Jason Epstein, Seattle Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney, recently published a blog advocating raising the driving age to 18.

Seattle, Wash. – September 3, 2010 – Jason Epstein, Washington personal injury and car accident lawyer, recently wrote a piece for his website, http://www.StraightTalkLaw.com, titled “Changing Driving Age to 18 Can Save Lives.”  The blog post discusses the statistics regarding teen car accidents and the idea that raising the legal driving age to 18 could dramatically decrease the amount of fatal auto accidents and wrongful deaths.

With thousands of teens dying every year, Jason believes that we would see a significant drop in fatal car accidents by simply postponing the age people can get their license. By waiting until teens are mature enough to handle the responsibility, Jason argues that we will ensure safer drivers from the start.

“For the older generation reading this post, I am sure you can attest to the reckless and stressful driving habits of teenage drivers. Teenagers are known for their erratic and often times negligent behavior,” writes Jason.

“I, myself was guilty of making poor driving decisions as a teen and was lucky to have never seriously injured myself or another driver. The facts are 16 and 17 year olds simply do not have the maturity level to operate such a powerful machine and they are unable to realize how much responsibility it takes to operate a vehicle,” continued Epstein.

“This plan will clearly not be very popular, particularly among those under the age of 25- but consider how dramatically the reinstating the drinking age of 21 reduced the number of fatal car accidents.  I think a change in the licensing age will have just as positive an effect,” remarked Epstein.

Jason Epstein founded Straight Talk Law to provide a series of legal guides meant to empower accident victims and those looking for a lawyer.  Straight Talk Law prides itself on providing the unfiltered truth about lawyer advertising, an informative website and blog, a new way to practice law where the lawyer communicates pertinent information directly to the client in an easy-to-understand way, and a law practice where lawyers share information with those who need it, and work on their clients’ case in an open, easy to understand way through effective communication.

The complete blog can be found at http://www.straighttalklaw.com/blog/changing-driving-age-to-18-can-save-lives-seattle-personal-injury-law-firm.php

To learn more about Jason Epstein and Straight Talk Law, please visit http://www.StraightTalkLaw.com

About Jason Epstein and Straight Talk Law:

Jason Epstein joined Premier Law Group as a partner in 2007. Jason is a litigator handling all types of personal injury cases with an emphasis on serious plaintiff’s personal injury and insurance coverage.  Jason is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice and serves within its leadership. Jason often speaks at CLEs and serves as an arbitrator for both private and mandatory arbitration matters.

Jason attended Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, Wyoming.  The month long program is dedicated to training lawyers who represent injured people. Jason completed a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Strauss Institute of Dispute Resolution and the Trial Advocacy program through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Jason has been dedicated to representing injured people since 1999.

Jason Epstein has been representing individuals against insurance companies and large corporations since 2001. He limits his practice to personal injury and wrongful death cases including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, or other serious and catastrophic injuries. Hopefully you have already visitedStraightTalkLaw.com. This website is loaded with tons of information, and is constantly updated to keep you informed of recent developments. You can also stay up to date by following the blogs, which are linked to StraightTalkLaw.com

Jason understands that providing the best legal representation to his clients, means limiting the number of cases he accepts. He takes fewer cases so he has more time for you. By limiting his caseload, Mr. Epstein is able to give each client and each case the time and attention that they deserve. If you would like to see if your case qualifies for Mr. Epstein to represent you, please contact us throughStraightTalkLaw.com, request one or more of Jason’s books, or call us toll free at (888) 333-1873.

A Seattle native, Jason received his B.A. in Philosophy from USC, and his J.D. from Pepperdine University. Mr. Epstein lives in Renton with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, Mr. Epstein enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf.

To learn more about Straight Talk Law, please visit http://www.StraightTalkLaw.com ]]> http://www.straighttalklaw.com/news/seattle-car-accident-lawyer-jason-epstein-advocates-raising-the-driving-age-to-save-lives.php/feed 0 http://www.straighttalklaw.com/blog/motorcycle-accident-kills-man-seattle-motorcycle-accident-lawyer.php http://www.straighttalklaw.com/blog/motorcycle-accident-kills-man-seattle-motorcycle-accident-lawyer.php#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:10:22 +0000 admin http://www.straighttalklaw.com/?p=3805 At 1:30 a.m. Friday, September 03, a fatal motorcycle accident claimed a man’s life. At the2700 block of Westlake Avenue North, a man who appears to be between 25 and 30 years old was riding a black 2005 Kawasaki motorcycle when he failed to initiate a left hand turn properly. His motorcycle veered off the road and struck the guardrail causing it to flip several times before coming to a rest along the road.

