Winter is coming fast to Buffalo and at least one car accident has already occurred because of icy roads.  More than 20 cars lost control as a result of early ice in November, causing an overnight pileup on the I-290 ramp leading to I-190 South.  WIVB 4 reports that black ice was the cause of the crashes, which occurred on a road that the salt trucks had not yet visited. Drivers were surprised by the slick road and witnesses to the scene indicated that they “saw one car after another, badly damaged and being towed away.”

Car accident lawyers in Buffalo know that this crash, unfortunately, is likely one of the first of many that icy weather will cause this winter. Driving on snow and ice is always an adjustment when winter strikes each year and motorists need to remember how to stay safe on slippery roads.

Staying Safe from Accidents Caused by Snow and Ice

To help prevent crashes from occurring as a result of bad weather, drivers should consider the following safety tips:

• Check the weather report before heading out. The weather and traffic alerts will usually let you know if you can expect snow or ice on the roads. You can use this information to postpone unnecessary trips and knowing the roads are likely to be icy can also help you to make smart choices when you drive.
• Remember that black ice is most likely to form on bridges and overpasses. When traveling over these areas, be extra careful to look out for ice on the roads.
• Slow your speed to current weather conditions. In the winter, sometimes driving the speed limit is not enough to stay safe. You need to adjust your speed and go slower if the roads are slick or if visibility is impacted by snow.
• Leave extra room between your car and the vehicle that is in front. You don’t ever want to tailgate, but following too closely is especially dangerous in the winter. If you are too close to the lead vehicle and that car spins out of control, you are likely to be unable to stop before you too become involved in the crash.
• Make sure your car is in good condition. You should have your tires (and tire pressure) checked and ensure that your wipers are working well before heading out on the roads. Car maintenance problems like faulty tires or failing windshield wipers are especially dangerous during bad winter weather.
• Brake gently in order to avoid skidding on slippery roads and ease up on your brakes if you feel that your car is beginning to skid.
• When going down a hill or in a situation where you are worried about losing traction, use low gears.
• Never pass a snow truck or a truck salting the road. Not only do these drivers have limited visibility but the roads in front of these trucks are likely to be in much worse condition.

By following these winter safety tips, hopefully you can reduce the risk of a deadly crash and stay safe through the cold winter driving months in Buffalo.

Car accident lawyers in Buffalo can help if you’ve been hurt in an accident. Contact the Law Offices of James Morris today for a free consultation. Call 800-477-9044. Attorney advertising.

In late August, the Buffalo News reported on the tragic death of a 12-year-old bicycle rider who had become trapped beneath a car on Sheridan Drive. Passersby who witnessed the crash rushed to the scene to try to free the boy from beneath the car and the heroic efforts of first responders and witnesses actually lifted the vehicle off the boy so he could be taken to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, the injuries from the wreck were too severe and the boy died.

Bicycle accident lawyers in Buffalo know that bicycle accidents are often deadly for riders because they have essentially no protection from the force and the impact of the collision.  Unfortunately, this was one of many bike accidents that involved young riders, and it is an important reminder of the fact that both bicyclists and drivers play a critical role in avoiding fatalities and keeping the roads safe.

Bicycle Accidents Cause Serious Risks for Riders

Unfortunately, this fatal bike accident is one of many that is likely to occur over the year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 677 cyclists were killed and 48,000 injured in 2011, with bicyclist deaths making up around two percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities. In New York alone, there were 57 fatalities of bicyclists in 2011.

Nationwide, 10 percent of those who were killed on bicycles were in the 16-and-under age group just as the bicyclist was in the Sheridan Drive crash. Men were also more likely to be killed or injured, accounting for 85 percent of all bicycle accident deaths.  Many of those individuals who were killed, of both genders, did not have helmets on at the time. The boy who was killed in the Sheridan Drive crash also was reportedly not wearing a helmet.

Safety Tips to Prevent Bicycle Accidents

It is important to remember that bicycle accidents often can be avoided if both riders and drivers do their parts.

When possible, bicycle riders need to avoid riding on busy roads and/or should stick to areas where there are bike lanes. Bicycle riders need to yield the right-of-way to drivers. Riders should wear helmets and bright-colored clothing so they are easier to see.

Drivers, on the other hand, need to pay attention to the road, stay off their cell phones, drive within the speed limit and also yield to bike riders who are crossing. If bicycle riders and drivers both make a commitment to share the road safely, hopefully more tragic accidents can be prevented.

Personal injury lawyers in Buffalo can help if you’ve been hurt in a car accident. Contact the Law Offices of James Morris today for a free consultation. Call 800-477-9044.

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On March 28, 2013, the Buffalo News reported on a tragic car accident on Wilson-Burt Road in Niagara County that resulted in two deaths. The wreck was a three vehicle accident that occurred just prior to 4 p.m.

Our Buffalo, NY accident attorneys know that multi-car pileups are very dangerous and often result in fatalities. Multi-car accidents may also raise complicated legal questions regarding who should be blamed for causing the wreck. When a death occurs, it is important to determine who was at fault for the accident because the responsible driver may be required to pay wrongful death damages to family members of those who were killed.

Multi-Car Accident Leads to Death

The three vehicle accident occurred when a large pickup truck was traveling east on Wilson-Burt Road. The pickup reportedly rear-ended a Buick LeSabre, which caused the Buick to be pushed into the westbound lane.

The LeSabre rolled over, crossed a ditch and went off the road. The driver of the LeSabre was one of the two victims of the multi-car pileup who died. The other victim who was killed was the driver of a Saturn that had been traveling in the westbound lane at the time. The Saturn was hit by the pickup truck when it was forced into the westbound lane as a result of the force of the collision.

The other two vehicles suffered significant damage, although the property loss is insignificant compared with the tragedy of the deaths of the drivers of both vehicles.

The Buffalo News reports that the multi-car crash may have occurred as a result of the pickup truck speeding. Reports indicate that an investigation is currently underway into how the crash happened, but that it is not believed that alcohol played any role in causing the accident.

Multi-Car Pileups Often Deadly

This multi-car accident demonstrates the extreme dangers that can occur as a result of a pileup. Multi-car accidents or pile-ups often occur on highways and on crowded roads where cars are in close proximity to each other and where there is no place for a vehicle to go in order to escape a collision.

Because the cars are close together in multi-car accidents, it is common for vehicles to be pushed into a lane going the wrong way. This can cause head-on and side impact collisions, both of which tend to be among the most serious types of crashes. Head-on accidents are especially dangerous because of the combined force of the vehicles while side-impact crashes can cause serious harm because there is little cushioning from the vehicle itself to deflect the pressure from the impact of the crash.

In some instances, it can also be difficult to determine what was the ultimate cause of the accident and who is responsible for the costs. The driver of the pickup truck could potentially be liable for wrongful death damages paid to the family members of those who were killed.

If you’ve been injured in Buffalo or the surrounding area, contact the Law Offices of James Morris today for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 800-477-9044.

Our Buffalo, NY car accident lawyers know that texting and driving is one of the riskiest driving behaviors you can engage in. Unfortunately, it is also a behavior that teens are very likely to do on a regular basis. As the Car Connection reported, a recent survey showed that 26 percent of teenagers read or send a text message one or more times every single time they drive. Unfortunately, these teens — like all people who text and drive — have a 23 times greater chance of becoming involved in a car wreck.

To help curb teen texting and save lives, AT&T has launched an “It Can Wait” program. Recently, Biz Journals reported that Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller will be a part of the program to help educate kids and encourage them to make smart choices about texting when behind the wheel.

Sabres Goalie To Help Teach Kids About Texting Dangers

According to the March 12 Biz Journals article, Ryan Miller was scheduled to appear at Springville-Griffith Institute High School on the 14th of March to join an 11:30 a.m. presentation. The presentation is a part of outreach efforts launched by AT&T. Miller was scheduled to discuss texting dangers.

The presentation will also include other important information for teen drivers to help drive the point home that texting and driving can be deadly. For example:

• Students will watch a 10 minute documentary called “The Last Text.” The documentary shares stories told by students who were involved in accidents as a result of texting and stories told by family members who lost loved ones in deadly texting and driving crashes.
• Students will be given the opportunity to use an online simulator to experience the dangers of texting firsthand. The online simulator includes a laptop and a wheel and pedal kit to give kids a realistic experience of a texting and driving accident in a safe environment.
• Students will also be encouraged to sign a no-texting-and-driving pledge and to share their promise with other people using the social networks Twitter and Facebook. The hope is that these pledges will make texting and driving unattractive to teenage drivers by making it seem socially unacceptable.

