Driving in cities can be very daunting if you are not used to it, but most of us will have to drive in a city at some time.

Depending on which city you are driving in, there may be many more cyclists than you are used to seeing, as due to the amount of traffic, many citizens of cities find that bicycles are a quicker way to get around. Do keep a careful eye out for cyclists as they may not obey all of the rules of the road, and if the street has a bicycle lane, make sure you do not drive in it.

Another major issue in large cities can be taxis as they can swerve all over the road if someone hails them. You should always try and keep your distance from taxis because as well as swerving in front of you, they often stop suddenly. You should also watch out for passengers suddenly opening a taxicab door in front of you.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident in Connecticut, contact the Stamford accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

Wearing a seat belt is the most important safety precaution you can take to prevent death and serious injury in a car accident and since 1975 it is estimated that nearly 300,000 US lives have been saved simply by wearing a seat belt. Here are some interesting facts:

• The overall seat belt use in 2013 was 87 percent.
• Front seat passengers are particularly vulnerable when not wearing a seat belt with the ever present risk of being thrown from the vehicle in a crash. When worn correctly lap and shoulder seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and moderate to critical injury by 50 percent.
• Seat belts not only save lives they also save $50 billion a year in medical care, loss of earnings and other expenses related to injury.
• Any compensation you may be entitled to following an automobile accident may be reduced by as much as 50 percent, if you were not wearing a seat belt.

It takes two seconds to put on a seat belt; make it a rule that the car does not move until everyone is buckled up and this is a great habit to instill in children and teens. This simple action will soon become a habit which could save your life no matter what vehicle you are traveling in.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident in Connecticut, contact the Stamford accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

On Friday, September 18, the Governor of Connecticut, Dannel Malloy, was in Stamford in order to sign Emily’s Law.

Emily’s Law is named after a teenager from Greenwich named Emily Fedorko who was killed in a boating accident just over a year ago.

Authorities say that Emily and her friend, who was 15 year old, were tubing off Tod’s point and Greenwich Point Park when the tow boat’s propeller hit them. The boat was being driven by a 16 year old girl with a fourth teen, also 16, on board as well. Emily and her friend were both thrown from the tube but as the boat went round to pick them up it hit them and the propeller sliced through Emily’s torso. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and the girls on board managed to drag the other injured teen onto the boat and took her to the Old Greenwich Yacht Club dock which was a couple of miles away.

Emily’s Law changes the regulations with regard to the training required in order to obtain a safe boating certificate and now new standards for safe towing are including in the certificate.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident in Connecticut, contact the Stamford accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

On Thursday, May 21, a new safety gate was unveiled in Stamford at one of the most dangerous rail crossings on Metro North’s New Haven Line.

The cost of the new gate and new signals at the crossing, which was $1.27 million, was paid for by the state Department of Transportation, the city of Stamford and the Riverbend Center office park.

The need for a new gate was highlighted in 2008 when a 17 year old motorist was hit by a Metro North train and then again in 2011 when two more motorists were hit in a two month period.

Construction on the Riverbend crossing and the new gate and signaling system began on April 9 and finished on May 6.

Mayor David Martin congratulated those who had paid for the gate for the crossing which previously only had flashing lights and bells. He went on to say that the gate was bound to save lives.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident in Connecticut, contact the Stamford accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

Following the death in August of a girl from a boating accident close to the Old Greenwich Yacht Club at Greenwich Point, Greenwich lawmakers are looking at new legislation to try and prevent such accidents happening in the future.

Among the ideas are to bring the state’s boat licensing requirements in line with requirements for obtaining a driver’s license given that a boat powered by an engine can be just as unsafe as a car, if not more so because of the risk of drowning.

In addition, consideration will be given to increasing the age for operating a boat, or protective covers on propeller blades.

State records show there are typically one or more boating associated fatalities on Connecticut waters each year. According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, DEEP, there were 39 boating accidents reported to state authorities in 2013. Of these, 13 resulted in at least one particular injury. Two of those resulting in injury were alcohol related.

At the moment in Connecticut, an operator usually needs to get a boating certificate from DEEP which can be acquired after finishing a safe boating course and passing a test. They also need to be at least 12 years of age to operate a boat alone but those even younger are allowed to operate a boat as long as they are accompanied by someone over 18 who holds a certificate.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a boating accident in Connecticut, contact the Stamford pedestrian accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

In the United States, more people between the ages of 5 and 34 are killed in car accidents than from any other cause. In 2009 there were more than 2.3 million adult drivers and car passengers who were admitted to and treated in emergency rooms in America for injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes. The statistics should be surprising because seat belts have been determined to be the most effective way to prevent serious injuries and fatalities resulting from car crashes.

Experts estimate that deaths and injuries from car crashes could be reduced by as much as 50 percent if people wore their seat belts every time they got into a motor vehicle.

Statistics also show that adults between the age of 18 and 34 are the least likely age group to wear seat belts. This is not surprising considering the fact that the same age group has the highest rate of injuries and deaths resulting from car crashes among all age groups. Women are also 10 percent more likely to wear a seatbelt than men and seat belt use is higher in states that have a primary seat belt enforcement law than those that do not. And while air bags are an effective supplemental restraint in an car crash, they are not a sufficient substitute.

Every year, millions of vehicles are recalled in the United States due to safety defects or noncompliance with federal safety standards. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has unveiled a new, free, online search tool consumers can use to find out if a vehicle is directly impacted by a recall.

The new tool is available on www.safercar.gov/vinlookup and provides consumers with a quick and easy way to identify uncompleted recalls by entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that car owners can find out if a specific vehicle has a safety defect that needs to be fixed using the free online tool.

Drivers can find their vehicle identification number by looking at the dashboard on the driver’s side of the vehicle, or on the driver’s side door on the door post where the door latches when it is closed.

Determining whether there is a recall that consumers need to take action on is easy. After entering the VIN number into the field, results will appear if there is an open recall on their vehicle, and if there are none, it will say “No Open Recalls.”

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an auto accident in Connecticut, contact the Stamford pedestrian accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

Current driving regulations prevent truck drivers from exceeding 14 hours of work and 11 hours of driving each day. They also advocate that drivers should have sufficient rest before they begin their working week.

However, that may all be about to change with the introduction of a proposal to temporarily suspend the regulations on rest periods and working hours, which were introduced last summer.

The proposal to suspend the regulations appears to be due to pressure being brought to bear by the trucking industry, and comes at a time when truck accidents are responsible for some of the worst accidents on U.S. soil.

Traffic safety organizations appear to be horrified by the move and are calling on Senator Susan Collins, who is behind the proposed suspension, to put the needs of her constituents and road safety before those of the industry.

Trucker Sleep

If you have been injured as a result of an accident in Stamford  involving a truck or trucker, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for the pain, suffering, and debilitating injuries which resulted from your accident. Contact the Stamford pedestrian accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation.

An old adage says that 90% of accidents occur in the home. While this saying may simplify things a bit, it nevertheless captures an important fact: because people spend most of their lives at home, they naturally suffer the vast majority of injuries in their residences. Many of these injuries involve minor cuts, bumps, and bruises. But other injuries are more serious and involve broken bones, severed limbs, traumatic brain injuries, and even death. Considering the fact that people spend so much of their time in their homes, it makes sense to take time out and learn how to make their homes safer.

Because the topic of home safety is very broad, here we will take a look at some tips for practicing proper safety with respect to electrical items in the home.

As can be seen in the video, a number of common practices are actually hazardous and should be avoided. In subsequent weeks we will take a look at other aspects of home safety.

The attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP can help you recover the compensation you deserve after being injured in a serious accident. Call us at  (888) 244-5480 – or Click here for a free case evaluation