Drunk Driving Death Threat Rises March 17
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has announced its plan for extra DWI patrols on St. Patrick’s Day to reduce the threat of drunk driving death and injury.
Statewide on St. Patrick’s Day, alcohol-related crashes accounted for seven of 12 traffic deaths and another 13 serious injuries from 2005-2007, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Each year in Minnesota, alcohol-related crashes account for around 200 deaths and 3,000 serious injuries, statistics show.
Minnesota car accident lawyers at PritzkerOlsen Attorneys represent injured victims of these senseless accidents, always investigating for dram shop liability. Our lawyers can help you determine if a dram shop violation played a role in your accident in time to take action under the statute of limitations.
PritzkerOlsen is a premier Minnesota law firm. The firm has recovered numerous settlements and verdicts in excess of $1,000,000.
Lt. Matt Langer of the State Patrol said in a press release about DWI enforcement on St. Patrick’s Day that “there is a history of partying on St. Patrick’s Day, but not a history of planning for a sober driver.”
He said the extra DWI patrols will be deployed in the following counties, which usually account for more than half of the state’s alcohol-related crashes causing death and injury: Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright.
Hit-and-Run Victim Has Brain Injuries
Police are investigating several leads that tipsters have offered in the brutal hit-and-run accident in Apple Valley Friday night that left a 26-year-old woman with traumatic brain injuries.
Joan LeVasseur, 26, of Apple Valley, was walking to Cub Foods a little after 9 p.m. when a large neutral-color vehicle ran into her in the crosswalk at Cedar Avenue and 153rd Street. There were witnesses, but no one got a license plate and the description of the vehicle is not precise.
Ms. LeVasseur, who is hearing impaired and engaged to be married, remained in critical condition Sunday at Hennepin County Medical Center, according to the Star Tribune. Besides suffering traumatic brain injuries, she has been treated for broken bones in her legs and pelvis.
Her family members have pleaded for public help in finding the hit-and-run driver. Anyone with information is asked to call 952-953-2700.
PritzkerOlsen Attorneys is a nationally recognized leader in representing survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the firm, is former director of the Minnesota Brain Injury Association. Our Minnesota traumatic brain injury lawyers regularly present seminars on TBI to other lawyers. To contact our firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete a free case consultation form.
Many U.S. Cars Driven on “Bald” Tires
The original research was done in 2001, but nothing since has contradicted government findings that a significant number of American motorists are driving on bald or improperly inflated tires
Absence of tire tread and low tire pressure are factors that can contribute to Minnesota car accident injuries and deaths. If you are involved in an injury crash, a car accident lawyer at PritzkerOlsen Attorneys can determine the elements of driver negligence and provide premier representation in recovering compensation for your losses.
According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one in 10 passenger cars on U.S. roads are driven with at least one bald tire.
Another major NHTSA study in 2001 found that 14 percent of gas stations are either not equipped with air pumps or have malfunctioning pumps. Also, only 49 percent of gas stations that are equipped with air pumps provide tire pressure gauges, which are critical to determining if the correct amount of air has been delivered to tires.
Here’s what the NHTSA had to say in research findings that are still prominent in the field:
“Tire tread provides the gripping action and traction that prevent a vehicle from sliping and sliding, especially when the road is wet or icy. In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16th of an inch. Tires have built-in treadwear indicators that let a motorist know when they should be replaced. These indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear “even” with the outside of the tread, it’s time for tire replacement.”
“Bald tires are between 1.5 and 1.8 times more likely to be underinflated than are tires with deeper tread, depending on tire location.”
“Twenty-seven percent of passenger cars on U.S. roadways are driven with one or more substantially under-inflated tires.”
Besides increasing the risk of blowouts, under-inflated tires also shorten tire life and increase fuel consumption.