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will be taking the no-texting-and-driving pledge as part of the presentation.

Keeping Kids Safe

When teens text and drive, they endanger themselves, their passengers and everyone else on the road. It is very important that teens are aware of how risky this behavior is.

As Distraction.gov indicates, texting requires you to take your eyes away from the road for 4.6 seconds, which means you could drive a whole football field with your eyes on the phone if you were going 55 mph. During this time, you could veer out of your lane, strike a pedestrian, or hit another car.

Despite the clear dangers, Distraction.gov also indicated that around 40 percent of teens had been in the car with someone who behaved dangerously with his cell phone. The problem, therefore, is far too widespread with too many teens texting and driving. Hopefully, programs like the presentation with Ryan Miller will help to curb this habit and make the roads safer for everyone.

If you’ve been injured in Buffalo or the surrounding area, contact the Law Offices of James Morris today for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 800-477-9044.

Recently, WICU Channel 12 interviewed individuals in Buffalo who were filling up their gas tanks near I90. The subject of the interview, drowsy driving, was prompted by a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC study was an ambitious project, the largest study ever conducted on the subject of driver fatigue. Our Buffalo accident attorneys, like many, are concerned with what the results of the CDC study show and we were interested to hear first-hand how Buffalo residents felt about drowsy driving.

Unfortunately, according to WICU, residents seemed to accept drowsy driving as a part of the risk of being behind the wheel. One resident compared the dangers of drowsy drivers to the dangers presented by drunk drivers, indicating that you can’t ever tell when someone who is on the road is dozing off or impaired by alcohol. The comparison was an appropriate one, since studies have shown that a person who is driving after not having slept for around 20-21 hours is as severely impaired in his driving ability as someone whose blood alcohol level has reached the legal limit of .08.

Why Drivers in Buffalo are Concerned About Drowsy Driving

Drivers interviewed by WICU indicated that it was important to stay back and steer clear of drowsy drivers because these drivers may not behave in a rationale or safe way. A drowsy driver may not be paying attention to what other drivers around are doing. The drowsy driver may not be as quick to stop the car or to react to changes in traffic signals or other cars pulling out in front. In a worst-case scenario, the drowsy driver might even fall asleep entirely and put himself and others at a very serious risk of becoming involved in a car wreck.

Sleeping drivers may not be something that the average driver is too concerned about, since many people assume that no one would keep driving if they were actually falling asleep behind the wheel. The CDC survey, however, tells a different story. According to the survey, just over 4 percent of all drivers that responded to the CDC’s questions indicated that they had closed their eyes (at least for a few seconds) and fallen asleep as they drove during the 30 days immediately preceding the survey. The numbers of men engaged in drowsy driving was even higher, as was the number of drivers in the 18-44 group, who had a drowsy driving ratio of over 5 percent of drivers.

The CDC study is scary, considering the fact that there are more than 100 drivers on the road at most times of the day. It confirms earlier data about the widespread dangers of drowsy driving, but it is important because it is the largest and most comprehensive study on the subject of drowsy driving with over 147,000 survey respondents from across 19 states and D.C.   The data shows that these Buffalo residents interviewed at the gas station off of I90 are right to be concerned, and that every other driver on the road should also be concerned too.

If you’ve been injured in a drowsy driving accident in Buffalo or the surrounding area, contact the Law Offices of James Morris today for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 800-477-9044.

Most parents dread the day when their teenager gets his or her license, and with good reason. The simple fact is that young adults who are just starting to drive face a serious auto accident risk and a very real chance of becoming involved in a crash and hurting themselves or others. Sadly, the risk of a teen auto accident is exacerbated by teenage drivers who make unsafe decisions and take unnecessary risk.

Fortunately, as parents, there are things you can do in order to help keep your kids safe. Our Buffalo accident attorneys urge you to take the time to talk to your children about some of the dangerous driving behaviors that many teens engage in. We also urge you to take an active interest in supervising your child’s driving and in regularly going over safe driving rules and practices.

