The employees here at Siegfried & Jensen understand the importance of community. They believe that extending a helping hand to those in need doesn’t just happen from 9 – 5 Monday – Friday.

This past weekend, a hardy group picked up their paint rollers and went to work in a Habitat for Humanity house in the greater Salt Lake City area.

Thank you to them and to everyone who works to make Utah a wonderful place to live!

Since November, Utah has had at least two people die and several others injured in rollover accidents.

In November, a 19 year old man died in a crash on Interstate 80 near Saltair. In December, a 31 year old woman died from injuries sustained in a crash on State Road 73 between Fairfield and Cedar Fort.

In December, three people were critically injured when a semi-trailer rig rolled over in Spanish Fork Canyon, and just last week, one person sustained head injuries in a rollover on I-215 West.

Rollover Accidents Are Among the Deadliest

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, rollovers account for nearly 33% of all deaths from passenger vehicle accidents even though they’re only 2.1% of all passenger vehicle accidents.

There are more than 10,000 people per year killed in rollover accidents —more than 10,000 lives lost and 10,000 families changed forever every year.

Tips for Avoiding Rollovers

Top safety tips to prevent rollovers include:

1. Make sure all passengers buckle up

2. Check you tires regularly

3. Drive at safe speeds for weather, road, and vehicle conditions

4. Don’t overload the vehicle with passengers and/or cargo

We encourage you to learn more about avoiding rollovers. Check out NHTSA’s fact sheet, a safety brochure, and a driver checklist.

At Siegfried & Jensen, we work regularly with clients who have been injured in auto accidents involving rollovers. We help make sure they’re treated fairly so they can get what they need to move forward with their lives. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact us for a free, no-pressure consultation. Let us help make sure you’re treated fairly.

KTM-Sportmotorcycle has issued a recall of their Enduro motorcycles because of a fuel leak that can cause a fire.

The recall includes seven 2013 models and one 2012 model of off-road and closed-course motorcycle. The model numbers included are: 2013 KTM Motorcycles: 250 XC-F, 250 XCF-W, 350 XC-F, 350 XCF-W, 450 XC-F, 450 XC-W, 500 XC-W and MY 2012 KTM 350 XCF-W. The model number can be found on the rear fender on both sides of the motorcycle just below the tail end of the seat.

The motorcycles were sold by authorized KTM dealers nationwide from October 2011 through September 2012.

Faulty Fuel Hose Poses Fire Danger

During use, the pre-formed fuel hose can develop small holes or cracks at the ends of the hose, allowing fuel to leak. This poses a fire and crash hazard to the rider and/or others.

KTM has received 13 reports of fuel leaks. No injuries have been reported, yet.

Consumers should stop using the motorcycles immediately and contact a KTM authorized dealer to schedule a free repair. For more information, contact KTM North America Inc. toll-free at (888) 985-6090 8 am – 5 pm ET Monday – Friday or online (click on Dealer and Service for more information).

Fighting for Safety Against Defective Products

When manufactures release defective products (like defective cars or defective motorcycles) into the market place, they put everyone in our communities at risk.

When a manufacturer won’t take responsibility for the harm their decision causes, an experienced injury attorney can help make sure the manufacturer steps up and does the right thing.

At Siegfried & Jensen, we understand complex defective products cases. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a defective product and you’re not being treated fairly, contact us for a free, no pressure consultation. We can help you figure out the situation, make sure you’re treated fairly, and get you what you need to move forward with your life.

Utah had 215 traffic fatalities in 2012 —the fewest since 1959!

Sixty-four deaths occurred in Salt Lake County, 20 in Utah County, 17 in Tooele County, and 15 in Davis County.

The deadliest freeways were I-15 (32 deaths), US-89 (13 deaths), I-80 (11 deaths), and US-40 (10 deaths).

Aggressive driving was a factor in 49 of the deaths. Distracted driving was a factor in 20 deaths. Drowsy driving was a factor in 14 of the deaths.

