What does your car say about you? Or, more important, how your car make you feel? According to an article on ScienceDaily,  a scientific study shows that people who view their car as an extension of themselves have stronger aggressive driving tendencies.

One third of all car accidents that result in injures and two thirds of all fatal car wrecks are caused by aggressive driving. According to the research, people who think of their car as a reflection of their self-identity—regardless of what that identity is—are more likely to behave aggressively on the road, breaking the law in the process. Similarly, people who value their possessions (cars and other things) and have a greater sense of materialism also drive more aggressively. And young people who are just beginning to drive or who have purchased their first vehicle are more likely to show off and drive aggressively.

The study findings suggest that:

“…the perception of the car as an extension of the self leads to more aggressive behavior on the road rather than increased driving cautiousness,” the authors wrote, adding that “individuals may view cars and the road space they occupy as their territory and will seek to maintain control over it and defend it as necessary.”

Unfortunately, they research just correlated attitude and driving behavior; it didn’t offer any advice. Some take-away thoughts:  Be especially watchful of flashy sports cars on the road, the kind that might make their owners feel more powerful…a teen’s first car should be purchased with safety in mind, as opposed to image…and remind yourself daily that your car is nothing more than a tool to get you from place to place. It’s okay to love your car, just not too much!

To read the full article on ScienceDaily, click here:  People Who Really Identify With Their Car

To learn more about safe driving tips, visit our website here: HensonFuerst Auto Accident page. If you have question, HensonFuerst has answers. http://www.lawmed.com/

A powerful storm system that blew through western North Carolina Wednesday evening is being blamed for injuring at least 15 people and destroying more than a dozen buildings in two counties. According to WRAL News, the storm possibly spawned tornadoes that are believed to have touched down in Rutherford and eastern Burke Counties.

Spokesman for the Rutherford county sheriffs department, Sergeant Dwayne Wright, told reporters that the town of Ellenboro was hit the hardest. By Thursday morning, ten people had been treated for injuries, of which, two victims suffered serious harm. Wright added that at least 10 buildings had been leveled within a three-square-mile area.

The storm then moved northeast, where within minutes, the town of Icard was being pummeled with high winds and rain. Witnesses stated that they could “hear it rumbling, and knew there would be real bad damage.” Dozens were injured and nearly 75 homes suffered damage to varying degrees.

The storm skipped east before dying off in the town of Hildebrand, where reports of uprooted trees and roofs torn off buildings were piling up by Thursday morning.

Hundreds are still without power according to Burke County Fire Marshal, Mark Pitts.

While no one can be blamed for injuries that occur because of a natural disaster, insurance companies often play this to their advantage in order to pay you less for your injuries and losses. The North Carolina personal injury lawyers with HensonFuerst would advise a victim to never take a settlement from an insurance company without first consulting an attorney.

Elizabeth Molloy, from WRAL.com

Car wrecks are the leading cause of death among North Carolina teens, and crashes are surprisingly common. In NC, teenage drivers are involved in car wrecks approximately every 24 minutes.

According to research, the most common mistakes that cause teen wrecks are speeding, inattention and distraction, and failure to yield. And while drunk driving is still rare among teens, it accounts for some of the most tragic and memorable motor vehicle fatalities.

One recent example—Wake County’s first in 2012—is the death of 17-year-old Millbrook High School student Elizabeth Molloy. According to an article on WRAL.com, the driver was 16-year-old fellow student Garrett Prince, who lost control of his 1999 Jeep SUV while driving 75 mph in a 30 mph zone, and ended up hitting a tree. Prince could face charges of felony death by motor vehicle, provisional DWI, careless and reckless driving, having an open container of spirituous liquor, speeding, and possession of marijuana. Jared Sink, man in the neighborhood where the wreck took place witnessed the crash and pulled Molloy from the burning wreck, said what probably everyone is thinking:  ”[It's] just absolutely tragic. To all the young people out there, there’s no taxi that’s more expensive than someone’s life.”

