Carl Rosenberg, Author at All Podcasts - Lists, Artists, News, Updates

Famous People Who Died in Car Crashes

In the United States, nearly 40,000 people lost their lives as a result of an automobile accident in 2020. Unfortunately, this number seems to increase by several thousand every year, even though today’s cars have far more safety features.

It’s not just everyday people that fall victim to car wrecks, but famous people, politicians, and even royalty are not immune from vehicle-related deaths. Even if you’re a safe driver. Accidents happen. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, contact one of our auto accident injury lawyer Bay Area for help with your case.

1. Paul Walker (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013)

American actor, Paul Walker, is best known for his role as Brian O’Conner in the Fast & Furious movie franchise. In November of 2013, Walker and his friend Roger Rodas left an event for Walker’s charity to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan, driving Walker’s 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.

The car crashed into a concrete lamppost and struck two trees, before catching fire. Both Rodas and Walker died from trauma and burns to their entire bodies. Investigators believe the car was traveling at high speeds between 80 to 93 miles per hour, which is thought to be the cause of the accident.

2. Princess Diana of Wales (July 1, 1961 – August 31, 1997)

She was beautiful inside and out, and someone the world was constantly watching. Sadly, it is believed that the erratic behavior of the paparazzi is ultimately to blame for Diana’s untimely death at only 36 years old. However, investigators uncovered that the driver may have been solely to blame.

In the early hours of August 31, 1997, Diana, her partner Dodi Fayed, and the driver Henri Paul, died on the scene of a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France. It was later discovered that Paul was under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs and lost control of the vehicle.

3. James Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955)

An American actor and cultural icon, James Dean died in an auto accident at just 24 years of age. Driving in his Porsche on a stretch of road in Cholame, California, he crashed head-on into a Ford Tudor Sedan at an intersection. His vehicle flipped several times before landing in a gully beside the road.

The cause of death listed on his death certificate is a broken neck, fractures of the upper and lower jaws, broken arms, and multiple internal injuries. Although it’s been nearly 70 years since the car accident claimed Dean’s life, he remains a symbol of teenage disillusionment and rebellion.

4. Sam Kinison (December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992)

American comedian and actor, Sam Kinison died in April of 1992 when a 17-year-old drunk driver crossed the center lane and crashed head-on into Kinison’s Pontiac Trans Am. Although the comedian died on the scene, his wife sustained injuries but later recovered.

Although seatbelts save thousands of lives every year and it has been mandatory since 1968 that all vehicles manufactured in the United States must have them, Kinison was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident.

5. Grace Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982)

In the 1950s, Grace Kelly rose to stardom. She married Prince Rainier III, making her Princess of Monaco in April of 1956. In September of 1982, Kelly suffered a mild cerebral hemorrhage while driving her 1971 Rover P6 3500, causing the car crash that ended her life at 52 years of age.

Her daughter, who was also in the car at the time of the crash, suffered a concussion but survived the accident. Grace Kelly passed away at the hospital with injuries to her brain, thorax, and femur bone.

5 expert tips to growing your business

Whether you’re trying to grow an already existing business or you’re looking to start a brand new company, you’re going to want to discover the best ways to make it happen. There are certain things every smart and savvy business owner knows will help them minimize costs and maximize profits. Here are 5 ways you can make the most of your business dreams.

1. Be a Know-it-All

There is no better foundation for a successful business than knowing everything there is to know about what you’re doing and where you’re planning to go financially. Keep records and notes for everything, know your gross margins and net income, your credit scores, your net profits and where you’re losing money.

You should also know everything there is to know about your customers and the people you want to reach in the future. Doing research on your consumer base will help you attract more buyers and keep them for the long term.

2. Develop Plans

Having goals for years in the future is an excellent way to motivate yourself to keep going, but you also need to have short-term goals. Set plans for every day, week, quarter, every six months and year. When you don’t meet those goals, figure out what’s holding you back and change it.

These goals will not only give you something to work towards, but they can also help with record keeping and help you provide a better service to your customers. Don’t forget to plan out the money you might need, inventory, and operating costs.

3. Stop Using Social Media the Wrong Way

If you’re only using social media to sell your products or services, you’re using it the wrong way. There’s a big difference between marketing your business and just trying to sell your product all the time.

When you provide your customers with information based posts that offer tips and tricks to help them out, they’ll learn to view you as someone they can trust. This can equal a customer for life.

4. Reach Customers Through Multiple Avenues

Most successful businesses reach their customers on various platforms. On-line stores, catalogs, newspaper ads, and television commercials are just a few of the ways you can reach customers on many different levels.

If you currently only have an online store, consider mailing out flyers to reach new customers. If you’re a brick-and-mortar store only, experiment with an online store where people can order right off your website. The more ways people can obtain your product, the more successful you’ll be.

5. Find the Right Employees

Nothing can tank a business like bad employees that make working incredibly stressful for everyone involved. Hire the wrong people and you’ll be dealing with such issues as gossip, tardiness and no-shows, and sexual harasssment at work, which can lead to lawsuits and money lost for you and your company.

Try to find people that have like-minded values and are truly interested in growing with your company. Be sure you maintain good relationships with your employees so if problems do arise they will feel like they can come to you.

What Is Value Realization?

Value realization is quickly becoming a widely used term across industries including the it equipment recycling industry, but the concept is far from new. Despite its lengthy lifespan, this concept is often confused with value creation as businesses in various industries continue to adopt it. So, what is value realization and how can it work for you?

The Definition

It’s vital that your business understand the differences between value realization and creation before beginning. Creation is an effort that produces a quantifiable benefit. Realization contains that same definition, but it accrues to a stakeholder. Easy to mix up, right?

An example of value creation would be a department within your organization creating greater efficiency for itself. Realization, on the other hand, would see that efficiency lead to increased profitability for the entire company in a very tangible way.

While creation might see a ten-percent reduction in a department’s operating costs, which is great, realization takes that to the next level. The finance team adjusts departmental budgets, the line management team reduces its spending, and accounting is showing reductions in the P&L. That’s value realization.

Getting Started

Now that you know what value realization is, how can you implement it? The first, and most highly recommended, step is to gather the right tools. There are plenty of top-notch enterprise value management platforms at your disposal that can see you through from start to finish. They’ll help you find your starting place, plan out metrics, and analyze results.

Those tools are also vital for the initial step of convincing your stakeholders. You’ll need to identify who they are as well as their interests, then help them understand any changes you plan to implement in a way that spells out what’s in it for them.

The easiest way to do this is to tell a story. Your story tells why the change should take place in an easy-to-understand way, builds credibility using the data collected from your tools, and is compelling enough to get stakeholders onboard. If you get stuck, stay focused on explaining the potential value realization for your company.

Quantify It

Telling the story helps clarify the vision of value realization while making it sound compelling, which it is. However, quantifying those benefits is how you speak a stakeholder’s language. Show the outcomes with quantified data, tie them to the metrics behind growth from revenue to customer retention, and pitch the increased profits.

You might want to showcase metrics such as average revenue per unit, cost per year, and gross production margin. However your organization currently quantifies data is how you should as well. So long as you tie them together with your mind’s image of value realization, you’ll do great.

Raise the Bar

Finally, it isn’t uncommon to see requests that initiate funding for programs, especially around the following year’s budget. Like the rest of them, yours faces the primary challenges of competing priorities and conflicting personalities. Making the pitch to stakeholders isn’t always easy, no matter the request. So, how can you ensure the benefits of your initiatives are realized by all?

The answer is in the term itself. Most of those requests focus on value creation, but your focus extends beyond a single department or even a handful. Value realization benefits the entire organization in a highly tangible way, raising the bar placed before your stakeholders. Stick with this concept, and you’ll find it more compelling in a stakeholder’s eyes than its competitors.

What We Know So Far About The Apple Car

Apple is well-known for keeping the public in the dark about their upcoming products. While management has changed over the years, the brand’s knack for mystique continues to propel it forward as a leader in the consumer electronics industry, but what about the automobile industry?

Rumors have been circulating about an Apple Car expected to be released in the years to come. Like any of their phones or computers, though, this launch is shrouded in mystery. Thankfully, a steady stream of information has been leaking for a while now. Here’s everything you can know so far about the Apple Car.

The Release

The exact release date of this unique automobile isn’t crystal clear. Leaks have stated the launch could take place in 2024 or 2025, but those are best guesses and estimates at best. You can likely expect Apple to solidify the creation of this automobile a few years before the release date, so keep your eyes peeled.

Apple Making a Car?

It’s an odd thing to hear, right? A titan of cell phones and computers entering the automobile world sounds more than a little farfetched, but there are more than enough rumors to confirm that the brand is taking this direction.

Cupertino, a technology giant from California, has an engineering team working on interiors, drive systems, and external body designs while you’re reading this. With such a big name behind the creation, you can bet owners of the Apple Car won’t need a lemon law attorney in San Francisco like some other not-so-great players in the electric vehicle realm.

Another source leaked that the initial design doesn’t include a driver, which means they’ll be autonomous. That could mean they are meant to be used for food deliveries or robo-taxis instead of the consumer market initially, but it’s unclear which market will receive the Apple Car first.

Finally, the public knows it is indeed a car by now and not simply an autonomous platform. Another leak specified that the car will be built with Hyundai’s E-GMP electric vehicle platform, meaning this will be a legitimate vehicle. Of course, Apple does love to surprise the public. So, only time will tell for sure.

The Make

Reports indicate that Apple has spoken with several major manufacturers. Kia and parent company Hyundai, however, are reported to be the lead choices. Other reports indicate that at least six manufacturers have a hand in the car’s creation.

One clearer piece of information does let consumers know that Apple is going to keep production in the United States. Foxconn and Taiwan are out of the equation this time, leaving Apple to rely on U.S. based manufacturers to create its own part designs ranging from the drive system to external body and more.

The Specs

No one will know for sure until Apple says so, but possible specs are hinted at by Hyundai’s E-GMP platform. That includes going from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds with top speeds of 161mph. The battery offers a 310-mile range, charges to 80% in as little as 18 minutes, and can range in design from a sedan to an SUV.

The tech, especially with a heavy focus on autonomous capability and Apple’s innovation, is expected to be incredible. So far project Titan, Apple’s AI drive system, is one of the most promising in the sense that riders won’t need a wrongful death law firm on speed dial. Little has been said so far, but you can expect nothing but big things from Apple.

As for the price, you can expect to pay the usual Apple premium. The car is expected to be an extremely high-end model with a cost soaring above the standard electric automobile. The real question will be whether or not the price point surpasses Tesla.

The History Of Pedestrian Crossing Signs

They’re something that’s ubiquitous today, but if you think about it, pedestrian crossing signs haven’t always been with us, nor have they always existed in their current form. We owe them a lot in the modern day (just ask any car accident injuries lawyer in Denver how dangerous the roads might be without them), so let’s take a look back at how these important informational markers came to be, and how they have evolved over the years.

How Pedestrian Signs Came To Be

A world without any kind of crossing signs? That’s the one humans inhabited until 1868, when English inventor John Peake Knight came up with an idea that would revolutionize society.

His idea? A signaling system to help cut down on the number of individuals struck and killed by horse-drawn carriage traffic. Installed near Westminster Bridge, that first sign was manually-powered, and could caution the roadway traffic of the time that individuals were crossing on foot (and that they’d need to slow down). Though this original design is a fair bit different than what we’re used to today, there were some similarities. In particular, the original street crossing signal used colored lights to make themselves more visible at night — the colors were green and red.

This foray into crossing signs was successful in controlling traffic and safeguarding pedestrians, but it was short lived. Unfortunately, a leak in one of the gas lines that supplied lighting to the sign exploded, injuring the manual operator. The need to protect pedestrians was still around, though, so in both Europe and the Americas, the evolution of signage continued.

Many of those early models were manually powered, but advances in technology after the turn of the 20th Century allowed for some interesting innovation to come in the form of electrically-powered models as early as 1912. That first electric model came about in Salt Lake City, Utah, with other iterations and evolutions following suit from inventors around the country, much more closely resembling what we think of when looking at pedestrian and traffic signs today.

Evolution Of The Crossing Sign

Traffic and pedestrian signs continued to become more and more advanced throughout the 20th Century. Iteration and technological improvements made them integrated, then automated with timers, then, eventually, computerized to better account for the ebbs and flows of traffic.

These have often been paired with lighting to inform motorists when pedestrians are coming, and to alert pedestrians when it’s safe to cross and when they need to halt. Thanks to this ever advancing technology, our roadways have been able to stay just that much safer for those on foot.

How To Run A Successful Trucking Business

A trucking business can be a lucrative venture, but it’s one that you’ll have to plan for properly. In order to be successful, you’ll need to do a lot of legwork nailing down the right market and breaking into it effectively. If you’re not successful (which is a real possibility), you’ll also need a plan for bailing out in a manner that minimizes the risks to you. Here are a few tips to point you in the right direction.

Start With A Business Plan

Like most businesses, having a plan from the onset will help your future trucking company maximize its chances of success. The business plan is where you’ll lay out the important details that will help you march toward your goals. You can use your business plan to identify the specific niche you want to target, for instance. When you’re just breaking into the industry, you’ll need to specialize your services to make the most headway, and avoid competing with larger entities right off the bat.

Use your business plan to perform that critical market analysis, identifying the needs of the customers in said market, managing customer value, how you can price your services to stay competitive, what your targets are for capturing market share, etc. You can also use your business plan to lay out a sales and marketing strategy, and to formalize details like the name of your business, company structure, and the like.

Have Some Experience

You won’t want to go in raw, so you need to have some experience before venturing off on your own. Most recommend spending some time as a company driver or a dispatcher so that you can gain some valuable insight on the inner workings of the business before you make your foray into running a company for yourself. This understanding, coupled with that solid business plan, should give you a great start once it comes time for you to get your business rolling.

Have An Exit Strategy

Of course, there’s always a possibility that things won’t go your way, even with the best laid plan. That’s why it’s important to also have a plan for bowing out with dignity. It might help to consult a business litigation attorney to discuss dissolution before you even hit the ground with your business, just so you know the steps you’ll have to take should you have to call it quits. Even if you don’t, keeping an expert’s contact info around is smart planning and will help you prepare for every possibility.

Car accident costs if you don’t have insurance

car insurance mechanic estimating damage costs

It’s common for people to think they can go without insurance, especially if they’re rarely sick or need medical care. As all too many find out, however, this can easily become a costly mistake. While there are plenty of ways to land yourself in the emergency room, auto accidents remain one of the most expensive. Here’s how much you might have to pay without insurance.

The Ambulance

Depending on the severity of the accident, you might have to rely on EMTs and an ambulance to transport you to the hospital. The cost of an ambulance ride varies from one location to the next, but you can expect to pay between $224 and $2,204 for a single trip.

A Hospital Stay

The average hospital stay without insurance costs, (are you ready?) $10,000. If you’re over 45, that price jumps to $12,500. Those aged 18 to 44 will pay less on average, but most people don’t have thousands of dollars lying around to spend on in-hospital care.

Urgent Care Clinics

Let’s say your accident wasn’t quite so severe. You could always head to an urgent care clinic for treatment to save money, but how much can you save without insurance? As it turns out, a lot. The cost would range between $71 and $125. Keep in mind, however, anything too serious for a clinic to treat means you’re headed to the hospital anyway.

CT Scans, MRIs, and X-Rays

Various injuries require scans to detail the amount of damage done. Bone, blood vessel, and tissue damage requires a series of CT or CAT scans. Those will run you anywhere between $270 and $4,800 based on what part of your body needs scanned.

As for MRIs, you can expect to pay in-between $400 and $3,500 depending on where you need monitored. X-Rays can run you somewhere between $260 and $460 based on location. Don’t forget that X-rays usually mean broken bones, which cost $2,500 for non-surgical treatments.

Physical Therapy

If your injuries are severe enough, you might need to undergo physical therapy. Each session can range from $50 to $350, but keep in mind that you will need multiple sessions in order to recover. In a hospital setting, as opposed to a clinic, you’re going to pay a much higher price.

Concussions

Head injuries are common in auto accidents, with many leading to concussions. Treating this condition isn’t cheap, with the average price tag hanging around $18,454. That price can increase in combination with other treatments.

Why Insurance Matters

If you tally up these totals, the medical costs of your accident would be between $32,479 and $48,743. That’s as much as a brand-new car and far more than most people have sitting in the bank. Of course, your costs will vary based on the injuries you receive. These figures also exclude surgery, so take that into consideration as well.

With health insurance, the majority of these expenses are covered. You might still have a copay, but even that is capped at a low amount. While you might not think you need health insurance, you’ll wish you had it if you ever find yourself in an accident.

Cool facts about Harley-Davidson

Think you know everything there is to know about Harley-Davidson? So do a lot of diehard riders, but there are more ins and outs to this highly coveted manufacturer than most people realize. See if you know these cool facts about Harley.

Harley-Davidson Survived the Great Depression

In 1929, businesses and individuals alike were rocked by an incredibly challenging depression. Most people found themselves out of work as companies closed their doors permanently. That includes motorcycle companies, whose buyers considered bikes a luxury item.

Despite a dismal economic world, Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle Company alone managed to survive. Harley was able to do so by continuing to create industrial engines, no matter how little revenue they provided, just to keep themselves from going under.

The First Harley Was Built in a Shed

Most enormous companies started out with the humblest of beginnings, and the same is true for Harley. The first motorcycle they every created was crafted in a ten by fifteen-foot shed with “Harley-Davidson” etched into the door.

The original model features an incredibly small motor, and its body was little more than a bicycle. It was never released to the public, but their first fully functioning prototype would be released in 1903. By 1905, a few alterations would help get the business off the ground with sales. Imagine the legal complications of explaining the safety specs of this bike to a motorcycle accident attorney in Orange County.

Harley is Global

While Harley-Davidson is an all-American brand, they do sell their motorcycles around the world. They have four locations in the U.S. and manufacturing plants in Brazil, Thailand, and India. There’s also a metallurgy plant in Australia. Of course, anyone in any country can buy their bikes.

100 Years of Police Bikes

Harley-Davidson knows all about managing customer value. Shortly after Harley-Davidson took off, police departments took notice and started making requests. By 1907, Harley was officially pumping out motorcycles for law enforcement agencies. Since bikes were more reliable, maneuverable, and faster than cars of the time, it only made sense.

A sole survivor of this time period once belonged to the Los Angeles Police Department, recently popping in at an auction fully restores in its original glory. Harley-Davidson still creates police choppers to this day.

Service in World War I

Motorcycles in the battlefield were quickly becoming the norm as World War I raged on. The British implemented the Triumph Model H, which was quickly overshadowed when America unveiled the Harley-Davidson in 1917.

Thousands of these bikes were sent to allied troops, while the U.S. implemented 15,000 for their soldiers. Going from an inventory of five to 15,000 in just under two decades solidified Harley’s place in the American and global market. Heading into World War II, the company would receive two Army-Navy E awards for their aid.

The Term HOG

Harleys are affectionately called hogs today for their beastly appearance and sound, despite once marketing their motorcycles as the quietest. The term comes from a group of farmers in the 1920s who raced Harleys. After a victory, they would parade their mascot pig around on the bikes.

Harley caught wind of this and embraced the term immediately. They even created the acronym H.O.G. for Harley Owners Group. While they couldn’t trademark the term, they did manage to change their NYSE title from HDI to HOG in 2016.

Pros And Cons Of Freelancing

Freelance work is here to stay. Technological advances have made freelance opportunities more prevalent than ever before, and according to recent statistics on freelance work, there are an estimated 53 million people doing freelance work in the United States, roughly 34% of the national workforce.

There are a lot of perks that make freelancing desirable to engage in, but it’s not all sunshine and roses. There are advantages and disadvantages alike to freelancing, and today, we’re going to lay some of the most common ones out on the table so you know exactly what they are before you dive head first into the freelance world.

Pro: More Freedom In How You Work

Perhaps the clearest benefit to freelancing is the freedom to pick your schedule and work where and when you choose. By and large, freelancers are independent contractors, so the companies contracting them for services don’t get to dictate the means and methods of said services. If you’re looking to set your own hours and have generous amounts of latitude working from a home office, freelancing has this upside in spades.

Con: Fewer Benefits And Protections

As a freelancer, employer-provided benefits like vacation pay, sick leave, and the like are non-existent, and you’ll need to develop your own backup plan to ensure you’re covered during those hard times. As Los Angeles compensation lawyer Omid Nostrati points out, it is important to know when the work you’re doing has been misclassified as independent contracting, as this is sometimes a way employers try to skirt around properly paying and providing benefits to employees.

Pro: Easier Barrier To Entry And Higher Compensation

This isn’t a hard rule, but oftentimes, because freelancers require less of a commitment on the part of a company, it might be a bit easier to get yourself contracted for the odd job here or there when compared to scoring a full-time position. What’s more, the reduced overhead of working with freelancers means they might also be able to offer an increased rate of compensation for those services.

Con: Sporadic Cash Flow

There’s less security in freelance work, and nearly all freelancers have run into those lean times where jobs just aren’t coming in and all the usual clients just don’t have a need for your services. This means cash can get tight, and if you haven’t planned ahead for the lean times, it can be difficult to make your way.

Pro: It’s Fresh And Exciting

Freelancing has the potential to open new doors you may have only dreamed of in the 9 to 5 world. As you work on different projects and make new connections, you’ll start to gain glimpses into other industries on a regular basis, breaking up the monotony of doing the same job day in and day out.