Dos and Don’ts When You’re Involved in a Motorcycle Accident

Published on: 21 December 2018 Last Updated on: 24 February 2020

Unlike most of the other cities in the world, Syracuse in New York has an abridged biking season. Hence, bikers tend to squeeze in and make the most that they can in the short season to enjoy their motorbike and have fun! This fact, unfortunately, may lead to untoward accidents. If you, your friend, or family member happens to find yourself in such a situation, it’s beneficial for you to know what you should do.

Here are some of the dos and don’ts when you’re involved in a motorcycle accident in Syracuse:

The Do’s:

Do remember that you can sue even for minor injuries:

It’s worth remembering that in the event of a motorcycle accident in Syracuse, you can sue the negligent driver who is at fault, even if you sustained only minor injuries. Do not confuse this with the situation when driving your car – with four-wheeled vehicles, you can sue the driver at fault if you sustained major injuries.

After getting yourself involved in a motorcycle accident, you can sue the negligent driver for the following injuries:

Spinal cord injuries
Pelvic, arm, and leg fractures
Neck and back injuries
Skin abrasions like cuts, scratches, and rashes
Chest trauma

To know more of the extent of what you can sue for, click here.

Do seek medical help, no matter how small your injury is:

Many motorcycle accident victims tend to forego a medical checkup after the collision especially if they haven’t sustained any significant injuries. However, do remember that injuries are not only external. You may be clean on the outside, but you may have internal injuries or traumas that can put you to harm if left unchecked. Furthermore, you’ll need a certificate from a medical doctor to verify and describe the injuries you sustained, albeit minor, when you sue the negligent driver.

Do consult a lawyer:

Consulting an attorney is very important, even if you can settle your case amicably, without the need of a court hearing. Many things entail expert help and opinion, such as the payment of insurance, claims, lost wages, and other reimbursements, and an attorney will be able to help you with all of these. When you have a Syracuse lawyer by your side, you are more well informed of your rights as the victim or of your obligations as the erring driver.

Do know your rights:

Some motorcycle drivers still do not know their fundamental rights. If you’re one of these people, it will be to your favor to consult a lawyer. For example, in Syracuse, New York, the wearing of a helmet and protective gear is required by law. However, if you do fail to wear one and meet an accident, this failure to wear a helmet does not hinder you from obtaining damages against the negligent driver. This is a critical situation to highlight, as some insurance companies may try to cheat you out from any claim that you may be entitled to by shifting the blame on you for your failure to wear a helmet.

Some of your other rights center around the following:

Claims for your damaged motorcycle
Claims for lost wages and earning capacity, if applicable
Other medical bills from injuries that you may have sustained
Reimbursement for additional expenses incurred related to the injury, such as a psychologist’s fee and your lawyer’s fee

The Don’ts:

Don’t take your jury for granted:

When you decide to sue in court for the damages that you have sustained, don’t take for granted the act of choosing the right jury. In New York State Laws, the jurors contribute a hefty weight to the final judgment of your case. It is unfortunate, however, that sometimes, some jurors will blame you for the accident especially if you are going against a four-wheeled vehicle. They will merely say that it is your fault in the first place for choosing to be on the road with a much riskier form of transportation.

However, laws in Syracuse give you an absolute right to be on your motorcycle. Therefore, choose the right jurors who are aware of this absolute right.

Don’t stop yourself from driving your motorcycle again:

Some motorcycle drivers tend to let go of their motorcycle after meeting an accident. This usually arises out of fear of encountering another accident or any emotional and psychological traumas that have been incurred.

This advice may be the last but also the most important one for you. Don’t let your fear pull down your hobby or your love for motorcycles. Accidents can happen at any time and any place, regardless of what vehicle you’re driving. Just don’t forget to drive safely all the time to decrease your chances of meeting another accident.

Conclusion:

All these dos and don’ts are crucial for you to know, as riding your motorcycle always poses more risks than driving your car. Remember, a bike has lesser balance with only two wheels compared with a four-wheel vehicle; hence, you have to exercise extra care and caution when driving one around Syracuse. Getting yourself in a motorcycle accident not only affects you physically, but it also can also affect you emotionally, mentally, and psychologically. It’s, therefore, crucial for you to know what to do when an unfortunate accident happens.

