According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving can be broken down into three main types of distraction — visual (in which you take your eyes off the road), manual (in which you take your hands off the wheel), and cognitive (in which you take your mind off what you are doing).

 While any type of distraction while you are driving can be dangerous, what makes driving while texting especially problematic is that it involves all three main types of distractions.

 Statistics show that around 20 percent of all crashes involve some type of distraction, and in 2008, nearly 6,000 people were killed in collisions involving a distracted driver.

And even though many states have banned or are considering bans on texting while driving, it is up to drivers themselves to use common sense. When you’re behind the wheel, put the phone down entirely, or if you absolutely have to send a text, pull over to a safe area on the side of the road or into a parking lot.

 Currently in West Virginia, drivers younger than 18 that hold either a learner’s permit or an intermediate license are banned from cell phone use of any kind while operating a motor vehicle.  There is a bill being considered for the next legislative session that will ban texting while driving in the State of West Virginia for anyone driving a motor vehicle.

If you or a family member has been victim in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney

One very common misconception is that an owner is automatically responsible for fall injuries that happen on their property, regardless of the cause.  This is simply not true.  In West Virginia, to hold another person legally responsible for injuries you suffer from a fall, you generally must show (1) that the condition which caused your fall was unreasonably dangerous or risky, (2) that owner knew or should have known about the condition and failed to fix it, clean it up, or warn about it, and, (3) that it wasn’t an obvious condition that you should avoided.

If you’ve suffered injuries from a slip and fall on someone else’s property and think they may be responsible, contact our office to set up a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.

According to a recent CBS News report, here are some scams you might encounter:

• You make plans to travel to Europe and track down a travel website that offers you an unbelievable rate on a hotel room. For payment, though, the site wants a bank or wire transfer and won’t let you pay with a credit card – definite signs of scam.
• You receive an e-mail that indicates you’ve won a free stay at a Caribbean hotel. Once you call the number to get your prize, you find that you have to book your airfare through the agency which is handling the “winners,” which may cost you a couple thousand dollars. If you actually go through with the trip, you may find that the hotel is not even close to the beach or that you are subjected to high-pressure timeshare presentations.
• An e-mail arrives that supposedly is from one of your friends who is travelling to Europe. The “friend” says that his wallet was stolen and that he can’t pay his hotel bill. Guess what happens next? You’re asked to wire money. Don’t do it.
• Your favorite college football teams lands a spot in a big bowl game. You find a great package deal to the game, pay your money and then make the trip. One small problem – your travel package included airfare and a hotel, but it didn’t have any tickets to the game and you now end up watching the big game in your hotel room!

Travel scams continue to happen for one reason – they work sometimes. Don’t let yourself or your loved ones become a victim.

Name: Alex Christopher Brady

Age: 11 years old

Year and Name of School: He is in 6^th grade and attends Braxton County Middle School

Favorite subject? Social Studies because he likes history.  In fact, Alex was the only student that answered the question about who the new acting governor was going to be the day Earl Ray Tomblin was sworn in.  Alex got a bag of chips as a reward. 

Favorite things to do?  Going metal detecting, coin collecting and fishing

Do you want to go to college?  If yes, where? Yes and he wants to go to WVU because he wants to be on their rifle team. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? He doesn’t know yet but maybe a politician.

What is your favorite movie? Crocodile Dundee

What is your favorite TV show? Pawn Stars

If you had one wish, what would it be? To go back in time to 1916 to get all the coins he could find.

If you could visit anywhere for one day, where would you go? Washington D.C. because he’s never been there and he would want to see Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Jay Rockefeller.  He would also like to visit the Smithsonian because of the newly renovated American History and Natural History Museums.

If you had all the money in the world, what would you buy first? A 1913 Liberty Head nickel or an 1849 $20 Liberty Gold Coin   

What is your favorite memory? He has a lot of favorites but recently it was meeting Senator Jay Rockefeller.

What is the best thing that ever happened to you?  When he got to go to the Wildwoods in New Jersey.  Every year he has to go to the Ronald McDonald House and one year they had their anniversary party.  Anyone that wanted to go was allowed to go on the trip, they just had to get up and be ready by 7:30am. 

What do you want for Christmas?  A guitar, a metal detector pin-pointer, and Rock Band 3.

If you could change anything in the world, what would it be?  He wouldn’t change anything because he likes it the way it is.

Is there anything you would like to tell our newsletter readers?  Merry Christmas

 However, lead from a difference source is now believed to be responsible for about 30 percent of all childhood lead poisoning cases:  Kids, toys and jewelry.

A recent study showed that over 3 million toys, mostly manufactured in China, were recalled during a 14-month period due to having excessive amounts of lead.

Lead poisoning in children can result in learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, speech delays, hearing loss, ADHD, and aggression.  To make matters worse, children with lead poisoning often don’t show any early apparent symptoms.

As parents, what can you do to help protect your kids?                                  

• Discard all brightly painted toys that come from Pacific Rim countries, particularly China, especially if the paint is peeling or chipped or if the toy fits in the child’s mouth.
• Keep a close eye on toy recalls announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and sign up for e-mail alerts from the CPSC about future recalls.
• Discard ceramic or pottery toys not made in the U.S.
• Take all metal jewelry from your children.  If there is something you that absolutely need to keep, have it tested for lead.
• Purchase only crayons that are soy-based.

If you are worried about possible lead poisoning in your children, you can have them screened with a blood lead level test that is quick and inexpensive.  It is recommended that all children under the age of 6 be tested annually.  The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has a Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program [CLPPP].  For more information on the CLPPP, you can call (304)558-5388 or (800) 642-8522 (toll free in WV).

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) , school buses are the safest way for kids to get to school (nearly 8 times safer than passenger vehicles), but there are still dangers for children, especially when getting on or off the bus.

The NHTSA has the following tips to help parents teach their kids how to be safe around buses:

● When getting on the bus, stay away from the danger zone and wait for the driver’s signal. Board the bus one at a time.

●When getting off the bus, look before stepping off the bus to be sure no cars are passing on the shoulder (side of the road). Move away from the bus.

●Before crossing the street, take five “giant steps” out from the front of the bus, or until the driver’s face can be seen (A). Wait for the driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.

●Look left-right-left when coming to the edge of the bus to make sure traffic is stopped. Keep watching traffic when crossing.

Connor Kornbrath, the Bridgeport High School football team’s kicker, has had 2 game-winning field goals and broke the BHS field goal record with a 51 yarder this season.

Name: Connor Kornbrath

Age: 17 years old

Student: Junior at Bridgeport High School

Family: Father-Brian Kornbrath; Mother-Barb Kornbrath; Brother-Michael Kornbrath

Hobbies: Sports of all kinds, video games, and hanging out with his friends

Plans for college: Currently undecided but hopes to kick at a Division I school.

Future Career Path: Hasn’t decided other than trying to kick in the NFL.

What qualities of your mother/father influenced you the most? He has his father’s patience and humor, while having his mother’s goal setting abilities.

Who do you admire most and why? He admires his parents the most because, no matter what, they have always been there for him and have been behind him.

What made you pick football? Connor’s friends convinced him to play football in the fourth grade. He also played soccer until he was a sophomore in high school which helped strengthen his basic kicking skills for football.

Are you nationally ranked? Currently, through Prokicker Academy, he is ranked 7^th overall in the nation. However, for the Kicking Recruiting class of 2012, he is ranked 2^nd in the nation.

What is the best piece of advice you ever got? You are only as good as your next kick.

What is the most difficult part of being a teenager right now? It is difficult to have enough time to have a job while dedicating so much effort into practice and school.

What advice would you give parents trying to understand their teenagers right now? Try to understand your teenager’s situation and everything they are experiencing before punishing them.

The Miley Legal Group, in conjunction with students, different groups and citizens of North Central West Virginia, had an immensely successful campaign to end Distracted Driving.  We received over 450 pledge cards from individuals making a pledge to not text and drive.  They even went further and made a commitment to not use their cell phone at all while they are driving. 

Congratulations to Ashley Pratt and Quinten Cecil for being our $50 pledge card drawing winners.  They were randomly selected from all of the students that pledged to not text while driving.    

We want to thank everyone that helped and participated in this program.  We never dreamed we would have this type of participation and feel so fortunate to be a part of spreading awareness for such an important issue.

While public education and awareness efforts during the past 20 years have helped reduce the rate of deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by 50%, there is still much that can be done to prevent SIDS.

SIDS, which is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than one year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation, is the leading cause of death among infants aged 1-12 months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the third leading cause overall of infant mortality in the U.S.

As part of its “Back to Sleep” campaign, The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has developed the following list of tips and information aimed at helping parents and caregivers reduce the risk of SIDS:

• Always place babies on their backs to sleep – Research shows that babies who sleep on their backs are less likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides.  Placing your baby on his or her back to sleep is the number one way to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Use the back sleep position every time – Babies who usually sleep on their backs but who are then placed on their stomachs, like for a nap, are at a very high risk for SIDS.  So it is important for babies to sleep on their backs every time – for naps and at night.
• Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as a safety-approved crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet.
• Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area – Don’t use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, or pillow-like bumpers in your baby’s sleep area.  Keep all items away from the baby’s face.
• Avoid letting your baby overheat during sleep – Dress your baby in light sleep clothing and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.

Our firm encourages everyone to follow these guidelines to provide the safest possible sleeping environment for infants.