Farmington Hills-Based Law Firm Awards Facebook Contest Prize

Jasmin Prewitt is the winner of the distracted driving awareness sweepstakes sponsored by Farmington Hills-based Michigan Auto Law.

Prewitt, of Flint, was one of about 1,400 contestants who participated in the three-week campaign, which took place on Michigan Auto Law's Facebook page, Facebook.com/MichiganAutoLaw. Contestants were asked to watch a video on distracted driving, and make a pledge not to text and drive.

Accident lawyer Steven M. Gursten, partner of Michigan Auto Law, noted that people who text and drive are 23 times more likely to be in a car accident, according to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

The reason for the $1,032 prize amount is because the average auto insurance premium in Michigan is $1,032.02, according to the Insurance Institute of Michigan’s December 2010 data.

"This campaign also focused on our mission educate Michigan drivers about just how many people are driving without insurance on the roads today," Gursten said.

About 50 percent of Detroit drivers, for example, are driving without any auto insurance. And about 19 percent of all Michigan drivers have no auto insurance, Gursten said, referencing published reports such as the Detroit Legal News and a news release by the Insurance Research Council.

"I want every Michigan driver to be aware of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which is an amazing, low-cost additional insurance coverage that can protect you and your loved ones if you're in a car accident with a driver who does not have auto insurance," said Gursten.

For more information, visit michiganautolaw.com