A new bill, called ROAD SAFE ACT, was introduced on March 8, 2011 for consideration in the Senate. The bill authorizes funding to aid research of advanced technologies, which could lead to eliminating drunk driving.
" More than 10,000 people are killed each year in drunk driving crashes across the country and in my home state of New Mexico," stated Senator Udall one of the sponsor of the bill. "This legislation is designed to help keep our roads safe by investing in new technology that will prevent Americans from driving if they have had too much to drink."
The project is called DRIVER ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEM FOR SAFETY, or DADSS, and is a cooperation between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), comprising the world's leading car manufacturers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
ROAD SAFE (S 510/HR 2324) would provide $12 million a year over five years to help the research for DADDS. The money would come from the existing highway safety spending and not from new spending from taxpayers.
E-mail your representative and Senators in support of ROADS SAFE immediately.
Together, we can eliminate drunk driving!
www.gGreen.com
www.madd.org.

Parents do matter.

It’s important to talk with your teens about alcohol, discuss rules, and if the rules are broken, then implement consequences. Show your teens that you care about them by being interested in what they are doing, and with whom they spend their time. This will open the path of communication and maybe your children will listen when you talk to them about more important things, like drinking and driving.

During prom season remember that your role and influence as a parent are crucial.

Be a positive role model.

For more information go to Mothers Against Drunk Driving www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/high-school-parents

What type of social security benefits are available for a disabled person?

Answer: The disabled person (the "claimant") can generally receive one of two types of

benefits defined as Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income. There are certain circumstances where the claimant can receive both but the important thing to remember is that in order to receive either, the claimant must be "disabled" as defined by the Social Security Administration.

Answer: If the claimant has been working and paying money on a regular basis to the

Administration, that person is usually able to receive Social Security Disability. The amount to be received is based upon the amounts that have been paid in. Think of receiving Disability as the same thing as "early retirement" - meaning that if you become disabled, you can start collecting social security retirement benefits early. You don’t have to wait until retirement age.

If the claimant has not worked much at all - or - if the disabled person is a child, that person hasn’t paid in enough to get an "early retirement". Therefore, the only benefit available for this claim is Supplemental Security Income. The amount received is based on the "needs" of the claimant, and there are maximum amounts.

There are many rules that apply to the circumstances of what amounts the claimant may or may not be able to receive. However, once again, the major factor to remember is that in order to receive anything at all, the claimant must be determined to be "disabled".

Answer: This is a very difficult question to answer because everyone’s situation is

different, and the Social Security Administration takes many factors into consideration. Some of those factors include the claimant’s age, education and past relevant work. It places a lot of emphasis on the claimant’s medical treatment and considers the opinions of treating physicians. If the claimant is a child, the Administration considers how the child does in school and how well the child functions in social settings. In my opinion, it is nearly impossible for an attorney to predict how the Administration will view things without having the benefit of looking at all of the related information first.

Answer: Yes. Where lawyers can assist is in helping you to navigate through the process of applying and obtaining information that helps your claim. You should also know that attorneys always handle social security cases on a contingency basis which means that they earn fees only if you are determined disabled. Hiring an attorney doesn’t cost you anything up front. Also, the amount that the attorney can earn is capped by federal law such that there should be no negotiations involved.

Answer: Your local social security office can provide you with many of the answers you

need, as well as an experienced social security attorney or authorized representative. Additionally, the social security website, www.ssa.gov , has helpful information and publications readily available.

We found out about insurance following the car the hard way. We did not stress to our children enough not to let anyone drive their vehicle and wound up with our insurance company paying a claim (or two) that should have been, in our minds, charged against the friend’s policy. It made sense to us that if a friend was allowed to drive the car he/she should suffer the consequences such as premium increase, depreciation and deductible. Au contraire. Negligent friend driving our car was charged against our insurance, not his.

One of the most common-held, mistaken beliefs about the law is that a debtor in default can pay a nominal amount to a creditor, and the creditor is required to accept the nominal payment and is forbidden from using any other process to collect from the debtor, such as suit.  This is not true.  In most instances, when a debtor defaults (usually by missing a payment or by making a late payment), the creditor is allowed to accelerate the remaining debt, making it all payable now.  In those cases, once acceleration has been triggered, the creditor can demand the entire remaining debt as due.  A creditor may accept partial payments without waiving the acceleration.  Even if the creditor is not able to accelerate the debt, if the debtor is behind, they are still in default and susceptible to collection procedures, including suit.
In fact, each payment made moves the statute of limitations period farther and farther into the future. 

In some cases, arguments can be made using theories such as “estoppel” and “course of dealing” to defend against the collection, however, these theories are usually not applicable because of the wording of the contract in question.  

When dealing with aggressive collectors, it is always best to seek competent legal advice regarding one’s rights and options from a lawyer who is well-versed in consumer law.

As the cold of winter sets in, our daily routines change from outside activities to inside activities. When our families come inside, we unknowingly use our electrical products in the house more than we otherwise would. Children play games, we watch TV more and otherwise seek and find entertainment from electrical appliances. As the electrical usage in our homes rise, we unknowingly tax the electrical systems and electrical products in our homes. And when anything is used to its maximum potential, its weaknesses are exposed.

Many people are injured or killed in house fires every year. The causes of these fires can range from cigarette smoking to candles to faulty electrical systems to faulty appliances. When there is a fire, it is important to immediately get a private cause and origin  investigator on the scene to perform an independent analysis of the cause of the fire. This is especially important as most local fire departments do not have the resources or equipment to truly discern the cause and origin of a fire. Many times, because of their limited resources, the fire department officials are incorrect in their conclusions about the cause of fires.

It is also important that the area that was burned not be disturbed by any persons. Do not take anything from the area. Allow the professionals to do this. The mere location of an electrical appliance after a fire can provide valuable clues to assist investigators in determining the cause of a fire.

If it is determined that a faulty electrical system or product caused the fire, you may have a cause of action against the manufacturer or the product, the wiring system or the builder of the home.

At Law Offices of Gary Green, we have successfully handled many fire cases. We have a team of reliable experts that will quickly go to the fire scene and perform an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. If you or a loved one is the victim of a house fire, call us at Law Office of Gary Green.