Injuryboard Commentary - Insurance Coverage

I-94 Head On Collision Sends Two To The Hospital

Mike Bryant — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:46:00 GMT

Saturday night, a Toyota Tundra hit a Toyota Sienna sending a mother and her son to the hospital. The Tundra was driving wrong way on a ramp from I-94 at 49th Avenue. Five other children were also injured in the van with the hospitalized pair. Investigation continues, but it is suggested that alcohol played a role.

If you are in an accident, make sure to get the names of anyone who indicates they saw what happened. If you witness an accident, check to see if everyone is OK and stay around or at least give the drivers your contact information. If you are injured, seek the advice of an attorney who does that kind of work and who can explain your coverages and rights.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Weather, Speed, And Holiday Cheer: Time To Be Extra Safe On The Roads

Mike Bryant — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:26:41 GMT

The first week in December has again seen an increase in highway deaths. Hopefully, this isn't a sign of what is coming for the rest of the month. It is important with so many people rushing around and holiday parties starting up, that we all keep a little better look out.

Saturday night, a truck went the wrong way on the 49th Ave. Ramp on I-94 and hit a mini van head on. A passenger in the van lost her eight month old unborn child. She and her 10 year-old son are in critical condition, and four other children, ages three to nine, were also hurt. The truck driver is suspected of being drunk according to the Minnesota Sate Patrol.
Friday afternoon, a 23-year-old Watkins man died when his 1996 Saturn was hit by a 1995 Jeep Cherokee in Meeker county. The jeep failed to yield at 642nd Avenue and 365th Street in Forrest Prairie Township, according to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office.
Thursday afternoon, A pickup truck and sedan collided at the intersection of County Road 45 and County Road 9 in Farden Township , according to the Hubbard County Sheriff's Office. The driver of the pickup truck and a passenger in the car were each ejected. Both were pronounced dead on the scene. The Hubbard County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the accident.
Tuesday afternoon, a 78 year old Roseville woman died in a seven car chain-reaction crash on County Road C at Snelling Avenue. Six eastbound vehicles were at a red light on County Road C when a westbound minivan hit the woman's vehicle at high speed, pushing it into the next vehicle and so on, the Roseville police said.

The 2009 numbers have continued to drop. Weeks like this still cause concern. With the holidays and winter type conditions, hopefully people will be careful. More will be found out over the coming weeks as to the causes of each of these collisions, so it's to early to tell if the common causes of speed and alcohol were involved in any of the incidents. In all of these cases sorrow for the families of those involved goes out.

As with any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are many issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed on the same topic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Arizonian Arrested After Hit And Run In Todd County

Mike Bryant — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Thursday afternoon, a hit and run driver was arrested by the Todd County Sheriff. The pick up driver had hit a 71 year-old man and left the scene. Witnesses were able to describe the truck and spotted one matching the description in a driveway. The pedestrian was injured and taken to Long Prairie Memorial Hospital.

Often when the drivers are tracked down, it is determined that the driver was drunk, high or driving with no insurance. If you or a family member is ever involved with a hit and run driver, it is imperative that the police be contacted right away and they be told everything so that an investigation can be successful. All witnesses need to be spoken to and all evidence will need to be preserved.

This is also the time when you learn how good your own insurance coverage is. Your No Fault PIP coverage will be needed to cover your medical bills, wage loss, medical mileage and replacement services. If you have more than one car on your policy, hopefully you have stacked coverage which multiplies your minimum limits by your cars. The other coverage that will come in to play is your Uninsured motorist coverage. This is the coverage that you have to protect you when the other car has no coverage or is nowhere to be found. As I pointed out previously and other members has advised, this may be a vital coverage as more people are forgoing insurance coverage in tough economic times.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Two Single Car Accidents Remind Us That Winter Driving Requires Extra Care

Mike Bryant — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:47:00 GMT

Wednesday night, two separate collisions in northern Todd County were reported. Todd County Sheriff personal believe that snow played a role in both incidents.:

Around 7 am a eastbound pickup on Todd County Road 73 west of Hewitt lost control 73 and rolled.
An hour later, a southbound 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier on Todd County Road 23 near Hewitt went out of control, went into the ditch and rolled.

