News articles are rife with drunk driving accidents where drivers of other vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists suffer serious injury or death at the hands of drunk drivers. In fact, what other type of accident cases have given rise to an organization of mothers banding together to prevent future accidents?

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is an organization that was founded by a mother in 1980. She started a movement to ban drunk driving because she didn’t want to see other mothers lose their children to drunk drivers the way she had. As MADD relates its story, in 1980, more people died as a result of drunk drivers than had died in war. Through the overall efforts of the movement to eliminate drunken driving, half as many people die in drunk driving accidents today as did in 1980.

MADD Partners with Velodyne LiDAR to Eliminate Drunk Driving Accidents

Recently MADD released a blog that stated it had partnered with Velodyne LiDAR to join efforts in eliminating drunken driving accidents.

Velodyne LiDAR manufactures sensors that auto manufacturers are using in self-driving cars. When Google began testing self-driving cars in 2010, it used Velodyne LiDAR technology for its cars. In 2016, Ford announced it was using Velodyne LiDAR in the expansion of its fleet of R&D self-driving cars.

Self-Driving Cars Could End Drunk Driving Accidents

Since MADD established the goal of ending drunk driving accidents with its target of zero drunk driving accidents, it has been looking for ways to reach this target. The sensors in self-driving cars detect when the car is approaching other vehicles and bring the car to a stop if the speed and proximities indicate the two vehicles will crash.

The list of auto-manufacturers who are testing self-driven cars has grown dramatically since 2010 and the reality of this new technology becoming a way of life in mainstream America, is no longer in the far-off future.

However, until that day arrives, people who are unjustly injured or die in drunk driving accidents require legal help to receive the compensation they or their families deserve to offset damages.

At Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP , you can take advantage of our free initial consultation to discuss the possibilities of recovering compensation.

Driving in winter weather can be a challenge and understanding some basic ideas about how to drive on ice or in snow can help prevent accidents. Treacherous winter driving conditions range from freezing rain, sleet, snow or simply temperature drops where wet surfaces turn icy.

Driving Tips for Snowy Weather

AAA recommends the following tips for driving in snowy, winter weather.

• Press down slowly on the gas pedal or brake. Fast acceleration can make you skid or spin. Allow enough time to stop slowly.
• Drive slowly. Driving slowly helps you have enough time to maneuver for gradual acceleration and stopping.
• Increase your driving distance between cars. Understand that you should increase the distance for stopping within three to four seconds to eight to ten seconds.
• Apply smooth brake pressure. Rest the heel of your foot on the floor and press the brake pedal with the ball of your foot for gradual braking.
• Avoid stopping. If at all possible, avoid stopping in snowy weather and keep rolling. For example, roll up to a traffic light so slowly that you can keep rolling until the light changes.
• Do not accelerate up hills. You can easily go into a spin when accelerating too much as you climb a hill.
• Do not stop when going up a hill. If the hill is icy, it is difficult to keep the car from spinning as you press the gas pedal to start the car moving again.
• Stay home whenever possible. The best way to avoid snowy weather accidents is to avoid driving in snow. Stay at home if at all possible.

Have You Been Injured During Winter Weather Through the Fault of Another Driver?

If you have suffered serious injury, you may be able to recover compensation for damages. At Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your accident and the prospects of pursuing a case.

You may think of a slip and fall accident as not being serious, but people often suffer severe injuries from slip and fall accidents. Some even die from concussions.

Slip and Fall Accident Caught on Video

An unusual slip and fall accident occurred with a woman last June in Plainfield, N.J in front of Acme Windows on Somerset Street. CBS New York  reported that a 67-year old woman tripped over a cellar door that was left open and fell into a basement. The accident was caught on video. She appears to be looking at her cell phone right before the fall, and most people would conclude she was simply distracted and did not see the open door.

What people watching the video would not realize though was that the woman was legally blind and a diabetic.

The woman’s son said she eats regularly and checks her sugar periodically. When she felt slightly nauseous, she checked her phone to see what the time was. Seconds later she fell. Fire crews arrived to rescue her and pulled her out on a stretcher.

The woman’s blindness makes it difficult for her to see blended colors, according to her son. Workers doing pipe repairs had left the cellar doors open. If they had put out colored cones, she probably would have been alerted to the open doors.

The woman suffered a serious injury but later her condition became stable.

Legal Implications Involved in Slip and Fall Accidents

Property owners have a have a legal responsibility to ensure there are no hazards for people coming onto their property. In this case city workers are responsible for creating a safe environment. The handicaps of disabled people are something that people who do not have disabilities may not take into consideration.

If you experience a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property and you consider property conditions were unsafe, get a legal opinion.

Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP  has decades of experience representing clients in all kinds of cases. We can investigate an accident, establish liability and help you recover compensation to offset damages.