Does Talking To Your Kids About Driver Safety Matter?

When your teenager has started driving, you may wonder whether talking about safe driving and spending time going over the driving rules is really going to make a difference. After all, your teen is able to go out on his or her own and you can’t be there to supervise every minute. Fortunately, statistics show that talking to your teenager about safe driving really can make a lasting impact and can help your teenager to be safer.

According to a recent article in US News and World Report, for example, data provided by State Farm has revealed that kids whose parents are actively involved in monitoring their driving behavior are much safer than those kids whose parents do not take such an active role. In fact, kids who reported active parental involvement and discussions with their parents about safe driving were around half as likely to become involved in an auto accident.

Why it is Important to Talk About Safe Driving With Your Teen

Reducing the risk of auto accidents by half is very significant, especially in light of the frightening statistics on teen car wrecks. According to the New York State Department of Health, for example:

• Car crashes are the primary reason for teens ages 15 to 19 to be hospitalized.
• Car wrecks are the number one cause of death for teens ages 15-19.
• Each year, around 73 teens are killed in fatal wrecks.
• More than 40 teenagers ages 15 to 19 are treated in hospitals for car accident injuries each day.
• Many teen drivers do not wear seat belts, although the risk of death in an auto accident is reduced by between 50 and 83 percent with the use of proper restraints.
• The majority of crashes among those ages 16 and 17 are caused by speeding or going too fast for conditions; driver distractions including texting; tailgating; and lack of driver experience. Texting, especially, is a major problem among teenagers, as US News and World Report indicates that studies show 43 percent of teenagers text when driving.  The car accident risk is 23 times greater when texting than for those drivers actually paying attention to the road.

Because so many teen crashes are caused by behavior that teenagers engage in, parents talking to teens can make a big difference. So, this holiday season, take a few minutes to discuss driving rules with your kids. You might save not only their lives but also the lives of others who travel on the roads with them.

If you’ve been injured in Buffalo or the surrounding area, contact the Law Offices of James Morris today for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 800-477-9044.

There is a significantly increased risk of injury or death from driving a motorcycle compared to driving an automobile. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that 80% of reported motorcycle accidents result in injury or death. For the sake of comparison, that figure for automobiles is 20%. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that motorcycle fatalities have increased 55% since 2000. Statistically, young riders appear to be at the highest risk of fatality in motorcycle accidents, with the highest risk level amongst 20-29 year olds.

Also alarming is that, according to the NHTSA, “statistics show that the percentage of intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes is greater than the percentage of intoxicated drivers on our roads.” This is a significant safety concern.

There are safety measures riders can take to protects themselves, some of which are similar to the tips we provided for safe bicycling. Most important is that riders use a safe and properly fitted helmet, as required by New York law. The CDC indicates the use of a helmet decreases the chances of fatality in a motorcycle crash by 37%, and decreases the risk of head injury by 69%, which is significant. Additionally, riders should wear bright clothing to make them highly visible, and protective clothing, like a leather jacket, may also be beneficial.

If you’ve been hurt, please give us a call to talk to our knowledgeable, experienced attorneys.  At James Morris Law we always fight to achieve the best results for our clients.

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Upstate New Yorkers may be a tough breed, but we are all going to be in shock for a long time about a recent reckless driving bicycle accident fatality. On July 30, 2012, a beloved local teacher went out for an early morning Sunday bicycle ride when, police say, a motorcyclist who was allegedly driving drunk hit her. The impact threw her into the road. She was then run over by a car said to have been driven by the motorcyclist’s girlfriend.

According to police reports, the motorcyclist had been driving recklessly—doing wheelies, speeding up, then braking—just before he crashed into the cyclist. The motorbike collision victim was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The motorcyclist was arrested for DWI before being taken to the hospital with serious injuries. There were no reports of whether the driver of the car that crashed into the cyclist was injured.

The seasoned Buffalo personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of James Morris have handled hundreds of car wreck injury and death cases in Western New York, but this one hits close to home, especially for anyone who is a parent. The cyclist who was killed by the car had two small children and a loving husband, whose lives are now changed forever.

