On Thursday morning, a car traveled across the I-84 and fell 30 feet down an embankment near eastbound Exit 68, injuring four people critically and causing jams for hours as the Interstate was closed.

Due to the closure of the highway, cars, trucks and buses had to detour onto local streets and eastbound traffic on the highway was backed up all the way into Vernon.

It appears that the driver lost control of the 2003 Pontiac Sunbird, which then crashed through the guard rail and plunged over the side. Three of the occupants were thrown out of the vehicle, with one remaining inside. Two were airlifted to Hartford hospital and two were taken there by ambulance.

The injured were Lynn Elgar, 41, Richard Elgar, 16, Jeffrey LaCourse, 50, and Rielly LaCourse, 22, all living in Massachusetts.  One of them was able to climb up to the highway and the emergency services located the others in the woods.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident you may be entitled to monetary compensation. For an immediate and cost-free case evaluation and consultation please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

Drugged Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recently carried out a survey where they asked High School seniors if they had ever driven under the influence of marijuana. An astounding one in eight of the students admitted that they had.

This figure may now rise, with more states looking to move towards legalizing the drug, which may have the effect of making it more available and more teens could lose their lives due to driving while high.

In addition, researchers at Columbia University have shown that the number of deaths due to drugged driving is already on the increase, with the number of fatal accidents where the driver was subsequently found to be high having tripled over the last decade.

Not only are there more deaths, but it is young people who are dying.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey went on to show that of those deaths due to the driver being under the influence of marijuana, one in four of those drivers was under 25 at the time of death.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving a drugged driver, or an automobile with defective parts, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help

Most people in the United States have probably operated a vehicle while fatigued or drowsy. This dangerous practice has been shown by researchers to be every bit as hazardous, if not more so, as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. One of the reasons people drive while drowsy is probably because they believe safe operation of their automobiles in such a condition comes down to a matter of willpower. They believe that they can control their drowsiness, if only they exercise enough personal effort.

As can be seen in the following video of drowsy driving automobile accidents, the consequences of driving while drowsy can be devastating. In one sequence an elderly person apparently falls asleep at the wheel and causes a horrific automobile accident. In another sequence a police cruiser is broadsided by a car driven by a person who was reportedly driving while drowsy. Thankfully everyone survived both crashes.

According to the video, drowsy drivers cause approximately 40,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths per year. Though the practice of driving while drowsy has not received nearly as much publicity as driving while distracted or drunken driving, and it can be every bit as deadly, as seen in the video below.

If you or someone you know have an injured in a serious accident in Waterbury involving a drowsy or fatigued driver, call the Law Offices of Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP –  89 Oak Street Hartford, CT 06106-1515 –  (888) 244-5480.

Car accidents involving teenagers have long been a problem in the United States regardless of the time of year that they occur. But the summer is without a doubt a much more dangerous time for teens and for pedestrians who are out in increasing numbers during these mid-year months.

With the advent of cell phones, more and more teenagers are falling victim to the temptation to text and email while driving. This has proven to be a deadly combination across the country for just about every age group but teenagers are particularly vulnerable since they are already prone to socializing with greater frequency than those in other age groups. The warm weather during the summer means more people in general are out and about and drivers and pedestrians means more opportunities for accidents.

Teens tend to take on summer jobs during the break which gives them money and freedom. They tend to lose focus on the road when driving and are more prone to causing a crash. Emergency personnel admit seeing a spike in car accident victims during the summer months and advise parents to talk with their teenage children about the dangers of driving while texting and the need to exercise extra caution when driving during the summer.

If you or someone you know have an injured in a serious accident in Waterbury, call the Law Offices of Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP –  89 Oak Street Hartford, CT 06106-1515 –  (888) 244-5480.