Since the law went into effect on March 1, 2008, law enforcement officers in New Jersey have issued close to 225,000 citations to motorists for breaking the law. Between 2008 and 2009, there were 3,610 accidents that involved a motorist using a hand-held cell phone. These crashes led to a total of 13 deaths. The number of deaths from cell phone-related accidents seem to be the highest in Camden County with 231 accidents in all related to motorists using cell phones while driving. Burlington County was next with 121 accidents, and Gloucester County was third with 116 accidents traced to the use of hand-held cell phones at the wheel.

So do I think the laws have failed? No. We simply need better enforcement, heavier fines, and stricter penalties for these laws to work the way they were supposed to.

In related distracted driving news, a new bill proposes that police responding to an accident note down whether the motorist was distracted at the time of the accident. Officers would be given a sheet with a number of distractions - eating, changing radio stations and other distractions - and would have to check on the appropriate one.

Scott Grossman is a New Jersey injury lawyer, representing injured victims of motor vehicle accidents and car crashes in Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic, and Ocean Counties, and across the state of New Jersey.

As a New Jersey injury lawyer, I have been blogging about the declining accident fatality rates across the country, including in our state. This year's numbers, while not low enough by any standards, are still extremely encouraging to those of us who would like to see fewer people killed and fewer lives shattered in preventable traffic accidents. According to the Department of Translation, fewer incidences of alcohol-related car accidents, greater use of seatbelts and safer cars have contributed to these decreasing fatalities.

·         The biggest challenges come from more and more numbers of technological distractions making their way into our vehicles. These include not just cell phones and texting devices, but also dashboard computers that are beginning to appear in cars.

·         Fatalities could also be reduced if we could focus a little harder on motorcycle safety. This is one category of highway users that continues to be at a high risk for death. We still continue to have far too many deaths in motorcycle crashes, even when the motorcyclist is wearing helmets.

·         The challenges to raising a new generation of informed drivers are greater today than they were a decade ago. Teen motorists have far too many distractions to enable them to drive safely. Law enforcement agencies in New Jersey must focus harder on enforcing traffic safety rules, educating teen motorists by taking the message to high schools around the state.

Scott Grossman is a New Jersey accident lawyer, representing injured victims of automobile accidents in Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, and Bergen Counties and across New Jersey.

Travelers have become used to these billboards that flash advertising messages, news headlines, and sports scores. But exactly how distracting are these billboards? 

It seems to me that anything that can take a motorist’s attention away from the road on a busy highway for enough time to cause an accident, must be considered a serious risk. Some of these billboards change messages every 6 to 8 seconds. These are highly distracting messages that have the potential to cause motorists to take their eyes off the road for several seconds at a time. Motorists who are distracted by billboards are already talking on their cell phones or texting while driving. In short, these motorists can't handle any more distractions.

Efforts to ban these billboards are on, but the industry has been stubborn about its opposition to any such ban. In several states, nonprofit groups are trying to block the installation of more such billboards.

Scott Grossman is a New Jersey personal injury lawyer representing injured victims of auto accidents in Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic and Ocean counties, and across the state of New Jersey.

As expected, due to the high number of plane safety incidents that we have seen in recent years, aviation safety finds special mention on the list. The NTSB list also includes a number of recommendations for trucking safety, many of which have been given a red designation.

As a New Jersey injury lawyer and a parent, this particular removal really concerns me. School bus safety is an issue that concerns many parents. In particular, it is the absence of mandatory seat belts on these buses that is troubling.  Failure to buckle up can convert a child into a projectile in the event of a crash, placing him at serious risk for injuries and deaths.  These can so easily be prevented simply by mandating that all school buses come with seatbelts.

This week, I moved my injury law firm practice in Freehold to a brand new building, under a brand new name. So as of the 1^st of February, the Law Offices of Scott D. Grossman is now The Grossman Law Firm, LLC.  

Monmouth County residents can locate us at our new office:

The Grossman Law Firm, LLC.  

Pinho Professional Center,  

57 Schanck Road, Suite C-13

Freehold

The telephone and fax numbers for the Freehold office remain the same.

Phone:          732-625-9494

Web: www.GrossmanJustice.com

Blog: www.NJinjuryBlog.com

Our Northern New Jersey office remains at its current address in Bergen County.  

The new expanded premises are at a convenient location, and will help Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro, Howell, Old Bridge, New Egypt and Jackson area residents, who need to consult with an experienced injury lawyer in Monmouth County.  

For most of these people, it is the very first time they have been seriously injured. It is also the first time they have been unable to work and support their families. The strain of dealing with physical pain and financial expenses, and worry over a future that is so uncertain - these are some of the common characteristics I see in so many of the clients who walk in for a consultation at my office.

For me, being a personal injury lawyer in New Jersey is not just about helping these people navigate their way through the complexities of the NJ insurance law, and obtain the compensation they deserve for what is often a life altering experience. It’s also about helping them find the resources they need to move forward again.

While there may be nothing I can do to make injured clients or bereaved ones feel whole again, I am committed to doing all I can to put them back on the road to physical, financial and emotional recovery, all with a very personable hands-on approach.  As I settle down at our new beautiful, state of the art, conveniently located Freehold office, it’s a commitment my staff and I will maintain.

The family of John D’Agostino has settled its claim for $2.5 million.  On November 21^st 2006, D’Agostino was getting off a train at a Bradley Beach station, when the train door closed shut on his shoulder and arm. The train began to pull out of the station. D’Agostino began to scream for help, but to no avail.  The train gathered speed, dragging the 49-year-old man with it. D’Agostino was eventually dragged under the train, and killed.  

The FRA also had severe criticism for the train’s conductor and assistant conductor. The two were not in their places at the time of the terrible accident, and failed to see D’Agostino trapped in the door and being dragged along. There have been other questions raised by the United Transportation Union Local 60 which represents conductors and assistant conductors, about whether the car doors were functioning properly at the time of accident. Investigations found no defects in the doors, edges, steps, or handholds.

Scott Grossman is a New Jersey personal injury lawyer representing injured victims of auto and truck accidents in Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic and Ocean Counties and across the state of New Jersey.

There is some good news on the accident fatality rate front, as confirmed by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's annual report that came out earlier this month.  Accident-related fatalities across the country are at their lowest levels, in decades.

According to the report, there has been a drop of 3,998 deaths from 2007. The fatality number in 2008 is 37,261 from 41,259 in 2007. Most importantly, the decline has been seen across all categories.  Drunk driving accident deaths, deaths related to speeding, pedestrian deaths and even trucking accident fatalities, have dropped significantly. The only category that has not showed any improvement is motorcycle accidents. In fact, for the 11^th year in a row, deaths from motorcycle accidents have showed an upward trend. That’s a disturbing fact, and the NHTSA must probe the reasons for why we have been unable to achieve any success in bringing down motorcycle accident death rates.

It's not just fatality rates that are down.  Injury rates have dropped too. Last year 2.35 million people were injured in traffic accidents, compared to 2.49 million the previous year. In fact, the number of injuries is at its lowest point since the agency began collecting data in 1998. More important, 2008 was the 9^th year in a row that injury rates have dropped.                                 

New Jersey saw a total of 724 accidents in 2007, and those numbers have dropped to 590 in 2008. That’s a drop of 19 percent, and those numbers are very encouraging indeed.

While increased seatbelt usage, safer automobiles and stronger enforcement have all played their part in bringing down the accident death rate, let's not forget that there is a recession on, and that people didn’t travel as much as usual last year. The hike in gas prices last summer also contributed to fewer vehicles on the highway, and consequently, fewer accidents.

We will have to wait for when the recession eases up and gas prices begin to slide again, to see whether the fatality rates still stay the same. Already there are signs that as gas prices begin to stabilize a little, people are abandoning the public transportation and bicycles that they took to during the gas crisis, and are returning to their cars again.

H/t: Gjelblogger

Scott Grossman is a New Jersey personal injury lawyer, representing victims in Monmouth, Bergen, and Passaic Counties, and all over New Jersey.

It was only later that police officers found Hickey, with a bleeding wound in his head. He was rushed to the Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, where it has been confirmed that he has suffered a traumatic brain injury.   Witnesses at the scene reported hearing a loud bang, and the screech of tires as the motorist fled form the scene. The skid marks on the road were the first indication to police officers that this had been a hit and run accident.

My heart goes out to Brian Hickey and his family. Angela has been posting updates on Facebook to let their community know of her husband’s progress. To have a loved one unconscious and not in a position to respond to you because of the injuries to his brain must be devastating for Hickey’s family.

Police have yet to zero in on a suspect, and they are focusing on locals who probably knew the area well. The spot where Hickey was hit is a little known short cut, probably familiar to a local, they say. The motorist is also likely to have suffered damage to his car.

A traumatic brain injury or TBI can be caused by injury, a stroke, aneurysm, or any other kind of severe damage to the head. These injuries are especially common when there is an automobile accident involving a pedestrian or bicyclist. These two groups pf people tend to have the least amount of protection, especially pedestrians who have no way of sheltering their head from the shattering impact when they are thrown to the ground, as often happens when they are involved in an accident. The force of a car weighing close to 3000 pounds can be enough to throw a person into the air, to land on the ground with a tremendous impact. 

Immediate care is essential to reduce the long term impact of a traumatic brain injury.   Emergency care in the first hour or so after the injury can help prevent further injuries to the brain. In Hickey’s case, the motorist didn’t even stop to offer some help to his victim. If he had, maybe Hickey’s prognosis would have been markedly improved.

As a New Jersey traumatic brain injury lawyer, and NJ car accident lawyer, I have represented victims who suffer from these debilitating injuries and have seen first hand the profound impact they have on their lives, as well as their families.

New Jersey has very busy roads during the summer months especially in Monmouth County. As an attorney representing many motor vehicle accident clients throughout the New Jersey and the Monmouth County area, I ask you to be extra careful driving this summer because the roads will get busy as people travel towards the shore to beat the summer heat. According to AARP, the likelihood of attendees being involved in an auto accident or receiving a traffic ticket should decrease by 15 percent following the completion of the two sessions. Being a Monmouth County and New Jersey injury lawyer I would recommend completing some of these courses to help improve driving safety and to help reduce those outrageously over priced New Jersey auto insurance rates.