AUTO ACCIDENT BROCHURE–WHAT TO DO AT THE SCENE
STOP your car at or near the accident scene. CALL the police if anyone is hurt or dies. Also, call the police if any vehicle is so badly damaged that it must be towed. GET the following information from the other driver or drivers involved in the accident: a) Names and addresses b) Telephone numbers c) Driver’s license numbers d) Registration numbers e) Their insurance company names and policy numbers GET the names and addresses of: a) People involved in the accident b) Witnesses of the accident c) Insured people RENDER AID: Pennsylvania law requires the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident
DISTRACTED DRIVING
Driver error is estimated to cause approximately 95% of all car accidents. Alcohol is involved in approximately 1/3 of all accidents. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that more than 1/4 of all auto accidents are caused by distracted driving. This estimate may be very low because of the driver reluctance to admit distraction, lack of witnesses inside the vehicle, lack of cell phone usage records by police and the large number of distractions available to a driver inside their motor vehicle. In five seconds of texting at 55 miles per hour, a car travels the length of a football field.
THE PHANTOM, UNIDENTIFIED OR HIT AND RUN DRIVER
One client was riding her motorcycle on a Nevada road when she ran over an object that had been previously dropped from an unsecured load from an unidentified vehicle. She was seriously injured and life-flighted to a trauma center hospital. Another client was injured when forced off of the roadway and into a tree by a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road. The negligent driver never stopped and could not be identified. A third client was injured by a person who failed to pay their automobile insurance premium and was driving without any automobile insurance. It was fortunate that each
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
“Smile, you’re on Candid Camera” was the gotcha phrase on the long running popular “Candid Camera” television show. This show involved the use of concealed cameras filming ordinary people doing strange things. Today, most cell phones have video cameras that are readily available to the public. This makes it easy to film the injured person and extremely cost effective. Injured persons with accident claims of inability to work, lift, carry or pursue hobbies should be aware of the possibility that insurers will hire investigators to film them without their knowledge. If the film indicates that the injured person has lied or
MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY & VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION THERAPY
Vertigo may occur after an accident involving Mild TBI. Vertigo is a sensation that makes you feel like the world is moving around and that you might lose your balance. The vestibulocochlear nerve is the eighth cranial nerve. It is composed of vestibular fibers and cochlear fibers. The vestibular portion senses changes in the position of the head while managing body balance and eye movement. When this nerve is damaged, it often is unable to heal. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy is offered at concussion treatment centers to treat symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, vision difficulties and imbalance. This is a specialized exercise program designed