Five [5] Essential Tips for Doctors to Remember During an Auto Accident

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In My Dual Experience

[By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP™]

[By Nalley Lexus, Roswell GA]

Dr. Marcinko 1972 VetteYou can’t be sure how you will react in a car accident until you have experienced one.

I should know – I’ve been in accidents, am a doctor who covered the ER, and was a licensed property-casualty insurance agent for a decade.

The Event

Even if you aren’t physically hurt, the trauma during any accident can cause shock or fuzzy thinking at a time when you need to keep your wits. If you ever find yourself in an accident, insurance protection is vital, but it’s also important to remember these five tips:

The Five Tips:

  1. Assess for accident injuries

If possible, assess yourself and any passengers for injuries and immediately call for medical assistance if necessary. Should anyone be seriously injured or unable to move, try not to move them unless there is threat of a fire or they are on the road where they could be hit by another car.  Act as a physician, if needed. OR, recall good Samaritan laws in your state?

  1. Safety first

For minor accidents, move both vehicles off the road for protection against moving traffic. If the damage to your vehicle is severe, keep it where it is until the police arrive. Turn on your emergency flashers to alert oncoming traffic.

  1. Stay calm and ask questions

This should not be difficult for physicians. No matter who is at fault during an accident, this is not the time to freak out or become overly emotional. Remain calm and with a clear head assess what happened and be ready to ask questions. Know exactly where your insurance information is located and other identification you’ll need to meet your legal requirements. Write down the names and contact information for all witnesses. If you are not at fault, and the accident wasn’t serious enough to involve a police report, do not let the other driver talk you into letting them mail you a check for the damage to your car. If they claim they don’t have insurance, ask questions about their car registration, name, and contact information, and give them your insurance information. Tell them you will be contacting your own agent to report the accident. If possible, take a photo of both cars showing the damage and license plates.

  1. Admit no fault

Answer no questions about fault with anyone except a police officer or your insurance company. Give no statements to the other driver’s insurance company or your words might be twisted and used against you. You also shouldn’t sign any legal documents from the other insurance company, especially if you feel they are pressuring you for an early settlement that you feel isn’t sufficient to cover your damage.

  1. Immediately report the accident to your insurance company

This is the moment when you’ll finally understand why you pay monthly premiums for insurance protection. Carry your agent’s name and phone number in our car and make the call as soon as possible. The sooner you contact them, the sooner they can help you with your claim. Keep a folder in your car with all your insurance contact information and this tip list. This way you’ll have all the information you need to help you think more clearly if you’re stressed during an accident.

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More:

Assessment

The summer of 2014 is almost over – be careful out there.

Conclusion

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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The Science and Some Medicine Behind Seat Belt Use

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It’s All About Saving Lives and Ankle Bones

By Muhammad Saleem, and

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko FACFAS MBA CMP™

[Editor-in-Chief]

Vintage 2000 Jaguar XJ-V8-LWB Touring Sedan

The Ankle Bone is Connected to the Foot [er –ah] Leg Bone

The talus is one of the important bones that makes up the ankle joint. Over one half of the talus is covered with cartilage–it serves as an important link between the leg and the foot. The talus moves not only at the ankle joint, but also below the ankle and in the midfoot. Therefore, injuries to the talus can affect motion of the ankle and foot joints.

‘Aviators Astragalus’

Talus [astragalus ankle bone] fractures were almost unheard of a hundred years ago. The first series of talus fractures was described, by Dr. WD Coltart, in men who were injured in the British Royal Air Force in the early 1900s. The term ‘aviators astragalus’ was used to describe these fractures that happened as old war planes made crash landings.

Original Historic Reference Link: AA

Today, talus fractures are seen in high speed car accidents when you don’t-buckle up that seat belt or shoulder harness. I’ve seen far too many during my days covering the local Emergency Room.

So, here is an infograhic on the science behind seat belts. It contains some interesting and some encouraging facts that we wanted to share with our ME-P readers and subscribers.

Mechanism of Injury: Hawkins classification Talar fractures (C) iMBA Inc

The Facts

  • National seat belt use has increased from 69% in 1998 to 84% in 2010.
  • Automotive fatalities rank third in terms of lives lost per year, behind cancer and heart disease.
  • Seat belts are responsible for saving between12,000 to 16,000 lives each year.
  • Most crash deaths occur within 25 miles of home and at speeds below 40 miles per hour.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Product Details  Product Details

 

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