News & Media - Gerling Law

Sep 14, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | car accidents

Do I Need an Attorney for a Car Accident?

Pursuing a claim for injuries sustained in a car accident can be time-consuming and frustrating. Even if evidence points to the other driver being entirely at fault, their insurance company is likely to deny liability or offer you less than your claim is worth. At this point, you may be wondering if you should be finding an attorney for a car accident claim. While retaining legal representation is a personal decision, you should at least meet with a car accident attorney who offers a free, no-obligation consultation. Evaluating Car Accident Injuries Evaluating your injuries after a car accident is not necessarily straightforward. The other party’s insurance company will look at the accident facts and determine whether they believe your injuries are related. They will also look at the treatment you had, the costs, and whether your treatment was reasonable and necessary. Did you recover within the expected period of time for that type of injury, or did it take you considerably longer? These are all factors that can impact your case value. Other damages like pain and suffering and lost wages will depend on the severity of your injuries. If you need future treatment, like surgery, that will affect the value of your claim too. Why Do I Need a Lawyer to Help with My Case? Hiring an attorney after a car accident can give you an objective view of your case. When you meet with an attorney, they will review the facts of your accident, your injuries, time off work, etc., and tell you what your case is potentially worth. Having this information is vital because it’s hard to remain objective when you are personally involved. Most plaintiffs think their case is worth more than it actually is. When you have a realistic view of what you might receive in compensation, it can make resolving your claim easier. An attorney can also handle all negotiations with the other party’s insurance company. Dealing with insurance adjusters can be daunting. They may give the appearance they are on your side, but they aren’t. Their goal is to gain information from you that they can use against you to reduce your claim’s value or deny it outright. The adjuster may offer you a small amount early on in the case in hopes you will settle. That way, they can close their file before you have additional treatment. If your case proceeds into litigation, you need an attorney who has the necessary experience to take your case all the way to trial. Many cases won’t ever go to trial, but there is always the chance. That is why you want an attorney from the start who can fight for you and win over a jury if it comes to that point. 5 Signs You Need a Lawyer If you are still undecided about finding an attorney for a car accident claim, here are five signs you need to hire one: You sustained severe injuries in the accident; You have concerns you cannot pay for your treatment costs; The insurance company has denied liability and won’t pay for any of your treatment; You missed time off work; or You have been seeking medical treatment, but you’re not improving at all. Any time you have serious injuries or have been treating for several months without improvement, you need to contact an attorney. When you have an attorney representing you, they will fight for the maximum compensation possible. They can also offer suggestions on various specialists with whom you could make an appointment if you aren’t improving. Understandably, medical bills can bring added financial stress. If you are concerned about how your medical treatments will be paid for, you want to contact an attorney. Likewise, you should talk to an attorney if you missed a significant amount of time from your job. If the insurance company isn’t offering you enough to cover your medical treatment and loss of earnings, you need an attorney who can negotiate with the other driver’s insurance adjuster. When the insurance company denies your claim, your only recourse is to file a lawsuit. Your attorney will continue to push settlement through the discovery process. If the other driver’s insurance company keeps denying liability, your attorney will prepare your case for trial. How Do I Find the Right Attorney for a Serious Car Accident? When you’ve decided to hire an attorney, you don’t want to hire just anyone. Choosing the best car accident lawyer after an accident takes some research. You may need to meet with several attorneys before finding the one that’s right for your case. You want someone who has experience handling cases similar to yours, as well as trial experience. Make sure you feel comfortable with the attorney you meet with and that they care about your case. You don’t want to wind up as just another case file in a law firm’s computer system. Choose a lawyer who will give your case the attention it deserves. At Gerling Law, you get the skilled professionalism you expect from a large firm with the personalized focus you get with a boutique firm. Have you been injured in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence? If so, contact Gerling Law today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Remember, Go with Experience. Go with Gerling

Jun 25, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | personal injury

Recall on the Road and Your Safety

Have you ever received a letter from your car manufacturer telling you about a recall on your car? If you have, did you look into it? Ensuring your car is meeting safety standards regarding recalls is extremely important. It can even mean the difference between life and death. March 10, 2010 A pediatric nurse, Brooke Melton, in Georgia fell victim to a vehicle defect on her 29th birthday. While driving down the highway after a shift at the hospital, Melton’s car, a 2005 Cobalt, “slipped into the accessory position,” causing her car to lose all power and struck another vehicle. Due to her injuries, Melton passed away. At first, police concluded that Brooke Melton lost control driving since the roads would have been wet due to rain that day. However, weeks after the accident, Melton’s family discovered a notice in the mail from GM. This notice, addressed to Brooke, informed them of the open recall on Cobalt’s that GM had let slide for too long. Unfortunately, 124 people lost their lives due to vehicle defect that was the subject of this recall, and left 257 injured. Startling Facts The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2018 that over 30.7 million cars were on the roads with open recalls. That number should be concerning to you if you know you have an open recall on your car. In 2017, every 1 in 5 vehicles had some sort of open recall. However, if you’re wondering if you car is subject to any sort of recall, even regarding tires, check here. Most recalls come in the form of a printed notice in the mail. Otherwise, you could be notified when taking your vehicle in for maintenance at a certified dealership. Dangers Behind a Recall Imagine you’re on a road trip. Maybe this is for work or leisure. Either way, you are traveling down a fairly unoccupied highway and suddenly your car stops. Or, it is making a funny noise. Something happens and you know this can’t be good. You vaguely remember receiving some kind of recall notice in the mail. But, you discarded it without a second thought. Ignoring a notice can lead to you becoming stranded or even be the cause of an accident. Unfortunately, for Brooke Melton, her notice was not sent out until it was too late. If you start to notice your car acting funny, or doing something it should not be doing, contact your local manufacture dealership and ensure there are no open recalls. Keeping up with your car’s safety will help keep you and your loved ones safe. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

Jun 25, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 4 minutes | personal injury

5 Types of Personal Injury

Personal injury. You have heard the term used many times. But what does it actually entail? A personal injury is typically some sort of harm that is caused by someone or something. Your mind might automatically think of a car accident, which is certainly a common type of personal injury. However, there are many other ways one can obtain an injury that may require legal assistance in the battle for justice. Let’s take a look at 5 different types of personal injury. Workman’s Compensation If you’ve ever had any type of job, you have surely heard of a workman’s compensation injury. These types of personal injuries occur in the workplace, as the name suggests. Many jobs have safety manuals or guidelines you must follow while on the clock. People who work in factories typically must wear protective eyewear and masks to prevent anything from harming their face. Other places might have rules such as requiring someone else to be present when you’re on a high ladder. If you’re a construction worker, you wear hard hats to protect your head from falling material or other harm. This is to prevent any accidents from happening and to protect yourself and other employees. If you become injured at work, it would be best to seek the legal assistance of a personal injury attorney. Having an attorney on your side during a workman’s compensation case is beneficial for many reasons. Firstly, they will handle all the paper work and communication with insurance companies. Secondly, your attorney will fight for a satisfying outcome when it comes to your settlement. Motor Vehicle Accident Like mentioned above, motor vehicle accidents are a huge type of personal injury. Accidents can cause any sort of injury, from concussions to paralyzation, and even death. Unfortunately, when it comes to vehicle accidents, there is usually a laundry list of expenses. The worse the injury, the longer the tab. Having an attorney on your side during a vehicle accident would be highly beneficial to you and your loved ones. Experienced attorneys know when insurance companies are not playing fair or may not be giving you their best offers. Injuries obtained in accidents require lots of proof, paperwork, and communication with medical facilities and insurance companies. Your attorney will handle this all so you can focus on recovering. Slip and Fall Another type of personal injury is a slip and fall. Slip and fall personal injuries are pretty much what they sound like. You slip and fall in an unsafe place, the fall is not your fault and obtain an injury. For some, this can happen in a public place such as a store. If the floor is wet and the store failed to warn customers with a caution sign, then they will most likely be held accountable for your fall. Slip and fall cases will typically become associated with the term “premises liability.” This just means that the property owner or company has failed to ensure safety where the accident occurred. Dog Bites Another common form of personal injuries are dog bites. This is one of the common types of personal injury. We’ve touched on this topic before, but it can never be said enough. Owning a pet, especially a dog, is a huge responsibility. However, it is also your responsibility as an individual to make sure you use safe practices around animals. Some safe practices include ensuring your own pet is on a leash. You don’t want to risk your dog attacking another dog or person. Even if your dog is normally well-behaved, their animal instincts can kick in at any moment. You do not want to be liable for your dog biting another human, so keeping them on a leash at all times is important. If you see a person approaching or reaching down to pet your dog, make sure you’re keeping an eye out. Also, never attempt to pet another dog without asking permission. Some dogs do not take well to people they do not know, which leads to attacks. Often when dogs attack young children, it is because the child has done something to upset the dog. Make sure you never leave your dog and young ones unsupervised together. Medical Malpractice Unfortunately, the medical field is no exception to mistakes. When negligence comes from a doctor or other medical professional, you may have a medical malpractice case. Some common forms of medical malpractice include being misdiagnosed or prescribed the wrong medicine. Sometimes these errors might seem small, but the long-term effects could be extremely dangerous. Imagine being told you have a common cold when actually it is a severe case of pneumonia. If you believe you have experienced medical malpractice, it is important you seek out an attorney to help you. Insurance companies and hospitals will want to be very thorough with all your medical records which can be very confusing when trying to tackle a lawsuit on your own. This is where a personal injury attorney can help. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

Jun 25, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | Accident Lawyer

3 Totally OK Questions to Ask Your Attorney

Hiring an attorney can be quite stressful if you don’t know what questions to ask. You might be unsure of what is appropriate to ask. The truth of the matter is, you can pretty much ask an attorney anything. One thing you need to keep in mind from the very beginning is that honesty with your lawyer or potential lawyer is very important. What types of cases have you handled before? Don’t be afraid to ask the attorney if he or she has taken similar cases or not. Feeling comfortable and confident with your attorney’s abilities is important as well. However, keep in mind they may not be able to give you exact details. Also, every case is different. Most people want a lawyer with lots of experience. Luckily, all of our attorneys here at Gerling have lots of successful cases under their belts. However, we understand that you may want to dig a little deeper. Feel free to ask your attorney about similar cases. All results will differ based on the facts and situation of your case, so keep that in mind. How long will it take to resolve my case? Timelines regarding personal injury cases are often unpredictable. Though, your attorney might be able to give you an estimate. Keep in mind it might take a while for things to process in your case. It takes time and detailed attention to settle a case. Your medical records must be shared to the attorney and insurance companies, as well as accident reports or other documents containing proof or information regarding the accident. These files are looked over by everyone, including your attorney, to ensure accuracy and fairness. The more records there are to look over, the longer it will take. However, this precision helps your attorney make the best decisions for you and your case. Who will be working on my case? Another of the important questions to ask your attorney is who will be working on your case. Often times our attorneys will consult each other on certain cases. For the most part, your attorney and their paralegal will be the ones handling your case. However, a lot of your communication will come through the paralegal. A common misconception is that the attorneys pictured in commercials and billboards will be the one handling your case. Most law firms have multiple lawyers and paralegals. At Gerling, our owning and managing attorney is Gayle Gerling Pettinga. However, there are six practicing attorneys, each who have their own paralegal. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

May 26, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | personal injury

Recall on the Road and Your Safety

Apr 29, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | Accident Lawyer

What happens in a personal injury case?

When you think of a personal injury accident, your mind might automatically jump to car accidents. While that is a common one, personal injuries can happen in many types of accidents. For example, in 2017, the Center for Disease Control reports that 64,795 people died from accidental poisonings. Slip-and-fall accidents took 36,338 lives. The actual definition for a personal injury is “an injury to one’s body, mind, or emotions” that, though unintentional, is caused by negligence. An intentional injury would be self-inflicted or criminal. Your Next Steps So, you’ve experienced an injury caused by someone else’s negligence. Now what? You are probably aware of the financial stress that comes along with the many doctors appointments and medical treatment. We don’t want you worrying about all of that. Your number one concern should be healing, both physically and emotionally. An injury, no matter the severity, can be hard on you and your loved ones. An attorney will help keep the legal process running as smooth as possible so you can focus on what matters most: YOU. The Case Timeline Most people worry about the timeline of their claim. First, and most importantly, seek proper medical treatment. Consulting a PI attorney should be your next step. Once you meet with your attorney, they will then investigate the accident and examine your medical records. It is important you are 100 percent honest with your lawyer and don’t leave any information out. Don’t be surprised when gathering the medical records takes a few months. The attorneys office will have to communicate with your doctor’s office. Collecting all the necessary paperwork can take a while. Settlement Time. After getting a good read on the case, your attorney will most likely try to negotiate a settlement for you with the other party’s insurance. Sometimes, an attorney will wait until you have recovered as much as possible from your injury so they can fully asses what you case is worth. This enables your attorney to fight for as much compensation as possible. If your claim does not settle, the next step in the process is litigation. At this point, you and your attorney will file a lawsuit with the courts. At this time, each party involved will take time to review the information and claims from the opposing side. However, most personal injury cases do not go to trial and are settled during mediation. Either way, this process can take anywhere from a 6 months to a year, or more. Your attorney’s job In the end, an experienced personal injury attorney will know when to settle and when to go to trial. In addition, he or she will also answer your questions along the way. Finally, he or she will help you understand what will happen on the journey. That way, you’ll be able to make the decisions that are best for you. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

Apr 26, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | Nursing Home Negligence

COVID-19 and Nursing Homes: What You Should Know

COVID-19, coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Whatever you call it, there is no doubt your newsfeed and daily life have been affected by this illness in some way. More susceptible to COVID-19 are those with weakened immune systems. For example, the elderly. In fact, nursing homes are one of the most at-risk places when it comes to contracting the coronavirus. Let’s look at some numbers. More than 25% of Virginia’s nursing home residents have already died due to COVID-19. Over 100 residents and employees in just one nursing home in Kansas have contracted the virus. Overall, it is estimated that over 7,000 deaths from the virus have been linked to nursing homes. In Florida, it is reported that 1 out of every 4 cases of the virus has been contracted in a nursing home. What this means for you and your loved ones If you have a loved one in a long-term care facility, it is important you are aware of what is going on. It might seem like below-standard care is a new issue. However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a new problem. Studies show that some nursing homes that have reported cases of COVID-19 have also violated federal regulations in years before. Specifically, regulations regarding infectious diseases. So, what does this mean for you? First, you’ll want to make sure that the nursing home staff are keeping you updated. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask to speak to your loved one. Ask them simple, but important questions. How are they feeling? Have they told staff? Have the staff looked into complaints about not feeling well? Time is everything When it comes to coronavirus, or any infectious disease, time is everything. It is important your loved one receives proper care and treatment as soon as they start feeling badly. With lots of nursing homes being understaffed due to the virus, it is more possible than ever for something to be missed. If you or your loved one’s concerns are ignored and care is put off, there could be negative affects later on. What should you do? These troubling times have a lot of people considering whether or not they should pull their loved one from facilities. Before you make this decision, it is important to consider a few things. You might want to ask yourself, Do I have the ability to provide around-the-clock care? Is everyone in my house staying home, or are they still working, etc.? Trying to move your loved one during this time could possibly be more detrimental than you think. This is why we stress the importance of checking in with your nursing home to understand their policies and procedures regarding COVID-19. Peace of mind Also, do not hesitate to contact the nursing home your loved one is in. Ask them what they are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Feel free to ask any questions concerning your loved one as well. Especially since most nursing homes have limited or temporarily suspended visiting times. It is also your right to pull your loved one from the nursing home if you feel that they will be safer at home, which is what some in New Jersey have done. Thankfully, the Trump Administration recently announced some new regulations for nursing homes. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities will be required to report any COVID-19 cases. Any cases of the virus must be reported to residents and their family members as well. Hopefully these new regulations will help prevent the rapid spread of the virus. How we can help you If you or a loved one became ill or suffered a serious injury or wrongful death due to negligence in a long term care facility, including contracting COVID-19, give us a call today to discuss your options. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you have. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

Apr 22, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 2 minutes | Back and Neck Injuries

5 Signs of Nursing Home Negligence

There may come a time in your life when you must make the difficult decision to admit a loved one into a nursing home. This decision is never easy. Finding a nursing home you can trust takes time. When that trust is abused, and negligence occurs, recognize the signs and take action. Here are five signs of nursing home negligence. Three involve actual abuse (physical/sexual, financial, and emotional). Two involve neglect and abandonment. Following are the signs of nursing home negligence: Physical and Sexual Abuse Unexplained wounds or injuries are signs of physical abuse. Sometimes the injuries are not obvious. If possible, talk with your loved one about how they feel. For example, ask if they are in pain. Signs of physical abuse range from bruises to broken bones. Also, if a doctor sees your loved one quite often, ask why the need for so many visits. Be aware, the nursing home could be hiding injuries from you. Abuse can occur as sexual abuse. Sexual abuse includes sexually transmitted diseases or infections or injury to genitalia or the anal area. Again, these injuries may not be obvious, so asking your loved one questions is important. Financial Abuse Financial abuse happens often because most nursing home patients can’t manage their own finances. Signs of financial abuse include missing property and unexplained charges on bills. To this end, make sure you regularly check finances and ask about anything you don’t understand on the bill. Emotional Abuse Signs of emotional abuse include anxiety, fear of medical staff and refusing care. Because there is no physical evidence, emotional abuse is hard to prove. Ask your loved one how they like the nursing staff. In addition, ask if they have a favorite nurse. These questions may help you find out if anything is wrong. Negligence Negligence in nursing homes is failing to meet the standard of care for a patient that results in serious illness or injury. For nursing home patients, neglect includes being underfed, dehydrated, bad hygiene, or bedsores. Also, if your loved one complains about not being seen by a doctor when requesting one, this can be negligence. Abandonment Abandonment occurs when a patient’s conditions are unsanitary or dirty. Therefore, if the your loved one’s room, bathroom, bed or person is always dirty, the nursing home has been negligent. Abandoning a person who cannot care for themselves is heartless and wrong. If you believe your loved one has experienced nursing home negligence, it is important to seek legal help. Gerling Law is here to answer your questions. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

Apr 15, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | medical malpractice

Are You the Victim of Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice happens when your doctor or other healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care expected of them. This can be anything from a simple misdiagnosis to wrongful death. Here is an example of medical malpractice. A female patient has been struggling with pneumonia of the right lung. Eventually, her doctor says she will need a minor procedure done to remove part of her right lung to remove the pneumonia because she was not getting better. The doctor promises this is a routine operation and she will be in and out of the hospital same day. Fast forward to six hours post-op. Her family is told to come to the hospital immediately as they might not have much time left. So, what happened? How did this simple routine operation caused by pneumonia turn into an almost fatal situation? This could be medical malpractice. The patient ends up losing almost 9 pints of blood. Keep in mind, that is the average amount of blood in the human body is 9 to 12 pints. Imagine how traumatic this situation was for not only the patient, but her loved ones. She spends almost an entire month in the hospital intensive care unit with a respirator down her throat. Eventually, when things calm down and she is stable, it’s revealed that during the operation, the surgeon realized it was not the right lung that needed to be operated on, like the doctor had informed him. In the end, the surgeon had to remove her entire left lung, which was completely black due to untreated pneumonia of the left lung. The Startling Truth in Numbers See how a misdiagnosis can lead to so much more? This is why it is vital for doctors to listen to their patients concerns. According to MedicalNewsToday, 1 in 20 adult Americans will be victim of some type of misdiagnosis every year. To put that into perspective more, that is approximately 12 million Americans. These numbers are not the amount of malpractice cases, this is solely the number of misdiagnoses. Why are these numbers so high? Negligence. Are there genuine mistakes made in the medical field? Of course. However, when something goes wrong as the result of a mistake, doctors need to be held accountable for what they have done. A lot of times doctors will deny what happened or refuse to speak on the matter. They will not even apologize for what has happened because that would mean admitting to guilt. Medical malpractice should not be taken lightly and needs to be addressed. Many people don’t look into medical malpractice suits. This is because they like their doctor a lot or have been with them for years. But recognizing these mistakes and acting on them protects not only you, but future patients to come. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.

Apr 1, 2020 | By Gayle Gerling Pettinga | Read Time: 3 minutes | auto

Safe Driving Tips You Need to Know

If you’ve got a license and are out on the road regularly you have probably broken some traffic laws subconsciously. Have you ever rolled through a stop sign because no one else was around? Or sped even five miles over the limit? Ever checked your phone or sent out a quick text while at the wheel? These are only a few of the many causes of car accidents in the U.S. Small road violations can lead to big accidents, even if you think no one else is around. Safe driving is important even when no one else is looking or the violation may seem small. Here are some eye-opening statistics regarding vehicle accidents in the United States: 40,000 accidents result in death each year 90 deaths per day Accidents resulting in permanent injuries reaches 2 million a year Fatal injury accidents happen more on the weekends 1,600 kids under the age of 15 die every year in some sort of vehicle accident These high numbers mean that you could be a part of these statistics. We share this information not to scare you, but to help protect you and your loved ones. Safe Driving Tips We’ll start with the obvious – wear your seat belt! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 15,000 lives were saved in 2017 because drivers and passengers made the smart decision to click their seat belt. Everyone should know that if you are using your phone behind the wheel, you’re not driving safely. In most states, it is illegal to even be on your phone while behind the wheel of a vehicle. Of all the accidents that occur each day, the National Safety Council reports that 1 in every 4 accidents is caused by a driver distracted by his or her cell phone. Another important safe driving tip – never get behind the wheel when you have been drinking or may be under the influence of any kind of drugs or alcohol. This is also important for those times when you may be on a new medicine. Age Can Be a Factor Another important thing to note is that people between the ages of 16 and 19 are at a much higher risk of being in an accident than those who are older. About 8,000 young people are killed in auto accidents between the ages of 16 and 20. One of the most terrifying moments in a parent’s life, but exciting for most teens, is the day they get their license and are finally able to hit the open road without a parent or guardian in the front seat next to them. This is why it is extremely important to go over road safety if you have a teen receiving their license. Tell your kids to wear their seat belt, put their phones down, and never, ever get behind the wheel if they have consumed any amount of alcohol or drugs, even if they think they are “okay to drive.” Hopefully, they will pass along the lessons they learn to their friends, too. Next time you get behind the wheel, remember these statistics and remind yourself that safe driving takes priority over speed and convenience. If you have been involved in an auto accident, Gerling is here to help. Gerling Law is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to individuals and their families. With over 50 years of experience, Gerling Law has helped thousands of people in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in a wide variety of personal injury and consumer protection cases, including trucking accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and social security disability. Gerling Law takes pride in the fact that we have never represented insurance companies, hospitals or large corporations and that we fight against powerful companies for our clients. If you need an experienced, dedicated personal injury lawyer, Gerling Law is here to help. You can always reach us at 888-GERLING (888-437-5464) or through our website at www.gerlinglaw.com.