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What to Do When You’re Involved in a Car Accident in Albany

You can be driving across an intersection and then another vehicle suddenly comes out of nowhere on the left side and smashes into the driver's side of your car. Accidents like these do happen. Each year, millions of car accidents occur in the United States and Albany is no exception. It’s best that you know the steps you need to take when you get into a car accident. Here are some tips on what to do when you’re involved in a car accident in Albany. Different Ways To Handle A Car Accident In Albany 1. Action plan: First things first, here is a rundown of the actions you need to take immediately after a car accident: Step 1: Check if you have injuries. Step 2: Check if your passengers are fine or have injuries that need to be addressed. Step 3: Get to a safe place (park your car on the side or get out of your car if it is severely damaged). Step 4: Call for help and call 911 immediately. Step 5: Wait patiently for medics and the police to come and assist you. Step 6: Exchange information with the other driver involved in the accident. Step 7: Document the accident by taking pictures, finding out exactly what happened, and getting witness statements. Step 8: Inform your insurance company about the accident for you to be able to claim your insurance policy. This will all be discussed in the next paragraphs in detail. 2. Address all safety concerns: The car accident would surely come as a shock to you, but you have to stay alert. Your vehicle could be damaged, and the passengers including yourself could be injured. Immediately check yourself and the other people who are with you in the car. If someone is hurt, call for help and call 911 immediately. Afterward, turn on your emergency hazard lights and place your reflective device at the back of your car so other cars on the road are warned that there was an accident. 3. Report your accident: After you have addressed all injuries and safety concerns, you must report your accident. You might not know, but under the New York law, you are required to report the accident and submit proof of insurance of all parties involved in the accident. Furthermore, if there was damage, injury, or death in the accident, you’re required to file a form with the New York DMV. Here are also some information that you have to take note of regarding the other party: Name Address Mobile number Insurance company Driver’s license number License plate Car make Car model and year Car color Additionally, after you have addressed all safety concerns and gotten information regarding the car accident, try to take as many photographs of the scene as this may come in handy later on for the police report. In more serious cases, you might need a lawyer present to assist you on legal documents and representation when you file a police report. Call your family lawyer immediately if you need to. If you don’t have a lawyer yet, you can check out a law firm site online for legal assistance. 4. Contact your insurance company: Once you have reported your accident and addressed all injuries, it’s now time to contact your insurance company. It’s essential to know what your insurance policy covers. Gather all requirements asked by the company and claim the coverage to help you save money on the repair of the damages on your car. 6. File a personal injury lawsuit: If the car accident resulted in a serious injury, you might want to look into filing a civil lawsuit. Your insurance may only cover partial car damage repairs and medical expenses. In New York, you have around three years from your accident to file a lawsuit to cover the damages from the accident. You may wish to consult with a New York personal injury attorney as New York laws on injury and accidents are quite complex. You can check out Albany Courthouse pages and find more information about filing lawsuits. Hopefully, you’ll never get into a car accident, but if you do, these are some tips that will prepare you for such an event. Simply apply the tips listed above, and you’ll be able to easily recover from a car accident. Read Also: 7 Reasons Why Teenagers Pay Extra For Car Insurance The Aftermath Of Hit And Run Accident Claims: How Much Compensation Can You Expect?

Q&A: Things You Need To Know About SSDI

In the United States, almost 10.9 million people receive Social Security Disability Insurance or SSDI benefits. This benefit offers them an average pay of $12,000 per year. Despite the benefits SSDI offers, for most of our working lives, SSDI remains a background concern. Most people avoid this insurance program because of how much the federal government charges to run this program. However, people are now getting aware of the importance SSDI has to offer. What Is Social Security Disability Insurance? Social Security Disability Insurance is a federally supported benefit program. The sole purpose of this program is to offer financial assistance to individuals with disabilities. In general, the SSDI benefits can only be offered to individuals who can no longer work or for at least 12 months because of their disability. SSDI is an earned benefit. This means that in order to benefit from this program, you must invest in this program and accumulate credit points. The credit points accumulation is also determined by your work history. Why Does SSDI Matter? Most people realize the importance when tragedy strikes. When people are unable to continue with their work, they think about how they will support themselves and their families. Guess what? If you have taken SSDI, you wouldn't have to worry. After an accident or illness that takes away your capability to work, SSDI becomes the lifeline for those who can no longer work. SSDI is a federal-controlled program where you pay a certain amount every month. And when you are ill or injured and cannot continue to work, you receive a certain portion of your paycheck to support yourself. How Is Eligibility Determined? To qualify for the SSDI benefits, you must - Have worked in jobs under the protection of social security.Have medical conditions and documents to prove the condition. The general rule states that if a person is diable and is unable to work for one year, they receive a monthly benefit under the SSDI program. The benefits continue until you can return back to work and continue working how you used to before disability. If you want to get a clear view of how this transition happens, get help from a Paducah disability attorney. What Do We Mean by Disability? It is important to understand that the definition of disability under the SSDI benefits is different from other programs. SSDI benefits are liable for paying only complete disability. No benefits are payable for any partial or short-term disability. You can qualify for the benefits under the disability program if the following stands true for you. You cannot work or engage in any activity that helps you earn because of your medical condition.You cannot work a previous job or any similar job after your current medical condition.Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months. This is the strict definition of disability that SSDI follows. This is because the Social Security program assumes that the person will have access to all the necessary things from their family members, including worker’s compensation, savings, and investment. Consider Reading the facts we have shared for which most of the SSD claims get denied When Does the SSDI Payment Start? Under the law, the payment won't start unless you have been disabling it for 5 full months. That means SSDI payments start from the 6th month. However, you can avoid the waiting period if your disability originates from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and has the approval of Social Security benefits. When you receive your confirmation notice, the notice will clearly talk about how much you will receive as a benefit and from which exact date the benefit will start. How Long Does The Payment Continue? The tenure of payment is decided on your medical condition. The general rule states that an individual will keep receiving the benefits till they recover and get back to work. If the medical condition is not improving, they will keep getting benefits. However, the benefits will not continue indefinitely. The official will keep a close eye on what the individual is doing to recover themselves. That being said, with advanced medical science and rehabilitation techniques, many people recover from injuries and disabilities. When an individual is receiving the benefits, officials will keep track of them, and the individual will be responsible for answering any question asked by the officials. Do You Need To Stop Working To Collect The Retirement Benefits? No, you don’t have to stop working to receive retirement benefits. Once you have crossed the retirement age, you can work and still enjoy the retirement benefits. But, if you are below full retirement, your monthly benefits will be reduced. Only after you reach retirement age will the reduction be eliminated. And the benefits will be increased to make up for what you have lost over time. How Can You Boost The Number Of Benefits? The longer you wait for the payment, the more amount you will receive. Let’s understand this by an example. Let’s just say you were born in 1960. This means your current age is 62. So, if you start receiving the benefits, it will be 70% of your last paycheck. However, if you wait for more than 5 years till you reach 67 and then claim the benefits, you will get 100%. This is because delaying past full retirement age and Social security increases your benefits by 8% per year until you hit 70. After 70, it becomes constant. Do You Owe Taxes On Social Security? Social Security Disability benefits are subject to tax. But most people end up not paying taxes on it. The taxation of SSDI benefits depends on your total income. However, there is a way to avoid paying tax on your SSDI benefits. If your total income - one-half of your disability benefits + tax-exempt interest - is below the bottom line where taxation starts. If you are single, the threshold of the tax amount is $25,000. And if you are married and file the benefits jointly, the amount increases to $32,000. Additionals: How To Replace Your Social Security Card OnlineIs Social Work Getting Enough Praise In Today’s Society?Social Entrepreneurship – Entrepreneurship Strategies And Many More!Why You Should Hire A Social Security Disability Attorney Vs. Taking On The Legal Matters Yourself!

