We hope that Christmas brings you a day full of joy, peace, and of course gifts! As always, we want to thank you all for making our community a wonderful place during the holiday season, and we can’t wait to see what is in store for 2019. We closed the office last week for our holiday party, and our team participated in our annual ugly sweater competition. Though it made for a tough decision, Ashley was the winner in her leg lamp sweater (we were all jealous that hers lit up). We look forward to serving the Kansas City community and we hope that 2019 is your year!
This holiday season is expected to be one of the busiest ever as over 100 million people are reportedly traveling for the holidays, and the increase in traffic can also increase your chances of being involved in an accident. We wish all those who have travel plans a safe trip, and we hope that you have no problems during your travel. Castle Law Office has a few tips to help you have a smoother journey and to help you avoid being involved in a serious accident.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
Unfortunately, there are more impaired drivers on the road during Christmas and New Year’s compared to any other time of the year. The NHTSA hosts the “Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign from December 14th through January 1st to help raise awareness about the number of alcohol-related incidents during the holiday season. Alcohol contributes to more than 40 percent of all fatalities that are caused by automobile accidents during Christmas and New Year’s with drivers between the ages of 21 to 34 being involved more frequently compared to any other age group. The consequences of drinking and driving can stick with an individual for a lifetime, so we urge everyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel after having a drink.
Inclement Weather
Mother nature is another leading cause of automobile accidents during the holiday season and causes millions of dollars in damages to personal property and also leads to millions of dollars in medical bills, and in some cases, can lead to death. According to AccuWeather, part of the Midwest may receive snow depending on a few variables, so be sure to check the weather before you leave so that you are prepared for any unexpected weather conditions.
Travel Tips
The average price for gas is expected to be the lowest in recent memory and many people throughout the nation are taking advantage of this and traveling by vehicle to get to their destination of choice. We remind all those who are traveling to be safe and exercise extra caution to help you get to your destination safely. Remember to pack an emergency car kit and bring any essential/important items that you may need in case you are forced to deal with an unexpected situation. According to multiple reports, the worst dates to travel are on December 21st, 22nd, and 26th as this is the most common time for people to travel and causes airports to be packed, roads to be busy, and a higher rate for hotels and lodging.
Kansas City Holiday Charity
Here’s a list of organizations who are helping families in our community have a better holiday:
- Salvation Army: https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/mokan/
- Operation Breakthrough: https://operationbreakthrough.org/how-you-can-help/christmas-program
- Kansas City Rescue Mission: https://www.shelterkc.org/thanksgiving-shelter-kc/
- Sack it for Santa: https://fox4kc.com/tag/sack-it-for-santa/
- Kansas City Holiday Assistance: https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/kansas_city_free_christmas_and.html
- Johnson County Christmas Bureau: http://www.jccb.org/
- Ronald McDonald House of KC: https://www.rmhckc.org/holidays-at-rmhc-kansas-city/
- KVC Kansas: https://kansas.kvc.org/get-involved/holiday-giving/
- Childrens Mercy: https://www.childrensmercy.org/help-our-kids/donate-goods/
- Uncoverkc: https://uncoverkc.org/
- reStart, Inc.: https://restartinc.org/
- United Way of Wyandote County: https://community.unitedwaywyco.org/servlet/eAndar.article/292/You-Can-Help-for-the-Holidays/3742285D3E5E5B6940404E5432736330283F67407E3E
Again, we wish all those who have travel plans a safe journey. If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve an attorney that will fight to get you the compensation you deserve to cover your medical bills, pain, financial loss and other damages. You may only need an attorney once in your life, and if you do, we are here, right here, fighting for you. Call Castle Law Office at 816-842-7100 or you can click here to email us.
** Our office will be closed on December 25th. We will resume our normal schedule on Wednesday, December 26th Please contact our office if you need to speak with an attorney.