t “recognize” a motorcycle. Factors unique to motorcycles can contribute to the danger. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is, be hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars), or be masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car, such as bushes, fences, or bridges.

Ten Things Car & Truck Drivers Can Do to Avoid a Motorcycle Collision Accident
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers these simple suggestions to help keep riders and drivers safe:

1. Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.
2. Don’t assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.
3. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
4. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.
5. Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections.
6. Make sure a motorcycle’s turn signal is for real.
7. Understand that motorcyclists generally adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or to allow you to share the lane with them.
8. Don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.
9. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle
10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don’t think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

Oregon Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one are the victim of a an Oregon motorcycle accident, call Portland injury lawyer Dane E. Johnson at (503) 975-8298 or contact our Oregon accident law office online. We offer a free consultation and case evaluation in all motorcycle collision cases.

Oregon State Police (“OSP”) this morning reported a truck accident involving a commercial vehicle rollover and subsequent fire that is now apparently extinguished on Highway 26 about two miles east of the Highway 216 intersection in Wasco County near milepost 74. OSP flash news said initially that the driver had not been located and it was unknown if he or she was still in the vehicle. A flash update minutes later confirmed a fatality at the scene of the commercial vehicle rollover crash.

The driver’s identity at this time is either unknown or has not been released. Our Portland accident law firm extends deepest sympathies to the family of this trucker. The cause of the wreck is also unclear, but if this Oregon truck accident is like many others, several potential causes should be investigated.

Most commercial truck drivers are skilled drivers, but inadequate training and pressure to meet unrealistic expectations for mileage and schedules may lead to driver error. Federal regulations are supposed to prevent driving too many hours, but these rules may have been violated. An unknown passenger car could have forced the truck driver to respond causing the rig to roll. Abrupt lane changes may force a truck to maneuver or brake quickly, and the size and weight of a big rig can contribute to a fatal crash. This is especially true if the truck is overloaded. Carrying more cargo than legal limits permit can make a truck very hard to control.

Portland Lawyer for Truck Accidents
As this tragic crash shows, truck accidents can be deadly or lead to serious injuries. A commercial truck accident can be an extremely complex situation from which to recover compensation for losses and harms. Trucking accidents require an attorney able to navigate the federal and state laws that control transportation. Portland injury accident lawyer Dane E. Johnson has investigated truck collision cases and provides a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. If a truck crash or other Oregon motor vehicle accident has harmed you or loved ones, contact us toll-free at (800) 714-3204 or reach us online.

Oregon State Police (“OSP”) are investigating the death of Zipporah Mercy Worth, 56, who was killed in a Lake County area car accident on September 9, 2010. According to an OSP news release, the 1996 Ford Explorer driven by Worth was northbound on Highway 31 near milepost 35 when it drifted off the highway into the northbound shoulder ditch. The Ford SUV reportedly continued over 200 feet in the ditch before the driver over-corrected while attempting to steer it back onto the highway. The vehicle rolled over as it crossed the traffic lanes into the southbound shoulder ditch where it came to rest on its passenger side with major damage to the roof and windshield area. Our Portland car accident law office extends sincere sympathies to Ms. Worth’s family.

Vehicle Design Defect Liability Issues
The PBS documentary “Frontliine” has reported that the Ford Explorer ” is 16 times as likely as the typical family car to kill occupants of another vehicle in a crash.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rejected some charges that the SUV is unstable. A recent Washington Post article, however, reports that internal Ford memos “show that the company’s own engineers had discovered potential dangers in two key Explorer features, its suspension and roof strength, that could make the vehicle especially lethal during a blowout.”

Since the 2002 model year, the distance between the Ford Explorer’s wheels has been widened by about three inches, making it less prone to roll over. Such design changes, however, were almost certainly not present in the 1996 Explorer SUV involved in this fatal Oregon traffic crash.

Despite steady advances in auto safety—often spurred by product liability lawsuits—automobile defect cases still must be brought to obtain fair compensation for wrongful death and serious personal injury caused by defective vehicle designs. Safety improvements made through auto recalls may still leave significant number of older defective cars on the road, where they put drivers and passengers at extreme risk.

Consult an Oregon Car Accident Lawyer
Our Portland auto accident law firm has investigated Ford Explorer SUV rollover and can assist injured victims or the families of those killed by vehicle defects. Our mission is to ensure that manufacturers of defective and dangerous products are held responsible for the harm that their designs cause. Portland, Oregon personal injury lawyer Dane E. Johnson offers a no-cost, no-obligation confidential attorney consultation. Contact us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or online.

Related Web Resources
Peter Whoriskey, Internal Ford Documents About Explorer Rollovers Take a Look at Engineering, Wash. Post, May 8, 2010.
Frontline: Rollover: The Hidden History of the SUV

Oregon State Police (“OSP”) reported that Carrie Ames, 22, was arrested September 3, 2010, on two counts of manslaughter in the first degree, DUII, and assault in the second and third degrees after being released from the hospital for minor injuries in a fatal hear-on collision car accident in Klamath County on September 2. OSP officials say Ames was driving a 2009 Toyota Corolla eastbound on the Southside Bypass near Washburn Way when it veered across the center line.

