San Antonio Legal Advice

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and as part of a collaborative effort, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Georgia Department of Highway Safety have teamed up to educate young drivers of the potential dangers.

Study finds 1 in every 4 accidents involves cell phone use

Distractions can also be blamed on approximately 450,000 injuries each year.

A recent report from the National Safety Council indicates that 1 of every 4 wrecks can be attributed to cell phone use. Interestingly, only a small portion of those are blamed on text messaging, though teens are more prone to texting than other drivers.

This kind of faulty thinking is perpetuated by the fact that while all states have some form of text messaging ban, none ban talking on a phone for all drivers. What’s more, none forbid hands-free cell phone devices, despite the fact that research has proven they are equally as dangerous as handheld devices.

Measuring the Scale of Loss

The $871 billion in losses that the NHTSA calculated included $277 billion in actual economic expenditures like medical treatment. These costs average out to around $900 per U.S. citizen. The total also included $594 billion in harm resulting from the loss of life, the decreased quality of life from those seriously injured, and the pain that the injured endure.

There are three specific types of collisions that are responsible for the majority of these costs and losses: drunk driving accidents, speeding accidents and collisions caused by distracted drivers.

Crashes caused by drunk drivers accounted for a total of 18 percent of all of the economic losses and 23 percent of the overall societal harm that resulted from motor vehicle collisions in 2010. In total, there were $49 billion in economic losses and another $199 billion in losses to society that occurred because of drivers who were impaired by alcohol. The economic losses alone averaged out to $158 for every single person in the country.

Crashes caused by speeding drivers accounted for 21 percent of all of the economic losses and 24 percent of the overall societal harm that occurred due to motor vehicle accidents in 2010. In total, the economic losses from speeding drivers equaled $59 billion or an average of $191 per person in the United States. The costs of overall societal harm from speeding drivers totaled around $210 billion.

Finally, crashes caused by distracted drivers accounted for 17 percent of total economic loss and 15 percent of overall societal harm. The economic losses totaled $46 billion and the societal losses totaled $129 billion. Again, just the economic costs averaged out to around $148 for every single individual in the United States.

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C
garymartinhays.com

If you have been injured you can contact an Atlanta Lawyer today!

Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer

Welcome to “Do I Need A Lawyer?”
Thanks for joining us!

If you have a question you would like for me to answer, or if you would like to speak with me regarding a potential claim, please pick up the phone and give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.

Our Firm
I was riding on my motorcycle on Pleasant Hill Road. It was about 2:00 p.m. – early afternoon. The roads were dry. The weather was sunny and there was not a cloud in the sky. This elderly woman pulls out of a fast food restaurant’s parking lot. She was trying to turn left and pulled out in front of me. She didn’t even look – or wasn’t paying attention when she pulled out. I laid down the bike as best I could but still crashed into the rear driver’s side of her car. I broke my right ankle and actually had to have surgery on it because it was really messed up.
Do I need a lawyer? And can you help me???” -Glenn in Norcross.

I am so sorry to hear about your wreck – and to answer your questions – yes and yes!
You need a lawyer and I would be happy to help you.

But let me give our viewers some alarming statistics from government studies about motorcycle accidents:
* In 2010, 4,502 people were killed in the United States in accidents involving motorcycles.

The at fault driver was attempting to turn left out of the fast food restaurant driveway when she pulled out in front of you.
Now what is the main reason these motorcycle accidents happened?

So let’s look at how we can prevent these wrecks from ever happening in two ways:
First – from the perspective of the person riding the motorcycle.
Here are 5Tips I’d like to share:

(2) Follow the speed limit!
And this really does apply to all of us, not just to motorcycle riders.
Speed kills.

In fact, a motorcyclist not wearing a helmet is 40% more likely to die of a head injury than one who wears a helmet.

(4) Keep your headlight on at all times.

Colors that stand out – like yellow, orange, or bright red jackets will help you be seen by others.

Now here are a couple of helpful hints for all of us:
(1) Look Twice, Save A Life!

You should always double check to make sure the road is clear before you pull into a roadway from either a stop sign, a yield sign, or a driveway.

(2) Keep your eyes on the road!

No Texting and no trying to dial the phone.

Insurance adjusters are trained to act like your long lost friend. They will tell you things like “You don’t need a lawyer. We are here to help you.”

You really have to ask yourself – Do you want to take on the insurance company and THEIR lawyers by yourself?
Let me show you just how much of a difference hiring a lawyer can make on your case.
A consumer panel survey of auto accident victims by the Insurance Research Council showed the following:
* Injured victims receive an average of 40% more money just by consulting a lawyer to learn their rights!

