On September 27^th and 28^th, 2012 the Brain Injury Association of Michigan held its 32^nd annual conference at the Lansing Conference Center in Lansing, Michigan.  The Ann Arbor personal injury lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. is proud to announce their support for the Brain Injury Association through their sponsorship of the conference.  This is the fifth consecutive year Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. has been a sponsor of Brain Injury Association of Michigan conference.

The conference, held in conjunction with the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council, is the largest brain injury conference
in the nation.  The two day conference is an educational program that features experts in brain injury rehabilitation from Michigan as well as guest speakers from around the nation.

A traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. A traumatic brain injury can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a traumatic brain injury is an affliction that 1.4 million Americans sustain each year, 50,000 of which don’t survive. While TBI’s have differing levels of severity (ranging from mild to severe), they are usually acquired from a simple injury to the head and/or neck.

Falls are the leading cause accounting for 28% of traumatic brain injuries, while brain injuries from car accidents account for 20%. However, car accidents have a higher frequency when it comes to TBI hospitalizations, which studies have shown effect over 280,000 people each year. Other common causes of brain injuries include motorcycle accidents, sports-related accidents, and assaults.

Many of times an individual who suffers a brain injury as a result of an accident does have legal rights.  People injured in a Ann Arbor car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, bicycle accident, or pedestrian accident, can often have claims for personal injuries and can file Michigan no-fault insurance claims to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and other benefits.

“Every day we work with individuals who suffer a closed head injury or brain injury from a Ann Arbor car accident or some type of accident. We are a proud sponsor of the conference.  The Brain Injury Association of Michigan is the only statewide organization in Michigan dedicated to providing support, education, advocacy, research and prevention, and through our sponsorship Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. is able to demonstrate our commitment and dedication to the organization’s mission,” says firm partner and attorney, Daniel Buckfire.

Buckfire & Buckfire attorney Daniel Buckfire is also a member of the Brian Injury Association of Michigan and the Brain Injury
Provider’s Council.

About Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C.

Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. is a Michigan personal injury law firm located in Southfield, Michigan.  Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., represents individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injuries and closed head injuries due to a car accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall, sport-related accident, or any other type of personal injury accident.

To learn more about the brain injury lawyers at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. visit the law firm website a http://www.buckfirelaw.com/

Speed limits are determined through speed studies that analyze data using the “85th percentile speed.” The “85th percentile speed” is the speed at or below 85 percent of vehicles that are traveling. Though these studies, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan State Police are able to set speed limits for our Michigan highways and roads.

A study recently done by the MDOT will raise the speed limits in some of Ypsilanti’s busiest intersections and areas. Ypsilanti is near the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The recent study was presented by Michigan State Police Lt. Thad Peterson to the Ypsilanti City Council, to increase speed limits as much as up to 10 miles per hour.  This increase in speed limits will not include areas that have high pedestrian populations, such as Cross Street and areas near Eastern Michigan University’s campus.

According to Peterson, results from the study are concluded by examing a road’s accident history, the number of lanes, the number of curves and how many hills it has, as well as roadside environment, which includes access points, the number of cars, the number of crosswalks, stop signs, and more. Peterson also says that most car accidents and those injured in are due to reckless driving, distraction, or drinking and driving, not excessive speeding.

For those that believe raising the speed limits will cause more car accidents in Michigan, Peterson says, “Contrary to popular belief, increasing speed limits has quite the opposite effect. Everyone thinks if you increase the speed limit drivers go faster and it tends not to happen that way. There is a very small percentage of people that actually speed up.”

By setting the speed limit in Ypsilanti, Michigan near the 85th percentile speed, it brings drivers to a normal range of speed, reducing speed diffentials, tailgaiting, and less car accidents.

Not everyone is on board for these changes however. Ypsilanti councilmember Michael Bodary is highly agains the idea claiming that the proposed changes include roads where there is significant amount of lane changing and by increasing the speed on those streets would also cause more car accidents and potentially more fatalities.

To learn more about the speed limit increase in Ypsilanti, Michigan, visit http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/michigan-state-police-and-mdot-proposes-more-speed-limit-increases-in-ypsilanti/