Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

Why you should go to the doctor after a car accident

Published on: September 10, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

We hope our readers had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. As we have noted in a prior post, the last holiday weekend of the summer would be known for one last getaway. This would mean that a high number of people would be on the roads in central New York, and the possibility of accidents would increase as well.

While many people will get home and back to work safely, there unfortunately are some who may be in an auto accident. For those who are in accidents, it may be difficult to determine whether medical attention is necessary. After all, you may not feel as if you are injured in the minutes after the crash.

Nevertheless, this post will highlight reasons why medical attention can be helpful.

How to avoid deadly crashes with semi trucks

Published on: September 9, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

The end of the summer driving season does not mean that trucks become less dangerous as fall arrives. In fact, drivers must be more aware of trucks as road conditions deteriorate in the coming months.

While the roads have not become terrible yet, the days are getting shorter, which means it is more likely to encounter trucks at night. Nevertheless, regardless of the time of day you encounter a truck, there are a number of things drivers should do to avoid accidents with the behemoths of the highway.

This post will highlight a couple of them.

Safe driving tips for Labor Day weekend

Published on: September 5, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

It may be hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is upon us; but with the college football season starting, school age children going back to school and NFL training camps breaking, these are all tell-tale signs that summer is nearing its end.

Hence the last holiday of the summer. With that, millions of Americans will be travelling to their favorite destinations. A bulk of such travel will be by car. With gas prices down from years past, it is reasonable to believe that traffic volumes will be up. Because of this, we hope our readers take safe driving tactics and tips to heart, as Labor Day weekend is one of the most dangerous times to be on the road.

As such, we offer a few more safety tips through this post.

Typical documents your attorney may ask for

Published on: September 4, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

For as much as you do to make sure that you are safe while you are on the road, you certainly don’t expect to be in an accident. And why should you? After all, looking in your mirrors before making lane changes and turns is second nature to you; you don’t text or use your phone while behind the wheel, and most importantly, you don’t drive drunk.

Unfortunately, this does not mean that other drivers will exercise the level of caution that you will; because of this, accidents may happen. When they do, it is helpful to know what to provide for your attorney in order to ensure that your claim is successful. This post will identify a few.

Insurance policy number – This may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many people do not carry their proof of insurance card with them, even though it is required by law. If you don’t have your policy number, it is easy to get it.

What to know about buying a new car, Part II

Published on: September 4, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

As Labor Day draws near, many of our readers will be focused on having one last summer party or getaway before we unofficially turn to fall. (The actual start of fall is not for a few weeks). But for car salespeople and car buyers alike, this weekend in Syracuse, New York is going to be a banner event. Many people are going to be looking for markdowns on 2015 model year cars, and dealers will likely oblige so that they can make room for 2016 models.

In a post a few weeks ago, we highlighted a couple of things that car buyers should be aware of as they shop. While body styles, bells and whistles and financing options may make some cars attractive, car buyers should not lose sight of the safety issues that could arise after they drive off the lot. With that, this post will focus on additional safety tips for prospective car buyers.

Look for recall notices – While many recall notices have focused on cars already on the market, new cars may be subject to recalls, even though they have not been sold yet. It may be worth asking the sales people if they know of any, but they are not obligated by law to know of recalls. Checking recalls.gov is a good place to start.

Could your medical device be hacked?

Published on: September 2, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In a prior post, we highlighted how some vehicles could be vulnerable to unauthorized users hacking into the car’s system to cause it to lose power, to have the braking systems operate (or cease to operate) without the driver’s knowledge. A user also described how his Jeep Cherokee was driven into a ditch by hackers.

If a car’s cruise control and braking system can be compromised, it is no wonder that people are afraid of medical devices being hacked in the same manner. It may seem a bit like science fiction, but it can actually happen.

According to a recent popularscience.com report, infusion pumps could be vulnerable to cyber attacks. These devices are responsible for introducing medicines into a person’s body as well as regulating certain functions. Essentially, hackers could take control of the device and possibly disable it, which could have an effect on a person’s health and well being.

Three things that won’t come out in insurance commercials

Published on: September 1, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

As we get closer to the start of the new college football season, it will be only a matter of time until you begin seeing commercials regarding insurance. Whether it is for automotive coverage, motorcycle coverage or renter’s insurance, companies will be vying for consumer dollars when the games kick off because so many more eyes will be on them…the games, that is.

Nevertheless, insurance commercials are popular; and they have to be given the level of competition between carriers. But for as much as insurance providers seem to be providing great deals, there are quite a few things that they are not telling you. This post will highlight a few of them.

Young drivers are destined to pay more – Despite what you may hear about “name your price” deals and safe driver rebates, drivers who are under 25 years old are more likely to pay more because they are more of a risk to ensure.

Important things teen drivers and their parents should discuss

Published on: August 31, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Part of the allure of a new school year for teens is the chance to meet new people or reconnect with people they have not seen all summer. This may include going to parties, football games and movie premieres. The new school year can be especially exciting for teens who recently received their driver’s licenses.

With that anticipation comes the potential for disaster; even with the application of graduated license rules. After all, teen drivers are more likely to be in an accident than any other group of drivers. Because of this, teen drivers and their parents have important conversations about safety that they must have. This post will highlight some of the rules that must be established.

No cell phone use while behind the wheel – As much as distracted driving is a problem in New York, teen drivers should not contribute to it. Because of this, teen drivers should not use their cell phones while driving. If a text or a call is important enough, pulling over is the right thing to do.

Why restaurants should be careful about throwing food

Published on: August 29, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When you think about the diners and eateries featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives,” there are many quirky restaurants featured; but the common theme with all of these restaurants is that they have great food, great service and great stories about how they were founded.

One diner in the Ozark region of Missouri has a unique tradition of tossing rolls to its customers. The tradition at Lambert’s Café began when an overwhelmed owner could not reach everyone in the café with his trademark rolls. One customer said “hey, throw it to me,” and a tradition was born.

Lambert’s Café even began to be known as the “Home of the Throwed Rolls.” However, this moniker may change after a customer was injured by a thrown roll.

Sanitizing robots could be seen in hospitals before we know it

Published on: August 28, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In our last post, we highlighted how surgeries could soon be recorded, and that legislation was pending on making this mandatory for all surgical rooms. The increased use of technology in these venues is not likely to end with barcoding surgical instruments and recording procedures.

This is especially true when it comes to sanitizing these venues. After all, more than 1 million hospital based bacterial infections are reported each year. Complications from these infections lead to nearly 100,000 deaths across the United States annually. As such, infection related deaths are one of the leading causes of death across the country.

Because of the liability and increased health care costs, along with the shortfalls that humans have in sanitizing hospital surfaces, more medical providers are looking towards robots to complete sanitation duties.