Important Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Criminal Lawyer

If you have been accused of a crime, hiring an experienced virginia criminal lawyer is one of the most critical things you can do. However, not all criminal defense attorneys will be of the same caliber. Many criminal defense attorneys will eagerly take your money and represent you in court, but they will know very little about your case and will not even contact you that often. That is not what you want in a criminal defense attorney. Instead of putting your faith in a lawyer who may or may not be able to help you, we have brought some questions for you to ask them to make an informed decision. Let’s get started: To understand how to present your case and ask for assistance, you must follow certain rules to maintain clarity. You can Visit website related to criminal defense cases to understand the process better. However, here we have presented a list of important questions that you cannot miss during your meeting with the lawyer: 1: What Is Your Specialty In Legal Practice? It is pretty typical for lawyers to establish a practice in which they concentrate on a single field of law. There’s a significant probability that a lawyer in your neighborhood specializes in the type of law that applies to your situation. You can find out what field of law a lawyer specializes in by asking them. Not only should they be an expert in criminal defense law, but also understand different criminal laws. For example, if needed you should get a more niche-centric Experienced Criminal Defense Team. In some situations, the lawyer you’re interviewing may be able to suggest you to another lawyer who specializes in the type of issue you're facing. 2: Will You Give Me A Free Initial Consultation? It is critical to sit down and have a face-to-face meeting with your lawyer to thoroughly examine your case and gain complete knowledge of all the facts. More importantly, you can’t get a sense of the lawyer and whether or not you’ll be comfortable working with them in the coming months. After the free initial meeting, your criminal defense attorney will be able to provide you with detailed answers to your questions on how to proceed with your case’s defense. 3: What Is Your Fees Structure? For many people, the topic of money and legal expenses is quite sensitive. You want to locate a quality lawyer who will help you settle your criminal issue, but you don’t want to commit to hiring one whose cost is so high that it would put you in financial distress. If your lawyer does not give you a direct response to the question, you should be cautious. Criminal defense attorneys calculate their fees in a variety of methods. Some bill hourly, with the money coming from a retainer, while some charge after the case is won. 4: Who Will Be Responsible For My Case? An excellent defense attorney has a strong team on their side. A thriving legal infrastructure includes assistants, clerks, paralegals, other lawyers, and secretaries. Inquire with your lawyer about meeting the rest of their team. They may be the persons with whom you communicate as your case progresses. Your lawyer, on the other hand, should never pass you off to others in their office and ignore your case. Make sure that, despite having a staff, they are still dedicated to you and your case. 5: Have You Fought A Case Like This One Before? This question relates to experience and area of specialization, and it’s another effective approach to figure out if a lawyer is suited for you. While each case is unique, there are common difficulties that arise time and time again. After you’ve given the lawyer the case information, inquire about how many cases similar to yours they've handled. For example, if you're charged with a molestation accusation, you’ll need the assistance of an attorney who has expertise defending people facing allegations similar to yours. 6: How Long Will My Case Take? While you have the right to a speedy trial, the length of time it takes for your case to be resolved is dependent on a variety of circumstances. Plea offers or agreements are prevalent in specific cases and can be completed in as little as a month or two. Felony cases that go to trial can take over a year to complete, and appeals can take much longer. 7: What Are The Possible Outcomes Of My Case? There are several conceivable outcomes in any criminal defense case. First, the prosecution may choose to drop all charges in some circumstances for various reasons. In other circumstances, a defense attorney and the prosecutor can negotiate a plea deal in different circumstances. Finally, if the matter goes to trial, a not guilty or guilty verdict is possible. Therefore, when hiring a lawyer, inquire about the various outcomes that could occur in your case. Hire Wisely! Now that you have understood what questions you should ask a potential criminal attorney, you are all good to go. If you don’t think hiring all these questions will be of your caliber, take an expert along with you. Once you place these questions out in the open, there will be nobody else to stop you from making the right choice. Read Also: What To Look For When Researching A Criminal Lawyer? 3 Personality Traits of a Successful and High-Ranking Criminal Lawyer What Happens At A Preliminary Hearing Of A Criminal Case In Knoxville?

Dos and Don’ts When You’re Involved in a Motorcycle Accident

The Do’s:

Do remember that you can sue even for minor injuries: