Filing a personal injury claim can feel overwhelming without the right legal guidance. Don’t worry. The Advocates are here to help make the process easier for you so you can focus on recovering.
The steps provided below are designed to help make your personal injury case go more smoothly. These tips outline critical components of the claims process that can ultimately determine the outcome of your case.
If you or a loved one were recently injured in an accident, it’s important that you use the following tips to help strengthen your personal injury claim.

What Steps Can Help Strengthen Your Personal Injury Case?

1.Call an Experienced Attorney Right Away

Working with an experienced attorney can help you receive up to 3x more in compensation than if you go it alone. This statistic holds true across many different areas of law, especially with personal injury cases. When working with The Advocates, we will ultimately fight for your legal rights until you receive maximum compensation for your accident.
Our attorneys know the ins and outs of personal injury law and will work diligently to help you get the recovery you deserve. You can count on our legal team to fight for compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and other damages. The Advocates provide a free, no obligation consultation so you should contact our office right away.

2. Only Speak with Your Attorney About Your Case

Whether you’ve been contacted by a claims adjuster or simply have questions about your case, you should keep communication strictly between you and your attorney. Oftentimes, defense lawyers and insurance companies will misinterpret your discussions which can potentially compromise your case.
Your attorney is there to support you and be your legal guide through this difficult time. You have a right to ask questions about your case and The Advocates are here to answer them for you.

3. Don’t Post About Your Case on Social Media

Even if you’ve already submitted your injury claim and your case is still pending, you should avoid posting on social media. The at-fault party’s legal team and insurance company will likely look for posts and online content that can diminish the seriousness of your case. Keep in mind that anything you post on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, can be taken out of context and used to hurt your legal claim.

4. Continue Going to Your Doctor Appointments

If you were injured in accident due to another person’s negligence, you must continue going to your medical appointments. When you fail to show up to your appointments, the party responsible for your injuries may suggest to the insurance company that your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim them to be.
You should also be completely honest with your doctor about your symptoms. This information can only solidify the severity of your injuries.

5. Fight for Maximum Compensation

Insurance companies are notoriously known for offering settlement amounts for far less than you are rightfully owed. Settling your case too soon means that you will not be fairly compensated for your injuries and losses.
Let The Advocates negotiate with insurance for you and get you the justice you deserve. Don’t wait. Contact our office today at 801-657-4604 or use the chat form fill on our homepage.

Two Fatal Motorcycle Crashes in Utah on Sunday

According to a news article featured on KSL’s website, another two motorcycle riders were killed in accidents on Sunday. These two deaths bring the total of motorcycle deaths on Utah roads in 2018 to 40. According to the article, around 2:40 in the afternoon, a Toyota Tacoma was turning left on state Route 164 around Benjamin in Utah County when it hit an oncoming motorcycle.
The second accident happened a little before 5:00 p.m. The same article mentions that a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle was traveling along S.R. 14 near Cedar City when the motorcyclist lost control of his bike while trying to pass a fellow motorcyclist. The vehicle slid off the shoulder. The driver was thrown from the motorcycle and was fatally wounded when he struck the ground.
Neither motorcyclists’ identities were immediately released. Before this accident, the number of motorcycle accidents was already higher than in previous years. We have reported on this fact already this year, and we are sad to see that the number is still climbing. Although Utah is not the state with the highest number of motorcycle accident deaths per year, any is too many. According to Consumersafety.org, the states with the most motorcycle accidents are Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
As we have reported previously, motorcycles are unique in the challenges they confront on the road. A motorcycle rider must take more safety precautions than the driver of a car. For example, wearing a helmet has been proven to be somewhat effective at preventing death by head injury. Awareness of the problems confronting motorcycle drivers is one way to help prevent the growing number of motorcycle accidents because drivers can modify their behavior to avoid the common pitfalls that face motorcycle riders.
Everyone on the road has a part to play in preventing motorcycle accidents. Consumersafety.org recommends the following:

• Drivers: Anyone who takes to the road in a car needs to be aware of motorcyclists around them. It is very easy for a motorcycle to slip into a driver’s blind spot while the driver is unaware. If a driver is distracted or fails to obey the rules and regulations of the road, he/she will be held responsible for the accident.
• Motorcycle Owners: Always keep your motorcycle in good condition if you are going to ride it. For example, failing to fix a damaged part can be seen as negligence on your part. Also, do not allow other people to operate the motorcycle, especially if they are below the legal driving age, do not have the correct license, or have a bad driving record. 
• Government Departments: Government agencies are responsible for managing the roads. If the road does not have the proper signage or neglects other areas, the government could be liable for this.

Motorcycle accidents are devastating, especially when someone dies as a result. Here at The Advocates Law Firm, we are very concerned with safety on our roads and highways. Following the tips listed above can help you stay safer on the streets.

Did you know that a collision occurs every 60 seconds? According to the CDC, motor vehicles accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
Over the last 30 years, car manufacturers have worked vigorously to develop the safest features for drivers and passengers alike. One of the most important safety features includes airbags. In fact, frontal airbags have helped reduce fatal collisions by 29%.
While they certainly save lives when they work properly, airbags have also been known to cause serious injuries. Whether an airbag fails to deploy at the right time or simply doesn’t deploy at all, these safety errors can cause serious, if not fatal, injuries.
In the following article, we’ll discuss 4 common safety issues with airbags and what you should do if you were injured by a defective airbag.

What Can Go Wrong with Airbags?

Let’s take a look at how airbags are deployed in the first place.
When a vehicle strikes another object, it loses speed very rapidly. In those brief moments that your vehicle decelerates, an accelerometer (which is an electric chip that measures speed or force) detects this quick change. If the change in speed is drastic enough, then the airbag is triggered.
Sometimes this can go wrong, and when it does the results can be damaging. Here are the 4 most common airbag defects you should know about:

1. Airbags can fail to deploy
2. Airbags can deploy at the wrong time
3. One airbag might deploy, but not all of them
4. Airbags can release too aggressively

Any type of airbag defect can be dangerous. If an airbag fails to deploy, there’s essentially nothing stopping the driver or passenger from suffering severe whiplash, or worse. In other instances, like deploying at the wrong time or too aggressively, these errors can cause significant injuries to the face or head.

Common Airbag-Related Injuries

A defective airbag deployment can cause of range of injuries to the body. The speed of airbag deployment, chemicals used in the device and the timing all play significant roles in airbag-related injuries.
Here are several types of injuries caused by a defective airbag:

• Abrasions to the upper part of the body
• Burns to the hands, arms and chest
• Bone fractures to the skull, face, arms and wrists
• Damage to the lungs
• Spine injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Eye injuries

As you can see, any one of these injuries can range from being relatively minor to very severe. If you’ve suffered any type of airbag injury, you may be wondering what your legal rights are to recover compensation for your injuries and losses.

How Can I Sue for Airbag Injuries?

The most important thing you should if you were injured in an accident is call the police and seek medical treatment right away. Once you are safe, you will want to speak with an injury attorney about your collision.
Any injuries due to a defective airbag warrant a rightful legal claim against the car manufacturer or airbag brand. Give us a call today and we’ll go over your legal rights with you. You can call our office at 801-326-0809 or chat with us on our homepage.

2020 Utah Car Accident Statistics

Car accidents happen in Utah for numerous reasons. From bad weather to inexperienced teen drivers, a car crash can occur in the blink of an eye. Indeed, every year there are upwards of 6 million car crashes in the United States. While Utah sees just a small percentage of these collisions, suffering an injury due to a car accident remains a very real threat for motorists in the Beehive state. The Advocates have compiled the above statistics to help inform drivers and passengers throughout Utah in the hopes of improving roadway safety. The best practices a motorist can implement whenever they get behind the wheel is to drive defensively, never drink and drive, and to always buckle your seatbelt. Stay safe out there, Utah.

