Author: productionnye

Monday is Halloween and if you plan to be driving, trick-or-treating or accompanying children who are trick-or-treating, you should take extra precautions to avoid a potentially deadly accident.

Considering all of the people who will be on or near the streets on Halloween, drivers should be extra cautious and use the following strategies to avoid an accident:

• Practice defensive driving. You should always do this, but it is particularly important when there are so many pedestrians on or near the street.
• Keep your eyes open for children trick-or-treating. Take special care when entering or exiting driveways and parking lots. You should also watch for children on roadways, curbs and medians.
• Be wary of other drivers. Take extra precautions on Halloween and do not assume that other drivers will follow posted signs or rules of the road.
• Avoid driving between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. if possible. These are the prime trick-or-treating hours. There are also more drunk drivers on the road during these hours.
• Always use your headlights. This increases your chances of being seen, even at twilight.

Parents accompanying trick-or-treaters need to take extra precautions because many of the fatal accidents that occur on Halloween involve drunk drivers. In 2015, more than half of the fatal crashes that occurred on Halloween involved drivers or motorcyclists who had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit.

Parents should take the following steps to keep themselves and their children safe:

• Accompany children while they are trick-or-treating.
• Take care to encourage pedestrian safety habits, including looking both ways before crossing the street.
• Use traffic signals as appropriate and stay in crosswalks as much as possible.
• Make sure children have reflective clothing or bags to help drivers see them.

Unfortunately, accidents can happen on Halloween no matter how many precautions you take. However, if tragedy strikes, you may be able to obtain compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.

The Savannah, GA car accident attorneys at The Nye Law Group handle accidents involving cars, motorcycles and pedestrians. If you are entitled to compensation, we will aggressively pursue everything you deserve.

For help with your potential damages lawsuit, contact a Savannah personal injury lawyer at The Nye Law Group today by calling 855-856-4212 or completing our Free Case Evaluation form.

Car accidents can cause a wide variety of injuries to various parts of the body. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these are the most common injuries that occur in auto accidents:

• Spinal cord injuries. These injuries occur when discs, ligaments or bone fragments penetrate or bruise spinal cord tissue. Spinal cord injuries can destroy the parts of nerve cells that carry signals from the spinal cord to the brain and other parts of the body, possibly resulting in paralysis and loss of feeling below the affected area.
• Brain and head injuries. These injuries are caused by a violent blow to the head from the dashboard, airbag or something else in the vehicle. Depending on the area of the brain that is impacted, symptoms may be mild to severe, including bleeding, bruising and brain swelling.
• Back injuries. Car accidents often cause lower back injuries from herniated discs, fractured ribs, sprains or strains. Severe back injuries often take a while to cause symptoms, but they can cause disabilities and significant pain.
• Neck injuries. This can include strains, whiplash and more severe injuries like cervical dislocation, injured larynx and fractured neck. Neck injuries often happen in rear-end and head-on collisions.
• Facial injuries. These injuries can happen when a driver’s head hits the dashboard, steering wheel, seat, windshield or side window. These impacts can cause severe bruises, fractures, cuts and deep lacerations. Facial injuries can also cause serious disorders that affect teeth and the jawbone.

If you have suffered these or other injuries in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, it is important to speak to a lawyer about your legal options. Our car accident lawyers in Savannah offer a free, no obligation legal consultation to help determine if you are entitled to compensation for physical, financial and other damages.

Call a Savannah personal injury lawyer today at 855-856-4212 or fill out a Free Case Evaluation form and learn more about your legal options.

Hurricane Matthew caused the deaths of 17 people in the United States, and some reports estimate that it has caused billions of dollars in damage to homes, vehicles, and commercial or government buildings.

Insurance will play a big role in the recovery from the storm in the coming weeks, months and even years. However, dealing with insurance companies can be a contentious and difficult process.

If you follow the steps outlined below, you can help make the process run more efficiently, resulting in a faster recovery for you and your family.

1. Document everything. Once you are able to return to your property, take photos of the damage to your property as soon as you see it, and before cleaning anything up. Take photos of each side of your home and yard using wide angles. Then, move in closer to document specific damage. Move to the inside and take photos as well. Be sure to get a wide shot of each room and then get closer shots to follow up.
2. Cover damaged property to prevent further harm. Avoid additional water problems by covering property that is exposed to the weather with tarps or plastic. Preventing further damage is not only generally a good idea, it can also help you deal with the insurance company. If the insurance company determines that you were partly to blame for the damage because you did not protect your property, it could deny your claim or reduce the payout amount.
3. File your claim quickly. The sooner you file your claim the better. Your adjuster can visit your home faster and you will hopefully recover faster as well. Filing quickly will also prevent any arguments that your insurance company may have regarding late notice or filing.
4. Find an experienced insurance attorney. If you have a dispute with the insurance company, you should contact a reputable personal injury attorney right away. Insurance companies are sophisticated repeat players in the legal system, so you need an experienced attorney to have the best chance of receiving all of the compensation you are owed.

Contact a Savannah personal injury attorney at The Nye Law Group today to review your situation and find out all of your legal options.

Call 855-856-4212 or complete our Free Case Evaluation now.

If you served in the United States Armed Forces and you are disabled due to service-related injuries, you may be eligible for complete or partial veterans’ disability benefits.

These benefits are similar to Social Security Disability benefits because both are forms of monetary compensation that are paid on a monthly basis to qualifying applicants.

The exact dollar amount a veteran may receive depends on his or her percentage of disability, which ranges from 10 to 100 percent and is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The higher the percentage of disability, the higher the compensation.

Benefits are not taxed at the state or federal level and may include travel expenses for treatment and rehabilitation.

Low-income veterans who are over the age of 65 and are permanently or totally disabled may be eligible for veterans’ disability pension benefits in addition to disability benefits.

QUALIFYING FOR VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS

For a veteran to qualify for benefits, specific criteria need to be met:

• The veteran must have a current medical disability or disease diagnosis.
• The injury must have occurred during active service, whether air, military or naval.
• The injury must be service-connected, meaning a direct correlation exists between service and the injury.

Veterans who were dishonorably discharged, suffered an injury attributed to misconduct or suffered an injury while deserting without leave will not be eligible for benefits.

The most important part of determining a veteran’s eligibility for benefits is establishing that the injury or disease was related to service.

A direct service connection injury involves a veteran sustaining an injury directly caused by serving in the military. For example, if a service member loses an arm or leg in a grenade explosion.

The other type of service-connected injury involves a veteran who had a pre-existing medical condition prior to service that was aggravated during the time of service.

Chronic conditions presumed to be service-connected, like tuberculosis or multiple sclerosis, can also be service-connected injuries or illnesses.

In any of the above scenarios, it is imperative to document the medical disability and have evidence of when and where the injury occurred.

If you are a veteran who was disabled during your military service, contact The Nye Law Group’s Savannah veterans’ disability attorneys today to find out how we can help you navigate the often complex disability process and receive the maximum compensation you deserve.

Call 855-856-4212 or complete our Free Case Evaluation now.

According to Hinesville law enforcement officials, a pedestrian was hit by a Honda CRV as he crossed East Oglethorpe Highway last Tuesday.

The pedestrian was texting on his cellphone when he was hit by the Honda, causing him to roll onto the hood and hit the windshield. The car traveled 100 feet or more before the man fell off the car.

The man was airlifted by a medical air evacuation helicopter to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah where he was pronounced dead at 6:47 a.m.

Authorities have not filed charges against the driver of the Honda CRV.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY TIPS

When a tragic, preventable accident like this occurs, it serves as a wakeup call to pedestrians and drivers to take responsibility for road and highway safety.

Drivers and pedestrians should be particularly careful between the hours of 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m., as 32 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur during this time, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Here are five tips for pedestrians to increase their visibility and minimize fatalities:

• Wear clothing that is easy to see – Wear bright colors during daylight hours and reflective, lighter colored clothing after dark.
• Never assume – Do not expect that drivers will make eye contact with you and stop their vehicles.
• Use sidewalks when available – If there are no sidewalks, walk on the opposite side of the road facing traffic to increase visibility.
• Put electronic devices and cellphones away – When crossing the street, it is imperative you pay full attention to the task of crossing safely and keep your eyes on what is going on around you.
• Limit alcohol consumption – If you know you will be walking home after a night of drinking alcohol, do not drink to the point of impairment. Alcohol is a factor in almost half of fatal pedestrian accidents, with pedestrians being the impaired ones 34 percent of the time.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident, contact a Savannah personal injury attorney at The Nye Law Group to schedule your free consultation. We are firmly committed to obtaining the maximum compensation and justice you deserve.