Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLC Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLC2024-01-05T19:59:44Zhttps://www.gristlaw.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1103473/2020/11/cropped-favicon-wdg-32x32.pngOn Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=485792022-10-10T18:59:06Z2022-10-10T18:59:06Zas much as half.
Seat belts work by holding drivers firmly in place as their vehicles decelerate rapidly during car accidents. When your body presses up against a locked seat belt, though, you may suffer some superficial injuries. Indeed, it is not uncommon for accident survivors to have belt-shaped bruises across their torsos.
Bruises may be nothing to worry about
If you have a bruise on your midsection after an accident, you should not panic. After all, these bruises are often only skin-deep and go away on their own in a week or two. Unless you have additional symptoms, it may be ok to take a wait-and-see approach to your bruised torso.
Bruises can indicate something more serious
Even though your torso bruise may be superficial, it also could indicate something more serious. If you have a midsection bruise plus any of the following, you should seek immediate medical care:
Pain
Swelling
Loss of motion
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Headaches
Changes to your sleep patterns
You can take control of your health
It can be difficult for a layperson to tell the difference between a normal bruise and a potentially serious ailment, of course. Ultimately, to put your mind at ease, it is advisable to go to the emergency room for a physical examination after any car accident.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484712022-09-26T14:32:54Z2022-09-23T20:15:02Zdrug violations received by commercial truckers rose 10% in 2021 compared to the year prior. In 2020, truck drivers received 52,810 drug citations. Yet, in 2021, truckers received 58,215 such violations, raising questions about what might be behind the increase.
Truck drivers and the use of marijuana
Most trucker drug violations were the result of positive drug tests, and most positive drug tests were the results of marijuana usage. In fact, positive marijuana tests accounted for 55” of all failed drug tests. In 2020, there were 29,511 truck drivers who tested positive for marijuana. The following year, there were 31,085 truckers who tested positive for marijuana.
Truck drivers and the use of other drugs
Some in the trucking industry also have a history of relying on cocaine or amphetamines to stay awake or complete a job faster. Cocaine violations also went up among commercial truckers between 2020 and 2021. In 2020, 7,940 semi-drivers tested positive for cocaine, but in 2021, there were 8,765 violations.
When a trucker has a drug violation logged in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, it prevents him or her from working as normal. Instead, the offending truck driver must follow a pre-planned return-to-duty protocol if he or she wants to drive a truck professionally after a drug violation.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484692022-09-26T14:33:06Z2022-09-12T23:05:55Ztraumatic brain injuries are the most common injury type suffered in motorcycle crashes for motorcycle passengers as well as riders.
How often TBIs occur in motorcycle crashes
A study of more than 85,000 motorcycle riders and passengers revealed that passengers riding on the back of a bike suffer TBIs in about 40% of all bike crashes. Yet, the riders in the driver’s seat only suffer TBIs in about 36% of motorcycle wrecks.
How often motorcycle users wear helmets
Part of the reason you are more likely to suffer a TBI in a bike crash as a passenger than a driver is because passengers are less likely to wear helmets during their rides. Study results show that while two-thirds of motorcycle drivers wear helmets on a regular basis, about 57.5% of people riding on the backs of motorcycles do the same. Yet, even when both parties on the bike wear helmets, the driver is still 5% less likely to suffer a TBI in a crash. This is likely due to the fact that the driver has handlebars to grip on to, which makes him or her less likely to fall off he motorcycle.
Studies show that alcohol use also impacts helmet use and head injury risks, with both passengers and drivers less likely to wear helmets when they are under the influence.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484672022-09-26T14:13:12Z2022-08-26T19:50:56Zdescribes different aspects of skin graft surgery that, depending on your situation, could add up to large medical bills.
Costs of surgery
Naturally, skin graft expenses will include the procedure to graft skin onto your wounded area. Typically, skin graft surgery takes place in a hospital. Your surgeon will remove healthy skin from your donor area and transplant it onto the injured part of your body. Doctors may also give you general anesthesia to put you to sleep for the operation.
Costs of a hospital stay
Depending on your situation, you may have to remain in the hospital to recover. The more complicated your graft surgery, the more time you need. Some graft patients require two weeks of hospital rest before going home.
Costs of medication and follow-up
Your doctor will likely instruct you on how to protect your graft and prescribe medicines to help you with pain and other aftereffects. Your graft could also require follow-up visits to your doctor and possibly even therapy.
Costs of complications
Some skin grafts do not take. Graft patients may experience pus or bleeding from the grafting site. Pain, fever and infection are also possibilities. Complications could necessitate a return to the hospital, medication, and even removal of the graft.
Knowing these expenses is important as you may factor them into compensation in your injury case. Restoring your health should not put a drain on your wallet.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484652022-09-26T14:13:22Z2022-08-12T21:35:54ZWho could be liable in a truck accident?
Liability in a truck accident is sometimes more complex than the average auto accident. Some potentially liable parties include:
The driver could be at fault if they violated road laws or company policy at the time of the accident. If they are an independent truck driver, they would be responsible regardless.
The trucking company would be at fault if they failed to do regular maintenance or inspections on the truck that may have prevented the cause of the accident. Additionally, they are responsible for properly training drivers.
A third-party maintenance company could be at fault if the trucking company hired them to carry out routine maintenance, and they failed to fulfill their duties.
A part manufacturer could be at fault if a defective part caused the collision.
Sometimes more than one of these parties could be at fault for the same accident.
What if more than one party is liable?
When more than one party is liable, you may have more than one defendant in your case, or you may have more than one case. For example, if the trucking company and a part manufacturer are responsible, you could have an auto accident case and a product liability case.
