Diagnosing Errors

If you were involved in a Kansas City, Missouri car accident today due to someone else’s negligence, do you know what benefits YOUR OWN auto insurance provides? What if the negligent driver only has $25,000 in coverage and your bills alone are $50,000? Will your insurance company pay the difference? You might need a Kansas City car accident attorney . See: http://www.castlelaw-kc.com In Missouri, you can purchase optional coverage known as underinsured motorist coverage (also known as UIM) and insurance agents do not always go out of their way to tell you about this coverage because it typically costs very little for that extra protection.

What is UIM coverage?
UIM coverage protects you in the event that a negligent driver is underinsured, meaning your injuries and damages exceed that driver’s policy limits. The state of Missouri only requires that drivers carry minimum policy limits of $25,000. That may be fine in your average fender bender but $25,000 is typically not enough if you are seriously injured. Following a four day hospitalization as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash, you could incur upwards of $50,000 or more in initial medical expenses, not including the ongoing treatment you will likely need such as physical therapy and/or surgery.
How much UIM coverage do you need?

In order for UIM coverage to apply, you have to have more coverage than the other driver. If you only have $25,000 policy limits, the minimum required insurance, UIM coverage will not provide any additional coverage or benefit to you because UIM pays the difference and if both parties have the same amount of coverage, there is no difference to pay. In other words, if the other driver has $25,000 in coverage, and you have $100,000 in underinsured motorist coverage, your insurance will pay up to $75,000 for a total of $100,000. So you need to purchase at least $50,000 policy limits with the same amount for underinsured motorist coverage. We typically recommend that you purchase $100,000 in policy limits with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, though. The additional cost of that extra security is minimal, especially when compared to the cost of a devastating car accident with significant bills and not enough money to pay the providers who will go after you for payment, not the negligent driver.

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Law Offices of Mickey Fine
1801 Oak Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 369-7735 (310) 546-8156 (Fax) ?

A recent report by a federal agency reveals a promising trend: Car accident fatalities declined in 2011 for the sixth consecutive year. Last year’s number of highway deaths was the lowest since 1949.

A drop in the number of car accident deaths is certainly welcome news. Bakersfield personal injury lawyer Mickey Fine has represented people seriously injured in car accidents. At the Law Offices of Mickey Fine, we have seen how devastating a serious injury can be for the individual who was hurt and his or her family.

The recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration includes preliminary projections showing that 32,310 people died in car accidents last year, a decrease of 375 deaths from the prior year. In 2005, there were 43,510 highway deaths, according to the NHTSA.

The reasons behind the reduction include high seat belt use, safer cars and safer roads, according to Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association who was quoted in the Washington Post. He also cited continued high gas prices and high unemployment as factors in the steady slide in car accident fatalities.

He said the Association also suspects that people, including inexperienced teenage drivers, are not taking as many optional trips. And the increased use of cameras to catch speeders and drivers running red lights has been considered a factor for reducing accidents.

The federal agency is still awaiting state data to calculate final numbers for 2011. In 2010, the death count increased by 97 when the revised tally was released in December of last year, according to the Washington Post.

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Working in a hotel can be a challenging job, as staffers scramble to keep guests happy. Hotel work has its rewards for those who like to stay busy on the job and meet individuals from all walks of life.

The hotel industry, however, can pose serious risks for workers. Hotel workers actually have an injury rate 25 percent higher than all service workers, according to studies. And while some hotels may appear glamorous to visitors, the work can be gritty. If you or someone you know was injured at a hotel, talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer. Most on-the-job injury attorneys provide free consultations. See: Workers Compensation Attorneys

Housekeepers experience the most on-the-job hotel injuries, according to a study published recently in The American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

Most housekeepers are women, and research shows they are 50 percent more likely to be injured than men who work at hotels. Researchers even found that Latina women are twice as likely to be injured compared to white women working as housekeepers.

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West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio scored five or lower on a set of 10 key indicators of steps states can take to prevent injuries, according to new report examining injury deaths in the United States.

The report released by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines what states do in terms of injury prevention. This includes policies on seatbelt use, bike helmets and drunk driving.

At Recht Law Offices, our personal injury attorneys Pennsylvania closely follow injury trends to assist in representing clients. The accident attorney West Virginia aggressively represent people injured due to negligence. We have seen first hand the devastating impact of serious injuries and deaths as a result of the reckless actions of individuals and businesses. Accidental injury is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the new injury report, West Virginia and Pennsylvania received a 5 out of 10 score on a list of injury prevention policies. Ohio ranked last in the nation with a score of two out of 10.

Researchers found that Ohio has an annual accidental injury-death rate of 55.9 per 100,000 people; West Virginia’s rate is 88.2; Pennsylvania’s rate is 59.4. The national average is 57.9 deaths due to injury per 100,000 people.

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Massachusetts has the third lowest rate of injury death in the country, according to a new study. A new report titled “The Facts Hurt: A State-By-State Injury Prevention Policy Report” examines key indicators of steps states can take to prevent injuries. See Boston MA Personal Injury Attorneys Injuries may be linked to Massachusetts car accidents or motorcycle crashes in Massachusetts.

The report, released by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), concludes that millions of injuries could be prevented each year if more states took action such as adopting additional research-based injury prevention policies. The report also recommends fully implementing and enforcing programs.

While the average score for states is 5 out of 10, Massachusetts received a 7 out of 10 score (with zero being the lowest and 10 being the highest possible score). Only New York and New Jersey have lower injury death rates in the nation.

Injury prevention strategies include requiring bicycle helmets for all children and helmets for all bicycle riders. Some states require mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers. Seat belt laws also are recommended for injury prevention.

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As an Albuquerque NM Auto accident lawyer, Whitney Buchanan understands the traumatic impact of car accidents. A serious car wreck in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho or elsewhere in New Mexico can lead to severe injuries and even death. Attorney Buchanan has represented families and individuals who were harmed through no fault of their own.

A recent report about a decline in the number of car accident fatalities is welcome news for us at the Law Offices of Whitney Buchanan, P.C. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011 experienced the lowest number of deaths on roadways since 1949. The NHTSA reported that 32,310 people died in road accidents in 2011, a drop of 375 deaths from 2010.

According to a news report in The Washington Post, 2011 was the sixth consecutive year of decline since 2005, when there were 43,510 deaths. The reasons for the decline in car accident deaths range from high seat belt use and safer cars to safer roads, according to an official from the Governors Highway Safety Association who was quoted in the Post article.

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After a slip and fall or trip and fall accident, you may feel you have nowhere to turn. You may be confused, frustrated, in pain and wondering who is going to pay your medical bills. You probably have questions such as, “Is it really my fault?” An experienced Kansas City slip and fall accident attorney can help determine whether the store owner was negligent and whether you have a good case. There are a number of issues that have to be considered when evaluating a potential slip and fall claim, such as was the property maintained properly, was there a dangerous condition, did the property owner owe you a duty, were you injured, and more.

Following a slip and fall at a store, you should be sure to:

• Get contact information for any and all witnesses;
• Request an ambulance if needed;
• Seek immediate medical treatment;
• Ask the store owner for their insurance information;
• If your phone has video, take video of the entire area where you fell. This can be very helpful because if no warning sign was out, the video can show that if taken full circle of the entire area. If your phone does not have video capability, take pictures of the location where you fell, especially if there is water or some other substance on the floor;
• File an incident report with the store and ask for a copy; and
• Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company and do not sign any authorizations or releases before talking to an attorney.

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There are several reasons hiring a Kansas City auto accident attorney can be beneficial to you. Here are ten.

1.The insurance company has someone experienced on their side and so should you.
2.A Missouri or Kansas personal injury lawyer can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your claim.
3.An experienced Kansas City car accident lawyer will conduct an investigation, including taking photos of the scene and the property damage and interviewing witnesses.
4.A personal injury attorney will protect your claim and your rights by ensuring your claim is brought in the appropriate time so as not to be barred by the statute of limitations.
5.You will not have to deal with the insurance company – we know the games they play and the arguments they will make, and we can protect you from those.
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Legislation recently introduced by several Michigan Senators has outraged parents of children who are alleged to have been injured by Dearborn neurologist, Dr. Yasser Awaad. Mothers, fathers and attorneys alike are worried that the bill will make it easy for doctors to get away with medical malpractice injuries, as it limits physician liability for damages. Any parent with a child injured by medical malpractice-whether birth injuries, failure to diagnose and properly treat medical emergencies, surgical mistakes or errors with medication or treatment-trusts that the law will protect their ability to seek compensation. However, there are many reasons a parent may have to file a Michigan medical malpractice lawsuit.

In the case of Dr. Awaad, hundreds of parents have accused him of misdiagnosing their children with a serious medical condition, epilepsy, and prescribing dangerous medications. A WXYZ Action News story interviewed some of the parents who believe that Dr. Awaad made an incorrect medical diagnosis and mistakenly gave their child dangerous drugs.

For Detroit, Michigan personal injury lawyers, Goodman Acker, medical malpractice cases in Michigan require constant awareness of any new laws pertaining to doctor negligence and injured medical patients. They know that the rights of kids injured by Doctor Awaad could be jeopardized if this medical malpractice legislation passes.

According to the WXYZ report, Marie Woolen is one of many parents who believe the heavy medication their kids were prescribed caused physical and psychological damage. “It’s been devastating,” said Woolen of her son’s situation. “My hopes and dreams have been shattered. He can’t be a doctor, he can’t be a lawyer.his memory is completely distorted.”

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Seat belts save lives. It’s not just an empty slogan. The Missouri Department of Transportation has startling facts about the link between fatalities and the failure to wear seat belts: Seven out of 10 Missourians killed in traffic crashes in 2011 were unbuckled, and three out of four teens killed in 2011 traffic crashes were not wearing a seat belt. Only 67 percent of Missouri teens (13-19) wear seat belts.

As Missourians killed in traffic crashes in 2011 , we have seen the devastating effects caused by not wearing a seat belt. The proper use of seat belts reduces the risk of serious injuries and even death. In Missouri, 79 percent of the citizens wear seat belts, but the state’s seat belt usage rage is well below the national average of 85 percent.

The Missouri Highway Patrol, Department of Transportation and local law enforcement are cracking down on wearing seatbelts from May 21 – June 3 with their “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

While it’s frustrating to be handed a fine for not being buckled up, the risks of not wearing a seat belt are just too great to ignore the law. In 2011, 784 Missourians were killed in traffic crashes. If everyone were buckled up, the number of deaths likely would be lower.

As of May 6, 2012, there were 255 traffic fatalities in Missouri, an increase of 22 percent when compared to roughly the same time period in 2011 (208 fatalities).

The good news is that Missouri car accident deaths have dropped 37.6 percent since 2005. But Missouri traffic fatality statistics reveal much work is needed to drive the numbers down even further.

In Missouri, 30 percent of traffic deaths involve an impaired driver. The leading causes of car accidents include speeding, driving under the influence and inattention.

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