10 Tips on How to Avoid a Car Accident Injury

Having to deal with an injury from a car accident can turn your life upside down. The physical and financial burdens can take a serious toll on your quality of life. While the attorneys at Angell Law Firm are ready to help you in the event of an accident, they also want to help you avoid one in the first place. There are several simple ways to avoid a car accident and the struggles that come with sustaining a personal injury.

1. Avoid using the “fast lane”.

Most highway accidents occur in the left lane, which is considered the fast lane on the highway. The right and center
lanes allow you to have access to more escape routes. This is important should yousuddenly need to change lanes or pull over on the shoulder because of the erratic actions of a negligent or aggressive driver. Having the option to safely get out of the way of an impending accident can both save your life, and help you avoid sustaining a serious injury. Driving in the fast lane also puts you more at more of a risk of getting pulled over by highway patrol.

2. Scan the area ahead of you.

It is important not to focus all of your attention on just the car in front of you. Be sure to keep your eyes on all of the traffic in front of that car as well. By scanning the area in front of you, you increase your chances of seeing a problem while you still have time to react properly. This also decreases your chances of rear-ending the car in front of you in the event that they will have to make a sudden stop.

3. Be aware of blind spots.

While properly adjusting your side and review mirrors will give you a seamless panoramic view of what is happening behind you, it is important to not rely completely on them when you need to change lanes. Most vehicles have several blind spots where the mirrors will fail to reveal another car. It is important to actually turn and look directly into the lane beside you when changing lanes in order to avoid hitting a car or motorcycle left undetected by your mirrors. It is also wise to consider the blind spots of the other drivers around you, especially truckers, and try to minimize the time you spend in them to avoid the chance of getting into an accident.

4. Drive with your hands in the nine and three o’clock position.

Most people tend to drive with one hand at the 12 o’clock position or with both hands resting at the bottom of the steering wheel. However, taking the time to place your hands in the recommended nine and three o’clock position will give you the maximum control of your vehicle should you be forced into some quick maneuvering to avoid a potential accident.

5. Have control of the wheel like a race car driver.

A trick that race car drivers use to maintain complete control of the steering wheel is to move their seat close enough to the wheel so that their wrist can rest on the top of the wheel with their arm outstretched, and with their back against the seat. This position ensures that your arms will be able to stay easily in the best position for any last minute evasive maneuvers that may need to happen, and not get tired.

6. Pay attention to the condition of the cars around you.

Paying attention to the condition of the cars around you can be a good indicator of the condition of the driver. A car with body damage or dirty windows can be indicative of an inattentive driver as well. If you spot a car drifting in their lane, this can mean that the driver is tired, preoccupied by using a cell phone, or even drunk. By paying attention to these details, you can get away from the vehicle and successfully avoid an accident.

7. Know the limits of your car.

It is important to become familiar with the performance limits of the car you drive. Whether you drive a minivan or an exotic sports car, you need to pay attention to how the vehicle reacts in different situations. If your vehicle tends to lean when you are rounding corners, this means that wrenching the wheel at high speeds to avoid an accident could have dangerous consequences. It is also important to be familiar with the limits of the brakes and tires of your car. Be sure to know how long to takes to stop when you apply maximum pressure to the brakes. Also pay attention to the condition of your tires and how much grip they have so you will be able to react appropriately.

8. Maintain your car properly to keep it in good shape.

It is recommended to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule for your vehicle. Following the proper maintenance schedule will ensure that your car will accelerate, stop, and steer correctly when you need it to. Taking the time to make sure everything is in proper working order and that the tires are in good shape will help you avoid a scary, and potentially dangerous situation while on the road.

9. Avoid driving at night.

Some people prefer to travel during the night in order to avoid traffic, but driving at night comes with certain hazards. It is important to take into consideration your own increased chance of becoming fatigued and pull over to rest when necessary. Driving in the dark also means that you will experience a decreased field of vision and it is important to be aware of this and drive accordingly. You also run the risk of encountering other drivers who may be tired or intoxicated. These risks make it especially important to drive defensively, and pay close attention to the drivers around you when traveling at night.

10. Consider learning how to drive a race car.

While this may sound like a frivolous and unnecessary expense, learning how to properly drive a high performance vehicle at a driving school is one of the best ways to improve your skills as a driver. You will learn how to drive a car in stressful and extreme conditions. This will give you the opportunity to learn accident avoidance maneuvers, and how to recover from a skid while in safe and controlled environment. When you understand how to make a car do what you need it to do in an emergency, it can make a huge difference in an accident, and could save your life.

While none of these tips will ensure that you will always avoid a car accident, they will make you a better driver. You can only control how you drive while on the road, not the actions of the other vehicles. Through driving defensively, maintaining your vehicle properly, and not being distracted by cells phones and other activities, you will be able to respond correctly in an emergency situation.

If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault and have sustained a serious injury, it is important to contact a car accident injury attorney as quickly as possible. The Angell Law Firm has a team of lawyers that are skilled at handling injury cases and will be able to advise you of your legal rights.

An experienced car injury attorney will have compassion for your situation and treat your case with the highest level of professionalism. Contact the Angell Law Firm at 770-217-4954 for a free consultation and speak with a car injury lawyer today about the details of your case.

Five Winning Tips to Settle Your Car Accident Case

An experienced Atlanta car accident attorney is an invaluable partner in achieving a satisfactory outcome of your auto accident claim. However, if you choose to pursue a settlement on your own, following these five tips will contribute to the overall success of your case, and assist you in achieving a fair settlement. The hard work of preparing for an auto accident claim is overwhelming but thorough preparation will be rewarded at the time of settlement. Contact an Atlanta accident car injury attorney to review your case. An attorney quickly recognizes weaknesses in preparation and can guide you in the right direction to strengthen your case.

Tip 1: Gather Evidence

Your version of the story is not sufficient to support your claims of liability and damages. Indeed, you may not even realize the extent of the damages and loss for years to come. Your insurance company may assert that your loss is not as significant as you are claiming. It is important to gather additional information to support your claim. Adding up damages and loss will mean collecting documents, written statements and records from a variety of sources.

Statements

Written statements will include your own version of the accident, your injuries, damages and loss of property. Include remarks regarding the intensity of the collision.

Obtain witnesses statements and the police officer’s report to corroborate and validate your version of events. The police report may jog your memory of additional details as well.

Include a copy of the property damage estimate as evidence to support your estimation of the intensity and violence of the collision. In your statement, emphasize specific damages that show the force of the collision.

Include pictures where necessary if you have them. Insert them at the appropriate spot and add text where necessary.

Medical Records

Include all medical records from all providers including physicians, physical therapists, pain management specialists, chiropractors, massage therapists or any other provider of services that support your claims of injury. Include information regarding pain, suffering, disability and any limitations on your physical abilities or loss of movement. Also include statements and findings regarding emotional and psychological trauma.

Collecting your records may take time and persistence. In times of stress it is easy to forget some documents that may help your case. If you are feeling overwhelmed, an Altlanta accident attorney can assist you in gathering and reviewing the appropriate documents from your medical providers. An Atlanta accident car injury attorney will also direct you in how to handle doctors information that may contradict your pain and suffering claim. It is possible, for example, that you took pain medication before a visit to your physical therapist. Be sure to document all prescriptions, why they were prescribed and how they affect you. It is important to address the issue of contradictory information in terms that will not damage your claim.

Missed time from work

Lost wages should be supported by official employment records. Time off work due to injuries, doctor’s appointments, pain or anything related to your collision should be noted and highlighted. Get statements from your co-workers or supervisor that confirm your pain or limitations. The statements need to be accurate and not exaggerated. Remarks should include incidences of events and activities at work that could not be accomplished or were difficult because of your pain and disability. Factual observations are helpful but exaggerations and conclusions are not. If someone is lying or exaggerating, they may actually hurt your case. Your credibility and the credibility of witnesses is important in achieving a successful settlement.

Pain and Suffering

Statements from friends, family members, co-workers, doctors and other health care professionals can support your case. Statements should always be factual observations and where possible, get formal medical statements that support those statements. If you no longer can enjoy hiking with your friends because of your injuries, get it in writing from your friends. Observations from your friends such as limping or pain or abandoning your activity will be helpful.

You may need an Atlanta car accident lawyer to review the statements to look for bias or exaggerations. This is one way to ensure that you are moving in the right direction and not damaging your case. An Atlanta accident attorney can review statement from your friend’s observations and recommend language that may be more precise or recommend removal of certain remarks that would show bias or exaggeration. All of these various independent statements can help support your claim of pain and suffering.

Tip 2: Doctor’s Disability Statement

Your personal statements and conclusions of permanent disability are not sufficient for your insurance claim. If you claim permanent disability, you must get a formal report from your doctor. You may have to pay a fee for the report, but it is necessary to have it for your demand packet when you submit it to your insurance company. The doctor’s report should expand on your diagnosis, prognosis,future medical and therapy treatments and medical bills. The doctor should comment upon and state clearly what the disabilities are from your injuries sustained in your car accident.

Tip 3: Review Your Documents

Your insurance company should not be obtaining and reviewing your documents for you. You should get all your documents yourself and review them or hire an Atlanta car accident lawyer to review them. An insurance adjuster will take every opportunity to save the company money by shooting down your claim. The less they know the better off you will be until you are ready to submit your demand letter with all the documents and evidence.

Tip 4: Explain Adverse Evidence

Explain all adverse evidence that seemingly contradicts your statements. Get documentation and statements that show evidence explaining the contradiction and why it is a non-issue. Prior medical conditions may come into play as a reason for denying your claim in part or in whole. Be sure that those conditions that are noted in the doctor’s reports are shown as non-issues or issues that were significantly aggravated by the collision. Prior medical issues should be addressed by your doctor in his report, and any changes due to the accident should be documented. Conversely, if there is a prior medical condition that is not at issue, it should be addressed and comments to that effect should be noted.

Tip 5: Do Not Exaggerate

It is worth mentioning again that exaggerations and false statements do not help your case. Your integrity and credibility must be maintained. If one thing is found to be false or exaggerated, it will call into question your whole case. Neither should you underestimate your damages, pain and suffering. Let the evidence speak for itself but connecting the dots with the help of an Atlanta accident attorney is a good idea to persuade the insurance adjuster in your favor.

Compose a Demand Letter

Compose a typed letter containing a list of all of your records and statements. Discuss all the details of your claim and note all the supporting evidence. Demand an amount that is fair and realistic as supported by the evidence. You should research jury verdicts to determine what a jury would award in similar cases, and take that into consideration when making your demand. Always be polite and reasonable. Don’t argue but rather prove your position with evidence.

While we realize that some individuals may want to handle their own case, we do not recommend it. Auto accident cases can be complicated and frustrating. If you have comments or would like us to consider handling your case, call (770) 217-4954 for a Free consultation.

Posted from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

Six Common Tire Myths Debunked

There are many components that come together to maintain the safety of your vehicle. One of these components is the tires. Ask any defective tire attorney and they will tell you that one of the most important parts of your car when it comes to safety is tires. Many people think that they know what they need to about tires and that tires are one of the most easily understood parts to a car. Unfortunately, this line of thinking could not be further from the truth. This line of thinking can lead to serious safety concerns for you and for those sharing the road with you. There are many common myths surrounding vehicle tires, let us break down the top six.

Myth #1 TPMS, short for tire pressure monitoring system in newer cars ensures that tires are correctly inflated.

Truth: TPMS in cars do not show a problem until the tire pressure is at least 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended PSI. According to the American Automobile Association, that is “well below the pressure required for safe driving.” The Rubber Manufacturer’s Association goes on to state that pressure is “barely adequate to carry the vehicle’s maximum load”. TPMS cannot be counted upon to remind you when your tire pressure is a little low and needs topped off with air. TPMS is designed to be a last minute warning just prior to the failing of a tire. Therefore, you cannot rely upon your vehicle’s TPMS to tell remind you to put air in your tires. This is a dangerous line of thinking, according to any Atlanta tire injury attorney who has seen this harm people first-hand. Do not let technology take the place of maintenance and common sense when it comes to your vehicle’s tires.

Myth #2 If you need to replace two tires on your vehicle, always place the new ones in front.

Truth: Your car relies upon its rear tires for stabilization. If your car is not stable, an action as simple as steering or braking on a damp or wet surface might cause your car to spin out. On wet roads, new tires in the front will move the water and the worn back tires will need to learn to swim. This is a dangerous situation that causes many spins, as the water can lift the worn tires off of the road. This is something extremely simple to be aware of then purchasing two new tires.

