Many people like going for long car drives, taking in the passing scenery and enjoying their time with their furry friends. While there’s likely no that prevents dogs from being in a car, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. Having a dog, cat or bird can lead to serious injuries. 

Car accidents caused by pets often happen because the animal wasn’t restrained. This may lead a driver to become distracted by their pet. This could even lead a pet to turn the wheel or press the pedals. 

How do pet owners protect their pets and themselves from car accidents? Here are three options:

1. Strapping in a pet

It may be an owner’s first instinct to strap their pet in the car with a seatbelt just like anyone else would do. However, seat belts are built for people, not pets and, as such, pets can easily remove themselves from their restraints. 

Instead, pet owners may need to consider getting a harness that straps to a seat belt. This way their pet can’t get loose and distract them.

2. Using a cage

Some pets are too anxious or excited to sit still, strapped into a seatbelt. If this is the case, then owners may need to consider getting a cage that fits their pets. Some cages are big enough to sit in a seat, while others may need to be strapped in so it doesn’t shake around.

3. Putting up a barrier

Many dogs are just too big for cages and still too wild to stay strapped in a seat. For owners with big dogs, they may need to consider getting a net barrier that’s placed between the front and back seats.

Even if pet owners take every precaution to prevent their pets from distracting them while driving, it sometimes isn’t enough. You may have been in a car accident with a driver because their pet distracted them. You may need to know your legal rights when seeking compensation.

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If you are involved in a car accident, you may feel fine at the scene. This false sense of not feeling any aches and pains may make you believe you didn’t suffer an injury. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. 

Your body’s fight or flight response activates when in a highly emotional situation, like an accident. The adrenaline released can mask injuries, leaving you feeling fine only to discover hours, days or weeks later that you are dealing with a potentially serious injury. 

Because there is such a high possibility of hidden injuries after a car accident, you can’t put off or refuse medical care. This can cost you in several ways. 

Common types of hidden injuries after a car accident

You can experience all types of trauma after a car accident. Common injuries that can take time to show and develop include the following:

• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Brain injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Internal injuries or internal bleeding

If you don’t seek medical treatment right after an accident, these injuries can become worse and even life-threatening. 

Your ability to make a car accident claim

Putting off medical treatment may also impact your ability to file a car accident claim against the at-fault party for damages. The other party may claim that you were not injured because you waited to receive treatment or that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. This can greatly impact your ability to receive any monetary damages.  

Protecting your health and right to damages

Seeking medical treatment directly after a car accident is highly recommended. Doing so will ensure all injuries are found and treated and that you can collect monetary damages if they are deserved. Knowing your legal rights will help you see why medical treatment is a must. 

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Dog owners have a duty to ensure that their animals do not threaten public safety. If you are a victim of a dog attack, you may be eligible for compensation through a premises liability lawsuit. 

Here are three instances when your premises liability claim can be denied or reduced in California. 

Your actions lead to the attack

Dogs are generally friendly animals. However, these pets can become aggressive and attack when provoked or threatened. If you hit the dog, trap it in a small space, startle or step on its tail, it might feel threatened or anxious. 

If this leads to an attack, the court might find you partly or wholly to blame for provoking the animal. Under California’s pure comparative negligence laws, your damages might be reduced or denied.

You were trespassing on the property

Whereas dog owners have a duty to ensure that their animals do not threaten public safety, it is important to understand that this duty of care does not always extend to everyone. 

If you were trespassing into the property or were committing a burglary when the attack happened, then your claim may certainly be denied. 

You failed to file your claim in time

There is a time limit within which you must bring a lawsuit against the defendant. This is referred to as the statute of limitations. Dog bite claims fall under personal injury lawsuits. And in California, this means that you have two years from the date of the attack to sue the dog owner. 

An aggressive dog can cause injury when they are properly restrained. Find out how you can hold the dog owner accountable if you are attacked by their pet. 

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There is always the risk of serious consequences when you get involved in a motor vehicle accident. This is why it is important to be a defensive driver and do what you can to anticipate the mistakes that other people are going to make. You want to avoid accidents at all costs, and you understand that other drivers are often responsible. Spotting dangerous drivers and keeping your distance decreases your own risks.

But these risks also change depending on where you drive. Interestingly, fatal accidents are more common on rural roads, suggesting the risk is higher there than in the city, even though far more people live in urban areas. Why is it more likely that someone would pass away in a rural accident?

The hospital is much further away

With many serious injuries, medical professionals talk in terms of minutes. Response times really matter. If the hospital is simply 20 miles further away in a rural area than it would be in the city, that’s going to have a detrimental impact on the person’s health. There is not anything that can be done to alleviate this, but all drivers need to understand that this is why the risks are higher on these types of roads.

Other factors

Statistically speaking, you can also look at things like a lack of seat belt use or higher rates of drunk driving. They push the fatality rates up, as do higher speed limits. Even if driving faster is legal, it still means that the odds are higher that an accident will be fatal. Drivers in the city won’t be going as fast even when they are speeding, so they could get involved in more accidents and still not suffer life-threatening injuries because of the lower overall speeds.

These are just a few things that make rural roads more risky, and you face dangers when other drivers make mistakes. But these are activities you can avoid, whereas you cannot change your proximity to a medical center. This means rural roads are always more dangerous, even for safe drivers.

If you’ve lost a loved one in a car accident or been injured yourself, you may be able to seek compensation for your medical bills and other costs.

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Maybe you just ran into the pet store for a bag of cat litter, or perhaps you met with a friend to walk around the local mall for exercise. Unfortunately, there was a wet spot on the floor or an unsecured electrical cord in your path, and you ended up slipping or tripping – and then falling. 

A slip-and-fall situation could lead to major injuries, including a brain injury or broken bones. People who fall while at a store may expect to file an insurance claim or a civil lawsuit for compensation. When is the business where a slip and fall occurs responsible for the incident? 

When negligence led to the slip and fall

To bring a premises liability claim in civil court, an injured party will typically need to show that either there was some kind of regulatory non-compliance or that the business was negligent. 

Claims of negligence are more common than claims of misconduct, in part because many businesses engage in very unsafe practices. If you can show the business didn’t take reasonable steps to keep you safe, you could hold them accountable for your injuries. 

Understaffing a facility so that there aren’t enough staff members on hand to both tend to customers and keep facilities clean is a common and negligent business practice. Deferring repairs to roofs or damaged flooring is another negligent choice, as most people would recognize the risk that comes from making those decisions. 

If the circumstances that led to your injury related to negligence on the part of the business, then you may have grounds to initiate a claim against them. Knowing your rights after a slip-and-fall incident can help you defray the costs you may have incurred.

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Dogs are generally friendly and loyal companions. However, these friendly canines can quickly become aggressive if they feel frightened or threatened. And if they attack, the outcome can be life-altering.

Besides the physical injuries, a dog attack can also leave you with emotional trauma. If you or someone you love is a victim of a preventable dog attack, you may be eligible for financial restitution through a premises liability lawsuit. However, there are certain steps you need to take to increase your odds of getting the compensation you deserve. Here are some of them:

Seek treatment

If a dog attack results in a physical wound of causes excessive bleeding, you need to see a doctor immediately. A dog bite can lead to soft tissue injury, broken bones, disfigurement and nerve damage among other injuries. Additionally, the attack can also put you at risk of contracting infections like rabies, sepsis and tetanus among other bacterial infections.

Seeking treatment immediately following the attack will ensure that you receive the care you need to dress your wounds and stop the bleeding. It will also ensure that you receive an anti-rabies vaccine as well as treatment for other dog bite-related infections. Most importantly, it will ensure that you obtain a medical report that directly links your injuries to a dog bite. And this is important for litigating your personal injury case and justifying your financial claims.

File your claim

The financial costs associated with a dog attack (medical costs, missed work as well as emotional trauma) can run into thousands of dollars. To receive the compensation you deserve, you will need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the dog owner. However, you must do this with the statute of limitations period. In California, you have two years from the date of the attack to sue the dog owner for damages.

A dog attack can leave you physically and emotionally shaken. Find out how you can pursue damages if you are a victim of a preventable dog attack.

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There are many injuries that can occur during a car crash. For many victims, the injuries are minor things like pulled muscles, but there are also many catastrophic injuries that can occur. One of these is internal bleeding. 

Internal bleeding is a major issue because it’s not easy to recognize. If it’s left untreated, this can become life-threatening. It’s crucial that you get immediate medical care if you have any symptoms of internal bleeding. Some people who have this condition need surgery to stop the bleeding, and they may need to receive blood transfusions.

What are the symptoms of internal bleeding?

One of the reasons why it’s so hard to recognize internal bleeding is because the symptoms often mimic other conditions, and you can’t see any obvious outward signs that something is amiss. Some of the more common symptoms of internal bleeding include:

• Severe headache
• Severe weakness
• Severe abdominal pain
• Passing out
• Dizziness
• Problems with vision
• Shortness of breath
• Numbness
• Rapid heart rate
• Sweating profusely
• Low blood pressure
• Gastrointestinal symptoms

Some people with internal bleeding will develop bruising on the abdomen that can’t be attributed to anything else. Blood in the urine is also possible. They may also have dark vomit or stool that closely resembles used coffee grounds. 