Tragic Loss in Fatal Oregon Car Crash
Ames reportedly then collided head-on with a westbound 2000 Dodge Stratus driven by Billy Don Barton, age 66, from Dorris, California. Mr. Barton and his wife Donna, age 62, were pronounced dead at the scene. OSP officials said that the couple’s grandson, six-year-old Daba Phillips, sustained critical injuries in the deadly car crash. An air ambulance transported the boy to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. Injuries to a passenger riding with Ames, Jackie Mankins, age 18, were reported as minor. Our deepest sympathies are extended to the Barton and Phillips families.

Oregon DUII Statistics and Laws
According to Oregon Department of Transportation (“ODOT”) data, crashes involving alcohol and/or other drugs account for nearly half of the fatal and serious injury crashes occurring in Oregon each year. Many crashes involve youth that are inexperienced both as drinkers and drivers. Fortunately, the percent of fatalities that were determined to be alcohol-related has decreased from 41.4% in 1998 to 39.7% in 2007, the most recent year for which data were available. Tougher enforcement may be a major part of the reason. ODOT statistics show that DUII convictions were at their highest point in 10 years in 2007 with 10,455 offenders. Under Oregon DUII law as stated in ORS 813.010(1), “A person commits the offense of driving while under the influence of intoxicants if the person drives a vehicle while the person: [h]as 0.08 percent or more by weight of alcohol in the blood . . . .”

Driving under the influence of alcohol is always a serious offense, but more is required to charge first-degree manslaughter. Under ORS 163.118, criminal homicide constitutes manslaughter in the first degree when “it is committed recklessly or with criminal negligence by a person operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants in violation of ORS 813.010 and [t]person has at least three previous convictions for driving while under the influence of intoxicants . . . in the 10 years prior to the date of the current offense . . . .”

Civil Action for Harm Caused by Impaired Drivers
In addition to criminal punishment, the at-fault driver in an Oregon fatal car accident case may be held financially responsible for the harm caused to victims and their families. A wrongful death claim may be filed seeking compensation for lost future earnings, as well as the love and companionship taken by reckless or negligent conduct.

An impaired driver involved in a car accident is not liable simply because he or she was intoxicated. If the driver’s condition caused the car crash or it occurred because of negligence on his or her part, however, then he or she may be held accountable in a civil trial. Intoxication is not a defense to liability for damages resulting from an Oregon car accident.

Consult an Oregon Car Accident Lawyer
An Oregon auto accident lawyer can assist injured victims or the families of those killed by driver negligence. The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson provides a free, confidential attorney consultation in all motor vehicle injury cases. Contact us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or online.

Related Web Resources
Kimberly A.C. Wilson, Klamath Falls Woman Arrested in Double Fatal Wreck South of Klamath Falls, The Oregonian, Sept. 3, 2010.

Oregon State Police (“OSP”) reported a fatal head-on collision on Oregon Highway 22 near Detroit around sixty miles east of Salem. According to the OSP website, a 2009 Toyota Avalon driven by an elderly man was eastbound on Highway 22 near milepost 40 when, for an unknown reason, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a westbound 2004 Dodge Ram pickup

The Avalon driver was identified as Ronald Duane Galbraith, 73. Mr. Galbraith was pronounced dead at the scene. No injuries were reported to the other driver or passengers. We extend our sincere sympathies to family and those who knew Mr. Galbraith.

Fatal Auto Accident Collision Statistics
According to the Oregon Department of Transportation’s motor vehicle traffic crash statistics, there were 331 fatal collisions in Oregon in 2009. The rate of fatal crashes dropped by 10.30 percent from the previous year, but non-fatal injury crashes rose 5.61 percent. Fourteen people were killed in Douglas County in 2009 fatal auto collisions.

Head-On Collision Crash Force
One car hitting another moving toward it creates a force about equal to the same car crashing directly into a wall at the same speed. The crash force isn’t doubled, as some people believe, but it’s still severe enough to crumple metal and destroy glass and plastic. Unfortunately, it’s also enough force to take a driver’s life.

The speed at which this central Oregon car accident occurred is not clear from official reports. As speed increases, however, fatal impact is significantly more likely. Doubling the speed of a head-on collision into a stationary object, for example, tends to nearly quadruple the crash force applied. Highway 22 is posted 55 mph—easily high enough for the deadly crash that killed the driver in this case.

Consult an Oregon Car Accident Lawyer
An Oregon auto accident attorney can assist injured victims or the families of those killed by driver negligence and ensure that those responsible for the harm are held accountable. Portland personal injury lawyer Dane E. Johnson provides a free, confidential attorney consultation in all motor vehicle collision cases. Contact us toll free at (800) 714-3204 or online.