Give that there are so many accidents on the roads with tens of thousands of deaths and injuries every year, even though you may believe you are a safe driver, many others on the road are not, so it is always worth assuming the worse.

There are so many things other drivers may do wrong such as using a turning signal and not turning, or turning without using a signal, so always assume that they may not do what you expect. If you approach an intersection which is your right of way, do not assume other drivers will stop, even if there is a stop sign, so slow down and be ready to brake if you need to.

When you drive, always check your mirrors so you know what is around you and make sure you check the road ahead and side roads.

If there is an aggressive driver near you, drop back and give him or her distance, as aggression can cause accidents. Always keep within the speed limit and drive according to the conditions and remain calm at all times.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious accident, please call the attorneys at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

If you drive when you are tired you are greatly increasing the risk to your life and the lives of others so how can you avoid falling asleep at the wheel?

You should never begin a journey when you are tired nor when you have drunk even a small amount of alcohol as that induces sleepiness. Do not drive if you are taking some over the counter cold medicines as these can also make you sleepy as can some antihistamines. Do not drive after a heavy meal as this also leads to drowsiness and try not to start a journey when you body is at its minimum level of alertness which is between midnight and 6 a.m. This is when most accidents involving drivers who fall asleep occur.

You should always plan your journey to take a 15 minute break every two hours and when you do stop do not drink alcohol but try and drink a cup of caffeinated coffee. If you feel very tired then take a short nap.

Don’t set out on a long drive if you have worked a full day and if it is an especially long journey on monotonous roads such as interstates then try and arrange an overnight stop.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious accident, please call the attorneys at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

When you buy a used vehicle in Utah, you need to pay special attention as Utah is a ‘buyer beware’ state, which means it is your job to check if the vehicle was ever in a crash.

The car may have a clean title, it may have a clean Carfax, and no accidents reported on the usual vehicle websites, but that does not mean it has a clean and undamaged past. The reason is that if the vehicle has been in an accident, but the cost of repair is less than the value of the vehicle, then the title of the car remains clean and the seller does not have to say anything about its past history.

If the repairs to the vehicle cost more than the car is worth, but it can be safely repaired, then the title is changed to say “rebuilt/restored”.

So, what can you do to ensure you do not buy a wreck which has been put together? Firstly you should take the car for a test drive, and take it to a mechanic to have it thoroughly inspected for frame damage.

The Utah Department of Motor Vehicles says buyers should also check for things like improper door gaps, mismatched paint, and chips in the dashboard. It also says to always run a vehicle history report through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, a national database that currently stores the history of 87 percent of all vehicles in the country.

If you have a concern about a vehicle you have just purchased, you can file a case with the Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division and they will launch an investigation.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious accident, please call the attorneys at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Hydroplaning is a condition in which a car skims across the top of a body of water, causing the driver to momentarily lose control. Hydroplaning generally happens either during rainy conditions or immediately following a downpour. Though most drivers may not be familiar with the term, almost everyone who has driven in rainy conditions has experienced the loss of control due to hydroplaning. Here we present a video which will help you learn what to do in the case that you hydroplane in your car.

Driving in rain is obviously always hazardous, as the water from the rain, mixed with the oil and dirt from the road, create slippery conditions. Additionally, rain tends to limit visibility, meaning that both your ability to see other drivers and their abilities to see you, are diminished. We recommend that Salt Lake City drivers continue to educate themselves on how to best handle adverse weather conditions, in an effort to continually improve your abilities to handle such situations.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious auto accident in Utah related to severe weather, please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.