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15
Feb

Proposed Indiana Law Cracks Down On Drunken Boaters

February 15, 2012

When a person is injured or killed because of a drunk driver on a boat, are their costs less important than those who are involved in a collision with a drunk driver in a car? Most would say no. That’s why, according to an article released by WTHR 13 News, lawmakers in Indiana are proposing changes to the state’s laws regarding intoxicated boaters.

A bill that was unanimously approved by the state’s House of Representatives Tuesday by a vote of 94-0 proposes that the state laws for drunken drivers of boats should be the same as those for drunken drivers of cars. The bill also calls for expansion of the law’s definition of intoxication to include being under the influence of a controlled substance.

As the law stands, it’s only a misdemeanor to drive a boat with a blood alcohol content greater than .08%. A boater can only be charged with a felony if he’s a multiple offender or has an accident where someone is injured or killed.

The Senate approved a similar bill earlier. Now, a version of the proposed changes must be drafted and agreed upon by the legislature.

The Indiana Boat Accident Attorneys with Stewart and Stewart agree with the proposed change and are available to answer any questions you may have if you have been hurt in a boating accident that was no fault of your own. Call us today for a free consultation of your case!

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11
Jan

New Guidelines Regulate Children’s Safety Seat Use

January 11, 2012

In an effort to educate parents and caregivers on how to select a child safety seat and when the appropriate time is to transition your child to the next type of safety seat, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a press release discussing new guidelines the agency has set for children’s safety seats.

The new guidelines are categorized by age, rather than by type of safety seat. This is in an effort to stay relevant to data showing that this is what new child restraint system development is based on.

Recommendations for children’s car seat positions were:

  • Birth-12 Months- Child should always ride in rear-facing car seat
  • 1-3 Years- Keep your child in rear-facing car seat as long as possible based on height and weight limits set by the seats manufacturer. When your child has outgrown the rear-facing position, then move them to a front facing car seat
  • 4-7 Years- Keep your child in the forward-facing car seat until they have reached height and/or weight limits established by the seat’s manufacturer
  • 8-12 Years- Keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit into a seat belt properly

Indiana state law says that children under the age of seven are required to be buckled into a child safety restraint system when riding in a car.

The Indiana auto accident attorneys with Stewart and Stewart Injury Lawyers ask that parents check their children’s safety seat limits to ensure they are in compliance with the new regulations.

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7
Dec

Poor Emergency Planning at Fairground Stage Collapse

December 7, 2011

New information has come to light regarding emergency crew responses to the Indiana State Fairground stage collapse that occurred this summer. According to Channel 13 News, dispatch audiotapes show there was no clear plan to help the wounded get medical attention.

The first problem the tapes revealed was that three ambulance crews were away from their vehicles when the first calls came in for help. Then, ambulance units carrying critically injured patients couldn’t exit the fairgrounds due to the heavy traffic created by the catastrophe. Some ambulances were even stuck in the mud on the south side of the stage, unable to move.

Paramedics in emergency situations have patient codes of green, yellow, and red for varying degrees of injury severity (green being minor and red being critical). Command transportation demanded that green and yellow patients wait until all red patients had first been transported. However, these codes weren’t followed and less-critical patients were taken to the hospital before those most in need of medical attention.

The Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers with Stewart & Stewart understand that the law requires event promoters to provide concert-goers with a safe environment. If you have been hurt because of another person’s negligence, contact us today to discuss your case.

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