This is exactly the type of accident, I blogged about with: Single Car Accidents: Is There A Claim? . Hopefully, all of those involved will recover quickly, but if not the help of experienced Personal Injury attorneys can make a difference in getting to the bottom of what coverages are involved.

Despite the warm November it won't be long until we see winter conditions across the state. For all Drivers winter road tips from DPS and MnDOT include:

Always use seat belts.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly on icy/snow-covered roads to retain traction and avoid skids.
Do not use cruise control.
Do not “power up” hills, which may cause wheels to spin. Build momentum before reaching a hill and don’t stop while traveling uphill. Reduce speed before going downhill.
Know your brakes. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of the foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
Give yourself plenty of travel time. Don’t put your schedule before safety.
Clear snow and ice from vehicle windows, hood, headlights, brake lights and directional signals.
Headlights must be turned on when it is snowing or sleeting.

Most police officers asked say the key is usually to Just Slow Down.

Sgt. Jeff Wenker of the Marshall Police Department made a number of great suggestions concerning winter driving. They included:

Watch the weather, don't travel if the weather is bad
Carry extra clothing, extra blankets and extra food with you and a heat source such as Sterno or candles is not a bad idea to take along.
An empty can, such as a coffee can, can be used for bathroom breaks. Toilet paper and hand wipes could be useful, as well.
If you are on medications, always carry extra.
Don't store extra water in your vehicle because it will freeze, but take extra water with you before you leave on the trip.
Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and bring a charger with you.
Let someone know the route you will be taking and do not deviate from it.
Take your time. A four-hour trip might take five. It's easier to drive slow when you've allowed the time.
If you do slide off the road or have to pull over due to the weather or road conditions: Your car can be an effective shelter so don't leave it unless you have to. Windchills are dangerous and can kill if you are exposed for too long. A vehicle offers some protection from that.
If it's a white-out, you don't want to walk out, because you can lose your way.
Run the engine 10 minutes every hour to help keep you warm. Bundle up in the extra clothes and blankets.
Keep the windows open a crack so you stand less chance of being poisoned by carbon monoxide. Check the tail pipe periodically and clear it if necessary to keep the exhaust from coming back into the vehicle.

Hopefully, all of the suggestions will lead to lives being saved and people making it home safe this winter.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Tiger Woods Crashes Car after Rumors of Sexual Affair

Joe Crumley — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:34:56 GMT

News services Friday afternoon reported that Tiger Woods, the best golfer in the world, was seriously injured in a car wreck outside his Florida home early in the morning. Later reports indicated the injuries were not serious.

Woods apparently left his suburban Orlando driveway atand struck a tree and fire hydrant, causing serious facial injuries. Woods, who at 33 has consistently matched and exceeded all golfing records, may have heard recent internet and tabloid reports that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel.

The news reports regarding the crash did not intially reference the infidelity stories, but the blogosphere soon began questioning a link.

The police report, above, indicates the one-car crash occurred just outside Woods' driveway.

The Orlando Sentinel reported:

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP said. No other information about his condition has been released.

A Health Central hospital employee said at 2:30 p.m. that Woods was not a patient. A hospital operator would not say if Woods had been treated and released.

FHP said the airbags in Woods' Cadillac Escalade did not deploy, which means the vehicle was traveling under 33 mph.

Orange County Fire Rescue received the call for aid at 2:28 a.m. Woods was transported from his Windermere-area neighborhood by the hospital's own ambulance.

An Orange County Sheriff's Office official said his agency received it's call for assistance at 2:27 a.m. An operator was told the driver was injured and still inside the vehicle.

FHP did not report the accident until just after 2 p.m. today. The agency said the crash remains under investigation and charges are pending.

Golf fans the world over are hoping for the best for Tiger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb2qJpDR6PQ&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUnNq1lFFbU

In any car wreck with injuries, assesing damages can be an issue. Wage and income loss, in particular, can be difficult to assess. Tiger Woods, the richest athlete in the world, would be an extreme example. How much would Tiger lose if he couldn't golf?

