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It’s every holiday traveler’s worst nightmare: A semi-truck, seemingly out-of-control, barreling toward you on the expressway at a high rate of speed.

Gary personal injury attorneys know know tractor-trailer accidents are not an everyday occurrence. But too often these crashes are deadly and a recent spate throughout the Midwest reminds us of the risks as we enter the busy holiday travel season.

We expect these kinds of crashes will increase over the holidays, with a combination of icy winter weather and the tendency of trucking companies to overload their vehicles and overwork their drivers in an attempt to meet end-of-the-year demands for goods and materials.
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Family law court judges in Indiana work hard to establish balanced child custody and visitation schedules that are fair to both parents and in the best interest of the child.

It’s not uncommon, however, that an agreement that worked at the outset of the separation or divorce is no longer sustainable or acceptable for one reason or another. This is referred to as a material change in circumstance. Of course, that’s life, and for this reason, it’s common for parents to at some point request that the court revisit the issue of child custody and visitation, also formally known as parenting time.

Indiana parenting time guidelines were recently updated in March and again in August of this year. The arena of family law is one that is always evolving, and the family law case of Moix v. Moix, recently heard by the state supreme court in Arkansas, deftly illustrates this issue.
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A single drunk driver can alter the course of lives forever.

But sometimes, it’s not just the driver who should be held liable. Per IC7.1-5-10-15.5, Restaurants, bars and party hosts who serve alcohol to a person knowing he or she was visibly intoxicated and that the furnishing of such beverages was proximate to the cause of injury or death, may also share liability. These Dram Shop laws vary from state-to-state.

(In Indiana, not only can the victim of a drunk driver seek damages, the drunk driver is also entitled to seek damages from the social host, per the 1996 decision in Booker, Inc. v. Morrill. As an at-fault state, Indiana allows that a plaintiff can be up to 50 percent at-fault for the incident in question and still pursue compensatory damages.)
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Winter is quickly approaching and with this season comes plenty of inclement weather. Rain, sleet, snow and ice can make for an unpleasant driving experience. Motorists should be extremely cautious when driving in bad weather conditions. Ice covered roadways can be the most dangerous, especially when it turns out to be black ice, which is nearly invisible.

Understand that black ice is a glaze that forms on surfaces (especially roads, sidewalks, and driveways) because of a light freezing rain or because of melting and re-freezing snow, water, or ice. It’s called “black ice” because it tends to look like the rest of the pavement on the road, although in reality, it’s actually clear.

Our Highland car accident lawyers understand that, based on news media reports, there were at least 477 deaths due to icy roads in the United States during the 2008-2009 winter season, and at least 458 during the 2009-2010 winter season. The two-year average is 467 fatalities per year. According to icyroadsafety.com, there were 14 fatalities due to icy-road accidents from 2009 to 2010 in the state of Indiana.
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After enduring one failed marriage – or two – fewer couples are finding themselves willing to tie the knot once again.

A recent report by the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University revealed that the U.S. remarriage rate has plunged by 40 percent over the last two decades.

That doesn’t mean, however, that they’re living in isolation. Rather, our Indiana family law attorneys recognize that many of them are instead opting to cohabit. By living together without the formality of marriage, many couples feel they can avoid the messiness that might ensue should they decide some day to part ways.
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Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) want you to be safe on our roadways and understand that can be a bit more difficult during the winter driving season.

They’re also reminding you: “Ice and Snow, Take it Slow!”

First and foremost, you want to make sure you’re ready. Before heading out, make sure you check weather and road conditions. Know the route you’re taking and make sure it’s clear. Also, make sure you’ve got plenty of gas. It’s not a bad idea to carry a winter driving kit which should include: blankets, flashlight and extra batteries, a brightly colored cloth, sand (or cat litter), shovel, candle, matches, non-perishable high calorie food, a first aid kit and jumper cables and cell phone.

Our Highland car accident lawyers understand that, each year, more than 800 people lose their lives on Hoosier roadways. Most of those crashes were caused by driver errors such as impaired driving, speeding, aggressive driving or distracted driving. The good news is that as a driver, you hold the key to crash prevention.
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Cruise control makes long trips and highway driving easier for motorists and is a very commonly used feature in vehicles. Because cruise control is found in so many cars and utilized by so many motorists, it is important to understand the impact that this feature can have on driver safety.

Recently, the AP News Archive reported on a study conducted in France involving 90 drivers. The study sought to uncover how cruise control effects driver behavior and thus how it affects the risk of accidents. Our Highland injury lawyers know that the results of the study were mixed, with cruise control helping to reduce some types of accidents while increasing the risks of others.
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Our Highland malpractice lawyers know that you count on your doctor to provide treatment based on what is right for you, not based on what is going to result in the biggest payoff for the physician or the hospital. Unfortunately, many patients have undergone unnecessary cardiac stent procedures in the past decade because these types of procedures can result in huge payouts for hospitals.

Every medical procedure carries risks, and these unnecessary and dangerous procedures were often carried out by doctors who lacked both scruples and medical talent. This has resulted in patients dying while having cardiac stents implanted that were not medically necessary.
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Coming to a decision about whether to divorce or stay together is not something most people take lightly. In some situations, couples take years before reaching their final conclusion.

There is nothing wrong with not wanting to rush into anything. However, long-term separations absent legal protections could end up being detrimental to one or more of those involved.

Legal separations in Indiana, which can last up to one year, aren’t required in order to get a divorce. However, they can be a (reversible) step in that direction. Even if you are not sold on the idea of ending the union altogether, it’s worthwhile for both parties to have a clear idea of how you intend to handle child custody, child support, parenting time, spousal maintenance and temporary division of property.
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Believe it or not, car accidents are responsible for most of the injuries that require some sort of hospitalization during pregnancy. And although the rate of seat belt use is on the rise, officials still estimate that 1 out of every 7 American adults isn’t buckling up during each and every car ride.

According to MNT, car accidents can be extremely dangerous for women who are pregnant, especially if they are not wearing a seat belt.

Our Highland car accident lawyers understand that many women have concerns about how to wear a seat belt properly while pregnant — and with good reason! When lap belts are improperly worn (over the dome of the uterus), they can significantly increase pressure on the baby and may possibly lead to fetal injury. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t wear one. You should instead know how to wear one correctly.
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8320 Kennedy Ave
Highland, IN 46322
Phone: 219-836-2200
Fax: 219-836-9388

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