Knoxville Social Security Disability Law Blog | The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser

Higher speed limits causing more US traffic deaths

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, October 10, 2019.

Higher speed limits are causing more people in Tennessee and across the U.S. to die in traffic accidents, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In fact, researchers found that rising speed limits have led to the deaths of an extra 37,000 people over the last 25 years.

In 1995, the national 55 mph speed limit was scrapped. Since then, seven states have increased their highway speed limits to 80 mph. Another 41 states have increased their speed limits to 70 mph. For the IIHS study, researchers analyzed traffic death statistics between the years of 1993 and 2017, and they controlled for influential factors like youth, unemployment and seat belt use. They found that 36,760 more people died in highway accidents during that period of time than would have died if the speed limits had remained at 55 mph. For reference, that's slightly less than the total number of Americans who have been killed in motor vehicle accidents each of the last three years.

Parents are concerned about distracted driving among teenagers

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

Tennessee parents are concerned about instilling good habits in their teenage drivers. Young people are more likely to be distracted or lose focus more often while driving than older adults. Researchers are interested in helping both teens and parents to have an open dialogue about the importance of being a good driver and passenger.

One survey included 900 parents who had teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 reporting on the actions and attitudes of parents when it involved their teenagers riding in the car with peers. This is something that occurred once or twice each week for about 30% of the parents. Many parents limited the trips that their teenagers could take with other teenagers, especially when it required their teenagers to drive on the highway.

If your Social Security Disability gets denied, you can appeal

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

Social Security Disability is an important safety net that protects individuals who get hurt or develop a medical condition from experiencing outright poverty as a result of their medical issues. When a condition is so severe that it prevents someone from working, Social Security Disability provides them with a moderate income stream to cover their expenses, such as their mortgage or rent, their groceries and their utility bills.

Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration is a government organization often plagued with long wait times and bureaucratic red tape that can hinder the people who need the benefits it governs. The Social Security Disability program is notorious for rejecting qualified applicants and making individuals with severe, even terminal illnesses wait months or years to collect the benefits that they need just to survive.

In 2017, red-light running crash deaths saw 10-year high

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Car Accidents on Monday, September 9, 2019.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that an increasing number of people are dying in crashes due to drivers who run red lights. In 2017, there were 939 such deaths, marking a 10-year high. AAA found that in 65% of these crashes, it's not the offending driver who dies but the innocent victim. Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists in Tennessee and across the U.S. are at risk for becoming the victims of red-light runners, so they should know how to protect themselves.

Defensive driving is key. Drivers stopped at a red light should not dart out the moment it turns green but rather wait a second or two. Then, they should look both ways. As they come upon an intersection, their foot should hover over their brake. They could tap their brake a couple of times, too, to catch the attention of the driver behind them. Though many red-light runners are simply impatient, others can be distracted. Lastly, drivers should watch out for stale green lights and act accordingly.

Ways you can increase your SSD benefits

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser on Wednesday, August 28, 2019.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports that nearly one out of every four Americans has a disability. That amounts to 61 million citizens with a mental or physical impairment affecting their daily lives who could be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSD).

The government designed SSD as financial assistance for impaired individuals who have paid Social Security taxes here in Tennessee and elsewhere. If you qualify, your income and tax history determines the amount you receive.

NSC estimates over 40,000 traffic deaths in 2018

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Car Accidents on Monday, August 26, 2019.

The National Safety Council has come out with its preliminary estimate on car crash injuries and fatalities in 2018, and the conclusions are not heartening. It turns out that 2018 is the third year in a row to see more than 40,000 traffic deaths. Tennessee residents should know that though 2018 saw 1% fewer deaths than 2016 and 2017, the number still represents a 14% increase from 2015.

The NSC has not said anything definite about what is causing the trend, but there are several factors that can be gleaned. Distractions were behind 8% of crashes, and drowsiness explained 2% of accidents. The nationwide opioid crisis is leading to greater numbers of impaired drivers. In addition, more pedestrians died in 2018 compared to the previous year.

5 ways that truckers can deal with fatigue

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, August 14, 2019.

Truckers in Tennessee hardly need to be told that stress, lack of sleep and exercise, heavy lifting and long hours are all a part of their line of work. But the fatigue that results from it all can put their life in danger. A study from the University of Utah School of Medicine shows that truck drivers who are fatigued and have a high pulse pressure are more likely to be in an accident. There are some effective ways for dealing with fatigue.

First, truckers should look at their sleep schedule and try to ensure six to eight hours of sleep a day. If they cannot achieve that amount in one stretch, truckers should try sleeping at different intervals and determine one that suits them. A second way is to improve one's diet. Junk food only provides a momentary "sugar rush" and does nothing to replenish the body. Third, truckers should limit their consumption of coffee and alcohol.

Rear seat offers little protection in car accidents

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

Some Tennessee residents may believe that sitting in the backseat of a vehicle offers certain protections. Unfortunately, a new study has revealed that this is not the case. A study done by researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that sitting in the backseat can be more dangerous than the front seat due to a lack of safety technology in this area.

Several areas in the rear seat were found to be deficient in safety features when compared. Front seat passengers have safety belts that have force limiters. During an accident, these force limiters cinch tightly, offering very little give. However, many vehicle rear seat safety belts don't have force limiters. Additionally, rear-seat passengers don't have as many side airbags, and no current vehicles offer forward airbags for these passengers. Some vehicle manufacturers are currently working on developing forward airbags for the back seat.

Study suggests seat belts protect men better than women

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser posted in Car Accidents on Monday, July 15, 2019.

Seat belts save thousands of lives in Tennessee and around the country each year, but a study published recently in a leading road safety journal suggests that they do not offer as much protection in a front-end crash to women as they do to men. A team of academics from the University of Virginia analyzed more than 20,000 front-end collisions that took place over a 17-year period, and they found that women wearing seat belts suffered injuries far more often than men who were buckled up.

The researchers studied the data closely and took the age, height and weight of the vehicle occupants into consideration. They also sorted accidents by their severity and the age of the cars involved. The research team discovered that a woman is 73% more likely to suffer an injury in a front-end collision that a man, and they also found that serious injuries to the legs, abdomen and spine were twice as common among female accident victims. The study was published in Traffic Injury Protection on July 10.

Avoid these mistakes throughout the SSD application process

On behalf of The Law Offices of Tony Farmer and John Dreiser on Monday, July 8, 2019.

When you suffer a disabling injury or illness, your future may seem uncertain. You may be unable to continue working in your chosen profession, worry how you will financially support yourself and struggle with learning to cope with your impairment.

Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits provide many who are unable to work after a disability across Tennessee with access to the financial relief they need. However, the application process can be complicated and lengthy. Additionally, the Social Security Administration (SSA) rejects many first-time applications, often due to overlooked errors in the application. What are some common mistakes applicants should avoid?

Social Security Disability Blog