Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

Cosmetic surgery: what questions should I ask?

Published on: December 12, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In our last post we started discussing cosmetic surgery. This type of surgery has a large range of risks that come with it, just as other surgeries do. Although there are risks involved, many people still make the decision to go through with the surgery. One of the best ways to prepare for such a surgery is to make sure you find a surgeon you are comfortable with and to ask the right questions.

It’s good to learn about the qualifications of your surgeon. Is he or she board-certified? How many procedures has he or she done? What kind of results should you expect? You should also discuss any kinds of complications that could happen, especially if you have an extensive medical history. Beyond that, it’s important to know what the recovery will be like and how long you may need to take off work.

The doctor should also discuss things like scarring, cost and possible discomfort due to the surgery. Going into this type of surgery with these questions answered can help you feel confident in your decision. If your surgeon is avoiding discussing any of these topics, you may want to consider working with a different surgeon.

Syracuse University suffers brain injury after boxing incident

Published on: December 12, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When someone experiences an injury, it can be temporary or permanent. Many types of injuries are immediately noticed and medical care is provided. One of the more difficult types of injuries to diagnose and cure is a brain injury. It may happen during a car accident, work accident or during a fall or athletic event. Brain injuries can come in many forms and in many severities. They can lead to memory loss, nausea, headaches, dizziness and sensory problems, among others.

A recent story out of Syracuse University highlights yet another incident of a brain injury causing devastating symptoms. The brain injury victim, a student at the university, has filed a lawsuit after he suffered a brain injury as part of a boxing session.

The student said he joined the boxing club during his senior year so he could exercise. During an exercise drill last year, the instructor repeatedly and unexpectedly punched him in the head. The student did not have any protective gear to cover his head. The drill was supposed to be a non-contact drill, reportedly. During the exercise, the coach, who has been named in the lawsuit, did nothing to stop the incident.

Burn injuries can be severe and very painful

Published on: December 11, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When an accident happens, there is a wide variety of injuries that can occur, from broken bones to scrapes to concussions. One of the more painful injuries that may occur during a car accident or from a defective product is a burn injury.

Burns can be caused by boiling water, explosions, fires, chemicals, sun exposure, and electrical equipment, among other things. This type of injury may happen just about anywhere. An employee may be working with flammable chemicals at an automotive shop and experience a severe burn. A homemaker may get burned while cooking. No matter the scenario, these burns can be extremely painful and can cause long-term or even permanent damage.

In general, there are three degrees of burns. First-degree burns are the least severe. The symptoms usually include redness at the burn area and non-blistering skin. The skin may peel as it heals and may swell a bit. A second-degree burn is the type that causes blistering and possible thickening of the skin where the injury occurred. Finally, you can also get a third-degree burn. In this case the thickness of the skin becomes white and leathery in appearance. There is also technically such a thing as a fourth-degree burn, where the burn goes down into the bones and tendons.

Cosmetic surgery: what are the risks?

Published on: December 11, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Many people go under the knife daily throughout the country as surgeons perform routine and life-saving surgeries. While there are many types of surgeries performed on a daily basis, one of the more controversial types is cosmetic surgery. In most cases cosmetic surgery is an elective surgery meaning the person who is having it done has scheduled it in advance and it doesn’t involve a medical emergency situation.

Cosmetic surgery, like most surgeries, carries a handful of risks. Those include complications such as blood clots, pneumonia, anesthesia-related complications, and even death. Surgery can also lead to infections, which may at some point lead to even more surgery. Besides that, there may be bleeding, scarring, skin breakdown and fluid buildup under the skin. Some people end up experiencing numbness and tingling that is caused by nerve damage. These symptoms may or may not be permanent.

It’s also important to remember that these risks may increase for those who have preexisting health conditions such as lung disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity or diabetes.

Man dies in crash after other driver fails to stop at stop sign

Published on: December 10, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Car accidents happen throughout Syracuse and the state of New York every day. While they are unfortunate, many of them are merely fender-benders that take up time and bring stress to the day. But for the truly unlucky, these accidents can bring severe injuries or even death.

Recently, a man driving a pickup truck in the town of Hannibal was killed when another driver failed to stop at a stop sign. The other driver, age 71, was headed down Route 7 just before 11p.m. on a recent Tuesday when he failed to stop. After the two vehicles collided, the situation was made even worse by an oncoming fuel tanker.

The tanker, being driven by a 31-year-old man from Weedsport, crashed into both vehicles and caused a fire. The pickup truck driver died at the scene of the accident. The 71-year-old man was seriously injured and taken to a hospital in Syracuse. The tanker driver got off with only minor injuries and was treated at the scene of the crash.

What to do if a holiday gift causes you injury

Published on: December 9, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

During the holiday season, a lot of new products will enter the home. Kids will receive new toys and parents will receive new long-awaited gadgets. It is a time of year that many are very excited about. Once the presents are unwrapped, the new products will usually get their fair share of use, especially in the months to come. The hope, of course, is that these products bring joy to those that receive them, but unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Across the country, someone may inevitably encounter a dangerous product. It may be a toy that causes a child to get hurt or a kitchen gadget that malfunctions and causes a severe burn. Initially, the injured individual may blame themselves or chalk it up to a freak accident, but as more information comes out about the product nationwide, they might realize that this was truly not their fault.

Some individuals may be hesitant to discuss their case with a lawyer, feeling they don’t have a strong enough case. Others may feel their injury is not substantial enough to warrant a lawsuit. No matter the situation, it may be in your best interest to at least discuss your case with a product liability attorney. While an injury may seem minimal at first, that injury may lead to substantial financial loss over the long term. Similarly, you may not be the only person who experienced injury due to this product and it may be important to hold those who made and distributed the product accountable.

Rash of pedestrian accidents in NYC show much work to be done

Published on: November 29, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In New York City, there has been a recent flourish of pedestrian accidents which demonstrate how serious the consequences of a car crash can be. Over a dozen pedestrians have reportedly been killed in the Big Apple since Halloween, despite Mayor de Blasio’s ongoing efforts to completely eliminate traffic deaths in the city.

While these efforts have obviously not yet eliminated traffic fatalities, pedestrian fatalities are at least lower than they were in 2014. So far this year, a total of 109 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. Over the same period in 2014 there were 121.

Mayor de Blasio’s plan to eradicate traffic fatalities, known as Vision Zero, has so far involved the reduction of speed limits to 25 miles per hour, increasing law enforcement presence setting up speed cameras, and changing traffic flow for particularly risky streets and crossings. Police have been focusing particularly on offenses like reckless driving, speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, parking in traffic lanes and distracted driving.

Distracted driving law and negligence in New York

Published on: November 28, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In our last post, we began speaking about recent data showing an increase in car accidents in the first half of 2015, which may be partly due to increase cell phone use. As we noted, distracted driving is a problem every state is currently grappling with, using a variety of means.

In terms of distracted driving legislation, most states have a special statute aimed directly at cell phone use by drivers. These laws vary from state to state, both in how cell phone by drivers is regulated and how police officers may enforce the laws. Here in New York, the law is fairly straightforward in both of these respects.

First of all, New York prohibits drivers of all ages from texting while driving. Texting is probably the distracted driving activity most banned among the states, and for good reasons. The texting ban is classified as a primary law, meaning that police officers may enforce the law even when there are no other violations. Secondary laws, by contrast, may only be enforced when there are other violations. Second, New York law bans the use of handheld devices by drivers of all ages. This is also classified as a primary law.

Could NHTSA data point to increase in cell phone use by drivers?

Published on: November 27, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Recent data released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration showed there was an 8.1 increase in the number of fatal accidents in the United States in the first half of 2015 following a decrease in 2014. The increase was reportedly the biggest six-month jump in traffic fatalities reported since 1977.

It is speculated that the widespread use of smartphones may have had some role in the increase, though officials have said it is still too early determine exactly what factors are behind the increase. Regardless of what exactly was behind the increase, it is well known that cell phones continue to contribute to many accidents.

One reason for the prominent role of cell phones in car accidents is that they are a significant source of distraction for drivers. Even when a driver uses a hands-free device, talking on the phone while driving can significantly reduce the amount of attention a driver devotes to safe driving. Another reason is that the use of cell phones is so widespread. According to the Pew Research Center, almost two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, which are particularly distracting when used for texting or surfing the Internet.

Is Congress not doing enough to prevent trucking accidents?

Published on: November 27, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

The number of individuals expected to die in trucking accidents during the coming year exceeds the numbers of those who have died in commercial airline accidents during the past 45 years. According to a New York Times opinion piece, there is increased suspicion that the trucking industry is getting off too easily when accidents occur. And there are concerns that Congress is not creating the kinds of regulations that will help improve these circumstances.

Recently, Congress has made proposals allowing for truckers to work a maximum of 82 hours per week rather than 70 hours of work over an eight-day period. House members also apparently have discouraged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from making investments in wireless technology used to monitor drivers and their trucks. Congress has shown a willingness to approve of heavier and longer trucks used upon the roads which will create dangers. And there has been discussion of reducing the minimum age of drivers who travel interstate from 21 to 18.

Truck crash fatalities rose 17 percent from 2009 until 2013. While deaths due to truck fatalities rose during these four consecutive years, car drivers, truck drivers and passengers are commonly the victims of such crashes.