The holiday season gives us time to celebrate special traditions with our loved ones. It’s likely you’ll want to make the most of this time, but we know it can fly by. Take a look at our holiday guide, so you don’t miss the events and holiday happenings that mean most to you.

While seatbelts aren’t always the most comfortable, they significantly reduce the risk of serious injury and death in the event of an accident. It’s important to recognize that vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death in the first three decades of life in the United States. If a person decides to forgo their seatbelt and ends up in an accident, the consequences can be devastating.

Even though most drivers and passengers in the U.S. wear a seatbelt while in a moving vehicle, there are still millions who do not. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 83 percent of Mississippi drivers wear a seatbelt. That is three percent lower than the national average. This is why Mississippi has established seat belt laws that define what is and is not allowed while riding in a car, truck, or another vehicle.

Losing a loved one, especially when the death was caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongful act, is always incredibly challenging. While legal matters are often the last thing on families’ minds during this time, it’s important to understand that families who have experienced such a loss may have the right to file a wrongful death claim under Mississippi Law.

While no amount of compensation can bring a loved one back, it can help to ease burdens associated with funeral costs, medical expenses, and lost wages. Compensation may also offer peace of mind to the family in the event the negligent or guilty party can be held accountable for their actions or inactions.

While some wrongful deaths are intentional, others are unintentional. Some of the most common unintentional wrongful deaths are related to car accidents, medical malpractice, and workplace accidents.

As a responsible car owner, you’ve probably taken your car into the shop for regular maintenance, oil changes, and tire rotations; however, there may come a time when your car needs to be repaired. Whether you need new brakes or an ignition coil replacement, you’ll need to find a mechanic you’re comfortable with.

Once you do, you’ll enter into a contract with the mechanic, who will agree to fix your car for a predetermined price. Days later you’ll pick up your car, excited to have it back; however, what if your drive home doesn’t go as planned? What if the brakes you just have replaced cease to work and you end up rear-ending someone at a stoplight? What now?

The answer to that question is found back at the shop you just left. In the event you can prove a mechanic caused you to suffer a loss, you may be able to hold them negligent for your malfunctioning car.

Our smartphones go everywhere with us – from home to the office, and even to the bathroom. These devices keep us connected to the people who matter the most, as well as notify us as to what’s happening around us.

While we all use our smartphones in ways that best suit us, it’s important to know that these devices have even more power than we realize – the power to save lives. Keep reading to find out about the technology your phone has to save your life after a crash and the technology that may be developed in the future.

In the event you’re in an auto wreck, no matter how traumatic, your mind’s going to race to figure out what you’re supposed to do next. The phone that now may be on the passenger floor or under your feet is where you should start. While you do a quick evaluation of your injuries, focus on calling emergency services. The sooner they arrive at the scene, the better.

While there are many ways a person can sustain any type of injury, certain injuries are more common with some accidents than with others. Road rash, for example, is more common with motorcycle accidents. Road rash is an informal term for bodily abrasions caused by road surfaces. The severity of road rash varies greatly depending on the accident and any protective gear the rider had on.

Types of Road Rash

Road rash is a term that encompasses all road-related abrasions. There are different types of road rash, as well as varying degrees, depending on how it happens and how bad it is.

Avulsion road rash occurs when the skin on the body is scraped away as a result of the direct and harsh contact with the road. Layers of skin are often gone, only to expose fat, muscles, and bone. This is the most common type of road rash.

A mild sunburn can cause discomfort and often calls for extra coats of aloe. When a person is severely burned, it’s an entirely different world. Recovery can be a long and painful process, resulting in permanent disfigurement or disability.

According to the CDC, 1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention each year. Of those individuals, approximately 4,500 will die from their injuries or complications. Burns are some of the worst pain the body can experience. Many times, burns are caused by preventable accidents.

Common Types of Burn Accidents

The most serious of burn injuries are typically a result of car accidents, industrial accidents, and house fires. With a car fire, a person is likely to get trapped in the vehicle if it’s caught on fire. Industrial burns are often the result of improperly using chemicals or defective equipment. House fires occur for a variety of reasons; however, faulty water heaters and defective smoke alarms or wiring are common causes.

From its river and lakes to its state parks, Mississippi is filled with boating and water recreation opportunities. While these activities can provide an entire summer’s worth of family fun, devastating accidents happen when people neglect their responsibilities as boat owners and operators.

Mississippi Boating Accident Statistics

Every year, the United States Coast Guard publishes a Recreational Boating Statistics report. Here’s what they found in 2017.

• Nationally, 4,291 boating accidents occurred, resulting in 2,629 injuries and 658 deaths.
• In Mississippi, 34 boating accidents resulted in 6 deaths.
• 76 percent of the time the victim drowned; and 84.5 percent of the time that person was not wearing a lifejacket.
• Alcohol was found to be the primary cause of the accidents, resulting in 19 percent of the fatalities.
• 81 percent of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had not taken the required boating safety class.

In 2016, over 37,000 lives were lost in car accidents all over the country. The majority of these were single-vehicle accidents. Mississippi is no stranger to motor vehicle fatalities; however, this unnecessary and devastating loss of life is often preventable. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries or worse in a car accident in Mississippi, our dedicated Mississippi car accident lawyer will help you hold the negligent party accountable.

Mississippi Highway Accident Statistics

• There were 690 fatalities on Mississippi roadways in 2016, per the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mississippi has one of the highest car accident death rates per capita, at 23.1 deaths for every 100,000 people.
• This also remains true when you narrow the population sample to children. A study from August 2017 by the Journal of Pediatrics found that mortality rate in motor vehicles crashes is 3.23 children per 100,000. National, the rate is 0.25 out of 100,000. 38 percent of those children were not properly buckled.
• Statistically, 1 out of 2 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in Mississippi were not buckled up.
• Nationally, 90.1% of Americans wear their seat belts. In Mississippi, that number is only 77.9%.
• In 2011, pedestrian deaths accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and made up 3% of all the people injured in traffic crashes.

Everyone at Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law is dedicated to helping our local and nationwide communities build strong foundations that will lead to a brighter future. As part of that dedication, we decided to start a scholarship in 2017. The Fall 2018 submission period just came to a close, and we were truly humbled by the amount of applications we received as well as the overall quality of every essay. Thank you to everyone who applied!

We’re happy to announce that we’ve chosen a winner. Congratulations to Maly Sears of Adrian, MO!

Maly is attending her first year of graduate school at Kansas State University College of Architecture, Planning & Design.