What to do after a car accident

Let's face it....car accidents should be one of the top "'stressors" you can have in your life.  Not only are YOU injured but so is every aspect of your life.

1. You have to get medical attention.
2. You have to hire an Attorney
3. You have to make arrangements for your children. You have to make arrangements for you job.
4. You have to get your vehicle fixed.You have to find temporary transportation.

The list goes on and on and on...

Let's not forget the endless appointments, the endless calls and the endless PAIN that comes after a car accident.

I can personally tell you that a car accident will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!  What needs to be done   a healthy person has a hard time completing.  

Today it is about Medical Attention:  You need to know what your insurance covers, how it covers it, when it covers it......

Now you have to find someone who specializes in YOUR injuries but you have to know what your injuries are first.  Funny how that works, huh.

No matter what your friends, family, co-workers tell you, refer you to...do your homework first.....go to a Doctor that uses the latest technology!!  

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Seatbelt Safety

Click it or Ticket. 

Nationwide safety program that has focused on wearing your seatbelt.  We are all guilty, or have been in the past, of just running down the road so you don't wear your seatbelt.  I have to be honest as much as I think about the importance of wearing my seatbelt it often takes that annoying "beep" to remind me to put it on.

The click it or ticket campaign gave out over THREE million tickets over the last five years.  That is a ticket every other second.  (NHTSA)

 

Seat Belts: Your Single Most Effective Safety Step (Taken directly from the National Safety Council):

"Seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by 50 percent. They save lives:

• Seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 to 2008.
• Forty-two percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007 were unbelted. A 2009 NHTSA study estimates more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented if seat belt use was 90 percent in every state.

The good news is, in 2009, seat belt use averaged 88 percent nationally, compared with 69 percent in 1998. NHTSA attributes this increase to the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, originally created by the National Safety Council as part of its Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign.

Nationwide, seat belt use is higher than ever. Yet seat belt use remains lowest among young drivers. NHTSA also reports that, in 2007:

• Seat belt use was lower among blacks than any other race.
• Seat belt use was higher among females than males.
• Seat belt use was lower among drivers who drove alone than drivers with passengers." 

If you want to know what the laws are about seatbelts or child restraints in your state click here.

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Common myth about cars: Part 3

Myth No. 3: Change your oil every 3,000 miles.





Not only are gas prices rising....but now they want us to get an oil change "service" every 3,000 miles.  It would cost less to quit your job and stay home than it does to drive your car anymore. 

I have to admit.....I have fallen for this one.  I never went more than 3,500 miles before an oil change...and it never failed every time I went in I needed a new air filter, oil filter, etc. and I fell for it.  (I think they took my air filter and ran it in leaves before they showed me)  Honestly, pound the stuff out, run a hose through it and it's clean....but no, I fell for it and paid (too much) for it.

Even though changing your oil every 3,000 miles won't hurt your vehicle....it will hurt your pocketbook.  Modern vehicles generally recommend an oil change every 7,000-8,000 miles. 

There are some synthetic oil that claim you can go 15,000 miles between oil changes (I couldn't do that...I would start to panic around 10,000 miles).

What should you do?  Follow your vehicle's manual for the recommended miles for an oil change.  (who thought that book in the glove box had so much information).

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Common Myth about cars: Part 2

Vehicles that require regular fuel benefit from a tank of premium gasoline once in a while.

With gas prices today do we really need Premium gas?  Jim Williams, senior manager at the American Petroleum Institute, says you have to experiment with your car to see if there is any improved performance.  Many premium grade "improvements" are just marketing gimmicks so make sure you do your homework.  It is recommended that you stick with your vehicle's recommended octane level.  If placing the wrong octane level in your car (going to premium when your manual recommends 89) you may mask a serious problem. 

The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) requires detergents in every grade so do what is best for your car.  It's not like it was years ago where the "cheapest" gas was really the cheapest gas and it could harm your car.

Want to know:  Next time you need a full tank of gas, pay a few cents more per gallon and track your mileage and performance.  If it helps than keep using it.  I tried this and didn't get any better gas mileage...in fact my mileage went down.

Do your homework, test your vehicle and decide for yourself.

No matter what your decision is on what type of gas to put into your car, please drive safe.

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Understanding tires and how they can keep you safe

Tire tread....it is what will keep you safe while driving.



According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration):

Tire Tread
"The tire tread provides the gripping action and traction that prevent your vehicle from slipping or sliding, especially when the road is wet or icy. In general, tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. Tires have built-in treadwear indicators that let you know when it is time to replace your tires. These indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear "even" with the outside of the tread, it is time to replace your tires. Another method for checking tread depth is to place a penny in the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, you are ready for new tires."

Tire Rotation
"Rotating tires from front to back and from side to side can reduce irregular wear (for vehicles that have tires that are all the same size). Look in your owner's manual for information on how frequently the tires on your vehicle should be rotated and the best pattern for rotation."

A Tire Rotation Example
For maximum mileage, rotate your tires every 5,000 miles. Follow correct rotation patterns. 

Picture provided by the NHTSA website

I understand the trouble it takes and the time it takes to check your tires....a whole 30 seconds on each one....allowing 15 seconds to move to the next one.....THREE whole minutes and a penny. This reminds me of "I don't want to wrinkle my clothes so I don't wear my seat belt" reasoning. Imagine how wrinkled your clothes get from a car accident...or worse yet how damaged they get if the First Responders have to cut them off you.

Bad  tires can cause injuries that will take longer than THREE seconds to recover from.  Let's imagine you check your tires once a month for the entire life you drive.  Starting at age 16 and going to the age of 80.  This is 64 years of driving at 36 minutes a YEAR of precautionary measures is ONLY 2304 minutes which is LESS than TWO days of your driving life.  Now, if car accident injuries only lasted two days I would say, "ah, not worth it."  BUT THEY DON'T!!!  Car accident injuries can last a lifetime of recovery, pain and suffering....not to mention the emotional distress that can be caused if a life is lost in this accident. You and everyone on the road deserves to be safe....and for less than two days in your driving life you can help this happen.

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Back to School. Getting them ready and keeping them safe.

It is that time already.  
School Supplies
School Clothes

This time of year always comes with mixed emotions...Parents are happy that routines get back to normal but cringe at all the school supplies that they are required to purchase for their children.

I don't know about you but I do know that when I go into WalMart and see all the list of supplies that each grade must have I wonder how it got this way.  I may be dating myself but when I went to school we needed a notebook, pencil, rule, glue and occasionally we would need poster board for science.  I don't know how parent's afford their children going to public schools when they have more than one child.  Many of my friends who have 2+ children in school all say the same thing, "with the cost of supplies it's difficult to buy school clothes."  Many of my friends will not purchase some items on the list because of the cost.  I understand that the budget is down for schools and I have the utmost respect for teachers but how do parents do it?

The response from children about going back to school is usually dread....until that first day.  The dread comes from having to wake up early and function before 8:00 am.

Now is the time to start getting your child(ren) ready for this.

• Start having them have that dreaded "bedtime" again and start making it earlier and closer to the time they will have when school starts.
• Start having them wake up earlier and gradually work towards the time they will need to wake up when school starts.
• If your child hasn't done much "school work" or "thinking" this summer get them back on track now.  Reading is a great way to get them prepared.
• Talk to your children about safety going to and from schools whether they ride the bus or not.  The bus stops, puts out the stop sign for cars to stop but let's be honest....none of us are "used" to that so start talking to your child(ren) now about safety of getting on and off the bus.
• If your child walks to and from school you can never talk to them enough about strangers approaching them.  Have a "code word" that only you, your child and anyone who would be allowed to pick them up would know. Here is the link to the Pueblo County Sexual Offender list.  Put your school and your home address in to see how many are in your neighborhood.  Want to see all of them in a nutshell go to this website.

Colorado Car Wreck | The Auto Injury Clinic is urging all drivers to please watch out for children in the upcoming months.  They will be walking, riding their bikes, getting on and off the bus.  Start today by watching for school zones and slowing down so when school starts the "lack of doing it" doesn't cause a child to by injured.  Let's make this a safe year going back to school.

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Please share any tips you have for getting ready for back to school

Little accident can mean BIG injuries

Some of the "smallest" accidents can cause the biggest injuries.  It doesn't take a semi truck to hit you head on to cause serious injuries.




How many times have you heard of a car that was totaled and the driver walked away without any injuries?  When this happens you say, "someone was very lucky."

How many times have you heard of a "fender-bender" and the driver sustained many serious injuries?  I know, when you hear of these you say, "Ya right, this person is milking the system."

Honestly, some of the "smallest" accidents can cause the biggest injuries. About my car accident...it was a little one....for the car that is.  For me....yes I was "looked at" as if I wasn't really hurt.... it wasn't until additional tests that were run that it was discovered I really was hurt (imagine that).

What is important to know when you are involved in a car accident is that NO MATTER how LITTLE the accident was go see a DOCTOR.

