Category Archives: Automotive

Automotive

Have You Been Injured in an Auto Accident? Learn How to Calculate Your Pain and Suffering Damages

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If you’ve been injured in an auto accident that was someone else’s fault, you may be dealing with broken bones, back problems, and other issues that put you out of work for months or even years. Thankfully, you may be able to receive compensation from the responsible party. While the amounts given for medical bills and lost income are easy to understand, grasping the concept of a pain and suffering award is more difficult. In this guide, you’ll learn how pain and suffering damages are calculated after an auto accident. 

Isn’t it easy to avoid the accident?

Which Factors Determine Damages for Emotional Trauma?

Pain and suffering awards include compensation for not only physical pain, but mental suffering like anxiety, memory loss, insomnia, and depression. If you’re dealing with a permanent or long-term injury, you’re eligible to receive compensation for the pain and suffering you’ll endure in the future as well. While there’s no formula for these calculations, various factors determine your settlement amount, including:

  • How quickly you sought medical treatment
  • The severity of your injuries and pain
  • The expected recovery time
  • Your age
  • Your credibility as a witness
  • The presence of pre-existing injuries
  • The effects of the injury on your daily activities and work

These are just some of the factors to be considered. Judges, juries, and attorneys will also look at how the accident and your injuries have affected your personal and professional relationships.

How Pain and Suffering Awards Are Calculated

Insurers and auto accident lawyers use various techniques to estimate pain and suffering damages. Some of these methods include those listed below.

The multiplier:  With the multiplier method, your medical bills and lost income are added and then multiplied by a factor of 1.5 to 5, depending on the case’s facts, the severity of your injuries, and the accident’s circumstances.

Per diem:  Some lawyers and adjusters use daily rates to determine the value of a victim’s pain and suffering, multiplying that figure by the number of days the person has dealt with the injury. Per diem rates aren’t arbitrary, and in most cases, they’re set according to the victim’s daily earnings.

Computer programs: Many insurance companies use computer programs to consider factors such as injury type, length of hospitalization, and nature of treatment to determine the value of your pain and suffering claim.

Experience:  A knowledgeable auto accident lawyer will have a firm understanding of the value of your claim based on cases they’ve handled in the past. Alternatively, a lawyer may research past jury awards and settlements before arriving at a figure.

Documentation for Pain and Suffering Claims

It’s important to document your damages to the extent possible, as providing sufficient information to the insurance adjuster may get you a more favorable award. It’s a good idea to save:

  • Medical records and bills
  • Prescriptions
  • Receipts for medications
  • Photos of the injury
  • Proof of missed work days
  • Journal entries showing how the accident has affected your sleep, your personal activities, and your daily life

Were you injured in an accident because of someone else’s negligent actions? You don’t have to fight the insurance company alone. With help from an auto accident lawyer, you can get the pain and suffering damages to which you are entitled.

 

 

Automotive

Test Driving a Used Car – What You Need to Know

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Purchasing a used car is not something that should be taken lightly and having purchased more than one, I’ve learned a thing or two. Why would anyone want to purchase a car that they are going to turn around and dislike or constantly have problems with? 

One of the most important things I have learned to do before you make a commitment to purchase a vehicle, is take it for a proper test drive first!

Before you head to the dealership to begin your search, make a list of what it is exactly that you want in a vehicle.  Once you have a list, prioritize it and decide what is the most important to you.  When your list is ready, it’s time to shop!

Comfort

When taking a car for a test drive, you want to make sure you are comfortable.  Does the seat feel good?  Is it adjustable to meet your needs? Does if offer proper support? Do you have enough head and leg room?  Being comfortable in the seat is something that a lot of people don’t really consider when shopping for a new car. 

Not only should you be comfortable in the seat but you want your passengers to be happy as well so don’t be afraid to try out each seat.  Take a friend with and find out what they think. Also, make sure your seats offer enough room for you and your fellow travelers.  A comfy driver and traveler makes for a happy team!

