If you have taken a loan to buy a new vehicle, you may need GAP insurance. GAP insurance pays for the difference between the market value of your car at the time of its loss (totaled or stolen) and the balance you owe on the loan. GAP insurance is also applicable to a lease on which you owe, rather than a loan.

When you buy a new vehicle, it begins to depreciate- lose value- the minute you drive it off the lot. A vehicle may depreciate 20-30% in the first year alone. After the first year, the vehicle’s value will continue to fall. Currently, the average depreciation rate (lost value) is about 18% per year. What you owe on the car- the loan or lease balance- does not fall this fast. That leaves a “gap” between what the vehicle is worth on the market and what you owe. This is commonly referred to as being “upside down.” If you are “upside down” when your vehicle is totaled or stolen, standard auto coverage pays only what the car is worth on the market when the loss occurs. If you owe more on your vehicle than what the vehicle is worth, GAP insurance bails you out of this jam and covers the difference.

If you have paid less than 20% down on a new vehicle or have the vehicle financed for five years or more, you may need GAP coverage. Adding GAP coverage to an auto insurance policy is typically the best buy, but not all car insurance companies provide GAP insurance. Lenders may offer GAP coverage for a flat fee, but this is probably the most expensive way to buy GAP coverage. If your auto insurer does not offer GAP coverage, you can probably purchase stand-alone GAP coverage online that are more affordable than what the auto dealer or lender will charge.

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When your tires lose their tread or become damaged, you’re at a higher risk of losing control or experiencing a blowout while driving, both of which can result in serious accidents. Because of those increased risks, it’s vital that you take good care of them and replace them when necessary.

Important Facts about Tires

• Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency
• Roughly 70% of cars on the road have at least one underinflated tire
• Only 17% of Americans know how to check their tire pressure
• Roughly 35% of Americans can’t tell if a tire is bald
• Vehicles with worn out tires are three times more likely to get into an accident
• Bad tires caused 738 traffic deaths in 2017

How to Take Care of Your Tires

Because tire care is such an important part of vehicle safety, we want to help drivers across Louisiana prevent accidents before they happen by giving them the information they need to protect their tires. Read the FAQ below for answers to common tire care questions.

What is proper tire pressure?

For most cars, tire pressure should be between 28-35 PSI. However, always check your owner’s manual or the sticker found on the driver’s side door jamb, glove box, or gas filler door for the manufacturer’s recommendation. Check for differences in recommendations for front and rear tires, as they’re not always the same depending on the vehicle type.

Why is it so important?

It only takes minutes to check, and improperly inflated tires can cause easily preventable accidents.

• Improperly inflated tires wear down faster and unevenly.
• Underinflated tires can suffer from tire blowouts and tread separation.
• Overinflated tires are more likely to lose traction, and are less able to absorb bumps in the road.

How often do I need to do it?

Most auto technicians recommend you check your tire pressure at least once a month, or before every long trip. Don’t forget to check the spare as well!

Additionally, all cars manufactured after 2007 come with a tire pressure monitoring system, which will inform you when tire pressure is significantly (more than 25%) lower than what’s recommended. So don’t ignore that light on the dashboard!

What is tire rotation?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: rotating the position of your tires, like a game of musical chairs.

Why is it so important?

Tires in different positions on your car will experience wear faster.

• Front tires wear down faster than rear tires because they are carrying the weight of the engine.
• Left-hand tires wear faster than right-hand tires, because they have to cover more distance when completing a right turn.

Rotating your tires ensures no tire wears down significantly faster than any of the others by making them swap the position of “hardest working tire.”

How often do I need to do it?

Most auto technicians recommend a tire rotation every 5,000-8,000 miles.

 What is a tire alignment?

A tire alignment “realigns” your tires when they become crooked.

Why is it so important?

Think about trying to push a grocery cart when one of the wheels isn’t pointed forward. It’s difficult! When your vehicle’s wheels are misaligned, it causes far more wear and tear on the wheels than necessary, and significantly impacts handling.

• Do you feel excessive steering wheel vibration or notice the steering wheel isn’t pointed straight up when you’re driving in a straight line?
• Do your tires screech when making a turn?
• Does your vehicle pull to the left or right?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you likely need a wheel alignment.

How often do I need to do it?

Most auto technicians recommend a tire rotation every 1-2 years, every time you replace a tire, or after you’re involved in an accident or hit a pothole or curb.

Why is changing your tires so important?

Tires are the only part of your vehicle that touches the road, so they experience a LOT of wear and tear. When they wear down, they can become a major safety concern.

