I am not sure how accurate this list from cbsnews.com is.  Any thoughts?

The top 10 states in terms of where drivers pay the least for auto insurance as a percentage of their income:  (By the way, Michigan is MOST expensive at a whopping 8 percent due to virtually unlimited Personal Injury Protection medical benefits.)

1. Massachusetts: 1.4 percent
2. North Carolina: 1.6 percent
3. Hawaii: 1.6 percent
4. Alaska: 1.7 percent
5. Oregon: 1.95 percent
6. Iowa: 1.97 percent
7. New Hampshire: 1.98 percent
8. California: 1.991 percent
9. Virginia: 1.992 percent
10. Maine: 1.993 percent

By Todd Taylor

Todd Taylor is one of the founding partners of Johnson & Taylor and can be reached at (503) 990-6641.  Todd can also be found at Google+.

A reminder from Oregon State Police to be extra vigilante during spring break:

Oregon State Police (OSP) and Oregon Department of Transportation urge all drivers to drive safely and save lives during the spring break period, March 22 – 30, 2014.

Many people traveling this spring break, either alone or with family or friends, will hit our highways day and night. During the 2013 spring break period (March 23 – 31), six people, ages 17 – 79, died in six separate traffic crashes on Oregon roads.

“Fatal and serious injury crashes are almost always preventable, usually attributed to driver error, and the impacts to those affected can be devastating,” said OSP Major Travis Hampton. “OSP troopers are joining law enforcement and traffic safety partners around the country encouraging all motorists to pledge their support for highway safety and to comply with all traffic safety laws.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highway fatalities rank as one of the top 12 causes of death in the United States and are the leading cause of deaths among teens. Over 33,000 people dying on our nations’ roadways is unacceptable.

Last year, preliminary numbers show Oregon recorded 314 traffic fatalities, a drop of nearly 7 percent from the number of fatalities in 2012. Through March 19, 2014, 50 people have died in Oregon traffic crashes.

The Oregon State Police and ODOT urges all motorists to join their law enforcement officers in keeping our roads safe by obeying the posted speed, properly use safety restraints and child safety seats, don’t drive distracted, drive safely within your traffic lane, and never drive impaired or fatigued.

Everyone traveling – bicyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and motorists alike – all have the individual responsibility for keeping our roads safe. Immediately report aggressive, dangerous and intoxicated drivers to 9-1-1 or call OSP at 1-800-24DRUNK (800-243-7865).

See the original news release here.

Todd Taylor is one of the founding partners of Johnson & Taylor and can be reached at (503) 990-6641.  Todd can also be found at Google+.

An article from Koin.com in Portland reminds all of us to take note and follow the advisory speeds posted on highways and other roads:

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Another crash happened late Thursday morning on the ramp from I-5 to Highway 217.

No one was hurt in the rollover. A fire truck happened to be in the area and helped the man out of the car.

It was the second incident of the day at that spot, and adds to the number of accidents on the ramp in recent times.

Monday morning, a driver slammed into the corner wall after taking the ramp too fast.

Don Hamilton with the Oregon Department of Transportation said they noticed the problem.

“At 35 miles an hour, anybody driving along there should not have a problem along in there,” he said. “”If motorists followed the advisory speed in that area there would be a lot fewer problems in there.”

The driver in the Thursday incident told KOIN 6 News he was likely going faster than the 35 mph advisory, but said he lost control when he hit the bridge joint metal connector between the concrete slabs.

Tigard police issued him a speeding ticket. He said the officer told him if he was driving the advised speed his accident would not have happened.

See the original article at koin.com.

Can I do an uncontested divorce?

I get asked this a lot.  People want to know if they can avoid the knock-down, drag-it-out, expensive, emotional and lengthy court procedure of a contested divorce.  The answer of course is “It depends.”  (We lawyers are good at those kinds of answers).  There are two, and only two, ways to get a divorce decree: 1. You and your spouse agree to all the terms of the decree or 2. You do not agree and the judge decides for you.  If you and your spouse can agree to all the terms in the beginning, before anything is filed, you can achieve an uncontested divorce.

