Utah Law Talk

Snowy roads kept Utah Highway Patrol officials busy responding to auto accidents throughout the state on Tuesday, December 22, 2009. In Davis County, Utah alone, six accidents were reported before 5 p.m.

At around 3:30 p.m., a vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 89 crashed into a concrete wall entering the Legacy Parkway overpass. The two teenage boys riding in the vehicle got out to inspect the damage when a minivan entered the overpass and hit the two boys. The boys were taken to the hospital, listed in fair condition.

According to standard.net, another Utah car accident happened on the I-15 near 200 West in Farmington, Utah. A trailer became detached from the semi-truck that was pulling it. The trailer ran off the road, dragging a car underneath it. Fortunately, the person suffered only minor injuries and did not have to be taken to the hospital. Investigators are still unclear why the trailer became detached from the semi-truck.

UHP Lt. Lee Perry said, “Everyone is speeding too fast for the conditions,” he said. “The snow is not coming down heavy, not sticking, so the plows can’t scrape anything. They are just driving at or above the speed limit.”

Ron Kramer is a Utah accident and injury lawyer with offices in Provo, Draper and Bountiful, Utah.

The latest study exploring the speed of Utah drivers was performed at a construction zone along I-80 through Salt Lake Valley. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the study showed an average speed of 72 miles per hour despite a posted speed limit of 55.

Did you know that for every 10 miles per hour over 50 miles per hour, the risk of death doubles in a Utah auto accident? The highway patrol reports that highway patrol growth does not always increase with population growth. In fact, the manpower the UHP has today is about the same as it was in the 1970s. This is why Utah state troopers are asking for help. “”We can’t have a trooper visible every couple of miles you go down the roadway. We really need the public’s support and help, and also accountability in letting off that gas pedal and actually going the speed limit. A lot of people are going way too fast.”

The Utah Highway Patrol says speeding adds an element of danger to crashes in the following ways:

*Magnifies drivers’ errors
*Extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle
*Increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a situation
*Reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway
*Decreases the effectiveness of vehicle design features, such as air bags and seat belts
*Reduces the stability of the vehicle structure
*Increases the number of crashes
*Increases the severity of crashes. For every 10 MPH over 50 MPH, the risk of death in a crash is doubled

Remember that speed limits are not designed to inconvenience the driver. Speed limits are designed to protect everyone on the road, from drivers and passengers to pedestrians.

Ron Kramer is a Utah accident and injury lawyer with offices in Bountiful, Draper and Provo, Utah

This week is AAA’s “Heads Up Driving Week.” Utah drivers are being urged to put the cell phones down and pay strict attention to the road. It just takes a moment of distraction to cause a serious Utah auto accident and AAA is hoping that drivers can go distraction free this week and continue to the trend for life reports the KSL news.

AAA says the best thing you can do while you drive to eliminate distractions is to turn off your cell phone. This way you will not be tempted to talk or text while driving. Companies have begun cracking down on employees multi-tasking in company vehicles. Several multi-million dollar lawsuits are motivating companies to combat the problem of employees driving distracted while performing company work. “I think you’re starting to see companies develop policies that strongly discourage cell phone use and outright prohibit texting–sending or receiving messages–while driving.” says Utah employment attorney Matt Durham.

Texting and talking on the cell phone are not the only problems. Some drivers view their car as an extension of their office and feel the need to look through papers, email and even type while behind the wheel. People who admit doing these things on the road say they feel pressure from work to get many things done in a short amount of time. Companies need to make it clear that doing these things puts their lives, and the lives of others on the road in danger.

AAA suggests companies have training sessions and impose harsh penalties for those caught multi-tasking on the road. Harsher will penalties will lead to fewer distracted drivers on the road.

Ron Kramer is Salt Lake City personal injury attorney with offices in Bountiful, Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah.

At around 11 a.m. a 19-year-old young woman who was heading north on 400 West  ran a red light in her Audi and collided with a Hyundai SUV that was headed southbound. The accident took place in Salt Lake City, Utah at the intersection of 400 West and 300 South on September 22, 2009.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the 53-year old woman was taken to the hospital in with a chest injury. She is listed in fair condition. The driver of the Audi had cuts on her hand but was not transported to the hospital. Police cited her for running a red light.

Utah Teenage Driver Statistics

There are over 200 million licensed drivers in the United States and young drivers between the age of 15 and 20 years old account for 6.4 percent or 13 million of the total. Each year the number of young drivers on the road increases. From 1996 to 2007 there has been an increase of 7.2% young drivers on roads. Sadly, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for this age group. 3,174 15- 20- year old’s died in motor vehicle related crashes. Utah witnessed a total of 59 young driver related fatalities in 2007.

Ron Kramer is a Salt Lake personal injury lawyer who holds at-fault parties liable for their actions. He helps clients receive compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Contact his office today for a free copy of his Utah Accident Book.

Five people have been hospitalized following a Magna, Utah car accident on September 15, 2009. According to the KSL news, a car attempted to avoid a bale of hay and collided with other vehicles. The two vehicles crashed head-on at 7520 S. Fetzer Dr. at around 8:40 p.m.

According to Salt Lake County officials, a woman attempted to swerve around the hay which had fallen onto the Interstate while being unloaded from a truck parked on the side of the road. While the woman attempted to swerve, she was read-ended by another vehicle. The woman and her 5-year-old daughter were critically injured. Three others suffered very serious injuries.

Utah Highway Patrol say a flag was posted to direct traffic around the hay but the road and the bale of hay were dark. The investigation has been handed over to the district attorney’s office where they will determine if any charges will be filed.

Debris Related Highway Crashes

According to AAA, 25,000 crashes are attributed to debris related causes. The New York Times reports that trucks traveling with unsecured loads contribute about 140,000 cubic yards of debris to the road each year. Enough to fill 8,750 garbage trucks and extend 45 miles. Road debris causes the driver to lose control oh his or her vehicle and often causes sudden braking that endangers both those in the car and other vehicles behing.

I had the opportunity to read some of the comments to this story posted on KSL.  Some of these appear to be from those involved in moving the hay and from witnesses who saw this unfold. From all appearances, it appears that large bales of hay, described by one commenter as half-ton bales, were left in the road for an extended period of time while they were being unloaded. It is not clear if these workers used adequate warnings to warn motorists of the dangers ahead. One commenter stated that there were little to no warnings of the obstruction ahead.

There is a basic principle of law that says that a person or company is never allowed to needlessly injure another. Leaving obstructions on the road that motorists will want to steer around to avoid is a recipe for disaster. It seems like there were a number of safer ways to get the job done than how these people did it. If this is truly the case, then I suspect that those injured in this crash have a claim against these hay handlers for negligence in causing this accident to happen. I would recommend that they talk to a Magna, Utah accident and injury lawyer to find out what rights they have available to them