FM Talk 1065 Podcasts
Desi Tobias from Tobias and Comer Law talked about school safety - Mobile Mornings - Monday 8-12-24
[MUSIC] >> Welcome back FMTalk1065 and Mobile Mornings, and I'd like to welcome him in to Studio once again, Desi Tobias with Tobias and Comer Law for another edition of Law251. Good morning, Desi, thanks for coming in. >> Good morning, Dalton, good to see you again. >> Yeah, and well, we know what time of year it is, don't we? It's that time of year where the children, they've gotten all the swimming in, they can handle all the fun with friends, and now back to the grindstone. It's time for school officially here on the Gulf Coast. >> It is, it's a huge point, summer's over, it seems like it's always too early. Some good things about it, college football won't be too far away. >> Thank you. >> We always want to think about tips to how to help the child go back to school. I was just talking to my wife this morning, she's a teacher at McGill Tulan and I ask her certain things, and she, there are things that certain kids can have that they're eligible for, that they tested, their accommodations, they may have an individual education plan, and something to do is to check with a school guidance counselor or ask, if your child qualifies. It can really help them and assist them in school, particular to what their needs are. She also, there are things about reading and important for the kids, and that on YouTube, almost any book a child's required to read could be found in an audio form. If you're struggling with them to get through it, like some of our kids this summer had summer reading, and you can at least present it that way. >> I love that idea actually, and that's something I've been focused on with the little ones I have, is making sure I read to them or for the five-year-old, she can read what word she can read to me, which is growing by the day. But I didn't think about that. I've listened to my audio books on YouTube, but I didn't think children's audio books are all over that website. >> Yeah, it is, and whatever the reading is for whatever they're level, particularly as you get into high school and stuff like that. But it's important to put your phones away sometimes, and just listen to the child, and I'm not so great at that sometimes. I'm always looking at stuff for work, but just to hear what they have to say and respond to them, and some kids may still be out for a few more days, you still have a few days left with them in the summer to make the best of it, and make the best year for them possible. >> Yeah, and then of course, continuing it right through the beginning of the school year here, is that homework starts to roll in, and I love all of these great tips, and the phone one that hits home with me. I think so often when I break the phone out, and I'm looking at whatever breaking news is out there, or some score on the ESPN app, that what message is that sending to the children, if my head's buried in a phone all the time? But also what am I missing? What cues might they be putting out there that they're having a problem with this or that? We talk so often about the kids at school need to put down the phone and pay attention, but the parents at home, and if you make sure the kids have their phones put up at home, that interaction between family members is so, so crucial. >> It really is crucial, and you're setting an example for them as well, and sometimes we still have children at home, and when all their friends will come over, and that's great, but they're all in a room watching their phone. You know, and the best time to do, to learn, and to grow as people as to interact, and so it does set a good example, and it's amazing what you can find out if you pay attention. >> For sure. Desi Tobias with Tobias and Comer Law in studio with me on mobile mornings, and let's talk about safety. That's obviously top of mind. As people get back into that school routine, more school buses out there on the roads, school bus stops, and of course, crosswalks in front of schools, and let's start with school buses, because that's a crucial one. >> It's a crucial one, and we were talking just a minute ago, about some of the statistics that you get for how often they are violated. But it's so important, it's a cardinal rule, and it should be strictly enforced. I think it is that when that arm swings out, when that red light stops, or red light goes on, you stop, and you wait for that. But, you know, there's always something happening, and it's awful when you think about it. A kid with a school bus, they're blind sides, 10 feet in front and back, where the school bus driver can't really see them, so he doesn't know they're there. You as a motorist with these pedestrians out there have a duty, and it's very important to follow that, because that's where the injuries are. It's, you know, school bus rides are very safe, but it's when the kids try to get on and off. And of course, you know, you have some younger children who just don't aren't aware. So, you need to be aware as the motorist of that. - Yeah, be the adult, right? - Exactly. - You have, of course, the children that are getting off the bus, they may be all kinds of amped up, and have been messing with their friends up there, and they hop off the bus. Well, you're the adult in the vehicle. You need to make sure that you're following the law, and stopping behind these buses, or in front of these buses. And just earlier this year, so last semester, I think it was around March, a student in Alberta, student, eight year old, I believe, hit by an SUV illegally passing a school bus, so it does happen. It happens right here in our own backyard. - Right, it does. And one of the things, they always have a yellow flashing light that will go on, you know, before they stop and put out the arm. So you should always be aware of that. And until that red light goes off, you know, you can't move. You need to be stationary. But yeah, that's, you know, if we could just eliminate that, the pedestrian issues. And you see that even not with kids, but whenever there's a pedestrian out there, whether in a crosswalk or not, sidewalk or whatever, it's very important. And you know, one of the things I always like to bring up when we talk, and how important it is, is talking about uninsured motorist law. - Oh yes, it covers a lot of things, doesn't it? - It does cover a lot of things. And all the time when we have clients come in that call about an accident, you know, the first thing is, do you have uninsured motorist coverage? The legal limits on the other side, somebody can be legal. And it's interesting how the Department of Insurance has really been enforcing that. Your registration of your vehicle has to have a current liability insurance. And I've had myself where they check on that, and they will follow up to make sure that it's still valid. And I've been hearing about Department of Insurance violations going out. But anyhow, they may only have as little as $25,000. And a pedestrian or anybody else may have a catastrophic injury. And you can, only thing you can do is buy as much uninsured motorist coverage as you have, but it's very broad. And one of the law is that it enures to a person, not a vehicle. So a person is somebody, you know, walking. They don't have to be in a vehicle. So, and family, and correct me if I'm wrong on this, we've talked about it quite a bit, but that's stackable too, right? Is that correct? - Right, the insurance companies have to follow what the statute says, and the statute's very clear. And so they can't exclude it away, but it's stackable. So if you have, say 50,000 on per vehicle, which I would say is low, it's not a really expensive coverage, but, and you have three vehicles that will stack to 150,000. But I would always recommend to get as much coverage as you can to, and anybody within your household, maybe a child who is not a driver, but they're within your household. And so it applies to the household, it stacks, it applies anytime, there's an injury, whatever it may be, arising from a motor vehicle. And there was a case once where somebody swerved around a vehicle bench seat that came out on the highway. And they said, well, that could be a motor vehicle. And so, you know, again, it's very broad, it's very consumer oriented, and it's a great coverage to have. - Yeah, well, that's one of the many tips you've come in and given me that I've taken your full advice on, that for sure, and I always learned something when you come in, or Brian or Lacey, or you're so full of great information. And all of these tips that you've laid out here, plus much more, I know at the website to biascomerlaw.com, like tips for, maybe it's your first year, and your kids go into a bus stop, how to make sure that you're as prepared as possible for both dropping off and picking up there. All of that at Tobiascomerlaw.com. And I know you'll, well, you walked me through this uninsured motorist coverage again. You guys give such great advice. And I know if someone's calling, if they want to call you and get a free consultation, that they can do that 24/7, right, it's free. - Yeah, absolutely. We do have the stuff in the website, like there's some NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommendations about school safety and bus safety. But we have that there, but just about any topic, you can go to the website and find information. And so in any consultation, we're always happy to talk, especially in this area, where there's been some kind of an injury or something with an accident. You know, I've been doing that for 37 years. It's like, I always say, I've had that case. I can tell you, at some point, nothing, I've had them before. So I'm always willing to share that. And so are the other lawyers on our firm, Brian and Lacey, the knowledge that we have to assist and perhaps, at some point, represent you in regards to that matter. - Well, I know safety is at the top of mind for you and your entire team there. And it's easy to see why you are part of this community, a major part of the community. You care about the children that are walking across these crosswalks, just like your own children. So really appreciate you coming in with some more of these great tips, Desi. Looking forward to talking again and have a great day. - Okay, thank you, Dalton, good to see you. - All right, Desi Tobias with Tobias and Comer Law. The latest edition there of Law251. Remember, all of our podcasts we've done, we have them. On our website, also TobiasComerLaw.com. If you want to go back and listen to a particular episode, they are all there. Coming up next, "The Jeff Poor Show," that does it for Mobile Morning. It's right here on FMTalk 1065. No representation is made that legal services performed are greater than the quality of legal services of others.