The irony of the entire process is that very often, what a judge ultimately orders in the end for a couple that does not agree is so very close to what the couple could have agreed to in the beginning if both understood the law and had been fair-minded.  Therein is the importance of consulting with an attorney.  You don’t know the law.  And if you don’t know the law, how do you know what is fair?  I am not talking about “fair” because one spouse is a jerk or a nut job – I am talking about legally fair.

I have met with countless individuals who, without the aid of an attorney, felt they had reached a “fair” agreement in their divorce yet the terms were wholly inequitable.  I have met others who thought they were “screwed” by the terms of their do-it-yourself divorce but in actuality the result was fair.  Would you perform surgery, even minor surgery, on yourself?  The impact of a divorce can and often is tremendous.  Don’t you want the impact it has on you and your family to be truly fair?

So what do you do?  I have done hundreds of uncontested divorce cases and here is how it generally works:  The first step is for you to meet with a capable and competent attorney.  A good attorney will help you understand what is legally fair – even if they have to twist your arm a bit.  Prepared with that knowledge, you have a better chance of having an open-minded discussion about the terms of your divorce with your soon-to-be-ex before anything is filed and battle lines are drawn in the sand.  Generally your spouse (who perhaps expected an unreasonable or selfish proposal) will appreciate your reasonableness and willingness to compromise.  Once major issues are decided between the two of you, paperwork is drawn up that captures the bulk of the agreement.  The attorney will not only add the necessary language to make sure the terms are enforceable but will also add provisions that are essential to protect both of you in the future – provisions you would never think about on your own.

Identical copies of the paperwork are given to each of you and additional details are added, and tweaks and changes are made.   Once the paperwork is “just so”, your spouse is encouraged to consult with their own attorney so that they can, if they wish, get a second opinion as to the fairness of the arrangement.  The paperwork is signed and all the paperwork is filed at once – with only one filing fee.  There are no court appearances; there are no nasty letters or “demands.”  The parties have agreed because they understand what is legally fair and wish to move on with their life without the drama and expense of a contested divorce.

Can you do an uncontested divorce?  Yes, and if divorce is your only option, you probably should.  Or maybe you are the type of person that would rather spend thousands and thousands of dollars to fight for months on end and wind up with similar results anyway.  If so, I have a list of good counselors for you.

By Ryan Johnson

Alyssa M. Little

Alyssa is originally from Parker, Colorado, where she graduated from Ponderosa High School. After high school, she attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies. After working on a project designed to help families in the legal system, Alyssa decided to become a lawyer and completed a legal internship in Dublin, Ireland. During this internship, she was able to travel throughout Ireland and Scotland, and later traveled through Spain and Italy. Alyssa went on to attend Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. Alyssa was very active in Willamette’s Moot Court Board, and was selected to participate in regional trial competitions two years in a row. During law school, Alyssa clerked for the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office in Oregon City, where she handled a full caseload of misdemeanors from intake through trial. This clerkship gave her an excellent understanding of many issues that families face when dealing with the legal system.

In her free time, Alyssa enjoys spending time outdoors in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, especially when her dog, Ruby, can come along.

Practice Areas

– Family Law

– Divorce
Bar Admissions

– Oregon, 2014
Awards

– Order of the Barristers, 2014
Education

– J.D., Willamette University College of Law, 2014

Moot Court Board Member

Competed at American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition

– Studied abroad in Shanghai, China

– Merit Scholarship

– B.S., Human Development & Family Studies, Colorado State University, 2010

Minor in Biomedical Sciences

Interesting that most “zero-death vehicles” are SUVs, whereas years ago SUVs had some of the worst death rates. Per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report, the nine “zero-death vehicles” (2011 model year or similar) are:

Audi A4 4WD
Honday Odyssey
Kia Sorento 2WD
Lexus RX 350 4WD
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD
Subaru Legacy 4WD
Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD
Toyota Sequioa 4WD
Volvo XC90 4WD

“One striking thing about the group of zero-death vehicles — aside from the sheer number — is that two-thirds of them are SUVs,” says the IIHS report.

Also interesting is that some vehicle brands have models that rank amongst the best (fewest fatalities), but also have models amongst the worst.

See if your family vehicle is at the top or bottom of the list – see full IIHS report.