Parent/Teen Driving Agreement

Teens know that underage drinking is illegal, but that doesn’t stop some of them from drinking. They also know—in theory—that they shouldn’t get into a car with someone who has been drinking, but many of them disregard that advice. Why? Sometimes because the teen doesn’t have the confidence to stand up to peer pressure…or because they are afraid to call their parents for an alternate ride home…or because they don’t realize that a taxi is a viable option.

Those are some of the reasons why a Parent/Teen Driving Agreement can be an important tool. The University of North Carolina (UNC) Highway Safety Research Center and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol have created sample Parent/Teen Driving Agreements. It’s a formal agreement between parents and teens. It includes specific things that both parents and teens agree to do. Parents have found that driving agreements work well to keep teens safe when they first begin to drive on their own by making expectations clear.

The agreements are valuable once your child is old enough to be out with friends, even if he or she is not actually driving. An agreement should outline parental expectations for safety, such as never riding in a car with an impaired driver, always wearing a seatbelt, obeying the speed limit, and avoiding distractions, including texting, talking on a cell phone, eating, or applying make up. That’s the teen side of the agreement. The parent side of the agreement should given the child options for how to get out of a potentially hazardous situation, and outline how parents will support their child’s efforts to stay safe.

For example, agreeing that if a child ever feels unsafe, he or she can call home at any hour and request a ride home…without risk of punishment. (As much as parents might want to lash out at a child who has been drinking or at an unauthorized party, the goal is to get the child home safely. A strongly negative reaction from a parent might cause the child to avoid calling in the future, and possibly getting into a dangerous or fatal situation. That’s not to say that discipline can’t be taken for any rule-breaking, but the ride home should be calm and concerned—any discussions or repercussions should wait for the next day.)

We’ve done some of the research for you and attached links to three separate Parent/Teen Driving Agreements. Look at all of them, take what you like from each, and create your own custom agreement. We like the first one, from the UNC Highway Safety Research Center because it allows teens and parents to write their own agreement items in their own words—that means teens aren’t just skimming over the task without thinking. And any additional minute of thinking about driving safety is another opportunity to keep our children safe.

Sample Agreement 1:  University of North Carolina (UNC) Highway Safety Research Center

Sample Agreement 2: North Carolina State Highway Patrol

Sample Agreement 3: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles

PROJECT IGNITION

Project Ignition, funded in part by the National Youth Leadership Council, helps students, teachers, and communities address teen driver safety. Students themselves design and lead awareness campaigns–every year, 25 grants are awarded to high schools across the country. The teams often find their inspiration from personal tragedy, but their powerful messages reach across county and state lines. Some examples of the kind of service-learning encouraged by Project Ignition are holding a mock crash on campus, and learning and applying the physics of crashes from a science class, including the potential effects of velocity and crashes on the human body.

This year, we’d like to congratulate the two North Carolina high schools that won grants:

• Pine Lake Preparatory in Mooresville, North Carolina. Title: “Increasing Your Survival Odds.” The Pine Lake Prep Project Ignition team will lead an in-depth 15-30 week integrating the NC Driver’s Ed curriculum to promote safe driving and better driver “road awareness” utilizing a five-prong approach: (1) mock accident scene, (2) speaker series, (3) student-based research projects, (4) obstacle course on site, and (5) service learning.
• Lincoln Charter High School in Denver, North Carolina. Title:  ”As the Wheel Turns.” The Project Ignition team of Lincoln Charter believe that teen driving accidents are a rampant and tragic problem in their area. Their emphasis is to reduce the number of student drivers who exercise unsafe driving habits such as eating, allowing excess passengers, or driving while emotionally inept.

About HensonFuerst

At HensonFuerst, we’ve seen the devastating effects of car wrecks and DWI injuries far too often. It’s never pretty, but there is something particularly tragic when the injured individual is a young person who has barely had a chance to live. Our hearts go out the the family of Elizabeth Molloy, and all families touched by the catastrophe of a DWI wreck. We wish you peace.

Right now in the United States, more people die from drug overdoses than from car accidents, according to new research released last month. According to WECT 6 News, the study concluded that the cause of the surge in fatal overdoses could be linked to the increased use of drugs that have potential for abuse.