As a Seattle motorcycle accident attorney and Washington wrongful death lawyer I have seen devastating a motorcycle accident can be. Without the thousands of pounds of metal serving as a barrier between themselves and the road, bikers put themselves in great danger whenever they ride. Far too many lives have been torn apart by a short error in judgment like the one that claimed a young man’s life early this morning.

At 1:30 a.m. Friday, September 03, a fatal motorcycle accident claimed a man’s life. At the2700 block of Westlake Avenue North, a man who appears to be between 25 and 30 years old was riding a black 2005 Kawasaki motorcycle when he failed to initiate a left hand turn properly. His motorcycle veered off the road and struck the guardrail causing it to flip several times before coming to a rest along the road.

The rider was thrown from the motorcycle when it hit the guardrail. Medics quickly arrived at the scene and rushed the victim to Harborview Medical Center, but shortly after he died from his severe injuries.

Fatal motorcycle accidents occur far too often, particularly in the summer months. With little to protect a biker they are 16 times more likely to be fatally injured in an accident that another motorist. Most of these accidents, however, occur because a rider is not properly trained. In fat, 93% of motorcycle accidents involved a rider who had not attended a formal training class. Because of this horrible statistic I have written a book, “The Truth About Washington Motorcycle Accidents” which discusses all of the important aspects of a motorcycle accident and can help you realize your rights as a rider as well as decide whether or not a motorcycle accident you are involved in requires the aid of an aggressive motorcycle accident attorney. This book is free to Washington residents through the link above.

Wednesday, September 1st, an unusual circumstance caused a complete closure of a stretch of I-5 for nearly 2 hours. Commuters were stuck for hours during rush-hour traffic as a 23-year-old  fugitive lead police on a chase through Seattle.

Police followed pursued the suspect along Route 526 where he shot at and struck the patrol car. Police continued to pursue to suspect onto I-5 in Everett where the fleeing man ended up in a Seattle car accident when he rear-ended a van on southbound I-5. The impact knocked the van on its side where it continued to slide. The driver had her window down when the van was flipped on its side and continued to skid for some distance mangling her arm. The driver, 49-year-old, Tammy Fietkau was rushed to Providence Medical Center and then later sent to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.

After this car accident the suspect spun out of control and smashed into a guard rail- after which he continued to flee from police on foot into some bushes. Police followed to suspect with the aid of police dogs. With the help of tips from the public and the use of the search dogs police were able to apprehend the suspect at the 7100 block of Olympic.

The suspect was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

The suspect’s car was initially thought to be stolen, but it was discovered that its plates had simply been canceled. The suspect had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Washington.

We hope Tammy Fietkau has a speedy recovery from this accident.

Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuDumDfVd3o&feature=player_embedded

The legal drinking limit of 21 has saved quite a few lives since it was set into law in 1984 and drunk driving laws and patrols have decreased the number of incidents quite a bit. But where legislation fails parenting can fill the gap substantially.

Why teens drink and drive:

Peer pressure is the most common explanation for any teenage behavior. Out of the simple desire to fit in teens will wear certain clothes, listen to certain music, partake in specific activities and even experiment with drugs and alcohol. This peer pressure can even lead them to drive while intoxicated simply to get their friends a midnight snack.

The invincibility that teens feel can also trigger unsafe behavior. Teens often feel as though nothing bad can touch them- they are immortal in a way. In spite of seeing all of the car accidents and deaths to other teens practicing unsafe habits- they still engage in destructive behavior.

Teens may also drive after drinking out of fear of being caught—they are afraid of their parent’s wrath and would rather risk the drive than call and confess their illegal actions.

Protecting your teen from drunk driving can be as simple as talking to them about the hazards. Statistics show that teens whose parents talked to them about alcohol are far less likely to consume alcohol at a young age.

Discuss your opinions

Alcohol and drug discussions should start early on in your child’s life. Children are constantly exposed to representations of drug and alcohol use on TV and the media and can become dumb to the true nature of these drugs. If you start the conversation and discuss your opinions on drugs and alcohol early on your child will be raised knowing the expectations and save yourself from a senseless act of rebellion later on. The adage does stick though—better late than never. So even if your child is in their teens you should start the conversation.

Set Rules

Rules and consequences for breaking them are vital to protecting your teen from drinking and driving themselves and being in danger of others driving intoxicated. According to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol’s alcohol studies teens are less likely to use and abuse alcohol if there are set rules and consequences in place for doing so.

