Have you ever wondered why school buses don’t have seat belts? After all, seat belts are proven life savers. Why wouldn’t we want our kids strapped in safely while travelling to and from school?

School buses are incredibly safe. Children are 70 times more likely to arrive safely at school when travelling by bus versus travelling by car. The safety comes from the fact that school buses are the most-regulated vehicles on the road. School buses are designed to be highly visible and include safety features such as flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors, and stop-sign arms. They also include protective seating, high crush standards, and rollover protection features.

As for seat belts, school buses are designed with a different kind of restraint system that works very well. Large school buses distribute crash forces differently because of their size. Because of this, passengers are exposed to much less force in the case of a crash than those in smaller vehicles. Instead of seat belts, large buses use compartmentalization to secure passengers. By using strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs, buses protect children without requiring them to buckle up. Small school buses (with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less) on the other hand, require seat belts since they are not as large and able to protect passengers well without.

Next time you watch your child climb aboard the school bus, you can feel secure knowing that even without seat belts, your little ones are protected.

Why are there no seat belts on school buses?

If you’ve ever been in an auto accident, you know the feeling of distress and confusion that comes immediately after. It is in those confusing moments that decisions need to be made that will later determine whether or not you will recover a fair amount from the insurance company.

First things first – deal with any injuries and make sure the scene of the accident is safe. If anyone is injured call 911 immediately. Call the police so they can get to the scene as soon as possible. They will file an accident report (necessary for the insurance company in most cases), identify and take statements from witnesses, and maintain safety at the scene.

While waiting for first responders to arrive, begin gathering information. Write down all the information you can about the other driver and their vehicle - name, address, phone number, license plate number, VIN number, year/make/model/color of any vehicles

involved, and insurance information. Get names and contact information from any witnesses. Take pictures of the scene and vehicles. Jot down a brief description of events while they are still fresh in your mind. Make notes about any other details, like weather conditions, road conditions, the other driver, etc. Sketch a picture of the scene.

Once everything is under control and everyone is safe, it’s time to call your insurance agent. Your policy will require you to notify the insurance company if you’re in an accident. Doing it right away allows the process to start moving so your claim can be filed promptly. Then, give your attorney a call. You may not need an attorney in every instance, but it is always good to have someone on your side with the experience necessary to make sure you are treated fairly and your rights are protected.

What to do if you’re in anauto accident

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FALL 2018

809 North 96th Street, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68114(402) 502-9002

Fax (402) 991-0037

Web: www.TSalerno-law.com l Email: Terry@TSalerno-law.com

TERRENCE SALERNO & Associates P.C. Attorneys At Law

Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning

Damage to the brain and nervous system

Learning and behavior problems

Slowed growth and development

Hearing and speech problems

This can cause:Lower IQ

Decreased abilityto pay attention

Underperformance in school

Exposure to lead canseriously harm a child's health. The Impact

535,000U. S. children ages 1 to 5 years

have blood lead levels high enough to damage their health.

24 millionhomes in the U.S. contain deteriorated

lead-based paint and elevated levels of

lead-contaminated house dust. 4 million of these are home to young children.

It can cost

$5,600in medical and special education costs for each seriously lead-poisoned child.

Talk with your child’s doctor about a simple blood lead test. If you are pregnant or nursing, talk with your doctor about exposure to sources of lead.

Talk with your local health department about testing paint and dust in your home for lead if you live in a home built before 1978.

Renovate safely. Common renovation activities (like sanding, cutting, replacing windows, and more) can create hazardous lead dust. If you’re planning renovations, use contractors certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (visit www.epa.gov/lead for information).

Remove recalled toys and toy jewelry from children and discard as appropriate. Stay up-to-date on current recalls by visiting the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website: www.cpsc.gov.

Take these steps to make your home lead-safe.

Visit www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead to learn more.

The good news:Lead poisoning is 100% preventable

Homes built before 1978 (when lead-based paints were banned) probably contain lead-based paint.

When the paint peels and cracks, it makes lead dust. Children can be poisoned when they swallow or breathe in lead dust.

Certain water pipes may contain lead.

Lead can be found in some products such as toys and toy jewelry.

Lead is sometimes in candies imported from other countries or traditional home remedies.

Certain jobs and hobbies involve working with lead-based products, like stain glass work, and may cause parents to bring lead into the home.

Lead can be found throughout a child’s environment.

Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning

Visit www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead to learn more.

Recoverable depreciation

MT-IAA-13A 121744XX or 011844XX 13 feetMT-IAA-17A 17 feetMT-IAA-22A 22 feetMT-IAA-26 26 feetMT-IAA-26A 26 feet

Werner aluminum ladders recalled

Did you buy a ladder at Lowe’s or Home Depot in April or May of 2018? If so, you should be aware that Werner brand aluminum ladders have been recalled due to fall risk. This recall involves five models of aluminum telescoping ladders that can be used in five different positions (twin step ladder, stairway step ladder, extension ladder, wall ladder and as two scaffold bases). The date code is stamped on the inside of the outer leg of the ladder, beneath the bottom step. The model number is printed on a label located on the side of the ladder rail. The recalled ladders have a load capacity of 375 lbs. The following ladders are included in this recall.

MODEL NUMBER DATE CODE LADDER SIZE

Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column, and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

For answers to this puzzle, e-mail us atTerry@TSalerno-law.com

SUDOKU1 2 5 3

3 9 5 4

4 5

5 2 3 8

9 8

8 2 6 4

5 2

6 5 2 1

1 5 6 3

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.58)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Mon Jul 16 15:25:22 2018 GMT. Enjoy!

Homeowner’s insurance is a minor inconvenience until you need it, then it becomes a major life-saver! To make sure your policy covers you fully if disaster strikes, it is important to take the time now to review the details and understand what you need. With that in mind, we’d like to talk a little bit about recoverable depreciation.

Depreciation is an accounting method for allocating the cost of an asset over time. Since we are talking about homeowner’s insurance, we’ll use a roof as an example. Let’s say a new roof costs $10,000 and has an expected lifetime of 20 years. We take the cost divided by the lifetime and find that the value of the roof depreciates at a rate of $500 per year. Now, let us imagine that the roof is damaged in a hail storm in its tenth year. The value of the roof is determined by starting with the initial cost ($10,000) and subtracting the depreciation ($500/year for ten years = $5,000). The value of the roof when it sustains that damage is $5,000.

In this example, the homeowner is stuck with a broken roof that’s only worth $5,000 but that will cost $10,000 to replace. This is where recoverable depreciation comes in. If the homeowner’s insurance policy includes recoverable deprecation, they will be able to get the full $10,000 value of the roof, rather than the depreciated value of $5,000. You can see the obvious advantage to having recoverable depreciation here.

Every insurance company is different, but the usual way a recoverable depreciation claim works is as follows. First, they pay the actual cash value of the claim ($5,000 in example). Then the homeowner has the repairs done. After repairs are completed, the insurer pays the depreciated valued (another $5,000 in example). Homeowners usually have one year to make the repairs, with the possibility of a six month extension if needed.

You can see how important recoverable depreciation is to being fully covered in the case of a disaster. We recommend checking your policy to make sure you have this included and asking if you can add it if not.

If you have one of these ladders, you should immediately stop using it and return it to the store

where you bought it for a full refund.

© Copyright 2018. Premier Print Marketing. Printed in the U.S.A. www.PremierPrintMarketing.comThe information included in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice. For your specific situation, please call the appropriate legal professional.

AUTUMN LAWN CAREleads to fields

of green in spring

If you dream of having a lush, green lawn in the spring and summer, don’t overlook the importance of lawn care in the autumn. A little work at this time of year will have a big payoff next year! Take care of the following six tasks in the autumn for best results:

1. Keep on mowing. The grass is growing slower but still needs mowed into the fall. For the last one or two mows, drop your mower blade to a lower level and cut the grass short. This will help the grass over the winter.

2. Aerate the soil. Fall is a great time to aerate the lawn to allow for oxygen, water, and fertilizer to reach the roots. Lawn aerators are generally available to rent at a reasonable price.

3. Clean up those leaves. Rake or mow (and bag) fallen leaves regularly in the autumn. If they sit too long, they will get wet and mat together, creating conditions that encourage fungal growth and suffocate the grass.

4. Fertilize. If you only fertilize your lawn once per year, fall is the best time to do it. A fall feeding will contribute to strong root growth and set up the lawn to explode with growth come springtime.

5. Fill in the gaps. Fall is a good time to plant new seeds in bald spots. One of the best ways to fill in the gaps is by using a lawn repair mixture. These mixtures are commonly available and include seed, fertilizer, and mulch.

6. Control the weeds. If weeds are overtaking your lawn, take the time now to get them under control. Whether pulling by hand or using an herbicide, taking the weeds out in the fall will prevent them from coming back strong in the spring.

On November 6th, make your voice heard byexercising your franchise – get out and vote!

Election day 2018 is November 6th. This year’s election is a big one! On the ballot across the country are all 435 seats in the U.S. House

of Representatives, 35 seats in the U.S. Senate, 39 State and territorial governorships, and numerous other state and local contests.

Landing halfway between Presidential election years, this year’s election is known as a midterm election. At stake on the Federal level

is which party will control the House and Senate for the remainder of President Donald J. Trump’s first term. Midterm elections typically see lower turnout than years in which the President is being chosen.

Roughly 40% of eligible voters turn out for midterms versus 60% during presidential election years.

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDLANCASTER, PAPERMIT NO. 242

The greatest professional compliment we can receive is when one of our clients refers a friend, family member, or neighbor to our firm. Thank you to everyone who has done so. We appreciate your confidence in us.

Visit us online at:WWW.TSALERNO-LAW.COM

TERRENCE SALERNO &ASSOCIATES, P.C. Attorneys At Law809 North 96th Street, Suite 100Omaha, NE 68114

Referrals

Make your voice heardVote On November 6!