* Injured victims receive an average of 3 and ? times more money when they hire an attorney to defend their rights!
3 and ? times more money.
Let’s put that in real dollars.

That money could be used to take care of your future medical needs or to help you catch up on your bills.
Please – you owe it to yourself to call a lawyer to discuss the facts of your specific claim.

Just pick up the phone right now and give us a call at (770) 934-8000.
Our legal professionals are standing by right now to speak with you.
The consultation is FREE and completely confidential.
I encourage you – if you don’t call us, please call someone to help you with your claim.

So give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.
And stay tuned for more of “Do I Need A Lawyer”

Personal Injury Law

Hip Replacement Surgery?

Thanks for joining us!
I’m Gary Martin Hays.

Our staff of legal professionals are standing by right now to take your information.
The call is completely confidential, there is no obligation, and the consultation is free.

Now let’s go to a question from a woman who had a hip replacement surgery a couple years ago.
Recently I have been having pain and swelling in my hip. There is also this weird, squeaky noise every once in a while. I have seen on the news where some hip implants were being recalled because people were having problems with them. Do you think I need a lawyer in case my hip replacement was one of the recalled hips? – Donna in Marietta
Donna – thanks for the question. I’m sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing now from your hip implant. I would encourage anyone that is having complications from any surgery – whatever the reason for the surgery – to get in to see the doctor as soon as possible. This goes well beyond whether or not you have a legal claim for your injuries and complications.

The specific hips recalled were the DePuy ASR and some DePuy Pinnacle models.

(2) The other big hip recall involves the Stryker Corporation.

The Stryker Recall was made in June 2012.
Why were these hips recalled?
Because metal ions were shearing off of the cup in which the ceramic ball of the hip was placed, causing these tiny metal fragments to lodge in the surrounding tissue or to be released into the bloodstream.
Some of the problems associated with the Stryker hip implants include:

. Pseudo tumors
. Heavy metal poisoning
. Revisionary surgery

. Kidney problems and possible renal failure
. Neurological issues

. Loss of vision or hearing

. Gastrointestinal disorders
There are 5 things you need to know when it comes to the Stryker recall:

(3) You will need to know the name of the surgeon who performed your surgery

(5) Joining a class action law suit against Stryker may not get you the full compensation you deserve.

(1) Document everything!

You may consider having a second opinion from a different surgeon about your pain.

Only a lawyer can get you the full compensation you deserve for your injuries. Just because you had one of these hip recalls does not mean Stryker will be reaching out to you and giving you money.
Also realize this: DO NOT DELAY IN PURSUING THESE CLAIMS.

Now – if you have questions about a potential claim, please give us a call.

If you would like to speak with my law firm about your claim, we make it easy for you.
Just pick up the phone right now and give us a call at (770) 934-8000.
Our intake specialists are standing by right now to speak with you.
The consultation is FREE and completely confidential.

So give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.

We’ll be right back.

Hip Replacement Recall Lawyers

Let’s go to our next question:

You are correct! I would highly recommend that you have your dad contact a lawyer as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, not ALL of them perform that way ALL of the time.

So getting back to your question:

Let me give you an example:

Federal regulations only require the truck driver’s to keep these logs for six months unless an attorney takes action to secure them.
So if we are hired, we immediately send the trucking company and their insurance company a letter telling them they can’t destroy the driver’s logs as this is important evidence for our client’s claim.
Now let me give you some other factors we investigate when taking on the trucking companies.
We look to see how well the tractor and the trailer are maintained.
Federal law requires these companies to keep their equipment in proper working order AND to keep records regarding this maintenance.
When these trucks and the trailers they pull are properly maintained, it helps prevent brake failures and tire blowouts.
Keep in mind: in order to drive these big trucks, the drivers must have a commercial driver’s license.
Plus these trucking companies must use strict standards when they hire these truck drivers.

Now I am a big advocate of defensive driving, so let me give you some tips to try and prevent injuries on the highway and avoid these accidents altogether.
(1) Drive with caution around trucks on the road.
Remember they cannot stop on a dime so don’t pull in front of one and assume they can safely stop in time.
(2) Stay visible to the truck driver.
If you can’t see the driver’s mirrors, chances are he can’t see you.
(3) Pay attention to the trucks turn signals and don’t travel for long periods of time next to a tractor trailer.

Call a lawyer. If not us, please call a lawyer that has experience handling tractor trailer claims. It is a BAD idea to try and take on the trucking company, their insurance company, and their lawyers by yourself.

The consultation is FREE and completely confidential.
And I encourage you – if you don’t call us, please call someone to help you with your claim.

So give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.
And stay tuned for more of “Do I Need A Lawyer”. We’ll be right back.

Workers Compensation Lawyer