Suffolk County is a big area, with a lot of people. Although it is less urban than the Western side of the island, it is far from rural. With nearly 1.5 million people in Suffolk County, the roads can get pretty hectic. Even with the Covid-19 pandemic, traffic in Suffolk County seems to have returned back to normal.
What makes Suffolk County unique is that the roads seem to change with the environment of the island. If you are driving near the north shore, you’ll find yourself in roads surrounded by forest. This means you may find roads that are windier, steeper and with more blind spots. If you drive near the south shore, the roads are flatter, with more businesses and heavier traffic. If you are driving out east, you may notice the roads having less cars and less lanes; and you’ll probably pass a farm or two. And if you drive near a colonial village such as Northport or Port Jefferson, you will notice the roads becoming much more narrow. With the unpredictability of the roads in Suffolk County, it is imperative that drivers are always defensive. The most dangerous roads in Suffolk County include roads like Jericho Turnpike and Middle Country Rd. Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) is reported to be the most dangerous for pedestrians, with approximately half of all pedestrian accident deaths occurring between Centereach and Ridge. The reason these roads have so many pedestrian accidents is due to the fact that its purpose is designed to serve as a high volume road for residential and commercial areas. It isn’t a highway, but has higher speed limits and more traffic than a typical road. Additionally, unlike a highway, it has businesses, parking lots, sidewalks and crosswalks. Drivers need to be especially careful on these roads to prevent causing an accident.
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.
Halloween is just around the corner and is going to be here before you know it. The common trend for this year is that there is nothing ordinary about 2020. Every stage of the year has presented itself with an adjustment on everyone’s part from the traditional way we do things because of this pandemic. And Halloween and the holiday season to come is no different. As of right now, the CDC considers traditional trick-or-treating as a high risk activity that could contribute to further spread of the virus. Whether young or old, the CDC has provided a list of recommended lower risk activities that would be better alternatives to the traditional way of celebrating Halloween. Having said that, here are some safety tips that are especially important for parents to ensure their children are safe during Halloween.
Covid-19 has proven to be a devastating disease for many people. While the majority of people who have contracted the virus have not had life-threatening symptoms, it is a powerful disease that has proven to cripple many of all ages. Not only would you want your children to contract the virus, but you wouldn’t want them to carry the disease and potentially spread it to higher risk people. This is why it is discouraged to have traditional trick-or-treating from door-to-door. Some communities are doing “one-way” trick-or-treating where goodie bags are premade for children on their front yard to prevent close proximity to neighbors. Even so, there is still a risk, because you don’t know to what extent your neighbors have sanitized these goodie bags. Each family has to personally decide for the safety of their family. Some have chosen to have a scavenger-style hunt in their backyard giving kids clues leading to candy. This could be a safer alternative to prevent interacting with those outside of the household.
For those who have older kids and teenagers, it is also strongly encouraged that they avoid social gatherings with their friends. Social-distanced, small gatherings that are outside present the lowest risk for a costume party. Even then, it can be hard for costumes to work alongside suitable masks. Some have planned a zoom costume party instead.
If your children are going trick-or-treating in any way, it’s important to discuss the dangers. Trick or treat expeditions are for the most part nothing more than harmless fun. However, the festivities have been shown to precipitate a variety of dangers, especially when the kids get to go out alone.
The association between Halloween and kidnapping might not be prevalent but it is definitely worth nothing. With kids out unsupervised and at odd hours, there is always the risk of abduction incidents . Typically, crowded and active communities make this less of a risk. However because of covid, you can’t rely on crowds to ensure that your kid is safe as everyone will likely be social distancing (as they should). So as a parent you can never really be too careful so this is a risk you cannot afford to ignore, be precautious and talk to your kids about avoiding long conversations with strangers or giving too much information to people they don’t know.
When you’re planning for your child’s Halloween costume, make sure that the costume doesn’t make it difficult for you or anyone else to see them in the dark. Bright colors on the costume are a good idea, or even reflective wear. Cars are still on the road during Halloween, and others are out and about, energized and running around. It’s crucial that you and others can see your child in the dark.
Children just can’t help but get lost whether it is at a new school or an old mall. During Halloween, this risk is increased by the fact that they are out in unfamiliar surroundings often at night. This is a nightmare not only for you as the parent but also for the kid.
Before we get into this one, here is a statistic that will shock you. The risk of your child getting hit by a car doubles on Halloween . Letting your children go out unsupervised means they have to do things like crossing the road all by themselves. This is dangerous whether it is at night or during the day. It is important to talk to your child about distractions and the importance of pedestrian safety .
Walking around in the dark also increases chances of smaller accidents. These include things like tripping , falling into ditches, attacks by guard dogs and getting trampled by massive crowds. Fortunately, these cases are few and far between especially if you take precautions as will be discussed before.
