Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

Three tips to make a motorcycle or bicycle commute safe

Published on: July 23, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When the weather is this good during the summer time, it may sometimes be difficult to go to work. This is not because traffic is terrible or strangled by snow; it’s because nice days like these shouldn’t be wasted by spending so much time indoors. Some in our region make the most of the weather and their commute time by riding bicycles or motorcycles to work. This way, they get to enjoy the outdoors and get to work in a timely manner.

Nevertheless, riding bikes and motorcycles come with unique dangers. After all, riders don’t have a steel cage to protect them in the event of a crash, so the protection between the asphalt and their person is likely only a helmet. With that said, motorcycle riders and bicyclists must be vigilant while commuting. This post will provide some helpful tips to make the commute safe.

Choose your route carefully – Indeed, the scenic route may provide the most enjoyment, but make sure that it gives you enough room to maneuver, has lighter traffic than main thoroughfares, and does not have any additional hazards (such as potholes) that can lead to an accident.

Could new trucking legislation make it easier for truckers?

Published on: July 23, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In many of our posts on the trucking industry, we note that semi-trucks are very dangerous because of their size, and that accidents with passenger vehicles can be deadly. Additionally, we highlight how injury victims face long roads of recovery, and how many are not compensated commensurate with their injuries.

However, we tend not to focus on the problems that lead to these accidents; namely excessive speed and fatigue. These elements are important because they factor into the time frames that truckers have to deal with in order to deliver goods by a certain time. These times may not take into account the wait times that truckers may not have any control over, and the delays caused by traffic and weather.

Because of this, truckers may be forced to work more than what is allowed under federal guidelines, and not receive the proper rest that would keep them sharp while behind the wheel, all the while not getting paid what they deserve.

Concussion symptoms – What to look for in kids who are injured

Published on: July 22, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

The summertime is naturally a time for increased activity for kids. Whether they are playing on the playground, on jungle gyms or during dance or gymnastics classes, the potential for kids to fall and injure themselves cannot be underestimated. For those kids that suffer head injuries, it is important to take all the precautions necessary to protect them.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends calling a child’s pediatrician for injuries greater than a bump on the head, this post will focus on the symptoms parents and caregivers should watch out for.

Physical clues – The most common indicators of a concussion include outward physical clues, including loss of consciousness, appearing dazed, complaining that he or she is seeing stars, and prolonged headaches.

The science behind potential airbag failures

Published on: July 20, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Much has been said about the Takata airbag recall. It has been reported that nearly one in seven vehicles on the road in the United States could be potentially affected. This translates into more than 30 million cars, trucks and vans across the country. In light of the debate over who would be responsible for injuries stemming from potentially defective airbags, not much has been said about what makes them dangerous.

A recent article published in The Atlantic does a great job of describing this, and we will highlight it through this post.

Essentially, the danger, and suspected defect can be traced to the chemical compound used to inflate the airbags that are supposed to protect a driver in the event of a crash. Prior to 2001, airbags were inflated by using tetrazole; but in 2002 Takata changed the compound to ammonium nitrate. Takata reportedly defended this change by saying it was “safe and effective for use in airbag inflators when properly engineered and manufactured.”

What insurance company ads won’t tell you about their costs

Published on: July 16, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

If you watched the Women’s World Cup Final yesterday, you were obviously in for a treat. The 5-2 final score was the largest margin of victory in such finals, and the first World Cup for the United States since 1999. The U.S. also became the first country to win three World Cups.

Also beneficial for soccer fans, no commercials during play. The clock runs continuously, unlike many other spectator sports in the U.S. (e.g. football, basketball, hockey). So commercials must be played before the game, during the halftime break, and after the game. During these breaks, it is likely that you saw commercials for insurance. Indeed, they are catchy and entertaining, but before you purchase a policy, there are a few things that you should know that the companies may not want you to know.

You may save a little money, but we’ll still make money – Keep in mind that you may save a little money compared to your last policy, but the insurance company is set to make money. You should also beware of low premium, high deductible policies.

What to expect with discovery

Published on: July 15, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

If you have been injured in a car accident, it should be no surprise if the insurance company you are dealing with needs additional information to verify your injuries and the expenses behind them. This part of information gathering is called discovery, and it may be difficult to deal with on your own. This is part of the reason that injury victims hire attorneys.

With that, we offer the following post to give our readers an idea of what discovery is all about.

For the uninitiated, discovery is important for finding and developing evidence to support the basic elements for a negligence claim. These include the duty to use reasonable care, the breach of said duty, proving that the breach was the proximate cause of the injury, and damages. So through the discovery process, your personal injury attorney will seek information such as:

GM SUVs recalled due to power gate issue

Published on: July 13, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Having a SUV with an automatic lift gate is a tremendous luxury. Being able to open the back door with just a push of a button is a welcome convenience when you have your hands full. But while we have written in a number of our posts that the recalls will keep coming for automobiles, the latest recall from General Motors is a testament to that foresight.

GM recently announced that it would be recalling more than 700,000 SUVs with power lift gates, citing problems that can lead to the gates falling unexpectedly. According to a recent ABC News.com report, the company indicated that it reported 56 injuries due to this defect.

The problem is ostensibly based on dirt that can get into the gas struts that hold up the rear gates. This could cause the struts to wear down and eventually fail. Apparently there is software that could detect these problems that is prevented from doing so.

Outbreaks of bacteria borne diseases can be prevented

Published on: July 10, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

While we haven’t posted on the dangers of disease and infections in hospitals in a while, it does not mean that other disease-borne threats are not growing. The latest edition of the ECRI Institute highlights that outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have been on the rise. The outbreak of infections has been associated with the increased use of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography procedures (ERCP).

For the uninitiated, ERCP’s are used to treat a number of gastrointestinal problems, including gall bladder problems, kidney stones and bowel obstructions. With these procedures, the risk of infections can occur because the instruments used in them may not be completely sanitized. Investigations have found that staff may not be following protocols established by the manufacturer.

The outbreak alert also noted several processes that could be used to limit the possibility of infected instruments being used in future procedures. They included, but were not limited to:

Who could be held liable in a deck collapse accident

Published on: July 9, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Imagine you are at a beach house at the Hamptons or at a lake front home in central New York enjoying a holiday barbeque. The host asks everyone to gather on the deck for a picture, and everyone obliges. While everyone poses, the deck gives way, sending everyone to the ground below. While this is a nightmare scenario, it actually happened at a home in North Carolina over the weekend.

According to an ABC News.com report, a family from Virginia was visiting the home where about 14 people were gathering for a family photo when the deck they were gathering on collapsed. A 12 by 12 section of the deck gave way, sending the people nearly a 12 feet to the surface below. Family members suffered a variety of injuries, from cuts and scratches to broken bones.

Due to the number of injuries, several emergency response agencies were called in to treat all the people injured. It remains to be seen how some of the injured parties will recover, but the more immediate questions surround who may have been at fault for the accident.

How truck drivers can reduce the risk of an accident

Published on: July 8, 2015 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

It is no secret that driving a semi-truck is a dangerous job. With how large these vehicles are, and how many people are hurt in truck accidents each year, drivers must be careful about how they operate their vehicles around big rigs. At the same time, truck drivers must be vigilant as well. There are a number of things they can do to reduce the risk of being in an accident. This post will highlight a few of them.

Check blind spots before lane changes – Just like drivers must check their blind spots for smaller vehicles (i.e. motorcycles), truck drivers have to use additional care in looking for cars that may be in their “no zones.” A wrong move by a truck driver in these instances can have devastating consequences.

Slow down in work zones – Indeed, most highways and streets call for vehicles to slow down in work zones, but sometimes people just don’t do so. If you need a reminder of how devastating a work zone accident can be, look no further than last year’s truck accident involving comedian Tracy Morgan; who still has not recovered from his injuries.