Tiger crashed his own car, and it sounds like he won't be seriously injured. If another driver were involved, insurance coverage would be a major issue. No one carries enough insurance to fully compensate Tiger, should he be unable to work.

For Tiger, and anyone else injured in a car accident, getting a lawyer who will be able to calculate and argue for full and fair lost earnings would be crucial. My partner Mike Bryant, and I have been representing such people for years, and have written many articles and taught many classes to other lawyers on these subjects.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Crumley

Why Did A Semi Truck Rollover Close Highway 10?

Mike Bryant — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:13:30 GMT

Much of last night, U.S. Highway 10 near its intersection with Minnesota Highway 15, was closed. A 2006 Volvo semi-tractor lost control and rolled over. The road was closed until 3:00 am. Odd to see a single truck incident like that. What happened on this stretch of road:

Was it weather? Speed? Something else? This one will be interesting to find out what happened. The State Patrol is still investigating.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

What Will The Police Find With Gray Eagle Accident?

Mike Bryant — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:43:34 GMT

Friday morning, a eastbound vehicle missed a stop sign at the intersection of Todd County Road 98 with Minnesota Highway 287 west of Grey Eagle. The vehicle slid across the intersection and went into a westbound ditch of Highway 287. A second vehicle directly behind also missed the stop sign, went across the intersection and hit the rear of first vehicle.

Was it weather? Speed? Something else? This one will be interesting to find out what happened. The Todd County Sheriff is still investigating.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Watkins Man Injured In St Cloud Intersection Accident

Mike Bryant — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:41:00 GMT

Tuesday morning, a intersection collision at 33rd Avenue and First Street North sent a Watkins man to St Cloud Hospital. The man was ejected from his car after the impact. The intersection section has a stop sign, so it will be interesting to see if the common issues of speed explains what happened. Investigation continues.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Five More Die This Weekend From Collisions On Minnesota Roads

Mike Bryant — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:54:00 GMT

There has been some tragic weekends this year on Minnesota roads. It was warm again, so did people start speeding up?

Two people were killed Sunday morning when they were hit head on by a pickup truck in the southbound lane of I-35 at Hwy. 8.
A 27-year-old Minneapolis man died Friday in a one-car rollover crash on Interstate 35 in Pine County.
A South Dakota teen was killed in a one-vehicle crash south of Beaver Creek on Friday.
A 63-year-old man died Saturday after he suffered a broken neck and other injuries in the Oct. 12 single-vehicle crash in Chaska.

These deaths, like any other on Minnesota roads is particularly unfortunate considering it comes after the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) reported that overall the number of highway deaths has been down for 2009 with more than 300 people having died this year in Minnesota traffic collisions. There were 458 deaths in 2008, which was a drop from 510 in 2007. Sorrow for the family of all of these people that were killed goes out.

It will be important to look back and try to figure out why there were certain clusters of highway weekend deaths in 2009.

Another Deadly Weekend On Minnesota Roads, Mike Bryant, October 10, 2009 8:28 PM

Worries On The Rise That This Is Becoming Another Deadly Weekend On Minnesota Roads, Mike Bryant | June 28, 2009 9:42 AM

Another Weekend Of Increased Minnesota Highway Deaths Continues To Cause Concerns, Mike Bryant | June 06, 2009 11:14 PM

Deadly Weekend On Minnesota Roads,Mike Bryant , May 25, 2009 12:12 AM

These are way to many deadly weekends. As with any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are many issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed last year on the same topic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

St Paul Collision Sends Six To The Hospital

Mike Bryant — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:28:00 GMT

Saturday night, a intersection collision on Roberts Street, sent everyone involved to the Regions Hospital. A 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out of a shopping mall parking lot onto Robert Street and into the path of a northbound Mercury Mystique, which hit the Cavalier broadside on the driver's side. Investigation continues with involvement from Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul and West St. Paul emergency units assisting.

Two people were thrown from the turning vehicle. Both were not wearing seat belts. They also were the most severely injured. Yet another reminder of the important of wearing a seatbelt from the minute you get into the vehicle.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant