Oct
26
2013
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Car accident attorneys in Louisville know that car accident prevention campaigns have had a significant impact on reducing the number of auto accidents in the past several decades. Now, law enforcement agencies from 30 states have met in Louisville to work to find ways to make drivers safer across the country.
While much progress has been made in reducing some of the most dangerous behaviors including drunk driving, law enforcement are considering three persistent problems that continue to cause fatalities: speeding, impaired driving and a failure to buckle up. WHAS 11 reports the safety conference also included a discussion on texting while driving and on how the legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational use will affect traffic stops and driving safety.
Accident Reduction Campaigns Have Been a Success, But Drivers are Ultimately Responsible for Their Own Behaviors
In 1949, there were 30,000 car accident fatalities and there was a fatality rate of four deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled over the course of the year. The peak in car accident fatalities, however, occurred in 1970 when there were over 50,000 deaths. The fatality rate during this dangerous time exceeded seven deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
By 2010, however, the NHTSA indicates that the fatality rate fell to a historic low of just over one death per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. As the overall death rate has declined, the number of non-occupants and pedestrians killed in auto accidents has also experienced dramatic decreases. From 1975 to 2009, the death rate for non-occupants declined by just over 60 percent.
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Traffic Deaths
Oct
25
2013
Louisiana Premises Liability – Crane Accident at Recycler Blamed for Injury
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According to the Louisiana Record, a recycling company is being sued by two Louisiana men who were injured on its premises. The men were harmed by a crane that was being used to try to remove scrap metal from a trailer. Lawyers in Louisiana know that when a company provides a service to the public and opens its doors to do business, the company has an obligation to ensure the safety of patrons. In this case, it will be important to determine if the company fell short in its obligation in a way that led to the crane accident and resulting injuries.
What is the Recycling Company’s Responsibility?
The Louisiana Record reports that the two men injured at the recycling company were hurt as a result of a crane attached to a trailer belonging to one of the men. The crane was attached to help remove scrap metal when it got stuck and allegedly lifted. The trailer was shaken by the crane and hit the rear of one of the men’s trucks. Both of the men were reportedly injured as a result of the impact.
The two men filed a lawsuit in the Central District Court and the defendant recycling company has been accused of failing to properly train its employs, improperly entrusting a crane to its employees, and operating a business with unsafe practices and unsafe operations.
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Personal injury lawyers
Oct
25
2013
Should You Form an S-Corporation to Save on Income Taxes?
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If you are operating a business, Tummel and Casso should be consulted to help determine the right structure for your entity. While some operate as sole proprietors and the business thus has no separate legal identity, many entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals can benefit greatly from forming an S-corporation. 
An S-corporation allows for small business owners to achieve certain protections from liability and can limit personal responsibility for business debts. Since the business is a separate legal entity, the business is distinct from the individual who owns it. An S-corporation can also help a small business owner to achieve tax savings.
Is Forming an S-Corporation the Right Step to Take?
S-corporations, unlike C-corporations, allow for pass-through taxation. This means that income and losses from the S-corporation can be claimed on the individual business owner’s tax returns. An S-corporation thus allows for business owners to avoid the potential double taxation that can go along with forming a C-corp (since the business pays taxes on a C-corp’s profits, and the owners also pay taxes when dividends are issued).
Although income and losses pass through to individual business owners, an s-corporation can still allow for significant tax savings by reducing the amount an individual owner is required to pay in payroll taxes. Payroll taxes include payments to Medicare and payments to Social Security. The self-employed pay out 15 percent in payroll taxes since no portion of their taxes are covered by a separate employer as they are for those who earn traditional W-2 wages.
When you form an s-corporation, however, you can pay yourself a salary that is equal to just a portion of the money the S-corporation makes. You can use the remainder of the money to pay out to yourself in periodic distributions. This allows you to avoid paying payroll taxes on a portion of the money earned that is distributed in distributions.
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Tummel and Casso
Personal injury lawyers
Oct
17
2013
Louisiana Car Accident Risks a Matter of Perception
– Source
Drivers need to make safe choices behind the wheel to prevent auto accidents. This means they need to recognize the types of behaviors that put them and other motorists at risk, and they need to do everything possible to avoid actions that have a strong chance of leading to a collision. 
Unfortunately, a recent study shows that the public as a whole is becoming less worried about certain dangerous driving actions. This is bad news for motorists because if drivers don’t see a behavior as very dangerous, they may be more inclined to engage in unsafe action behind the wheel. A lawyer is in the best position to help you determine how to proceed after an injury accident.
AAA Study Shows Drivers Aren’t as Worried About Dangerous Driving
According to the Telegram, a recent AAA study involved conducting interviews with 11,000 people of driving age between 2009 and 2012. The study was completed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and respondents lived throughout the United States. Some of the drivers responding to the survey may have been interviewed more than one time over the course of the four year period that AAA was doing its research.
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Personal injury lawyers
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