Click It or Ticket Campaign
June 12, 2013 | Jon P. EricksonMinnesota was a part of a national “Click It or Ticket” campaign over Memorial Day weekend. You may have noticed electronic freeway billboards advertising this “Click It or Ticket” effort. The campaign has been sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA} for more than 20 years. They have seen seat belt use go up to where they now estimate that 86{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of drivers nation wide now buckle up. The state of Washington leads with an average 97.5{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} seat belt usage,with Minnesota at about 95{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3}. Since 2005, the state of California has erected more than 600 traffic signs supporting seat belt usage. The California Office of Traffic Safety claims that this public service message approach has worked, and Californian seat belt usage is now up to 96.6{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3}. My hope is that Minnesotans will continue to get the message, and by next year will be at the top of seat belt usage nationwide. BUCKLE UP!
Read MoreDo I Lose Money by Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney?
June 10, 2013 | Adriel B. VillarrealMany people believe they’ll ultimately end up with a smaller check in their pocket after hiring a personal injury attorney, so they avoid calling a lawyer when they could actually really use the help. In reality, the opposite is often true. Hiring a personal injury lawyer can help you save time and energy fighting with insurance companies, and worse, collection companies looking for payment on medical or other your injury may have prevented you from covering. Hiring a personal injury attorney may also mean a larger settlement than you could have negotiated for on your own in the end. As personal injury attorneys our job is to help you get the maximum legal compensation for your claim. This is often the opposite of what other parties in the case want to do. They usually want to get you to settle for the minimum legal amount they can offer you. We can help you by advising you on what you’ll need to do in order to get the full value for: Your medical bills, especially for injuries that doctors might not have diagnosed on the day of your accident. If the accident has rendered you unable to work for any period of time, your lost wages. The loss of your vehicle, vehicle value, or…
Read MoreIs Divorce Mediation in Minnesota Right for Me?
June 3, 2013 | Elizabeth A. SchadingDivorce mediation in Minnesota is an extremely effective way to resolve the issues of a dissolving marriage. However, it’s true that mediation is also not the right choice for everyone. Mediation Is Right for You If… Mediation is right for you if you and your spouse are both willing to compromise and listen to one another. Don’t immediately write this off. While you and your spouse may not be able to get through a 5 minute conversation, communication is often much, much easier when there’s a neutral third party involved. Mediation can even work if you and your spouse both feel angry, hurt, and betrayed. These feelings are very normal. Mediators will help you turn the focus to your future, and the future of your children. Mediation is Not Right for You If… If there is a history of domestic abuse between you and your spouse, then mediation may not be appropriate. Note that this covers all forms of abuse: physical, verbal, and sexual. It also covers any abuse towards the children. In certain situations, mediation can still be successful by keeping the parties separated in their own rooms, with the mediator visiting each room in turn. If there is a court order prohibiting contact, the order may be amended to allow mediation….
Read More