Watch out! You are entering one of the most dangerous driving seasons in America. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that Dec. 22, 23 and 24 are “among the deadliest days of the year for all drivers!” With all the stress and anxiety associated with the holidays – hyped this year by a down economy – distracted drivers and drivers afflicted with a dangerous case of road rage could make the entire month hazardous.
However, defensive driving techniques are always the best idea whenever you are behind the wheel. True, the gasoline crisis has reduced the number of drivers on the road. But road rage could be on the increase as people continue losing homes and jobs during the coming months.
The decline in driving spawned by the rise in the price of gas at the pump is “the largest continuous decline……the nation has experienced” says the Associated Press. Highway deaths are dropping too. The U.S. Department of Transportation says 31,110 people died on the nation’s roads from January through October 2008, compared to 34,502 during the same period in 2007.
But that’s no reason for you to relax. While 2007 set a new low of 41,059 highway deaths, the AA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that’s a highway fatality every 13 minutes! If you are injured, Jim Adler & Associates is a phone call away. (1-800-505-1414) www.jimadler.com
Santas are always serious about safety. So here are some extra tips from Texas Children’s Hospital and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission to help them out.
Five toys can land kids in the emergency room quicker than any others: 1) Scooters and riding toys! They can be deadly without a helmet that is sized to fit. 2) Toys with small parts can be swallowed, causing choking. 3) Un-inflated balloons, or pieces of balloons that have burst, can choke and even suffocate small children. 4) The magnets that are often found inside small toy parts can stick together in the intestines causing another life-threatening condition. 5) Chargers and adapters can burn small children. They should not be given to small children without adult supervision.
The Texas Hammer, a new grandfather, urges you to contact Safe Kids Greater Houston for even more info about keeping kids safe over the holidays at www.safekidsgreaterhouston.org. It’s part of Texas Children’s Hospital. Jim S. Adler& Associates is a member of Safe Kids Greater Houston, an organization devoted to protecting children.
Three months after Hurricane Ike slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast, thousands of residents and many businesses are still stuck with costly repairs. And it’s not just because repair work takes time. It’s because some insurance companies balk at paying what is rightly due their customers.
These insurance companies do three common things which help themselves but don’t do their customers one bit of good: They delay issuing payments for as long as possible, they low-ball payments as much as possible, and they even deny making payments altogether.
Perhaps you’ve had a problem with such shabby treatment by an insurance company which took your hard-earned money when you purchased a policy. If so, contact an insurance fraud lawyer with Jim S. Adler & Associates today, and hasten the process of ensuring you get the insurance coverage you deserve.
That includes cases of insurance companies sending payment checks to a mortgage company which holds a lien on a house, rather than to the homeowner. This is done to allow the mortgage company to disperse insurance payments at its own discretion and to see that repairs are done the way the mortgage company wants. But a mortgage company has no urgency to spend this money, any more than the insurance company felt urgency to pay it. Rather, that money — which belongs to you — remains in anotherfirm’s bank account drawing interest, while the holes in your roof draw precipitation.
If you discover that your insurance company has sent a check made payable only to the mortgage company, you should protest this action and insist that the check be made out jointly to you and the mortgage company, or better yet, to you only. You also should report this improper action to the Texas Department of Insurance.
But to really cover your bases, contact an insurance fraud lawyer with Jim S. Adler & Associates. Our long-established personal injury law firm has spent years battling insurance companies on behalf of individuals such as yourself, and we’ll do so for you. Call toll-free today at 1-800-505-1414 to speak to a legal representative, or fill out our online form for a free case review, and make feet-dragging insurance companies provide the coverage you need and deserve. When money’s tight, get what’s right with Jim S. Adler & Associates.
Sure, you’ve seen us at Jim Adler.com. But how about checking out our latest website, El Martillo Tejano.com? For those who are Spanish-speaking or bilingual, you now have the choice of accessing an all-Spanish Adler website created specifically for you and your legal needs. El Martillo Tejano.com is believed to be one of the first such all-Spanish legal websites in the nation.
Named after Jim Adler’s nickname, “the Texas Hammer,” the new website includes a personal homepage introduction in Spanish by Jim Adler and by website spokeswoman Minerva Perez, an honored and longtime Houston broadcaster. From car accidents to defective products, the website provides information on many case types impacting consumers, and it provides a free case review form for contacting us. Additional interactive features are coming soon.
Donde esta El Martillo Tejano.com? Look no further than http://www.elmartillotejano.com — and get the information you need entirely in Spanish. ¡Gracias!
Thanks to a Dec. 15 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, consumers can use state consumer protection laws to sue tobacco companies for deceptive marketing practices for “light” or “low tar” cigarettes. Plaintiffs must prove that such cigarettes’ marketing violates state anti-fraud laws, by virtue of the cigarettes not being as healthy as advertised.
It’s believed that smokers of “light” or “low tar” cigarettes take longer puffs or otherwise compensate, thus offsetting any health benefits. It’s also believed that tobacco companies are well aware of this propensity, yet market their cigarettes as being healthier anyway.