Anyone who’s involved in a car crash should get medical care right away. Catastrophic injuries are best addressed quickly. This medical care can be expensive, so victims may choose to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. California law limits how long you have to do this after a crash, so be sure you don’t waste time. 

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Although the phone is often vilified as the most dangerous driving distraction – and with good reason – it may not actually be the biggest issue. It’s just the one that impacts almost all drivers in the same way, since the vast majority of people have phones. But it may not be the largest distraction in its own right.

Some studies have found that having children in the car is a bigger distraction for parents than if they were on their phones. The distraction level was found to be 12 times as great. This can cause severe car accidents that could injure passengers or individuals in other vehicles. Any distraction is problematic, but that’s a very concerning increase. 

What do these distractions look like?

The distractions that children create have a wide range. For very young infants, the distraction could simply be crying or whining in the car, which is very common. Older children could ask for snacks or help picking up toys that they’ve dropped on the ground. Parents often wind up handing out items, answering questions, listening to complaints, turning on music and trying to keep children from fighting with one another.

Moreover, the distraction coming from children is difficult to handle because parents don’t feel like they can simply ignore it. They’re hardwired to want to help the children, and the children are used to getting that type of assistance. Someone who may be happy to set their phone down and ignore it while they drive just doesn’t have that option.

If a distracted parent causes a car accident and you suffer injuries, you need to know if you can seek financial compensation for your medical bills and other costs.

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The longer your commute is, the more it likely frustrates you. Many people think of their commute to and from work each day as a form of lost time. Not only is your commute consuming a significant portion of your day, but it also puts you at noteworthy risk.

You can potentially get into a crash that forces you out of your job and costs you thousands of dollars in medical care. What are some of the safety concerns that commuters need to consider for their own protection out on the roads?

Their afternoon commute is incredibly dangerous

According to statistics based on collision data analysis performed by the National Safety Council, the afternoon rush hour is the second most dangerous time of day, following the overnight hours. Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., your chances of getting into a crash are substantially higher than at other times of the day.

Fatigue is a concern during both commutes

Whether you feel tired in the morning on your way into work or have a mid-afternoon energy slump, as many people do, exhaustion can affect how safe you are on the road. Additionally, you will cross paths with hundreds of other drivers who are also very tired.

Heavy traffic means higher risk

If your commute falls during the standard morning and afternoon rush hour windows, you will probably be on the roads when the density of traffic is the highest during the day. The more other vehicles there are close to you, the more likely you are to end up in a crash.

Commutes lend themselves to distracted driving

Given that you view your commute as lost time, it is natural to want to take that time back by listening to an audiobook, catching up with a friend on the phone or eating your breakfast on the way to the office. Your distraction and the distraction of other drivers can significantly increase your chances of getting into a crash.

Running late often means cutting corners

If you find yourself behind schedule, you may speed or fail to come to a complete stop at an intersection. The choices you make in traffic when under stress may be less safe. Even if you always give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go, you might encounter a driver who was not so cautious and who is now desperately trying to make up for lost time.

Identifying and trying to minimize common risk factors during your commute can help you prevent a motor vehicle collision.

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Being involved in an accident with a large truck can cause serious, long-term injuries. The costs of these accidents are usually much higher than accidents between passenger vehicles. 

These factors, along with others, result in complicated cases that are more challenging to settle than other motor vehicle accidents. Learn what factors make truck accidents so complex here. 

Injuries and damages

The size and weight of commercial trucks alone make the possibility of serious damages and injuries much higher. Truck accidents are more likely to result in fatalities, too. 

Most trucks cannot stop quickly, so when an accident occurs, much more force is involved than if it was another passenger vehicle. Trucks also take up more space, which means that when they break down, the possibility of causing an accident is higher. The truck accident case becomes more complex when more serious damages and injuries occur. 

Determining liability

The driver of a truck may not be liable for an accident. Some drivers are owner-operators, while others work for a company. Also, the load being hauled is owned by a different company. All these different owners and involved parties make determining liability in truck accidents more challenging. 

Regulations and laws

Large trucks must adhere to more laws, regulations, and rules than other drivers do. For example, truck drivers can only drive for a specific number of hours each day. This helps to eliminate cases of fatigue. If these hour limitations are exceeded, the violation can increase the potential of being found negligent for an accident. 

Protecting your rights when involved in a truck accident

If you are involved in a truck accident, you have rights. Be sure to contact the authorities, seek medical attention and gather evidence after the accident to protect these rights and recover compensation for your injuries and damages. 

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