Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

For many people, today is a travel day so that they can avoid the traffic and chaos that comes with trying to get out of town for a holiday weekend. Among the many headlines ahead of the holiday: gas prices are at a five-year low for this time of year and more than 40 million people across the U.S. are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home.

With more people on the road, the chances of being in an accident inherently increases. Indeed, people don’t expect to be in a crash, but it is always helpful to be prepared in the event of one. This post will highlight a few things an accident victim should do.

Check on everyone in the accident – If the people you see are conscious, try to move them to a safe place and call to get medical attention. If they are unconscious, be very careful about moving them. The same applies if a person complains of neck or back pain.

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching, it is likely that people across central New York will be travelling to their favorite vacation spots. In fact, with gas prices considerably lower than they were last year, it would not be surprising if more people were on the road this week. With higher traffic volumes comes the greater chance for an accident.

Of course, no one expects to be in an accident, but they inevitably happen. When they do, the possibility of being injured is always a consideration. With that, this post will highlight some of the common injuries suffered.

Back and neck injuries – These are very common injuries in accidents. Depending on the severity, they may manifest themselves differently. For rear end collisions, the likelihood of whiplash is high. Also the violence of a crash can lead to back injuries. So if you experience soreness in your back or neck directly after the crash, or in the days after it, you should inform an experienced personal injury attorney.

With all the miles that you may drive in a certain year, you hardly expect to be in an accident. Nevertheless, no matter how careful you may be, an accident may happen. In these instances, it is helpful to have as much information as possible so that you can resolve the case without having to resort to legal action.

But in the event your situation does not resolve itself, it is helpful to know what information will be helpful in bolstering your case. This post will identify some key pieces in that regard. 

Police reports – The officers that respond to your accident may issue a citation to the other driver (or to you), but  keep in mind that officer will also be responsible for preparing a report that details what he or she saw at the scene. The key pieces of information in a police report include observations about the other driver being impaired drugs or alcohol or skid marks in the street.

The world isn’t ready for self-driving cars, but it might as well get accustomed to them, because they are coming whether we like it or not. Depending on the automaker, there is likely to be more than 10,000 miles of test driving before a driverless car is sold in the U.S.

But in the midst of this testing, a number of motorists will see them. While they are not necessarily solicited for their opinion of these cars, a few have voiced their opinions. One person who has seen the testing of Google’s vehicles first hand offered his accounts and they were featured in a Time.com article. 

Essentially, he said that the Lexus RX 350’s he’s seen outfitted with Google’s navigational equipment were not dangerous or hazardous. In fact, he described the autonomous driver as one who would drive “like his grandma.” Essentially, the cars were slow to accelerate, drove at or below the speed limit and did not take any chances (with lane changes).

In a prior post, we noted how comedian Tracy Morgan settled his lawsuit with Wal-Mart stemming from the horrific crash last summer that left him severely injured and killed his best friend. We reported that Morgan was pleased that Wal-Mart “stepped up” and compensated him for his injuries. However, he was still emotionally scarred from losing his friend and the slow recovery process he has endured, even a year after the accident.

Morgan reported having his “good days and bad days.” While he did not address it specifically, these up and down days could be indicative of post traumatic stress syndrome. PTSD can haunt a person long after an accident has occurred; especially if it was particularly traumatic (i.e. there was the possibility that the person would be killed, or if someone else died in the crash). 

Of the more than two million people who are injured in an accident, it is estimated that nearly 30 percent will develop long lasting symptoms of PTSD, including depression and anxiety attacks. Essentially, they could have constant flashbacks of the accident, have specific triggers that brink up anxiety or become hopelessly preoccupied with the preciousness of life.

Everyone likes a bargain; especially when it comes to buying a car. So when you see what appears to be a late model car with next to no miles on it for a great price, it certainly may be worth investigating. Not just because a great bargain is to be had, but because you may be unknowingly buying a flood damaged car.

Since the flooding in Texas and much of the southeastern United States has taken place earlier this year, flood damaged cars have made their way onto used car lots across the country; even showing up in New York. Some unscrupulous brokers have taken these cars and cleaned them so that any remnants of flood damage are hidden. While this may seem ingenious, it could be dangerous for the buyer. 

After all, there may be certain components of these vehicles that could be compromised, which would put the driver (and any passengers) at risk. For instance, if the braking components of a flood damaged car malfunction, because of rusted parts, a driver could find him or herself in an accident because of bad brakes. Because used car sales people are not generally obligated to report damage to cars that they know nothing about, an injured car owner may have a difficult time finding recourse.