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 October
2006
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Why Are You Getting This Newsletter?
This free e-mail newsletter is sent to current and
former clients of our law firm, to those who
have specifically asked to receive it, and to
those who have contacted our firm for legal
advice in the past.
If the newsletter is being sent to you
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Kraft & Associates will never sell or give
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law firm.
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New Book Available for Texas Residents
The book by Robert A. Kraft, "7 Fatal
Mistakes Accident Victims Make" is available
by mail free to residents of Texas. This new
book explains what accident victims should
do, and more importantly, what they should
NOT do after an automobile collision or
other injury. To request a copy of this
book, simply fill out
this order form, and we will mail
this book to you by the next business day.
Because of licensing restrictions, we can
mail this book only to Texas addresses. If
you reside outside Texas and have legal
questions, please let us know, and we will
help you any way we can. You can purchase
this book for $19.95 at
Amazon.com.
Free Legal Advice?
Yes, at Kraft &
Associates we are glad to provide our clients
and friends with free information on a variety
of subjects. If you want details about how to
lower your automobile insurance rates,
Texas Workers' Compensation law or
Social Security Disability claims, please
contact us and we will send you any of these
brochures without charge or obligation. |
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Suite 1300
2777 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 999-9999
(817) 999-9999
(800) 989-9999
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FOR THE RECORD |
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New Study Proves Automotive Side Air
Bags Do Save Lives
A study
released this month by the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety provides
more proof that
side air bags for the torso and head can make a
dramatic difference in the number of
motorist deaths that occur in side impact
collisions.
A side
impact collision, of course, is where
the front of one vehicle strikes the
side of a second vehicle. We see these
collisions frequently when one car turns
left in front of an oncoming car, or
when one vehicle runs a red light and
hits another vehicle crossing on a green
light. Side impact collisions are
especially serious when a taller
vehicle, such as a truck or SUV strikes
the side of a lower vehicle.
The
federal government has mandated the
installation of such air bags in all
automobiles, but the mandate won't
become fully effective until the year
2010. Thousands of vehicles will be
manufactured between now and then, and
every one of those vehicles would
provide greater safety to the driver and
occupants if manufacturers would
voluntarily install side air bags.
In the opinion of many
trial lawyers and safety experts, it is
negligent for auto manufacturers not to
install side air bags immediately.
Here
are selected quotes from the press
release of the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety:
•
Side airbags that protect
people's heads are reducing
driver deaths in cars struck on
the near (driver) side by an
estimated 37 percent. Airbags
that protect only the chest and
abdomen but not the head are
reducing deaths by 26 percent.
• "We
found lower fatality risks across
the board — among older and younger
drivers, male and female drivers,
and drivers of both small cars and
larger passenger vehicles," says
Anne McCartt, Institute vice
president for research and an author
of the study.
• The
overall research findings echo those
of a 2003 Institute study of side
airbag effectiveness in cars. Data
weren't sufficient then to compute
fatality risk reductions for drivers
of SUVs, but this time around there
were enough data. Fatality risk in
SUVs went down 52 percent with
head-protecting side airbags and 30
percent with airbags that protect
the chest and abdomen but not the
head.
•
Findings track results of the
Institute's side crash tests
conducted since 2003 for consumer
information. All 33 current models
with good ratings in this test are
equipped with head-protecting side
airbags.
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"Once every passenger vehicle on the
road has side airbags that include
head protection for front-seat
occupants, we can save as many as
2,000 lives per year," McCartt
concludes.
Click to view
the complete press release from
the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety regarding side air bag
protection.
If you are considering purchasing a
new or used vehicle, please try to
buy one with side air bags. There is
no question that such vehicles are
safer than those without side air
bag protection.
For more information on this
subject, please visit our
Air Bag Web site.
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| FOR
YOUR INFORMATION |
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Protect Your
Social Security Number
Identity theft is the fastest growing
crime in the United States, and the biggest
key to identity theft is obtaining a
victim's Social Security number. Here are tips from the Social Security
Administration about protecting your Social
Security number:
• You should treat your Social Security
number as confidential information and avoid
giving it out unnecessarily. You should keep
your Social Security card in a safe place
with your other important papers. Do not
carry it with you unless you need to show it
to an employer or service provider.
