October 15, 2018 /
How About Some Good News?
It’s not all bad news these days, despite how you might feel after regular exposure to the media. Our state police have received a high honor related to keeping us safe on interstates and Indiana state roads. The enforcement officers and civilian employees of the Indiana State Police’s (ISP) Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division were acclaimed best in the nation at making sure large trucks obey our laws and safety standards. Their ove...
September 17, 2018 /
Fall 2018 May Bring More Motorcyclist Deaths
If you ride a motorcycle, you most likely have a favorite season. For many riders, it’s the fall. Or, perhaps your motorcycle is your main means of transport, so you ride it year-round. A greater number of people are enjoying motorcycles these days: it’s estimated that more than 8 million motorcycles are regularly cruising our highways. However, enjoying the pleasures of biking comes with a downside—motorcycle deaths in Indiana have jumped ...
September 10, 2018 /
A New Danger to Workers: Climate Change
Temperatures around the world have been rising for several years, and it looks as if 2018 may be considered one of the hottest summers on record. Extreme heat has already killed dozens of people in the U.S. this summer. For those who must earn their living by working outside in the heat, rising temperatures have placed them at risk. Several workers have already died during the summer of 2018 from dangerous heat conditions. Heat can also seriously...
September 3, 2018 /
Dangerous Hope Chests
Do you have a cedar chest, otherwise known as a “hope chest,” in your home? Perhaps you inherited it, or maybe you bought it secondhand. If you have children in your home, pay close attention to the following recall. They could be at great risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants everyone who has a cedar chest in their home to check and see whether it is a “Lane” or “Virginia Maid” brand chest. These chests ma...
August 27, 2018 /
Can That Truck Stop?
Large trucks are subject to many regulations and inspection processes to ensure that they are safe and roadworthy. But if a truck’s braking systems do not work, all the other regulations and inspections do not mean much. If a truck can’t stop, devastation and destruction of human life often follow. In a major study done by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), it was determined that, when a large truck crash was caused b...
August 6, 2018 /
What Does “Loss of Consortium” Mean?
In a personal injury case, most of the damage claims are based on the injuries and suffering of the accident victim; but some damages are based on the suffering of loved ones. One of these types of damages is called loss of consortium. You may have heard the phrase and wondered about it. Generally, loss of consortium is intended to compensate the victim’s loved ones for the repercussions that the victim’s injuries or death have caused. Spe...
July 30, 2018 /
A “Wake-Up Call”?
Among young adults, the death rate from 1999 to 2013 dropped 33 percent. However, the death rate abruptly reversed direction between 2013 and 2016, rising 12 percent. According to a recent report released June 1, 2018, by the National Center for Health Statistics at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). the increase in deaths is due to motor vehicle accidents, drug overdoses, suicides, and homicides, and not to illnesses li...
July 23, 2018 /
Make Your Time off Safer
It’s high summer, and there’s no denying that many of our minds are on vacation time and having fun. Whether you’ll be driving, taking a plane, or staying home, we have some ideas for you so that your entire family can enjoy vacation time safely. Hitting the Highway AAA estimates that nearly 47 million of us will be on the road over the Fourth of July holiday alone. If you’ll be joining the many millions traveling by passenger vehicle t...
July 16, 2018 /
Don’t Leave the Kids in the Car!
Summer’s heat is in full swing, and with it comes an increased number of reports about children dying because they were left in a hot car. On average, each year 37 kids lose their lives to this senseless, avoidable tragedy. In June 2018 alone, we’ve already had two regional deaths due to hot cars: a 3-year-old in Anderson, Indiana, and a 2-year-old in Crittenden, Kentucky. To date in Indiana (late June, 2018), nine kids have suffered motor ve...
July 9, 2018 /
Death from a “Mech Mod” Vape Pen
It’s been noted previously that e-cigarettes can explode, usually because of the lithium-ion (LI) battery in use. A number of e-cigarette accidents have taken place with horrific results. But in May, 2018, a vape pen malfunction meant death in St. Petersburg, Florida, where a man was found burned on 80 percent of his body. It is believed to be the first death directly attributed to a vape pen or e-cigarette. But it wasn’t the burns that ki...
June 25, 2018 /
Strengthening Drug Tests for Truck Drivers
In May, 2018, the Trucking Alliance (also known as the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security) publicly stated that they intend to advocate for a drug testing law that would apply to anyone seeking a “safety-sensitive” position in the trucking industry. One of the main purposes of the law is to address the increasing number of opioid addicts, keeping them out of a tractor-trailer driver’s seat. The proposed law would confirm that a poten...
June 18, 2018 /
What Are the Real Reasons for Motor Vehicle Crashes?
Sometimes, establishing the reasons for a car crash is complicated. One factor that can make determinations even more imprecise is that state crash report forms used at the scene often lack the appropriate fields or places to enter codes that would explain the precise reason for the collision. Because each state uses its own form, no consistency exists. Compiling accurate national statistics becomes difficult, producing results that are just plai...
June 11, 2018 /
Most Common Killers
Although you might not want to think about it, we all die sooner or later. Approximately 2.6 million of us passed away in the U.S. during 2014, according to the CDC. But do you know what the odds are for the most likely causes of death? We have some 2016 statistics, courtesy of the National Safety Council (NSC), that detail the most likely ways we are to die in the United States. Keep in mind that the odds listed below apply to our entire popu...
June 4, 2018 /
Is Catastrophic Failure Inevitable for Allegiant Air?
If you’re like most people, you look for low fares when you want to fly, and some of the lowest around are found by traveling on the deep-discount airlines Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant. But a recent report from CBS’s “60 Minutes,” and a prediction by a Kentucky-based pilot and aviation professional, may give you pause if you fly Allegiant Airlines. “A Sense of Urgency” Allegiant is known for making short, nonstop trips at rock-bo...
May 14, 2018 /
Pre-Existing Conditions and Motor Vehicle Accidents
If you have a pre-existing medical condition and have sustained injuries in a motor vehicle crash where the other party was negligent, you may be concerned that you cannot win your case. While it can be more difficult to win, having a pre-existing condition does not negate the fact that the other person caused the accident and that you are suffering in ways that you weren’t before the accident. The insurance company for the at-fault party in...
