NATIONAL PIT BULL AWARENESS DAY—OCTOBER 27, 2019
The pit bull type dog has its fans and its critics. The website, Pitbullinfo.org., is very supportive of the breed. The website, Dogsbite.org., is very critical of the breed. The pit bull includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bully. Some also include the American Bulldog in this category. It may also include any mixed breed dog that is a combination of these dogs. The November 2015 edition of The Veterinary Journal casts doubt on the ability to identify the breed of dogs based on appearance alone. Animal shelter personnel missed one in five
HOW TO AVOID LIMITED TORT
Having Full Tort is best because Limited Tort may limit your right to collect pain and suffering damages. But having Limited Tort on your insurance policy papers does not necessarily mean that you do not have a good case. Some, but not all, of the exceptions that might help you are as follows: Can your insurance company prove you chose Limited Tort? Was the other driver convicted or on ARD for driving under the influence? Did the other car have out-of-state plates? Did you occupy a business, leased, rental or governmental vehicle? Did you occupy a vehicle used as a
ACCIDENT RELATED SUBROGATION- HOW TO MINIMIZE IT
In Pennsylvania, accident related medical bills, other than car accidents covered by first party benefits, will be paid by your own health insurance. If you have Medicare, Medicaid, Workers’ Compensation, Veterans Administration benefits, an HMO or any other private health insurance plan, there will almost always be subrogation claims in the event of a settlement. Non-ERISA health plans may be barred from subrogation in Pennsylvania car accident cases. There are a number of legal and medical issues that can be raised in order to try to reduce the subrogation lien. The legal issues require the collection and review of the underlying
WHY YOU NEED UNDERINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE
If you are in a serious car accident and cannot work for a long period of time, Uninsured Motorist Coverage protects your family against the driver who may have low limits of liability insurance coverage. Pennsylvania law only requires that a driver have $15,000- $30,000 in liability insurance coverage. The $15,000 pays for injuries to one person, while the $30,000 represents the total available for one accident. These minimum limits have not been raised since before 1980. If you are injured in a car accident and cannot work, you will need money to pay your rent, mortgage, car payment, utilities, food,
PARKING LOT ACCIDENTS
Be careful when you walk through a parking lot. The National Safety Council reports that 60,000 persons are injured and 500 or more die from the 50,000 plus crashes that occur in parking lots and garages each year. It is estimated that one out of every five car accidents occurs in parking lots. Pedestrians, and especially small children, are at especial risk from cars backing out of parking spaces and distracted drivers. Blind zones can be created by large vehicles or trucks parked next to a backing out vehicle may block a driver’s vision for persons walking behind their car. Not
WHY YOU NEED UNINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE
Uninsured Motorist Coverage is the insurance bargain that protects your family against the driver who does not have any automobile insurance coverage. Even though Pennsylvania law requires every automobile to be insured, uninsured drivers may constitute as many as 1/3 of all drivers. The uninsured driver includes the person who did not pay their insurance premium; who drives a car without the owner’s permission; who drives a stolen car; who uses the car for hire (jitney driver); and the hit and run driver. One of the parties in the accident must have enough liability insurance to cover your losses. You can hope
MOTORCYCLES-PROTECT YOUR FAMILY!
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that of the 4,000 motorcycle crashes in Pennsylvania each year, half are between a motorcycle and another motor vehicle, and approximately 1,300 are not the fault of the motorcycle driver. If you are seriously injured in a motorcycle crash that is not your fault, then there is a good chance that you will have large medical bills, a large healthcare lien that must be repaid out of any settlement, lost wages, disability and a loss of quality of life. One of the parties in the accident must have enough liability insurance to cover your
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motorcycle helmets saved an estimate 1,859 lives in 2016. Helmet use reduces the risk of death by 37% and the risk of head injury by 69%. PennDot states that one out of every five motorcycle crashes result in head or neck injuries. In 2016, states without universal helmet laws, 60% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets compared to 8% in states with universal helmet laws. Statistics do not lie. Always wear a helmet when you ride.
MOTORCYCLES-MAY IS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY MONTH
The National Safety Council has designated May as the month to observe motorcycle safety. There are many causes of motorcycle accidents. One cause that stands out is that most of the vehicles on the road way are not motorcycles. That means that the driver of a car, van or truck is not thinking of motorcycles and may not see them. In other words, that driver is looking for larger motor vehicles with two headlights not a motorcycle. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation states that when motorcycles and other vehicles collide, it is usually the non-motorcycle driver who violates the motorcyclists right-of-way. The
DOG BITES IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Dogs of any breed might bite, but some breeds account for a much larger percentage of dog bites than others. The Allegheny County Department of Health tracks reported dog bites. Dog bites that occurred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are included in these county statistics. . In 2017, the Allegheny County Health Department received reports of 1,330 dog bites. Dog bites occurred from the following dog breeds: Mixed Breed (184 bites or 24%), Pit Bull (160 bites or 21.1%), German Shepherd (60 bites or 7.9%), Labrador Retriever (30 bites or 4%), Boxer (23 bites or 3%), Rottweiler (22 bites or 2.9%), Mastiff (20 bites or