Las Cruces Legal Blog

There are many different reasons why drivers accidentally cause motor vehicle wrecks. Some may be careless, such as those who use their smartphone on the road. Other drivers cause accidents because they are intoxicated after drinking or using drugs. Even people who think of themselves as responsible drivers may find themselves in a position where they are driving dangerously, including those who are running late for work or an important appointment. If you ever find yourself short on time, be careful and avoid speeding or any other type of dangerous driving.

Whether an employee slept in and is worried about making it to work on time or someone fears that they will miss a very important meeting with a client, running late can be incredibly stressful. An accident can not only derail the meeting or work day but a driver's entire life. It is crucial to be mindful of the dangers that may come with rushing on the road, such as going over the speed limit, failing to stop at a sign or red light or switching lanes abruptly, among other examples of dangerous driving.  Some drivers who are running late are distracted, especially if they make calls or send texts to explain their delay.

As a person ages and recognizes the need to ask other people for help, he or she is met with the difficulties of allowing other people to intervene and help manage personal needs. Often, a healthy relationship between a vulnerable elderly person and his or her caretaker, is developed over time and with open lines of communication. However, there are plenty of elderly people in New Mexico who for one reason or another, may be the victim of elder abuse. 

Elder abuse can take on a variety of forms including sexual, financial, mental and emotional, and physical. Families who wish to protect their loved ones and mitigate questionable behavior before it creates a danger for their loved ones, should become educated on the signs and symptoms that indicate that their loved ones may be mistreated by their caregiver. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, risk factors that may put an elderly person in a more vulnerable position to be abused include gender, race, his or her personality characteristics and the nature of the relationship he or she has with the person who has been designated as the caregiver. Research suggests that screening potential caregivers may be a viable way to reduce the risk of abuse occurring by uncovering questionable behavior in the person's past. 

Drivers in New Mexico who are involved in car accidents know that injuries and physical damage to the vehicles are just some of the consequences. Many accidents also result in non-physical effects such as emotional distress and post-traumatic stress. These can be short-term outcomes, but they can also last a long time, resulting in physical pain and debilitating mental issues.

According to Familydoctor.org, post-traumatic stress is common after the majority of car accidents. Feelings like guilt, worry, uneasiness and even anger can go away after a little while, but for some people they get stronger and begin to negatively affect normal life. Help should be sought in the following situations:

• Sleeping and eating are affected
• Reliance on drugs or alcohol to cope
• Excessive irritability or anger
• Feelings of anxiety or depression that do not subside, or get worse
• Thoughts of suicide

Motorcycle riders in New Mexico are at higher risk of getting in accidents, and they also suffer more serious injuries than other drivers. While motorcyclists are often at fault, drivers of other vehicles are the cause of more crashes. Both motorcycle riders and drivers need to practice certain safety protocols in order to keep everyone safe on the road.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclist fatalities happen way more frequently than deaths of other drivers. While the causes are often related to the other motor vehicle operators, alcohol use by motorcyclists was involved 43% of the time. While not riding after drinking is an obvious answer to the problem, other causes of fatalities are related to the lack of helmet use and visibility issues such as not wearing bright colors.