On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

Along with practicing defensive driving, placing your child in an appropriate car or booster seat helps to prevent catastrophic injuries in a collision. Picking the right car seat initially is only part of the equation, however. If you have an accident, you may need to replace the seat before your next trip.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises parents to replace child car seats after moderate and severe accidents. Consequently, if your collision was minor, it may be safe to continue to use the car seat.

What constitutes a minor car accident?

A motor vehicle accident that may seem minor to one driver may appear quite serious to another. Fortunately, the NHTSA has some guidelines for what constitutes a minor car accident. If any of the following apply to your accident, the crash is not minor for purposes of replacing your child’s car seat:

•       The accident makes your car undrivable

•       The accident causes your car’s airbags to inflate

•       The accident results in damage to the door closest to your child’s car seat

•       The accident causes an injury to someone in your vehicle or another one

•       The accident damages the car seat

Can you see damage to the car seat?

Even if your car accident appears to be minor, you should not continue to use your child’s car seat until you carefully inspect it for signs of damage. If the seat has cracks, tears, breaks, compressions or any other damage that may interfere with its ability to protect your child, you should not continue to use it.

Ultimately, you do not want to leave your child’s safety to chance. If you have any doubt about the integrity of a car or booster seat after a car accident, replacing the seat immediately is the responsible thing to do.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

Like many other driving hazards, operating a motor vehicle while feeling less than alert or sleepy is extremely dangerous. Besides the risks of drivers’ impeding traffic, having collisions or sustaining injuries, other motorists and pedestrians on the roads are in danger as well. 

There are ways to combat driver fatigue. However, driving while drowsy is not always unavoidable for some motorists. Vehicle operators should learn about the following types of injuries that often occur in drowsy driving accidents. 

Broken bones

The forces and objects at work during motor vehicle collisions often are enough to break and fracture bones, especially in the upper and lower extremities. Victims who end up with broken or fracture injuries require immediate medical treatment, and in some cases, ongoing medical therapy to combat the trauma and improve recovery outcome. 

Paralysis

Temporary or permanent paralysis is common in drowsy driving accidents. The impact of force and penetrating objects can damage the spinal cord, head and various areas of the body, leading to torn or bruised nerves, ligaments, tendons and muscles and other issues that interfere with the body’s ability to communicate with the brain and function. 

Death

Unfortunately, death is common in many types of collisions, especially those involving drowsy motorists. Not all accident fatalities occur right away. It is not uncommon for accident victims to end up with seemingly minor or mild injuries that later progress to more severe trauma that ultimately results in death. For example, soft tissue trauma like brain injuries can result in a loss of bodily function that results in an untimely demise. 

Car accidents can happen anytime. However, incidents that stem from drowsy driving are more common in shift workers, truck drivers, and motorists who use medications or suffer from certain ailments. Lifestyle adjustments and actively staying alert can help to decrease the likelihood of sleepy motorists on the roads.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

Generally, Connecticut categorizes types of theft, or larceny, based on the monetary value of the stolen items. Some types of larceny result in felony charges.

Review the types of felony larceny crimes in Connecticut and possible penalties for a conviction.

First-degree larceny

Connecticut classifies larceny as a Class B felony when the value of the stolen property exceeds $20,000. The state also imposes first-degree larceny charges for fraud against a community resulting in a loss of at least $2,000. A convicted person could receive one to 20 years in prison depending on the circumstances of his or her case.

Second-degree larceny

These charges apply to theft crimes in which:

• The value of the stolen property is $10,000 or more
• The defendant defrauded a community for $2,000 or less
• The defendant stole property from the victim’s pocket, bag or person
• The defendant stole utility or cable services causing an interruption during an emergency
• The defendant defrauded or embezzled from a person who is blind, disabled or older than age 60

This conviction carries a minimum of one year and a maximum of 10 years in prison as a Class C felony.

Third-degree larceny

This crime is a Class D felony in Connecticut. Third-degree larceny may include theft of:

• Property worth $2,000 or more
• A motor vehicle worth less than $10,000
• Public records
• Trade secrets

A convicted person could receive up to five years in prison.

Connecticut categorizes other types of larceny crimes as misdemeanors. For example, fourth-degree larceny, which carries up to one year in prison, applies to theft of goods worth between $1,000 and $2,000.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

It seems that most people cannot wake up in the morning until after they have their cup of coffee or other caffeinated drink of choice. While caffeine in moderation can keep people focused and alert, there is now a study that links excessive caffeine consumption among truck drivers to an increased likelihood of crashes.

