The start of the school year means more school buses, pedestrians, and bike riders, and a general increase in traffic, especially in the early morning and afternoon. We at Blick Law Firm want to provide you with some important safety tips to ensure that you and your child get to and from school as safely as possible.

 Bus Riding
Riding the school bus is the safest mode of transportation for schoolchildren. Unfortunately most accidents involving school buses occur because children entering, exiting, or waiting on the bus don’t take proper safety precautions. To keep your child safe this school year, remind them to:

• Stay a safe distance of 10 giant steps away from the bus
• Wait for the bus to stop completely before approaching it
• Take notice of the traffic around the bus
• Wait to cross the street until the driver signals you
• Use hand rails when getting on and off the bus
• Keep head, hands, and arms inside the bus at all times

Walking and Biking
Walking and biking are great alternatives to riding the school bus. When proper safety precautions are taken, walking or riding a bike to school encourages students to stay physically active and get outside. To help determine the safest route for you or your child to walk or bike to school, visit saferoutesinfo.org, the National Center for Safe Routes to School’s website. We have also provided some general guidelines for staying safe when walking or riding a bike to school.

• Look both ways for traffic at all driveways and intersections
• Walk on sidewalks whenever possible
• Walk facing oncoming traffic when no sidewalk is available
• Ride bike in the bike lane or paved shoulder of the road whenever possible, if neither is available
• Ride bike with the flow of traffic
• Obey traffic signs and signals
• Make eye contact with drives when crossing at crosswalks
• Be mindful of anything on the road or sidewalk that could cause you to swerve or fall
• Watch for turning traffic
• Wear reflective gear
• Do not use cellphone or wear earbuds

Driving
The beginning and end of the day can get very hectic in school parking lots. Most schools develop their own systems for parking, picking up, and dropping off. Strictly abide by the school’s procedures to ensure that your child and the other students are safe.

• Don’t stop or park in crosswalks
• Use extra caution in parking lots, school zones, and residential areas
• Drop off and pick up children in the school’s designated area, rather than a less crowded, nearby location
• Do not tailgate school buses
• Stop for all stopped buses
• Do not use cell phone while driving

As always, Blick Law Firm has your best interest and personal safety in mind. Should you or your child be injured this school year, we are to help. Contact us at (888) 973-2776 to schedule a free consultation and speak with one of our trusted personal injury attorneys today!

By: Moneer Kheireddine

Wrongful death — I’m sure everyone has heard this term, but what exactly does wrongful death entail, and how do you know if a passing in your family was due to a wrongful death instance? We here at Blick Law firm wish to help clarify what exactly wrongful death means and how to know when it occurs to you or someone you know.

To begin, wrongful death occurs when someone is killed due to the misconduct or negligence of another. The surviving members of the victim’s family are then able to sue for “wrongful death.” Generally, wrongful death lawsuits occur after a criminal trial, and while they use the same evidence, the required standard of proof is much less than a normal case. A lawsuit for wrongful death may only be performed by the personal representative of the decedent’s estate.

However, in order to present a successful wrongful death case, the following requirements are to be considered:

• the death of a human being
• Medical malpractice that results in decedent’s death;
• Automobile or airplane accident; -
• Caused by another’s negligence, or with intent to cause harm; The survival of family members who are suffering monetary injury as a result of the death, and;
• The appointment of a personal representative for the decedent’s estate.
• exposure to hazardous conditions or substances;
• Medical malpractice that results in decedent’s death;
• Criminal behavior
• Death during a supervised activity

As you can tell, it’s not as simple as filing the lawsuit. There are many aspects that come into play when filing a wrongful death claim, but remember that by understanding what wrongful death is you can properly file for it when the time comes. If a loved one passes due to the negligence of another or if you have general questions regarding wrongful death or other personal injury issues give us a call today at 813-931-0840 to schedule a free consultation.