Posted on

Drive to survive — even when your cell’s ringing!

Distracted driving has advanced with each new generation.

I once spoke to a small-town resident who spent most of his life in the same county.  “Harry” used to drive his farm wagon into town to deliver fresh produce.  Incredibly,  his horse knew the way home from his route. Harry could day-dream “behind the wheel”, so to speak.  He might have even munched on a stray carrot or strawberry left over from his route. No big deal when you’re limited to a horsepower of one, right?

Fast forward almost a century! (Yes, “Harry” was in nineties when I met him.) Our horsepower behind the wheel is at least 10x what it used to be!

When my brothers learned to drive, cell phones were  still a brand-new, space-age technology. That wasn’t the issue. Early work hours were. Hot oatmeal was still on the menu for breakfast.

Grab and go breakfast meant a tub of hot oatmeal.

Combine that with a newly-minted driver! Dad’s work truck ended up hitting and destroying a mailbox, post and all, due to one tub of hot oatmeal spilling in the driver’s lap.

Fortunately, the residents were understanding. No personal injury lawyers were needed. Just a handshake, a sincere apology, and some sweat to replace the post and mailbox repaired the damages.  No lives were injured or lost. We all counted our blessings!

How many of you eat and drive? Guilty hand raised here! I’m going estimate at least 95% of folks do.

Have you ever had an auto accident related to distracted driving? Did your burger and fries do more damage than just clogging your arteries? What about hot coffee? I’ve had a few close calls myself with that form of distracted driving.

Cell phones! Now there’s the major culprit in distracted driving. Some states ban hand-held cell usage altogether while driving.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,  80% of drivers feel unsafe due to distracted drivers.  How many times have you been tempted to yell at a fellow driver, “Hang up the phone and drive!”?  More times than you can count, right?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounted for over 3, 000 deaths in 2015!

Worse yet, the distracted driving auto accident injuries are over the 300,000 mark!

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

Teens are especially vulnerable to distracted driving. Again, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety  conducted a study on teen drivers.  They found teens drive distracted about 25 % of the time.  We all need help!

3 simple ways to avoid causing a distracted driving car crash:

1.) Don’t allow your teen to use their cell phone while driving.  Check their phones regularly. You may have to become the phone Nazi, but saving lives is worth it!

2.) Set the example! Turn your own phone off or on vibrate. Maybe you really need to take a call? Operate hands-free only! Pull over if at all possible. Show your teen how responsible drivers operate.

3.) Limit food intake on the road! Who am I kidding? We’re all going to eat and drive. Our lives are just too busy not to.  At least forget that messy, drippy taco or the super-sized burger whlle driving.

Sometimes I wish we could return to the days of “Harry” and join him on his leisurely produce wagon deliveries.  No massive traffic, no cell phones, no angry drivers cutting you off in traffic, and almost no distracted drivers, right?

Maybe someone in your house has had an auto accident due to a distracted driver.  You need an experienced car crash attorney to help you pursue your best legal options.

http://steimel-law.com/traffic-matters.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to help. Call (636)244-3737 for a free initial consulation today!

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship

 

Posted on

Suffering chronic pain from a (even minor) car accident?

Maybe you were recently rear-ended in a minor car accident. Your car was only slightly damaged. But what about your body? 

The next day, perhaps you woke up with a sore neck or even lower back pain. Trip after trip to the doctor has sucked away your precious time and money.

“It’s just a soft tissue injury. Give it time.” Have you heard this?

Unfortunately, your insurance adjuster often considers a soft tissue injury as minor.  So might your doctor!

Weeks can turn into months of pain. Your medical coverage may run out. You can barely work or function around the house. Even worse, your injury is “invisible” to most.

“But you look SO good!” You may have heard these words from family, friends, and neighbors if you are suffering from chronic “invisible” pain. It’s just human nature to not believe what we cannot see.

Recently, a family member was told by a pain management doctor that his back pain was his friend. “Suffering is just part of the journey.”

Yeah, well! Let’s trade shoes for a week, shall we? Pain is a friend no one wants to keep!

Instead, listen to what one local chiropractor says about soft tissue injury.

“…soft tissue injury can result in chronic pain and limited mobility which can result in permanent disability.” (from the newsletter of Dr. Martin Schmaltz of Hazelwood, MO,  www.drmartinschmaltz.com)

Fortunately, you have these experts in soft tissue injury on your side. Your local chiropractor may be just the medical expert to see after even a minor car accident. They can help you in two ways!

1.) Documentation for your personal injury lawyer to help fight for insurance coverage

Chiropractors will help document soft tissue damage that may lead to chronic pain and disability. They take these injuries very seriously.

Records from your local chiropractor can be used to aid your personal injury lawyer to get the best possible coverage from your insurance company.

Partner with your local personal injury lawyer!  Ask about which chiropractor your car accident attorney recommends.

2.) Treatment for your soft tissue injury

Together your personal injury attorney and your chiropractor can possibly prevent a life of chronic pain and disability! Let’s get rid of that unwanted “friend”.

Have you been experiencing chronic pain over time due to a car crash?

Maybe you’ve already used up insurance coverage for a prior auto accident where you were not at fault. Perhaps you did not have an attorney’s help. You can still get a free initial consultation from a personal injury lawyer to see if there is any additional help or coverage possible.

At The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC, chronic pain from any sort of car accident or slip and fall is a serious matter. Attorney Steimel knows how chronic pain turns your life upside down. He will fight for your ability to get the treatment you need!

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

NO money, no worries! You will pay no attorney fees unless a settlement is reached in your favor. 