Take Your Time

  • Don’t be afraid to take your time when taking it out on the road.  You should drive it around town and on the highway to see how it handles at different speeds.  See how it handles the constant stop and go of being in the city as well as long country roads. 
  • Consider how the steering wheel feels in your hands, any sounds that you might hear and how the ride feels. 
  • Park the vehicle and see if it is easy to park, if there any blind spots, and if it is easy to back up.  After you do that, do it again to make sure you are comfortable parking it.
  • After you are done driving it and return to the dealership, play with the sound system and other tech features.  Check to make sure everything works and that you know how to use everything and that it is user friendly and don’t be afraid to ask questions!
  • If the previous owner is available, like in a private party situation, ask them what they used the car for, if they had any complaints etc.

Weigh the Pros & Cons

When you are done checking everything out, go home or go grab a cup of coffee.  Make a list of what you like and dislike about the car and weigh all the pros and cons before returning to the dealership to make your purchase.

Following these guidelines to properly test drive your next car will ensure that you are happy with your final purchase.

If you are looking to purchase a new or used vehicle, be sure to check the inventory that Marburger Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has to offer. 

 

Automotive

Tips for Keeping Your Car Organized

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One thing I have tried to do with every car we have had is to keep it organized, especially if we are heading out-of-town or just taking a trip to the beach. There is always so much stuff that goes with us when we take the entire family with and I hate it when everything is a giant mess.

Here are some of our favorite items and ways to keep the car organized.

Trunk Organization

I have learned that one thing you can never have enough of is trunk space. I seem to always have things rolling around in the trunk of both the van and car and it drives me nuts. I have found that a great trunk organizer helps keep things in place while saving precious space in the trunk.

We actually have two trunk organizers, one for all the stuff and one to keep the grocery bags together when we go to the store.

Seat Organizers

We actually use two different types of seat organizers, since we use them in our family minivan. By using two different kinds, we have enough space for everyone to store items when we are on-the-go. 

For our 2nd and 3rd row seating, we use a single seat back seat organizer for the kids snacks, some tissues, diapers, wipes and anything else that may be needed. These are great because they have lots of storage space in them.

Our third row seat is a bench seat and I like to utilize the back of it for more storage and this over the seat organizer is great for all the extras that are in our van like jumper cables, a small tool kit, as well as sunscreen and bug sprays. 

It is amazing how much cleaner the floor and the seats in our van are when we are using this extra storage space.

Organize Your Loose Change

For some reason, there is always loose change in my van and in our car. Honestly, I’m not quite sure where it comes from since we rarely pay with cash but none the less, there it is. I like to keep change all together in a pouch but if you are someone who uses change to pay tolls or for parking, having a coin holder can be very handy.

Take Advantage of Wasted Space

In addition to being able to store items under seats, there is space in vehicles that is usually wasted. If you keep an umbrella in your car, take advantage of the space next to your seat between the seat and the door to store your umbrella. This makes it really easy to grab your umbrella when you are getting out of the car too.

Keep things from falling in the space between your seats with these seat side pocket caddys. No more digging for your pen, phone, or other items that fall in that little space never to be seen again.

Now, these are just some of our favorite ways and products that help keep our cars organized. How do you keep your family vehicle in order?

This post is brought to you by Button Dodge, visit them online today at Madison Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Dealer of Madison, OH. 

 

Automotive

7 Hacks for Cleaning Your Car

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Cleaning the family car is never a fun task and something I hate to do. Over the years I have found some great hacks for not only cleaning the car but also for helping keep things clean. Check out these great tips to cleaning all the nooks and crannies in your car and keeping other areas clean.

1. Remove Dirt from Vents and Small Crevices

Ever try to figure out how to remove all the dust and dirt that your car accumulates in and around the vents, around the windshield and all of those other small crevices? Easy, grab a pack of foam craft brushes and use them to clean out/dust all of those spots. They get the job done and you can easily wash and reuse them.

2. Keep Cup Holders Clean

There is nothing I hate more than discovering something spilled in my cupholder and it’s all sticky and gooey. They are a pain to clean out since you can’t remove them and are never the same after the first spill. Save yourself the trouble and line them all with a silicone cupcake liner so all you have to do is remove and clean the liner.

3. Clean Your Car with a Coffee Filter

Yes, you read that correctly. You might not believe it but coffee filters are great for cleaning your car. They work to remove dust from your dashboard, lint from the seats, and if you dip them in a solution of vinegar and water, they work great to remove light stains and dirt as well!

4. Shine Your Dashboard and Door Handles

Have you ever noticed that over time your dashboard starts to get dull as well as other plastic panels and areas in your car? You can make them shiny and new again by oiling it all with extra virgin olive oil or even coconut oil. Just rub it all over using one of your disposable coffee filters and then buff it all with a new coffee filter to remove the excess oil.

5. Make Your Car Smell Good

There are a variety of ways you can make your car smell good. One of my favorite things to do is tuck dryer sheets under and in between the seats. Another great trick is to put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a clothespin and then clip it to your air vents.

6. Revive Your Car Mats

If your car mats get heavy usage then they probably get quite dirty like mine. You can easily clean your floor mats and make them look new again by spraying them with a stain remover and then tossing them in your washer and letting them air dry.

7. Save the Backs of Your Seats

Since we live in Wisconsin, the weather tends to get a little nasty and I have kids in the car that have dirty shoes. Something I dislike is the backs of our seats to get dirty. When I bought my latest van, I immediately order some kick mats for the back of the seats where the kids feet hit to help keep them clean.

After your car is nice and clean, check to make sure it is current on routine maintenance and if not, schedule an appointment at your local dealership, such as Barkau Chrysler Dodge.

Share Your Tips

These are just some of our favorite hacks for cleaning and keeping the car clean. If you have some tips, please share them in the comments below. 

Automotive, There's an App for That

7 Apps for Road Trippers

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Did you know that in addition to using your phone for scrolling through Facebook and other social media apps, taking pictures, and playing games that you can also utilize your phone for a variety of reasons, especially if you are embarking on a road trip.

For me, there a quite a few apps that I use whenever you head out on a new adventure and I thought it would be great to share them with you.

7 Apps for Road Trippers

1. Gas Buddy (Free) Use Gas Buddy to find the best price for gas in your area. Simply add your location and Gas Buddy pulls up all of the stations in your area with their gas prices.

2. Car Minder Plus ($2.99)  Use this app to manage all of your car care needs, track repairs, fuel economy, and more. You can even us it for more than one car! Before heading out on your next road trip, make sure your car is ready for the road by taking it to a reputable service center like Ziegler Chrysler Dodge.

3. Waze (Free) Get the best route everyday with real-time help from other drivers with this community-based traffic and navigation app. Waze will let you know if there are bad road conditions, a speed trap and also reports gas prices.

4. Flush (Free) – Yes, this app is exactly what it sounds like, an app that offers you the quickest and simplest way of find a public bathroom or restroom. It’s completely free, has zero in-app purchases and currently over 190,000 public bathrooms listed! Bonus, if you find a toilet that’s not listed, you can add it!

5. Find My Parked Car (Free)- Ever forget where you parked your car? Never forget again when you use this handy app. You can save your exact parking location, take a picture of your location, write a note of floor number/street, set an alarm for metered parking and more.

6. Spot Hero (Free) – If you live in a major city or travel to cities where parking is often difficult to find, this app will save you from driving in circles looking for a place to park. Easily find and reserve a parking spot near your destination!

7. Roadside America ($2.99)– All good road trips should include a few fun stops and this app will show you just where to find all of those weird wonders of America’s highways like a giant ball of twine!