Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Jacksonville drunk driving accidents down while driving under the influence of drugs up

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

  Jacksonville drunk driving accidents have decreased but drug-use is still a problem.
The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration study reports that 16 percent of drivers on weekend nights test positive for some type of drug including cocaine, marijuana and prescription sedatives. This is the first time the NHTSA has done this study so it is hard to compare it with previous years.

Law enforcement officials are pleased that the number of drunk driving car accident fatalities has declined along with alcohol-impaired driving. Alcohol is a factor in about 20% of car accident fatalities.

Drunk driving statistics:

A driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or greater is 42% more likely to be male than female.

The hours of 1am to 3am are the hours when drivers are more likely to be drunk driving

Drunk driving among motorcycle drivers is twice that as automobile drivers(5.6% compared with 2.3%)

Pick up truck drivers have a higher rate of driving under the influence, 3.3% pick up truck drivers are DUI compared to 2.3% of auto drivers.  If you or a loved one have been injured in a  Jacksonville car accident call The Law Offices of Henry E. Gare at (904) 387-6101.

Jacksonville accidents happen: Don’t forget to put ICE into your cel phone

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

As a Jacksonville car accident attorneyimages I have been involved in many cases where victims are unable to tell EMTs or ambulance workers who to call in case of an emergency.  These emergency medical technicians are trained to look at an injured victim’s cell phone to search for the contact “ICE”. ICE of course is “In case of emergency”.  Be sure to input more than one phone number under your ICE contact list.

How to avoid a Jacksonville dog bite

Monday, June 15th, 2009

dog1Dog bites and dog attacks happen everyday in Jacksonville.  The following is an excellent guide on how to avoid a Jacksonville dog bite:

 

  1. Take precautions against dog attacks. Most dog attacks are the result of insufficient containment of the dog, or poor training. I.e. Bad owners. Unfortunately, the world will never be rid of bad owners, so it is wise to be prepared.
    • Avoid smiling at the dog. You may be putting on a friendly face, but an aggressive dog sees you baring your teeth for a fight.
    • Carry a weapon. If you must walk in an area that is known to have aggressive dogs that sometimes get loose, consider carrying an object to hit with, such as a bat or a cane. Where deadly force is not warranted, this can be used to keep some distance between you and the dog.

    •  

      Do not taunt a dog, even if you think it can’t reach you.

       Dogs that are chained or tethered to a stationary object for extended periods of time are more likely to be aggressive, so do not come within their reach.[1]

  2. Look for warning signs. Most dogs are not aggressive but rather just curious or defending what they perceive as their territory. It is important to be able to tell if a dog is just playing or is being truly aggressive. While some breeds have been singled out as being particularly vicious (pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes (ref removed by wikihow spam filter, if you can put it back please do so) any mid-size and large dog breed can be dangerous (poodles, terriers[2]) so do not ignore warning signs because you think a certain breed is harmless or friendly.
    • If the dog approaches you with its head held high or low, it is probably not going to attack. A dog whose head is level means business.
    • A loping gait means the dog is playful and checking you out. An even, steady run means business.
  3. Remain calm. There’s some truth to the adage that dogs and other animals can sense fear. If you panic, you may make the dog feel more confident in his attack, or you may appear threatening to the dog. Neither of these is a good situation.
    • Control the situation. Remember that most dogs are in subjugation to humans. A commanding “Down!” or “Go Home!” may stop an attack momentarily, giving you time to back away.
    • Never Run. Running away can awaken the dog’s prey instinct to chase and catch animals, and he may pursue you vigorously even if its initial intent was just playful. In addition, you won’t be able to outrun a dog if you’re on foot. Even if you are on a bicycle you usually will not be able to outrun a dog.
    • Assume a non-threatening position. Dogs will assume that you are poised to attack them if you face them head on and make eye contact. Standing sideways to the dog and keeping the dog in your peripheral vision instead of facing them and making eye contact, will signal to the dog that you are not a threat. If you can, fold your arms tightly to protect hands. If this cannot be effected without making sudden movements, keep your arms flat and still by your sides with clenched fists to protect fingers. In dog pack behavior, turning away does not indicate that you are submissive, but rather not positioned to attack the dog.
    • Hold your position. Dogs have short attention spans. Often after some barking, the dog will lose interest and go away. Do not appear threatening to the dog, and don’t open your hands and arms up to a bite by extending them. Keep your fingers curled into fists to avoid getting them bitten. The dog may come quite close, even sniffing you, without actually biting.
  4. Curl into a fetal position if there is no way to avoid the physical attack.[3] Use your arms and hands to protect your face and neck, and curl up in a ball. Remain motionless and don’t scream. Dogs will almost always lose interest in you if you remain still.[4] Wait until the dog leaves the area before getting up.
    • If you stay still and protect your face, chest, and throat, the dog will only be able to inflict puncture wounds on areas of your body that have thicker skin[5]. If the dog is biting, the last thing you want to do is struggle or pull away, as this can cause open, torn wounds.
    • If the dog is biting someone else, do not pull the victim away for the very same reason. Find a large stick and strike the dog across the back of the neck. You could also try to force a long object or your arm horizontally in the dog’s mouth. Push it in forcefully towards the throat to minimize damage to yourself.[6] If you have time, wrap your arm in a shirt or jacket first.
    • Don’t hit a dog on the head as they generally have very thick skulls and you will only make it angry.[7]The only place to hit a huge dog that will have an effect is across the back of the neck near the base of the skull or across the sensitive nose. This may not be useful in self defense but may be used if a partner is being attacked.
    • If the dog attacks your dog, let go of the leash and do not interfere. Learn how to break up a dog fight.
  5. Back away slowly and leave the area once the dog loses interest in you. Staying calm and stationary can be a real test of your nerves in this situation, but it’s the best thing to do as long as the dog isn’t actually biting you.
  6. If a smaller dog is with the dog attacking you, then the big dog might just be trying to protect it. If this happens do not try and antagonize the smaller dog by looking at it in the eyes. The smaller dog may have “little syndrome” and feels the need to make itself feel bigger and more important by attacking you. And his bigger friend will follow suit. And if a smaller dog trys to attack, or “annoy” than just do the same as if it was a big dog because he too might have a bigger friend thats got his back.

If  you or a love one has been the victim of a Jacksonville dog bite please contact Jacksonville dog bite lawyer Henry Gare at (904) 387-6101.

Common Sense Reminder: Never leave your car running in a closed garage

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

Our Jacksonville senior citizens are victims of accidents everyday. Older drivers should be reminded to never start their cars or leave them running in a closed garage. The Miami Herald recently reported an elderly Davie couple died after leaving their car running in their garage.

Police believe they died from inhaling the carbon monoxide that had filled their garage Saturday night. Their deaths have been ruled accidental.

It appears that 83-year-old Dorothy Roth forgot to shut off the car after helping her wheelchair-bound husband, 88-year-old David Roth, into the house. The garage had all night to fill with gas, which flowed into the home the next morning when the wife opened the door. The couple and their dog were all overcome by the gas.

They were found by their son later in the day.

(more…)

Local company invent device to stop Jacksonville Auto accidents cause by texting teen drivers

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

text
A local company is trying to stop Jacksonville car accidents caused by texting teens.
Elyk Innovation Inc., a Jacksonville-based Web design company, can’t stop kids from text messaging. But they have figured out a way to stop them from texting on their cell phones while driving.

The application, which costs $9.95, is being called Textecution. It can be viewed and purchased at www.textecution.com.

For the moment, Textecution works only on the G1 Google phone. But they hope to bring the application to other types of cell phones in 2009, said Joe Lemire, chief innovator for Elyk Innovation.

A global positioning system determines when the phone is traveling more than 10 mph and the Textecution application then shuts down the texting function. If a teenager is in a car but not driving, he or she can push a button asking permission to text. The parent then gets a cell phone message asking if the child can text.

If the parent consents, the child can text for the next four hours.