This is a cautionary tale about many aspects of road safety. The accident happened before 8 am, when there was no heavy traffic. It’s likely that the last thing on the car crash victim’s mind was the chance of anyone driving drunk at that hour. There is also the issue of distracted driving involving the motorcyclist and the driver of the car. It is a sad lesson that it doesn’t just take texting while driving or using a cellphone or GPS unit to distract drivers. The biker was simply driving recklessly and the driver of the car was not paying attention to the roadway.

The takeaway from this tragic event: Because we all share the road, accidents only take a split second to destroy lives. This is a wake-up call to everyone to be cautious on the roads, whether you are operating a vehicle or a bicycle. Drunk drivers, distracted drivers, speeding drivers—they could be just around the corner, no matter what hour it is.

If you or a loved one suffered a bike crash injury or you lost a relative in a car accident fatality or motorcycle accident death, seek powerful legal representation. Contact the Law Offices of James Morris for a free consultation with an aggressive upstate and western New York personal injury lawyer. Call us at 1-800-477-9044 or complete our online contact form.

James Morris Law
1015 Liberty Building, 424 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202

It is important to work effectively with your lawyer so you can have a satisfying working relationship with one another. This is an excellent article about the subject, which we wanted to both share and elaborate upon.

It is a good idea to bring a copy of your own insurance documents (declaration page), when you first meet with your attorney. Your attorney’s office can also obtain this information if necessary, but as the article above mentions, the client can sometimes access this information quicker.

You should also bring with you other information your attorney may need to begin working on your file. For instance, for a personal injury matter, this may include the names and contact information for all your treating physicians, or copies of police accident reports. There are often key deadlines early on in a potential lawsuit, so the more information your attorney has on hand from the outset of your case, the better.

Keep all documentation, including letters and bills from doctors and insurance companies. Discuss with your attorney early on what types of documents they may want you to forward to their office, and be sure to do so in a timely fashion. This will help to ensure the attorney will always have up to date information in your file when they need it. Sometimes it is as simple as mailing (or e-mailing) it to the office when you receive it, or leaving it with the assistant or paralegal in charge of your file.

Keep a list of questions you would like to discuss with your attorney, as well as notes about what happened since the last time you spoke, which will help you make the most of your next appointment.

For a personal injury or medical malpractice case, it can be useful to keep a calendar documenting symptoms and keeping track of all your medical appointments.

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Each summer we can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine. Unfortunately, there have been many tragic accidents in Buffalo and Rochester involving bicyclists and motor vehicles this summer. These types of accidents are likely to result in serious injuries or fatalities. Please use caution in sharing the road with bicyclists to help prevent a fun day from turning tragic.
Some bicycle safety tips to remember:

• Always wear a properly fitted helmet with the straps fastened.
• Wear bright clothing and reflectors so that you’re highly visible to drivers, even during the day. You can buy reflectors, headlights, and taillights to place on your bicycle for nighttime rides.
• Remember that on a bike you have the same rights and responsibilities as your fellow motorists, including obeying traffic signs and signals.
• Ride with traffic. This is not only the law, it’s for your own safety. Motorists will not expect you to be riding against traffic, and statistics show this increases the risk of an accident substantially.
• Do not wear anything that could become caught in your bicycle chain, like straps or loose clothing.
• Signal your turns so motorists are aware of your intentions.
• Remain alert as you ride. Watch for motorists who may turn or pull out in front of you, and watch for open car doors. Do not pass cars on the right.
• Do not ride on the sidewalk. It is especially dangerous to re-enter road traffic from the sidewalk as you will be virtually unseen by motorists.
• Make sure your bicycle fits you properly and is in good repair.

Motorists, please be aware you share the road with bicyclists and so you are also responsible for their safety. Use caution when driving. Be sure to check carefully for bicyclists before opening your doors, making turns, or merging into a bicycle lane.

I also encourage avid bicyclists to check the SUM (Supplement Uninsured Motorist) coverage on their auto insurance policies. This insurance will cover you on your bicycle as well as in your car. SUM insurance is supremely important should you get into an accident with another driver who is under-insured (or not insured at all), and generally it is not very expensive. If you do not own a car and cannot obtain SUM coverage, some insurance companies are beginning to offer insurance policies specifically for bicycles.

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