Is a slip-and-fall injury keeping you down?

Baby, it’s cold outside!   Businesses and property owners are pulling out the snow shovels and “ice melt” to protect others from slip-and-fall injuries.

Cracked, uneven sidewalks? Inadequate clearing of snow and ice? Combine these elements with THE elements.  You have a recipe for a personal injury disaster and a premises liability claim. 

A personal relation had her day in court and won a ten  year settlement that allowed her to retire.  Never mind that she was  wearing high heels to the office party when she tripped on the uneven pavement.

Even more telling, no one ever asked in court if she had a drink at the party.  What mattered was that she was a charming older lady who suffered a slip-and-fall injury at least partly due to an uneven sidewalk.

What mattered the most was that this lady suffered chronic back and neck pain for the rest of her life due to one slip-and-fall accident!

Slip-and-fall injuries are life-changing and costly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of every five falls causes a serious injury. https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

Some of these serious injuries include:

  • traumatic brain injury
  • fractured hips
  • broken bones
  • concussion
  • soft tissue injuries to muscles, joints, and ligaments

If you are a senior citizen and experience a slip-and-fall accident, the stakes are even higher.

Once again, the CDC points out that each year 300,000 older folk end up in the hospital for hip fractures.

Recovering from a hip fracture can be a long, tough road. You will probably need to do rehab and physical therapy. If you do not have a family member nearby who has plenty of time to help, you likely will have to live in a rehab facility.

Depending on your financial situation,  such a long-term recovery may end up costing you your independence — your ability to drive or even to live alone.

Imagine being the bread-winner for your family and breaking a bone due to a slip-and-fall injury!

If you are not injured on the job, you will need paid time off to manage the bills while you heal. Workers’ compensation will not help.

The average minimum healing time for a broken bone is 6 to 12 weeks!

If you have NO complications, this time frame is your “best-case” scenario. Unfortunately, you may need to file for unemployment and even temporary disability.

There are also legal restrictions to applying for unemployment.

If your slip- and-fall injury happened due to the negligence of a home or business — say an icy sidewalk or puddle of water — you may be eligible for financial compensation due to:

  • Loss of work
  • Pain and suffering
  • Permanent or temporary disability
  • Hospital and medical bills
  • Rehab bills
  • Physical therapy bills    
  • If you feel you are suffering due to someone’s carelessness, you need the help of an experienced slip-and-fall injury lawyer. Life’s hard. Don’t suffer alone!

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

Call 636-244-3737 today for a free, initial consultation for residents of Missouri and the Greater St. Louis area. The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC will give you a fair evaluation of your personal injury case.

 

 

5 ways to avoid personal injury on an ATV or motorcycle

The invention of the wheel changed people’s lives forever.

Our obssession with wheels and travel keeps evolving.

We go further and faster than any previous generation. The flip side of the coin is that few of us get through life without some sort of personal injury due a car or motorcyle accident.

I’ll never forget the day my brother’s set of wheels failed him!

We’re talking two wheels here. In fact, it was a souped-up bicycle with an actual motor attached.  He didn’t have to waste good energy pedaling.  It saved him extra exhaustion from the summer’s heat while he commuted to do yard work for clients a few miles away. (When you’re competing with older siblings for a ride to work, having your own wheels is a real plus!)

Unfortunately, he experienced a mechanical failure that sent him face first into a gravel driveway.

No bones were broken, but a faceful of imbedded gravel is super painful! Thankfully, there were no serious lasting injuries. Just a few facial scars.

Mechanical failure is one cause of car and motorcycle accidents.

Unfortunately,  the most common motorcycle and ATV accidents happen due to human failure — mistakes in judgment or carelessness.

Kids, country living, room to roam — add wheels to the mix, and you have the recipe for personal injuries that could be life-changing!

A friend I know was a best man at a wedding years ago. The night before the wedding, to celebrate,  friends and the groom-to-be took a rip-roaring spin through the fields and woods. No alcohol was involved.  Just speed-lovin’ guys and their wheels…

The bride will never forget that her groom arrived at the wedding with his arm in a cast and his ribs taped.

Again, it could have been so much worse.  Thankfully, none of his groomsmen suffered permanent injuries, and the groom recovered!

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports  over 1,700 deaths in 2014 due to motorcycle crashes alone.  Close to 2,000 injuries were reported.  https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/SAC/crash_data_motorcycle_960grid.html

This does not include any statistics for ATVs or other offroad vehicles that young people love to use.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data reports show that nationwide fatal ATV accidents have reduced significantly since 2006. The average for adult deaths per year ranges around 564 adult ATV-related deaths and 123 children.

If your young person is going to enjoy some offroading fun on a motorcycle or ATV, here are some safety pointers to review:  ( see https://onsafety.cps.gov)

1.) Get training on how to use the ATV from an experienced instructor.

Like me, you may know very little about operating an ATV. You need a teacher who knows what they are talking about and can show you or your young person the ropes in a hands-on way!

2.) Like a motorcyclist or any cyclist, you should always wear your helmet!

Just do it.  Head injuries account for almost 30% of personal injuries due to ATV accidents.  Would you really choose a wheelchair to be your next set of wheels? Imagine a brain injury that takes away your child’s ability to work or take care of himself!

3.) Maybe you’re working on that farmer’s tan, but wear protective clothing, too!

Long sleeves, long pants, protective eyewear — these are all smart moves to help protect against personal injury.

4.) Don’t overload the motorcycle or ATV! 

Seriously, unless you’re in a third world country and this is your ride to work, no crowds allowed!

5.) Last but not least, don’t let your smaller young person drive an adult-sized ATV!

Kids die in these accidents. Trying to drive a 600lb +vehicle  is a far cry from riding a bicycle. These wheels are FAST and HEAVY.  Even your super-kid with common sense may find themselves overwhelmed and unprepared.

Your friends at The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC want to encourage you to avoid needing a personal injury lawyer.  However, if you or your child have suffered a personal injury in an ATV or motorcycle accident due to someone else’s negligence, you need legal help!

You will receive meticulous attention and a free evaluation of your personal injury case at The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC.  They will aggressively pursue your rights to compensation.

To schedule your free consultation call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC at 636-244-3737.

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

 

 

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.

Facing a lifetime injury from an auto accident? Read this before you settle…

An auto accident injury could change your life forever!

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, and your insurance company is in a hurry to settle — BEWARE!

The quickest, easiest path is not necessarily the BEST choice. Think about it. Who will profit from a quick settlement? Most likely — both insurance companies involved. My friend Annie * is the perfect example of this.

Annie has been a  paraplegic for more than twenty years. She nearly died in terrible car crash after being t-boned by car racing through a red light at around 80 mph.  During long months in the hospital and rehab,  she was repeatedly asked to settle by her insurance company.

Thankfully, Annie didn’t settle. She realized her life was changed forever. Who can put a price tag on that?

She hired a savvy personal injury/car accident lawyer.

She waited for years to settle, learning over time all of the hidden costs of living life as a paraplegic.

Her list of new needs was much longer and more costly than she could have anticipated in the early days of recovery from her personal injuries.

She needs 24/7 live-in help.  Multiply that by 20 + years now.  Add inflation to the cost of living. Factor in finding honest, reliable help.  That’s a huge challenge by itself.

Her entire house had to be retrofitted for her to drive her scooter around inside the house. Doorways widened. New shower and safety bars installed. She needed new ramps built for her home’s exterior.

Of course, now she has to hire help to maintain every aspect of her home’s interior and exterior.

She also needed enough money for all of her routine bills for the rest of her life:  house payment, food, electric, water, gas, phone, clothing, etc…  And this was just the tip of the iceberg!

In order to get to doctors’ and therapists’ visits,  a handicapped van was required.

Surprise, surprise! The maintenance costs for such a vehicle are astronomical.  Another friend with handicapped children recently told me that their routine oil changes are nearly double the cost due to the modifications on their handicapped van.  Then, of course, over time, this vehicle needs to be replaced!

Because Annie is a spunky, smart go-getter, she didn’t settle for routine therapies.  After all, she only had limited success with those. Annie wanted to have a life!

Instead she tried alternative routes until she found healing therapies that worked best for her body and needs.

She was able to lose weight! She found an exercise routine and equipment that worked for her. She was actually able to bring back a certain quality to her life.  She lives modestly in a comfortable home of her own.

Did I mention that Annie is spunky? She has gone on adventures like sky-diving and hot-air ballooning. She takes vacations. She even takes time for mission trips to help others in third world countries.

In short, she is not miserable and neglected in some government-run assisted living home!

None of this would have been possible if she had listened to her insurance company’s many pleas to settle. 

Annie would probably have been forced to live in poverty, quite possibly in a group home. She would have had to rely on public transportation.

Worst of all, she would have to rely on the “moods” of overworked care-givers instead of hiring and firing her own private care-givers.

Her medical therapies and care would have been minimal.  Annie’s pain levels would likely been poorly managed.  This tragic accident could have led to a life no one wants to live!

Delaying insurance settlement for her best possible outcome made a huge difference for Annie!

Yes, it was a fight that went on for years!

Without an aggressive auto injury attorney on her side, life would undeniably have been very different for Annie*. 

*Name changed to protect personal privacy.

Are you or a loved one facing a life turned upside down due to serious personal injuries in a car accident?

Before you settle with any insurance company, be sure to seek professional legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. Take a page out of Annie’s book — don’t settle for less than your best possible outcome!

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

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to fight aggressively for you — not for the big insurance companies!  They won’t “farm out” your case to an inexperienced lawyer like some big law firms commonly do.

You need the best possible coverage to face such a mega life challenge.  Call 636-244-3737 today for your free consultation. 

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.