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Drive to survive — don’t let an auto accident eclipse your weekend plans!

St. Louis and the surrounding areas are preparing a PARTY to celebrate the first total eclipse viewing in our region since 1442!  This predates Columbus.  The excitement is building!

With 1.6 million residents in the St. Louis area alone, this is going to be one massive celebration when you consider the guest list.  EVERYBODY and their uncle is invited.

Not only that, the party stretches over multiple counties and towns. Visitors and locals alike have an amazing array of events to choose from.

People are going to go places. Crowded streets and highways are a sure bet!  Tempers flare. Then we have trouble.

Car accidents and injuries are also a sure bet in crowded conditions.

Area hospitals and emergency centers have been laying in extra supplies.  Public service workers, officers, and emergency management teams are prepping as well.

No one wants trouble. While you can’t control those around you on the crowded roads, you can also certainly take precautions. 

If you plan to be out and about this coming weekend,  here are some common sense ways to prep.  C’mon! You KNOW you want to enjoy the fun!

1.) Avoid the main roads if possible.

It’s okay. Take the scenic route. You may get there faster, anyways!

Being a local, you have the edge. You probably know the back roads and multiple ways to get to where you want to go. So plan that extra time and spare yourself some headache.

2.)  If you’re going somewhere unfamiliar,  map out your adventure!

Guess what? With so many people converging on an  already crowded area, some states are expecting cell towers to be overloaded. You may have trouble with your GPS!  Plan ahead and bring a paper map. If you can’t find one (age of dinosaurs, he, he), print out your directions from an online mapping service.

Besides learning about astronomy with your family in living technicolor,  you can take them back to the days of Columbus! Teach them how to read a map.

Map out multiple routes, and don’t forget to plan your way home!

3.) Pack your own emergency supplies!

Obviously, you may already be bringing a picnic lunch. You’ve already got your solar viewing glasses, too, right.  (See what NASA says about eye safety in the link below.)

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/safety2.html

Add to it! Extra water, extra food, road flares, and first aid supplies — you can’t go wrong. If you don’t need it, you may be a friend in need is a friend indeed to someone else.

4.) Don’t forget about prepping your car!

Got a full tank of gas, oil, and coolant? A quick peek under the hood before you leave could make big difference in your day.  Your family will love you more if you don’t run out of gas!

Walk around and check the tires.  AAA will rescue you, but you might be in a long line for the tow truck, too!

5. ) Plan to keep your cool.

Crowds are more stressful for some of us than for others, true?  If you find yourself in a fender-bender or a minor car accident,  take a deep breath.

You may not be able to watch the eclipse from your top choice of viewing locations, but it will still happen!  No one stops an eclipse.

If you plan for the worst (bring your car accident lawyer’s number with you), you will know exactly what to do. Reach for the phone.  If there is personal injury involved, you already know the drill — call 911 first.  Then call your experienced St. Louis car accident attorney:

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

Take another deep breath.  Wherever you are,  check your watch and gaze in awe at the skies.  You can munch on some of those extra snacks while you wait.

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment.  Make sure you don’t miss it!

If you’re traveling in the St. Louis, Missouri area, you need your best St. Louis attorney in your phone contact list as an added emergency safeguard.  Better safe than sorry!

Call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC anytime to get meticulous, aggressive and accessible legal help. (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.

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Drive to survive — avoid a “drugged driving” penalty!

Whenever you get in the car and drive anywhere these days, you’re likely to be sharing the road with a number of “drugged drivers.”

Just a little bit of research tells us why.

According to the National institues of Health (see  cancer.gov), 39.6% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. That’s nearly 6 out of 10 people. If you’re dealing with cancer, pain is often part of that nasty ordeal.

Then you add those with chronic, daily pain to the mix.

The numbers of those who suffer with autoimmune diseases, work-related, or accident-related injuries keeps growing.

There are  a staggering number of folks who need pain meds on a daily basis just to function.  Add driving to that mix, and the combination can be deadly.

Gen X, Z, and Millenials are not the only culprits when it comes to drugged driving or driving under the influence of drugs  — DUID!

According to drugabuse.gov,  those 50 or older were responsible for more than  25% of deadly drugged driving car crashes in 2010!

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving

It reminds me of the days when we were faithfully checking on an older, fiercely-independent relative. Unfortunately she was on so many pills, she would forget and take pills at the wrong time or in the wrong combinations. Then she would get behind the wheel to run “just a little errand.”

We were worried out of our ever-loving minds! Especially since we lived over an hour away,  our options were limited.

She needed a safe strategy for opiods and driving! Does that sound like you?

Prescription pain medications are  a hotly-debated topic across all income levels and walks of life.

However, when it comes to the law, the only debate is how stiff your penalty will be if you are caught and charged with a DUID.

“It’s not an acceptable defense to a drugged driving charge to claim that the driver is legally entitled to use the controlled substance. “ (dui.drivinglaws.org)

In other words, your doctor’s prescription will not get you off the hook! That’s what made us shake in our boots when our loved one was behind the wheel loaded with meds.