The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over a 30-year time period. Over the span of three decades, researchers saw an increase of six times as many drug poisoning deaths. In 1980, there were roughly 6,000 deaths associated with drug poisonings. By 2008, that number had capped out at 36,500. That same year, nine out of ten poisoning deaths were drug related, with 77 percent of them being unintentional.

These findings correlate with earlier research that showed the number one type of drug abused in the United States today are legal pharmaceuticals.

A CDC health scientist involved with the study, Dr. Chris Jones, stated that the number of prescriptions that doctors are willing to write to patients today is a major contributing factor to the problem. “Between 1999 and 2010, the sales of these drugs increased fourfold.” he added.

The Raleigh drug injury lawyers with HensonFuerst are an experienced team of attorneys dedicated to helping victims who have been injured at no fault of their own by a prescription drug. If you or someone you know has experienced a similar scenario, call us today to discuss your case.

Defective Hip Replacement Devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered all producers of “metal-on-metal” hip replacements to study the implants after thousands of patines have had the devices fail, causing tissue damage and requiring second replacements. This serious problem started with DePuy hip replacement devices, and has be expanded. Anyone with a hip replacement should check with their physician to make sure that their devices aren’t in the process of failing.

• Hip Replacements to be Evaluated for Safety
• Hip Implant Complaints Surge
• Hip Replacements Fail, Sometimes Without Symptoms
• Diagnosing Hip Replacement Injury
• VIDEO: DePuy Hip Replacement Injury

Transvaginal Mesh

Over the past three years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received nearly 4,000 reports of severe complications (including 3 fatalities) associated with surgical mesh used to treat pelvic prolapse. The most frequent complications include erosion through the vaginal wall, infection, abscesses, pain, and urinary problems.

• Failure of Surgical Mesh a Serious Worry for Women
• VIDEO: Transvaginal mesh

Gastric banding, such as the popular Lap-Band, is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach. A silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch that fills up faster and supposedly makes you feel full much more quickly. The band is not solid like a rubber band–it is more like a balloon that is filled with salt water (saline). The more water in the band, the tighter it squeezes the stomach. The amount of saline in the band can be adjusted because the band is attached to a long tube, ending at a small button-like knob that is placed just below the skin during surgery. A doctor can draw fluid out of the band, or add more fluid in, just by inserting a syringe into the knob.

FDA Warning

Last week, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has taken action against eight California surgical centers and a marketing firm for misleading advertising of the Lap-Band. At issue is the idea of advertising a very serious surgical procedure without proper warnings and cautions, making gastric banding look like a simple fix for a lifelong problem.

“The decision to undergo a gastric banding procedure should be done in close consultation between a patient and his or her health care provider,” said Kimber Richter, M.D., deputy director for medical affairs in the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “It is important for the patient to fully understand both the risks and the benefits of the procedure and for the health care provider to be sure the procedure is appropriate for the patient.”

According to the FDA, the risks of any surgery—including gastric banding—include the possibility of death. In addition, known complications of gastric banding include:

Eating with a Gastric Band

When people hear that gastric banding will force them to eat less, they may not realize exactly what that means. According to the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, you need to eat only soft foods (like mashed potatoes or baby food) for the first five weeks after surgery. Then, you will still need to ay close attention to your diet—gastric banding isn’t a miracle fix; you’ll still need to eat well. Many patients have difficulty with solid foods in the morning. In addition, eating too much food or big chunks of food can block the outlet–the outlet is about the size of a dime, so food needs to be eaten in small bits and thoroughly chewed.

In addition, the stomach pouch can only hold about 1/4 cup of food. Visually, that’s about the size of a deck of cards. That’s the total amount of each meal—any more than that can stretch out the pouch and potentially cause health problems.

The Institute also recommends that you avoid high-fiber foods, including (but not limited to):

• dried fruits
• asparagus
• pineapple
• corn (especially popcorn)
• grapes
• nuts and seeds
• carbonated beverages

Glamorizing Lap-Band

For some people, gastric banding can be a literal life-saver. But some people are attracted by what might be considered a simple way to lose weight.

“FDA’s concern is that these ads glamorize the Lap-Band without communicating any of the risks,” says Steven Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Consumers, who may be influenced by misleading advertising, need to be fully aware of the risks of any surgical procedure.”