• We do several things to protect your
number from misuse. For example, we require
and carefully inspect proof of identity from
people who apply to replace lost or stolen
Social Security cards, or for corrected
cards. One reason we do this is to prevent
people from fraudulently obtaining Social
Security numbers to establish false
identities. We maintain the privacy of
Social Security records unless:
• The law requires us to disclose
information to another government agency; or
Your information is needed to conduct Social
Security or other government health or
welfare program business.
• You should be very careful about sharing
your number and card to protect against
misuse of your number. Giving your number is
voluntary even when you are asked for the
number directly. If requested, you should
ask:
Why your number is needed;
How your number will be used;
What happens if you refuse; and
What law requires you to give your number.
The answers to these questions can help you
decide if you want to give your Social
Security number. The decision is yours.
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| FEATURED
EMPLOYEE |
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 Nicole
D. Collier
Attorney
E-mail:
ncollier@kraftlaw.com
Ms. Collier received her bachelor of science degree
from the University of Houston and her law degree from
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. While in law
school, Ms. Collier served as class representative of
the Student Bar Association and was a member of the
Moot Court Honors Society. Ms. Collier was selected as
the Hooding Speaker at the school’s Hooding Ceremony.
She is currently a member of the Texas Wesleyan Alumni
Board. Ms. Collier joined our firm in 2003 after
working at other area law firms. In addition to
Personal Injury, Ms. Collier has experience in the
areas of Family, Criminal and Workers' Compensation
law.
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| FEATURED
CASE |
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Immigration -- Is DORA Right
For You?
Under the two-year-old Dallas Office Rapid
Adjustment (DORA) program, applicants undergo
on-the-spot interviews when they submit their visa
petition and application for adjustment of status at
the same time. Many of those who attend their DORA
appointment, however, learn that they are not
eligible to participate in the program. In order to
participate in the DORA program, you must meet one
or more of the following criteria:
1. The petition must be for a family member who has
a visa immediately available to them (a spouse,
parent or child of a United States Citizen),
2. The applicant was a Diversity Lottery winner, or
3. The applicant is a special immigrant with an
approved I-360 Visa Petition.
There are many rumors and misconceptions about this
pilot program among immigrants. Please understand
that this is not an amnesty, nor is it President
Bush’s new proposal to grant work permits to illegal
aliens. This is simply another option available to
immigrants who would be otherwise eligible for
adjustment of status.
Also, it is very important to make sure that you are
eligible for adjustment of status when you use the
DORA program. Prior removals, departures (voluntary
or not) or refused admissions can have serious
consequences on eligibility. Many applicants have
been detained and deported without warning at
adjustment interviews.
The DORA program was initially begun to adjudicate
simpler cases. This system, however, is not for
everyone. If you have any questions regarding your
eligibility for adjustment of status, you may need
to consult with an immigration attorney. It is
important to make sure you are in one of the
above-mentioned classes of persons eligible to
obtain permanent residency at the time of your DORA
appointment. |
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| HOW
CAN WE HELP YOU? |
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Our law firm has helped thousands of clients
over the years. Sometimes clients who use
our firm for one type of case may not
realize that there are other legal problems
we could help them solve.
We handle
most types of injury claims — including
automobile collisions, "slip and fall"
cases, injuries suffered as a result of
defective products, injuries resulting from
inadequate security, medical malpractice
claims, nursing home negligence claims,
prescription drug injuries and many others.
We invite you to call us about any
serious injury to see how we can help you.
Kraft & Associates also represents people
who have been denied their Social Security
Disability benefits. We can help at the
Initial stage, the Reconsideration stage or
the Hearing stage.
Our firm represents people who have been injured on
the job and are making a claim for workers'
compensation. We help people who have problems
regarding family issues, such as divorce, child
support, adoption, modifications, enforcements,
attorney general disputes, paternity and other similar
matters. We also represent clients who have been
arrested or charged with committing a crime.
Please feel free to call us with any
legal questions you may have. If we cannot
represent you, we will attempt to refer you
to another attorney or to a government
agency that can help you. There is never any
charge or obligation for our initial
consultation. |
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Copyright
© 1997- 2006 Kraft & Associates : Injury &
Disability Lawyers, P.C. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Personal Injury,
Automobile Accident, Wrongful Death, Nursing Home Negligence,
Social Security Disability.
DISCLAIMER:
This newsletter is presented by Kraft & Associates for
informational purposes only, and not as legal advice.
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