Distracted Driving Awareness Month highlights most dangerous and deadly behavior by Michigan teen drivers

We’re into the last week of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and as auto accident attorneys we would like to turn today to the subject of teen driving. To be clear, distracted driving poses a dangerous threat for all drivers.  Since I’ve received more than a few e-mails over the years on this subject, mostly from angry teens who feel they are being unfairly singled out by blogs like this one, I guess the answer is, yes, you are being singled out.  But teen drivers are singled out for a reason. Studies and statistics repeatedly show teens to be the most deadly drivers of any age group (the elderly are second).

7 tips to keep workers safe and avoid car accidents in construction zones

Today is National Work Zone Awareness week.  I’ve decided to adopt this as part of the Michigan Auto Law blog in part because of my own past experiences as a lawyer representing injured construction workers and helping their families.

It is truly a terrible event, and as frustrating as construction can be, it is even worse when drivers take their frustrations out on the road where construction workers are placed on a very vulnerable and dangerous island.

Our brain injury lawyers participated in March’s Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month to help car accident victims with TBI

Last month was Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month. To get people talking about the importance of understanding this complicated injury, our brain injury lawyers have made a donation to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan.

During the month we also posted blogs giving lawyers and brain injury accident victims information on Michigan’s unique laws regarding brain injury, including the “closed head injury” exception under our No-Fault auto accident law.  We also had our attorneys give legal talks on the handling TBI lawsuits and added statistics, tips and other information on our Michigan Auto Law Facebook page.

If 40 percent of Australian truckers have sleep apnea, how many in the U.S. have it, and how many truck accidents are caused by truckers with sleep apnea?

As past president of the American Association for Justice Truck Accident Lawyers Group, I write often about safety issues facing the trucking industry today. This often includes writing about how difficult it is for commercial truck drivers to keep a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

How Michigan’s No-Fault law determines the insurance company required to pay your No-Fault PIP benefits

Here’s the fourth blog post in my series about who pays No-Fault benefits for people who are injured in auto accidents under different but very common scenarios.

For those of you just joining in, Michigan has rules contained in our No-Fault Act that create an  “order of priority” for auto accident victims. Many people who call our insurance attorneys after a car accident need help determining which of the more than 100 auto insurance companies in Michigan has the highest priority (legal responsibility) to pay their No-Fault benefits. This is what the “order of priority rules” do.

Michigan Auto Law attorney interviewed by Michigan Lawyers Weekly on the MCCA fee increase, and a No-Fault insurance “reform” update from the trenches

David Christensen was interviewed by Michigan Lawyers Weekly about the Michigan Catastrophic Claims (MCCA) increase in its annual per-vehicle fee. On March 16, there was an increase of 21 percent, which is $145 per car to $175 per car. The question seems to be: is this MCCA fee spike  politically motivated? As it is coming at the same time as the insurance industry is pushing HB 4936, and as the MCCA is comprised almost entirely of insurance industry higher-ups.

Accident attorney gives advice to prevent car crashes and keep drivers — especially teen drivers — safe

We’re halfway into Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  As a Michigan accident attorney, I sometimes wonder if the message gets lost with the talk about legislation to stop distracted driving.

Yes, some legislation is clearly a good idea, such as with texting while driving.  But what’s more important than passing new laws is that  drivers take personal responsibility and make a commitment to not do things behind the wheel that are clearly dangerous.

Motorcycle lawyer advice on the proper insurance coverage now for motorcyclists

The bill designed to repeal our 40-year-old law requiring Michigan motorcyclists to wear a helmet was signed into law by Governor Snyder on Thursday. Now the law requiring Michigan motorcycle owners to ride with a helmet is no more, as our motorcycle lawyers had been predicting.

I was quoted in a Detroit Free Press front-page story about the motorcycle helmet repeal on Saturday. I told the Detroit Free Press that this is a terrible law and that, “More people are going to die, more people are going to be catastrophically injured, it’s going to cost taxpayers a lot more, and there’s absolutely no reason for it.”

Dave has been elected an officer of the organization, formerly the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association

I’m happy to announce that my partner David E. Christensen has been elected as an officer of the Michigan Association for Justice. Within  five years, Dave will be president of the Michigan Association for Justice, joining Robert Raitt, who has also served as president of this prestigious organization.

The Michigan Association for Justice (formerly the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association), is the state’s largest organization of personal injury attorneys representing the needs of accident victims and victims of consumer fraud and abuse. Dave will be leading  2,000 Michigan personal injury attorneys in his new role.

Dear Snyder, these are the deadly, costly consequences of repealing Michigan’s helmet law: increase in motorcycle deaths, serious personal injury and big jump in expensive medical costs

Our worst predictions have come true. Gov. Snyder has signed the repeal of Michigan’s nearly 40-year-old, lifesaving mandatory motorcycle helmet law.

This means motorcyclists 21 and older who have certain certifications can now legally ride without a motorcycle helmet. It would also require them to purchase $20,000 in No-Fault PIP coverage in case of a motorcycle accident.

Let’s be honest, please.