Healing After A Pedestrian Accidents
After a catastrophic incident such as a car wreck, most people can’t wait to get back on their feet. While feeling eager to get better is understandable, you shouldn’t curtail your healing time. Even if you try taking a shortcut by continuing to work when you should be resting, chances are you’ll only prolong your healing time. Recovering from an accident takes time, support, and adequate care. Because car accidents can result in a multitude of injuries, there is no one specific set time for healing. Your recovery time depends on the severity of your injury, your self-care routine during your healing process, and the health condition you were in before your car accident. Here are a few tips to help you recover from your accident so that you can resume your normal day-to-day activities. Give Yourself Time After a few days of bed rest, you may have the desire to go back to work and partake in your hobbies again. Keep in mind, you’re not on a set schedule to recover from a car accident, and your body will ultimately decide when you’re done the healing. Even though bones heal within a month or two, complete recovery can take days, weeks, or even months—especially emotional and mental healing, and if your injuries resulted in life-altering changes. Car accidents, both big and small, can result in trauma. Moreover, you might even feel scared to step foot into your car, and you may develop a fear of driving. With proper self-care and professional treatment from a therapist, this fear will subside over time. Listen to Your Doctor The best thing you can do for yourself after a car accident is to follow your doctor’s instructions and recommendations. A doctor will provide you with a light exercise routine you can do to help recover from muscle pain. Although a doctor’s orders come first and foremost, you must also listen to your body. For example, if your doctor tells you that you should be fine within two months, but your body is still sore, then take more time to rest. Maintain open communication with your doctor about your pain and any progress you’re making. Stay Healthy and Rested Our bodies begin to heal themselves the moment physical damage occurs, and rest is the best gift you can give your body during this exhausting time. The more your body has to work while you’re injured, the longer your body will take to heal. A combination of rest and staying hydrated will allow your body to replenish healing cells. Since your body won’t be exerting any additional energy during your recovery period, it will be able to focus all its limited energy on repairing damaged tissues. Extra rest can even promote a speedier recovery. Additionally, you’ll need to ensure that your diet is packed with proteins and vitamins, as these will boost your body’s natural healing process. If a negligent driver caused your car accident, you’d need to work with a personal injury attorney to receive the compensation you deserve. The personal injury attorneys at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can help you take care of the paperwork while you take the time to rest. Contact us to work with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Put Away The Phone! Preventing Pedestrian Accidents
Distracted driving is a well-researched problem, and several states have passed legislation to ban technology use while driving. Everywhere we go, we’re reminded to not text and drive—signs are plastered on freeways, and ads on the radio that advise people to not text and drive have taken over the airwaves. What most people don’t realize, however, is that using your phone while walking is just as dangerous as using your phone while driving. Distracted walking has been around since people first started owning cell phones, but new research proves that it’s becoming a significant problem. Each year, there’s an increasing amount of people injured as a result of texting, talking on the phone, or listening to music while walking. Everyone’s a pedestrian throughout the day, whether it’s walking across a store parking lot or on your way to work; It’s essential to put away your phone while on foot. The Rise of Distracted Walking Cell phone usage while walking has become an epidemic in both big cities and small suburbs alike. The small town of Fort Lee in New Jersey has banned texting while walking. Pedestrians who are caught texting while walking in Fort Lee pay a hefty $85 fine. In urban cities such as London, England, some lamp posts are now padded to protect pedestrians who walk into lamp posts due to distracted walking. States such as Illinois, New York, and Arkansas are attempting to ban mobile device usage while walking at the state level, and it seems that more states will follow in their footsteps in the next few years. Nearly 5,000 pedestrians are killed each year due to distracted walking, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s one death every 2 hours. Worst of all, these figures are expected to increase in the coming years. Keep Your Head Up and Your Phone Down Distracted walking accidents are increasing by the year, and everyone with a cell phone is at risk. What can be done to reduce the likelihood of these accidents? Although the solution is obvious, some people need a refresher: stop using cell phones while you’re walking. When you walk and play with your phone, you lose focus on your surroundings and put your safety at risk. Not only are you risking your own security, but you’re also endangering others. Don’t just stop using your phone at intersections and crosswalks; you need to do your best not to use it as you walk anywhere—which includes walking around your house. More than half of distracted walking injuries occur in the comfort of our own homes. This only solidifies the fact that we must remain aware of our surroundings everywhere we go. It’s worth noting that not all pedestrians use their phones while walking, and several pedestrians are careful and alert at all times. If you’re a pedestrian who was recently struck by a negligent driver, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton to work with an experienced personal injury attorney today.
Is It Necessary to File a Police Report After a Truck Accident?
First of all, the answer to the question is unequivocal YES! People who drive trucks feel invincible because they’re inside a vehicle that’s bigger than most of the other cars on the road. However, since semi-trucks are bigger and heavier than any other vehicle on the road, they’re more likely to cause an accident. When truck accidents occur, the truck causes severe damage to anything that it strikes. Worst of all, truck accident injuries can be more severe than those that result from a car-on-car wreck. Disastrous truck accidents usually result in broken bones, deep cuts, brain injuries, paralysis, and even death. It’s essential to file a police report following a truck accident immediately. The Severity of Truck Accidents Accidents involving a truck are more likely to result in death or severe injuries than accidents that occur between two small cars. According to the National Institute of Traffic and Highway Safety, victims hit by a truck accounted for 73% of all truck crash injuries and deaths. Speeding is the leading cause of truck accidents in the United States. Process of Filing a Police Report If you haven’t been involved in a truck accident before, you probably aren’t familiar with filing a police report, which is a document drafted up when a crime is reported to the police. Police reports usually contain the victim’s name, the perpetrator’s name, the type of offense, and the names of any potential witnesses. When it comes to truck accidents, police reports also document the location where the accident took place, the date and time of the accident, any damage to the cars involved, and any injuries sustained by drivers or witnesses. Although you’re making phone calls to your insurance company and scheduling doctor’s appointments, you need to prioritize filing your police report first and foremost. This is an overwhelming time for you, but once you submit a police report, you’ll be eligible to receive fair compensation for your injuries. Importance of Filing a Police Report Even if the truck accident didn’t result in significant damages, it’s still necessary to file a police report. Submitting a police report strengthens your case in court if you plan on seeking compensation. Moreover, not every injury presents physical symptoms immediately. Many victims are prone to thinking they have not sustained any injuries after an accident but then experience severe pain days later. The same stands true for your vehicle. Although your car may appear relatively unscathed, documenting supporting evidence of the accident will make it easier to recover expenses if you discover that your vehicle is damaged. In the event you are at fault of the accident, it’s still equally important to file a police report. You don’t know the other driver’s intentions, and there’s a chance they may exaggerate the accident or fake injuries. Having a police report on file can save you from being financially responsible for non-existent injuries. Reach Out to Us Today If you were recently involved in a truck accident, through no fault of your own, you need time to mentally and physically recuperate. In the meantime, we could take care of the burden by filing a lawsuit. Work with an experienced personal injury attorney to receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton today to work with a veteran personal injury lawyer.
Preventing Motorcycle Accidents on Icy Roads
No matter how much of a good driver you are, there will always be risks associated with being on the road. Safe drivers can be caught off guard when behind the wheel due to careless motorists or severe weather conditions. Motorcyclists, however, are exposed to more dangers when they ride their motorcycle during Utah’s harsh winter. Although the risks of a vehicle accident increase when you drive your motorcycle in the snow, you don’t have to give up riding your motorcycle altogether. Here are some tips you should follow to help you safely conquer the icy roads. Understanding Why Your Safety Is in Jeopardy Utah experiences frigid temperatures and an unforgiving mixture of snow, sleet, and rain during the cold season. Not only are these elements inherently dangerous on their own, but they create significant hazards and put riders at risk of experiencing motorcycle accident injuries when combined. Familiarize yourself with the following dangers when riding your motorcycle in the snow: Distracted Driving: As a motorcyclist, you’ve probably heard not to multitask while you’re driving several times before. You already know to not text while driving, but other distractions aren’t talked about enough that you need to be aware not to multitask. Have you ever felt so cold that your physical discomfort was all you thought to shake uncontrollably? When your body temperature unexpectedly drops, it becomes difficult to move—especially when you begin to shake uncontrollably. This creates a distraction that could easily be prevented by layering your clothes. Avoid becoming so cold that you aren’t able to focus on safely getting to your destination. Alternately, you can stay off the road until the cold weather subsides. Experiencing Hypothermia: When you’re driving your motorcycle at fast speeds, it can become challenging to discern cold weather from cold sweat. Although you may think it’s freezing outside, your body has likely produced sweat that has turned into a cold sweat. When you’re covered in cold sweat, the moisture can cause your body temperature to drastically drop—which can result in hypothermia. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, and it should not be taken lightly. If left untreated, hypothermia can lead to heart failure and respiratory problems. To combat hypothermia, it’s essential to bundle up in thick layers when you’re on your bike. Choose winter clothes that wick away sweat from your body. Slippery Roads: Cold tires have less traction than warm tires, which puts motorcyclists at risk for slipping on icy roads. The risks amplify when driving on black ice. Weak tire traction is hazardous enough, but when paired with snowy roads, it can be deadly. Make sure that your motorcycle’s tires have an adequate amount of pressure before you embark on a trip. Never go for a ride if your tires are low on tread. Avoid speeding and taking risky turns at all costs. Driving in the snow can be a rewarding experience, especially if you’re a fan of winter weather. However, a fun adventure can quickly take the wrong turn. If you find yourself in an accident due to adverse weather conditions, you’ll need to work with an injury lawyer to get the compensation you deserve. Contact Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer.