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Last Saturday, October 17, 2009, around 11:00 a.m., there was a car collision between private owned-car and an activity bus carrying members of the Washington High School volleyball team from a game in South Central. The accident happened on Mills Road just off of Highway 43 in Pitt County, NC. According to reports, no one on the bus was hurt, or injured.

Those that witnessed the crash reported that the person in the car looked to be injured and the vehicle was in very bad shape. Details as to who caused the accident are not entirely clear as of this writing. According to witnesses, the bus should not have been drivable due to the fender that was pushed into the tire.

Traffic accidents happen 24 hours a day every day of the week. It results in the deaths of an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and the number of injuries are about forty times that number with many of these accidents are caused by irresponsible driving such as driving under influence and speeding over the maximum limit. It puts innocent lives in grave danger. It is every driver’s responsibility to keep, not just his own, but his passenger’s safety as well. It is always of utmost importance to use safety precautions like seat belts, air bags. And it should be SOP to have pre-trip inspections.

The National Safety Council gives us some of the pre-trip tips to avoid these accidents: Be sure tires (including the spare) are properly inflated. Watch out for uneven tread wear and follow your owner’s manual for proper tire rotation frequency. Take your car to an ASE-certified technician to have tires rotated and balanced. Test brake lights, headlights and turn signals to make sure they work properly. Change any weak bulbs. Replace worn wiper blades. Check fluid levels under the hood, including battery fluid, brake fluid, coolant, oil, transmission fluid and windshield wiper fluid. Check belts and hoses for any visible cracks or bulges. If belts and hoses are over 4 years old, take your car to a certified technician and have them replaced.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous wrongful death cases and we understand the difficult circumstances which accompany these types of cases. That’s why you need an experienced attorney to help you through the legal process. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

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