All Topics

• Driving Safely in Winter

  Tim Smith | December 18, 2007 2:45 PM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  Winter has come early here in Northern Michigan, at least a little earlier than it did last year. Now that the roads are covered in snow and ice, we have to use a little extra caution as we race about town looking for that last Xmas gift. We all need to keep in mind the following safe driving tips as we head into the coldest months of the year here in Northern Michigan.When driving in the...

• Preventing and Treating Dogbites

  Tim Smith | November 30, 2007 9:14 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  Every year, almost 5 million Americans are bit by dogs. Over 800,000 of these individuals suffer injuries that require medical treatment and 44% of those that require treatment are younger than 14 years of age. Since more than half of the reported attacks are by dogs owned by the family or neighbor of the victim and the most common victims are children, it's important for parents to understand...

• What Are My No-Fault Rights?

  Page Graves | November 21, 2007 7:10 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  Michigan consumers are shocked when they learn that their auto insurer is not their advocate but instead is their primary adversary. Despite responsibly paying those costly premiums for mandatory auto no-fault insurance, injured accident victims are repeatedly dismayed when they learn that their very own no-fault insurer's/adjuster's strategic goal in handling their claim is to find (or many...

• Michigan Senators Shielding Drug Companies

  Tim Smith | November 19, 2007 9:57 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  In 1995, Michigan passed a law that granted immunity to drug manufacturors when their products injured or killed an individual. This was the year that Michigan became the only state in the entire nation to grant this protection. Did other companies whose products injure and kill Michigan Citizens get the same immunity? Remember the Ford Pinto - the car that blew up when it got rear-ended?...

• Handicap Passenger Safety Issues Raised by Recent BATA Bus Accident

  Page Graves | November 14, 2007 8:30 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

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• Justice for everyone except Michigan

  Tim Smith | November 10, 2007 9:56 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  A 1996 law here in Michigan gave the drug industry the immunity their lobbyists wanted - complete imunnity for prescription drugs here in Michigan. Since then, Michigan residents have had no ability to hold pharmaceutical manufacturors of drugs like Avandia, Celebrex, fen phen and others including Vioxx/Merck Co. who just agreed to pay $4.85 billion dollars to settle lawsuits over what some have...

• Fatal Car Accident in Elk Rapids

  Tim Smith | November 06, 2007 4:07 PM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  Authorities report that Nicole Ridgeway, 17, was driving north on Elk Lake Road at about 8:00 a.m. Saturday, October 27, when she lost control of her car on a curve and slid across the road into a power pole. The Elk Rapids High School senior was rushed to Munson Medical Center with passengers Jonathan Hosner, 20, of Elk Rapids and Andrew Bussa, 20, of Kewadin. Nicole Ridgeway died shortly...

• Car Accident Insurance Coverage

  Tim Smith | November 05, 2007 4:01 PM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  When you ask your insured's agent to provide you with "full coverage", are you really getting what you think you're getting? Most people never really look at or understand what they've bought until it's too late...If you look at the coverage sheet or declaration page of your car insurance policy, the first line might look something like this "Bodily Injury - 100/300". Bodily injury coverage is...

• Gladwin Man Killed in Farm Tractor Accident

  Tim Smith | October 23, 2007 9:56 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  A 56 year old Gladwin County man was killed in a farm tractor accident on October 13th, 2007 in Buckeye Township. The man was working the tractor's post hole digger on his property when his clothing got caught in the rotating take-off shaft. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are approximately 3.1 million men and women who work on America's 2.3 million farms and ranches. According...

• Drunk kills Beulah Teacher in Auto Accident

  Tim Smith | October 23, 2007 9:15 AM | 0 CommentsTraverse City, MI

  A Thompsonville Michigan man was alledgedly drunk when he caused a crash that killed Benzie High School teacher Katherine Wolterink. John Lee Burchett's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he crossed the centerline on Cinder Road and crashed into Wolterink's vehicle head on. Wolterink was trapped in her burning vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Burchett was...