When we think of dangerous road conditions on Long Island, most of us would likely think of winter weather. And for good reason, driving when there is snow or ice on the road is one of the most hazardous conditions a driver can face. However, it doesn’t snow every day in Long Island. And when it does snow, we naturally limit the amount of time we spend on the road during those times. On the other hand, driving during the summertime is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than the winter months. Everyone wants to be outside and enjoy the nice weather. The increased number of hazards create many different opportunities for a driver to potentially get into an accident.
Although the bus routes have ended, the fact that school is out means the roads are more hazardous. Teens and college students are now sharing the road, many having just gotten their licenses. They are no doubt the most inexperienced drivers and may not have learned how to drive defensively. Additionally, more cars will be on the road during all times of the day due to these students being off from school.
Construction workers will take advantage of the good weather for road construction projects. Additionally, the winter months often cause damage to roads that require repairing during the summer. Construction zones can be potentially dangerous if drivers are not properly adjusting to the changing traffic during the construction zones.
Motorcyclists and bicyclists will definitely be more abundant during the warm summer days. With high traffic areas, narrow roads, and confusing intersections, Long Island can be especially hazardous for cyclists. Most motorcycle or bicycle accidents that occur are not the cyclists fault, but occur due to drivers not correctly sharing the road with the cyclist.
Once again, nice days will attract a lot of people to be out and about, including pedestrians. Drivers need to be aware of this and always anticipate areas where pedestrians could be crossing the road. Even where there is no crosswalk, drivers should be especially attentive when driving near villages, parks and schools.
Although there is no snow, summer storms can also be incredibly hazardous. Long Island is not immune to severe thunderstorms and hurricanes. On June 30, Suffolk county faced a severe storm with wind speeds reaching over 50mph, causing many trees to fall and leaving thousands without power. During or after these scenarios, it’s important to drive extra defensively and follow the instructions of the police if they are directing traffic.
Additionally, if a traffic light is without power, it is to be treated as a four-way stop sign to determine who has the right of way. But it’s important to remember that other drivers may not know this, so be extra careful when driving through intersections to avoid accidents. We also recently wrote another post detailing the dangers of hydroplaning and how easily they can cause accidents.
Hot weather increases the chances of tire blowouts. During hot days, the asphalt can get very hot, and when tires are under-inflated, a blowout is likely. When a car is driving down a road, the sidewalls of the tires are flexing (bending, grabbing the asphalt), which creates heat. If the tire pressure is correct, then the heat created is minimal. But if the tire pressure is low, then the sidewalls have to do a lot more flexing, and create a lot more heat. Add in the summer sun and eventually the bonds in an under-inflated tire can break down and you’ll have a blowout. Therefore, do not neglect your tire maintenance and make sure they are properly inflated especially during the hot months.
Summer is an exciting time, and we are all looking forward to those beautiful days to enjoy being outside. Keeping in mind these scenarios will help prevent a fun day from turning into a disaster.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
Many love the thrill of riding a motorcycle and it is not uncommon to see motorcyclists on the roads of Long Island. However, along with the enjoyment of riding a motorcycle, it’s important for motorcyclists to understand the risks. Especially in higher-traffic areas like Long Island, severe accidents are absolutely a possibility. No matter how safe of a driver you may be as a motorcyclist, you cannot account for how other drivers respond to sharing the road with a motorcycle.
If you do find yourself in a motorcycle accident, these tips are essential so that in addition to the tragedy of getting injured in a motorcycle accident, you are also not drowning in medical expenses.
Motorcycle accidents have a greater risk of causing injury than typical motor vehicle accidents. Motorcyclists have much less protection and no airbags to prevent the laws of physics to launch a driver at a high velocity.
If you are a motorcyclist involved in an accident, even if you feel very little pain, do not let the adrenaline fool you and seek medical attention right away.
It is always a good idea to call the police at the scene of the accident. Doing so will ensure that everyone is safe and the details of the accident are properly recorded. However, it is also possible to file a police report following the accident.
If you were injured in an accident due to the other driver’s negligence, having witnesses to the accident is important to prove this. The other driver may try to deny or minimize being the cause of the accident, so having third-party witnesses will help validate the events of the accident.
Even though New York is a no-fault state, motorcycle drivers are not covered by no-fault insurance. Therefore, the motorcyclist will need to speak to their private health insurance provider to pay for the medical expenses.
If you do not have private health insurance you will need to put any medical bills through Medicaid or Medicare. If you did not have Medicaid at the time of your accident you can apply for Medicaid after the accident.
The medical bills following a motorcycle accident can really add up, especially for injuries that have a long recovery time. Additionally, long recovery could also mean lost wages for being unable to work for a period of time. This is why it’s important to speak to a personal injury lawyer. They will help an injured person receive compensation for all the economic losses caused by the motorcycle accident including medical bills, property damage, lost wages and pain and suffering. They will guide you through the process from the beginning to the end. An early investigation will also help preserve key evidence in your case.
Motorcycle accidents can be especially scary. During these traumatic scenarios, you might not naturally be thinking about recording evidence for a personal injury claim, but following these steps can really help a motorcyclist in the long run financially. At Palermo Law, we have helped personal injury victims receive their compensation for motorcycle accident injuries for over twenty years. We offer free no obligation consultations and don’t charge any fees unless we win your case. So if you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, feel free to give us a call.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
Summertime is an exciting time of the year. Typically, we are more inclined to want to go out with friends than during the cold winter months. The weather is nicer, the sun sets later and there are plenty of happy hours. Long Island especially is an exciting place to be in the summer. In addition to the nice beaches, Long Island is abundant in nightlife. Whether it’s a visit to New York City or a night out in hopping towns such as Huntington, Babylon or Patchogue, there are plenty of places to hang out and grab a drink with your friends.<
If you are planning to have a night out, and plan on drinking, it’s important to remember the very real dangers that can happen. According to the
CDC, every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This is one death every 50 minutes. Although that is the worst-case scenario, nothing could ruin a fun night out faster than a car accident. Here are some safety reminders to prevent catastrophe.
Alcohol obviously has the ability to impair judgment. The more you drink, the worse your decision-making is and could lead to a person making potentially dangerous choices. It’s good to know your limits before you’ve had too much.
Additionally, excessive drinking can cause a number of problems for a person’s short-term and long-term health. Short-term risks include nausea, loss of consciousness, poor quality of sleep, vomiting, increased aggression, and alcohol poisoning. Long-term risks could lead to liver damage, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and depression.
This is a very simple and very effective way to ensure that everyone gets home safely. The designated driver eliminates any kind of driving risk since they opt to remain sober for the entire night. Take turns for who is going to be the designated driver among your group, and make sure you contribute in gas money for your chauffeur for the night.
It’s very important that the person who is the designated driver has zero alcohol. Any consumption of alcohol has the ability to impair a person. For the average person, it takes 2-3 drinks to become legally intoxicated. Driving while intoxicated (DWI) occurs when a person is driving while their blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds .08 in the state of New York. This results in a minimum license suspension of six months. Additionally, a driver facing a DWI could also serve jail time and have to pay hefty fines.
However, a driver is also at risk of getting a DWAI (driving while ability impaired) when at a BAC of .05 .This can impair someone after having as little as one standard alcoholic drink. So if you are the designated driver, don’t risk it and don’t have any drinks that night.
It’s very possible that there could be other drivers on the road who are intoxicated, especially as the night progresses. So even if the designated driver is sober, it’s important to be wary of other potentially dangerous drivers. If you notice a car that is swerving, making sharp turns, and braking and accelerating suddenly, it may be an intoxicated driver
If you feel you are sharing the road with a drunk driver, it’s best to slow down or pull over and possibly record and report the car to the police. Do not try to get them to pull over and do not try to pass them.
Alcohol can be a catalyst for disaster. Keeping in mind the very real risks that come along with it will hopefully reduce the risk of penalties, accidents and injury.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
Long Island averages about 48 inches of precipitation every year. And although we experience four distinct seasons, rainfall is something we can experience at any time of the year. Driving in the rain can be dangerous for a number of reasons, and could potentially cause car accidents. But perhaps the most dangerous hazard that the rain can cause is hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning (or aquaplaning) is when a layer of water builds between the tires of a vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction and ultimately resulting in a loss of control for the driver. And you might think that only the heaviest of rainstorms would cause a vehicle to hydroplane, but hydroplaning can occur on any wet road surface. In fact, the first 10 minutes of a light rain can be the most dangerous. Hydroplaning can easily cause major motor vehicle accidents, so here are the best tips to prevent you from injuring yourself and others on the road from hydroplaning.
Nowadays, tires have grooves on them that are designed to channel water from beneath the tire. This creates higher friction with the road surface and can help prevent or minimize instances of hydroplaning. So make sure your tires are replaced and rotated regularly. Additionally, always make sure they are properly inflated. This will ensure that they perform as they should in the rain.
In New York, you can be pulled over for driving the speed limit during hazardous road conditions. This is because during conditions like rain, you have increased chances of losing control at higher speeds.
Most automobile safety experts agree that hydroplaning is most likely to occur at speeds greater than thirty-five miles per hour. So keeping a safe speed will greatly reduce the risk of your tires losing traction in the rain. This is especially important when making turns.
Hydroplaning doesn’t only occur when it is raining. Any time there is water on the road there is a chance of your tires losing its traction. Avoid puddles if possible, and always keep both hands on the wheel when you are about to drive over one.
If your car begins to hydroplane, you need all of your focus and control to try to prevent a serious accident from occurring. Putting your car in cruise control will take away precious moments of time you need to stay in control.
Similar to driving on ice, when hydroplaning occurs, you need to do all you can to keep your car in as much control as possible to avoid a collision. If you feel your car “floating” on the water, immediately take your foot off the accelerator. Also, do not try to brake. Doing so could make your car spin out of control.
As your car is slipping, gently turn your steering wheel in the direction your car is hydroplaning. This will help your tires realign with the direction your vehicle is traveling and assist you in regaining steering control.
Finally, once you have successfully gotten your tires to reconnect with the pavement, I suggest pulling over at a safe place for a few moments to calm down. Losing control of a vehicle is scary, and we sometimes need a few breaths before continuing our drive.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
If you’ve suffered an injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, there is a good chance an insurance company may be financially liable to you. For example, if you are injured in a car accident the automobile insurance company of the responsible party will be liable for your bodily injuries, or if you fall at someone’s house there will be a homeowner’s insurance company that will be responsible for your injuries.
Knowing this, insurance companies like to be proactive. This means they work to protect their assets even before a claim is filed. They often hire investigators, gather witness statements, and take photographs as soon as they find out there has been an accident. But their efforts don’t stop there, especially if you file a claim. I’ve often been asked by clients if investigators are spying on them. My response is yes, and in more ways than you probably realize. Here are some of the most common techniques insurance companies use to gain information that may be helpful to defend an injury case.
Often, insurance companies will hire investigators to follow you while you perform your daily activities. This is legal as long as they are not infringing upon your privacy, meaning if you’re at work or in a supermarket parking lot, recording you is fair game. The good news is that any recording must be turned over to your attorney in discovery.
In today’s information age, spying on you is easier than ever. Investigators often surveil your social media accounts. So, if you post on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram you can expect that those images and statements will find their way into your case. Further, making your settings private will not stop insurance companies from getting your posts. Most judges will allow access through a subpoena if you maintain social media accounts.
Insurance companies will not entertain a settlement of your injury case without first receiving authorization to obtain your medical records. This is to be expected. But often times your medical records contain a detailed history of your prior treatment, this often allows an insurance company to snoop even further into your history and get even more details about you to help defend a case.
My advice to people pursuing a personal injury claim is to realize that you are being spied on, but as long as you are telling the truth it doesn’t matter. For example, don’t claim you are bedridden while you were actually out shopping. This way if there is a video of you shopping it doesn’t matter. Exaggerating or lying usually doesn’t help an injury case because your medical records tell the story of how bad your injuries are. However, getting caught in a lie will always ruin a case.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.