Washington DC Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Archive for February, 2012

Are you headed to the DC Car Show?

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Some of your attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., are car enthusiasts and may take a trip to the Car Show taking place this week in the District of Columbia. Although the auto show can be a valuable tool if your in the market for a new car, as you shop the showroom floor, keep in mind that safety is the most important feature. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Top Safety Picks for 2012 for Midsize moderately prices cars are:

Audi A3

Buick Verano

Chevrolet Malibu

Chrysler 200  (only 4-door models)

Dodge Avenger

Ford Fusion

Honda Accord  (only 4-door models)

Hyundai Sonata

Kia Optima

Subaru Legacy

Subaru Outback

Toyota Camry

Toyota Prius v

Volkswagen Jetta sedan

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

Volkswagen Passat

Volvo C30

For the complete list, visit the Institute for Highway Safety’s website at http://www.iihs.org/ratings/. Have fun and remember to put safety first!

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Who is Garrett Augustus Morgan?

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

February begins the celebration of Black History Month . Each week this month, we will feature Black History Month facts that highlight accomplishments by African Americans in the field of transportation or safety. Since this is the first installment of this month long series, we feel it is appropriate to start this week’s feature by providing a bit of history behind the celebration.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson is largely credited for the creation of Black History Month. Dr. Woodson was the son of former slaves and worked in the Kentucky coalmines during his childhood. After teaching himself English and Math, he enrolled in high school at the age of twenty and graduated within two years. Dr. Woodson continued to defy the odds of his time and received a Masters degree in history from the University of Chicago, and later earned a PhD from Harvard. During his studies, he became disheartened to learn that the history of Black Americans was largely absent from the scholarly books he studied and decided to do something about it. Dr. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now called the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915, and in 1926 he began Negro History Week in an effort to bring national attention to the contributions of African Americans in early modernization. In 1976, Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month. Today, Black History Month is a federally recognized celebration that provides an opportunity for all Americans to reflect on the significant roles that African Americans have played in shaping our history, and is also celebrated annually in Canada in February and in the United Kingdom in October.

Black History Month Fact of the Week:

Garrett Augustus Morgan (March 4, 1877 – August 27, 1963) invented the modern version of the traffic light. After witnessing a traffic collision between an automobile and a horse and carriage, Morgan felt compelled to improve the safety of motorist and created “The Morgan traffic signal,” which was patented on November 23, 1923. This traffic signal was a T-shaped pole unit that featured three positions: Stop, Go and an all-directional stop position. This third position halted traffic in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely. Morgan’s traffic light was successful in making the roadways safer and was eventually replaced by today’s familiar red/yellow/green traffic lights. Prior to his death, Morgan was recognized by the government for his invention, and received a government citation. BE SURE to check back next week for our next installment!

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STARTLING FOOTAGE OF METRO BUS CRASHES

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

It took a Freedom of Information Act request, but local radio station WTOP has obtained video footage of numerous crashes by Metro buses, available here.
(Warning: Some of the video is disturbing.) The footage is recorded from cameras mounted on the bus dashboards, and kept by the Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority. It shows bus drivers committing negligent acts including running red lights, rear-ending stopped vehicles, and even hitting
pedestrians in cross-walks.

In fairness, some of the crashes depicted aren’t the fault of the Metro bus drivers, but most of them are. This is all the more troubling because these bus drivers are public employees. When you step on a Metro bus, you assume and depend upon the driver being careful, because you effectively put your life in his hands.

A driver – of a bus, or any other vehicle – is never allowed to needlessly endanger other people. If he does, then he and his employer (who puts him out on the street in the employer’s vehicle) are obligated to compensate for the harm they’ve caused. WMATA should of course fire any bus drivers who cause crashes like these, but they also need to pay for the damage they cause, to attempt to make whole the people they’ve harmed and discourage them from future acts of negligence.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident through no fault of your own, please contact the bus accident attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C.

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Washington DC Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Archive for February, 2012

Are you headed to the DC Car Show?

Who is Garrett Augustus Morgan?

STARTLING FOOTAGE OF METRO BUS CRASHES