Dickerson Oxton - September 2021

Did you know that a car wreck can happen without the vehicles involved even touching one another? If you find that hard to believe, consider the following scenarios that might cause you to swerve and crash without ever having come in contact with the vehicle at fault: What Is a No-Contact C AndWhat Do I Do if I’m Inv

Willie the Quaker parrot was a pretty remarkable bird. Like many parrots, he had a knack for mimicking certain sounds and words, including barking dog noises, human kissing noises, and a fair share of swear words. However, what made Willie a hero one day was not just what he said, but also when he said it. Meagan Howard, Willie’s owner, brought him over to her friend Samantha Kuusk’s house while she babysat Kuusk’s little daughter, Hannah. Hannah and Willie were both in the kitchen while Meagan prepared a Pop-Tart for Hannah’s breakfast. After placing the Pop-Tart on the table, Meagan stepped away to use the bathroom. While she was away, however, Hannah got her hands on the Pop- Tart and began to scarf it down, lodging a piece in her windpipe. She started choking and was unable to signal to Meagan that something was wrong. Luckily, Willie came to the rescue. Willie began squawking and shrieking, saying the words “Mama! Baby!” over and over again. In a matter of moments, Meagan knew something was wrong. She rushed to the kitchen to find a very frantic Willie and a very blue Hannah. Meagan jumped into action. She grabbed Hannah and performed the Heimlich maneuver until the Pop-Tart piece dislodged itself and shot out of her mouth. Willie the Parrot: The Ultimate Danger Alarm

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A driver braking abruptly

A driver failing to yield right of way to you

A driver cutting you off

A driver running you off the road A driver swerving into your lane

All of these scenarios cause what is known as a “no-contact” car wreck, and they can make receiving compensation for damages and injuries difficult, because their aftermath can be very different from a regular car crash. The driver might stop, having seen that they just caused you to crash, or they might just keep driving. In many cases, drivers don’t even realize that they’ve caused a no-contact car wreck! With that in mind, you might be wondering: If the at-fault driver just drives away, leaving you and your wreckage behind, how can you ensure that your insurance company won’t just call your wreck a single-car crash and leave you to foot the bill? Well, luckily there is one thing you can do that will help your case immensely: find reliable witnesses who can corroborate your story.

RULES OF

The Kansas City Beacon recently reported that local bike ridership has been on the rise for years, climbing as much as threefold between 2015 and 2020. That’s great news for the environment and cardiovascular health, but unfortunately, more bike riders on the road could mean more bike crashes. DETERMINING FAULT IN

Meagan may have been the one to stop Hannah from choking, but she insists that Willie was the real hero of the story. If he hadn’t

used his unique mimicking skills to get Meagan’s attention, she doesn’t know what would have happened. It’s worth noting that before that incident, Willie had never used the phrase “Mama! Baby!” before. He knew something was wrong, and he knew how to get help.

In a collision between a car and a bicycle, the cyclist bears a greater risk of injury. But contrary to popular myth, that doesn’t mean a

Shortly after the incident, Willie received the local Red Cross chapter’s Animal Lifesaver Award for his heroic actions.

cyclist can’t be held responsible for the

wreck. Most cyclists also drive, so it’s important to know your responsibilities and options on either side of a crash.

Bicyclists must obey all traffic rules and regulations, just like motor vehicles. These responsibilities include riding in

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