1. One in five drivers are involved in an auto accident each year.
2. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for those under the age of 45.
3. Close to 35,000 people die each year in auto accidents, half of whom would have been saved by the use of seat belts.
4. For every one percent increase in the use of seat belts, 172 lives are saved.
5. Seat belts reduce auto accident fatalities by 60-70 percent.
6. A person is 25 times more likely to die when thrown from a vehicle.
7. Children are often killed by being crushed by unrestrained adults.
8. The most common injuries to children in car accidents are head injuries resulting in brain damage, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy or death.
9. Over 80% of child fatalities in auto accidents would have been prevented by the proper use of seat belts or car seats. Unfortunately, less than ten percent of children are properly restrained.
10. Seat belts may provide the greatest and only protection against DUI drivers. 

A seat belt may very well save your life in the case of a car accident. If that is not enough, it may save your child. Just as importantly, it could minimize physical injuries.There many more good reasons for wearing a seat belt and none that would suggest otherwise.

www.harrellandharrell.com

I was reminded of this today by reading a news article this morning of a bicyclist run over by a woman turning into a school. I’m sure neither of them wanted to be in an accident and no one intentionally tried to harm someone. A few extra seconds to make sure there is no one in harm’s way will do us all some good.

A few years back, a teacher died as a result of a car accident in a school parking lot in our neighborhood. The vehicle was going no more than 10 mph but the teacher was in the wrong place at the wrong time and landed right on her head.

At the end of last school year, I was almost an eye witness to a young elementary school girl being run over by a car while crossing in a crosswalk with our regular crossing guard holding her big red stop sign up in the air. The crossing guard always waits until traffic is completely stopped in a ll 4 directions before letting the kids come anywhere near the roadway. Not this time, she looked all 3 ways but had her back turned to the car directly in front of me when she let this poor child cross the road. As you should expect, the let’s say 3rd grader did not even look for traffic. Why ? – she thinks the crossing guard has done that just like she always does. The driver of the Ford Explorer missed this child by inches and I had my heart drop like a rock. The child, the guard and the driver all stopped in their tracks for several minutes to fully realize what they thankfully avoided. I patiently waited and said a quick prayer of thanks that I did not witness a gruesome crash.

After doing this job for 15 years, I could bore you to death with literally thousands of horrific accident stories. Let’s all try to take that extra moment, drive a little slower and make sure we look all 4 ways before proceeding through our school zones. Your day and someone else’s will be much better as a result.

Both of these accidents involved the wrongful death of a young teenager filled with lots of promise and potential. Neither of them were restrained by a seat-belt. I can’t say for certain if a seat-belt would have changed the outcome but my hunch is that both of these kids would still be with their friends and family enjoying the waning days of summer had they taken a few seconds to buckle up!

Don’t start the car until you and your passengers are properly restrained by a seatbelt or secured in a car seat.

DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC – WEAR YOUR SEAT-BELT!

www.harrellandharrell.com

It is saddening and truly unfortunate to hear that such extraordinary measures are being taken to stop the ongoing abuse and neglect in a Jacksonville nursing home.  As a community, we need to work harder to immediately hold nursing homes responsible when there has been abuse or neglect.  It is often, sadly, the most vulnerable, that need our protection.  If you feel a loved one has been the victim of abuse or neglect in this or any other nursing home, please contact us…

www.harrellandharrell.com

How much thought do you put into swimming pool safety this time of year?

With a house full of little swimmers, it is constantly on my mind. With temperatures starting to climb into the 90′s here in Jacksonville, FL the pool temperature is steadily going up. My kids think it is because daddy has the heater running (little do they know) but that is for another article.

It only takes a moment for a child or adult to drown in even the slightest bit of water. We should all make sure our pool safety fences are in good condition and that the self-locking mechanism device on the gate  is operating properly. For those of you that have doors and windows equipped with alarms – check to see if they work just like you would for your smoke detector. You don’t want to find out after a swimming pool accident that it could have been easily avoided. Next, it’s time to consider swimming lessons for the little ones that have not developed gills yet. There are plenty of options out there from private to group lessons.

As far as the pool itself goes, you should have a qualified expert like your local pool company come out and  make sure your safety devices such as the pressure relief valve on the drains are working. Who knows what kind of creature could have called your pool equipment home over the winter months.

There are many other things to consider but one of the most important is to not swim alone or let a non-swimmer have access to your pool without qualified supervision. We have all heard horrific stories of how fast a drowning can occur – Don’t let it happen on your watch or in your pool!

www.harrellandharrell.com

Here’s the link to the recall.

Obviously, you should immediately stop use of these baby slings. The recall uses 4 months of age and younger wording but I would err on the side of caution and stop using it altogether. Over a million slings are being recalled in the United States and fifteen thousand in Canada.

Here’s the link to the CPSC / Infantino recall .

• Dial 911 – In Florida, a police report must be completed after all auto accidents if property damage exceeds $500 or if it involves an injury or death. Call 911 to report the accident and make sure to advise the 911 operator of any injuries.

• If possible, move your vehicle to the side of the road and turn off your ignition. Try to stand clear of the accident vehicles while calling for help to avoid injury in case the cars are hit again. If parties are injured, do not attempt to move them unless they are in immediate danger.

• Our Florida car accident attorneys always recommend that you avoid admitting fault or discussing fault with others involved in the collision. You should always try to avoid confrontation and cooperate fully with law enforcement and/or rescue personnel.

• Exchange information with all parties involved in the collision without discussing or admitting fault. Make sure to write down registration numbers, drivers license info, and insurance info.

• Check for witnesses to the auto accident - obtain witness contact information (including work and home phone numbers). Don’t assume the police will write down all the witness information.

• If you are experiencing any pain, seek immediate medical attention (even if you feel the injury is minor).

• Make sure to photograph your vehicle (before repairs are completed) and injuries sustained from the crash. If you have a camera available at the scene you may want to photograph the crash scene and vehicles involved in the collision.

Above all, protect your rights. You are not required to give statements to the other party’s insurance company. While you should cooperate with your own insurance company, you may want to consider consulting one of our Jacksonville auto accident attorneys before giving a statement.

Give us a call (800)251-1111 or fill out our convenient online form at www.harrellandharrell.com if we can be of any assistance or just answer a few questions.

The Boston Herald recently did a story on nursing homes that take advantage of some of our most at-risk citizens by urging seniors to sign complex nursing home contracts with arbitration agreements tucked away inside. This means that the nursing home is less likely to pay for gross negligence or outright abuse of its patients because arbitration agreements almost always result in lower awards for victims and less legal fees for the facility.

Harrell & Harrell has experienced nursing home abuse lawyers in Jacksonville that can talk to you about your case if you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse. Please contact us by phone or send us an e-mail if you have any questions.

Regardless of the answers to the questions – if you own a recalled Toyota make sure you are bringing it into your local dealership so any and all safety issues can be addressed. What a mess!

If we can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to call one of our Jacksonville personal injury law offices at (800)251-1111 or contact us at your convenience on the internet.

Harrell & Harrell, PA – your Jacksonville injury team.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve!