Did you know that training manuals for some insurance companies include information on how to convince clients that they do not need a lawyer to help settle their claim? In reality, those who hire an attorney receive 2-3 times more money than those who do not.
Many people believe that whiplash is just an exaggerated injury responsible for overblown insurance claims. In fact, an exhaustive survey in a major medical journal found that 25% of whiplash victims have permanent injuries and 10% have chronic, long-term pain.
Although we have made great gains in preventing injury in general with improved safety equipment in our motor vehicles, neck and back injuries continue to increase.
Many of these injuries are caused by of improper head rest placement.
Your head rest is actually a safety restraint intended to keep your neck from snapping too far backward in an accident.
Each time you get into the driver's seat, check to see that your head rest is in the proper position to stop your head in the case of a quick stop.
Did you know that automobiles are much safer in low-speed rear-end crashes than SUVs and light trucks? This is because SUV and light-truck bumpers are rigid to minimize damage to the vehicle-and allow the full force of the collision to transfer through the vehicle directly to the occupants.
Over 1/2 of all motorcycle accidents do not involve any other vehicle. Speed, inexperience, and lack of attention are the main causes of single-cyclist accidents. In a recent year, 57% of motorcycle accidents involved alcohol. Only 3 of the 40 bikers who died were wearing helmets.
Children 4 and over are the worst passengers when it comes to complying with seatbelt laws because they are too big for infant seats but too small for seat belts. Don't let your child be seriously injured because he or she was not properly restrained by a seat belt. The solution is to get an inexpensive booster seat that will raise your child to the proper height for a seat belt.
It is extremely important to always use a seatbelt-even in a car with an airbag. In a survey of accidents involving vehicles with airbags and passengers who were using seat belts, 48% sustained no injuries. In accidents where the vehicle had an airbag but passengers did not use seat belts, only 29% sustained no injury.
Although you carefully choose the very best day care provider for your children, injuries can still happen. Did you know that injuries to children in a day-care setting are not covered under the standard homeowners' insurance policy your day care provider may have? Before you place your children in home-based day care, ask to see their special day care liability policy.
Did you know it takes a driver at least 1-1/2 seconds to react? At 45 miles per hour, that translates to traveling 48 feet before you even begin to brake. In Minnesota, the law requires motorists to pay attention, reduce speed, and honk the horn if necessary if you see an incapacitated person or child on roadway.
More than 1/3 of car-pedestrian accidents happen when car is going straight.
Of course, motorists must yield crosswalk for pedestrian. When a car has stopped at an intersection for a pedestrian, no other driver may overtake and pass that car.
This is especially important in a city with lots of construction and blocked roadways.
On congested highways, one of the major causes of accidents is vehicles traveling at different speeds in same direction. Frequent lane changes cause accidents. Slower drivers should remain in the right lane. Common courtesy is contagious!
Don't let your child be one of the 4.7 million people bitten by dogs every year, especially by unfixed male dogs. If your neighbor has an aggressive dog, ask them if they have considered having their dog fixed and find out what safety precautions they are taking. If they will not respond to your concerns, send them a certified letter outlining the problem and send a copy to animal control. You owe it to your children to minimize this risk.
Sometimes impatient truckers tailgate drivers in passing lanes in order to intimidate them into moving to the right lane. This is extremely dangerous because semi tractor-trailers require much more time than other vehicles to stop. If you are being "intimidation tailgated" by an 18-wheeler, pull over and call both the trucking company and the highway patrol.
With more and more people commuting through rural areas, we all need to be more aware of farm equipment on the road. Although most farmers try to pull over and signal their movements, it is important to realize that farm equipment is not designed for highways. Farm vehicles are often slower, their signals may not be as visible, and their tailgates may swing wide on turns.
Bicyclists: please consider that car drivers are looking out for other motor vehicles and might not see you! Driver inattention is the second largest cause of car-bike accidents.
Never assume a car driver will see you. Even eye contact is no guarantee of their attention.
Lawyers are rated by their peers for legal ability and general ethical standards and can be certified as specialists in certain areas by accredited agencies. Consider this:
In southeast Minnesota:
- 36 civil trial lawyers received an "A" rating from their peers
- 26 have been certified as civil trial specialists by the Minnesota State Bar Association
- 9 have been nationally certified as trial advocates by the National Board of Trial Advocates
Attorney Jim Suk has achieved all three!
