Maine Injury, Accident, & Disability Law Blog : Maine Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Joe Bornstein Law Firm : Portland Bangor Maine

The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein is excited to be participating in the Greater Portland March of Dimes - March for Babies for our 8^th year in a row!

Originally founded by President Franklin Roosevelt,  to end childhood polio, the March of Dimes organization works to prevent infant mortality and birth defects. It does this by raising awareness, supporting community programs that educate and provide resources to moms, and funding life-saving research to help babies begin healthy lives. Since 2003, the March of Dimes’ "Prematurity Campaign" has addressed the more than half a million babies born prematurely each year.

Their biggest fundraiser each year is the March for Babies. Over 7 million people across the U.S. will participate in walks in 900 communities. The Greater Portland March for Babies walk is taking place this Sunday, May 5, at 9:00am. Participants will be meeting at Cheverus High School and walking 3.5 miles around Portland’s Baxter Boulevard. The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein not only will be walking on Sunday but will also have a check point set up to pass out water and other goodies. Be sure to stop by and see us!

For a complete list of the March of Dimes events happening in Maine click here.

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Maine High School Seniors,

The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein's 9th Annual Arrive Alive Creative Contest is officially underway!

Once again, we are pleased to announce the continuation of our Arrive Alive Creative Contest scholarship program for high school seniors. The contest is open to graduating seniors who wish to send a message to their peers about the dangers of drinking and driving and the dangers of distracted driving.

First place winners receive a new laptop computer, second place winners receive a new iPad, third and fourth place winners receive a new iPod, and all entrants receive assorted prizes from our law firm.

Past winners have submitted essays, poems, paintings, videos, original songs, public service announcements, t-shirt designs, board games, drawings and more. Some incredibly moving, all equally real.

In the past 8 years, the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein has given away over $50,000 in prizes to graduating high school seniors who have helped educate their peers on the dangers of drinking and driving and the dangers of distracted driving.

A complete set of rules and all past winning entries can be viewed online at our website: www.arrivealivecreativecontest.com or by becoming a fan on Facebook.

The deadline for the contest is: Friday May 24th, 2013.

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Our law firm is proud to honor the upcoming Chinese New Year, and support the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine (CAFAM) with a message on Portland's Time & Temperature Building. From February 6th to the 11th, the building's illuminated sign will display the message: 'CNY' 'FEB9.'

According to CAFAM's official website, the Chinese New Year, which will be celebrated on February 9th, draws a crowd of approximately 750 people each year. It is the organization's largest and most anticipated event. For more information on the Chinest New Year celebration details and CAFAM's other events, please visit: http://cafammaine.org/cny/

Founded in 1988, CAFAM is a nonprofit organization that provides educational outreach and promotes awareness of the Chinese culture. The group strongly believes in forging cultural exchanges and promotes friendship between non-Chinese Americans, Chinese-Americans and Chinese people. The organization is proud to "invite and welcome anyone with an interest in China to become a member."

The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein is pleased to help celebrate the Chinese New Year and honor CAFAM through Portland's only skyscraper, the Time & Temperature Building.

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Last week, Animal Planed premiered the second season of North Woods Law, a television show that follows the elite Game Warden Service in Maine. The program, which debuted last year, documents our home state's game wardens as they go about their eventful and often dangerous daily lives.

The Maine Warden Service consists of approximately 95 armed field officers who are trained at our state's police academy as well as a warden academy. In collaboration with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, these officers establish and enforce laws relating to hunting and fishing.    

Night and day, the Wardens of Maine are on call, patrolling more than 18 million acres of terrain filled with wild animals, and often risking their live to protect and serve the public.

Filmed entirely in Maine, the series is produced by Engel Entertainment, a production company that has filmed documentaries for the Discovery, Travel and History channels. The current second season of the show features 10 new episodes that will air into April, and follows officers as they track bears, perform search and rescue missions and navigate our state's hunting season.

North Woods Law, which gained an impressive following during its first season, offers a straightforward look at the lives of game wardens and has educated others on the important work that these offiers do. 

Interested in learning more about the jobs and responsibilites of Maine's game wardens? Tune into North Woods Law - Thursdays at 9pm on the Animal Planet channel.

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It's mid-January and do you know what that means? Winter sports season is underway! Whether you frequent some of our beautiful Maine mountains such as Sugarloaf, Sunday River or Shawnee Peak, or out-of-state areas, skiing and snowboarding is a wonderful way to spend the cold Winter months. Skiing and snowboarding, like many other fun-filled pastimes, can be filled with potential risks if proper safety measures aren't taken. By following the below tips, you will ensure the safety of yourself and others out on the slopes:     

• Wear appropriate cold weather clothing, and use a helmet for maximum protection - According to the National Ski Patrol, helmets can reduce your risk of a head injury by up 50 percent. For additional information on the many benefits of wearing a helmet while enjoying winter sports, please go here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/165906-why-you-should-always-wear-a-helmet-while-skiing/

• Ski or snowboard with a friend - Even if you are an advanced skier or boarder, it is always a good idea to have a partner there to look out for you. Select a designated meeting place at the bottom of the hill beforehand in case you are separated while on the trail.  

• Know your limits -  Be mindful of your skiing or snowboarding level and respect your limits. Choose trails that you know you can complete. Click here for an example of ski trail level symbols: http://www.sugarloaf.com/TheMountain/DailyReport/trail_lifts.html

• Observe slope etiquette - Remember that those in front of you or below you on the trails have the right of way. Prior to starting down a trail or merging onto a new trail, look uphill and yield to others. 

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Though drunk driving and distracted driving are the most publicized dangerous road behaviors, a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is highlighting another all too common issue on the road: drowsy driving.

The results of this study were released last Thursday and offered this nightmare of a statistic: 1 in 24 adults in the US admitted to nodding off or falling asleep while driving in the last month. That translates to approximately 4 percent of drivers in our country driving while drowsy.

Furthermore, the health officials who administered this particular test expect the number of drowsy drivers to be higher than reported. They believe that is because many people don't realize when they drift off for a few seconds behind the wheel.

Additional findings from this report, which surveyed nearly 150,000 drivers in 19 states, concluded that driving while sleepy was more common in people ages 25-34, for those who averaged less than six hours of sleep per night, as well as men. The CDC researchers who are experts in this field were not surprised by the results because they believe that many people are getting insufficient sleep. 

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This holiday season, our law firm is proud to have collaborated with the very important, meaningful organization - Store Next Door.

Located at Lewiston High School, this program assists homeless students by providing them with school supplies and everyday essentials such as clothing and personal hygiene items.

Store Next Door and Lewiston area students had a need and we feel grateful to have been able to respond. Our employees collected and distributed an array of items including but not limited to: new snow boots and jackets, snack food and personal hygiene items.

Each year, the Store Next Door assists hundreds of Lewiston-area students who can't afford backpacks, groceries, clothing and other items that help the students stay in school and recieve a diploma.

If you are interested in ensuring that Store Next Door keeps their shelves stocked for Maine teens in need, please call Mary at (207) 795-4190, ext. 2214 to discover ways you can help.

Store Next Door is a dedicated program that has a lasting impact on Maine's young adults and our office is honored to have contributed to their endeavors this year.

The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein wishes you and yours a happy and safe holiday season filled with caring and sharing.

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As the holiday season approaches, with it comes exceptionally heavy traffic on the road. As more people take to the highways as part of their holiday travel, road safety and seatbelt awareness take the national spotlight.

According to the National Safety Council, the six most recent Thanksgiving holiday periods (November 21-25) saw a 9.8 increase in traffic fatalities when compared to non-holiday periods. For more information and advanced statistics on these findings, please visit: http://www.nsc.org/Documents/Thanksgiving%202012.pdf.

In an effort to raise awareness and reduce safety belt fatalities, The Thanksgiving Holiday "Click It or Ticket" campaign (running from November 12-26) is being enforced along our nation's roadways. During the holiday weekend, law enforcement officials will be ticketing anyone who is not buckled up. Remember to always wear your seatbelt - every trip, every car, every time.

The National Safety Council studies show that when used properly, seat belts are 45% effective in preventing traffic fatalities. However, 1 in 5 Americans fail to regularly wear a seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

For more information on the "Click It or Ticket" initiative, please click here: http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/CAMPAIGNS/Seat+Belts/Click+It+or+Ticket/Thanksgiving+Weekend

During the upcoming holiday period and ALWAYS, remember to buckle up to protect yourself and those sharing the road with you.

The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein wishes you and your loved ones a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

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In an effort to protect everyone on the road and raise awareness about distracted driving, Maine lawmakers have decided to ramp up driving restrictions for new drivers.

As of yesterday, there are new laws in effect pertaining to teenage drivers.

New-driver laws in our state used to cover a six month period of time, the new rules will now span nine months of driving. 

There now is a 270-day period where novice drivers are prohibited from: 

• carrying passengers (other than family members) in their vehicles without having a licensed driver who is at least 20 years old accompanying them
• driving between midnight and 5am
• using cell phones while operating a vehicle

In addition, fines for texting and driving have been increased from $100 to $250.

Drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 make up 10% of license-holders, but are involved in nearly 30 percent of fatal accidents in Maine. By passing tougher new-driver laws, Maine legislators are showing that they are serious about decreasing those staggering numbers and protecting everyone on Maine roads.

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