In a 2008 survey by Nationwide Insurance, 67 percent of people admitted to using a cell phone while driving.  That means that roughly 2 out of every 3 drivers on the road are using their cell phones while driving.  The number one source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device, according to Virginia Tech researchers.  As a result, driving while distracted is a factor in 1 out of every 4 police reported crashes.

A 2005 controlled study of Australian drivers found that cell phone users were four times as likely to get into an accident serious enough to injure them.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that phone conversation tasks typically decrease reaction times, travel speeds, and increase lane deviations and steering wheel movements.

Drivers on cell phones cause serious auto injuries.  If you or someone you know was injured in a car wreck due to the other driver being distracted with a cell phone, call WOL+MED today.  We can help you.  Our medical doctors are auto injury experts.  If you think you need a personal injury attorney, we can also help you find the right lawyer for you.  You need a doctor who can help you with all of your auto injury concerns.  We can help you.  We want to be your doctor.

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The safer drivers wake up early to make time for driving slower.  They drive cautiously and defensively so they don’t get into a car wreck that can cause serious injury, property damage, or worse.  The one thing that most people worry about though is not being able to control the “other driver”.

Has this happened to you?  Have you ever been in a car wreck during bad road conditions that could have easily been avoided if the other driver just would have slowed down and been more of a defensive driver, just like you were?  Then, you have to stand out in the rain or snow to exchange insurance information.  You’re cold.  You’re wet.  You’re angry.  You’re injured.

Now what?  You need to see a doctor.  You might even need a lawyer.  You’re going to have unexpected insurance hassles.  You might have to take time off of work and get a rental car.  All because of a wreckless driver!

If you were injured in a car wreck, call WOL+MED.  If you know someone who was hurt in a car wreck, tell them to call WOL+MED.  If you’re one of those wreckless drivers and it’s snowing or raining – SLOW DOWN!

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The #1 contributing factor to these serious injury crashes was failing to control speed, followed by driver inattention (going too fast and not paying attention). 

The following data is the most surprising.  If you were asked what the weather conditions were of most injuries, you would probably say rainy or icy conditions or driving at night.  You would be wrong.  63% of serious injury crashes occurred during daylight hours and 88% happened during dry road conditions.  Less than 7% of serious injury crashes happened during rainy conditions.  Serious injury crashes happened only about 10% of the time when combining wet and icy road conditions.

Finally, the ages of drivers who were in serious injury accidents was not as surprising.  Of those accidents where the driver’s age was reported, 27% were between the ages of 18 and 25, 23% were between the ages of 26 and 35, 19% were 36  to 45, 16% were 46 to 55, and 15% were 56+.

So, what does this data tell us?  For one, watch out for young adults driving too fast in near-perfect conditions.  I always assumed (and was wrong) that most serious injuries happened during poor weather / driving conditions, but everyone knows that the younger drivers are the most at risk for car accidents.

What do you do when you are hurt in a car wreck?  Always call the police and get an accident report.  This is very helpful for your insurance company.  Call 911 if you or someone else is seriously injured.  See a doctor who specializes in auto injuries as soon as possible following the accident.  WOL+MED, for example, can see you the same day as your injury, and we specialize in auto injuries and urgent care.  Also, you might need a personal injury lawyer and believe me, there are some really good ones out there.

Personal Injury Attorneys specialize in dealing directly with your insurance company and with the other driver’s insurance company.  They make sure that all of your injuries and auto damages are fully covered.  Many people think they can do all of this alone, but personal injury lawyers know how to get over the hurdles that some insurance carriers put in the way.  As far as doctor’s bills are concerned, a personal injury attorney will give the doctor a letter of protection (LOP) and this will allow you to get all of the treatment you need with no out-of-pocket cost.  Car accidents are unexpected to say the least.  You’re not planning on having to pay doctor’s bills and auto body expenses.  LOP’s will help you get all of that done with far less financial stress.

WOL+MED knows who the good personal injury lawyers are and we can recommend someone to you who will do the right job for you.  If you or a loved one has been in a serious auto injury, give WOL+MED a call.  We are auto injury experts and we want to be your doctor. 

For more information, visit on the web at www.wolmed.com.

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BRC’s and CCH’s can be overwhelming and intimidating for injured workers because they have to attend the hearings and represent themselves against lawyers and other workers comp experts who are trying to keep their case closed.  If the case is closed, then injured workers can’t get the treatment they need to get better.  When they can’t get better, they often lose their jobs, suffer from depression and financial loss, and more.  Workers Comp attorneys can usually prevent these bad things from happening.

CARF recognizes the need for patients to have legal advocacy and so does WOL+MED.  We can recommend very good, qualified workers compensation lawyers who will help get your case open or keep it open and help get your work injuries accepted by the insurance carrier.

Some people worry that they will have to pay the attorney and that usually is not true.  Most of the time, the workers comp attorney is paid a percentage by insurance carriers, but ONLY when you get paid and ONLY when your case is going well.  These lawyers have to do the right job for you before they ever get paid.  The other thing that is very important to remember is that if you have to be off work due to a work injury that is not accepted by the insurance carrier, you most likely will not get paid.  When your attorney gets your claim approved, that also keeps your checks coming.  Many patients think that’s worth it since they wouldn’t get paid without their attorney.

When you’re hurt at work, the last thing you should have to worry about is if you will have insurance problems or if you will have to pay money out of your own pocket to get treatment.  It’s not fair to you when that happens.  WOL+MED helps you with these problems by recommending very good, qualified workers comp attorneys to be in your corner.

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