Paul Horton: I’ve Fallen and Need an Attorney

As people get older, the rate for injury increases. In the U.S., one out of three people over the age of 65 will experience a slip and fall related injury. Half of those people are repeat fallers. Those numbers only increase as one gets older.

If you live in Salt Lake City and experience a personal injury, consider reaching out to an attorney. Getting hurt because of someone else’s negligence is not your fault, nor your responsibility. With the fall, you may find yourself dealing with medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. The law holds property owners accountable when their recklessness affects another victim, and we are here to sort out all of the details.

However, if you want to avoid being contacted by a personal injury lawyer, there are always ways to fall-proof your home.

Get Organized to Avoid Slip and Falls

To prevent anyone falling in your residence, remove and pick up items that can cause potential slips. Tripping on clutter, pet toys, cords or other small items are the fastest ways to get caught up and fall. If you know that you will be having guests over who may have diminished mobility, consider picking up beforehand and laying rugs out. Hardwood floors also pose a threat to seniors.

Get As Much Lighting as You Can

Even those with poor vision will appreciate a little extra light. Turning on lights and lamps makes the ground more visible and can decrease an injury.

Get Non-Slip Strips

To prevent rugs from moving, adding a non-slip strip or rubber mat beneath the rug can prevent anyone from getting tangled in the rug. If your guests will be using your shower, placing a rubber mat in the tub is another precautionary step.

If you want to avoid speaking with an attorney due to your own negligence, consider making your home a safer place. Your friends will thank you and so will your elders.

Speeding and Car Accidents

Speeding is a major factor in most auto accidents. In fact, speed and the likelihood of an accident are strongly correlated. For example, a driver’s speed—relative to the surrounding mass of traffic—causes an obvious increase in danger, seeing as how it’s impossible that other motorists be forewarned of the speeding vehicle in question.

Furthermore, common human reflexes simply don’t allow for reckless, unexpected speeding. The faster a car is driving, the less time a driver—regardless of whether he or she be driving at a safe speed—has to react.

Utah has recently raised the speed on its highways from 65 to 70 miles per hour. Relatively speaking, this now means Utah has one of the higher highway speed limits in the nation. However, studies show that increases in speed limit do not have a large effect on the overall speed of drivers on the same road.

Still, auto accidents that occur at a higher speed have a higher fatality rate. This has to do with the fact that when high-velocity objects crash into each other, a huge amount of kinetic energy is displaced in a matter of seconds.

The respective velocities reached by speeding cars are far beyond anything a human’s body is capable of absorbing without damage. Although car technology has come a long way in saving lives, it’s still important to drive at both a reasonable and safe speed.

Free Initial Consultation with a Utah Personal Injuy Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!