Have you hurt someone in a car accident when you were drinking? Minnesota law allows punitive damages-fines intended to punish drunk drivers-to be levied against you. Your auto insurance will not cover punitive damages-they will come right out of your pocket. Before you drink and drive or let someone drive drunk, consider the consequences.
Are you a driver over 65? Consider this:
You may need to take special care at intersections. Studies have shown that crossing traffic can fail to register with drivers over 65 if their attention is diverted by traffic coming from other direction for even a short period of time. Know your limitations so you can keep yourself and others safe. Please take extra care.
Everyone knows that weather contributes to accidents. Did you know that nice weather conditions are more associated with serious injuries and fatalities than bad weather? In the summer months, more drivers are on the road and they drive faster. Accidents increase in winter, but serious injuries and fatalities rise during the summer months.
In a recent year, 70% all accidents occurred in urban areas but 71% of fatalities occurred in rural areas-usually on two-lane two-way highways. When coming to top of hill on gravel road, be sure to stay on your side of the road be prepared to take evasive action if another driver suddenly appears in your lane.
In a recent year, 2/3 of 245 people who died in alcohol-related accidents were the drunk drivers themselves. Most often, drunk drivers kill themselves, not others.
When driving in winter conditions, it can be terrifying when you are suddenly caught in a white out caused by a large vehicle sloughing off snow so you can't see 6" ahead.
Plan ahead on what you're going to do in a whiteout. Keep your distance, take your foot off accelerator, steer straight, and don't hit the brakes-especially if it is slippery or there is traffic behind you.
Most highway laws reflect common sense & courtesy. Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks - driving courtesy is contagious.
One of the most dangerous occupations in America is highway construction. Please be extra careful in construction zones-it's the law.
But it's not enough to reduce your speed. Watch for the worker who loses balance or attention and steps into traffic. Be as prepared to make an emergency stop in a construction zone as you would in a school zone.
Safe driving training starts the moment a child is old enough to observe a parent driving-children model their driving behavior on their parents'. I proved it at 16 by having to take my driver's test twice after picking up my dad's habit of rolling stops!
Rolling stops, blocking traffic in the left lane, speeding, not yielding to pedestrians-these are all learned behaviors you should choose not to teach.
Last year 130,000 children sustained brain injuries ranging from slight to tragic. 88% of these could have been prevented with a properly fitted helmet. Older kids are less likely to use helmets-because it's not cool.
Use of helmets requires parental supervision. Teach your kids to be safe.
Highway 52 between Saint Paul and Rochester looks like a freeway. People travel at 70-80 miles per hour.
However, multiple intersections and numerous crossovers mean it can't be driven like a freeway. Drive defensively.
Highway reconstruction has already been too late for far too many.
Most of us drive on two-lane highways only rarely, so the skills and courtesy necessary erode. Bad habits learned from highway driving, such as speeding up when being passed, closing the gap between vehicles too quickly when following a passing vehicle so it cannot get back in should an oncoming vehicle appear, or not reducing speed when seeing an oncoming vehicle can have deadly consequences in a passing situation.
According to a University of Michigan study, drugs and alcohol cause many fewer teen deaths than driving. For a sixteen year-old, adding a single teen passenger increases the risk of death by 39%. Having two teen passengers in the car increases the risk of death by 86%, and having three teen passengers creates a 100% increase in risk of a traffic fatality. These risks are even higher for 17 year-olds. Keep your kids safe-restrict the number of teen passengers they are allowed to have.
Teenage drivers are indeed the most dangerous. They account for only 8% of drivers but 15% of accidents. Reduce the chances your kid will be in an accident by restricting the number of passengers allowed, forbidding cell phones, and not allowing CD's to be changed by the driver.
One-third of all accidents involve only one driver. In a single-vehicle crash, speed is the most cited cause for younger drivers, while driver inattention or distraction most cited for older drivers.
Multitasking, such as using a cell phone, reading a map, changing a CD, or looking for an address could drive you straight into an accident.
Recently, the Federal Auto Safety Administration criticized some models of SUV's and pickups for their potential to roll over.
In the furor over this information, the main point of the study was missed. The size of these vehicles gives a false sense of security. Three-quarters of those killed in SUV and pickup accidents were thrown from the vehicle because they were not wearing seatbelts. Buckle up no matter what kind of vehicle.
Driver distraction causes 50% of all accidents, but cell phones are not the primary cause. Videotaped studies of drivers found 97% of drivers reaching behind the seat; 91% fiddling with the stereo; 71% eating or drinking; 45% grooming; 44% trying to control unruly kids; 40% reading or writing; while 30% using cell phones.
16 year-olds are four times more likely to be in a car wreck than at any other time in life. Most of their accidents are caused by inexperience and risk taking.
Install a "car chip" in your 1996 or newer car. This can record speed, acceleration, and hard braking for up to 75 driving hours. Then, you and your teen driver can know exactly how well the car is being driven.
School bus drivers must put on their yellow flashers 100-300 feet before they stop. If you pass the bus-in either direction-as the lights change to red, you are facing a criminal charge in addition, possibly, to a horrible preventable tragedy. When you see the yellow lights, immediately slow down and prepare to stop no closer than 20 feet from the bus.
Changing seasons means "springing forward" or "falling back" when you change clocks. Mark the dates to change the clock to also check your fire extinguisher batteries and the recharge date on your home fire extinguishers. Remember, they're no good if they don't work!
In warm weather, children are outside playing. If you see a child on the road, Minnesota law requires you to honk your horn and exercise caution. When driving in a neighborhood with kids or near a park or school, be observant, slow down, prepare to stop, and drive with your hand on the horn.
In recent news, many people have been injured when over-inflated tires on SUV's or light trucks blew out. What should you do if your tire blows out at highway speeds?
Surprisingly, the answer is to speed up-this can help you regain control. Hit the accelerator until you regain control, then ease up, find a break in traffic, and pull over safely to side of road. Contact the highway patrol or a tow truck and stay in your car until help arrives. Never exit your car into traffic.
Have you ever noticed how all four tires never seem to wear out at the same time? Should you put your new tires on the front or the rear? Does it matter whether you are driving a front- or rear-wheel drive car?
Put your new tires on the rear wheels. Worn front tires can cause some under-steering in a turn, but worn rear tires can cause a dangerous skid.
Is there a personal injury litigation crisis? There are 5 million citizens in Minnesota. Every year on Minnesota's highways alone, there are 40,000 injuries. Personal injury court filings equal only 1/5 of 1% of all Minnesota court filings. On average, there are only 369 personal injury trials each year in the entire state.
How much is a life worth?
- The EPA will spend $6.1 million to save one life from arsenic in drinking water.
- The US Department of Transportation will spend $3 million to save one life with road improvements.
- Even after deducting all life insurance and Workers' Compensation claims, the average 9/11 victim received $1.65 million.
The cost of a human life is incalculable-except to bureaucrats and insurance companies.
Should pain and suffering awards be capped?
- In 2003, malpractice premiums comprise only 1/2 of 1% of medical bills. (Source: 2003 Medical Malpractice Losses ranked by state)
- An average of only 21 malpractice cases are tried each year in Minnesota. (Source Supreme Court of MN 2000-2004 statewide statistics).
- In 2003, statewide malpractice verdicts and settlements totaled $27 million, while malpractice premiums totaled $54 million. (source 2003 A.M. Best State / Line Reports A2 and A3)
- The CEO of Minnetonka's United Health Group earned $94.2 million in 2003. (Source Minneapolis Star Tribune "CEO Pay Watch," Dec 2, 2004)
Drivers using cell phones in traffic jams have been shown to have reaction times similar to those of legally drunk drivers. They are 18% slower to react to brake lights and require 17% more time to regain traffic speed.
After a car wreck, the first thing a lawyer checks is whether alcohol was involved. The second is the driver's cell phone bill.
42,000 people die in car accidents on average nationwide each year. It is estimated that 2,600 of those deaths are due to cell phone distraction-and this estimate may be low because cell phone users may not even be aware they have caused an accident with serious injuries or fatalities.
Trucks have significant blind spots where cars can literally completely disappear from view. If you're passing a truck and can't see driver's face in rear-view mirror or window, he can't see you.
Also, to safely pass, you must be able to see the entire front of the truck in your rear-view mirror before you can safely reenter traffic in front of truck.
As SUVs, vans, trucks have become more popular, more children are killed because drivers-including parents-don't see them as they back up. This problem is especially acute for shorter drivers. For example, a 5'1" driver backing up a Dodge Grand Caravan has a 23' blind spot behind him. When backing up a Chevy Avalanche, he has a 51' blind spot!
Reduce your car's blind spots to reduce lane-change accidents.
- Lean your head against driver's side window and adjust left-side mirror so you see as little of left side of car as possible.
- Lean head to center of car and adjust right mirror so you see as little of right side of car as possible.
You should be able to see the car in your side mirror just as it leaves your rear view mirror.