Brownsburg, Indiana, Personal Injury Blog

How can society reduce auto accident deaths?

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in wrongful death on Thursday, November 8, 2018.

In most car accident cases, the victims walk away without a scratch even if their cars are banged up. However, there are some instances in which catastrophic injuries and death occur. Since fatal car accidents rob people of their lives, destroy families and cause tremendous financial and emotional suffering, we need to do everything we can as a society to prevent them.

As motorists, here are a few actions we should avoid to reduce the number of people who die of these tragic incidents each year:

3 things every biker should know about motorcycle safety

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in motorcycle accidents on Monday, October 29, 2018.

Motorcycles are extremely popular these days, and because of the inherent risks involved with the hobby, more people than ever are getting hurt. If you're a biker who enjoys going for a weekend ride in Indiana, there are a few things you might want to know about motorcycle safety:

The risks are high

Ways to prevent drowsy driving

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in car accidents on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

Perhaps the most dangerous driving violation relates to driving your vehicle while you're too fatigued to safely operate it. This kind of driving, when someone falls asleep behind the wheel, is much more dangerous than drunk driving because the motorist is literally closing his eyes and becoming unconscious to the world around him or her.

Countless people die in the United States as a direct result of drowsy and fatigued driving each year. Here are several things you can do to keep yourself and your passengers safe from such an incident:

Always sleep at least seven or eight hours each night, especially before you plan to drive.
Don't drive late at night when you could become drowsy.
Never drive your vehicle alone, especially in the evening and early morning hours.
Bring a driving buddy with you when you take long trips so that this person can take over if you become tired or sleepy.
If you believe you're not paying close attention to the road or are in danger of falling asleep, pull over and take a nap.
Try caffeine to give you an effective wake-up boost.
Try a "caffeine power nap" by taking a 20-minute nap immediately after drinking a coffee or caffeinated beverage.
Find another way to get home following a late night work shift.

Most dangerous roads in Indianapolis

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC on Monday, October 15, 2018.

Indianapolis is by far the most populated city in the entire state. Numerous car accidents occur every day in the city, particularly during the holiday season at the end of the year.

While traffic collisions can happen anywhere, research has found that they are more likely to occur in certain intersections. Whether you have lived in Indianapolis your entire life or are a tourist, here are some intersections to watch out for:

What does it mean when a semitruck has a jackknife crash?

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in truck accidents on Wednesday, October 10, 2018.

Imagine you're driving a semitruck in the dead of Indiana winter. Unbeknownst to you, there's a patch of ice along the highway, situated at exactly the area where you need to suddenly stop to avoid a collision. You slam on the breaks, but the truck begins to slide. The next thing you know, the wheels of your trailer are sliding faster than the wheels of your cabin, and they're causing your semitruck to slowly spin toward a sideways direction.

This is called a "jackknife" incident and it's an extremely dangerous situation to be in -- for yourself and anyone else who happens to be sharing the road with you. If you can't stop the jackknifing, your truck could end up flipping over on its side and taking out anything and everything that happens to be in its path.

Types of scarring injuries

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in car accidents on Monday, September 24, 2018.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It's porous yet water resistant, flexible yet durable, and it works to keep your organs and bones safe from the threat of infection and exposure to the elements. When a serious injury happens to your skin, however, an unsightly and painful scar can be left behind.

The physical and psychological pain of these scars can have a negative effect on the life of an accident victim. Therefore, personal injury plaintiffs may want to include claims relating to scarring in their lawsuits. Here are several types of scarring injuries that plaintiffs might reference in their lawsuits:

Are my friends liable if I get hurt at their party?

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in catastrophic injuries on Friday, September 21, 2018.

Premises liability law is a broad topic that covers a lot of different kinds of personal injury scenarios in which someone is injured on another person's property. Considering the massive scope of this legal category, it's understandable that someone who's hurt on another party's property will have a lot of questions about whether they can pursue a claim.

Perhaps, for example, suppose that you were injured at a friend's party after slipping and falling on a wet floor. Will your friend -- or your friend's homeowner's insurance -- be liable for the financial costs associated with your medical care? They may be.

Bar and nightclub premises liability: What patrons should know

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC on Friday, September 14, 2018.

The Indianapolis area is diverse with many business, retail and restaurant establishments. Many residents and tourists frequent the local stores, diners, nightclubs and bars. If you plan to meet up with a few colleagues at a local bar to catch up on old times, you may want to set a one or two drink minimum, implore your friends to stay on their best behavior and choose a location that is safe.

Many bar patrons do not realize how many drinks it takes for them to have an over-the-limit BAC or show signs of inebriation. Even if individuals have one drink and believe they are fine, there is still the possibility of them hurting themselves or someone else or damaging property. There is also the possibility of a fight breaking out in the bar and someone ending up with fractured ribs, a broken nose or a mild concussion as well as a premises liability claim.

Motorcycle study reveals the importance of wearing a helmet

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in motorcycle accidents on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

If you ever come close to thinking it's not a big deal to drive your motorcycle to the corner store without wearing a helmet – or worse – going for an actual ride through the country or the city without a helmet, think again. The results of a 2016 study show just how important wearing a motorcycle helmet is for safety purposes.

The study reviewed the records from 73,769 motorcycle crashes. Thirty-eight percent of these records were from states with partial motorcycle helmet laws (where only part of the riding population must wear a helmet) and 62 percent of the records were from states with universal motorcycle helmet laws (where all of the riding population needs to wear a helmet).

How do I escape an angry dog without getting bitten?

On behalf of Boulton Law Group, LLC posted in catastrophic injuries on Friday, September 7, 2018.

It doesn't matter if you're a dog lover or not, if you're facing off with a big, growling and angry canine, you're probably going to be terrified. You'll also want to know how to get out of the situation without getting seriously hurt -- or even killed -- by the animal.

Fortunately, you don't always have to be a "dog whisperer" to calm an angry pet. Even if you can't make the dog your "best friend," with the following tricks, you just might escape the animal unharmed.