Maine Injury & Accident Lawyer & Attorney : Joe Bornstein Law Firm : Auto Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Construction Injuries : Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Biddeford, Maine

The State of Maine is urging parents to enroll their children in health care coverage so they can get the medical attention they need to stay well and to succeed. 

With nearly 19,000 children and teens uninsured in the state of Maine, and roughly 11,000 eligible for the state’s Medicaid program known as MaineCare, the nonprofit organization Maine Children’s Alliance has partnered with Key Bank to help make it easier for those in need to get proper coverage.

Key Bank is now providing MaineCare applications at all 62 of the bank’s locations throughout the state, and has trained business personnel to help assist Mainers in the application process. Families who earn up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or approximately $28,000 annually for a family of four, qualify for MaineCare.

For those families who earn too much to qualify for MaineCare, but cannot afford private insurance, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) also helps provide health insurance for children. Families who earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or approximately $42,000 annually for a family of four, are eligible for coverage under S-CHIP.

For more information on health care, and to see if your child is eligible under either MaineCare or S-CHIP, please visit the Maine Children's Alliance website at: www.mekids.org. 

And take advantage of the opportunities that Maine offers to help protect your children. Because the children of today, are the leaders of tomorrow.

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Since its inception, LifeFlight of Maine has transported over 8,000 critically ill and injured Mainers to state emergency rooms. Now, in its tenth year of operation, the nationally renowned helicopter service looks to expand its services by adding a helicopter launch pad at every hospital in the state.

With two helicopters in operation, the nonprofit organization has decreased the response time for paramedics to reach injured patients throughout Maine and its outer islands considerably. In addition to transporting patients from accident scenes or places of injury, the helicopters also transport patients from one hospital to another as necessary.

Moving into their second decade, LifeFlight of Maine continues to be on the leading edge of advanced medical safety and technology.  Purchased new in 2005, the two helicopters are equipped with virtually all of the specialized critical care equipment that would be found bedside in a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and are capable of reaching speeds up to 165 miles per hour. Once contacted, the LifeFlight crew can have a helicopter in the air within ten minutes, and a trip from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor to the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston can be done in under an hour. New state-of-the-art equipment is also enabling the helicopters to fly in a wider range of weather, and nighttime vision goggles are currently being implemented to help pilots fly after dark. 

At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein we see firsthand the results of tragic accidents on a regular basis. We would like to give our support and appreciation to the wonderful job LifeFlight of Maine does in helping Mainers in such dire times. Without their time and efforts, many Maine lives would be lost each year. 

So happy tenth birthday LifeFlight of Maine! Our state is both lucky and proud to have you on board!

For more information on LifeFlight of Maine, its history, and all of its services, please visit: www.lifeflightmaine.org.  

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A new statewide law made it illegal to smoke in a vehicle with children.

Beginning September 1, 2008, it is now illegal to smoke in a vehicle in the State of Maine when children under the age of 16 are present. The law was passed in an attempt to cut down on the amount of secondhand smoke youths are exposed to, as Governor John Baldacci declared that it costs too many lives and too much money.

Violators will be warned during the first year and will then be subject to a $50 fine thereafter.

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, children are most likely to be affected by secondhand smoke, as their developing lungs are susceptible to asthma attacks, respiratory tract infections, and other damaging health effects. TheU.S. Surgeon General also warns of links between secondhand smoke exposure and cancer and heart disease.

The new law follows a city ordinance passed in Bangor in 2007 when they became one of the first cities in the U.S. to ban smoking in cars with children present, and follows the lead of California, Arkansas, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and some Canadian provinces, who have passed similar laws.

For more information on the new statewide smoking law please visit: http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/law.html.

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Maine residents of Androscoggin and Oxford counties can now apply for home heating assistance.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program was created to help low-income homeowners and renters pay for heating costs in the upcoming 2008-2009 winter.

To apply, Mainers must fill out an application and set up an appointment with Community Concepts by the end of August. 

When calling, be sure to have ready:

• The names and social security numbers for all who live in the household
• Proof of gross household income for the last 12 months.
• Copy of recent electric bill
• Oil company and account number
• And if renting, the phone number of landlord.  

To set up an appointment, residents of Oxford County should call 743-7716, and Androscoggin County, 795-4065.  More information is available online at: www.community-concepts.org.

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Spring has officially sprung, and that means kids all across the state will be riding bikes again.  And with the influx of new riders on the road, it is important for both bicyclists and drivers to pay attention and follow a few simple rules.  Doing so will make everyone's ride more enjoyable.

For bicyclists, regardless of your experience, it is important to remember: 

• Bicycle helmets are required for all bicyclers under the age of 16. 
• Ride your bike with the traffic, not against it.
• A bicyclist can pass a motorist on the right when it is safe to do so.
• Check to make sure your bike’s reflectors are in good working order, and if possible use a light while riding at night.
• Check to make sure your brakes work properly.
• Always observe the usual rules of the road.

For drivers, please remember to leave plenty of room when passing a bicycle. Maine has a new law that says motorists must give at least three feet when passing someone riding a bike.

The new Maine law states:

• An operator of a motor vehicle that is passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction shall exercise due care by leaving a distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of no less than three feet while the motor vehicle is passing the bicycle.
• The Maine law that once prohibited motorists from crossing the solid yellow center line in the road while passing a bicyclist has been changed. The new three-foot passing law now allows motorists to cross the solid yellow center line to pass bicyclists when it is safe to do so.

For more information on bicycling safety, education, and access throughout the state of Maine, contact the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (www.bikemaine.org). 

And remember to share the road, because a safe ride is always a good ride.
 

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iVillage.com  has compiled a list of the top ten safest states to raise children.  Our beloved State of Maine scored a favorable ranking of sixth, and was heralded for passing laws with the safety of teenage drivers in mind. 

The report went on to say, "Maine law limits the number of passengers a new driver can have in the car, restricts cell phone use, and can point to a graduated system in which drivers are not able to obtain a full license until their 17th birthday. Maine law is one of only nine states that stipulates all three.”

However, even with the precautionary laws in place, people ages 16-24 make up only 13 percent of all Maine drivers, but are responsible for more than 33 percent of all the fatalities on Maine roads since 2003 (www.onlinesentinel.com).
 

At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein, we see firsthand the dangers young drivers face everyday.  We urge parents to prepare their teens for life on the road, and have created a school sanctioned creative contest to warn teens about the dangers of drinking and driving.  To learn more about this special contest and to view all past winning entries, please visit our website: www.arrivealivewithme.com. 

Top Ten Safest States to Raise Children:

1. Connecticut
2. Rhode Island
3. New Jersey
4. New York
5. California
6. Maine
7. Pennsylvania
8. Massachusetts
9. Maryland
10. Oregon

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