Vermont & New Hampshire Injury Blog

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries Suffered In New Hampshire Car Accidents

Back-To-School Time Is Dangerous For VT & NH Drivers

VT & NH Rear End Collisions Happen When...

Three Steps for Talking to Seniors About Driving

What's Distracting Vermont & New Hampshire Drivers?

Avoiding a New Hampshire or Vermont Motorcycle Accident

New Hampshire Teens and Nighttime Driving

New Hampshire Car Accident Involving a Toyota SUV is Under Review

When You Are The One Negotiating a New Hampshire Car Accident Claim

Contributing Factors in New Hampshire and Vermont Truck Accidents

Vermont Truck Accidents May Be Prevented Due to Texting Ban

What Will Help Your Vermont Car Accident Case?

ROUTE 4 ACCIDENT UNDERSCORES NEED FOR DRIVER SAFETY

AGGRESSIVE REPRESENTATION FOR CAR ACCIDENT VICTIMS

NEW HAMPSHIRE TRAFFIC DEATHS LOWEST IN 47 YEARS

Text Messaging While Driving Banned in New Hampshire

Motor Vehicle Accident in Newport Vermont Hospitalizes Driver

Injured in an Accident With a Drunk Driver? | Attorney NH

If you have been injured in an accident there are likely many thoughts going through your head.  How can I get my life back on track?  How long will it take for me to heal?  How much will my medical bills be?  Will I be able to return to work?  How can I recoup lost wages?

When the accident is caused by a drunk driver these thoughts are mixed with anger, confusion and a feeling of helplessness.  Why was the driver on the road?  How could the accident have been prevented?

The answers to these questions are often unanswerable.  However, there are steps we can all take to lower the incidence of drunk driving accidents.  To learn more please visit our DWI resource page by clicking here.

Our goal is not only to fight for the rights of injured across New Hampshire and Vermont, but to prevent accidents before they happen.  One less accident can mean one less death, one less spinal cord injury, one less grieving family.

Please think before you drive and do your best to keep yourself and others safe this holiday season.  If you have been hurt and need help please contact an attorney at Van Dorn & Curtiss today.  We're here for you when you need us.

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Auto Accidents All too Common in New Hampshire | Accident Attorney

Share the Road Safely During Bike Week and Beyond

Bike Week in New Hampshire is a boon to the local economy and gives hundreds of bikers the opportunity to get together and celebrate their lifestyle.

The week also gives both bikers and drivers a chance to review basic safe driving tips.  Sharing the road with biker's means giving the road your full attention at all times.  The American Motorcycle Association offers the following tips for drives and riders:

Rules for riders:

• Get trained and licensed
• Wear protective gear
• Ride unimpaired
• Ride within your limits
• Be a lifelong learner

Rules for drivers:

• Look out for motorcyclists
• Don't be distracted
• Give two-wheelers some room
• Use your turn signals
• Keep it in the car

It doesn't matter if you crave the wind in your face or love the comfort of your car; there are ways to keep you and others safe.  Sharing the road is important not only during Bike Week but every time you start your vehicle.

If you have been injured in an accident please contact your New Hampshire personal injury attorney at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation.

Working to Combat Motorcycle Accidents | New Hampshire Accident Lawyer

New Hampshire is one of many states that have chosen to embrace the idea of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  The American Motorcycle Association is helping run the campaign that focuses on bringing the number of motorcycle accidents and deaths down. 

The question is: Are you doing everything as a motorist or biker to keep yourself and those around you safe?  If you are a driver the most important rule to remember is not to become distracted while driving.  From cell phone use to personal grooming routines distractions in the car are a growing problem.  As motorcyclists are more vulnerable as the travel down the road distracted drivers are a real threat to their safety.

If you are a driver or a cyclist please follow this link to ensure that you are following the five rules for cyclists and drivers.  Please help keep yourself and others safe and accident free this summer.

If despite your diligence toward driving and riding safely you are injured in an accident please contact your New Hampshire personal injury lawyer at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation.

Robin Curtiss Settles Automobile Accident Case for $50,000

Colety Case Settles for $50,000

Denise Colety drove to work Wednesday, March 15, 2006 when another vehicle slid out of control on the snowy roads and into Denise’s lane colliding with her and totaling her car. She bit through her lip and later vomited blood. Her left knee hurt. Her left shoulder was swollen and ached as a result of her collision with the dash board. Mrs. Colety had never been in an automobile accident before. She was in tears, afraid to drive again.

 As a grandmother, Denise enjoyed spending time with her grand children and gardening. As a result of her injuries, she no longer was able to so this at the level she had before the crash. Mrs. Colety had racked up some medical bills as well, over $15,000 to be more specific.  She contacted Van Dorn & Curtiss attorneys who, for over thirty years have specialized in helping accident victims get back to normal.  

The two parties agreed to have a mediator help settle the case in Portsmouth on May 19, 2009 before going to a trial. At first, the insurance adjuster didn’t show up, usually a sign that the case will not settle that day. Rob went ballistic arguing that his presentation would be more effective if seen in person. He took the adjuster’s absence as sign that Geico, the defendant’s insurance carrier did not intend to settle the case that day.

 Withour mediator, William H. Mulvey, Jr., Rob began to argue for the strength of Denise’s case in terms of liability. By the time Rob had finished the defense attorney had apologized to Rob for not telling him that there would be no adjuster present and never really matched Rob’s skill level. Bids were exchanged back and forth between the two parties as Rob continued to show no aversion of taking this case in front of a jury. Just two and a half hours later the Coletys accepted Geico’s offer of $50,000 and by five o’clock in the afternoon were seen strolling through the streets of Portsmouth on their way to a celebratory dinner. Mr. Mulvey stated “another attorney would have settled this case for $25,000.” But with the hard working team at Van Dorn and Curtiss, the Colety’s got what they deserved.

Distracted Drivers a Real Threat | New Hampshire Accident Attorney

A recent accident involving a cyclist in Vermont has been blamed on a distracted driver.  At the time of the accident the driver was using her GPS to look for a place to eat.  Though GPS, hands-free cell phones and other new gadgets promise to help lower driver distraction they can sometimes cause it. 

Studies show that even using a hands-free cell phone can lead to driver distraction.  As your mind focuses on the call your ability to pay full attention to the road is diminished.   During the accident discussed above, the driver was looking down at her electronic map instead of focusing on the road ahead of her.

Distracted drivers are everywhere and I am sure that at some point you have looked away from the road to attend to other matters.  In that moment we do not realize the seriousness of the indiscretion.  In the blink of an eye a distracted driver can lose control of their vehicle, injuring and even killing a fellow motorist, pedestrian or cyclist.

If you have been injured in a car accident you deserve a New Hampshire attorney who's winning record speaks for itself.  Please contact a lawyer at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation

UVM Pays $325,000 in Fatal Vermont Car Crash

Back in November, 2001 three IBM employees were on their way to work in Essex Junction, Vermont when Theodore Pecor, age 25, veered into their lane of travel on Route 15. Lyman Dezotell Jr., 44, of Derby Line, Dean Fountain, 69, of Newport, and Kevin Baker, 44, of Coventry, all died in the crash.   Although, at first, this may seem like a typical car accident based on the negligence of Theodore. Pecor, it wasn’t. Theodore Pecor was a college student who had been participating in a study at the University of Vermont.  The purpose of the study was to determine ways to help drug addicts overcome opiate additions through medication other than methadone.  Therefore, as part of the study, Pecor was given buprenorphine, two hours prior to the crash.  It was determined that Pecor fell asleep at the wheel due to the sedative effects of the drug.  The families of the victims claim that the researchers didn’t war Pecor about the sedative effects of buprenorphine.  Although UVM had denied any liability thus far, Baker's widow, Ann Baker, won an $800,000 settlement last December and UVM agreed to pay $325,000 this past week.  UVM was quoted as saying the settlements were "essentially a business decision based on the high costs of litigating cases of this nature and the prospect of even more significant costs associated with such cases going to trial."  If you are wondering what happened to Pecor, he pleaded no contest to grossly negligent operation with death resulting and was sentenced to three to 15 years in prison.

Van Dorn & Curtiss frequently represents families of car accident victims. If you would like to find out more about these types of accidents, injuries, insurance claims, etc. visit our wrongful death and automobile accidents pages of our website.  If you have been in an accident and are not sure what steps you should take to protect your rights, visit our Auto Accident Checklist For Negligence Claims for more information.

To see the full article published by the Associated Press, click here.