If you suffered an injury in an auto accident involving a commercial truck, you have the chance to recover more compensation than you expect.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484632022-09-26T14:13:33Z2022-08-11T15:42:13ZWhat drowsiness feels like
The CDC discusses the impact of drowsiness on the safety of drivers. First, it is important for drivers to understand that driving drowsy can actually impact a victim in ways similar to driving while intoxicated. Many of these drivers will struggle with attentiveness and slowed reflexes. It is also harder to point out encroaching dangers or react to them appropriately.
Next, drowsy drivers are also at risk of microsleep. These bursts of unconsciousness that last anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds allow for drivers to travel a distance of a football field when traveling at freeway speeds, all without having their eyes on the road. It is even possible for drivers to fall asleep fully, rendering them incapable of reacting to anything for much longer stretches of time.
The crashes drowsy drivers have
In these moments, drivers end up in some of the worst crashes. For example, a driver may end up veering off the road and into a ditch or a tree line. They could also cross the meridian between traffic and cause a head-on crash, which involves high levels of fatalities and serious injuries. It is also common to rear end cars due to not noticing when they have braked ahead.
Thus, drowsy driving has a huge impact on driver safety and all drivers should understand this before getting behind the wheel without having enough sleep.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484612022-09-26T14:13:42Z2022-07-31T00:20:40Zemergency room visits due to electric scooter-involved accidents increased threefold between 2017 and 2019, from 7,700 to 27,700. These dos and do nots may help riders protect themselves from serious injuries while operating e-scooters.
Do focus on riding
According to the CPSC, when operating an e-scooter, people should focus on the task at hand. This means avoiding distractions such as talking on the phone or even listening to music. If distracted while riding, people may not see situations in time to respond or otherwise lose control of their micro-mobility product.
Do not attempt stunts
Attempting jumps or other stunts while operating electric scooters seems fun to many. However, riders generally benefit from avoiding such moves. In addition to the potential for injury should they fail to safely perform the maneuver, such actions sometimes cause damage to e-scooters.
Do check for damage
Damaged scooters often do not operate correctly or may malfunction in use. This sometimes leads to riders losing control and crashing. Therefore, before riding, people should check electric scooters for issues with the brakes, throttle, cables, tires, frame, handlebars, bell and lights. Should they notice such damage, reporting the problems through the service’s apps may help future riders avoid potentially serious accidents.
Some accidents involving electric scooters occur due to no fault of the rider. In such cases, riders who suffer serious injuries often pursue options to recover compensation for their associated losses.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484592022-09-26T14:13:51Z2022-07-15T21:49:45ZTypical dangers of intersections
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration discusses potential problems caused by intersections. Of course, intersections are often dangerous because people may not always pay close attention. It is common for cars to turn without checking to see if the crosswalk is fully empty, or without ensuring that there are no oncoming cars who might T-bone them.
Sometimes, people attempt to speed through yellow or even red lights in an intersection, too. This can result in cars with the right of way getting in the speeding car's way as they illegally cross, which can cause a crash.
Motorcyclists have the added concern of the size of their vehicle. In many cases, even if a driver looks around before turning or going through, they might miss a motorcycle especially if they are in the driver's blind spot.
How motorcyclists can stay safe
This is also why motorcyclists should have bright lights and wear illuminated, neon colors with reflective strips. This helps draw attention to them, ensuring that most drivers will spot them. When motorcyclists wear dark colors, statistics show that they get involved in more crashes, most likely due to visibility issues.
While not every danger of an intersection may result in a crash, it is best for motorcyclists to keep their wits about them when approaching or going through one, just in case.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484562022-09-26T14:14:03Z2022-07-01T02:36:49Zdescribes what to look for as you look over your e-scooter.
Damage to the scooter
Whether your e-scooter has been in a prior accident or is brand new, you should check to see that the scooter has no damage. Any defective component could cause a crash. Examples include the handlebars, the throttle, bell, tires or lights. Give your scooter a thorough check before riding it.
The brakes on the scooter
Slowing down your e-scooter could mean the difference between stopping and getting into an accident. Even if the brakes work as intended, be sure that you know how to employ them for a sudden stop. Also, learn how long it takes to stop the scooter. E-scooters have varying stopping distances, so do not assume your scooter will slow down as quickly as another model.
Directions and safety information
Your e-scooter should come with directions included by the manufacturer. Check for any papers and diagrams that tell you who should not use the scooter, such as riders below a certain age or riders who exceed weight limits. An e-scooter that lacks safety information may result in injury and implicate the manufacturer for not including the information with the scooter.
Even if you have done your part to stay safe, an irresponsible motorist, cyclist or pedestrian may cause you to get into a crash. You may have a case for damages in this event.]]>On Behalf of Law Office of W. Daniel Grist, PLLChttps://www.gristlaw.com/?p=484232022-09-26T14:14:11Z2022-06-16T00:28:12Zpersonal injury case. When you understand the different kinds of cameras you can access as evidence, you will stand a better chance of securing damages from the party negligent in your accident.
Public cameras
Cameras are increasingly prevalent at many locations throughout major cities. Traffic cameras tend to be present at intersections where collisions are common. There are a variety of other city cams that can provide unique angles on the scene of an accident, such as those mounted on buildings or other structures. During a personal injury case, it may be possible to request images or video from nearby public cameras as evidence.
Dashboard cameras
Installing a dashboard camera in your vehicle is an effective means of proving fault after an accident. Dash cams have become more common with time, and the advance in technology results in higher quality images with more reliable footage. While your dash cam only provides one specific viewing angle of an accident, it may be more than sufficient in establishing that you are not guilty of negligence in causing a wreck.
When it comes to proving fault in a motor vehicle accident, there is surprisingly little you can do to supply evidence in your favor. Utilizing footage from cameras with a view of the scene may provide you with the best chance of receiving the financial support you need after receiving a life-changing injury.]]>