• Worn down tires can’t grip the road and can easily lose traction when braking hard or when driving on wet pavement.
• Old tire rubber can become dry and cracked, risking a blowout that could cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

How often do I need to do it?

You should change your tires anytime your tire tread is worn down to less than 1/8th of an inch!.

Not sure how much that is? Place a penny head down in the groove of your tire. If the top of Lincoln’s head is visible, you need new tires!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also recommends changing your tires every six years, regardless of the tread.

Tire Care Can’t Always Prevent Accidents

Showing proper tire care is one way to keep yourself and your passengers safe on the roads. But when others act negligently, you may need help getting compensation for the damage and injuries you’ve suffered.

If you’ve been in an auto accident caused by someone else, contact the Louisiana auto accident attorneys at Broussard & Hart for a free consultation.

The post Tire Safety and Tire Care appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

You may be asking yourself, “Do I really need to wear a helmet?” Legally, Louisiana law only requires children under the age of 12 to wear a helmet when riding a bike. But everyone, including teenagers and adults, should wear a helmet before they jump on a bike.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), more than half of all bicyclists killed in car accidents were not wearing helmets at the time of their accidents. This backs up other data that found wearing a helmet can reduce head injuries by as much as 50% and face and neck injuries by 33%.

Getting Started

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to protect yourself or your loved ones. A $30 helmet can be just as safe as a $100 helmet. The major difference lies in how soon it will start to show signs of wear, and how it will need to be replaced.

When purchasing a helmet, ensure that it’s approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). All bicycle helmets manufactured since 1999 are required to be approved by the CPSC to be legally sold in the U.S., but you can double check by looking for a sticker or label on the inside of the helmet. “ASTM,” “ANSI,” and “Snell” labels also meet CPSC standards. We don’t recommend buying a used helmet, even with a “CPSC” sticker, since you have no way of knowing if it’s been in an accident before.

Types of Bicycle Helmets

Depending on what you use your bike for, there are a few different types of bike helmets you may want to consider.

Road Bike Helmets

This type of helmet tends to have an elongated shape made of lightweight materials with lots of vents to keep riders cool. It’s the most common type of bicycle helmet.

Mountain Bike Helmets

This type of helmet has additional coverage extending out over the front of the head, which can also help to keep the sun out of your eyes. Some mountain bike helmets also have a chin or mouth guard, especially those used by downhill mountain bikers and BMX riders.

Triathlon Bike Helmets

This type of helmet has a rounded front, sometimes with a faceplate, and a “tail” extending from the back. This design improves aerodynamics and can help shave seconds off your time.

Commuter Bike Helmets

This type of helmet has a rounded shape and very few or no vents to provide more coverage to protect wearers from the elements. They are less sporty in appearance but may come in bright colors or with reflectors to make their wearers more visible to cars.

How to Pick a Helmet that Fits

More important than the type of helmet you choose is how well it fits. This is especially important when choosing a child’s helmet. Don’t think, “they’ll grow into it!” A poorly fitting helmet will not be able to do its job and keep its wearer safe in a crash.

To determine what size helmet you need, you will need to measure the circumference of your head. This can be done with a soft tape measure, or if you do not have one, with a piece of string that can then be measured using a standard tape measure or ruler.

Measure all the way around your head starting from about one inch above your eyebrows.

• If it’s less than 20”, get an extra-small helmet
• If it’s 20”-21.75”, get a small helmet
• If it’s 21.75”-23.25”, get a medium helmet
• If it’s 23.25”-24.75”, get a large helmet
• If it’s larger than 24.75”, get an extra-large helmet

Keep in mind, these are guidelines! Some brands may use slightly different sizing charts, so always make sure to check the circumference listed on the helmet you are considering.

Trying on a Helmet

Although great deals can be found on bicycle helmets when shopping online, it’s better to purchase them in person so you can try them on and make sure they fit properly. Use these tips to determine how well a helmet fits after picking out a few you like.

• Most helmets should have a wheel at the back that can be turned to adjust tightness. Adjust so the helmet is comfortably snug and can’t be pushed more than an inch in any direction.
• The helmet should sit level on your head. The front edge should sit about one inch or less above your eyebrows, not tilted back, to protect your forehead. If it moves up when you push it, it should be tightened, or it might be too big.
• The side straps should form a ‘V’ around your ears, ending under your earlobes. If they don’t, the straps may need to be adjusted, or the helmet may be the wrong size.
• You should be able to fit no more than one finger under the chin strap. When the chin strap is on, open your mouth wide to test the fit. The top of your head should press against the helmet when you do this. If it doesn’t, it should be tightened.
• Do you normally ride your bike with your hair in a ponytail? While wearing a baseball cap or with sunglasses on? Do so when you test out helmets too, as this will affect fit.
• If the helmet is digging into any particular area, it’s likely you need a different shape or different size helmet.

Now that You Know How to Pick a Helmet, Ride Safe!

At Broussard & Hart, we believe in enjoying beautiful weather whenever we get the chance, and we believe in taking safety precautions whenever possible. But we also know that sometimes wearing a helmet isn’t enough to protect you when others behave negligently. If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, we want to help you get the money you need to get your life back to normal. Call us today for a free consultation.

The post How to Choose the Right Bicycle Helmet appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

Obviously, it doesn’t mean you need to replace your seatbelts every time you drive. And it doesn’t mean you need to regularly replace them every six months like you do your engine oil and windshield wipers.

Seatbelts are designed to prevent drivers and passengers from being thrown forward inside their vehicles or ejected from their seats in a car accident. Every year, seatbelts save thousands of lives by holding vehicle occupants in place during crashes. So, what it really means, is that seatbelts are only effective for one car accident before needing to be replaced.

Do I Need to Replace My Seatbelt After a Crash?

If you crashed your bicycle and cracked your bike helmet, you wouldn’t keep using the same broken helmet, would you? You’d go out and buy a new one! The seatbelts in your car are the same.

The webbing in seatbelts is designed to stretch without breaking in a collision to safely absorb sudden deceleration forces at the moment of impact. Unfortunately, once it stretches, it loses elasticity. That means it won’t be as effective the next time around.

Additionally, most modern seatbelts are equipped with pretensioners, which instantly reel in slack to keep your seatbelt tight around you and prevent you from sliding underneath it during a crash where the airbags deploy. However, pretensioners are single use only.

When purchasing a pre-owned car, verify its accident history report and make sure to check the seatbelts for fraying, torn stitching, and problems retracting.

Why You Should Replace Your Child’s Car Seat or Booster Seat After a Crash

Forces that are strong enough to bend the steel in your car’s frame are more than strong enough to bend the plastic in a child’s car seat, even if that damage isn’t visible. Hairline fractures can be easily missed while severely reducing the effectiveness of a car seat. The seat can also be damaged if it was in the car at the time of the crash, even if your child wasn’t in the seat.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests that if you were involved in a minor crash meeting ALL of the following criteria, you likely do not need to replace your car seat.

1. The vehicle can be safely driven.
2. The door nearest the car seat is undamaged.
3. No one sustained injuries.
4. The air bags didn’t deploy.
5. There is no visible damage to the car seat.

In all other circumstances, you should replace the car seat. Thankfully, in most cases your insurance will also cover the cost of purchasing a new car seat. Make sure to talk to your insurance representative to see if your policy covers car seat or booster seat replacement.

Have You Been in a Car Accident? We Want to Help

Car accidents can cause your wallet to take a big hit, whether you need to replace your vehicle’s seatbelts, a bumper, or more. But when you’re dealing with both vehicle damage and injuries that keep you away from work while you’re hospitalized or recovering, your financial situation can get a lot worse very quickly.

Our experienced car accident lawyers want to help you get the compensation you need to pay your bills after an accident that wasn’t your fault. Contact Broussard & Hart today for your free consultation.

The post Did You Know Seatbelts Should be Replaced After Most Accidents? appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

That’s because all nursing home residents have many legal rights that protect them in a variety of ways.

The 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law was enacted to protect the individual dignity and self-determination of all nursing home residents. Every state, including Louisiana, has a Nursing Home Resident Bill of Rights outlining the rights you can or should expect when moving yourself or a loved one into a nursing home or other assisted living facility.

Louisiana Nursing Home Resident Rights

Do you know the rights you or your loved one can expect in your chosen nursing home? If not, that is a failing on the part of the nursing home! One of your rights is the right to be fully informed.

Every facility is legally required to display residents’ rights in several prominent locations at a proper height and in a print size legible for people with impaired vision, and they must also provide a copy at move-in to each resident.

Nursing home residents’ rights include but are not limited to:

• The right to make independent personal decisions, including selection of a physician and pharmacy
• The right to manage their own financial affairs
• The right to information about their medical condition, access to adequate treatment, information on proposed treatments, participation in planning medical treatments, privacy when receiving treatment, and the right to refuse treatment
• The right to private and uncensored communication (both mail and phone calls)
• The right to unrestricted access to visitors, both personal (such as family and friends) and professional (such as doctors, ombudsmen, clergy, and representatives of agencies responsible for resident welfare, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• The right to make overnight visits with friends and family without losing their bed
• The right to file grievances with the nursing home and to government agencies responsible for resident welfare on their own behalf or on behalf of others, free from restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal
• The right to receive assistance from the nursing home staff in exercising their civil and religious rights, including the right to join and be active in advocacy or special interest groups
• The right to be treated fairly and with dignity, free from mental and physical abuse

Have Your Rights, or the Rights of a Loved One, Been Violated?

Although all nursing home residents are legally promised respect and care, it doesn’t always happen. Nursing home abuse and neglect is a sad fact of life for many of Louisiana’s elderly, whether that abuse is physical, sexual, verbal, or financial.

If you’ve suffered abuse or suspect your loved one is being abused by nursing home staff or other residents, you need to act to keep yourself or them safe. Here’s how:

1. If it’s an emergency, call 911 to bring paramedics and police to the scene.
2. File a complaint with the nursing home and the Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section in writing, including all relevant details, such as:
   • names and titles of anyone involved
   • dates of incidents
   • photos of injuries or unsanitary conditions, if you have them
   • witness statements, if you have them
3. Call a lawyer. Nursing home abuse can be hard to prove, and unlike a one-time accident, it is often an ongoing issue unless it’s stopped.

We know nothing is more stressful than when you or your loved one is unhappy and at risk of harm, which is why we want to help. Contact Broussard & Hart today for a free nursing home abuse case consultation.

The post What Rights Do Nursing Home Residents Have? appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

Many of our clients worry that the IRS or the state of Louisiana will lay claim to a large percentage of their settlements.

Luckily, personal injury settlements are NOT taxable.

What Types of Settlements Are Taxable?

Section 104 of the Federal Tax Code says that any settlements meant to compensate physical harm (injury and illness) do not qualify as income and are not subject to tax.

Example A:

You file a wrongful termination lawsuit and receive compensation for your lost wages and emotional distress. This settlement is taxable.

Example B:

You file a personal injury lawsuit and receive compensation for your medical expenses (treatment for your injuries), lost wages (caused by your injuries), and emotional distress (caused by your injuries). This settlement is NOT taxable.

Example C:

You file a workers’ compensation claim and receive compensation for your medical expenses (treatment for your injuries). This settlement is NOT taxable.

Example D:

You file a premises liability lawsuit and receive compensation for your medical expenses (treatment for your injuries) and punitive damages (money awarded to victims by the court to punish the offender). Your compensatory damages (medical expenses) are NOT taxable. Your punitive damages ARE taxable.

Settlements that compensate for injuries are tax-free regardless of how they are paid. This includes by lump-sum, installments, through negotiation with the insurance company, and by court order.

Is My Personal Injury Settlement Ever Taxable?

Depending on your individual case, portions of your settlement may not be tax-free. There are two major exceptions to the tax-free rule:

1. You accumulated interest on the settlement. The interest is taxable, but the settlement is not.
2. You deducted your accident-related medical expenses on a previous tax return. The portion of the settlement you receive for medical expenses can be taxed up to the amount you deducted. If you received compensation for other damages (lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.) those portions will remain untaxed.

When your settlement is determined, your lawyer will work with the defendant and their attorneys to determine if any portion of the settlement is taxable so you won’t be caught off-guard with a 1090 tax form in the mail.

So there you have it. When you are injured through no fault of your own, getting compensation can be tough, but you can rest easy knowing that the settlement the team at Broussard & Hart works hard to get you is yours to keep once your check arrives.

The post Will the IRS Take a Chunk of My Personal Injury Settlement? appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

For years, many people with chronic pain thought they had little choice but to take dangerous addictive drugs like opioids. However, there are some other ways to manage your pain that might allow you to discontinue or lessen opioids.

Activities that Can Help Chronic Pain

Massage therapy– Chronic pain can be exacerbated by stiffening muscles, so activities that relax the muscles often reduce pain, including applying heating pads or receiving massage therapy.

Physical therapy is another effective treatment method. Stretches and exercises designed to retrain posture, strengthen the core, and improve flexibility are shown to reduce chronic pain.

Yoga and Tai Chi can also help reduce pain symptoms in the same way as physical therapy, but some feel it is more effective because of the emphasis in stretching.

Acupuncture- It is not for everyone but some swear by it. The traditional Chinese medicine works by applying hair-thin needles into pressure points on the body and can be particularly effective at treating chronic back and neck pain, knee pain, and headaches.

Meditation– Yes, it is scientifically proven that meditation helps reduce stress and relieve pain. It is a no-cost method of relaxing the body and the mind that can be done at home. Meditation reduces the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream and induces the release of endorphins to combat pain. Use a simple app like HeadSpace to get started.

Biofeedback is another emerging method of treatment that works by hooking the patient up to sensors that monitor body functions like heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, muscle tension, and body temperature. By watching how they change in real time, patients can train themselves to consciously control these functions and reduce their pain. Talk about mind over matter! 

Lifestyle Changes You Can Make on Your Own to Combat Chronic Pain

Making changes to your daily routine can’t eliminate all your pain, but you may be surprised by how big a difference a few small lifestyle changes can make to the level of pain you experience on a daily basis. Those changes include:

• Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation is shown to decrease pain tolerance.
• Exercise. The natural boost of endorphins from exercising can help combat pain.
• Quit smoking. Nicotine reduces your body’s ability to effectively supply oxygen through the bloodstream, which can worsen chronic pain.
• Watch your diet. Avoiding processed foods and refined sugars may help reduce chronic pain.
• Do things you enjoy. When you are in pain, the last thing you may want to do is socialize. But watching your favorite show, listening to music, or talking with a friend can help distract your mind from pain.
• Cut back on alcohol. Anything that causes depression, causes stress, which can increase pain or at least the perception of pain.

National Geographic Magazine published an article in January 2020 on how scientists are unraveling the mysteries of pain, and exploring new ways to treat it. View the article to learn more.

The post How to Deal with Chronic Pain Without Opioids appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

The stats are worse in other parts of the state. This has all prompted the creation of new seat belt laws.

In August 2019, the following law went into effect:

• Children 2 and under MUST ride in a rear-facing, rear seat child safety seat. (Under the old law, children under the age of 2 who weighed at least 20 lbs. could ride in a forward-facing child seat.)

• Children from 2 to 3 MUST ride in the rear seat in a forward-facing child seat with an internal seat belt.(Under the old law, children under the age of 5 who weighed at least 40 lbs. could ride in a booster seat).

• Children from 4 and 9 MUST ride in the rear seat in a booster seat, unless they can show they fit the car’s seat properly based on manufacturer height requirements. (Under the old law, children aged 6 and up and weighing at least 60 lbs. could ride without a booster seat.)

• All children under the age of 13 MUST ride in the back when rear seats are available. (Under the old law, children aged 12 could ride in the front seat.) 

For more information, please refer to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Our article is meant solely as a summary of the law, not a replacement.

The post What Are Louisiana’s Car Seat Laws? appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

How Can We Reduce the Risk of Distracted Driving

• That text can wait! Put your phone out of reach whenever you get into the car.
• Don’t eat and drink while driving.
• Go hands free or pull over before answering a phone call.
• Always program your navigation system before driving
• Lead by example, parents!
• If you’re a passenger, speak up and keep your driver focused.

The post 7 Distracted Driving Statistics appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.

To get the money you need after a truck crash that wasn’t your fault, here’s what you need to know.

What Makes Truck Accidents Different

Truck accidents are harder to avoid. Trucks are heavier than passenger cars, more difficult to drive, and much harder to turn or bring to a complete stop. That means when something goes wrong, the truck driver and the driver of the other vehicle have less chance to maneuver out of the way before colliding.

Truck accidents cause more damage and injuries (and have bigger payouts). Because commercial trucks are so large and heavy, when they collide with smaller and lighter passenger vehicles, they cause so much damage that a lot of compensation is needed to make it right.

That’s why trucking companies are required to carry significantly larger insurance policies, and also why their insurance companies will try much, much harder to avoid having to pay the victims what they’re owed.

There are more laws governing truck drivers than other types of drivers. In addition to all the usual laws against speeding, drunk driving, and texting while driving, there are also traffic laws just for trucks drivers (including how long a truck driver is allowed to drive in a single stretch and how much cargo they can carry).

When truck drivers or their employers break these laws, they can be held liable for accidents they cause.

More than one person or party can be liable when a truck hits you. In a normal car accident, if another car hits you, the other driver is solely to blame. In a truck accident, there are many people who could have contributed to the crash, and who may owe you compensation.

So Who’s Liable?

Download our free guide to potentially liable parties in your truck accident by clicking the image below.

Contact Broussard & Hart with Your Truck Crash Questions

Truck accidents are different, and any attorney who says they’re not may not know what they need to handle yours. If you have questions about what to do after a truck crash and how to get the compensation you sorely need, contact the truck accident attorneys at Broussard & Hart. Your consultation is always free. 

The post Who is Liable for Your Medical Bills After a Truck Crash? appeared first on Lake Charles Personal Injury Attorney.