Gastric banding is anything but simple. In fact, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, at least four people have died of Lap-Band complications at the eight California surgical centers involved in the FDA warning. This is not a surgery to be undertaken lightly.

If you are considering gastric banding, talk with your doctors about all the pros and cons…and ask to talk with people who have already had the surgery. There may be a support group that meets in your area. Understand that your life will change dramatically after the surgery, and not just because you might lose weight.

“Please plan ahead and designate a sober driver this season so everyone can make it home safe over the holidays,” State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti said.

In 2010, there were 1,017 alcohol-related crashes in North Carolina during the holiday campaign, which ran from Dec. 3 through Jan. 2, resulting in 31 fatalities and 728 injuries. That’s one death each day of the campaign…a steep price for a little too much holiday cheer.

In addition, officers charged more than 3,800 North Carolina motorists with driving while impaired during the 2010 Holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign.

Wishing all of you a safe and happy (and let me repeat: SAFE) holiday season!

Sgt. Jeff Gordon said distracted driving is still a huge issue across the state. ”I see a lot of people driving with their elbows on the steering wheel, texting with one hand,” Gordon said.

Texting while driving—or any kind of DWD (Driving While Distracted)—has been shown to be as hazardous as driving drunk. But it doesn’t stop texters. And have you ever seen anyone try to make a three-point turn while holding a cell phone in one hand? I have…in fact, I had to wait in the middle of a road while a young man tried this circus-like maneuver in front of me. I would have applauded, but when he finally got his car pointed in the proper direction, he ended up in the wrong lane.

Another law that has been in effect for the past year and is virtually ignored is the law that prohibits large frames around license plates. (To see our video detailing the rules of this law, click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UII9dVI5_tc)

In short, anything blocking the license plate information—not just the large numbers and letters in the center—is illegal.

NEW LAWS

One of the news laws of 2011 is “Laura’s Law,” which helps take repeat drunk driving offenders off the road. The law was named for Laura Fortenberry, a 17-year-old young woman who was killed by a drunk driver who had multiple previous driving-while-impaired offenses. With this law, convicted drunk drivers with certain aggravating factors will face larger fines and more time behind bars.

The “Run and You’re Done” law attempts to prevent high-speed chases by allowing the sheriff to seize the chased car if the suspect is charged with a felony. If the suspect is convicted of the felony, the car will be sold and proceeds will go to local school districts.

North Carolina state law enforcement says that new laws against texting while driving and hidden tags created last year to keep the state’s roadways safer have done little to eliminate the problems. WRAL News reported yesterday that state troopers are issuing citations for as many–if not more–citations for the texting and driving than they ever have before.

A statewide ban on texting and driving went into effect in in 2009, but the state offered almost a year of leniency before beginning to strictly enforce the regulation. North Carolina State Trooper, Sgt. Jeff Gordon, stated that in the first three quarters of this year, the State Highway Patrol has written more than 650 tickets to drivers who were texting behind the wheel.

Another major problem law enforcement is still facing is the problem of hidden tags on vehicle. Gordon says that often times large plate frames obstruct the information on a tag. Since a law was enacted over a year ago banning the use of anything that may obstruct tag information, troopers have issued tickets on 130 separate occasions for the infraction.

The North Carolina Car Accident Lawyers with HensonFuerst often work with victims of accidents caused by distracted driving. If you have been hurt in an accident due to another driver not paying enough attention to the road, contact us by filling out a free initial consultation form to discuss your case with an experienced team of attorneys.

“It is the law to wear your seat belt, no matter where you are seated in a vehicle,” said N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti. “I remind all citizens to buckle up; it could save your life.”

That’s not an overstatement. In 2010, 425 motorists who were not wearing seat belts died in crashes on North Carolina roads. According to the director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP), Becky Wallace: “The single most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones this holiday season is with the simple action of buckling your seat belt.”

Although the campaign runs for only a week, the overall goal is to increase seatbelt usage every day of the year. When “Click It or Ticket” began in 1993, only about 65% of North Carolinians wore seat belts. Today, our seat belt usage rate is 89.5%. Not perfect, but a dramatic improvement.

From all of us here at HensonFuerst, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!