October 31, 2010 (Press-News.org) No Shortage of Hidden Dangers in Napa
There is nothing more beautiful than taking a scenic weekend drive through Northern California's wine country. Sitting just an hour north of San Francisco, Napa Valley is one of the state's most popular tourist destinations, bringing in more than five million visitors each year.
However, what was meant to be a relaxing getaway to Napa can quickly become a traveler's worst nightmare. All it takes is one car accident to ruin a vacation and the two main roads in and out of Napa Valley - Silverado Trail and Highway 29 - provide lots of opportunities for tourists and locals alike to become victims of motor vehicle accidents.
If you are visiting the area for the first time or making a return trip, it is important to stay alert and take some precautions in case your vacation ends up with you in the emergency room.
Take Care Driving
From curvy two-lane roads to drunk drivers to wildlife darting out into traffic, you need to drive defensively when navigating wine country's roadways.
You should take special care to avoid speeding and pay attention to signs announcing "do not pass" zones, dangerous curves and deer crossings. Additionally, you should watch for cars, delivery trucks and other vehicles pulling into and backing out of unmarked roads and driveways off of Silverado Trail.
Wine country also attracts its fair share of hikers and bicyclists that can create an additional headache for those unfamiliar with the area. Keep an eye out for them and slow down when you see them. In California, bicyclists have an equal right to use the roads so do not expect them to pull completely off the road so you can pass.
The weather also can create problems. When it rains, tight turns and curves will become that much more dangerous as your car tries to keep traction on the wet roadway.
The best advice to prevent an accident while traveling in Napa is to slow down, take your time and drive safely.
Don't Leave Home without Insurance
If you are involved in an accident and need medical attention, it will be expensive if you do not have insurance. One trip to the emergency room can result in a $1000+ bill. If you have to stay overnight or require surgery, the costs can quickly escalate.
Out-of-state travelers should have a copy of their health insurance or Medicare card with them. Those traveling from another country should consider purchasing travel insurance or a supplemental health policy to pay for emergency care in the US if their own insurance will not pay for overseas treatment.
Travel insurance can help pay the costs of emergency medical treatment and, in cases of severe injuries, also help pay for emergency medical evacuations back to your home country. Without an insurance policy to help defray these costs, a medical evacuation can cost upwards of $50,000.
Steps to Take After an Accident
If you have the unfortunate luck to be involved in a car accident in Northern California, there are some steps you can take to help take care of yourself and preserve your legal rights.
The first thing you should do is seek emergency medical treatment if you need it. Keep in mind that you may be more seriously injured than you believe and even if you do not have visible injuries, you still should consider having a doctor check you out.
If you do not need immediate medical assistance, the next thing you should do is exchange insurance information with the other driver, if a second motorist was involved in the accident. Do not say anything else to the driver, however, including discussing fault. This is for your attorney and/or insurance company to sort out.
Next, take pictures of the accident, the damage to your vehicle, the damage to the other vehicle and the location where it occurred. If you do not have a camera or a camera on your phone, then make sure to write a full description of everything down. You also may want to purchase a disposable camera and go back to the scene of the accident. At a minimum, try to get pictures of the damage to your car.
If there were any witnesses to the accident, ask them for their names and contact information. Their statements may be invaluable if you later have to fight the insurance company for benefits or file a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact the police and file a police report. Generally, you only are legally required to contact the police to report an accident when there is a minimum of $500 worth of property damage and/or someone was seriously injured in the crash. However, it is a good idea to report the accident even if your incident does not meet these requirements, especially if you are an out-of-state or out-of-the-country driver.
Contact an experienced attorney to discuss your legal options. After a motor vehicle accident, it is important to begin working with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. If another driver is responsible for causing the accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, including payment of your medical expenses. If you are from out of town or another country, the attorney may be able to handle most of your claim without you being present so you do not incur additional expenses extending your stay.
For more information on how an attorney can help you with your motor vehicle accident claim in Northern California's wine country area and throughout Napa and Sonoma valleys, contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney today.
Article provided by Shapiro, Galvin, Shapiro & Moran PC
Visit us at www.tadshapiroinjurylawyer.com
Protecting Against an Accident in Northern California's Wine Country
Napa Valley is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Northern California, but it also can be one of the most dangerous. Napa's curving, two-lane roads are a notorious location for car accidents. Tourists can be victims of these accidents and should make sure they have adequate health care protection before visiting.
2010-10-31
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Incidence of Medical Errors Rising
2010-10-31
Recently, the Canadian Medical Association held its 143rd annual meeting in Ontario, Canada. At the meeting, Colorado family physician Dr. John Findley reported his findings about the rising incidence of medical errors in the United States.
According to Findley, medical errors have increased because of the breakdown in doctor-patient relationships and medical developments, including the emergence of more than 4,000 drugs and 6,000 diagnoses, all leading to the "mechanization" of medicine.
Statistics cited by Findley indicate that almost 20 percent of the one million ...
Infant Deaths Linked to Sleep Positioners
2010-10-31
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have received 12 reports in the past 13 years of infants between the ages of one and four months who died when they were suffocated by or became trapped in a sleep positioner.
"The deaths and dangerous situations resulting from the use of infant sleep positioners are a serious concern to CPSC," said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "We urge parents and caregivers to take our warning seriously and stop using these sleep positioners, so that children can have a safer sleep."
The ...
Shift From Paper to Electronic Medical Records: Cause for Concern?
2010-10-31
From banking and managing finances to shopping and ordering pizza, almost everything these days is done electronically. Not every sector of society has been quick to embrace the electronic age, however. The medical community has remained behind the digital curve.
For a long time, the medical community kept handwritten records for patients and used handwritten orders for prescriptions. Backed by a $19.5 billion boost from the stimulus package passed in February 2009, though, the medical community is slowly starting to implement digital record keeping, moving toward widespread ...
Virginia DUI Penalties Among Toughest in Nation
2010-10-31
Motorists on Virginia's scenic roads take note: if you drive under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs (even legal prescription medications if they have a sedating effect), you will be caught, and you will face stiff penalties.
Virginia's lawmakers have taken a firm stance against impaired driving in an attempt to slow the tide of DUI-related crashes, injuries and fatalities -- an alcohol-related crash occurs about every two minutes somewhere in America, and every half an hour someone dies in one. Virginia's DUI laws are no-nonsense and provide some of the most ...
No-Fault Divorce Comes to New York
2010-10-31
With a flick of the pen, Governor David Paterson has ended New York's holdout as the only state in the union to disallow no-fault divorce. Prior to the signing of the law, which took effect October 12th, New Yorkers were able to divorce only by proving fault for abandonment, adultery, cruelty or imprisonment.
There was, however, a way for couples to divorce without fault prior to the new law. This required couples to enter into a separation agreement and live apart for at least one year. The catch with this option comes in the agreement; couples had to agree on all of ...
Do No Harm; If A Doctor Does, They Need To Admit To Conduct That Injures
2010-10-31
Hippocrates insisted that "The physician must...have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm." It is with the faith that their physicians will "do good" or at least "do no harm" that patients seek out medical care. Recent studies have indicated that physicians are poorly trained in matters of patient safety and practice in an environment that often work against the wellbeing of those seeking their expertise.
A recent study by the National Patient Safety Foundation noted that medical schools today focus principally on providing ...
The Use of Skype Ordered in Family Court
2010-10-31
For people in family court, staying in touch, especially via court-ordered visitation arrangements, can be a challenge. But some courts are implementing new high-tech approaches to address old family law issues. A New York judge recently ruled that as a condition of her out-of-state move away to Florida, a Long Island mother must make her two children available to talk to their father through Skype, an online video conferencing service.
Although this was the first time such a condition has been ordered in New York, a number of other states have begun experimenting with ...
The Rise of Gray Divorce
2010-10-31
The Baby Boomer generation gave us the summer of love and a break from some of the traditions of the previous generations. Now it appears the Baby Boomer generation is also giving us a normalization of divorce, especially later in life.
Despite an overall decline in the United States divorce rate, divorces among those married 20, 30 and even 40 years appear to be on the rise. According to Erica Manfred, a New York divorce expert, this rising number of splits between long-married couples is referred to as "gray divorce."
Gray Divorce Statistics
While not specifically ...
Megan's Law: The Sex-Offender Registry in New Jersey
2010-10-31
In 1994, the Registration and Community Notification Laws (RCNL), more commonly known as Megan's Law, was enacted in response to the public's demand for more information on the identity and residence of previously convicted sex offenders who are considered a possible threat to the safety of others in the community.
Megan's Law created a state registry of sex offenders, a similar Internet registry and a community notification procedure to alert the public when state officials deem it necessary for public safety.
The law requires continual registration from people convicted ...
NY Requires Interlocks and Imposes Increased Penalties on DWI Offenders
2010-10-31
On August 15, Leandra's Law -- also called the Child Passenger Protection Act -- went into effect. Leandra's Law is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who died last October after she was thrown from a car driven by a drunk driver.
The law requires that those convicted of drunk driving, including first time offenders, install interlock devices in their vehicles. The interlock device is a breath test that disables the ignition of the vehicle if it detects a trace of alcohol.
According to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), locations ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Speech Accessibility Project partners with The Matthew Foundation, Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress
Mass General Brigham researchers find too much sitting hurts the heart
New study shows how salmonella tricks gut defenses to cause infection
Study challenges assumptions about how tuberculosis bacteria grow
NASA Goddard Lidar team receives Center Innovation Award for Advancements
Can AI improve plant-based meats?
How microbes create the most toxic form of mercury
‘Walk this Way’: FSU researchers’ model explains how ants create trails to multiple food sources
A new CNIC study describes a mechanism whereby cells respond to mechanical signals from their surroundings
Study uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania
Researchers uncover Achilles heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Scientists uncover earliest evidence of fire use to manage Tasmanian landscape
Interpreting population mean treatment effects in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire
Targeting carbohydrate metabolism in colorectal cancer: Synergy of therapies
Stress makes mice’s memories less specific
Research finds no significant negative impact of repealing a Depression-era law allowing companies to pay workers with disabilities below minimum wage
Resilience index needed to keep us within planet’s ‘safe operating space’
How stress is fundamentally changing our memories
Time in nature benefits children with mental health difficulties: study
In vitro model enables study of age-specific responses to COVID mRNA vaccines
Sitting too long can harm heart health, even for active people
International cancer organizations present collaborative work during oncology event in China
One or many? Exploring the population groups of the largest animal on Earth
ETRI-F&U Credit Information Co., Ltd., opens a new path for AI-based professional consultation
New evidence links gut microbiome to chronic disease outcomes
Family Heart Foundation appoints Dr. Seth Baum as Chairman of the Board of Directors
New route to ‘quantum spin liquid’ materials discovered for first time
Chang’e-6 basalts offer insights on lunar farside volcanism
Chang’e-6 lunar samples reveal 2.83-billion-year-old basalt with depleted mantle source
Zinc deficiency promotes Acinetobacter lung infection: study
[Press-News.org] Protecting Against an Accident in Northern California's Wine CountryNapa Valley is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Northern California, but it also can be one of the most dangerous. Napa's curving, two-lane roads are a notorious location for car accidents. Tourists can be victims of these accidents and should make sure they have adequate health care protection before visiting.