Give The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC,  a call today for help with your accident-related chronic pain. (636)244-3737

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

Posted on

5 Open season safety tips (for pools and kids, that is)

 

Warm weather, sunshine, and outdoor pool time – sounds wonderful and innocent like childhood should be, right?

For one family I met, though, the backyard pool was covered with vines. It was a horrible, daily reminder of the tragic drowning loss of their three-year old daughter.  As a guest at their home, I could barely bring myself to look at it either!

It is surprising to learn, though, that “drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4,” according to Pool Safely.

Homepage

 

Let’s ask an important question here. What if that drowned child was your neighbor’s kid swimming in YOUR backyard pool?

A drowning tragedy is something you never want to experience in your family or your friends and neighbor’s families. The consequences could spiral – broken relationships and possible personal injury lawsuits being among them. Even a bad slip and fall injury at your family’s pool could really dampen the summer fun.

So here are a few basic “hello, there” reminders to help avoid injury or even death this summer. They may seem obvious, but sometimes the simplest steps are the best.

 

1) NEVER let children swim alone.

Truth! It’s not even a great idea for teens or adults to swim solo, but we do. Imagine the sick feeling we had when we learned a friend’s son drowned while swimming alone in the ocean! We like to think we’re invincible. In fact, life is so fragile.

Children should always swim with a responsible older person.  Make sure that person knows they are the designated child watcher, too.

 

2) FENCE, GATE, AND LOCK your pool.

If you can afford to maintain a pool, you can afford a fence with a gate and some sort of lock. Some districts require this of homeowners. You will never be sorry you had these safety measures in place.

We’ve all heard the tales of neighbor kids sneaking into a pool while the family was gone. It’s just too big of a temptation to resist for some kids! Hang a “NO Trespassing” sign, too, just to cover all your bases. You really do not want be held liable or start a neighborhood feud.

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-premisesliability.html 

3) Make sure your kids know how to swim!

Our family doesn’t own a pool. We’ve been kindly invited to spend time at a neighbor’s pool each summer. I always accept! Why? Teaching my child how to swim was on my top 10 life-skills list. It took multiple summers, but I’m the proud momma of an official swimmer now. The drowning risk is lessened!

4) Ban running around the pool perimeter. Really?

Think wet pavement. Think slip and fall accident. Think concussion, broken bones, or stitches. If you have a pool brimming with kids, you need some basic sanity rules. This is just one of a handful of rules you need.

5) Check/Install anti-entrapment drain covers AND cover your pool when not in use.

Kids and kittens do the craziest stunts! Just add water to create more drama. Extra precautions are more than wise. You may even save a life!

At The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC , we can help if you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident. Attorney Steimel is an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call for a free initial consultation at (636)244-3737

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

Posted on

How to survive your teen learning to drive

Drive to Survive: why some driver’s ed for teens is a good idea

Do you have teens anxious to get behind the wheel? It’s a terrifying stage of parenthood for many folks.  When it is time for your teen to learn to drive, not only do you want full and proper insurance coverage, you want them to have mad driving skills. After all, there are a lot of crazies on the road!

So do you have what it takes to pass these survival skills along? Or do you need to hire a driver’s ed company? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Am I a patient teacher? 

Equipping your teen to drive safely and avoid unnecessary auto accidents takes time, practice, and patience. Loads of patience! Are you ready for that?

Am I a good example?

Step back and take a long look at yourself.  What is your driving record like?

Do you have a history of at-fault car crashes?  Loads of speeding tickets?

Hopefully not a DUI on your record, right? If you’re not pretty clean, you should consider deferring to someone else to teach your teen.

Do I or my spouse have time to invest in hours of driver instruction?

You and I both know it’s a dangerous road out there. Not only does your teen have to deal with their own lack of driving experience, they will have  to deal with the reckless and sometimes dangerous driving of others. You will need to plan to spend many hours beside your teen as they drive in many  different situations and weather. (Just no tornado chasing, okay?)

Does your teen listen to you …fairly well?

Ah! There’s the rub for a number of parents. If your teen constantly tunes you out, teaching them to drive is likely to make these issues worse. You need to know your teen will listen fairly well as you give driving instructions. Patiently, of course!

How well do you know the traffic laws? 

Many of us could use a refresher course, right? Things change over the years.

Some of us, well, know family members or friends we wish we could send to driving school.

Of course, this is no excuse to shuffle the job to someone else. Get the Driver’s Handbook out and review! You could make it a trivia game with your teen.

Is your child’s life worth the risk?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teens aged 16-19! Honestly, considering all the distractions available to drivers today, that’s not too surprising. You want to do your best to protect them against a tragic car accident!

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

Actually, the best option is parental training and a driver’s ed class. 

After all, you are the person who cares the most for your child’s well-being,  right?

Pick the safest parent teacher. You get a refresher course in defensive  driving as you teach your teen what you know.

You’ve lived this long already! Your experience really does count.

Happily, whatever they learn from you is  reinforced by an outside authority.  That way it’s not just what Dad and Mom say.  Your teen may even end up being impressed with your driver savvy. If not,  it’s time to take  them out go-cart racing!

Good news! If you pay for defensive driving classes, you can save on your teen’s auto insurance. 

While driver’s ed is not mandatory in the state of Missouri , defensive driving classes do save you money in the long run. Most insurance companies will offer a 5% to 15% discount for certified completion of defensive driving or even an online driving class.

https://www.dmv.com/mo/missouri/drivers-ed

At The Law Offices of Nathan Steimel, LLC,  we think defensive driving safety is important! It’s like eating healthy food, exercising, and getting  your regular check-ups. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Knowledge and practice! That’s what it takes to build a safe driving experience for your teen. If you or your teen should end up in an auto accident, you can protect your legal rights by calling our car crash attorneys at (636)244-3737.

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.