Conducted by a lecturer in transport safety at Loughborough University Design School in Leicestershire, United Kingdom, and co-sponsored by the Virginia Tech Transport Institute, the study examined 3,000 drivers in eight states. The conclusion was that short-term use was fine. Five or more cups of coffee or caffeine drinks over a long period, on the other hand, is indicative of a 27.8% chance of a truck driver being involved in a crash within three years of their previous crash. Those who drink one cup have a 21.6% chance of being involved in a crash within three years.

Red flag for unhealthy behavior

The study pointed out that coffee or caffeine drink was not necessarily the direct cause of the crashes, but it indicates drivers with an unhealthy lifestyle. These associated behaviors could include:

• Poor eating habits
• Poor sleeping habits
• Higher likelihood of alcohol consumption
• Cigarette smoking
• Higher likelihood of drug use

These associated contributors can translate into a higher risk of causing a crash.

Drivers spending more time on the road

Truck drivers are essential workers because they are a key component in getting products to consumers and raw materials to manufacturers. To accommodate the higher than usual demand, the U.S. government suspended rules regarding the number of hours truckers can drive.

Not all unhealthy drivers are unsafe drivers, nor are all health drivers safe drivers, but the study raises important issues about road safety and driver health when more of them are spending more time behind the wheel.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

Of all the injuries you can potentially sustain in a car crash, one that causes vision impairment likely is the injury you most fear. Unfortunately, however, car crashes are notorious for causing head injuries. And a head injury often causes visual impairment.

The American Foundation for the Blind explains that the three categories of vision impairment consist of the following:

1. Low vision: blurred vision, tunnel vision, blind spots in your field of vision, etc.
2. Legal blindness: 20/200 vision or less as measured by the Suellen Eye Chart
3. Total blindness: no light perception whatsoever

Fortunately, the chances of your car crash leaving you totally blind is only about 15%. Legal blindness, however, represents a distinct possibility.

Legal blindness

To understand legal blindness, think of the eye chart that your optometrist or ophthalmologist asks you to read when you go for your annual checkup. When you have perfect, i.e., 20/20 vision, you can read down through the eighth line of letters. When your vision becomes impaired to the point of legal blindness, you can only read the third line and above. In other words, you can only see at 20 feet what someone with perfect vision can see at 200 feet.

If your car crash injuries leave you legally blind, you likely will still retain sufficient peripheral vision to be able to tell the difference between daytime and nighttime hours, as well as between brightly lit and dimly lit rooms. You may also be able to make out shadows and some colors. In terms of what you actually see, however, this deteriorates to the point where you likely will need to use a white cane in order to navigate your surroundings without tripping and falling over obstacles in your path.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

All brain injuries have the potential to completely change a person’s life, regardless of type. Whether they result in paralysis, chronic headaches or serious psychological harm, the effects of such injuries are wide-ranging and they can be devastating to the victims on the short and long-term. To understand the difference between a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a non-traumatic brain injury, it may help you to first understand what the medical world means when they refer to each.

When we think of the word “trauma,” we often think of disturbing or otherwise intense experiences. But when it comes to injuries, trauma takes on a different connotation. Trauma, in this case, is a physical injury or damage caused by an external force.

The primary difference, then, between a traumatic brain injury and a non-traumatic brain injury is that a TBI occurs when something outside the brain damages the brain. But a nontraumatic brain injury occurs when internal factors damage the brain.

Common causes of traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries

Often, traumatic brain injuries are caused by serious events such as:

• Car or truck accidents
• Slip-and-fall accidents
• Violence
• Combat injuries
• Explosions

Common causes for non-traumatic brain injuries include:

• Brain affecting infectious diseases
• Strokes
• Aneurysms
• Tumors
• Oxygen deprivation

If you or a loved one have experienced a brain injury, you likely have also experienced heavy losses. Extensive treatments and therapy can mean lost wages and stacked medical bills, even with the help of insurance. How you respond to your injury could drastically influence the course of your future.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

Motorcyclists in Connecticut face more dangers than covered vehicle drivers. They are more exposed to the elements. They always go up against larger vehicles. In a crash scenario, motorcycles are almost always at the disadvantage. They also face unique injury risk. Today we will look at one of them: road rash injuries. 

VeryWell Health looks at road rash injuries. In their mildest form, road rash is not worrisome. Many victims go to a doctor for an initial check-up. After that, they treat the injury at home. In most cases, they do not need to do anything else. 

Moderate and severe road rash injuries are different. These injuries are detrimental to a person’s well-being. They cause massive physical trauma. Emotional scarring is also common. Victims do not only have the upper layer of skin scraped off in these incidents. Moderate road rash sometimes gets down to the muscle layer. Severe road rash goes even further. Some victims experience lacerations down to the bone. 

These categories of road rash also have complex recovery periods. Some victims need skin graft surgery. This is because large areas of exposed flesh attract bacteria, viruses and microbes. Within hours, a person with severe road rash can contract illnesses. They become infected as well. Infections also set in within hours. Serious infection like sepsis and gangrene are not uncommon. 

Finally, even with surgery, victims of severe road rash may scar. This disfigurement is sometimes painful. The victim is often affected on an emotional and mental level. These are the scars that are more difficult to heal from. 

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

During the flu season, daily life becomes difficult for many people who fall ill. Getting sick prevents people in Connecticut from working, and Adler Law Group, LLC realizes that it also leads to other serious challenges in life. For example, it increases the chances of an accident in multiple ways, and many drivers, as well as motorcyclists, cause accidents because of the symptoms they are experiencing. If you are very sick, it is important to avoid riding your motorcycle if your symptoms have the potential to interfere with your ability to focus on the road.

Unfortunately, other motorcyclists and drivers do not always heed this advice. If you regularly ride with a group of motorcyclists, the chances of an accident likely go up when another member of your group is under the weather. For example, if a motorcyclist riding in front of other motorcyclists causes an accident that involves several people, this is especially problematic.

When someone is very sick, their ability to stay safe on the road is negatively impacted in various ways. Those who have a bad headache or are tired due to missing sleep often struggle to operate their motorcycle properly at all times. Moreover, many people take medication to help with their symptoms, which often causes drowsiness. If you are sick, it is smart to avoid riding a motorcycle or operating any type of vehicle until you feel better. Furthermore, if you are involved in an accident caused by someone who was sick at the time of the crash, this issue requires attention and our website covers more.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

People in Connecticut are no strangers to dog attacks. Almost five million people suffer from a dog bite every year according to the CDC, and out of those, nearly one million require medical care.

When a dog that is usually tame lashes out and attacks someone, you may struggle with the motivation behind the sudden change in behavior. We here at the Adler Law Group, LLC strive to keep you in the know about things that may cause you danger. Discover a few of the reasons that may prompt a dog to attack without warning.

Recognizing aggressive behavior

Some canines are aggressive from the start, and others seem to get there without warning. Aggressive behavior in dogs is something that can come as the result of the environment, the way an owner raises the dog or something else entirely. Some of the signs of aggressive behavior in dogs include:

• Lunging
• Vicious barking
• Snarling
• Snapping
• Biting

When the last incident occurs, the dog’s owner may wind up at fault.

Reasons for aggression

Some dog owners treat their pets like children, and as such, it may stand to reason that sudden aggressive behavior is alarming. A sudden change in mannerisms may signal a change in a dog’s biological makeup. Perhaps it is part of the aging process or something serious like a tumor or infection. Dogs may exhibit aggressive behavior temporarily if they believe their territory is in danger. They become frightened or frustrated and lash out at the threat.

Encountering a dog’s aggression may result in an injury. Check out the resources on our website for further information dog bites.

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On Behalf of Adler Law Group, LLC

When a visitor to a property suffers an accident and is injured, it may qualify as a personal injury case. The area of the law that this injury falls under is premises liability laws. In Connecticut, these types of civil claims for damages are also subject to the comparative liability stipulations.

Premises liability laws refer to the responsibility on the part of a property owner or party in possession of a premises to maintain it safely in order to prevent the possibility of a guest or visitor suffering a serious injury. Informing customers, guests and other invitees of existing  hazards falls under the responsibility of an owner and/or the party in possession of the property at the time. In some instances, landlords may not be held liable for some accidents if the unsafe conditions were the result of the negligence or actions of the current occupants.

Premises liability laws can be further broken down into different categories based on the nature and purpose of the individual who was hurt while on the property. Invited guests, such as a customer or personal friend, are entitled to a safe environment free from hazards and conditions that could result in a physical injury. Likewise, those who enter a property based on professional duties are also entitled to a safe entry or appropriate warnings of possible dangers. However, those who are trespassing without a legitimate reason for entering a property are not entitled to the same reasonable expectation of safety. Nevertheless, if there is reasonable expectation that the property will be subject to regular entry of trespassers, then sufficient notice of an existing hazard may be required, and this stipulation also applies when it can be expected that minors will have access to the property –either with or without official permission.

Along with the above guidelines, the issue of comparative liability adds another layer of complexity to some premises liability cases. In Connecticut, as long as the injured party is not more than 51 percent responsible for his or her own injuries, it is possible to recover monetary damages when someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to the injuries suffered. If this occurs while visiting the property of another, a personal injury attorney can help sort through the legalities and identify the party or parties who may bear financial responsibility.

Source: FindLaw, “Premises Liability: Who Is Responsible?“, Accessed on Sept. 17, 2017

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