Halloween is all about fun. But safety is priority #1. These tips can come in handy for everyone on Halloween night. We understand why many parents fret Halloween, knowing that the world can be a dangerous place, especially in the midst of a pandemic. You shouldn’t want your child fretting this night too; this holiday should be pure fun for them. So keep them safe, plan ahead and if at all possible, stay home this year.
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.
Now that it is officially fall, it is important for homeowners and property owners to think about evaluating the safety of their property. A property can undergo a lot of wear and tear throughout the year, and it’s a good idea to consider the safety of your property frequently. During the fall-time, there is an increased number of potential foot traffic on a person’s property. Students may be walking past to go to school, political canvassers may go door to door during the election season, and on Halloween many kids may walk on your property to get a treat.
Every homeowner and property owner actually has an obligation to maintain a level of safety on their property. In the unfortunate event where someone gets injured on your property, it is now up to the court to decide whether or not reasonable steps were given to ensure the safety of pedestrians. When determining if a property owner’s effort to maintain safety were reasonable, the court has to consider how long the unsafe condition that contributed to the slip and fall was present and whether the owner had time to discover and ultimately fix the problem. Carelessness of the victim is also taken into account, which means a property owner is given some leniency in what is considered reasonably safe. Here are some things to look for in your property to ensure safety for passersby.
A pedestrian should be able to walk from the street to a person’s front door without any tripping hazards. Housekeeping equipment, landscape tools or other instruments left lying about may create a tripping hazard. Such items should be stored promptly after use. Trash and other debris create a hazard, too, and should be cleaned up without delay. Additionally, falling autumn leaves count as debris that can impede a pathway. Even worse is if the leaves are wet, making it even easier for someone to slip and hurt themselves. Again, these hazards should be picked up in a reasonable amount of time to prevent liability. If for example there is a storm while you were away at work and someone slipped on wet leaves that day, you are not liable because you didn’t have the time to clear the walkway. On the other hand, if there were leaves blocking a path for weeks, this is a hazard you had reasonable time to take care of.
In addition to making sure a walkway is clear from debris, the walkway itself has to maintain a level of safety. Cracks in pavement, missing paving stones and broken stairs are huge tripping hazards. Additionally, loose handrails or broken stair treads create a hazard that can lead to catastrophic fall injuries. People with mobility issues rely on these for support, so you would want to make sure they are solid and stable. All of these things in particular are hard to prove that the owner didn’t have enough time to repair the damages. Therefore, it’s important to look out for these damaged paths and repair them as soon as possible.
Especially important for trick-or-treaters, a property owner is also obligated to provide sufficient lighting for a walkway at night. Poorly lit walkways, corridors, stairways, parking lots and other areas can cause slip and fall accidents. Additionally, dark areas can also invite crime. If a crime happens on a person’s property, if there wasn’t reasonable lighting on the walkway, stairway or parking lot, the property owner is partially responsible. Again, this doesn’t mean that your whole backyard needs to be lit, but a walkway to your front door should have adequate lighting for pedestrians.
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.
Summer came and went and we are already back to the colder temperatures and school traffic. Although we are not at the end of the covid-19 pandemic, the consistently low infection rates on Long Island has allowed a sense of normalcy to return while maintaining social distancing. Aside from movie theaters, virtually everything else is open now with its own regulations in order to create a safe environment.
This doesn’t mean the virus shouldn’t be taken seriously anymore. Each one of us has to do our part to prevent any further spread of this virus. This means no matter where we go, it is up to us to follow the rules suggested to be safe. As we have seen in the summer months, the safest way to be socially distant outside of our homes is to be outside whenever possible. Airflow in the open air operates much different than inside a building. These next couple of months may be the last time we can take advantage of the weather and do things outside with the family. Eastern Long Island has always been a popular spot for the family during fall. The abundance of farms and vineyards present plenty of outdoor activities. Here are some ideas of places you can go during the fall in Eastern Long Island and Riverhead.
What better way to spend outside with your family than to teach your children about the importance of taking care of the environment. September 19 is a day dedicated to cleaning up some of the immense amount of debris plaguing our oceans. Join Group for the East End, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and Hallock State Park as they participate in this year’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).
You can download the Marine Debris Tracker app to help record and track the trash you pick up. You must choose a time slot and come with a face mask. All tools will be provided and cleaned in between sessions. This is a free, socially distanced event.
Starting at $98, this 13.5 mile bike tour takes you to exclusive farms and vineyards. After selecting your bike, a professional guide will tour you around the best of Long Island wine country. In addition to tasting award-winning wines, you will also sample fresh olive oils and vinegars and visit many local farm stands. You will also be able to enjoy live music and entertainment. This event is for people 21 and over.
The Carmans River in Brookhaven is a great place to go kayaking or canoeing. This guided tour allows you to rent a kayak or canoe (or bring your own if you have) to cruise down the Carmans River at sunset.
