Do You Have to Follow the Rules of the Road?

Yesterday was a beautiful day in downtown Scranton. The temperature was in the high 80's, the sun was shining, and there were numerous people out for walks and bike rides, some of our staff included.

Our attorneys have been bringing awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and the dangers motorcyclists face, now we want to focus on bringing awareness to the dangers bicyclists face.  Bicycle accidents account for over 600 deaths annually. Sadly, our attorneys have witnessed the devastation bicycle accidents and injuries cause victims and their families. We want to help prevent as many of these accidents as possible. Below we've listed the top four common causes of bicycle accidents and brief tips on how to avoid these types of accidents.

1. A bicycle enters the roadway from an alley, driveway, parking lot, etc- without stopping to look for traffic. Just as you stop and look both ways before walking across a street, and before driving through an intersection you should the same on your bicycle
2. A bicyclist riding the wrong way in traffic- When you are walking on the street it’s common to walk facing traffic. This rule changes when you are on a bicycle, though. Why? Because bicycles are considered to be vehicles, too, and therefore should follow the same rules of the road as all other vehicles. Ride on the right side of the road, going with the flow of traffic to avoid head on collisions.
3. Motorists passing bicycles- Motorists often pass out bicycles and sometimes misjudge the room they have and by the time they see or realize that they may hit the bicyclist it is often too late to react. These collisions happen most often on narrow roadways, at night, and are usually caused by distracted or impaired drivers. If possible, avoid cycling in dark conditions, on narrow roads, and roads with a speed limit of 35 mph. If you do ride at night be sure to wear reflective gear or have lights on yourself or your bike.
4. Bicyclists failing to obey traffic lights and signs- As mentioned above, bicycles are considered vehicles and as such, must, by law, obey the rules of the road. This includes obeying traffic lights and stop signs. Bicyclists must stop at stop signs, stop at red lights, yield at yellow lights, and yield when there is a yield sign. Watch out for traffic signals and for extra precaution consider walking your bicycle across busy intersections.

Enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having and if you ride a bicycle, please be careful. If you or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle accident, we can help. Call our bicycle accident attorneys at 1-800-444-5309 or fill out the form on our bicycle accident page on our website to email an attorney directly.

RUI? More Common Than You Think

Happy May, and welcome to Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month! Just as we brought you facts, statistics, and tips to avoid distracted driving last month, we are going to do the same for Motorcycle Safety this month.
Our motorcycle accident lawyers have handled numerous cases involving an injured motorcyclists. Victims of motorcycle accidents face a higher chance of fatalities, more severe injuries, and higher medical bills than those in regular passenger vehicle accidents. These risks are increased when the motorcyclist, or another driver, is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.



The NHTSA urges all motorcycle riders to ride sober.

A shocking recent study shows that the percentage of intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes in greater than the percentage of intoxicated drivers on the road. We always try and bring awareness to drunk drivers as well as encourage people to have a designated driver if they plan to be out celebrating, and this is no different if you are operating a motorcycle.

If you were a passenger on a motorcycle operated by an intoxicated driver, or were on a motorcycle and injured by a drunk driver, we can help you. Our Pennsylvania accident attorneys are experienced with these types of cases and can get you the compensation you deserve.

Enjoy the beautiful weather, riding, and yourself this Spring/Summer, but please be safe. Watch for motorcycles, have a designated driver, and don't fall victim to distractions while driving.

Call 1-800-444-5309 for a free consultation or contact our motorcycle accident attorneys directly through our website if you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident or as a result of a drunk driver.

For more information about Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month visit the NHTSA's (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) website.

Motorcyclist Invisibility is Not an Excuse for Other Drivers

While there are numerous scenarios that can cause a motorcycle accident, the most common cause is the "invisibility" of motorcycles to drivers of normal passenger vehicles.

Motorcyclists are somewhat undetected by other drivers, especially distracted drivers. Due to how small motorcycles are it is often common that bikes and the riders on them end up in many drivers' blind spots. This is a common cause of accidents, and a common excuse used by other drivers after an accident happens. All drivers should be aware of their surroundings and should drive with extra caution, especially in nice weather, in the event a motorcyclist is on the road.

Cut-offs, violation of the motorcyclist's right-of-way, and contact between the two vehicles are the most common accidents that occur due to motorcycle invisibility. Most motorcycle accidents are caused by a car, truck, or SUV making a left turn in front of a motorcyclist's right of way at an intersection.

In almost half of all motorcycle accidents, the driver's view of the motorcycle is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles. In these cases, the motorcyclist has less than two seconds to successfully react and maneuver to avoid an accident. Motorcyclists can not always be expected to make up for driver error.

 

If you or a loved one were injured in a motorcycle accident, you should be focusing on one thing – getting better. Aside from our free consultations, no win no fee representation, and 24/7 on-call assistance, our Pennsylvania motorcycle accident attorneys will be on your side every step of the way and will take the worries and stress off your hands. From the moment you hire us to get your compensation we will:

• send investigators to the scene of the accident.
• have experts reconstruct the accident when needed.
• gather evidence to support your motorcycle case.
• most importantly, fight the insurance companies that don’t have your best interest in mind.

Call us now at 1-800-444-5309 or visit our website for more information.

Teens Seeking Motorcycle Licenses- Read Up!

Last year, August 31, 2012 to be exact, the state of Pennsylvania put a new law into effect that all teens seeking a motorcycle license must first complete Motorcycle Safety Training.

Since the law was put into effect a little late in the motorcycle riding season we wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents of teens and teens who have yet to get a motorcycle license of this new requirement.

The safety training is the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program's (PAMSP) Basic Rider Course. This course is offered at close to 70 sites across Pennsylvania and is free to PA residents.

The Basic Rider Course provides an introduction to safe and responsible motorcycle operation. There are 15 hours of classroom and riding instruction. (Broken down to 5 hours in the classroom, 10 hours on the course) This course is beneficial because inexperience is one of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents. The tools and knowledge shared in this course will help combat the inexperience many young riders face.

These 15 hours can be applied to the total number of hours needed to obtain a motorcycle license and students can take their motorcycle license test and the conclusion of the training if all other requirements are completed at that time.

For more information about this training program you can go to www.pamsp.com.

If you or a loved one are ever injured in a motorcycle accident our Pennsylvania motorcycle accident attorneys can help. Visit our motorcycle accident pages for more information or call 1-800-444-5309.

Why Hire Our Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Attorneys?

Attorney Michael Pisanchyn's Harley Softail Springer

With Spring here and Summer just around the corner we are about to see an increasing number of motorcyclists on the roads, ourselves included! Unfortunately the nice weather and increasing motorcyclists also means we will be seeing and hearing about motorcycle accidents.

Motorcycle accidents are not the same as passenger vehicle accidents. For starters, motorcycle accidents usually cause much more serious, even catastrophic injuries than most passenger vehicle accidents. As a result the accumulation of medical expense and long-term care expenses are very high, making the need for compensation imperative for the victim to get better and stay healthy.

Motorcyclists also face a hurdle in the legal system due to an unfair bias placed against them. We've discussed this bias numerous times. A few irresponsible and reckless motorcyclists give all of us a bad rap. Overcoming this bias and proving that an accident was not your fault is difficult, especially if the case is taken to trial.

These are just a couple differences between motorcycle accidents and passenger vehicle accidents. Just as the type of accident differs, so should the attorney who handles these cases. Our firm is fortunate enough to have attorneys well versed and experienced in passenger vehicle accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, and motorcycle accidents.

Hiring an attorney for your motorcycle accident is a difficult choice, but the first thing you should look for is an attorney who knows the difference between the different types of accidents and how to handle them each respectively. Our motorcycle accident attorneys know and understand that overcoming the bias placed against motorcyclists will be one of the more difficult parts of the case and we know how to do this. We understand that this bias is false, and that most motorcyclists are just as good, if not better, drivers as those in normal passenger vehicles.

We've helped numerous motorcycle accident victims get the compensation they deserve and we can help you too.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, you should be focusing on one thing – getting better. Aside from our free consultations, no win no fee representation, and 24/7 on-call assistance, our Pennsylvania motorcycle accident attorneys will be on your side every step of the way and will take the worries and stress off your hands. From the moment you hire us to get your compensation we will:

• send investigators to the scene of the accident.
• have experts reconstruct the accident when needed.
• gather evidence to support your motorcycle case.
• most importantly, fight the insurance companies that don’t have your best interest in mind.

Please, call our Pennsylvania motorcycle lawyers toll free at 1-800-444-5309 for a free consultation, or you can email our attorneys directly. Enjoy the weather, your bike, and stay safe!

Do Medical Malpractice Cases Make Health Care Costs Go Up?

There are many myths in personal injury litigation designed to scare people away from filing lawsuits after being negligently injured. There are 5 common myths in medical malpractice litigation and we want to bring you the truths behind these myths.

1. Malpractice crises are caused by spikes in medical malpractice litigation (ie, sudden rises in payouts and claim frequency)
• Many people believe that medical malpractice cases are on the rise and that payouts are becoming more common and more costly. This is not true according to recent research. A lot of people believe this myth because they only hear about the cases that go to court and receive large jury awards, they don’t hear about cases that are filed and settled out of court or hear about the cases that juries do not award. What many people also don’t know or understand is that just because a jury awards a large settlement; it is rare that the amount awarded by the jury is actually paid out.
  
2. The tort system delivers “jackpot justice”
• There is an assumption that compensation is given at random, meaning that uninjured patients are given millions while patients who suffer unimaginable injuries receive little or nothing at all. According research and comparison over the last 10 years the average malpractice settlement amount was between $400,000 and $600,000. Less severe injuries receive much less than the average, if anything at all. There were of course some cases that were awarded much more, $1 million and up, but these payouts are extremely rare and were only given to patients who had suffered grave and permanent injuries.
3. Physicians are one malpractice verdict away from bankruptcy
• Many people don’t understand that when there is a malpractice claim made, the physician usually pays no money regardless of the amount awarded. Another fact that is important in debunking this myth is that jury trials are uncommon, plaintiff (malpractice victim) victories are even less common, and when a case does go to trial, about 75% of the time, the provider, or physicians insurance company, is victorious. When a plaintiff is awarded a settlement, as mentioned before, payment is almost never as much as a jury awards, and the payment comes from the physician’s insurance company, not the physician.
  
4. Physicians move to states that adopt damages caps
• There is no solid evidence or research to support this myth. In the last ten years states that have damage caps may have a few more physicians than those without, but the difference is very low.
  
5. Tort reform will lower health-care spending dramatically
• Many studies on this issue have found that with tort reform, or the inability to file a malpractice claim or at least cap the amount paid out to malpractice victims, would only result in a 0.4% decline in health care spending but even with that small decline, no effect would be made on premiums for insured individuals. This means that even with tort reform, individuals would still be paying the same amount they are now for health care.

Don’t let myths about medical malpractice lawsuits intimidate or scare you from seeking justice. If you’ve been injured due to the purposeful or negligent act of a health care provider you could receive compensation for your injuries. Our medical malpractice attorneys are here to help you get the justice and compensation you deserve. Please, call us either locally or toll free: 1-800-444-5309 with any questions or concerns you may have.

The Most Likely Offenders of Distracted Driving Are...

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month. Our law firm is participating in this effort because we know first hand just how dangerous distracted driving is.

This month we are going to focus on the facts, stats, and tips to help you and those you love stop distracted driving. We feel this information will help us all be a little more conscious when we are behind the wheel and hopefully reduce the urge to give in to distractions while driving.

Last week we retweeted an article by The Washington Post that really had an impact on us. The article stated that adults are more likely to text and drive than teenagers. This information was shocking to us, as all surveys and research up to this point has said the contrary. We tracked down the survey results and were again surprised at the information that was found. (click on the photo for full story and results)

 

According to this research, done by AT&T, almost all adult drivers (98%) know that texting while driving is dangerous but half of them do it anyway. This is very sobering information and has made those in our office realize that even if they don't participate in distracted driving, just about everyone else on the road is, which is why it's so important to get the information about distracted driving out there in hopes of reducing that number.

 

If you or a loved one have been injured or harmed as a result of a distracted driver, we can help. Our attorneys have handled numerous cases where an innocent client was harmed because of someone participating in distracted driving. Call us now for a free consultation 1-800-444-5309.

 

For more information and tips and things you can do to help stop distracted driving, click on the links below and continue to follow our posts on Blogger, Twitter, and Facebook. 

AT&T's "It Can Wait" Campaign
USA Today's Article on Distracted Driving
The Washington Post's Article on Distracted Driving