Denver Personal Injury Law Blog

Everyone knows that drinking and driving is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous. It has a direct correlation with the number of car accidents that occur, and often these accidents are fatal. But what about other mind-altering substances, such as marijuana? Recent studies have shown that there is a link between the states, including Colorado, that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana and the number of car crashes that have occurred in them.

Past studies have indicated that there is no direct correlation between states that have legalized the use of marijuana and the number of fatal car accidents. New studies, however, have found that the number of car crashes overall in those states, including Colorado, is up almost 6 percent compared to surrounding states that have not legalized its use. Research shows that drivers under the influence of marijuana have delayed thought processes and perceptual abilities and also weave more when in a driving simulator.

Many people have DUIs on their record. Often, someone makes a bad judgement, has too much to drink before driving, gets arrested and learns from his or her mistake. Most offenders only make this mistake once. A Colorado man with a staggering six DUI convictions apparently didn't learn from his mistakes, and now he faces a huge number of charges, including murder and, most likely, wrongful death.

The 47-year-old man has been arrested following an accident that occurred on September 30 that took the life of a 25-year-old woman. The woman was sitting at a red light on her way home from church when the man's truck crashed into the back of her car, forcing her car into the intersection. This caused another crash involving three more vehicles. The woman was taken to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. According to reports, the man was intoxicated and speeding at the time he slammed into the woman's car.

Life is busy: everyone gets in a rush. Often it seems like red lights have the absolute worst timing possible--turning and staying red when one is in the biggest of hurries. Sometimes getting through a yellow light before it turns red becomes almost a challenge -- one taken far too lightly. Failure to stop at red lights is one of the most common causes of car accidents. The high number of accidents at red lights in Colorado Springs is prompting the police chief there to take action.

Colorado Springs is about to set a record, but this is one no one's going to celebrate. The city is approaching a startling 40 traffic deaths this year. While there are multiple reasons for the rise in car accidents, one of the biggest causes of fatalities is the running of red lights. The Colorado Springs police chief has announced that soon red light cameras will be installed at multiple locations around the city to help combat this dangerous act. Hopefully, the increased possibility of receiving a ticket will cause drivers to be more cautious and take fewer risks.

Earlier this summer, a 21-year-old man left on his motorcycle for a quick ride in Broomfield, but he never returned from that trip. He was involved in a serious crash, and ended up in a coma. In a split second his life changed, as did the life of his mother. This Colorado accident led the young man's mother to a new mission in life, urging drivers to slow down and urging motorcycle riders to wear helmets -- two factors that can have devastating consequences in motorcycle accidents like her son's.

While most motorcycle riders wear a helmet regardless of the law, even careful riders can fall victim to the "I'm not going far" or "It won't happen to me" way of thinking. That is what happened in this incident. He usually wore a helmet but didn't that fateful day. His short trip took a tragic turn when his motorcycle was struck by a car whose driver was trying to make it through a yellow light. In an instant the biker had multiple broken bones and a traumatic brain injury that would leave him in a coma for a month.