Here is Part 2 of the CNN report on the auto insurance industry. With all of the major insurance companies constantly marketing how well they treat people, it is refreshing to see a media outlet report the truth regarding the manner in which most personal injury victims are really treated by insurance companies.
People who have been injured through the negligence of another should immediately contact a personal injury lawyer to protect their legal rights. We offer free legal consultations on all personal injury cases.
This is Part 1 of a CNN investigative report (courtesy of You Tube). It explains why personal injury victims need an effective and experienced personal injury attorney who is not afraid to take the case to trial if that is what it takes to maximize the recovery from the insurance company.
I offer free initial legal consultations on personal injury cases. If you have been injured, you should immediately contact a personal injury lawyer so that you will know what insurance coverage is in place to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, and you can take steps to protect your legal rights.
Millions of Americans suffer brain injuries each year and thousands are left permanently disabled. The disabilities can range from physical, to cognitive, behavioral, and/or emotional in nature.
There are two primary categories of brain injuries. Both can have permanent and devastating affects, and they can even lead to death.
When there is an external blow to the head, traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result. These injuries are sometimes also referred to as “closed head injuries.” A few of the common causes of TBIs are: auto accidents; explosions; defective product accidents; firearm accidents; premises liability accidents; and on-the-job accidents.
There are three levels of TBIs: mild, moderate, and severe. A mild traumatic brain injury is a brief loss of consciousness with little or no consequences. A moderate traumatic brain injury involves loss of consciousness that lasts from a few minutes to a few hours, with the resulting impairment of motor skills ranging from several weeks to permanent. A severe traumatic brain injury is characterized by an extended unconscious state or coma (this may range from days to years) and significant impairment.
When an injury to the brain occurs from a disruption in oxygen flow, it is referred to as an acquired brain injury (ABI). ABIs often result from: stroke; aneurysm; heart attack; blood clot; tumors; infectious disease; airway obstruction; crushing injuries to the chest; and meningitis. Additionally, reckless conduct on the part of another party, including medical malpractice and medical negligence, can cause ABIs. ABIs can affect reasoning skills and cognitive thought, may cause lapses in memory and reduced physical and mental abilities, and may impair significant body functions.
Rain, fog, sleet or snow can make driving conditions dangerous. And for drivers who share the road with tractor-trailers, bad weather conditions can be downright deadly.
According to a 2007 Large Truck Crash Causation Study released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, truckers who were driving too fast for road conditions were an associated factor in 23% of crashes.
Nevertheless, FMCSA regulations (49 C.F.R. § 392.14) require truck drivers to use “extreme caution” in hazardous conditions.In addition, many state commercial driver’s licenses require truck drivers to slow down by as much as a third during rain or other poor weather conditions.
Good cause existsts for mandating that semi drivers slow down in bad weather: It takes much longer to stop an 18-wheeler. Cars weigh an average of 3,500 pounds, while large commercial trucks (known as semis, eighteen wheelers, and tractor-trailers) can weigh up to 80,000 pounds with full loads. Drivers and passengers in cars can suffer severe injuries when they collide with large trucks because of that weight difference. In car-truck collisions, 98% of the fatalities were persons in a car.
The following is a list of suggestions regarding what you should do after a Texas auto or truck accident.
1. Call 911.
Call 911 immediately, whether or you feel it is necessary or not. They will alert the police and emergency personnel for you.
2. Gather information.
Make sure that you obtain the all of the information about the drivers involved in the car accident. Here is the information you will need: · Their name, address and home telephone phone number · Their employer’s name and a work phone · The make, model and year of his or her car · The name of the registered owner of the car · The other driver’s insurance company name, agent name and policy number · Note any statements the driver makes to you about the accident.
3. Find witnesses
As quickly as possible your should obtain the names, addresses and/or phone numbers from any witnesses to the car accident. Many times people will leave the scene once they understand that the police and ambulance have been called often without leaving their names or phone numbers. This could cause critical witness to be lost forever.