As any Atlanta tire accident attorney would agree it is a hard and fast rule that tires with the most tread need to go on the rear of the vehicle. This rule applies whether you are driving a car, truck, SUV, and no matter if it has front, rear or all wheel drive. If you are still not convinced, watch this:

Myth #3 If tire pressure exceeds the “max press” number indicated on the tire’s sidewall, the tire is in imminent danger of bursting. 

Truth: “Max press” does not equal or even come close to equaling the burst pressure of a vehicle’s tire. The maximum amount of weight a vehicle will carry is indicated by the “max press” or “max load” digits. We cannot tell you what the exact burst pressure of tires is, but one could easily double the “max press” of a new passenger vehicle tire and still be safe on a new wheel. However, hitting something like a large pothole could cause tire failure under extreme pressures.

Myth #4 Maximum cornering grip is where “max press” is located on a vehicle tire.

Truth: See the previous point. Unfortunately, this myth is a very popular misconception in law enforcement agencies these days. It is simply a coincidence that many tires advertise increased grip at a higher PSI.

Myth #5 A vehicle handles better when low-profile tires are fitted on larger diameter wheels.

Truth: Short sidewalls on these low-profile tires can improve a tire’s performance when the steering wheel is first turned. The driver then has a sense, usually a false sense, of a strong grip from the tire. However, after the initial turn of the wheel it is the tread and the stickiness of the tire that will prove the grip of the tire. Another problem with using a low-profile tire and larger diameter wheels is that it is often heavier than the original tire and wheel that the vehicle was designed for. This means that when the rubber hits the road the suspension may have trouble keeping the tire in contact with the road. This can turn into a dangerous situation.

Myth #6 Tires with the same designation are the same exact size.

Truth: Though it is a common belief that designation is about product tolerances, this is not true. Tires with specific part numbers, or SKU numbers, can vary slightly in width and height. A well performing tire usually is taller and wider because it has more rubber on the road, making it a good tire for consumers. Tires that are shorter and narrower use less material, and are therefore better for manufacturers and profits. In other words, tire makers are allowed to cut corners, or rubber, in order to save on costs, even at a slight risk to consumers.
With so many misgivings about tires, their safety and their performance, it is no wonder why tires are a major factor in many car accidents, some of them serious or even fatal accidents. Any defective tire attorney will tell you that knowing the truth about your tires, how they are made and how to best maintain them is a significant key in keeping your vehicle, your passengers and others sharing the road safe.

If you have been injured in a car accident you need the assistance of an Atlanta tire injury attorney to protect your rights, call the Angell Law Firm today at (770) 217-4954. The Angell Law Firm has an experienced and knowledgeable staff that can handle your Atlanta tire accident injury.

Posted from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

According to  Drale Short, Georgia’s Animal Care and Control Director, ”Dog bites have increased in Georgia overall.”   Georgia officials are trying to crack down on the problem of Georgia dog bite injuries with new laws this year. One of the bills aimed at controlling this growing problem is House Bill 685, which passed in the Georgia House last week and if passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor, will go into effect this coming July.

Posted from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

View The Angell Law Firm in a larger map

On MapQuest

Posted from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

We have continued to add to our car accident section of our website. Our goal is to make it a comprehensive resource for anyone who needs an Atlanta Auto Accident Attorney. If you need information on your car accident, please take a look. And if you have any questions that are not answered, send us an email or leave a comment!

Atlanta Car Accident Guide

Posted from Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

Check out Bryce Angell at Georgia Injury Lawyer -Bryce Angell

Check out Bryce Angell at San Francisco Examiner-Bryce Angell

Check out Bryce Angell at Georgia Injury Lawyer Blog-Bryce Angell

Check out Bryce Angell at Linkedin-Bryce Angell

Check out Bryce Angell at imdb-Bryce Angell

Check out Bryce Angell at Centurion Motors, Inc-Bryce Angell

Check out Bryce Angell at Inc.500-Bryce Angell

Checkout Bryce Angell at Avvo-Bryce Angell

Checkout Bryce Angell at Georgia Trial Lawyers Association-Bryce Angell

Checkout Bryce Angell at Atlanta Bar Association-Bryce Angell

Checkout Bryce Angell at American Association for Justice-Bryce Angell

Bryce Angell is on Facebook

Bryce Angell is Tweeting!

Bryce Angell is on LinkedIn