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Teen Drivers are a Real Danger on Utah Roads

There is an epidemic in Utah, and unfortunately for this one there is no vaccine coming. The dangers of teen drivers in the state are well documented. Utah was recently named the ninth most dangerous states for teen driving in the United States. The statistics landing Utah on that list are both tragic and alarming. What behaviors and situations are fueling this disturbing trend and is there anything we can do about it? These questions are a concern for everyone.

What Makes Teen Drivers So Dangerous

The statistics make it perfectly clear that teens simply do not operate a motor vehicle as safely as other drivers. A teen driver in Utah is almost twice as likely to be in a car accident as any other class of drivers. When comparing miles driven, drivers aged 16-19 were three times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash compared to drivers aged twenty and older. The following list summarizes the leading factors contributing to teenage driver crashes in Utah.

• Following too Closely (25%)
• Failure to Yield the Right of Way (21%)
• Excessive Speed for Conditions (11%)
• Failure to Keep in Proper Lane (10%)
• Distracted Driving (9%)
• Improper Turn (4%)

Speeding is an especially dangerous behavior and accounts for one out of three fatal teen accidents. The risk of a crash is particularly high for the first few months on the road for a newly licensed driver. Inexperience certainly plays a role in many of these factors. Teens are less likely to recognize a dangerous situation or underestimate the risk. 

Compounding these risks is that when compared to other age groups teenagers have a lower seat belt use rate. Buckling up is still a vital step, especially in preventing fatalities. In 2019, over 40% of high school students reported to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that they did not always use a seat belt when they were a passenger in a car. In 2019, half of all teenage fatalities in car accidents were unrestrained at the time of the accident.

When Teens Drive Matters

While the average driver experiences a greater risk of accident on the weekends, teen drivers are most at risk during weekdays with nighttime carrying an added risk. A majority of crashes involving a teenage driver occur between 6pm and 9 pm, with 9 pm to midnight coming a close second. Awareness may play a factor as only 1% of people polled listed night driving as the aspect of teen-driving with which they were most concerned. 

Teens Driving Teens is a Recipe for Tragedy

One somber statistic involves teenagers driving with other teens in the car. A teenage passenger in a car driven by a teenager is more likely to suffer a fatal injury because of a car accident than the actual driver of the vehicle. Each added teenage passenger raises the risk for everyone in the car. Little in the way of hard science exists as to the exact nature or cause of this escalating risk. However, the consensus is that teen passengers dramatically contribute to the chance of the driver becoming distracted. Utah law restricts teenage drivers during the first 6 months from having passengers under the age of eighteen who are not immediate family.

Distracted Teens Lead to Risky Driving

The cell phone’s pervasive presence is a mainstay for many of us. While the impact of this ubiquitous accessory on modern life is a hot topic for debate, there is one area where it clearly does not belong. A recent study in Utah showed drivers who use a cellphone while driving are over five times more likely to be involved in a car accident. This is equivalent to same risk as having a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent, well over the Utah’s legal limit of 0.05 percent. Using a cell phone while driving should elicit the same strong response as someone trying to drive while drunk. 

Utah, like all but a few states, have banned texting while driving for all drivers. Despite this ban, 1 in 3 Utah teenage drivers admit to texting while driving, and the CDC reports that 39% of high school drivers admit to texting while driving once a month. Utah has expanded the ban for teenage drivers making it illegal for them to use of any wireless communication device including hands-free cell phones or text messaging devices. These laws do appear to be making some impact. Car accidents for teenagers overall have declined. However, for Utah the number remains alarmingly high.  

Alcohol and Drug Use

Drinking any amount of alcohol before driving a motor vehicle increases the chance of having an accident. Both legal and illicit drugs can alter a driver’s motor skills, reflexes, and judgement. Teen drivers face a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than more experienced drivers with a similar level of alcohol or drugs in their system. The Not a Drop Act adopted by Utah emphasizes that drinking, possessing, or attempting to purchase alcohol is illegal before the age of 21. Drivers under the age of twenty-one may not operate a motor vehicle with a detectable level of alcohol in their body.

Helping Your Teenager Become a Safe Driver

Getting your driver’s license is a milestone for any teenager. As one of the seminal stepping-stones to adulthood it is fitting that it comes with added responsibilities. Safe driving habits are no accident. Many unspoken rules of the road, common sense ideas, and best practices may not be obvious to the average teenager just starting out behind the wheel. Here are some recommended steps parents can take to help their teenager become a conscientious and safe member of the driving community.

#1 Get Actively Involved in Their Driver Education

This may seem like an obvious step, but it is the single most important thing you can do. This process is too vital to take anything for granted. Driver education programs or driving lessons can help build skills every driver needs. Skills however are not always the culprit when it comes to teenage driving accidents. Cavalier attitudes, decision making skills, and poor judgement often play a significant role. Parents can more readily evaluate and help correct these important mental aspects of driving easier than anyone else. Peer pressure in the teenage years is undeniable, but it is easy to underestimate a parent’s influence.

#2 Get to Know the Local Laws

The laws adopted in Utah concerning teenage drivers are a direct attempt to save lives. The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program is a respected and proven strategy for reducing both teen crashes and fatalities. Become familiar with the restrictions placed on teenage drivers and take active steps to ensure that these rules are adhered to. Remember parents are free to impose added restrictions or extend the state restrictions based on circumstance and the individual driver I question. Trust your instincts when it comes to what is best for your teenager and do not be afraid to err on the side of caution. Consider restricting both night driving and passengers beyond the state mandates. These two areas are the most concerning statistically when it comes to fatalities. The Utah Department of Public Safety details the full restrictions for minor and teen drivers here.

#3 Take Your Own Class 

Preparing to have a teenage driver in the house is daunting prospect for anyone. Getting a clear idea of the risks they will face is an important first step in the process. The National Safety Council has developed a two-hour internet-based course specifically for parents of teenagers who will be getting their leaner permit of driver’s license. The Alive at 25 Parent Program helps identify the risks teenage drivers will face, reinforces basic driving skills, and promotes good decision-making.

#4 Make a Plan to Practice Together

At a certain point there is really no substitute for getting your feet wet behind the wheel. These early formative experiences not only begin building safe driving skills, but also set up a foundation of what your expectations are. Plan to spread out the practice sessions over at least 6 months. A written plan can help make sure you are giving beginners enough time before including more challenging situations like night driving, heavy traffic, or navigating the freeway. Continuing periodic practice sessions even after they have graduated from a learner’s permit are beneficial to both the driver and the parent’s peace of mind.

#5 Leading by Example

You may not realize it, but the actual training of your teenage driver started years ago. How you drive and conduct yourself behind the wheel is one of the most important lessons you can offer your budding driver. Always use seat belts, and do not assume everyone is using their seat belts just because they are in the car. Make it a habit to put distractions completely out of sight. Show how important you feel traffic laws are by obeying them, even if other drivers on the road are being irresponsible. Think about how you want your teenager to act when they are behind the wheel.

#6 Talk About Drugs and Alcohol with Your Teenager

It is almost a certainty that your teenager has already been warned about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs at some point. Have the talk anyway. You need to make it clear that it is not only illegal but highly dangerous for a teenager to drink or take drugs and drive. Detail what the specific punishment will be for any violation of this rule. Let them know that their safety is your primary concern and offer some concrete options should they find themselves in a compromising position. 

With some guidance and oversight this can be a wonderful, albeit nerve-racking, time of growth and accomplishment.

The Advocates have served the people of Utah since 1993 and have helped thousands of injury victims get the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured, through no fault of your own, put our unparalleled professionalism to work for you. The car accident lawyers with The Advocates have the resources to go toe-to-toe with big insurance companies on your behalf. Our attorneys are prepared to fight to get you the best possible settlement for your injuries and losses. An attorney from The Advocates is ready to discuss your case today. You can contact our office by calling (801) 693-4207, filling out the form below, or chatting with a live attorney from the bottom of this page or from our homepage. You deserve an Advocate!

Speak with an Advocate Today!