How Many People Are Drunk Driving on Halloween?
Halloween is meant to be a fun time for parents and children to hit the streets in their spookiest attire. Unfortunately for responsible trick-or-treaters, many people take the holiday as an opportunity to put others in danger. Drunk driving is a reality every holiday, but it’s arguably never more pertinent to pedestrians than on holidays such as Halloween. We’re here to give you a brief rundown on Halloween drunk drivers and how to handle them. Halloween Drunk Drivers One of the reasons that drunk drivers are so dangerous on Halloween is that so many people, mostly children, are walking the streets. Not only are they walking, but they’re often running and playing in black clothes on the street. In addition, Halloween’s increase in drunk driving threatens other sober drivers on the road. These facts make Halloween one of the deadliest nights of the year. The combination of vehicles and children on the roads makes a dangerous mix by itself, but it’s amplified when alcohol is involved. The National Highway Traffic Administration stated that almost 45 percent of Halloween road-deaths were a result of drunk driving. These numbers spike when Halloween falls on a Friday or Saturday night. When the holiday falls on weekdays, the weekends before and after are also dangerous. It’s obvious that Halloween is dangerous, but what can be done about it? Approaching Halloween Night You’re in a good position if your children are at an age when they can’t trick-or-treat alone. If you’re with your children, make sure to be alert to your surroundings at all times. Even residential neighborhoods are vulnerable to drunk drivers, so it’s essential...
Understanding Malpractice: When Should You File a Medical Lawsuit?
When people think of medical malpractice, they think of the age-old tales of surgeons leaving tools inside a patient after surgery. However, that isn’t a common form of malpractice these days due to procedures put in place to prevent it. Understanding the medical malpractice definition and how to file a medical lawsuit is a good place to start. Common Forms of Malpractice The most common form of medical malpractice comes from medication. A medication error can come from a number of issues, including incorrect drug labeling, incorrect dosage, wrong medication time period, wrong medication, not monitoring drug side effects, and not prescribing medication. If any of the above happened due to the negligence of a doctor, then it is a medication error. Any harm that comes from it can be considered medical malpractice. In these cases, it becomes about proving that the doctor did not act in the standard duty of care that other doctors would have abided by. Medication Errors However, medication errors in terms of medical malpractice can be difficult cases at times. If you were prescribed the wrong medication or medication not technically for your illness but had experimental effects on your illness, then these cases can be straight-forward. However, if there was incorrect or confusing labeling, then the case becomes a bit difficult where the doctor can defend themselves or shift blame to the pharmacy. Yet, if you suffered horrible side effects or your illness became worse due to a medication error, you shouldn’t just deal with it. It is medical malpractice and you are owed compensation for any side effects or worsening condition that you suffered. Medical Malpractice Lawsuit...
How Snowbirds Increase the Risk of Car Accidents and How to Avoid Them
When winter arrives, many people visit the rest of Florida for warm weather and fun attractions. With several theme parks in the state, visitors come for the great fishing or relaxing on the beach. These visitors are snowbirds, travelers from colder climates. Unfortunately, they often cause increased traffic and raise drivers’ risks of accidents. Snowbirds may not be familiar with local traffic laws, and they’re more likely to be tired from a long drive or distracted because they’re not sure where they should go. Explore the following helpful tips for avoiding accidents with snowbirds. Don’t Exceed the Speed Limit Breaking the posted speed limit increases your fuel consumption and raises the risks for you, your passengers, and other drivers. Since people have less reaction time when they drive fast, they often have trouble braking and avoiding obstacles and other cars on the road. Always drive cautiously to prevent accidents. Instead of speeding, make sure you start with plenty of time to reach your destination and leave at least a few extra minutes for traffic. Be especially cautious after dark because headlights can only help you to see several feet in front of your car. Be Calm and Courteous If you become nervous, angry, or frustrated while driving, you could make a mistake and cause an accident. If you get stuck in traffic, relax and listen to some music or talk to your passengers while you wait and focus on driving safely. Avoid tailgating so that you have plenty of room to brake and prevent accidents. Be courteous, treat other drivers with respect, and make sure you report any suspicious...
Why You Shouldn’t File a Personal Injury Claim By Yourself
Whether they think their case is simple or they’re trying to save money, some accident victims will try to handle their personal injury claim on their own. While their reasoning seems to make sense at first, they quickly realize the complexities of personal injury claims can get them in over their heads. Read below to discover why you shouldn’t file a personal injury claim by yourself. Preparing a Claim is Time Consuming When you represent yourself, you’re the one responsible for gathering all the evidence you need to support your case. This can include witness statements, police reports, repair estimates, photographs, medical records, and more. If you have a full-time job or family to take care of, you might begin to realize you just don’t have enough hours in the day to do all this work on your own. However, when you hire an attorney, you have someone who has the time and experience to gather the evidence you need. You Could Get a Low Offer Some insurance companies and defendants think that if you don’t have an advocate fighting on your behalf, you’ll likely get exhausted and frustrated with the system. They’ll present you with a low offer anticipating that you’ll just accept anything in the hopes of getting it over with, even if the offer doesn’t adequately compensate you for your injuries. Often, simply having a personal injury attorney will automatically get you a higher initial offer. You Need Good Negotiation Skills There will likely be several back-and-forth exchanges with the defendant’s insurance company during the settlement process. While some people are good at negotiating and don’t...Have a question? Give us a call.
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