We didn’t want to see her spend the last of her days surrounded by orange jumpsuits and prison walls! She had lived and loved too well to deserve that!

In Missouri, driving while using a controlled substance is a CRIME.

There are no simple answers to this problem — no one-size-fits-all drug test. Everyone reacts differently to meds.

If you are battling cancer or chronic pain, you don’t need to face criminal charges on top of that pile of stress!  Even a good criminal defense lawyer is going to have his work cut out for him to get your sentence reduced.

Here are a few strategy tips to avoid a drugged driving charge:

Plan to drive drug-free and avoid traffic violations!

Time your pain meds so that you can run errands or make doctors’ visits without a recent pill.   Squelch your inner speed demon, too!  Our loved one had a lead foot.  No wonder we did some nail-biting!

Right now you don’t normally risk having to be tested for drugs from the day prior if you were to be stopped for a traffic violation.

Like seat-belt laws, that may change.  Unfortunately some pain meds show up in your system for days after taking them.

Network with friends and family for a ride when you can’t live without pain relief long enough to drive.

Pick up the phone and call.  That’s a tough position to be in — no doubt about it!  Your loved ones would much rather you reach out than to hear that you are facing drug charges.

Short on local friends and family? Reach out to a community organization or church for help.

If you or a loved one are facing DUID charges/ drugged driving charges in the state of Missouri, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney by your side.

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC is well-versed in local and state law for Missouri drug charges.  Experience matters in getting a reduction of sentence for you!   Call 636-244-3737 for a free consultation  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.

 

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Drive to survive: How to avoid “road-rage” car accidents

Why does vacation time turn some folks into zombie-like drivers?

Vacation is supposed to be stress-free and happy, right?

If you live along a beach  or vacation traffic route like me, you know exactly what I mean.

You almost feel like these zombie drivers pack and hit the road with a killer-instinct for anyone who might be on their road.  Maybe they add some extra “juice” to their coffee?

For many years, our beach route highway was only one lane each direction with double yellow lines most of the way.  In the summer,  we cringed when we approach a curve or slight hill. You never knew if you will encounter someone zooming head-on in your lane  at 65 to 70 mph.  It made for a white-knuckled drive!

Thankfully they’re widening our highway bit by bit.  Who knows how many lives have been lost over the years especially during peak traffic season!  The locals blame the big city drivers from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. for the hair-raising drive to the beach.

The locals are right! These big city drivers have earned their reputation, too! Baltimore and D.C.  rank 8th and 10th as the top ten cities with the worst road-rage drivers according to http://www.monkeymeter.com

It’s no wonder handmade signs sometimes appear along our stretch of highway, “Go HOME! The beach is closed.”

While the St. Louis area is happily known for its courteous drivers,  distracted or careless driving can still easily spark a road-rage induced car accident.  You’ve all seen that speeding driver weaving in and out of traffic.

Or, a driver cuts you off,  and you narrowly avoid an accident!  You can’t help but notice they’re on their cell. Grrr!  See what I mean?  The blood pressure rises just thinking about it!

Those most likely to display road rage are between the ages of 18 and 39. That might include your vulnerable, newly-minted teen driver!

Need help starting that conversation? Tell your teen how not become a zombie driver.

Here are some common sense tips for surviving  zombie drivers:

  • Stay on “high-alert” for zombie drivers.  Don’t zone out.  You need to keep at least four of your senses in action. Hands on the steering wheel! Eyes on the road and mirrors! Ears tuned in for revving engines or other signs of trouble!   Your nose, well, if you drive an older car, this comes in handy for sniffing out trouble with your own vehicle.
  • Take a chill-pill. That’s right. If someone cuts you off, take a deep breath and let it go. Being tail-gated? Go ahead and get out of the left lane already!  Swerving car? Just try to stay out of their way.  I’ve seen my grandfather kindly pull off to the shoulder numerous times to let faster moving traffic go past him. That’s right, parents! It’s up to us to show our teens how to respond to road rage.
  • Decide if the driver needs police intervention.  Once we noticed a semi- truck repeatedly swerving into the lane beside him. Knowing that truck drivers often face crazy deadlines, we wondered if he was sleepy. After watching him carefully from a distance for a few miles, we decided to call the police. It was for his own safety as well the safety of others.
  • Never pull over to speak to an angry driver!  Don’t pull over unless you caused an auto accident! Even so, take precautions to protect yourself from an irate driver. Call 911 yourself.  Then call your car accident attorney as soon as possible.  http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-motorvehicle.html

We’re human. Accidents happen even when we try to avoid being that zombie driver!

If you’ve been involved in a car crash,  you need the help of an experienced auto accident lawyer.  The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC knows that being involved in an auto accident is a very stressful time for you!

They care about your rights and helping you get the full accident compensation that you need.  Call today for a free initial consultation. (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.

 

 

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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

 

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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.