4. Do not take fault
It is important that you do not make any comments at the scene of the accident to other persons such as how the accident happened, the rates of speed or any other comments concerning the accident. Comments by you at the scene of the accident will always be used against you when your lawyer seeks to settle the accident case or at the trial of your car accident injury case.
5. Seek medical assistance
If you are not taken by ambulance to a hospital then make sure that you go to an emergency room for a physician to evaluate you immediately. Many people feel fine at the accident scene but develop serious pain and further injury later. Adrenaline caused by the accident can hide pain and the full extent of your injuries.
6. Do not give a recorded statement until contacting an attorney
Never give a telephone, written or recorded statement to any insurance company . Do not give a statement to any employees, representatives, investigators for any insurance company. To protect your rights you should discuss with a lawyer how to make a statement.
7. Seek counsel
Contact an attorney that handles these type of cases. It is true that car accident claims may be settled without attorney representation, but Texas law related to accident injuries is complex and can change. Insurance companies are experts and are aware of the rules, while most car accident victims are not. The insurance company does not and probably will not explain this to you. An attorney represents you by researching and analyzing the facts regarding your claim. Lawyers also prepare the legal documents, gather medical records, work with your health care providers and help negotiate a fair settlement.
If you have been involved in an auto accident in Plano, Frisco, Allen, or the surrounding areas, an experienced-local accident injury attorney can help you.
Our Accident Injury law firm offers free consultations on personal injury cases. If you or someone you know has been injured, you should contact a Collin County personal injury lawyer immediately so that you will know your rights and can determine what insurance coverage may be in place to cover damages. Call our Richardson-based office at (972) 231-5800 for more information.
According to a study published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons, the use of airbags combined with seatbelts considerably reduces injuries to the brain, face, spine and chest during motor vehicle collisions. As reported by the Washington Post, the study also shows that simultaneous airbag and seatbelt use leads to lower in-hospital death rates and injury severity.
Injury is the leading cause of death among persons age 45 and younger, and motor vehicle collisions are the most frequent cause of injury. The original airbag, which became widely available in the 1980s, was associated with injury and death, particularly in young children and smaller drivers. In response to evidence showing that the original airbags increased the risk of injury due to deployment at a high velocity, depowered, or second-generation airbags were mandated in all U.S. automobiles in 1998. This groundbreaking study is the first to evaluate the potential impact of the use of airbags on a Level 1 trauma center.
The most important statistic reflected in the study was that the in-hospital death rate was considerably higher for unrestrained patients (6.8 percent), compared with 4.6 percent among airbag-only patients, 3.4 percent in the seatbelt-only category, and 3.8 percent in the airbag and seatbelt population. Researchers indicated that airbags were also associated with fewer days in the intensive care unit (2.8 days compared with 3.7 days for unrestrained patients) and fewer total hospital days (7.1 days compared with 8.6 days for unrestrained patients). Predictably, the largest reduction in hospital days was seen in patients using both airbags and seatbelts (2.0 days in the intensive care unit and 6.4 total hospital days).
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this year that it will undertake the first major update to its vehicle safety ratings in seven years. The new program will continue to assess passenger cars, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans on the five star scale, but will add an overall safety rating that combines the scores of several crash tests.
The new regulations, to be administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will take effect for the 2010 model year and will also include new front-end tests and a test in which a vehicle strikes a pole sideways to simulate the wrapping of a vehicle around a tree. Female crash test dummies will also make their debut in the safety-testing program and will be used to represent both women and small children. Additional measures will also include testing for leg injuries and reporting whether vehicles have safety technology.
The new criteria should make it more difficult for vehicles to attain the maximum five star rating. Under the current system, nearly 90 percent of vehicles score the maximum five stars, and many automakers feature that safety rating in their advertising.
For more on the new improvements to the crash test program, see here.
This video from New Mexico shows how quickly and unexpectedly a car crash can happen in icy conditions. These drivers were driving too fast for the conditions.
Temperatures are dropping and it won’t be long until Texas has its first ice of the 2008-2009 winter driving season. Plan ahead and leave for your destination a little early. Bridges in our area can remain icy and retain dangerous conditions for some time, even after the temperatures rise above freezing.
