The Social Security Administration (SSA) has made our social security statements available online. People over the age of 18 can go to the SSA website and complete a verification process. Once the verification is complete, the user will be able to access their statement for planning purposes and verifying past wage earnings over their lifetime. The average of your lifetime wages determines your available benefits so obviously it is critical to make sure your account is accurate. Here’s an excerpt from an SSA press release:

To get a personalized online Statement, people age 18 and older must be able to provide information about themselves that matches information already on file with Social Security.  In addition, Social Security uses Experian, an external authentication service provider, for additional verification.  People must provide their identifying information and answer security questions in order to pass this verification.  Social Security will not share a person’s Social Security number with Experian, but the identity check is an important part of this new, robust verification process.

For the full press release, follow this link http://www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement/

If we can assist you with your Social Security Disability Benefits, feel free to contact us.

www.harrellandharrell.com

Lacking blog inspiration this morning I decided to share an old article from the CDC on Halloween Safety. There are lots of good tips and safety advice in the brief article.

TRICK or TREAT?

	Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
	Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
	Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
	Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
	Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
	Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
	Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
	Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
	Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
	Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
	Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
	Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.
	Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

John Deere announced two recalls today concerning certain lawn tractor models. One of the recalls relates to the blade brakes in which the brake can fail and allow the blades to take longer to spin to a stop – posing a laceration hazard.

The other recallis also on certain lawn tractor models in which the hardware holding the brake housing onto the transmission can fail and cause a loss of lawn tractor brakes.

Thankfully neither defect has lead to a personal injury. Hopefully we are helping to spread the word to prevent anyone from being injured.

www.harrellandharrell.com

Our lead Social Security  attorney, Mark Papa, just got out of a meeting with the Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) of the Jacksonville, FL Social Security hearing office. Here’s Mark’s summary of that meeting.

The Jacksonville Hearing Office is receiving 600 new cases per month (which, according to the Chief ALJ, means they are trying to adjudicate at least 600 cases a month, with our without a hearing);

The Jacksonville Hearing Office has 6,400 active cases currently (down from almost 12,000 active cases just 10 years ago, or so);

It is taking approximately 12 months, give or take, to have a hearing scheduled from the time that a claim is received in their office (i.e. after a Request for Hearing is filed);

The Federal fiscal year ends September 30, 2011 and right now, no one knows what Social Security’s budget will be,  The rate at which the claims are processed and heard is directly related to staffing (both support staff and ALJs) at the hearing office, which is directly related to the budget. 

Currently there are 13 ALJs housed at the Jacksonville Hearing Office.

If your claim was filed in Daytona Beach, Deland, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City, Palatka, or St. Augustine, your claim will be heard by a Jacksonville ALJ. 

If we can help you or someone you know answer questions about Social Security or represent you if you are denied, please get in contact with us right away.

Have you had the misfortune of being involved in a car accident recently? Even though it hasn’t rained much this spring, there have been no lack of auto accidents on the roads in and around Jacksonville. Gas prices seem to be keeping some people off the roads but thankfully the high price of gasoline is starting to ease also. I do like my quicker drive to work but paying $60 for a tank of gas even in my Ford Fusion is getting old.

What should you do if you are involved in a car crash? There are so many things to consider and I know most of you don’t want to commit that kind of stuff to memory. Give us a call regardless of the facts of your accident or the extent of your injuries so we can help answer those questions. Yes there is still such a thing as FREE advice. Of course we would love to make you a client. Avoid the unnecessary referral services and consider using a local and highly respected law firm to handle your personal injury case.

If we can be of assistance, feel free to contact us! Your FREE consultation won’t cost you a thing and it is always confidential.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve!

In addition to the already recalled ten million vehicles, Toyota has just announced the recall of another 1.6 million vehicles due to a brake problem and/or a fuel pump problem. The recall includes the popular Avalon and Highlander model along with some Lexus model cars.

Please check to see if your car is one of the millions of vehicles recalled by Toyota. Contact your local Toyota dealer to fix the problem and contact us if you’ve been injured as a result of Toyota’s defects in their cars.

www.harrellandharrell.com

General Motors will recall over 303,000 Chevrolet Impalas for a problem with the front seat belts.  The seat belt webbing on certain 2009-2010 Impalas may not have been properly secured to the belt pretensioner anchor, which is located near the door. The seatbelt may not properly protect an occupant of  the car involved in a crash;therefore, the occupants may suffer serious personal injury as a result of a car accident. Dealers will inspect both front seat belts and reinstall the anchors, if necessary. The recall will begin late October.

For more information, contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438.

Please contact us if you think you were injured as a result of this problem or any other Jacksonville car accident.

Here’s a quick link to FAQ’s about the recently recalled hip implants by Depuy, a Johnson and Johnson subsidiary.

Click here for other patient related information regarding the recent hip implant recall. You can also visit the manufacturer’s website to learn even more.

If you, a loved one, friend or co-worker has been affected by this recall please contact us at www.harrellandharrell.com so we may assist.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve!

According to the 2009 Recreational Boating Statistics report released today by the US Coast Guard’s Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, fatal accidents for recreational boaters increased by 3.8 percent in 2009. The actual number of boating accidents decreased by 1.2 percent.

Two of the more shocking statistics are the fact that nearly 75 percent of of the 736 deaths from boating accidents were as a result of drowning and 84 percent of those victims were not wearing a life preserver. The other shocking statistic is that 86 percent of boat operators involved in an accident had not received any boat safety instruction. According to Admiral Kevin Cook “the two most important things boaters can do to prevent the loss of life is to wear a life jacket and take a boater’s education course.”

Would you ride in a car with someone that had never driven before? Better yet, how about fly with a pilot that has never soloed or taken flying lessons? I’m guessing MOST of you would say no.

You can’t just park the boat when bad weather rolls in and wait for it to clear like parking on the side of the highway in your car. Also, if you haven’t noticed your boat or personal watercraft doesn’t have any brakes.

Check into a local boat safety course and if you have any question about your own swimming ability or your passengers ability – please wear a life jacket. They are much more comfortable and less bulky than the old orange pull over your head life jackets our parents wore.

Happy and Safe Boating!!

Perdue Farms Inc. is recalling close to 100,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets that were sold through WalMart. The recall was initiated after the company noticed pieces of blue plastic in the nuggets. Beware the blue chicken nugget!

Here are some images of the product labels: