5 tips to avoid becoming a 2017 DUI holiday statistic!

St. Louis DUI attorney

We all want some good news to inspire more gratitude this Thanksgiving weekend.  But the 2016 statistics for drunk-driving deaths are in, and the news is grim — drunk drivers were the number one killer, chalking up 10,497 fatalities according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. (www.nhtsa.gov)

This does not include the bloodshed, pain, tears, and lives forever changed due to drunk-driving injuries. Those stories often go untold. The truth is this: drinking and driving just don’t mix! 

The AAA predicts that 2017 will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel season since 2005.  Busier highways and more congestion equals more travel risk, right?

http://newsroom.aaa.com/2017/11/nearly-51-million-americans-travel-thanksgiving-highest-volume-dozen-years/

While you cannot control the other drivers on the road,  here’s how to reduce your own risk:

1.)  Gonna kick back and enjoy that beer,  Grandpa’s “secret recipe”, or a glass of fine wine?  You know the drill.  Don’t leave home without a designated driver.  If you get stopped while your blood alcohol content is over the legal limit in Missouri  (.04 BAC),  you’re facing a license suspension or much, much worse!

Consider the holiday mood of the police officer and the judge! They’ve seen too many alcohol-related deaths and injuries. Their view of you is likely to be very dim — don’t expect leniency!  After all, the 2016 drunk driving statistics are grim.

2.) Sadly, the next highest 2016 NHTSA fatality statistic is due to not wearing seatbelts. Please BUCKLE up for highway safety. 

Seatbelts are one of your lines of car accident defense. You can count on sharing the road with people driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both!

Be sure to spy on your kids while traveling. They have a way of sneaking out of seat-belts when you least expect it.

3.) Allow extra travel time.

According to the 2017 AAA holiday travel predictions, getting places around congested cities could easily take THREE times as long as normal.

That lovely half hour trip across St. Louis to visit your in-laws?   Think about highway congestion and weigh your options.  What are the normal hotspots for traffic back-ups?   Having an alternate travel plan could be safer and healthier for your blood pressure.

Not cooking dinner, but want to enjoy a wonderful place to share a delicious Thanksgiving meal? There’s sure to be a nearby place to please you and avoid some of that traffic!  St. Louis has much to offer: https://explorestlouis.com/12-places-thanksgiving-dinner-st-louis-2017

4.)  Have a roadside assistance plan in place.

If you have any sort of auto-related accident, you’ll be happy you had your roadside assistance current and up-to-date.  Adding their number to your contacts in your cell-phone is one great way to make sure you don’t leave home without it!

5.) Avoid drunk drivers by not driving late at night.

The National Safety Council’s research shows that the risk of a fatal crash is three times greater at night,  and that 50% of traffic fatalities occur after dark!  Add late night gatherings with family and friends to this mix.  Alcohol and fatigue are a deadly driving combination.

If you are involved in a car accident over the holiday weekend, don’t wait to call your car accident lawyer.  

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

For an experienced traffic accident attorney serving the greater St. Louis area, call  The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC at 636-244-3737.   HINT: put this number in your contacts’ list, too.  Better safe than sorry!

Attorney Steimel will give you a FREE initial consultaton.  Now that’s something to be grateful for!

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.

Help for your uninsured auto accident nightmare!

Facing an uninsured motorist car accident claim? Here’s why you need legal help.

You know Missouri law requires every driver to have liability insurance. In case of an accident, you take care of your neighbor, right? You also do your best to protect yourself and those you love from harm.

Just because you have proper coverage doesn’t mean your fellow Missouri drivers do.

Sad but true – many people have purchased no coverage at all! Uninsured and underinsured drivers are a real problem.

If you’ve ever been in an auto accident with an uninsured motorist at fault, you know it’s a major headache. Your bad day just got a whole lot worse when you learn that the at-fault driver is not properly insured.

Spending hours on the phone with insurance companies is not fun. Sorry to say, that may be just the beginning of your nightmare if injuries and medical bills are involved.

If one little detail gets messed up in the system, it can days or even weeks to get coverage detangled! When you need ongoing medical care, that’s an added stress you don’t want to deal with.

So how does uninsured motorist coverage actually help you in the event of a car crash?

Uninsured motorist coverage steps in to fill the gap left by the negligent uninsured/underinsured driver. It’s designed to provide coverage to the injured driver up to the uninsured motorists’ limits.

Hit and run accidents are covered by uninsured motorist coverage in the state of Missouri.

Some states unhappily require the uninsured motorist vehicle to have contact with the insured vehicle. Have you ever been run off the road by a speedy driver swerving in and out of traffic?

Thankfully for Missouri residents, if another uninsured driver’s negligence caused your auto accident, you are likely to be eligible for uninsured motorist coverage.

Did debris or equipment left in the road by another vehicle cause your car accident? Even if the negligent vehicle is no longer on the scene, you could still be eligible for uninsured motorist coverage.

This coverage sometimes even applies in situations where an unknown driver “waves out” another vehicle into traffic causing a crash.

How do you claim uninsured motorist coverage if you or your vehicle is damaged by an uninsured driver?

You actually have to bring a claim against your own insurance! That’s what you’ve paid for, right? Whether following a hit and run, a “wave out” crash, or any crash or accident with an uninsured driver, it’s the injured driver’s responsibility to pursue a claim.

Guess what? Your insurance company isn’t going to like this.

Not surprisingly, the insurance will begin looking for ways to blame the insured for comparative fault. Equally unfair and alarming, your insurance company may begin seeking ways to reduce or minimize damages from the time the claim is initially reported.

This is exactly why you need an expert uninsured motorist attorney to represent you!

Our St. Charles and St. Louis car accident lawyers will fight for you to insure the crash investigation is fair.

We will contact witnesses. We will review the police reports.

Most importantly, we will advise you of your rights and communicate with the insurance company on your behalf. Yes! We will handle those frustrating, time-consuming phone calls.

The best news is NO fees unless we recover for your injuries!

We will maximize your claim recovery money for your benefit, not just to line our pockets. We think your rights matter,  not just the big insurance companies’ rights.

So, don’t face your uninsured auto accident nightmare alone!

Pick up the phone today and call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC at (636)244-3737. You can also check us out at http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-carcrash.html

You need an experienced uninsured motorist lawyer at your side to fight for your rights!

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.