When most of us think of summer we think of the beach, barbecues and vacations. It’s a time to spend with family and friends taking it easy and enjoying the nice weather. So how does this effect your personal injury case?
The people in the legal profession are no different than everyone else. Many lawyers and judges take vacation time in the summer. As an attorney practicing law on Long Island in both Suffolk County and Nassau County Courts, I’ve noticed that the summer is a particularly slow time. You never have a hard time parking at the Courthouse in July and August. The hallways are empty. The courts’ calendars are always light. You can forget about getting a trial date, especially in August. I’ve learned a long time ago that the surest way to get on a judge’s bad side is to ask for an August trial date. In fact, most judges take the entire month of August off.
The insurance industry is no different. Most adjusters take nice long vacations in the summer. This means that they’re not available to review cases or discuss settlements.
All this vacationing takes its toll on the amount of cases that settle in the summer. Obviously, cases can’t settle by themselves. So I’ve learned from experience not to expect resolve to many cases in the summer.
But that doesn’t mean that the summer can’t be a productive time for us. Since we’re not in court as much as other times of the year, we double down on our preparation, investigation and research. The summer is a great time to get things done, so when the fall comes, cases are prepped for trial and/or settlement.
We understand that if you’ve been injured it’s hard to enjoy the summer. Instead of vacations and day trips to the beach, you’re spending your days indoors or at the physical therapist’s or doctor’s office. But rest assured that we’re hard at work building your case and if possible working towards settling it. But if it happens that the insurance adjuster or judge on your case is on vacation, don’t worry too much. We’re here working and will be ready to go to trial or discuss settlement when they return.
Finally, keep in mind that the fall is right around the corner. And unlike the summer, it’s the busiest time of year to settle cases.
Author: Steven Palermo, Esq.
Retail stores and other businesses are diligent about wiping up spills and removing other hazards that could result in slip and fall accidents. You often see signs that caution about wet floors. Certainly enough people have slipped on banana peels that scenes of slipping and falling on one are staples of cartoons and comedy shows.
Recently, TIME magazine published an article about You Tube videos of young people taking the “banana peel challenge.” Are banana peels slippery? Can you fall on them? Absolutely, and you see any number of teenagers flying up in the air in videos as they slip on a banana peel. Furthermore, the banana peel challenge has gone viral.
The irony of self-inflicted banana peel injuries is now another documented fact on the internet. No need for further proof. We do not recommend you try it.
It’s one thing to self-inflict injury and quite another to become an injured victim due to a hazard on someone else’s property.
In fact, under New York State laws:
Accident victims should seek legal counsel to find out about recourse whenever their injuries or a loved one’s are serious.