Do you get distracted while driving when you see a billboard? Emotionally charged billboards actually affect people’s ability to drive according to researchers at the University of Alberta. Driver distraction is the primary cause of car accidents and studies have shown that when subjects see emotional stimulus as opposed to a neutral one, they are slower in reaction times slower at visually searching.

A study involving 30 college students simulated driving past 20 billboards. Each one contained a series of words that were emotionally positive, negative or neutral. Positive words included excitement, fame, happy cash, love, sex and win. Negative words included abuse, poison, cancer, stress and war.

Researchers found that positive words lead to speeding though driving skills were not affected. Negative words caused participants to slow down, lose focus, drift and veer between lanes. Some actually crashed into simulated vehicles, trees and pedestrians. Age and gender did not influence the results.

The study shows that billboards can be dangerously distracting road hazards.

Read more about the study here: http://www.naturalnews.com/039204_billboards_driving_distractions.html

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only. You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

As cliché as it might sound, honesty is the best policy. Do not fake or exaggerate information about your injury. Doing so is the best way to ensure that your personal injury claim is ruined because one way or another the lie will be discovered.

Some people believe that they will receive a higher settlement if they stretch the truth and lie to a doctor about their injuries, but the fact of the matter is that this type of mentality will destroy your case.

Insurance companies routinely employ private investigators to do video surveillance on people who are claiming to be injured. If an individual claims to have constant lower back pain that prevents them from walking long distances and a private investigator films them hitting golf balls at the country club then they can bet their case will be denied. If the case happens to go to trial, the plaintiff’s credibility will be completely ruined in the eyes of the judge and the jury.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

Providing a recorded statement can have a negative impact on your case. The insurance company for an at-fault driver is not on your side nor are they looking to help you in any way. The insurance company will commonly request a recorded statement from the person who could potentially make an injury claim.  These companies know that the faster they can obtain a recorded statement, the easier it will be for you to make mistakes that could potentially damage your claim.

As an injured person you are under no obligation to give a recorded statement to a claims adjuster without your lawyer being present. They will stress how important it is to collect all of the facts while the event is still fresh in your mind. In doing so, their main objective is to have you openly discuss what took place without placing too much thought into how you answer.

Everyday conversation such as the adjuster asking you how you are doing and the response of “fine” can lead to conflicting information on a recorded statement. Another example of unethical tactics an insurance adjuster might use is to take a recorded statement while an injured person is still in the hospital and heavily medicated.

I fight to ensure that my clients’ rights are never intruded upon. If you are asked to give a recorded statement without the presence of your personal injury lawyer, simply say no.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

You’re driving on the freeway in steady traffic and your exit is coming up so you look in your blind spot to change lanes. While your head was turned the car in front of you hit their breaks and now your fight or flight instincts kick into full gear. You couldn’t avoid the impact but the physical damage was minor. Months later you begin to feel anxiety every time you get onto the freeway. It worsens during high traffic, in unfamiliar terrain and at night. The effects of such anxiety can be crippling as your heart races and your hands shake in a cold sweat.

If you have experienced this type of anxiety while driving then you are not alone. Both fear and comfort while driving is a learned behavior. Here are some tips help with driving anxiety:

Take care of yourself. Avoid driving on an empty stomach, while experiencing blood sugar imbalances or while sleep deprived .

Cut out caffeine. This one might be difficult because it is after all the greater Seattle area. Caffeine is known to trigger anxiety.

Carpool. Engaging in conversation means that you are less likely to think anxious thoughts. However, choose your carpool buddy carefully to avoid distractions.

Manage your Stress. Exercise, meditation and yoga help to distress the body. Extended periods of overwhelming stress can trigger anxiety.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

Medical records are a way for doctors and medical assistants to communicate a patient’s history including any allergies, symptoms and medications they might be taking; but they are also key evidence in your personal injury case. These medical records document how you are feeling on a day-to-day basis and may become quite extensive including multiple doctors, physical therapists and assistants. These documents will include MRI reports, various diagnostic results and laboratory findings.

Look through your medical records from time to time to ensure that the doctors who are treating you have taken accurate notes. This helps to ensure that your records are correct and that you receive appropriate medical treatment. If you find inconsistencies in your records then you want to correct them as soon as possible. A sing incorrect notation can change the insurance company’s evaluation of a case. Talk to a personal injury lawyer to find out how you can request your medical records.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

Driving on prescription drugs can be as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. With certain medications you may never realize that your reaction times or motor skills are compromised because you still feel okay. When taking prescription medication, be aware of the phrase “may cause drowsiness” on the label. Pertinent information is usually located right before dosage and directions.

Watch for these active ingredients in allergy medications: diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine, clemastine and doxylamine. Additionally, you will find these antihistamines in cough medicine, cold tablets, flue therapies, or just about any drug that helps you rest.

We all force ourselves to work when we are sick, which means getting behind the wheel. Never drive immediately after taking medication because it might take up to 30 minutes to set in and you don’t want to be caught behind the wheel suddenly feeling loopy or tired. If you feel yourself nodding off then pull off the road and rest for a while until you feel awake enough to drive.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

We all know that person in our families that refuses to seek medical attention no matter how much pain they are in. After an auto accident it is important to receive timely medical attention for injuries because a person might have adrenalin pumping through their body and simply not realize they have sustained an injury. This type of injury does not present itself right away and that is why you should never decline being taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

Some symptoms do not display immediately. A concussion or internal bleeding might not show up until hours or even days later. There are two important reasons why you should be evaluated following a collision:

1. Emergency Medical Technicians are trained experts, who can determine if you have sustained a serious injury, even if you don’t have any apparent symptoms.

1. The more time that passes, the harder it becomes to prove that your injuries were related to the crash.

Simply because an injury isn’t as obvious as a broken bone, it doesn’t mean one hasn’t occurred.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

Organization is your best defense for your personal injury case. Hold on to all paperwork that will be presented to the insurance company including all communications and evidence from the accident. I recommend keeping a binder to store all important documents in one place.

The following are important items for you to hold on to:

• All prescriptions given to you by the emergency room doctor and your treating physician.
• Letters from your doctor that state you are unable to work.
• Collect all receipts for out of pocket expenses including a rental car, prescriptions, co-pays, funeral expenses, etc.
• Keep the names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses as well as anything you might have overheard any witnesses say at the scene of the accident.
• Receipts for traveling to and from your doctor’s office, physical therapy, or diagnostic center including gas, tolls, bus or taxi.

Loosing important paperwork will delay, reduce, or even deny your accident claim. Your case cannot be settled if there is a lack of evidence both prior to filing the lawsuit and up to the time of closing statements.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

All of us have depended on our GPS Systems one time or another to get us somewhere when we are driving in an unfamiliar area. You may have experienced technical difficulties with your GPS such as the screen changing over to a battery recharge screen while mid path or maybe it thinks you are on a road that is actually an overpass. I have even had my GPS tell me to turn onto a one-way road going the wrong way. All of this brings me to one question, do GPS Systems cause distracted driving accidents?

The answer is yes. The following are a few tips for utilizing your technology to stay convenient and keep you safe.

If you are programming a GPS while driving then it is just as bad as texting while driving. Always program your GPS while parked before you head out on the road.

Make sure your GPS is fully charged before you head out on the road to avoid losing your route mid path.

If you have a passenger in your vehicle, have them navigate the system for you so that you are not distracted.

If you are using an old system then make sure your maps are up to date. It is recommended that you download new maps every 1 – 2 years for construction changes. Otherwise you might end up driving into something that may no longer be a road.

Never mute your GPS. Voice commands will help keep your eyes on the road and decrease your chances of getting into an accident.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com

You just returned home after being in a car collision and your mind is racing. Though it is difficult, before too much time passes you want to document all of your recollections about the incident. The sooner you start, the better because as time passes you may forget the details. I recommend that you keep a spiral notebook as your “accident journal”  Inside, write down everything you recall from beginning to end:

Did the other car have the right of way?
Did the other driver cut you off?
Did the other driver admit being at fault?
What were the weather conditions at the time?
Can you recall if there was road construction going on?
Was the sun glaring in the eyes of the other driver making it difficult to see?
What did the other driver say to you?
Did you speak with any eye witnesses?
Did the police officer make any comments to you?
How were you feeling at the scene and how are you feeling now?
Did any part of your body strike the inside of your car?

Don’t mix emotions with facts on how the event took place. Continue your journal each day as this will help your lawyer to understand what took place before, during and after the accident and how you have been affected as a result. You can never have too much documentation on what took place.

The Cunnane Law Office has provided this content for informational purposes only.  You should refer your questions to a personal injury attorney.

www.cunnanelaw.com