If you do require emergency care....make sure YOU or someone you trust knows what is going on and what treatment you are being provided.  Emergency Room Doctors are NOT specialists...they are there to SAVE YOUR LIFE.  It is essential that YOU or someone you trust knows what is going on.

If you are in Colorado and you or someone you know is involved in a car accident, no matter how small I highly recommend Colorado Car Wreck | The Auto Injury Clinic.  I wish I would have known about them when I had my car accident.

If you have been hurt in a car accident and treated by Colorado Car Wreck please share your story and experience in the comment section.

What is Spinal Cord Injury? Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, gunshot, falls, etc.) or disease (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning. SCI is very different from back injuries such as ruptured disks, spinal stenosis or pinched nerves.
A person can "break their back or neck" yet not sustain a spinal cord injury if only the bones around the spinal cord (the vertebrae) are damaged, but the spinal cord is not affected. In these situations, the individual may not experience paralysis after the bones are stabilized.
What is the spinal cord and the vertebra? The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and extends from the base of the brain, down the middle of the back, to about the waist. The nerves that lie within the spinal cord are upper motor neurons (UMNs) and their function is to carry the messages back and forth from the brain to the spinal nerves along the spinal tract. The spinal nerves that branch out from the spinal cord to the other parts of the body are called lower motor neurons (LMNs). These spinal nerves exit and enter at each vertebral level and communicate with specific areas of the body. The sensory portions of the LMN carry messages about sensation from the skin and other body parts and organs to the brain. The motor portions of the LMN send messages from the brain to the various body parts to initiate actions such as muscle movement.(http://www.spinalinjury.net/html/_spinal_cord_101.html)

Car Accidents can cause numerous problems to the body. Spinal cord injuries can affect your hands, arms, legs and feet.  Depending where the injury will determine what other parts of your body will be affected. A neck injury can affect your arm while a back injury can affect your legs. When you are involved in a car accident and you don't "feel" any injuries seek medical attention anyway. It may take several weeks before any injuries will be discovered.

At Colorado Car Wreck you will get the attention YOU deserve and need. 

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Teenage drivers

One of the most exciting events in a teenager's life is also the most deadliest.

What every parent should know but is often afraid to know

 

Information provided by:
Insurance Institute for Highway safety
and Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association


In 2007, the latest year for which data are available, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among 13-19 year-old males and females in the United States.

• A total of 3,466 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2009. This is 60 percent fewer than in 1975 and 15 percent fewer than in 2008. 
• Thirty-three percent of deaths among 13-19-year-olds occurred in motor vehicle crashes, 39 percent among females and 31 percent among males.
• 16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.
• The crash rate per mile driven is twice as high for 16-year-olds as it is for 18- and 19-year-olds.
• About 2 out of every 3 teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2009 were males.
• Sixty percent of teenage passenger deaths in 2009 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 18 percent occurred when a teenager was driving.
• Statistics show that 16- and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger.
• Eighty-three percent of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths in 2009 were passenger vehicle occupants. The others were pedestrians (7 percent), motorcyclists (4 percent), bicyclists (2 percent), riders of all-terrain vehicles (2 percent), and people in other kinds of vehicles (2 percent).
• Fifty-five percent of motor vehicle crash deaths among teenagers in 2009 occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
• In states with GDL programs that include at least five of the most important elements, there was a 20% reduction in fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers.
• In 2006 (latest data available) crashes involving 15- to 17-year-olds cost more than $34 billion nationwide in medical treatment, property damage and other costs, according to an AAA analysis.

How do teenage crashes differ from those of other drivers
According to the IIHS
Analyses of fatal crash data indicate that crashes of teenage drivers are more likely to be attributed to driver error. Teenagers' fatal crashes are more likely to involve speeding than those of older drivers, and teenagers are more likely than drivers of other ages to be in single-vehicle fatal crashes. Plus teenagers do more of their driving in small and older cars and at night, compared with adults. In 2010, 17 percent of teenagers' fatalities occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight, and 24 percent occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. Fifty-five percent of teenagers' fatalities occurred on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

The more you know, the more prepared you are the safer your child will be.  Colorado Car Wreck would rather not meet you under these circumstance but should you ever need us we will be there to help you.

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Ligament injuries

We all think that a broken bone is painful…..we only think that UNTIL we have had a ligament injury.  We don’t often associate car accidents with ligament injuries….UNTIL it happens to you.  We are all familiar with Whiplash…we understand what that means, right?  

