Category: Personal Injuries
Buckle Up Campaign
March 28, 2012 | Jon P. EricksonOver the last few months I have written a number of entries on the importance of “buckling up.” The March 27, 2012, Minneapolis Star Tribune, had yet another article on just that. The headline reads in bold letters STRONGER SEAT BELT LAW EQUALS FEWER DEAD. I encourage you to read the full article. It’s relatively short, but very informative. Here is a link to that article – Star Tribune State Local Buckle Up The study was done to see if the “primary seat belt laws” actually were effective. The study done by the University of Minnesota supports that it is. Since the passage of the law in 2009 there have been 68 fewer deaths involving vehicle occupants, 320 fewer injuries, and 432 fewer moderate injuries. “The stronger seat belt law is keeping a lot of Minnesotans out of hospitals and morgues” to quote Lee Munnich the director of the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety. The study also found that since the primary seat belt law took effect that “observed seat belt use” has increased from 87 to 93 percent. We’ve been showing you how seat belt use saves lives, reduces injuries and ultimately saves us all money in medical bills, higher insurance costs and the like. We again take this opportunity to…
Read MoreBuckle Up – It Saves Lives
February 8, 2012 | Jon P. EricksonI again read an article this past week on motor vehicle accidents (MVA) where seat belts were not worn. It was entitled “Deaths of Non-belted Motorists Spike in Minnesota.” The article leads off by stating that “an overwhelming majority of traffic deaths on Minnesota roads in the past six weeks have involved vehicle occupants who were not wearing their seat belts.” The information from the State Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety reported that in December of 2011, there were 23 vehicle occupants killed in MVA’s and only five were known to be buckled up. In the first three weeks of 2012 eight of Minnesota’s first 10 traffic fatalities were not buckled up. These facts are staggering. It tells me that a significant number of those 33 deaths could have been avoided if the occupants had buckled up! These facts again cry out for a more energized public safety campaign to get all motor vehicle occupants to be properly buckled up. I am committed to spreading the word. This blog is but a small attempt to do just that. BUCKLE UP – IT SAVE LIVES! ~ Jon P. Erickson Attorney at Law
Read MoreThe McDonald's Hot Coffee Case: Separating Fact from Fiction
January 11, 2012 | John T. BuchmanIt seems most everyone has heard about the McDonald’s “Hot Coffee” verdict, however, it may well be one of those “facts” we remember without really knowing how we every learned them. Furthermore, most people repeat those “facts” without ever learning whether or not they were true. Most people assume that the Plaintiff carelessly spilled hot coffee on her self and ended up with millions of dollars. Many people then argue that this exemplifies the “fact” that there are too many lawsuits and juries give out ridiculous verdicts to the undeserving. However, the facts are decidedly to the contrary. The Plaintiff, Stella Liebeck, was 79 years old when she bought a cup of coffee at McDonalds and got into her son’s car. The car did not have a console area to set her cup while she was riding as a passenger. She placed the cup between her knees while she was pulling off the lid and the cup spilled. Unlike most of the coffee that people make at home or buy from most any other restaurant, McDonald’s coffee was 180°. Most other coffee is heated to between 135-140°, a temperature that will not produce third-degree burns. However, McDonald’s, based on a consultant’s advice, brewed their coffee to 180-190°. I’ve heard different versions as to…
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