Join Us at DaggettShulerLaw.com

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In order to provide a higher level of service, our Daggett Shuler blog has moved to http://www.daggettshulerlaw.com/blog/  Please join us!

Back To School Safety

Back To School Safety

        Schools all around the Triad are starting back.  The school systems in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and and all across the Piedmont are ready for school to start!  Please join our Daggett Shuler team in reviewing a few safety tips for this new school year.

        First, let’s all be aware that traffic will be a little heavier this week.  We all need to pay a little closer attention and use our very best driving skills to avoid an accident.  Please be sure to be particularly careful around school busses.

        Playground injuries are more frequent than most of us realize.  Each year, more than 200,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for playground injuries.  Most of these injuries occur when children fall from playground equipment.  Of particular note, preschoolers are particularly susceptible to injuries on playgrounds if they are not properly supervised, and if the equipment is not appropriate or properly maintained.  Additionally, preschools in North Carolina are not required to have insurance for their playground activities.  Therefore, it is a good idea to check to make sure that the preschool of your choice has proper insurance so that any resulting injury expenses can be covered.

        There are a growing number of injuries related to children using overloaded backpacks.  Be sure to help children sort through their backpacks to make sure they are not carrying or collecting additional items.  The backpacks should be appropriately sized for the child, and children should stop during the day to repack their books instead of carrying the entire day’s worth of books at one time.  Teaching children to carry a safe load can prevent ongoing back difficulties.

       Help your children develop a safety routine for going to and coming from school.  They will want to have a route that is direct and safe.  Remember, in the next several months it will begin getting darker, so you will want to make sure your children wear reflective material that will make them more visible to traffic.  Make sure your children know their phone number, address, and how to reach you if necessary.  Teach your children not to talk to strangers, and teach them to call for help or 911 in case of an emergency.

        We look forward to a safe and successful start to the new school year.  Please help your youngsters and students, or the young ones in your neighborhood so that our entire community begins this new school year safely.

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Always Finish!

Always Finish!

The Olympics are here and have started.  We always enjoy watching the Olympics.  Moreover, there are always lessons that we learn.

With the games starting this last week I was reminded of an incredible story of “Finishing.”   Derek Redmond injured his hamstring during a heat for the 400-meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. His father helped him from the ground then went on to help his son finish the race.  He came in dead last, but he showed to all of us that finishing is important.

When Derek's father reached his side, he said "I'm here, son, we'll finish together." In an interview after the race, Derek said "I wasn't doing it for the crowd, I was doing it for me. I'm the one who has to live with it. Whether people thought I was an idiot or a hero, I wanted to finish the race."

Finishing is important, and sometimes we all need a little help.   We try to always remember, and do that, here at Daggett Shuler.  More importantly, we are so proud of our clients who “Finish.”

We are fortunate to be able to work with people who are seriously injured, disabled, or hurt at work who still know how to finish.  They, like Derek Redmond know that finishing is important, and have personal honor in knowing that they keep going.

The Olympics are sure to be inspirational and exciting.  We can’t wait to see the important lessons yet to be learned from this year’s Olympic games.

Daggett Shuler Presents 6th Annual “Rusty Harpe Memorial”

Daggett Shuler Presents 6th Annual “Rusty Harpe Memorial”

         On July 4^th, Caraway Speedway will host the sixth annual “Rusty Harpe Memorial” presented by Daggett, Shuler Attorneys at Law.  The annual event remembers Rusty Harpe who was a long-time competitor at the .455 mile oval located in Asheboro, NC, Ace Speedway and Bowman Gray Stadium. The 200 lap feature for NASCAR Late Model Stock cars always draws a big field of cars and some of the best late Model division drivers in the Carolinas and Virginia.  Caraway Speedway regular, B.J. Mackey, was the 2011 winner of the event.

         We are happy to announce the return of Hayes Jewelers of Lexington, NC as the provider of the beautiful crystal trophy presented to the winner of the 6^th Annual “Rusty Harpe Memorial” presented by Daggett, Shuler Attorneys at Law.  This beautiful trophy is a prize the winner will be proud of.  Also returning is Kerry Lawrence Motorsports.  KLM is awarding a $100.00 certificate to the driver of the last car on the lead lap in Wednesday’s event.  The certificate can be used towards the purchase of a set of LLM’s custom headers for Late Model Stock Cars. And finally Machine and Welding Company is donating a Miller-Matic welder to a driver chose fin a random drawing of all qualifiers for the event.

        These awards are in addition to previously announced sponsors that include Hank Thomas Performance, SUNOCO Race Fuels, TAPP Incorporated, Artic Chill Radiators, G-Force, All Star Racing Products, Bassett Wheels and Kevin Powell Motorsports.   

        Advance Tickets for the 6^th Annual “Rusty Harpe Memorial” presented by Daggett, Shuler Attorneys at Law, are available for purchase at the speedway.  Tickets are $20 Per Adult, youth 7 - 14 are $5.00 and kids are 6 & Under Free.

        The schedule for Wednesday July 4^th has Grandstands opening at 5:00 PM with qualifying getting under way at 5:30 PM.  A special “on-track” Autograph Session begins at 7:15 PM and the green flag drops at 8:00 PM.  The 200 Lap NASCAR Late Model Stock “Rusty Harpe Memorial 200” is the featured race but the BK Auto Limited Late Models duke it out for 100 laps with the Late Model Super Trucks featured in a 50 lapper and the Legends run a 30 lap feature.

        A big fireworks display celebrating the Independence Day holiday wraps up the night.

       For more information on the “Rusty Harpe Memorial” or to purchase Lap Sponsorships, call Renee Hackett at Caraway Speedway, 336-629-5803 or Chip Harpe at 336-345 -1470

Swim Safety

Swim Safety

There has been a number of swimming related tragedies and instances in the news this summer.  Accordingly, it seems appropriate to review some basic swim safety rules.

First, it is important to understand that although swimming is very enjoyable, it can also be very dangerous and even potentially fatal.  Each year in the United States there are close to 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings.  That equals approximately ten deaths per day!

Always obey pool rules.  Walk, don’t run, around a pool area.  Make sure that the depth of the water is appropriate for your youngsters just learning to swim.  Don’t push or jump on others.  You could accidentally hurt yourself or someone else leading to a water injury.

Always swim with a buddy.  Even experienced swimmers can become tired, get muscles cramps, or get in trouble in the water.  When people swim together they can help each other, or go for help in case of an emergency.

Know how deep the water is before you dive in.  Pay close attention to signs that say “No Diving”.  In addition, never dive into a lake or a river unless you are certain as to how deep it is.

When swimming in open water, always watch for dangerous waves or signs of riptides.  Riptides are currents that can easily pull young children under and away from shore.

Always designate a responsible adult to watch children when they are swimming.  Please note this applies to taking baths also!  When adults are supervising young swimmers, they should not be distracted by other activities, such as talking on their cell phone.  Swimming and alcohol do not mix.

        Swimming can be great family fun, fitness, and recreation; but, being careless can result in tragedy.  Please use extreme care when swimming and be sure to watch the youngsters.

Honor - Memorial Day

Honor

Memorial Day is a day to honor our heroes.  Please take some time to honor our veterans and service women and men this Memorial Day.  The fight for our freedom is the highest level of honor.

Memorial Day unofficially marks the beginning of summer. The weather takes a turn for the better, the days are longer and the nights more mild. The reason Memorial Day is a national holiday, however, isn’t for America’s leisure -  it’s to honor the men and women who died while serving our country.

Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was established to honor fallen Union soldiers who fought during the American Civil War. It is said that the holiday was first celebrated in 1865 by a group of freed slaves who returned to Washington Race Course in Charlestown, South Carolina to dig up deceased soldiers and give them the proper burial they deserved.  Known today as Hampton Park, the historic site is a former Confederate prison camp and was a mass grave for Union soldiers who died while in captivity. The liberated slaves returned the following year to decorate the new grave sites with flowers picked from the countryside, creating what is considered the very first Decoration Day.

The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York, where in 1868 commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, General John A. Logan, proclaimed that Decoration Day be celebrated nationwide.  Memorial Day did not become commonplace until nearly eighty years later. After World War I, the holiday was expanded to include American casualties of any military action or war, and in 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday.

Today, those that celebrate Memorial Day often visit cemeteries and memorials on the last Monday in May and fly American flags at half mast. Many towns hold parades featuring Rotary Clubs, Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops, high school bands, and local emergency service personnel along with their vehicles. Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, celebrates the holiday with an annual parade and memorial service, followed by the blowing of Taps in tribute to the men and women who died while serving their country.

Honoring their fallen comrades, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars collect donations for poppies to place on grave sites nationwide. The flower’s significance came to light during World War I when Canadian Lieutenant John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields after witnessing the death of his 22 year-old friend and fellow Lieutenant, Alexis Helmer. The poem is considered one of the most renowned war poems today, and is read at days of remembrance in both the United States and Canada.

While Memorial Day is a time to relax and recharge, and a time to prepare for another great summer, it’s important to take a moment to remember those who fought to give us the freedom and liberties we have today. At Daggett Shuler we would like to thank each and every one of them.

For more information on Memorial Day and its celebrations, please visit: www.usmemorialday.org.

In Flanders Fields 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) - Canadian Army 

Honor our veterans and troops,
David

Mission Accomplished

Mission Accomplished

Whew!  It has been a fast and furious past eight weeks for Safe Sober Prom Night!  There are many stories of teamwork, enthusiasm, participation, passion, and success!

The students’ participation and enthusiasm make us optimistic about the future of our community.  Our students are bright, talented, motivated, and really trying to do the right things for a successful future.  They are well on their way!

Teams of Daggett Shuler attorneys and staff personally visited approximately 38 area high schools in 8 Triad counties encouraging students to sign a pledge not to drink or use drugs on prom night, distributing student designed t-shirts, and speaking to the students.  “Positive messages to our youth ensure the quality of our community for years to come,” says Griff Shuler.

This year the firm has personally paid for, delivered, and distributed close to15,000 t-shirts to high school students in the Triad area.  We have also had some technological breakthroughs with the website at www.SafeSober.com  including virtual pledge cards and many resources for teens.  Next year portends to be even bigger and better!

Of course there are also the difficult parts.  We encounter those who have lost loved ones, or are injured or disabled,  in car accidents due to drunk drivers.  Meeting those suffering folks and hearing their stories really hits home for us since it was our professional contact with people hurting in these ways that inspired us to start the SSPN program 22 years ago.

Most of all, SSPN is a story of success.  Success for our teens, our community, and our Safe Sober team.  We are already brainstorming for our 23th anniversary - Safe Sober Prom Night 2013!  We look forward to having you join us!

Smart Decisions and Choices

Smart Decisions and Choices

This prom season we will be with students in more than 35 high schools in eight counties all across our Piedmont Triad area as part of our Safe Sober Prom Night  program.   The program is more than just don’t drink and drive or use drugs -  it is a program of success based on smart choices.

      Our Daggett Shuler team enjoys spending time with our  local high school students at all of the schools.  Wow, are they impressive!  As impressive as our students are, we are also starkly reminded of the need for continuing encouragement and support.  Teens today face incredible peer pressure.  We need to use and turn this power of peer pressure into a positive direction.

Unfortunately, much of the daily peer pressure facing our students is not as neutral.  Left uncontrolled or not channeled in a proper direction it can often be negative and damaging.  Among the pressures our teens face daily are alcohol, drugs, and sexually activity.

People (teens and adults alike) give in to the temptations of peer pressure for a number of reasons. We’re all afraid of rejection and of being teased by others. Teens particularly want to fit in, or to just be cool.  Peers influence your life, even if you don't realize it, just by spending time with you.  As students readily observe, “You become who you hang with!”

Positive peer pressure can be incredibly powerful too!  Positive, supportive and loyal friendships can lead to academic success, sharpening of social skills, and the willingness to experience new cultures and activities.

We can have an enormous influence on our teen generation by encouraging and supporting positive peer pressure.  We  can encourage positive behaviors and  friendships.

      Most of all, positive peer pressure leads to good decisions and choices that are the building blocks of satisfying and fulfilling lives.

22 Years of Safe Sober Prom Night!

22 Years!

It’s finally here!  The 2012 prom season is here!  Our Daggett Shuler team is excited for the 22nd year of our Safe Sober Prom Night Program.

We founded SSPN in 1991.  In what we do professionally  we all too often see the destruction and tragedy done to children, families and individuals by drinking and driving.  We believed that we were in a unique position in our community to address this issue, and so Safe Sober prom Night was born.  We really never dreamed it would be so successful for all these years.

We have used a two prong attack.  First, we believe that young people need continual reminders of the dangers of drinking and driving.  Second, is to help create an environment of positive peer pressure to help encourage our students in the right direction.

The SSPN program has become part of the values and culture at our firm.  In fact, when we start going to the high schools starting this week our entire Daggett Shuler will be involved reflecting their high personal levels of commitment .  We will personally visit more than 35 high schools and give away more close to 15,000 t-shirts in the triad area.

Over the years, SSPN has won a number of significant awards in additional to local recognition.  The program has been awarded the Governor’s Highway Safety Program Public safety award, as well as the American Bar Association Award for Dignity in Lawyer Advertising.

Of course, the most significant award is from the students who now think Safe Sober is “cool” and proudly participate year to year.  Encourage our young people to go to virtual pledge  that students can take on-line, and of course there are lots of other goodies there too.

Please join our students and our Daggett Shuler Team in make this year the safest prom season ever!

         The 2012 Safe Sober Prom Night public service TV ad hits the air starting this weekend!  See it first here! 

      Please join our Daggett Shuler team in wrapping our arms of encouragement and support around our young people.   PLEASE "Like" Safe Sober Prom Night here:  http://www.facebook.com/SafeSoberPromNight

The Artist

The Artist

      It is hard to believe that the time changed for spring, and prom season is right around the corner!  Our Safe Sober Prom Night program is getting ready for its 22nd  season.  We of kicked things off this past week by announcing the winner of the T-shirt design contest.

The annual T-shirt design competition is open to students at all high schools in North Carolina.  We received many impressive designs from a number of schools in our area.  The final decision proved to be quite difficult for the selection committee.

The winner of the 2012 Safe Sober Prom Night T-shirt design contest is Kyla Stimpson, a senior at the Career Center and Reagan High School. Kyla’s design will be featured on close to  15,000 T-shirts distributed to high school students in the Triad area, and available to all high schools throughout North Carolina as part of the Safe Sober Prom Night program.

One of our favorite times of the year for our Daggett Shuler Team is doing a surprise presentation to the winner.  During a presentation in her classroom the Career Center, we presented Kyla with the very first 2012 t-shirt produced and a scholarship check for $500.

Our team had a great time with the surprise coordinated by Kyla’s art teacher, Ms. Stephanie Messer, and administrators at the Career Center.  Also in on the surprise were  Kyla’s parents, school officials, WXII 12, Channel 2, and the Safe Sober staff.  Kyla was really caught off guard!

Ms. Messer, as well as other art teachers across the triad, did an excellent job motivating students to submit entries to the t-shirt design contest, and supporting the artists in their efforts.  She has also used this as an opportunity for further learning and case study in her class.

In just a few short weeks, T-shirt distribution will begin at area high schools for student who sign the “Do it Right!” pledge to stay safe and sober on prom night.  Keep an eye out as Kyla’s design starts popping up across the Triad.  Please help us support our promising young people.

       On Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SafeSoberPromNight

Have You Checked Your Spare Tire Lately?

Have You Checked 

Your Spare Tire Lately?

Automobile Insurance Coverage for Bicycle Riders

David D. Daggett

Daggett Shuler, Attorneys At Law

          If you are the type of person who checks your spare tire before you get a flat, you may not need to read this article. However, if you typically overlook preventive maintenance, you should consider this advice.

        Bicycle riders tend to incur severe injuries and high medical expenses when involved in an accident with a motor vehicle. Have you considered how you will pay your medical expenses if you are injured in a bicycle accident? Even with the best health insurance coverage, there is usually a deductible and/or a co-payment that you will be responsible for paying.

        Did you know that your automobile insurance policy may provide additional coverage? So, you may say that your children are the ones who ride bicycles; or, that you do not personally have an auto or carry auto insurance. Yet, all automobile policies issued in North Carolina provide coverage not only for the named insured, but also your spouse, and any family members living in the same household. Accordingly, almost all bicycle riders will have access to automobile insurance coverage.

          The first type of auto insurance that may provide coverage for a bicyclist is medical payments coverage. Med pay, as it is called, is optional coverage in North Carolina that can be purchased in conjunction with your automobile insurance policy. This coverage means your insurance company will reimburse you, or any family member, for any injury sustained if you are hit by a motor vehicle regardless of who was at fault. Medical payments coverage is generally issued in amounts of $1,000, $2,000 or $5,000. This insurance is fairly inexpensive, but you have to ask for it.

          It is also important as bicyclists to have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to protect you in the event of an accident. Uninsured and underinsured coverage is mandatory in conjunction with your liability coverage, unless you sign a waiver. Uninsured coverage simply means that your insurance company will pay if you get hit by an at-fault, uninsured vehicle. Underinsured coverage provides additional insurance if the at-fault driver who hit you does not have enough insurance.

         

In North Carolina, the minimum amount of insurance coverage required is $30,000.00. Due to the cost of medical services and the likelihood that severe injuries occur in a bicycle accident, $30,000.00 may not cover all of the medical expenses and other damages incurred.  Accordingly, it is our opinion that underinsured coverage is crucial coverage for bicyclists. Underinsured coverage can now be purchased in excess of your primary liability coverage and in amounts up to $1,000,000.00. Like medical payments coverage, this insurance is relatively inexpensive.

         

          And by the way, what about your bike? Like many cyclists, you’re often more concerned about your bike than yourself.  And why not, because we all know not all bikes are created equal. Fortunately, your automobile insurance and homeowner’s insurance may protect your bike as well. Uninsured motorist coverage will protect your bike when the uninsured motorist is identified. Your homeowner’s coverage picks up where your auto coverage leaves off to protect other situations where your bike is damaged in an auto accident. Your homeowner’s coverage will go even further to protect your bike at replacement cost against risks such as theft and vandalism.

          Med pay, uninsured, and underinsured coverage are very important when a bicyclist is involved in an accident with a motor vehicle. Hopefully, you will never need to use this coverage, but, like your spare tire, you will be thankful you have it when the occasion arises.

Check your spare tire and make sure you are covered should the need arise.  

www.DaggettShulerLaw.com

www.SafeSober.com

Your Auto Insurance

Your Auto Insurance

Have you checked your automobile insurance coverage recently?  Do you fully understand your coverage?   The world of insurance coverage can be very confusing and hard to understand.  We will spend several weeks reviewing auto insurance coverage.

At Daggett Shuler we talk with victims of motor vehicle wrecks every day.  We often find that folks have questions about their insurance coverage, or are not adequately insured. In an effort to demystify the complicated world of auto insurance, we want to briefly review the various types of coverages and the purpose of each.

Liability insurance is the only coverage required by law. There are two types of liability coverages.  They are bodily injury and property damage. In the event that you are at fault in an accident where another party is injured, bodily injury coverage compensates the victims for their injuries.  This coverage also helps to protect your assets against lawsuits.  It does not prevent you from being sued; however, it gives you protection to help insulate you and your personal assets if you are sued.

The second part of liability coverage is property damage. This coverage will pay for the repair or replacement of the other person’s vehicle or damaged property resulting from a wreck in which you are at fault.  Once again, this coverage will help to protect your assets if you are the party in the wrong.

Over the next few weeks we will discuss some changes in the law and the following types of coverages:

• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Medical Payment
• Uninsured motorist
• Underinsured motorist

We hope this brief overview has been helpful. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle crash, we would be happy to talk with you about protecting your legal rights. We will also be happy to review your insurance policy for you.  You can call us toll free at 1-800-815-5500.

Resolutions

Resolutions

Do you ever make resolutions for the New Year?  Every year for the past 25 years or so I have done my annual “Resolution Ride” on my mountain bike.  I leave home very early New Year’s morning so that I can sit on the little hill on the west bank of Salem Lake and watch the sun rise. I have been out in cold, snow, rain, and everything in between.   The last couple of years have been cloudy and/or rainy, but this year was spectacular!

Daybreak 2012!

           We also work on goals, resolutions, here at Daggett Shuler.  Interestingly, I had never looked up the definitions of “resolution” previously, but one of our attorneys gave me a definition this past week.  Resolution is a decision to do, a commitment.  Commitment is a sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose; binding yourself emotionally to a course of action; or, to make a pledge or dedication.  Wow, these are powerful words!

So, let’s spend some time reviewing resolutions.  Resolutions can take many forms.  They seem to divide into two big categories of pragmatic and aspirational.  Pragmatic are specific such as a goal to lose ten pounds.  Aspirational goals are not as empirical rather more like becoming more patient,  a better dad, or strengthening relationships.

Resolutions typically fall into categories like weight loss and health, personal betterment, professional development, volunteer more, educational advancement, and spiritual growth.  Many people make more than one resolution every year.  Interestingly, folks rarely actually keep their resolutions.  

So, how do we make resolutions stick?  Find a partner to make a similar resolution so you can help keep each other on track.  Experts say it takes about 30 days to break a bad habit and form a new one, so stay at it.  Post your resolution in a place where you will see it often such as your bathroom mirror, dashboard, or computer screen.  Most of all, be your own cheerleader.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be discussing some of our law firm goals, or resolutions, that we’ll be working on for 2012.  We invite you to join us with some resolutions and to feel free to share them with us.  I will also be sharing some of my own.

Together, we can make 2012 a great year.  Please join us in taking positive steps forward.