At this organic farm on the East End, kids can interact with chickens, sheep, and other animals. Offering contactless checkout, advance tickets online (not required), and curbside pickup of pre-orders. Friendly farm hands often take animals out for kids to pet and help feed. Also, there is a large children’s play area with a wooden castle and a giant spider web. Many special events are hosted here, including children’s birthday parties, baby animal weekends, an annual tulip festival, and a Mother’s Day brunch. Be sure to stop by the organic market for delicious groceries. The farm is open through Halloween
Although this year, the 19 historic buildings are not open to the public but guided, masked tours are available by appointment. Explore this original farmstead to learn what farming life was like 250 years ago. Visitors to the 19-building facility can experience cooking in the historic kitchen or even grinding corn to feed the resident animals. In addition, kids can interact with cows and chickens to learn about their importance to the farm.
Even though traffic is slightly better with the increased number of people working from home, Long Island traffic is pretty much back to normal on the weekend. If you and your family plan on getting to Riverhead, give yourself plenty of time to get out there. Don’t put yourself in a stressful situation by not taking into account the traffic. You may look at a GPS ahead of time to get a good idea of how long it will take. Keep in mind also that oftentimes there is traffic just before arriving, due to the parking lot being backed up. If you feel rushed, you are more likely to do something unsafe. Check the traffic conditions and leave early.
While adhering to basic driving fundamentals is always important, it is especially important in heavy traffic situations to always let other drivers be aware of what your vehicle is doing. Long Islanders sometimes have a habit of turning on their directional after they have begun changing lanes. This is not helpful for anyone to anticipate what you are doing, and New York State law requires at least a 100 foot warning via turn signal before you turn, merge or change lanes.
Further, it is even more important to check your blind spot before changing lanes. Although it isn’t safe, many cars like to tailgate in heavy traffic so changing lanes can be especially hazardous and only do so if there is a safe amount of space. Avoid cutting people off, it saves you little to no time.
The parking at many of the Riverhead orchards and farms can be very hectic. Parking lots always have the potential of causing a car accident. More than 50000 car accidents occur in a parking lot every year. These parking lots may be more busy than most, so the cars will be coming in and out.
It is very important that you pay lots of attention to your surroundings. Look out for cars backing up, and be careful at intersections. A lot of the parking lots at farms and vineyards aren’t paved, so be really careful when parking, and give yourself and other cars adequate space. Anticipate the actions of other drivers and be prepared to use your horn if another car does not seem to see you, especially if they are backing up and getting too close. It is also important to drive slow as there are families walking all over the place. You do not want to be liable for a pedestrian accident.
Additionally, do not use your phone while you are driving in a parking lot; you are still driving and it is still a distraction . This is important to mention because studies show that 66% of drivers nationwide said they would make phone calls while driving in a parking lot.
Although driving can be hectic, going to an orchard in Riverhead can be a really enjoyable experience for the whole family. Here are a couple orchards out in eastern Long Island and what you can expect should you visit.
Harbes is one of the most popular orchards in Riverhead. It has over 20 varieties of apples along with other fall activities like hayrides, pumpkin picking and a corn maze. They even do special events like the Spooky Maze around Halloween. They also have wine tastings and food concessions.
Located in Calverton, this farm is unique in that it offers a variety of produce you can pick from. In addition to apples, you can pick berries, peppers and eggplants just to name a few. They also have a corn maze and a farm stand.
Parents love Woodside as it not only has apple picking, but they actually make their own hard cider and do weekly tastings. They host these tastings every Saturday and Sunday in both Aquebogue and Jamesport.
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.
The toll that a body takes from a car accident is nothing short of unnatural. Our bodies are not meant to be moving at such high speeds to begin with only to be stopped suddenly by an opposing force. Car accidents are so devastating because in the blink of an eye a serious and sometimes lifelong injury can incur.
Oftentimes after a car accident, a person will feel some pain but feel it is not serious enough to go through the hassle of going to the hospital. The accident was a detour in it of itself, so many just want to get home. However, a person can be seriously injured and not even realize it right away. When the body undergoes an immediate amount of stress, it uses adrenaline as its own painkiller as a survival instinct. This is why TV Shows watch online free we always recommend seeking medical attention immediately after an accident if you feel any pain whatsoever. Today, we will discuss the most common injuries that a person may face as a result of a car accident.
Neck and Back Injuries fall under the category of an injury you might not feel right away. Nevertheless, injuries in the neck or back such as whiplash, a fractured bone, sprained ligament, irritated joint or ruptured disc can lead to serious and debilitating pain. The back and neck is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. Back and neck pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is the most common cause of missed work.