Buckle Up & Save Lives

A variety of factors helped reduce the number of deadly crashes, including –

• Improvements to the highway system also helped make roads safer like barriers and rumble strips

• Education by representative of the Zero Fatalities campaign

• Emergency services and law enforcement

• Safety features like air bags, anti-lock brakes, stability control systems, crumple zones, and seat belts.

By far the most important safety feature was the seat belt. Sixty-seven deaths –nearly 1/3 of the total deaths– were associated with not wearing a seat belt.

Protect Your Rights & Your Family

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, make sure that you’re rights are being protected. Talk to an experienced accident and injury attorney.

Insurance companies too often try to deny claims or offer low-ball settlements. Don’t let avoid their responsibilities. Don’t let them risk the well being of your family.

Contact Siegfried and Jensen today for a free, no-pressure consultation. We can help you figure out your situation and decide how to move forward.

A recent reported by the CDC estimated that at least 2.5% of deadly car crashes in 2009 were linked to drowsy driving. It may not seem like much, but that’s approximately 730 deaths that could have been prevented.

In addition, drowsy driving was linked to 2% of crashes that resulted in approximately 30,000 non-deadly injuries.

None of this is surprising given that drowsiness slows reaction time, makes drivers less attentive, and impairs decision-making skills.

Mentioned in the CDC report is a different survey of drivers from 19 states and the District of Columbia, found that 4.2% of drivers reported having actually fallen asleep while driving at least once in the previous 30 days.

Drowsy Driving Risk Factors and Warning Signs

The risk factors for drowsy driving include –

• Sleep Loss
• Driving Patterns
• The Use of Sedating Medications
• Untreated Sleep Disorders: Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Narcolepsy
• Consumption of Alcohol Interacts With Sleepiness To Increase Drowsiness and Impairment

The drivers at greatest risk are –

• Young people (especially young men)
• Shift workers
• People with untreated sleep apnea syndrome and narcolepsy

Warning signs of drowsy driving include –

• Frequent yawning or blinking
• Difficulty remembering the past few miles driven
• Missing exits
• Drifting from your lane
• Hitting a rumble strip.

Commonsense Prevention

The best way to prevent becoming a drowsy driver is to identify and prevent the conditions that lead to sleepiness, namely getting enough sleep, treating sleep disorders, and not using alcohol before driving

If you find yourself driving drowsy, the only safe thing to do is to get off the road and rest until you’re no longer drowsy. Techniques to stay awake, like turning up the radio, opening the window, and turning up the air conditioner, do not work.

At Siegfried & Jensen, we work with people everyday whose lives have been destroyed by car accident. Don’t put yourself or others at risk.

Based on what we see, hear, and read, the average American could be excused for thinking that our courts are overrun with personal injury lawsuits.

According to reports from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, nothing could be further from the truth. Personal injury trial are taking up less court time every year.

800 Federal Tort Trials in 2003

Personal injury trials are a kind of tort trial, and the most recent data we have show that the number of tort trials has been declining for years. In 1985, there were 3,600 tort trials decided by a judge or jury in U.S. District Courts. In 2003, there were 800. That’s a 77% decrease.

At the state level, there was a 31.8% decrease in the number of tort trials in the 75 largest counties between 1992 and 2001.

Personal Injury Attorneys Make Sure Everyone Follows the Rules

People who have been injured because of someone else’s negligence have a legal right to be “made whole.” That means that the person who caused the injury (often through that person’s insurance company) has an obligation to help the injured person get well and move forward with life.

Basically, the law says we need to follow the rules we all learned as children:

• Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

• Say you’re sorry if you hurt someone.

• Put things back where you found them.

Too often, wrongdoers and their insurance companies try to walk away from their responsibilities. That’s where personal injury lawyers come in. They make sure that everyone plays by the rules and gets treated fairly.

If you’ve been injured and aren’t being treated fairly, contact Siegfried and Jensen today for a free, no pressure consultation or call us at the number on this website.

