While most tend to believe that the worst traffic accidents happen on the interstate, statistics show that most fatal motor vehicle accidents actually occur on rural roads. Currently, two-thirds of the nation’s fatal accidents happening on rural roads. This is why, according to reports from News Channel 5, the state of Ohio has implemented the High Risk Rural Roads Program.

The campaign, which was created by the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), gives federal funding to safety improvement initiatives along secondary roads deemed to be at high-risk of serious accidents.

So what determines if a road is high-risk? Researchers considered a road high-risk if the crash rate for fatalities and incapacitating injuries on that road exceeds the statewide average.

One local road that could see improvement from the program is CR191 through Bellevue. The road was put on the list of high-risk roads after 44 accidents were reported along the stretch last year.

The Ohio car accident lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy are excited to see funding going towards projects to improve Ohio’s highways system in order to make it safer for all of those who use it. If you are suffering injuries from a car accident that occurred on a rural road, contact an experienced lawyer today for a free initial consultation.

As party-goers prepare for the festivities associated with the upcoming Super Bowl, law enforcement in the state of Ohio is preparing as well. According to Channel 5 News, state and local law enforcement, including the Brunswick Police Department, will be increasing their presence through both sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in an effort to deter drunk drivers Super Bowl weekend.

Officers say that these two methods of catching drunk drivers has been found effective at reducing the number of fatal accidents associated with alcohol in the state over the last several years. Despite their best efforts, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) estimates that in Ohio alone, 400 people will die, 15,000 will be injured, and 20,000 will be involved in an alcohol-related crash every year.

This is why a spokesman for the Brunswick Police Department, Lieutenant Brian Ohlin, offered these tips to keep safe during and after your Super Bowl get together:

• Make sure to drink responsibly, utilize designated drivers, and make sure everyone who is drinking is of age.
• Provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game, just like they do at the stadium.

The Ohio car accident lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy hope that these tips will encourage sports fans to keep safety in mind during and after the big game.

Police in Parma, Ohio, say that an ice-covered windshield is to blame for a pedestrian being hit by a car this morning. An article released by News Channel 5 says that the accident happened on Pelham Drive, a residential area of the city.

Detective Marty Compton, spokesman for the Parma Police Depatment, said in a press conference that the 42-year-old victim was walking her dog near the street when she was hit from behind by a 31-year-old driver. The victim was then transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Officers who responded to the scene determined that the driver hit the woman because he could not see out of an ice-covered windshield. The man was cited for having an obstructed view.

Obstructed views account for thousands of accidents and injuries each year, yet are one of the most preventable crash factors there are. Obstructed views can be prevented by always clearing snow, ice, mud, or dirt from all windows and mirrors before driving.

If you can’t see because of foggy windows, wait for the temperature to regulate in the car and the fog to dissipate before driving.

The Ohio Auto Accident Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy hope that these safety tips will be of benefit to motorists in the coming months.

A 49-year-old trucker from Greenville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Thursday for causing an accident near Ravenna, Ohio, in 2010 that killed a 47-year-old college professor and injured her two teenage sons. According to reports from The Baltimore Sun, the trucker was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault.

The accident happened along the Ohio Turnpike when the trucker fell asleep at the wheel. He failed to slow down as he approached a congested traffic area, rear-ended the professor, and hit five other vehicles before bringing the overloaded tractor-trailer to a halt. The woman died at the scene of the crash, and her two teenage sons were both critically injured.

In the courtroom Thursday, the victim’s husband stated he hoped the accident would influence congress to pass tougher measures against the trucking industry to battle the growing problem of accidents related to driver fatigue.

As of now, the law allows truckers to drive 11-hours before a mandatory break is required. These hours are supposed to be recorded in a logbook. If a driver is over hours and an accident results, this is considered negligence on the driver’s part.

If you have been injured in an accident with a tractor-trailer truck that was no fault of your own, contact the Ohio truck accident lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy for a free initial consultation of your case.

A teen from Pataskala, Ohio, is lucky to be alive today after a drunken driver hit him while riding his bike Thursday afternoon. According to 10-TV News, the crash happened several hours before dusk along Blacks Road SW on the east side of Pataskala.

A spokesman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Lieutenant Darrin Blosser, said the 15-year-old boy was hit head-on by the 40-year-old driver of a small, maroon sedan. He stated that the automobile struck the boy and veered into a ditch. Lieutenant Blosser then added that upon impact, the bike went through the windshield of the car and into the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The teen had to be cut out of the vehicle, as he could not move his legs. The boy was immediately taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, for treatment.

The driver of the vehicle was found to have a prior conviction for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OVI) from 2004. He will now face his second offense in connection with this incident, along with a charge of not stopping in time. Under Ohio law, the driver could face a license suspension of one to five years if he is convicted of the crime of OVI.

What about the teens medical costs because of the accident? The Ohio auto accident attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy say the boy and his family’s best bet is to contact a lawyer to discuss what, if anything, can be done to collect compensation for the accident.

The sale of controversial fad diet products containing a human hormone found in pregnant women was made illegal earlier this week after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the products from being sold over-the-counter. According to CNN News, both the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to seven companies that manufacture “homeopathic” products containing human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, saying the products can no longer be sold online or in stores.

Labels on the products call for those taking them to adhere to a strict low-calorie diet. A person on the program will only consume 500 calories a day in conjunction with the hormone to lose a large amount of weight very quickly. Some advocates say they have seen some users lose upwards of 30 pounds in a month’s time.

The government says the weight loss pills’ claims are unsubstantiated and that the hormone combined with the low calorie diet puts patients at a higher risk of:

• Blood Clots
• Cystic Ovaries (Women)
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Enlarged and Sore breasts (Men)
• Gallstones
• Heart Arrhythmias

The FDA has not approved any products containing HCG for weight loss purposes, and there is no clear evidence that the claims of weight loss can be associated with the hormone.

The Ohio Defective Product Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy advise anyone using HCG diet pills to stop immediately. If you have suffered any ill side effects from taking diet pills containing HCG, contact an experienced attorney today.

Arguments are brewing from both sides over a new study that finds alcoholics in need of liver transplants should not have to prove their commitment to a change in lifestyle by staying sober for a six-month period prior to the life-saving surgery. According to the Associated Press, the French study was released in the newest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine Thursday.

The study examined 27 patients suffering from severe hepatitis brought on by years of heavy drinking and that were getting no better from drug treatments. They all pledged to quit drinking and received transplants to profound results. After a three-year follow-up, only three of the patients had started drinking again. This rate is much lower than the commonly accepted 30 percent fall off rate for patients who go through the six-month wait period.

Despite the positive results, many in the medical field are skeptical of the findings, citing differences in culture as a reason for the conclusions reached by the data and fearing a drop in donor numbers if they believe organs are going to go to active drinkers. They say removing the six-month rule could flood transplant recipient lists with thousands of struggling and sick alcoholics, therefore putting those who are not sick because of lifestyle choices in danger of longer waits and possibly death.

The Ohio Medical Malpractice Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy ask, should patients in need of a transplant be able to receive it regardless of lifestyle choices? Tell us your opinion by posting to our Facebook page.

A Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus struck a woman in Dayton, Ohio Thursday night while crossing the street. According to the Dayton Daily News, spokesmen from the Dayton Police Department, Lieutenant Kenneth Beall, said this morning that they think the woman will survive the injuries she sustained in the accident.

It was around 9:30 PM when the woman, believed by authorities to be in her twenties, was attempting to walk across Catalpa Drive at a crosswalk. An initial investigation determined that the woman did not have the crossing signal and walked in front of the bus that had right of way. Under the darkened conditions the bus’s driver could not see the woman in the road and hit her with the front-end of the bus.

In most cases, a direct hit like this would be a death sentence, but in this case, it may have saved the woman’s life. Due to how the woman was hit, she went directly under the bus, trapping her beneath it and keeping her from being run over by the wheels of the vehicle. Paramedics were able to free the woman and take her to a local hospital where she is recovering.

The Ohio Car Accident Lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy would like to take this time to remind pedestrians to always obey the signals at crosswalks. Also, wear reflective or light colored clothing if you will be walking at night. Heeding these simple tips could save your life.

Ohio’s state government announced this week that it will take up to three months to post a list of nurse’s aids no longer allowed to work in nursing homes because of allegations of abuse, neglect, and theft of property. According to Channel 3 News, the list is being made easier to access in response to a growing concern for the safety of the elderly living in care facilities.

The problem has received more attention in the state after one of the area’s top investigative reporting teams uncovered heinous acts occurring daily to a 78-year-old Alzheimer’s patient at the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Video footage captured eight nurses aids subjecting the patient to numerous forms of abuse, including hitting, shoving, and throwing the woman. All the aides were later fired and are facing charges of abuse in court. If convicted their names will go on the list as well.

The list of 1,800 individuals has been compiled since the early 90’s and catalogues every nurse’s aid that have been disciplined by the Department of Health for an infraction involving a patient. Although the government’s version of the list will not be up and running for several more months, Channel 3 News created a copy of the list which they have posted now.

The Ohio Personal Injury Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy urge you to share other ways to keep your family members safe while in care facilities with us by posting to our Facebook page.

A crash involving a Madison Township school bus and another vehicle sent eight people to the hospital earlier this week. According to 10TV News, the accident occurred Tuesday morning on South Illinois Avenue, when a 19-year-old driver veered into the oncoming lanes of traffic.

The young man’s car collided with the bus head-on. Seven of the 38 children on board the bus, ranging in age from 7 to 13-years-old, were injured along with the car’s driver. Six students and the driver of the car were taken to MedCentral Hospital in Mansfield, Ohio, for treatment. Police stated another student was taken to a local hospital later by his parents.

Reports from the investigation by officers at the scene say the young driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The man was cited for driving left of center and was free to go.

So, the driver got a ticket and went home, while seven other families were left with hospital bills they may not be able to afford. This is where having an attorney look at your case may be of benefit to you.

The Ohio Car Accident Lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy urge you to them if you have been the victim of a car crash. You can reach them by simply filling out a free online consultation form.