In many cases, physical therapy or chiropractic care are prescribed to solve the problem. If that doesn’t help, pain management treatments such as trigger point injections or epidural injections may be next. If that type of treatment should fail to alleviate the pain, the next step is surgery. There are many types of surgery that can be performed to attempt to resolve significant back pain, depending on the location and type of damage incurred by the accident.
Another very dangerous but not immediately noticeable injury is a head injury. Brain injuries are among the most serious types of injuries that a person can suffer in an accident. When the brain is injured, the changes that occur can vary greatly, depending on the area of the brain that is affected and the severity of the damage. Any of the brain’s functions may be altered – cognitive processes, vision, hearing and behavior.
A blow to the head can cause a concussion, hemorrhage (brain bleed), edema (fluid buildup), fracture to the skull, or worse of all, diffuse axonal injury (brain damage). The symptoms of these injuries game of thrones watch online free start very similarly and are impossible to detect without medical treatment. Any blow to the head from a car accident should be taken very seriously, because failure to treat a head injury could result in permanent damage.
Although fractures are much easier to detect, they can still have a huge toll on a person’s life. Even if the injury seems obvious, the only way to know for sure if you have a fracture is with an x-ray. So if you have significant bruising and swelling in a certain part of your body after a car accident, it is imperative to get it checked out at the hospital. Fractures are very painful and can be very debilitating, often involving a long recovery and time off from work. Additionally, one occurring during a motor vehicle accident specifically is called a “traumatic fracture”. Unfortunately, the chances of experiencing a fracture only increases after the age of 30.
A laceration occurs when skin, tissue, or muscle is severed. Lacerations happen during auto collisions from broken glass, when an occupant is ejected from the car and injured by hitting the road, and other instances when a person comes into contact with any type of sharp object. Car accident lacerations can be really scary, as it is the first injury you would see and the first injury you would feel.
The concern with a laceration the 100 watch online free is if it is very serious, it would need to be treated immediately to prevent significant blood loss. Even if a person is not losing a lot of blood from the laceration, it still needs to be properly cleaned to prevent infection. If a police officer sees a laceration at the scene of an accident, they will probably call an ambulance for you before asking. Once treated, the only long term effect of a laceration is disfigurement or scarring. Although this is not a long term health problem, it can cause a lot of emotional pain to a person to see a permanent mark on their body because of the accident.
A soft tissue injury is damage from ligaments, cartilage, muscles or tendons resulting from trauma or overuse. Damage to cartilage and ligaments specifically are more common from car accidents, although any type of soft tissue injury is plausible. Injuries to these types of connective tissues are not only very painful, but often limit a person’s mobility. Soft tissue injuries are categorized by three different grades
Consequently, soft tissue injuries can take weeks to months of time to recover depending on the severity. However, severity can also increase if a mild soft tissue injury is not treated. Therefore, it is very important that you seek medical attention any time you feel pain following an accident. A medical professional will likewise give you the advice you need to recover quickly and safely. Oftentimes physical therapy is recommended where you can get cold and electrotherapy to treat the injury.
Although these injuries should not be taken lightly, many are understandably concerned with how expensive medical treatment can be, not to mention the time needed off work to recover. No-Fault insurance is an insurance program that provides medical benefits, lost wages and other incidental expenses for victims of car accidents in New York. Every car insurance policy in New York is required to provide No-Fault coverage. The insurance policy of the vehicle that you’re occupying at the time of the car accident is the policy that is responsible for paying your No-Fault benefits regardless of fault. If you are struck while a pedestrian or riding a bicycle, the vehicle that struck you is going to pay your No-Fault benefits. The minimum amount of coverage that is required in New York State for No-Fault is $50,000. Once your benefits exceed $50,000 the No-Fault carrier will not be responsible for your medical bills, lost wages or other incidental costs unless you have purchased additional no-fault benefits.
Although no fault is very helpful, sometimes that is not enough to cover all of your expenses from the accident. There are other things that no-fault doesn’t compensate for either, such as pain and suffering. Therefore, some decide to pursue a personal injury claim. While any injury from an accident can completely disrupt your life, New York has a statute called the “Serious Injury” Threshold that determines whether or not a person is able to file a personal injury claim. Here is what the State of New York considers to be a serious injury:
Clearly, not all of these types of injuries are straightforward, so it is still a good idea to get a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney to see if you are eligible to file a claim.
If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, it is a good idea to call a car accident lawyer immediately. Most insurance companies spring into action right after their insureds are involved in an accident. They are immediately contacting witnesses and gathering statements in an attempt to escape responsibility for your injuries. That is why we are available by phone, e-mail or text message 24/7. We’re ready to get to work right away to ensure that your rights are protected.
In car accident cases there is generally a three-year statute of limitations to initiate a lawsuit. However, that time period may be reduced to as little as 90 days if your car accident involves a municipal, state or federal entity. So, it’s best to check with a qualified car accident attorney as soon as possible.
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.