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Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Tidewater area drivers: Beware, more Toyota recalls!
- Victim's Family Files Suit Against Winery and Market for Their Role in DUI Automobile Accident
- Will VDOT approve raising the speed limit to 70mph more Virginia roads?
- Driver, cyclist killed in Fairfax crash
- Virginia Beach, Norfolk law enforcement focusing on seat belt use
Firm News
Norfolk VA car & bicycle accident leaves cyclist injured
Posted on 7/29/2010
Virginia Beach police officer, civilian taken to hospital after crash
Posted on 7/27/2010
Virginia Beach car wreck kills one and injures three others
Posted on 7/27/2010
Tidewater motorists, get ready for a new seat belt law
Posted on 6/30/2010
Windsor woman dies in tragic car wreck on Rt. 258
Posted on 6/29/2010
Pickup truck wreck injures three in Suffolk
Posted on 6/29/2010
Homeless man killed by dump truck accident at Virginia Beach
Posted on 6/29/2010
Fatal Car Crash in Norfolk on I-64 Blamed on Speed & Weather
Posted on 5/31/2010
Virginia Beach man killed in serious auto wreck on I-264
Posted on 5/28/2010
Three men thrown from car in fatal crash
Posted on 5/20/2010
Firm Library
Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Virginia Crash Victims: What You Need to Know About Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- What three mistakes could WRECK your Virginia auto accident claim?
- Virginia motorists: What does the MOVE OVER law mean for you?
- Study of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake schools asks: does more sleep for teens mean fewer car crashes?
- How a Virginia Auto Accident Attorney Can Make a BIG Difference In Your Case
Is your car designed to survive a rollover accident?
Rollover accidents are more dangerous than many people realize. Over 10,000 people are killed every year in rollover crashes, and sadly many of these lives could have been saved if auto manufacturers were willing to invest in newer, safer technology to protect vehicle occupants during a car crash.
Pressure is being put on manufactures to do just that. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently released their 2010 Top Safety Picks, and to the surprise of many the list was surprisingly short. There were 94 Top Picks last year, but this year there were only 27.
What caused this change? This year the IIHS chose to strengthen the requirements for vehicles to make it onto the list of top safety picks. The biggest change was that the IIHS added roof crush testing to requirements.
IIHS believes that roof strength is important because other safety technologies do not work properly without a strong roof. Side curtain airbags and seat belts can keep occupants safe in a vehicle that rolls over in an auto accident, but only if the roof does not collapse.
What is surprising is how many cars, vans and SUVs that used to be on the list were missing this year. Some big surprises include Toyota, who had no vehicles at all on the list this year, after putting in very strong performances in previous years. BMW, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Saab were also missing from the list this year after being on it in the past.
Some manufacturers did very well. Subaru vehicles rated very well for overall safety, especially when it came to safety in a rollover crash. They have five models on this year’s list of Top Safety Picks. Other manufacturers that did well include Ford and their subsidiary Volvo, with six vehicles on the list. Volkswagen/Audi have five models on the list, and Chrysler has four.
Why pay attention to these ratings? If you have a vehicle with a “good” roof strength rating from IIHS, its roof is at least twice as strong as the federal roof strength requirement. This matters because a strong roof can reduce the risk of serious injury or death by fifty percent.
Clearly auto manufacturers must continue to improve vehicle safety in order to save lives and keep consumers safe. Manufacturers who fail to make their cars and SUVs safer risk losing customers and being accused of favoring profits over people.
If you’ve been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, please contact the experienced personal injury and car crash attorneys at the Norfolk based law firm of Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C..
Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
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Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
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