Fatal car accidents caused by aggressive driving have risen over 500% in the last ten years. The worst of these road rage incidents make the news often accompanied by incredible videos of obnoxious drivers doing crazy things. Let’s analyze this road rage incident that turned physical and was caught on video and assess how both drivers could have handled the situation better. Continue reading
The New York Times published an article this week detailing how many hospitals, one of which is in Tennessee (LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis), have started suing their patients by the thousands for unpaid medical bills. Many of the patients had insurance and the hospitals were suing for deductibles and co-pays. According to the article, more than half of the reports to credit bureaus were a result of unpaid medical bills. Of course, in addition to the cost of litigation and the underlying medical bill, this affects people’s credit rating and overall financial health. Consider this from a study by the Commonwealth Fund:
43 percent had used up all their savings to pay their (medical) bills, 43 percent had received a lower credit rating as a result of their debt, 32 percent racked up debt on their credit cards, 18 percent said they had delayed education or career plans. People with lower incomes were particularly affected: 37 percent said they were unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat or rent as a result of their (medical) bills.
Clearly, medical bills can be devastating to many families – even those with medical insurance. So how does this relate to a car accident or other injury-producing accident? Continue reading
Yes, you can wear white after Labor Day. No, you should not celebrate the holiday without knowing its origins. (Following the bloody Pullman strike and other labor strife, Labor Day was created by the federal government in 1894 as a recognition of the American worker’s contribution to this country’s prosperity). Yes, you should be especially careful while driving this weekend. Labor Day is the second most dangerous weekend to drive – only Memorial Day weekend is more dangerous. Read on for more safety dos and don’ts of Labor Day:
Davidson County, Rutherford County and other area schools are already back in session, Williamson County schools start this Friday and a number of private schools start next week. Hopefully, everyone has done their summer reading and is ready. Drivers also need to be ready especially since there have been some changes in Tennessee law. Take our true or false quiz below to find out if you are an A+ driver. Continue reading
John Day loves his jet ski. At sunrise on almost any Saturday or Sunday for the last fifteen years, he has been out on to the water for an hour and a half ride. I have long asserted that, as a result of all that time on the jet ski, John could be blindfolded and dropped at any place on Tims Ford Lake and he could drive straight home as he knows every nook and cranny of the 11,000 acres and 240 miles of shoreline of that lake. Needless to say, after all those years, John is an experienced rider but even experienced riders, and certainly inexperienced ones, should know these facts: Continue reading
I know, it is summer and we should not be talking report cards. But, Allstate is out with its driving report card in which the 200 largest cities across the country are ranked based on their driving safety record. The report considers things such as claim history and the number of hard braking incidents for every 1000 miles. This year, Allstate has also identified the 15 riskiest roads based on number of accidents. So did any Tennessee cities or roads make the list? Read on to find out. Continue reading
Tractor-trailer accidents are on the rise — up 10% from last year. Despite the increase in deadly crashes (there were 4,657 fatal truck accidents in the last stat year) the federal government is moving to relax safety regulations and delay the implementation of other new safety regulations. One key safety provision at risk could result in our roadways becoming a lot more dangerous. Continue reading
For most Americans, the 4th of July means a day off from work filled with cookouts, the pool or lake, family, friends and fireworks. Unfortunately, it also means the day with the highest number of fatal roadway accidents. Yes, the 4th of July is deadlier than New Year’s Day or any other holiday. If you plan to be on the roadways this 4th of July, please follow these five important safety tips: Continue reading
You probably have seen them – the bumper stickers, sometimes profanity-laced, urging drivers to put down the dang phone and drive. On July 1st, if you don’t put down the dang or %#@$ phone, you could be talking to a police officer. Continue reading
We love being on the water. On a typical weekend morning, John is on his jet ski at sunrise ready to cruise every nook and cranny of Tims Ford Lake. The day continues with several boat rides during the day, maybe pulling a knee boarder or a skier, and we usually wrap up with a short evening cruise after dinner. And while we love the water, we also respect it. Joy’s grandfather drowned in a boating accident and every year Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has to deal with accidents and tragedies. In fact, over Memorial Day weekend, TWRA made 21 boating under the influence arrests, worked five injury accidents and six property damage accidents, and two teens have already drowned on Middle Tennessee lakes this summer. Here are the top 5 things you should and should not do while on the water.
