Rochester Law Blog

Why do insurance companies deny auto accident claims?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in No Fault Insurance on Friday, September 25, 2020.

Most Michigan motorists purchase automobile insurance because state law makes it a requirement. Drivers seldom stop to think about how beneficial having coverage can be if they were to have a crash. It can protect you from personally having to empty your pockets for property damage and can save you from having to fork out thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses. There's no guarantee that your insurer will honor your claims, though.

There are a few reasons that your insurance company may deny your claim.

What are some of the more common reasons motorcyclists are hit?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

It's not uncommon for parents, spouses and others to feel some apprehension when their loved ones express an interest in operating a motorcycle. One of the reasons why they often feel this way is because they've likely heard about catastrophic crashes that resulted in motorcyclists' injuries or death. Family members don't want their loved ones to face the same fate. Motorbike riders can benefit from knowing what types of accidents are more common so that they can take preventative measures to avoid them.

One all-too-common reason why motorcyclists end up hurt is that a motorist cuts too closely in front of them from another lane. Drivers often do this because they fail to see a motorbike in their vehicle's blind spots. Motorcyclists can avoid such crashes by remaining vigilant for a driver's head movements, them turning their wheel, using their turn signal or checking their mirrors.

What are some of the most dangerous professions?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in Catastrophic Injury And Wrongful Death on Friday, September 11, 2020.

Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 show that 5,250 workers lost their lives on the job that year. The number marked an uptick in work-related deaths over the previous year. BLS data captures how transportation-related accidents were the leading cause of worker fatalities in 2018. Those same statistics show that some professions are more dangerous than others.

BLS data shows that the logging industry is the leading profession for worker fatalities. Their statistics capture how the death rate in this field is 97.6 per 100,000 full-time employees. That same data also shows that loggers often die after equipment or other objects strike them.

Planning a funeral after the tragic loss of a loved one

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC on Saturday, September 5, 2020.

Making final arrangements for your loved one is a costly and stressful experience. When they passed away because of a tragic accident, you might be dealing with the emotions that come with a sudden loss while you're trying to make those arrangements.

While you're going through this, you might realize that you're enraged about what happened. Try not to let your anger stop you from mourning your loved one's death. You do have a legal option to try to get closure for what happened, but you may need to get through the funeral before you do this.

What's to blame for log truck crashes?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, September 3, 2020.

In 2019, the International Journal of Forest Engineering published a study analyzing fatal log truck crashes between 2011 and 2015. The researchers working on the study obtained the crash data for the 383 log truck accidents during this period from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a U.S.-government funded accident database. The data that the researchers uncovered is staggering.

Study authors determined that while there were 9,597 tractor-trailers involved in crashes involving fatalities between 2011 and 2015, only 3.4% involved logging trucks. Even still, the researchers found that there was a 41% increase in fatal log truck crashes in between 2011 and 2015. There were 33% more non-fatal log tractor-trailer accidents over these five years, a 14% increase over the overall large truck crash rate during this same period.

Pros and cons of having no-fault insurance if you have a crash

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in No Fault Insurance on Friday, August 28, 2020.

If you have a driver's license, then it's likely that the jurisdiction that you live in requires you to have automobile insurance. Most drivers think of this coverage in terms of the protections it offers if they become involved in a car crash. You may wonder how that works in a no-fault insurance state like Michigan, though.

Here in the Great Lakes State, you use your insurance coverage to cover any damages resulting from accidents that you may have, whether you're to blame for it or not. This approach to doing things contrasts with an at-fault state, whereas you'd have to prove that another motorist was liable for your crash and file a claim with their insurance to recover damages.

What do Michigan's dram shop laws allow you to do?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, August 20, 2020.

Dram shop laws exist to hold bars, liquor stores and restaurants potentially liable for injuries and deaths caused by the alcohol that they sell or serve. Thirty states have these laws on the books. In 22 of those states, a business becomes liable for their actions if they serve or sell intoxicated person alcohol and a vehicular accident subsequently takes place.

Michigan is one of the states that hold vendors liable for accidents caused by alcohol that they serve or sell to a visibly intoxicated individual. Not only does this law apply to drunk adults, but minors as well.

Getting active may be beneficial after a spinal cord injury

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

A person who suffers from a traumatic spinal cord injury is likely going to have several aspects of their life impacted. Still, it's imperative that anyone who has this type of injury remain as active as they can. It isn't always easy, but there are considerable benefits of exercising that can help a person who has this type of injury.

Even people who didn't exercise before their injury can benefit from being as active as possible afterwards. For some, the key is finding things they can do that they enjoy. Remembering the many benefits might be helpful motivation.

What is blunt force trauma and when is it most apt to occur?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in Catastrophic Injury And Wrongful Death on Friday, August 14, 2020.

Car accidents can result in catastrophic injuries. Blunt force trauma is one type of more severe types of injuries that result from automobile collisions. There are a variety of ways blunt force trauma may occur.

As a result of an impact, a vehicle may rapidly decelerate, propelling your body into the dashboard, seat belt or steering wheel. Sometimes, there can be multiple individuals and objects colliding at once, such as pedestrians or bicyclists and motor vehicles.

Who's likely to develop compartment syndrome?

On behalf of Heather Atnip of Atnip & Associates, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, August 6, 2020.

Compartment syndrome occurs when muscle compartments of the leg or arms have increased pressure. This type of situation generally results from an injury such as a fracture of some sort. Bleeding within the muscle can occur, which can cause increased blood pressure. An individual may develop nerve damage due to a decrease in blood supply, depending on the amount of stress that their different body parts may have to endure.

Patients may experience a variety of symptoms if they're suffering from compartment syndrome, including a decreased range of motion, numbness and severe pain. A fasciotomy may be necessary in acute compartment syndrome cases. Doctors may have to cut into the muscle compartment to decrease pressure and restore blood flow as part of that surgical procedure.

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