Death and Dying


For the thousands of people who have opted to take to the streets in their motorcycles in an attempt to beat high gas prices, there’s a sobering statistic about motorcycle accidents that might make them think twice. According to the California Highway Patrol, motorcycle accident deaths in the state are on their way to rivaling a record set back in 1991. That was the last year that motorcyclists were allowed to ride without helmets. The death count in motorcycle accidents that year was 512. This year, the tally so far is 332, and counting. That number is also close to reaching last year’s total number of motorcycle accident fatalities, 474.

These numbers are alarming enough, but the total number of deaths in California may actually be higher than that because these statistics don’t include motorcycle accident deaths that occur on city streets. When all those numbers are considered together, we could be seeing a number that’s higher than the total number of deaths in 1991.

With more motorcyclists and motorists on California’s roads, it’s becoming increasingly evident that there are deficiencies in the system. There are way too many motorcycle accident fatalities, even with the law requiring helmets, as well as the awareness programs that the CHP sometimes conducts to bring about greater harmony between motorists and motorcyclists.

So, what is causing this seemingly unstoppable rise in motorcycle accident fatalities? California Highway Patrol officials have a number of theories about the reasons for this alarming rise. For one, there are more motorcyclists on the roads than before. The golden state has always been the perfect place to ride around, and with rising gas prices, many Californians have found it easier and cheaper to ride around on their motorcycles.

Besides, there’s the age of the riders themselves. Motorcycle riders tend to fall broadly into two groups - The older ones who are finding that their reflexes are not as sharp, and that modern machines are not like the meek bikes of yesteryear, and the younger riders who simply don’t have sufficient training to handle these loaded machines. After all, the licensing system tends to be an easy one to maneuver. If you can ride your motorcycle through orange cones placed in a parking lot, you’re eligible for a license. It means that there are simply too many motorcyclists on California’s highways who just don’t have the skills necessary to handle busy traffic, inattentive motorists, road rage and other challenges on the road.

The temptation posed by more powerful machines has also led to an increase in motorcycle accident fatalities. Statistics show that when riders trade in their older model for a more powerful bike, they are as much as 70 times more likely to be involved in a motorcycle accident, than those who stick to their old motorcycles.

It’s clear that a combination of factors is at play in the kind of increase in accident-related fatalities that we are seeing now. The CHP is doing its part to increase awareness about the dangers posed to motorcyclists on the roads. This summer it held a safety drive aimed exclusively at motorcyclists, which was very successful. But it’s obvious more needs to be done if we are to see a drop in these motorcycle accident-related death statistics.

The Reeves Law Group, a California Law Firm. We are dedicated California Accident Lawyers & Injury Attorneys. Need a California Car Injury Lawyer, Auto Accident Attorney, or a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, Injury Attorney? Free consultation - (800) 644-8000

A Rancho Cordova cop has been killed in yet another motorcycle accident involving an older motorist. The accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the officer, Deputy Lawrence Canfield, was trying to overtake a suspected speeding driver on his motorcycle. According to officer.com, a car driven by a 79-year-old man took a turn right in front of the motorcycle, slamming against it, throwing Canfield off. The officer suffered severe injuries, and was helped by several passersby until medical help arrived. He died later at the hospital.

Police are investigating the cause of the motorcycle accident, and whether traffic violations played any part. The accident occurred in a school zone, and both schools in the area were just closing for the day. It’s clear that Deputy Canfield died in a heroic enactment of duty, trying to keep the streets free of speeding drivers. We extend our sincere sympathies to his wife and two young children. Canfield has been remembered by his peers as a jovial, fun-loving guy who will be sorely missed.

Just yesterday we carried a story on our Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer blog involving Henry Eaton, the young man who was severely injured in a motorcycle accident that also included an elderly motorist. There too, the driver seems to have made a turn right in front of the motorcycle, throwing the rider off. There are several reasons why the elderly may be more prone to accidents as they get older, and defining a set driving policy for elderly drivers should be a priority. So far, there has been no indication that there were traffic violations in the Rancho Cordova accident, although it’s too early to confirm. There also doesn’t seem to have been any criminal intent on the part of the motorist.

Fingers are also being pointed at the road in question. Apparently, there had been another similar accident in the area about three years ago, in which an officer on his motorcycle was thrown off his bike when a car slammed into him. He spent the next two months in the hospital, recovering from his injuries. That accident took place just about 50 feet from the site of the accident that killed Deputy Canfield on Wednesday. According to Sheriff John McGuiness, it might be prudent to conduct a complete safety investigation of the road to determine if there were construction and design flaws that could be causing an increase in fatal and near-fatal car accidents on that stretch. Besides the previous accident, there seem to have been many more pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents on that stretch of road. A study conducted by engineers would be able to pinpoint any flaw in the dangerous road that may have escaped the attention of the authorities until now. Any failings could be corrected, helping avoid more auto accidents in the area.

The Reeves Law Group, a California Law Firm. We are dedicated California Accident Lawyers & Injury Attorneys. Need a California Car Injury Lawyer, Auto Accident Attorney, or a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, Injury Attorney? Free consultation - (800) 644-8000

In Western Europe and most western countries the funeral ritual begins with the washing of the corpse, and the dressing of the body in the clothing suitable for burial. It is far less common now to have the body embalmed, changes in fashion and technical advances in the design and building of coffins as made embalming less popular.

The next step is usually to approach a funeral director to begin the process of deciding on the type of funeral that will be required; this is nearly always designed to be a ritualized ceremony in memory of the deceased. This may take the form of a funeral service in a church or chapel or in a secular form as a celebration of the life of the deceased.

This will include many items such as selecting the type of coffin, or number of cars required to carry the mourners to burial site. There will also need to be arrangements made with the church or other location for the selection of music and prayers.

Very often these days especially when the deceased is a younger person far less traditional music is played during the ceremony. Often music may be something very close and dear to the deceased and may include music that not very long ago would have been considered completely inappropriate for a funeral setting. But times have changed and it is now seen more important to comfort the bereaved rather than to emphasis tradition.

The same is true of items such as hymns and prayers, these should be selected for the benefit of the mourners not for the sake of tradition. It is not unusual at even church services for funerals to take place without either hymns or prayers. But of course these selections must be whatever the loved ones left behind feel is most appropriate for that funeral.

The actual details of funeral will also depend on the religious affiliations of the deceased and bereaved. There are slight differences from one Western religion to another but the basis of the process is always to help deal with grieving. As part of this grief process it is necessary for the bereaved to witness the burial, or perhaps the cremation of the body as a way of helping to accept that the loved one has died.

The whole formal ritual process of burial has developed along similar lines in many cultures across the globe independently of each other. The reason for this is that psychologically human beings need to witness a final act in order to help the ones left behind realize and appreciate that the death is real and that the burial or cremation clear indication that deceased life has ended.

The burial is also a way of immortalizing the deceased by marking the place where their body lies. Also it makes a focal point for loved ones to visit so that they may console themselves and perhaps even talk to the deceased to bring themselves comfort. It is a place where those left behind can come to visit on special occasions such as the anniversary of a person’s death or birthday.

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Cremation is a process where a human body is burnt until the corpse becomes its basic carbon components in the form of ash. In Western countries, this process is carried out in a crematorium, the burial or the scattering of remains is usually performed with the use of a capsule or urn.

The burning of the body of a deceased is known in many cultures around the world The ashes of the deceased were either scattered or stored, the ashes were kept in special containers but also in a vase or jug.

The urn as we know it arrived in the middle bronze age, from 1250 to 750 BC. The ashes from the fire of a cremation were known to have been collected in the Neolithic period. Urn burials took place during the Iron Age and were sometimes marked by stone monuments resembling modern headstones.

In the Christian world cremation was rejected for many centuries, the reason is in a narrow, literal understanding of the resurrection of Jesus and any dead person wanting to move on to the next world they needed a body to inhabit.

By the 1800s problems with hygiene and new scientific concepts of spread of disease and sickness combined with a lack of available land in major European cities slowly produced a demand for an alternative way of disposing of loved ones remains.

Doctors decreed that cremation was far more hygienic and best suited to modern living conditions are slowly but surely the practice of cremation rather than burial began to take hold.

It 1886 the Roman Catholic Church condemned the practice as barbaric so cremation spread only in non-catholic Christian countries. It was not until 1964 that the Catholic Church finally lifted its ban on its members being cremated.

For Hindus, cremation is in an open form the common burial method. In Japan the corpse burns at lower temperatures than in Europe. The tradition began in the year 700 with the combustion of the monk Dosho, followed by the Jito-tenno the year 703 and the Emperor Mommu-tenno the year was 707.

Modern cremation in many European countries is now the premier method of interning loved ones.

The rate of cremations is growing across Europe at the rate of approximately 1% each year. Below are the percentage of people who are created in each country each year, the figures are for 1997 the latest year for which figures are available.
* Britain: 70 percent
* Denmark: 65 percent
* Sweden: 60 percent
* Switzerland: 55 percent
* Netherlands: 47.8 percent
* Belgium: 29.5 percent

It is notable that staunchly Catholic countries such as Spain and Italy still have very limited numbers of cremations. In many countries a separate authorization is required to allow the body to be cremated rather than buried. This is due to the fact that once cremated even with modern technology it is impossible to discover if there has been foul play.

In particular, if there is a doubt about the identity of the dead or the cause of death, since a retrospective examination of the corpse exhumation after combustion is no longer possible, authorities wish to be as sure as possible that there are no complications that may arise after cremation.

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Cremation is an increasingly popular option in funeral planning today, but few people understand the actual process of cremation and what it entails. If you are considering cremation for yourself or a loved one, you undoubtedly want to learn about the process. It may seem morbid to research this information; it is, however, only a part of a simple and dignified process. But whom do you ask? Fortunately, there are caring cremation providers willing to explain the process in detail.

All you need to do is find the right site for you area online, a site that handles a full range of cremation services, and they explain the process of cremation in detail. Cremation websites are full of information that can save you lots of time and money, and they are extremely easy to use. Once a death has occurred, a death certificate must be issued before cremation can take place.

If desired, the deceased can be cremated in special clothing, such as a wedding gown or military dress. At the crematory, the deceased is placed in a combustible alternative container. This one container will house the body during refrigeration and cremation. The combustible alternative container is placed into the cremation chamber. After cremation, the body is further processed by pulverization. The ashes are then placed in a container of the familys choosing. If the ashes are to be spread, then a temporary container could be used. If the ashes are to be kept by the family in memoriam, they may be placed in an urn or even in keepsake jewelry. A combination of the two choices may be used some of the ashes may be spread at a favorite location of the deceased, while the rest of the ashes are kept in a special urn or memorial item.

For individuals or families wishing to honor their loved ones, cremation is a way to do so with simplicity and dignity. Cremation allows for flexibility in services and a wider range of memorial options. Although funeral planning is something people often dread, cremation is an increasingly popular option to consider. The amounts of cremations are increasing in the United States. We dont know if it is due to the change to be more environmentally friendly, or if it is due to the fact that cremation is so much cheaper than a traditional funeral service. But, we do know one thing and that is that cremation has become the leading alternative to a traditional funeral service.

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