In the last year and a half you may have found yourself on a Zoom call every now and again. In fact, much of our business has been done on Zoom since March of last year. You may have had to use a fake background to cover up a messy house in the picture behind you or because you don’t want people to see your kids on their computers while you’re on a call. It’s become common place, but during a recent hearing on distracted driving an Ohio Senator took the Zoom background to a new low and it is appalling. The hearing was being held while the Senator was in the car. At the beginning of the call you can clearly see the Senator sitting in a stationary car. As the hearing progresses the Senator flips on a virtual background for his Zoom and then can be seen driving the car. The seatbelt in the picture is a clear giveaway that he is still in his car and he is still driving. This is the ultimate display of distracted driving and an unbelievably poor piece of judgement by an elected official at the state level in Ohio. Take a peak at the video here. We have covered many times on this site the dangers of distracted driving and how it can lead to a…continue reading

Maybe you’ve been out after a long day at work and went to get dinner at a restaurant and you’re driving home having a hard time keeping your eyes open, this is fatigued driving. If you’re driving on less then the recommended amount of sleep for your age and body type you may be driving fatigued. It can be hard to get the right amount of sleep every night, but if you don’t you could be putting yourself at an increased risk of a New Haven auto accident. Under certain conditions fatigued driving can be as bad or worse than driving under the influence of alcohol. In fact, if you are driving after getting no sleep within the last 20 hours or longer, your body is feeling the same effects it would feel if you were driving while intoxicated at the legal limit for driving under the influence, 0.08. In Connecticut, if you are driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher you are considered over the legal limit. While there is no test to see if you are driving while fatigued your body reacts to a lack of sleep in much the same way that it does when you have been drinking. It can be challenging to get an accurate number of fatigue related accidents, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration…continue reading

The video above was shared with WTNH and shows, what appears to be a coyote running down I-95 at full speed. Thankfully there was limited traffic on the road, but this could have happened during rush hour and had devastating impacts for both the animal and the drivers on the road. It is a good reminder to us all that while New Haven is a big city, there is still wildlife living among us and interactions with these animals has the possibility to create a situation where a New Haven auto accident is possible. What should you do if you see a coyote or any other animal either roaming or racing down one of our streets. The first thing you should NOT do is film it and send it to a news station, that is dangerous and presents a whole other level of problems. With that being said, there are some things you can do to help protect yourself and the animal which include; Always stay alert. An animal may come darting out into the road unexpectedly and the best way to avoid a collision with that animal is to be aware of your surroundings and ensure that you allow yourself enough reaction time. Use your high beams. This is especially effective at night at scaring away the animals, but even in the daylight it…continue reading

Each year in the month of April we bring you information relating to National Distracted Driving Awareness month.  This is the month where we encourage you to avoid any distractions while you’re driving because these distractions make your chances of getting into a New Haven auto accident more and more likely. This month we have looked at many distracted driving behaviors: Cell phone use Parents and distracted driving Cognitive distractions while driving Teens and distracted driving laws All of these behaviors can be dangerous individually, but combined, they can have a devastating impact on your ability to safely arrive at your destination.  We encourage all drivers to put down their cell phones, pull over to eat a snack, put their makeup on or shave before you leave the house, and keep your eyes on the road at all times.  Distracted driving behaviors are putting everyone on the road at risk. If you or a loved one have experienced a situation where someone being distracted behind the wheel has caused an injury or worse, you may want to contact an attorney.  Our experienced attorneys will be happy to assist you in protecting your long-term interests.  

We continue to review some tips and tricks to help you avoid the most common distracted driving behaviors during this National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Distracted driving is one of the biggest things that has an impact on whether or not you will get into a New Haven auto accident when you’re driving around the Elm City.  There are other factors too, but distracted driving is way at the top of the list. There are many things that constitute distracted driving from using your cell phone to cognitive distractions like talking to a passenger.  Each one of these behaviors come with its own dangers and difficulties.  Doing everything you can to avoid distractions of any kind will help you become a safer driver.  Here are some steps you can take today, before you even get behind the wheel that will help you skip any distractions while driving. Turn off all notifications.  Whichever phone you’re using you can tell your phone to eliminate all notifications so your phone will not be dinging and vibrating while you’re driving.  These notifications are designed to be a distraction and in the car they will do just that if you let them. Set up a “not available message.”  Many phones will allow you to create a message that will automatically be sent out to the caller or texter that will…continue reading