Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

Don’t forget to winterize your vehicle

Published on: January 2, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Once winter comes along, many people know that it’s important to winterize their home. They may clean their gutters, flush the water heater, replace filters and cover their windows with insulation film. While we try not to forget our home in terms of winterization, some of us might forget that we need to winterize our vehicles as well. But what does that entail?

First, it’s important to keep your car maintained. Make sure you check the fuel system, belts, ignition system and exhaust system. Make sure you have windshield wiper fluid that can withstand the freezing temperatures and that your windshield wipers are in working condition. Drivers will often have to clear their windshield of snow and dried road salt, which can severely block visibility.

Make sure your gasoline tank is full, especially if you are entering long stretches of road. Having a full gas tank can also reduce the risk that a gas line will freeze.

Following less-obvious winter driving tips could save your life

Published on: January 1, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Car accidents can happen during any time of the year, but New York drivers are all too aware that the winter season brings many unique dangers that can lead to horrific accidents and injuries. While most drivers understand that they need to take extra precautions on snowy and icy winter roads, there are some tips that they may not be aware of.

There are those that are pretty obvious: don’t drink and drive, know the road conditions in your area, leave room between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you, and make sure to not be distracted while driving.

Some tips that may not be as familiar could also save your life. If you have antilock brakes, don’t pump them. Just steer and step gently on the break. If you begin to slide, don’t jerk the wheel. Instead, take your foot off the gas and steer into the skid and slowly apply the brakes if needed.

Car accident personal injury cases come in many shapes and sizes

Published on: December 31, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When our readers think about personal injury cases, they may first think about a two-car collision that happens on a New York road and leads to serious injuries. While this scenario does happen quite a bit, personal injury cases that result from car accidents can come in many different forms.

For example, a personal injury claim may be brought as a result of a one-car accident. This may happen if a passenger is injured due to the negligent behavior of a driver. The driver may have been distracted when the vehicle crashed or may have even been intoxicated. The difficult part about these types of cases is that the two individuals in the vehicle may be friends or acquaintances. One-vehicle accidents can also happen if a hired driver is transporting passengers and ends up causing an accident due to negligent behavior.

It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to be severely injured in order to file a personal injury claim. Some victims may feel like their injuries are not severe enough to seek financial recompense. But the fact is, a seemingly minor injury may end up causing years of pain that may lead to years of physical therapy. For example, whiplash may seem like a minor injury at first and may not even be noticed right away. But with time, whiplash can lead to constant pain that may need to be treated with regular therapy sessions.

Five-car accident injures seven in New York

Published on: December 30, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Many people hit the road almost daily in order to get to work or run errands. Most of those car rides will be uneventful and conclude with a safe arrival to the person’s intended destination. The possibility of a car accident may not even cross their mind as they take the same familiar route to work or to the grocery store. Unfortunately, accidents typically happen very suddenly and without little warning. This is especially the case when a vehicle is hit in a chain-reaction accident.

A recent chain-reaction accident in New York led to the injury of seven individuals. It happened on Monday around noon in Clay. According to police, the incident started with a driver leaving a grocery store parking lot. That driver tried to exit onto a road heading southbound. As the driver did so, another southbound driver swerved to the side to avoid hitting the first vehicle.

That vehicle then hit another southbound vehicle. Both vehicles on the road ended up in the northbound lanes, hitting yet another vehicle. The northbound car then hit another northbound car and a disabled truck that was on the side of the road. While five cars were involved in this domino-like incident, the car that was pulling out of the grocery store was not hit.

Early cancer diagnosis is important

Published on: December 24, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Cancer is everywhere and affects pretty much every family. In fact, the National Cancer Institute says one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. That’s a very frightening reality. While there are numerous types of cancers, some can be much more devastating than others.

That’s why it makes sense that early diagnosis is very important. While sometimes symptoms are hard to detect, in many cases there are specific symptoms that a knowledgeable doctor can spot. Spotting those symptoms early and providing a proper diagnosis can save a person’s life.

If a doctor fails to notice these symptoms early, the cancer may progress quickly and eventually lead to death. Family members may wonder how something like this can happen and where they can turn for help. Although some families may feel uncomfortable accusing a doctor of medical malpractice, it may be warranted. The hope is that the medical professional learns from the incident, and that a similar tragic incident doesn’t hurt another family.

Fatal birth injuries can be devastating during the holidays

Published on: December 23, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

While there are children born every day across the state of New York, there’s nothing like expecting a child during the holiday season. Some might see it as an extra special holiday gift. It can be a wonderful experience as family members come in from all over the country, and the whole family awaits the arrival of a new member to the family.

While many families will head to the delivery room and come out with a healthy baby, that is unfortunately not always the case. Sometimes families end up having to stay in the hospital over an extended period of time in order to help a newborn recover from any injuries that occurred during the birthing process. Although that may be difficult for all involved, the family will hopefully be able to head home once the baby recovers.

Sadly, there are those families that will end up dealing with a tragic outcome. In some cases, either the baby does not make it or the mother passes away due to complications from the birth. Either situation can be extremely devastating, especially during the holidays.

Stress, drinking and car accidents during the holiday season

Published on: December 19, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

The holidays can be extremely stressful for some people. While most hope to spend the holidays relaxing in front of a fire, that is not always how it turns out. Many individuals are out running around trying to get presents, planning holiday parties and attending work events. There is a lot to get done and a lot of people to see.

Combine all these activities and the cold weather and you often end up with a variety of ailments. There are some pretty typical ways that people can hurt their health during the holidays. These ailments can even result in unfortunate consequences for others.

A typical health problem over the holidays is weight gain. It’s not uncommon for people to become more sedentary and to eat more food (especially sweets) during the holiday season. This can lead to overeating and eventual weight gain.

Hospital works to decrease medical errors, malpractice suits

Published on: December 18, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Although a medical malpractice lawsuit win can often lead to compensation for the victims involved, it also serves another purpose. It hopefully motivates the physicians and medical entities to change their safety procedures so the negligence doesn’t happen again.

A recent news article described a few ways that doctors and hospitals in a nearby state are trying to decrease medical errors and therefore medical malpractice claims. One hospital apparently does simulations of high-risk situations such as postpartum hemorrhaging as a way to teach their physicians and staff how to properly communicate during such an event. The training has helped one hospital cut its medical malpractice costs by 26 percent since 2011.

Another way that the hospital has tried to improve its communication during these situations is by creating an office of patient affairs. They realized that it’s important to talk to patients directly about what is happening or what has happened instead of covering things up or acting like nothing happened. The hospital has seen great results from this approach. Clearly communicating during patient handoffs is also another strategy that has been helpful.

New York crash involving garbage truck kills two in car

Published on: December 18, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

A recent car accident involving a truck may result in an investigation as to who was at fault and whether there was negligence involved. The accident happened on Long Island and involved a garbage truck and a BMW. The accident apparently happened at about 4 a.m. in an intersection. The two vehicles collided, killing both individuals in the BMW. When the vehicles collided, there was apparently a very loud explosion of flames.

Police say the accident was so serious that it was hard to identify the two individuals who died in the BMW. Authorities took the driver of the garbage truck to the hospital.

When a smaller vehicle is involved in an accident with a truck, no matter the size, the outcome is often quite serious. Smaller vehicles are often no match for these large vehicles. Whether it’s a garbage truck or a semi, there are a variety of reasons why a truck accident might occur.

30-year-old woman killed in New York car accident

Published on: December 17, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Losing a loved one any time of the year is difficult, but it can be especially hard during the holiday season. Most people are planning holiday get-togethers and thinking of what to buy each other. No one ever expects to suddenly lose a loved one in a senseless car accident.

An accident in a Brooklyn neighborhood recently took the life of a 30-year-old woman. The woman was apparently hit and killed by a driver at about 5:30p.m. on a Sunday evening. The driver of the car involved was apparently uninsured and unlicensed.

There were two other pedestrians that were seriously injured. The 30-year-old woman was taken to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.