There are several different injury results that come from whiplash; the soft tissue for muscles, nerves and ligaments.

According to Dr. Sutton there are two types of ligament injuries:

1. Complete Failure (which is often called a “tear”)
2. Sub-failure (“stretching” of a ligament)

First we need to know what ligaments are: 

According to Livestrong: Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together to increase the stability of a joint. A torn ligament results in pain, swelling, bruising and an inability to move the joint, states Medline Plus, of the National Institutes of health. A pop or tear may be heard or felt at the time of injury. Mild sprains or partial tears are treated conservatively, while a severe sprain may require surgical repair.

Ligament injuries can often be difficult to discover. Your standard x-rays won’t discover them BUT the DMX (Digital Motion X-Ray) can!

DMX technology can reveal these sub-failure ligament injuries in as little as 15 minutes! This allows the Doctor to specifically determine which ligaments are injured.

Learn more about DMX at coloradocarwreck.com

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My car accidents and injuries

I consider myself a "lucky" person....except when it comes to car wrecks.  I have been involved in two serious car wrecks in my life.  The first one I was about 24 years old and we were both ticketed for running a green...yes I said green light. 

I have to admit that 20 years ago technology wasn't as good as it is today....so I didn't get the care I "should" have and wasn't taken "care" of the way I should have been.  So be it.....I get on with life.....with still some of the same pain I received in that car wreck.

Six years ago.....I get into another car accident.  Yes the chances are pretty good that you or someone you know will be involved in a car accident.  Knowledge is Power, Learning is Experience.....so please learn from MY experience.

Not knowing any better I did the "typical" treatment for car accident victims which consist of x-rays and treatment.  Cost was not an issue as I carry excellent insurance....I just didn't know.  I go to a chiropractor I get treated....it helps me function but after 20 visits I'm passed onto another chiropractor.....20 treatments later I am sent for a MRI.  It was only THEN it was discovered my injuries were "worse" than what anyone thought.  (I have to be honest...I KNEW they were serious but nobody else thought they were).

I admit I did it wrong from the beginning.  It was three weeks after my accident that I couldn't move so I would have seen anyone to feel better.  I contacted a friend who referred me to my first chiropractor.  I didn't hire an Attorney to begin with, I wasn't hurt for the first three weeks so I didn't "need" one.  Treatment, passed off, treatment, passed off.  I did what we all do.....need a referral, call a friend.  I'm not going to say that is the wrong thing to do.  BUT...sometimes your friends should not be the one's to ask.  Had DMX been available to me......my life would probably be different today.

Digital Motion X-Ray is simply a type of fluoro-based x-ray system, coupled with new digital and optic technology, allowing clinicians to view the spine in real-time motion at 30 x-rays per second. The procedure is performed with the patient standing and actively moving in a weight-bearing position within the system.

DMX is a digital movie of an x-ray in motion and it can be:

* Printed and emailed as "still" x-rays;

* Stored on a hard drive;

* Recorded on DVD.

So, if you have to hear it from a friend, than consider us friends.  I want you to know that getting the BEST in the BEGINNING will make a difference in your life.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured call Colorado Car Wreck/ The Auto Injury Clinic at 877-779-9340 and get it done right from the beginning.  The staff there are wonderful, caring and will get answers for you in the beginning. 

I still have pain from both of my accidents.  I will always wonder if my injuries were discovered earlier.....

Tell me about your experiences after car accidents.   If you have ever used DMX I would love to know how different it was for you. 

Heat Exhaustion and Driving

We all hear about car accidents in the winter with ice, snow and low visability. But car accidents are on the rise in the summer. Summer is when are kids are out of school and...on the road.

With the heat we have been having heat exhaustion is a big problem. According to WebMD Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that may occur after you've been exposed to high temperatures for several days and have developed dehydration, which is an inadequate or imbalanced replacement of the fluids and electrolytes you've lost through excessive perspiration.
There are two types of heat exhaustion:

• Water depletion. Signs include excessive thirst, weakness, headache, and even loss of consciousness.
• Salt depletion. Signs include nausea and vomiting, frequent muscle cramps, and dizziness.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

The most common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• confusion
• dark-colored urine (which indicates dehydration)
• dizziness
• fainting
• fatigue
• headache
• muscle cramps
• nausea
• pale skin
• profuse sweating
• rapid heartbeat

Take a good look at the list of symptoms of heat exhaustion. Now imagine having these symptoms while driving....it is a dangerous combination.

Please be careful when getting behind the wheel of a car.