Johns Hopkins patient safety researchers have released a study estimating 80,000 surgical “never events” occurred between 1990 and 2010. That averages out to 4,000 per year.

“Never events” are things that everyone agrees should never happen during surgery —things like leaving a sponge or instrument inside the patient, performing an appendectomy on a patient scheduled for a tumor removal, or taking out the wrong kidney.

The Cost Is More Than Dollars

The total cost of these 80,000 mistakes in payments to patients and families was $1.3 billion, but that’s not the real cost.

6.6% of the patients died. 32.9% were permanently injured. 59.2% were temporarily injured.

Medical mistakes can alter your entire life and the lives of your family. If you’ve been badly injured, your life will never be the same again.

Protecting People and Communities

Any time a healthcare provider gives negligent care or commits a mistake —whether it’s because of poor judgment, lack of adequate training, malicious intent, or simple human error— our communities are less safe.

Medical malpractice claims and lawsuits aren’t about punishing anyone. They’re about holding healthcare providers accountable for their actions and making sure that the medical care that all of us receive meets minimal quality standards.

Help protect your community. If you’ve been injured while under the care of a medical professional, contact Siegfried and Jensen today for a free, no pressure consultation or call us at the number in the right hand corner of the website.

Toyota Motor Corporation has agreed to the largest auto defects settlement in U.S. history.

The cost? $1 billion.

The proposed settlement is intended to compensate owners for a loss in value of their vehicles due to recalls related to unintended acceleration. It does not cover claims for wrongful death or injuries, according to media reports. Customers with questions can visit Toyota’s settlement website or call 1-877-283-0507 for more information.

Profits Before Safety

Sadly, this headline is not as shocking as it should be.

Time and time again, manufacturers have put profits before safety. Time and time again, lawsuits have been the only way to force manufacturers to take responsibility for their dangerous choices.

Any time a designer or manufacturer produces and distributes a defective product —whether it’s because of poor judgment, lack of adequate training, malicious intent, or simple human error— our families and our communities are less safe.

Claims and lawsuits that hold people and businesses accountable for their negligence do more than help victims recover their lives —they make sure that the products we all use meet acceptable safety standards.

Making Communities Safer

It takes specialized legal knowledge to unravel defective auto claims. Our attorneys know what to do.

Help protect your community. If you’ve been injured by a defective auto product, contact Siegfried and Jensen today for a free, no pressure consultation or call us at the number in the right hand corner of the website.

In 2010, a total of 10,395 deaths –nearly a third of all motor vehicle fatalities– happened in speed-related crashes.

In addition, speed-related crashes accounted for 16% of property-damage-only crashes and 20% of crashes with injuries and fatalities.

Speed limit laws are one tool that has been used to try and minimize auto accidents and have not been without controversy.

Speed limit laws have traditionally been under individual state control and continue to be at this time. State laws set maximum speed limits for each type of road (e.g., interstate highway, two-way undivided highway) and land use (urban or rural). The local or state agency in charge of the road can change it if a lower limit is warranted.

Maximum posted speed limits for highways currently range from 55 mph to 85 mph.

How Does Speed Increase Risk?

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), speed influences the risk of crashes and crash injuries in three basic ways:

1) It increases the distance a vehicle travels from the time a driver detects an emergency to the time the driver reacts. This means that the faster you go, the less time you have to respond to danger.

2) It increases the distance needed to stop a vehicle once the driver starts to brake. This means that the faster you go, the harder it is to stop in time to avoid danger.

3) It increases the crash energy exponentially. This means that you the faster you go, the less effective seat belts, airbags, and other safety equipment will be. For example, when impact speed increases from 40 to 60 mph (a 50% increase), the energy that needs to be managed increases by 125%.

Driving Safety Tips That Minimize Speeding Risks

Speeding is a form of aggressive driving and tips for and about aggressive drivers apply to speeding.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Stop Aggressive Driving” page gives the following safe driving tips —

Avoiding Speeding

• Plan ahead. Allow yourself extra time to get where you’re going.

• Concentrate. Don’t get distracted by talking on your phone, eating, drinking, putting on makeup, etc.

• Relax. Tune into your favorite relaxing music. It can calm you nerves and help you enjoy the ride.

• Drive the posted speed limit.

• Identify alternate routes. Even if a route looks longer, it may be less crowded.

• Use public transportation. It can give you a much needed rest from driving.

• Just be late. If all else fails, just be late.

When confronted with a speeding/aggressive driver –

• Get out of the way if you can do so safely.

• Put your pride aside. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold your own in the travel lane.

• Avoid eye contact. This can sometimes enrage an aggressive driver.

• Ignore gestures and refuse to return them.

• Report serious speeding/aggressive driving. Have a passenger call or wait until you can call safely

At Siegfried & Jensen, we see firsthand the injuries and death caused by speeding. We believe that one of the ways to end the danger is to hold wrongdoers accountable. If you’ve been injured by a speeding or aggressive driver, contact us for a free, no-pressure consultation. We can help you figure out your situation and decide how you want to move forward with you life.

Did you know that 75% of your body is made up of water?

• 80% of the brain is water

• 75% of muscle is water

• 92% of blood is water

Did you know that dehydration affects more than your thirst?

• 1% dehydration results in thirst that decreases you mental performance by 10%.

• 4% dehydration results in lethargy, apathy, and mental symptoms like trouble concentrating, increased irritability, and more headaches.

• Long term dehydration can cause kidney stones, urinary tract infections, constipation, continence problems, and even death.

Did you know that water regulates your body temperature? So the more dehydrated you are, the more risk you’re at risk of a heat related illnesses like heat stroke.

Children Are At Increased Risk of Dehydration and Heat Related Illnesses

According to the advocacy group Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation, children are increased risk of dehydration and heat related illnesses because—

• Children have a greater surface-area to body-mass ratio than adults. This causes children to absorb more heat from the environment.

• Children and adolescents may have a reduced ability to get rid of heat through sweating. This makes it more difficult for children and adolescents to cool down.

• Children and adolescents usually don’t think to drink enough fluids to keep hydrated.

• Youth athletes may be easily distracted when they should be drinking fluids and rehydrating.

The signs of dangerous dehydration are noticable thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, decreased performance, nausea, headache, fatigue, light-headedness or dizziness, and difficulty paying attention.

To treat dehydration—

1) Rest in a cool place

2) Drink fluids (preferably water or a sports drink)

If dehydration is not stopped, the danger of heat related illnesses increases.

Know the Signs of Heat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke

According to the CDC and the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation, heat related illness fall into three broad categories — heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Heat cramps usually happen during strenuous physical activity. Sweating depletes the body’s salt and moisture levels leading to cramps. Heat cramps can also be a symptom of heat exhaustion.

Symptoms include muscle pain or spasms usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs.

The child should stop all activity, sit in a cool place, and drink fluids (preferably water or a sports drink). The child should rest for a few hours after the cramps subside. Further exertion may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Seek medical attention if the child has a heart problem or if the cramps don’t seem to be stopping.

Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating.

Symptoms include heavy sweating; extreme weakness or fatigue; dizziness/confusion; nausea; clammy, moist skin; pale or flushed complexion; muscle cramps; slightly elevated body temperature; and fast and shallow breathing.

Have the child rest in a cool, shaded, or air-conditioned area. Have them drink plenty of cool fluids (preferably water or a sports drink). Have them take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related disorder. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given in time.

Symptoms include hot, dry skin or profuse sweating; hallucinations; chills; throbbing headache; high body temperature; confusion/dizziness; and slurred speech.

Call 911 IMMEDIATELY. Move the child to a cool shaded area and start cooling them by soaking their clothes with water, spraying/sponging/showering them with water, and fanning their body. Do not have the child drink fluids since nausea and vomiting are extremely common.

At Siegfried & Jensen, we work every day with children and families who’ve been needlessly injured. Let’s all do our part to keep kids hydrated and safe during these final hot summer days.