Auto Accident

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the busiest travel holidays in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). With more travelers hitting the roads during these holidays, the risk for accidents increases. Here are a few tips for safe highway travel this holiday season:

Prepare for your trip by printing out maps and directions, or programming your GPS system in advance. Clean any snow and ice thoroughly off your car, so it doesn’t obstruct the driver’s vision. Make sure children’s car seats or booster seats are installed and fit correctly. Pack an emergency kit that includes food, water, a first aid kit, extra clothes, and blankets.

Check the weather before you hit the road so you can be prepared for snow, ice, or other conditions. Drive more slowly if the weather is snowy, icy, foggy, or rainy, and do not use cruise control in these conditions.

Take a break or switch drivers if you feel tired or sleepy. Avoid distraction by having passengers read directions or make phone calls for you. Never drive if you have been drinking, and use caution with prescription or over-the-counter medications until you are sure they will not make you sleepy.

Driving safely can help prevent a car accident from disrupting your holidays. If you or someone you love is injured in a crash, however, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced New Hampshire car accident attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. We’ll help you handle matters after a crash, so that you can focus on healing. For a free telephone consultation, call us today at (603) 624-3700.

New Hampshire may see a record low number of highway fatalities this year, according to a recent article in the Eagle-Tribune. The New Hampshire Highway Safety Authority, which keeps track of deaths and injuries on New Hampshire highways each year, notes that the state is currently seeing a much lower number of deadly auto accidents on highways than is typical for this time of year.

Currently, the Highway Safety Authority has recorded 69 deaths as of November 9, 2011. On the same date in 2010, the agency had recorded 116 deaths. Any total number of highway crash fatalities under 100 for 2011 will set a new record for highway safety in New Hampshire, according to the agency. The current record was set in 2009, with 100 deaths; 2010 saw a total of 128 lives lost on New Hampshire highways.

New Hampshire authorities recently released its“Commute With Care” campaign, which focuses on highway safety by targeting distracted drivers and those who speed during morning and evening rush hours. Law enforcement officials say the decrease in deaths is related to the increased enforcement efforts.

That New Hampshire is seeing fewer deaths in highway crashes is good news, but accidents can still cause serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash, you have certain legal rights. Call the experienced New Hampshire car accident injury attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. today to discuss your options in a free telephone consultation. Our number is (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1(888) 511-1010.

As the number of deaths due to distracted driving has increased, so has the number of states restricting or banning the use of cell phones while driving. These laws range from bans on certain behaviors, like texting, to bans on all cell phone use by a driver. As of January 1, 2010, New Hampshire joined the 33 other U.S. states that have banned texting while driving.

New Hampshire’s law states that “A person operating a moving motor vehicle who writes a text message or uses 2 hands to type on or operate an electronic or telecommunications device, is guilty of a violation,” the fine for which is $100.00. Scrolling through a contacts list or dialing in a phone number or name is not considered“texting” under this statute, which still allows New Hampshire drivers to make phone calls on their cell phones while driving. However, the law most likely covers typing on a laptop computer or smart phone, as well as using Twitter or other apps that require two hands, according to an article in the Boston Globe. New Hampshire joins 33 other U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and Guam in banning some form of distracted driving related to cell phones or other electronic devices. Many counties and other localities in the United States have also banned or restricted cell phone use.

Distracted driving can cause serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced New Hampshire car accident injury attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at (603) 624-3700.

When a New Hampshire car accident occurs, police and rescue workers may be called to the scene, especially if someone is injured. Police investigate car crashes for many reasons, such as determining who is at-fault and trying to detect any illegal activity related to the crash. Police officers take several steps to investigate a car crash scene thoroughly.

First, police will likely secure the scene with flares or other devices so that other motorists see it in time to avoid crashing into the already-disabled vehicles. This is often done along with determining if anyone is hurt and calling paramedics or other rescue teams if needed. While checking on everyone involved in the crash, police will often evaluate them for drug or alcohol impairment.

Once the injured people at the scene are taken care of, police typically turn their attention to recording information about the crash site. They may take measurements, make diagrams, or take photos or video. Evidence like tire marks, broken glass, or vehicle parts, and the patterns of damage on the vehicles themselves, are all recorded. Police may also talk to witnesses to get their contact information and find out what the witnesses saw or heard. All this information can help police reconstruct an accident scene to determine what went wrong and who may be at-fault.

Car accidents can cause serious injuries. At Tenn And Tenn, P.A., our experienced NH car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping those who have been injured in car accidents. To discuss your accident with us and learn more about your legal rights and options, call (603) 624-3700 today for a free telephone consultation, or call our Injury Helpline at 1 (888) 511-1010.

Negligent or dangerous driving habits, many of them illegal, can result in serious injuries if a crash occurs. Unfortunately, as budgets get tight, many police units in New Hampshire and other states make routine traffic patrols take a back seat to other police work. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), however, routine police patrols watching for traffic violations are a key part of preventing distracted and dangerous drivers from causing tragic accidents.

When a police department does think to enforce traffic laws in many parts of the country, it may simply send an officer out to an arbitrarily chosen stretch of road to write people up for speeding, according to the NHTSA.

This kind of “spot” enforcement of only certain laws, however, merely frustrates the public and doesn’t do anything to prevent dangerous behavior at intersections or on other stretches of road where crashes are frequent.

In order to help improve roadway safety and reduce crashes, the NHTSA recommends using local data to determine where the most accidents take place and specifically assign patrols to watch for both moving violations and equipment violations in those areas. The NHTSA also recommends creating a way for members of the public to alert police and other local officials about dangerous traffic conditions and to use this information to help make the streets safer.

Years of research show a clear connection between good traffic patrols and reductions in life-threatening vehicle crashes. However, if a crash has injured you or someone you love, the experienced car accident attorneys in New Hampshire at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. For a free and confidential consultation by telephone, call us today at (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1(888) 511-1010.

New Hampshire has set an all-time state record for the number of drivers on the road using their seat belts, according to a recent article in The Eagle-Tribune. In 2011, the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency (NHHSA) announced that 75.02 percent of New Hampshire drivers are buckling up before they travel - the highest percentage recorded since the agency began surveying seat belt use in the state.

The NHHSA first started keeping track of seat belt use in 1984. In that year, only 16.06 percent of New Hampshire drivers surveyed said that they regularly wear their seat belts. The NHHSA applauds the increase in seat belt use, but states that more work is needed in order to put New Hampshire in the top tier of states with the most seat belt use. The national average for seat belt use in 2011 was 86 percent, and some states, such as Washington, report that 98 percent of their drivers buckle up.

The survey also found that women are slightly more likely than men to wear their seat belts regularly, and drivers of more expensive cars are slightly more likely to buckle up than drivers of older or less expensive cars. New Hampshire does not require drivers or passengers to wear seat belts unless they are younger than 18 years old.

Buckling a seat belt is an easy way to help prevent serious injury or death in a crash. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, the experienced New Hampshire car crash attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. For a free consultation, call (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1-888-511-1010.

The personal costs a New Hampshire driver, passenger, cyclist or pedestrian suffers when he or she is injured in a motor vehicle accident can be staggering: loss of work, inability to help around the house or enjoy hobbies, and facing an uphill battle in recovering from the crash. Injured parties and their families may also struggle to handle the financial costs of a crash, which can be just as heavy as the personal burdens.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New Hampshire motor vehicle accidents cost the New Hampshire community $143 million each year. This amount includes $2 million in medical costs and $141 million in costs related to missed work that motorists’ injuries prevent them from performing.

Of these costs, about $44 million, 35 percent, results from injuries caused to motor vehicle drivers and passengers who suffer crashes, according to the CDC. Injuries suffered by motorcyclists account for another $37 million, 26 percent, while injured bicyclists and pedestrians contribute 3 percent and 4 percent to the total, respectively. The remaining 45 percent includes injuries the CDC did not have enough information to categorize, but these injured individuals likely fall into one of the categories already listed.

Those who are injured in New Hampshire car accidents have certain rights under state and federal law. At Tenn And Tenn, P.A., our experienced New Hampshire car accident attorneys are committed to helping injured people and their families protect their rights and seek compensation for both medical costs and loss of income. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. today at (603) 624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1-888-511-1010.

This Labor Day weekend, federal and state law enforcement and other agencies are banding together to reduce accidents and improve highway safety by taking part in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign sponsored by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Governors’ Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

According to the NHTSA, the main purpose of the campaign is to deter or stop potentially drunk drivers, since the number of DUI-related accidents on U.S. roads often increases over Labor Day and other summer holidays. The NHTSA and the GHSA hope to prevent crashes that can injure or kill holiday travelers by keeping an eye out for unsafe driving and stopping drivers who may be intoxicated or driving recklessly, while distracted, or while fatigued. In just one day, according to the NHTSA, as many as 1440 U.S. travelers are injured and as many as 23 die in crashed caused by intoxicated, fatigued, or reckless drivers. By increasing patrols and informing the public, the NHTSA and states hope to decrease these numbers by helping drivers get to and from their Labor Day festivities safely.

All fifty U.S. states are planning to take part in the campaign. If you’ve been injured by another driver, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced New Hampshire car accident injury lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. We can help you protect your legal rights and seek compensation from any negligent parties. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at 603-624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1-888-511-1010.

A study recently released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that the number of fatal car and truck accidents on U.S. roads has decreased in recent years, even as the total number of miles traveled each year increases.

The study analyzed data from 2008 and earlier years. The NHTSA found that the number of deaths in car and truck crashes dropped nearly 10 percent in 2008. That year saw 37,621 lives lost in car crashes on U.S. roads, compared to 41,259 fatal accidents reported in 2007. The NHTSA called the decline “the largest annual reduction“ of car-accident-related deaths, “both in number and percentage, since 1982.” Furthermore, the study found that while the total number of fatalities in car accidents is in a slow but gradual decline, the number of lives lost per 100 million miles traveled is dropping at a much faster rate, as Americans drive more each year but lose fewer lives.

The NHTSA also reported promising results for passenger car and truck occupants. Over 90 percent of the decrease in deadly accidents occurred in crashes involving passenger cars and trucks. The NHTSA notes, however, that passenger vehicle occupants can further minimize their risk of death in a car accident by wearing seat belts and providing children with proper safety or booster seats.

Losing a loved one in a car accident is a devastating loss to any family. The experienced New Hampshire car accident wrongful death attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help you determine what happened in a crash and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at 1-603-624-3700, or call our toll-free Injury Helpline at 1-888-511-1010. You may also follow us on our NH Injury Law Twitter account.

Currently, 34 U.S. states restrict or ban drivers from using cell phones while driving. These laws include restrictions or bans on sending text messages and operating hand-held devices like phones or GPS units while driving. No laws, however, prevent drivers from using similar devices that are built into the car itself - even though these devices can be every bit as distracting as hand-held ones.

Several car companies have begun building “smart” technology into their vehicles, like Ford’s MyFord Touch or Sync systems. These systems are essentially built-in smartphones, able to respond to touch or voice commands in order to display apps or control everything from the radio to the heating or air conditioning. But there are no state or federal regulations that govern these systems, which leaves car companies to set their own rules when it comes to deciding which apps drivers should be able to access.

New regulations may be coming soon, however. In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation plans to issue guidelines for automakers to apply when trying to decide if a certain app is safe enough to include in the vehicle. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already held several meetings with auto company executives to discuss safety issues related to in-car technology, and the Department of Transportation plans to issue specific regulations for in-car technology.

With the creation of smartphones and similar devices, distracted driving has become more common. Unfortunately, even a moment’s distraction from the road can cause serious injury. If you’ve been injured in an accident with a distracted driver, get in touch with the experienced New Hampshire personal injury attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. For a free telephone consultation, call us at 1-603-624-3700 our Free Helpline at 1-888-511-1010 today.