Tips for making rules:

Rules and expectations –Discuss your rules and consequences in advance—make sure your teen knows all these before they hit the road
Consistency : be consistent in enforcing the rules- always follow through with the consequences
Checking in- set a time for your teen to check in when they are away
Know the friend’s parents- keep in contact with the friends parents.

When your child is attending a party, talk to the parents hosting and offer to provide snacks or supervision

Make sure your child can leave- Ensure that it is easy for your teen to leave a party where alcohol is present. If they are riding with a friend make sure they are comfortable calling home for a ride back

Listen to your intuition- if you have a gut feeling something is wrong- talk to your teen

Reduce the Risk

As parents we like to think our children are trustworthy, but realistically teens are not always honest and can bend the truth on more than one occasion to get their way. There are steps you can take to reduce the chance of dishonesty and having your child involved in a drunk driving accident.

Ask questions- Whenever your teen ventures out make sure you ask questions- who will you be with, what are you doing, when will you be home, where exactly will you be and how are you getting there and home.

Prevent house parties- Though you hate to think your children would throw a party in your house it is always a distinct possibility when you leave for a weekend get-away. Preventing parties is easy through a proactive method-  when you leave town have a trust adult watching the house or your teen. You teen can stay with a relative or trusted friend or a neighbor can keep an eye on the house while you’re away.

Check in- Call and verify the plans before your teen heads out… Call the parents and make sure what is said to be going on is actually happening.

Contract for Life- Students Against Distracted Decisions (SADD) has produced a contract for life which both teens and parents sign. The contract is if your teen is at a party with alcohol or they are drunk they can call and be picked up by you and the conversation will wait until a later time with both sides have calmed/sobered up.

Have the Talk

Though talking to your teen about drunk driving can be awkward it is the best way to help prevent your child from being involved in a fatal drunk driving crash. Teens raised with a strong no-use message are far less likely to consume alcohol compared to those who never had the discussion. The talk, however, should not only be a one-time deal…it should be a conversation started at a young age and continued thorough-out their adolescence.

You should share your views and opinions on drugs and alcohol at the young age and then later evolve the discussion to address the reasons why when they are able to understand a little better. Presenting the facts and statistics is very important when your child enters their tweens and teens and there are many resources available on the internet to help you with this.

Resource to Help you Start the Conversation
Drunk Driving Poem – This poem can help make your teen understand that not only is it dangerous for them to drive drunk they have to watch out for other drunk drivers.
Jacqui Saburido Story – Jacqui Saburido was mutilated and lost two friends from a drunk driving accident. The drunk teen driver suffered little injury and this video also shows his life in prison and how he pays for his actions every day.

Teen Drinking Statistics Video- This video contains shocking statistics on teens drinking and driving

On Sunday, August 29th a 13-year-old boy, Peter Lenz, was killed before participating in a motorcycle race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lenz was doing a practice lap around the track when he crashed his motorcycle and was run over by another young racer unable to see him in time to change his coarse.

Lenz appeared uninjured when he fell off the bike and attempted to prevent an accident by standing up and raising his arms, his efforts, however, were unsuccessful and he was struck seconds later. Lenz was a skilled and accomplished young rider and is the youngest person to be killed on the racetrack since it’s opening in 1909.

After this horrible motorcycle accident officials are now looking at the rules and considering making some changes for safety reasons. Currently, there are experience and age restrictions for participating in races of this sort- a minimum of 2 years of experience and an age of 12 or older are required.

My condolences go out to all the friends and family affected by this horrible motorcycle accident.
There are always risks involved with riding a motorcycle particularly if you are racing at high speeds. Whether or not children that are too young to obtain a license should be allowed to engage in such risks has been highly debated for quite some time. If you do choose to allow your kids to ride motorcycles or ATV’s whether it be for recreation or sport please be advised of some steps you can take to help minimize injuries. Hundreds die every year in motorcycle and ATV crashes and thousands visit the emergency room. Please read this article on ATV safety it will give you some great tips on how to protect your children from horrible accidents such as this.

Though not all driving training courses are the same and I recommend seeking a Defensive Driving course for your teen most driver safety starts at home. Riding with your teen frequently and pointing out different road hazards is the best way for your teen to learn- after all, practice makes better. You must also set rules and boundaries in order to curtail dangerous behavior and ensure your teen is not exposed to dangerous situations prematurely. Night time driving and driving with multiple passengers have both been shown to lead to most teen accidents and these are easily prevented by establishing simple rules and boundaries.

For more information on preventing teen accidents read my article Top Teen Driving Tips. This article discusses in more depth what rules and regulations you should set as a parent and ways you can prepare your teen for the road. Increasing our teen’s knowledge and giving them as much hands-on experience as possible behind the wheel is the only thing we, as parents, can do to protect our children from the dangerous of the road. But by being proactive and involved in our children’s driving training will help them learn safer habits—after all, we can’t always ride in the passenger seat—eventually we have to let go and hope we have given them enough knowledge to be safe.

Just yesterday, August 26th, a 32-year-old woman was killed in an Arlington auto accident when her vehicle crossed the center line. The woman was driving her Honda Sedan North on 67th Ave Northeast in Arlington when her vehicle crossed over the center line of the road- colliding with a Ford truck. The woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene and the truck driver was taken to the hospital for treatment of his non-life threatening injuries.

The reason why the Honda veered off its course is unknown at this time, but there are a variety of standard reasons for these types of incidents. Drowsy driving, intoxicated driving and inattentive driving all top the charts in their abilities to cause fatal auto accidents such as this one. There are ways to help protect yourself from becoming a victim to one of these horrible fatal auto accidents which you can discover in the article Ten Ways to Prevent an Accident.

It is always difficult to learn of lives lost in auto accidents. The last thing you want to worry about in these situations is legal issues. In an attempt to provide you with much deserved help and assistance, I have co-authored a book with attorney Patrick J. Kang which is a guide for families of Washington wrongful death victims. The book is called, In Case of Death: Straight Talk on Washington Wrongful Death, and is available at no charge to Washington residents by clicking on the preceding link.

For the older generation reading this post, I am sure you can attest to the reckless and stressful driving habits of teenage drivers. Teenagers are known for their erratic and often times negligent behavior. I, myself was guilty of making poor driving decisions as a teen and was lucky to have never seriously injured myself or another driver. The facts are 16 and 17 year olds simply do not have the maturity level to operate such a powerful machine and they are unable to realize how much responsibility it takes to operate a vehicle.

With thousands of teens dying every year I believe we would see a significant drop in these fatal car accidents by simply postponing the age people can get their license. By waiting until teens are mature enough to handle the responsibility we will ensure safer drivers from the start. Many European countries have driving ages of 18 and also have significantly lower fatal car accidents. While the United States maintains over 6 million car accidents a year Germany only has 336,000 car accidents—that’s a lot fewer zeros.

My answer?  Raise the legal driving age in Washington and the rest of the US to 18.  This plan will clearly not be very popular, particularly among those under the age of 25- but consider how dramatically the reinstating the drinking age of 21 reduced the number of fatal car accidents I think a change in the licensing age will have just as positive an effect. In the meantime we, as parents, can make our children safer drivers through education and supervision and by helping them make safer choices. We have some resources for parents that can help you teach your teens to be safer drivers including: tips for teaching your teen to drive and preparing your teen for the road.

As a parent as well as a Seattle personal injury lawyer and Washington wrongful death attorney I get anxious when teens hit the roads and explore their new found freedom. Sadly, teenage accidents occur on a daily basis and many of these leave the victims with permanent injuries or dead. Another one of these horrible teen accidents occurred this week in California where a fatal car accident has left a 17-year-old boy faced with charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and involuntary manslaughter.

The accident occurred on Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach California on Sunday August 22^nd just after midnight. A Ford Mustang was racing a Ford Taurus headed eastbound on Ocean Boulevard at speeds excess of 100 miles per hour when the two cars collided forcing the Mustang into a spin that sent it crashing into a concrete sign along the median of the road.

Three passengers in the Mustang were ejected from the vehicle- a 32-year-old woman and unidentified female were pronounced dead at the scene along with the 18-year-old male driver of the Mustang, Jesse Heredia. A 19-year-old male passenger was rush to the hospital in critical condition, but died due to injuries sustained in the accident two days after the crash.

The occupants of the Taurus fled the scene on foot and were later caught by police. The Taurus was later found to be a stolen vehicle and the driver was found to be without a license.

The driver of the Taurus is now in custody and faces massive charges for the deaths of the four individuals in the Mustang.

It is horrible incidents such as these that make the car accident fatality rate for teens so high. As a parent this can be disconcerting and stressful- but there are steps you can take to help make your teen a better and safer driver the article: Top Teen Driving Tips is a useful tool for parents in teaching their child the ways of the road and preventing accidents like this through proactive measures.