Talking to Other People

Interacting with other passengers while driving a vehicle is one of the common causes of distracted driving. You should remain focused on the road even if you are talking to other people while driving and make it clear to them if you need silence from all the passengers at any point.

Eating and Drinking

Eating and drinking can create a distraction while driving that may potentially lead to car accidents. At the very least, if you become distracted and don’t concentrate while driving, it will create more risk of causing an accident. Try to avoid foods and drinks with packaging that is difficult to handle while driving, and choose small and easy snacks that you can grab without looking or paying too much attention to the food.

Trying to Navigate

While you may consider this to be an important part of making any journey in your car, reading or looking at anything – including maps – can further the risk of a car accident and distract you from the important task at hand. Always choose hands-free options, or pull over to the side of the road and stop your car if you need to look at maps in more detail.

Listening to Music

Listening to music is one of the most popular activities for many drivers, but if it takes your attention off the road, it might become risky. Not only can loud and distracting music take your focus away from driving, but you may also become distracted by changing the station, switching on your Bluetooth devices, or plugging in any accessories.

Get Help After an Accident

With distracted driving so commonplace on the road, there will be times when people in St Petersburg and Palm Harbor may need to enlist the help of a personal injury attorney. Blenner Law Group is there to fight for your legal rights and offers experienced and knowledgeable legal representation.

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According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration car accidents caused by speeding are up as much as 15% in some areas during recent months. The resulting injuries become worse as your speed increases. This speed is also a significant factor in crash liability.

It should be no surprise that speeding isn’t only common but also quite dangerous. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately one-third of all deadly crashes occur when at least one of the parties involved has been speeding. What’s interesting is that most drivers don’t think it’s an issue. They’ll even go so far as to make excuses for it.

In reality, driving at a high rate of speed has many dangerous consequences, including:

• You’re unable to easily maneuver your vehicle around obstructions and curves in the roadway.
• You need more time and distance so you can stop safely.
• Since it takes a bit for you to react to your vehicle when you get in an accident while speeding you’re more likely to get injured.
• You can’t possibly react fast enough to assess just how fast another vehicle is traveling when it’s moving at a high speed.

Undoubtedly, cars traveling at excessive speeds are frequently a liability. Just how big of a liability they are will depend on factors specific to the case.

Defining Speeding

Although this sounds easy, you should know that you could also get a speeding ticket when you’re traveling too fast for the road conditions, even when you’re going under the speed limit. This is why you need to remain alert to any changes in weather conditions. Of course, you also need to watch for congested traffic, roadway debris, poorly maintained roads, and anything around you (e.g., bicyclists, pedestrians, animals).

According to F.S. 316.183, you aren’t permitted to drive your vehicle at an unreasonable speed. As a driver, you’re responsible for controlling your speed so you avoid causing a car accident. This is important to understand because if you’re found negligent you’ll also be found liable. Negligence is defined as not being careful enough to avoid harming someone else. When found negligent you’ll incur fines and points on your driver’s license. You may also be held liable for your actions if someone else gets hurt.

Retaining a Lawyer After a Car Accident

Just because you were in a car accident where someone is injured or killed doesn’t mean it has to go to litigation. Relatively minor injuries can be adequately compensated with the personal injury protection (PIP) part of your insurance coverage. This coverage offers about $10K in coverage for medical and wage loss. No proof of fault is necessary.

When you’re in a car accident that meets the severe injury threshold you may step outside of the no-fault system to pursue a claim with the other driver’s insurance. To do this you must be able to prove the other driver’s negligence. This means that if you can prove that the other driver was traveling at too high of a rate of speed you can prove that they’re breaching their duty of care for others as a driver.

To win your case here you not only need to prove this, but you must also prove that they caused the crash and your injuries. It’s also important for you to defend against accusations that you contributed to the accident and the injuries that were incurred therein.

When you get into a car accident in St. Petersburg, reach out to us at Blenner Law Group. We may be able to forego a lawsuit and still negotiate a fair insurance settlement for you. Put our dedication to the test. Contact us today.

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Living in Palm Harbor or St Petersburg, FL, you’re bound to encounter numerous bicyclists. As a vehicle owner in the area, you know you’ll need to share the road with them.

Unfortunately, sharing the road with some bicyclists doesn’t work out so well. Some of them aren’t very cautious. Sometimes they may even be at fault when a collision occurs. Of course, there may also be at fault sometimes.

Car accidents involving bicyclists don’t have to make you anxious. Knowing what to do when they occur will help calm your nerves. Take a few minutes to learn how to better share the road with them.

Tips for Preventing Bicycle Accidents in Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg FL

Bicycle accidents happen for many different reasons. Some of the most common reasons include speeding, intoxication, and poor signage or road maintenance.

Regardless of what caused the bicycle accident, both drivers and riders can prevent these car accidents in the future. For the sake of prevention, you must understand your role in preventing these accidents.

Tips for Drivers

As a driver, some of the things that you can do to prevent these car accidents include:

• Be on the lookout for bikes, especially in your blind spots
• Drive defensively and use your signals correctly
• Never drive when intoxicated or distracted
• Give bikes plenty of room

Tips for Bicyclists

Some precautions you can take as a bicyclist to avoid these bicycle accidents include:

• Use lights, reflective gear, and a helmet
• Watch for drivers to ensure that they see you
• Obey traffic rules (e.g., driving with the traffic as if you’re a car)
• When possible, use bike trails or lanes instead of busy streets
• Make proper use of your signals, so you remain predictable
• In situations with low visibility (e.g., bad weather, nighttime), be extra cautious
• Give motorists room and respect
• Avoid motorists’ blind spots whenever possible

How to Handle Car Accidents Involving Bicyclists

If you’re in a bicycle accident, you should stop and exchange contact information. Avoid discussing what caused the accident. Neither of you is likely to specialize in car accidents, so you won’t be able to determine liability. Instead, focus on getting as much documentation as possible (e.g., photographs, notes, contact information from witnesses).

When you’re in one of these accidents, it’s common for the driver to be automatically blamed, even if it isn’t their fault. If you’re injured, you should speak with a personal injury attorney immediately. Doing so will allow you to establish the case’s facts so you can seek compensation for your injuries.

Getting the Help You Need After an Accident

At Blenner Law Group, we understand that accidents happen. When they do, it shouldn’t be the end of the world for you. Instead, you should remember to reach out to us.

Over the years, we’ve helped numerous people during such unfortunate times in their lives. We’ve been able to help relieve the stress and anxiety they’ve felt during these times. We look forward to helping you too, so contact us today.

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A researcher with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated that everything that’s known about young drivers and their risk of being in a car accident teens still drives unsafe vehicles. These small vehicles don’t protect them well when they crash. This is because older vehicles don’t have the necessary safety equipment.

The researchers looked at information from deadly car accidents that occurred from 2013 – 2017. In doing so they found that teen motorists were four times more likely to be killed when driving older model vehicles. About 70% of the teens who died in these accidents were driving vehicles that were more than 6 years old. Furthermore, most teens spend at least half of their time driving a vehicle that’s over 10 years old. These vehicles are typically lighter and smaller. What makes this so interesting is that only about 4% of teen drivers who were killed in a car accident were driving vehicles that were less than three years old.

While a parent’s reluctance to buy an expensive car for their teenage driver is understandable, what most parents seem not to understand is how unsafe these vehicles really are. If they were to understand this they’d probably realize this was a wise investment.

Why Older Vehicles Pose a Higher Crash Risk for Teen Drivers

The old adage “they don’t make them like they used to” may sound good but the truth is that today’s vehicles are much safer. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has discovered that you’re more likely to get into a fatal car accident when driving an older vehicle. This is partially due to the fact that older vehicles don’t have the same safety features that today’s vehicles are equipped with.

Keeping Teen Drivers Safe in Florida

One of the best ways to keep your teen driver safe is to buy them a newer vehicle. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that every family is able to afford. This is why approximately 85% of the vehicles that teens own are used. In fact, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Consumer Reports’ annual Safe Vehicles for Teens list most of the vehicles that teens are driving are either used or inexpensive – costing less than $5,000.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention talk to their children frequently about safety behind the wheel. They should also lead by example and take time to practice driving together. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) also has a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that you can download from their website. This outlines the hazards and consequences that occur when you don’t drive safely. Herein your teen driver will be given the opportunity to state that they’ll always obey the rules. It also makes sense to review your automobile insurance coverage with your agent to ensure that your teen is adequately covered if they do get into a car accident.

If you’re in a car accident in St Petersburg and Palm Harbor, FL you’ll want to seek legal representation from the Blenner Law Group.

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Even if your child drives safe on the roads and follows all of the traffic rules, just the fact that
they may be spending more time than usual out on the highway could mean a higher risk of
car accidents or other mishaps.

Due to these reasons, now is a perfect time to sit them down and have a talk about how important
it is to drive safely. Here are some of the things you can talk to them about.

Don’t Focus on Passengers

Passengers are a distraction not only for the younger generation but even for adults. There have
been studies conducted that showcase how the risk of an accident rises with how many
passengers are in the car.

Perhaps discuss having a limit on how many passengers your teen can have in the car at one
time, to limit possible distractions.

All it takes is one group of kids getting a bit too rambunctious in the back of the car to cause a
serious accident.

Avoid Distracted Driving

There’s no getting around it, teenagers get easily distracted, especially during this age of cell
phones. Make it clear that when driving, all focus should be on the road and their surroundings.

Keep the cell phone put away while driving, and only call or text when parked and off of the
road. Texting and driving are a very deadly combination.

When they are with their friends, instill in them that it is of utmost importance that as long as
they are behind the wheel of the car, they must have their full attention on the road at all times.

Chatting and having fun is great, but passengers can be distracting and cause car accidents very
easily if they are a distraction to the driver.

Don’t Drink and Drive

On the topic of friends, your teen may find themselves hanging out with friends and getting a bit
buzzed. Hopefully, this is not the case, as underage drinking is already quite a fault in its own
right, but make it very clear that they should never drink and drive.

Driving while drunk is just asking for trouble, and a car full of teenagers who are more than a bit
tipsy is a recipe for disaster. Steer clear of car accidents by avoiding drunk driving altogether.

Don’t Cave to Peer Pressure

When riding along with their friends, your teen may do something that they would not normally
do which may endanger their safety.

Make it clear that no matter how much their passengers think something is cool or that they
should try an unsafe maneuver out they should not cave in to the peer pressure.

Help them through various peer pressure scenarios, and teach them how they can deal with the
issue.

Taking Long Drives

If your teen decides to take a longer drive, remind them about the effects of highway hypnosis,
fatigue, and other hazards that may arise when taking a long drive.

Encourage them to take breaks when needed, and to refresh themselves regularly to avoid any
potential car accidents which may occur due to fatigue or becoming distracted.

Conclusion

With these simple reminders, your teen can get back out on the roads and drive safely. Of course,
not every driver out there is going to be keeping these rules in mind.

Whether it be another teenager or an adult, it just takes one person to cause a serious accident. If
your teen has been hurt or injured by the fault of a negligent driver, do not hesitate to contact
Walt Blenner at Blenner Law Group.

Blenner Law Group will work tirelessly to get you the justice you deserve and will give your
case utmost importance. Your teen’s legal rights are just as important as anyone’s, and
experienced representation and counsel are found right here with us.

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Treatment:

Life as we know it has come to an abrupt, but hopefully brief, pause. Most things seem to have slowed, been interrupted or come to a complete stop.

If you’re an injury client, just know that if stop seeing your treating physician, you case will also stall. To resolve an injury claim, attorneys need to know from your doctor your diagnoses and future prognoses. Docs cannot assess that when they have an absentee patient. And when it comes time to settle your claim, most insurance companies recognize and sometimes penalize claimants when there’s a big gap in treatment. “How injured could your client be if they took 6 weeks off from treatment?”

No lawyer would ever advise their client to do something that the client considers dangerous, like leaving home for treatments if they fear for their medical safety. But if you have any questions, why not contact your treating physician to see what safety measures they have to protect their patients from COVID-19 concerns? At this point almost all clinics have written policies to put patients’ concern’s at ease.

Car Insurance:

In times of economic uncertainty, people lose jobs. Sometimes people fear losing their job or income and sometimes people just start cutting back financially in anticipation of a downturn in the economy.

When this occurs, certain things can get overlooked or eliminated. For instance, car insurance. Car insurance doesn’t put food on the table or keep that roof over your head. But do not ever stop paying for car insurance so long as you have a car and some income. Many people do. This makes you, as a driver or passenger on the road, incredibly vulnerable when every other car on the road is uninsured.

Yes, you can insure yourself in case that other driver has no insurance, called “uninsured motorist protection” or UM, but since UM is the most waive-able insurance, many people do not have it. In these cases, if you’re on the road, negligently hit by someone else and injured, you are almost completely out of luck. Your medical bills may be covered up to $10,000, but if those injuries are permanent, the at-fault driver had no insurance and you didn’t properly protect yourself or your family with UM.

Always, always, always insure yourself to the best of your financial ability.

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