Articles Posted in Injury Lawyer

Hydroplaning Vehicles

HYDROPLANING VEHICLES

I’m Ed Smith, a Natomas Personal Injury Lawyer. This is the time of year when we see an increase in hydroplaning vehicles. Have you ever hydroplaned in your vehicle before? If you have you know how scary it can be and with the rainy season here it makes for  slippery roadways and hazardous driving conditions. Hydroplaning can happen at speeds as little as 35 miles per hour it is when your car has lost contact with the roadway and is treading on the top layer of water. You can feel you are hydroplaning because the steering feels light in your hands. The most important thing to remember when this happens is not to panic. Easily take your foot off the accelerator this might transfer enough weight forward to regain traction again with the roadway. If your still not in control then gently squeeze your breaks to slow the car down but keep in mind to apply your breaks easily, you do not want to break too quickly. Breaking too quickly may be the most common cause of hydroplaning vehicles.

HOW IT HAPPENS

If you have, you know how scary it can be and with the rainy season here it makes for  slippery roadways and hazardous driving conditions. Hydroplaning can happen at speeds as little as 35 miles per hour. It happens when your car has lost contact with the roadway and is treading on the top layer of water. You can feel you are hydroplaning because the steering feels light in your hands. The most important thing to remember when this happens is not to panic. Easily take your foot off the accelerator. T his might transfer enough weight forward to regain traction again with the roadway. If your still  are not in control then gently squeeze your brakes to slow the car down but keep in mind to apply your brakes  easily.

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE

You can feel you are hydroplaning because the steering feels light in your hands. The most important thing to remember when this happens is not to panic. Easily take your foot off the accelerator this might transfer enough weight forward to regain traction again with the roadway. If your still not in control then gently squeeze your brakes  to slow the car down . Continue reading ›

bikeA quick YouTube search of “dash cam” will elicit many returns of auto accidents captured on video.  Similarly, many motorcyclists utilize helmet-mounted cameras, such as Go-Pros to record any incidents.  More and more, bicyclists are following suit.  A cyclist injured in a crash could have been recording his or her ride via a GPS-enabled computer when the incident occurred. Modern technology enables a cyclist to record the following data from satellite navigation systems identical to those used in our vehicles:

  • Latitude and longitude

Natomas Fatal Crash on Levee Road

A Recent fatality involving two vehicles that left 5 people injured and one person dead. This happened on the Elverta and  Levee road just East of Highway 99 which is a popular short- cut for lots of Natomas residents. This roadway, however, can be very dangerous as many people drive at accelerated speeds. The road here is long and narrow with one lane of traffic coming in each direction. Caution should be used when driving this stretch of roadway as it can be dangerous. It was not clear at the time of this accident what caused the two vehicles to hit head on or if speed was a factor.

car storage fees after accident
Sadly, after being the victim of a car accident, some drivers find themselves the victim of exorbitant tow truck fees and related storage yard fees.  After being involved in an accident, people are often in shock and aren’t thinking clearly.  Police and paramedics are trying to get traffic moving and inoperable cars cleared from the scene.  In their effort to get traffic moving, the  police may have called the nearest tow service to get the scene cleaned up and to move your car.  The officer is well meaning and doing his job.

Next thing you know, a tow truck has arrived.  You may even be breathing a sigh of relief when the tow truck arrives as the state of shock may have made you feel as if you didn’t know what to do. Next thing you know you have signed some documents and the tow truck operator has told us that ‘He’ll take care of everything.’  We go home, open a claim with the at fault insurance carrier and it’s not until two weeks after the accident do we get a bill for $700 in storage fees and $300 for the towing service.  What!!??

highway rainTrucking accidents are often responsible for major injuries and fatalities, in large part due to the size and enormous momentum of the vehicles involved, especially fully-loaded trucks. Sacramento truck accidents are more common in large part because of the area’s location at the intersection of major north-south freeways like Interstate-5 and State Highway 99 with major east-west highways such as Interstate-80 and U.S. Highway 50.  It’s proximity to the major Port of Oakland as well as the Port of Sacramento itself, but even more large semi-trucks on the area’s roads.

Accidents just in recent months include:

Fatal Crash in Natomas

On Tuesday, August 18th there was a police pursuit that ended in one fatality. Prior to the event, police and an air unit were called to investigate reports of a shooting in the 2600 block of Stonecreek Drive in Natomas, CA where a man was reported to have fired off shots from a rifle while in a dispute with neighbors. It was also reported that the suspect fled the scene by a vehicle that was driven by a female driver.

elk grove accidentParalysis is a common symptom from a traumatic brain injury following an auto or motorcycle accident.  I have represented clients over the years who have suffered paralysis resulting from a head injury.  Sadly, this condition can have a devastating effect on one’s life.

Hemiplegia is a complete paralysis of one side of the body; hemiparesis is a partial paralysis.

Falling Tree Injuries
Timber! Falling Tree Injuries


There have been two stories reporting falling tree injuries in the past two days. In both of the cases below, what caused the tree to fall in the first place is under investigation.

Take A Hike North Highlands!
I don’t know about you, but I desire a place to jog, walk and ride my bike where I don’t have to be so nervous about being hit by distracted drivers texting on their phone.

I prefer being outdoors when I workout, especially when the weather is good.

When a person has spinal pain, plain film x-rays can be done that will show the outline of the bone and will detect the presence of bone spurs in facet joint disease. Discs, however, are made of soft tissue and are not detected on plain films. Plain films can, however, show narrowing of the disc space as is seen in degeneration of the discs.

A CT scan or MRI scan of the body can show a great many more things than a plain x-ray. These can show disc material impinging upon the spinal cord or on the spinal nerves. They can also show the presence of bone spurs at the level of the facet joints.

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