Boulder, Colorado Personal Injury Law Blog

Top 5 things to do after a car crash

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP on Thursday, October 25, 2018.

When you become involved in a Colorado car crash, your first reactions likely are shock and surprise, both of which may cause you to think unclearly. Try to get your thoughts together as quickly as possible, however. Why? Because the decisions you make immediately after your crash and the actions you take can affect you and your family for a long time to come.

Most importantly, stay at the scene until law enforcement arrives and tells you that you can leave. If you leave too soon, you face the possibility of officers charging you with leaving the scene of an accident or even with hit-and-run. While there, here are the top five things you should do.

Car crashes and mild TBI

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Brain Injury on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

Traumatic brain injury typically occurs after a head trauma. Head injuries can happen due to all sorts of accidents, including falls and vehicle collisions. In the case of a car crash, TBI may be present even without a visible head injury, as the high-impact stop can cause your brain to collide with the inside of your skull.

Mild TBI often does not make its presence known immediately. You will likely not receive a diagnosis during your emergency room visit; in fact, many people only receive a diagnosis several weeks or months after their accident. This is just one reason not to accept cash at the scene and to avoid settling too quickly.

3 alternatives to texting and driving

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Monday, September 10, 2018.

Texting while driving is much like smoking: Its dangers are well-known and it causes many deaths every year, yet people still continue to do it. It may seem like no big deal to look away from the road for a split second and respond to a text message, but in reality, this small action can have monumental consequences for yourself and the rest of the drivers on the road.

There are several ways to avoid the dangers of texting and driving, including using safer methods of communication. Consider the following alternatives to texting and driving that can reduce the likelihood of car accidents and keep everybody on the road safer.

Does speeding really cause more accidents?

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Monday, August 27, 2018.

When it comes to speeding and higher speed limits, there are mixed opinions about safety. Some maintain that higher speed limits do not cause more motor vehicle accidents while others say that high speed is definitely a major risk factor in crashes.

The issue is more complicated than a simple yes-or-no argument. This post looks at some of the statistics and studies regarding speed and safety on the roads and the role that increased speed has in dangerous accidents.

Journal documentation can help your personal injury case

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Personal Injury on Wednesday, August 15, 2018.

Documentation can make or break a case for compensation after a personal injury. For instance, if you see a doctor immediately after your injury and the doctor is well-versed in this type of injury and how to document it, that could be a boon for your case.

On the other hand, if the doctor is not the greatest at making notes and organizing thoughts, you or your lawyer may need to take a few steps to ensure your documentation is sound. After all, it is important to be able to show where and when the injury started and how severe it could be down the road, among other things. Here is a look at how another type of documentation, journaling, can help.

Colorado offers safe driver training

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

The state of Colorado has a number of programs aimed at reducing car accidents and injuries by promoting safe driving practices. These programs are available online for all types of drivers, even motorcyclists.

Learning more about your driving habits and how you can better protect yourself behind the wheel can help you avoid a serious accident. Here is some more information about the Colorado Safe Driver program and how to improve your driving safety:

3 mechanical failures that can cause an accident

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

As a responsible driver on the road, the best way to avoid an accident is to drive defensively and follow all traffic laws. Sometimes additional factors such as weather or road conditions make even the safest drivers vulnerable, though. One of the most dangerous hazards on the road is a car's potential for mechanical failure. When something goes wrong with your car, you could be in an accident as a result.

Following are three of the most common mechanical failures that can cause auto collisions. If you have been injured in an accident where such an issue might have been to blame, you should see a doctor and consult with an attorney to better understand your options for treatment and recourse.

After the crash, do not accept cash

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Sunday, July 8, 2018.

Although fatalities caused by car accidents have dropped overall around the country, they have increased in Colorado in recent years. 2017 saw the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2004, according to The Denver Post.

After any motor vehicle accident, even a minor one, you may groan at the prospect of having to contact the police and call your insurance agency. However, these actions are for the best even if the other driver offers you cash at the scene to sweep this incident under the rug. Getting a few hundred dollars is a tempting offer, but there are significant downsides.

Drowsy driving causes more crashes than you think

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

Most people think of drowsiness as a mild annoyance, not as something that could put them and others' lives at risk. However, when it comes to getting behind the wheel, drowsiness is not far behind known dangers such as intoxication and distraction in terms of the risks it poses.

A recent study that used dashcam footage to analyze drivers' facial expressions in the time leading up to a crash concluded 9.5 percent of motor vehicle accidents include drowsiness as a factor. This data confirms the suspicion of many safety researchers that incidences of drowsiness that lead to a crash are under-reported, since self-reporting is often the only way to know if a driver was sleepy; unlike drugs and alcohol, a lack of sleep does not show up on a chemical test.

The dangers of high school football

On behalf of Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP posted in Brain Injury on Monday, June 18, 2018.

Colorado is a great football state. Not only do the Denver Broncos have three Super Bowl wins to their credit, thrilling their thousands of avid fans, football fever pervades virtually all colleges and high schools in the state. One can only speculate as to how many local high school quarterbacks dream of becoming the next John Elway or Peyton Manning. Some of these boys started playing Pop Warner football at the age of six. One likewise can only speculate as to how many concussions these boys, quarterbacks or otherwise, receive while playing this high-contact sport.

Today, tackle football is America's favorite high school sport. The National Federation of State High School Associations reports that more than 1 million boys participate in it. If your son is one of them, you need to know that these 1 million teenagers suffer more concussions than their peers who participate in other high school sports. For instance, your son is four times more likely to suffer a concussion than a male basketball player and 16 times more likely than a baseball player. At least two high school football players die each year after suffering a traumatic head injury.