Normally I don’t get involved in politics but now and then when the politics drastically affects the fair compensation our family, friends and clients deserve, it’s time to saddle up. 

I would appreciate it if you, or anyone you know could call the # below and just indicate that you want N.J. Governor Corzine to sign a great wrongful death bill that was approved by the Legislature but is stalled on his desk.  Without his signature, the bill will die.  Why is what happens in N.J. important to us?  Because if N.J. approves this drastic improvement to its ancient and horrible wrongful death statute, it will dramatically improve our chances in NY of revising our ancient and horrible wrongful death statute.  So it IS important, so please call!  Don’t worry, they are not taking your name or any address information when you call—they just want to know that you are asking the Governor to SIGN the bill!  BTW, Big Businesses and the Medical Lobby across the US is urging the Governor to not sign the bill so let’s do our part to support the Little Guy—every call counts!

New Jersey’s Wrongful Death Bill, on Governor Corzine’s desk for
several days already after passing the Legislature, is having a
problem.
The Governor has, for the very first time, expressed some
reservations about the Bill to its sponsors and supporters.

The importance of this for New Yorkers is immense:  should NY be left
with ITs draconian Wrongful Death (Grieving Family) laws as sister
state NJ modernizes, our chances for reform will be greatly
improved.

PLEASE take the time to call, and have family friends and staff
call, Gov. CORZINE’s office to urge that he sign the Wrongful Death
Act (A-1511, S-176)into Law.

The number to call is 609/292-6000, please request that Gov. Corzine SIGN the Wrongful Death Act.

Thanks for reading, Jim
_________________________________________
James B. Reed, Esq.
Personal Injury & Malpractice Attorney
Ziff, Weiermiller, Hayden & Mustico, LLP
303 William St., Elmira, NY 14902
Tel. (607) 733-8866  Fax. (607) 732-6062
Toll Free 1-800-943-3529
mailto:jreed@zifflaw.com     http://www.zifflaw.com  
   

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Now and then I intend to provide practice tips that might be useful to my fellow personal injury lawyers who may be reading my blog.  Why give my “competition” practical advice?  Simple.  I firmly believe that we ALL benefit when we help someone to do a better job and accordingly, I am always willing to help another attorney even if they happen to be a NY accident lawyer like me……  

Below is a useful tip that is useful to everyone who may be frustrated by not being able to find someone’s email address.  Heck, we can look up phone numbers, why can’t we look up email addresses? Read the rest…

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Read the rest…

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My clients frequently ask me questions regarding NY No-Fault Insurance Law. Although I am happy to answer their questions, a large number of the basic questions are answered on the FAQ page of the New York State Insurance Department website that you can access by clicking here. Below I have pasted some of the FAQ’s for your convenience but I must issue a WARNING– This stuff is very dry as it was undoubtedly written by a bureaucrat deep in the bowels of the Insurance Department: Read the rest…

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An article in the Elmira Star-Gazette newspaper today (pasted below) brings home two very simple, but very important safety tips: 

• (1) Never drive drunk or ride as a passenger with someone you know has been drinking, and,
• (2) Always, always, always wear your seatbelt!

After 20+ years as an accident lawyer in NY and PA, I continue to be amazed at the number of people who keep violating these simple safety rules and they pay the price by suffering serious personal injury or death in auto accidents.  Please protect yourself and your family by using common sense and ALWAYS following these rules. Read the rest…

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My dad was a Plumber and my summers spent working with him taught me many valuable lessons.  Perhaps one of the most important lessons I learned was that there is the “right tool for the right job”.  My father couldn’t stand to see someone using a wrench as a hammer or a screwdriver as a pry bar.  If I heard it once, I heard it 1,000 times, “Use the right tool for the right job”.

Picking the RIGHT lawyer for your case is just like that.  In every city, there are hundreds if not thousands of lawyers and it’s virtually impossible for anyone to know who they should hire as their attorney.  I am shocked and amazed that given the importance of choosing the RIGHT attorney, that many people literally pick the first attorney they see on TV or in the phone book. 

While I view it as a necessary part of my business that I advertise on TV and in the phone book, I would not for one moment suggest to anyone that the fact that I advertise like this means that I am the right lawyer for YOU. 

I strongly believe that the choice of a lawyer is a very important one and I therefore urge you to keep the following suggestions in mind when you pick the RIGHT lawyer for YOU:

Read the rest…

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Despite the fact that I earn my living as a NY and Pennsylvania accident lawyer, you may be shocked to learn that I often recommend to people who meet with me that it is NOT necessary for every person to be represented by an attorney in every auto accident case.

That’s right…not everyone needs a lawyer in every accident case.

However, BEFORE you can make that decision, it is CRITICAL that you be properly informed so you can make the right decision and so you can properly protect your rights. Quite frankly, that’s why I am writing this post and that’s why I wrote a book (Learn the Five Deadly Mistakes that Can Kill Your Accident Case!) to help folks make this decision BEFORE talking to the other insurance company.

Please keep reading to get some basic advice and to learn how you can get a free copy of my book (if you live in NY or PA). Read the rest…

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Got a shiny new GPS for Christmas?  A word to the wise– please, please, please do not blindly follow your GPS.  As great as a GPS can be (particularly to those stubborn males like myself who refuse to ask for directions!), they are not infallible. 

A fellow from Bedford Hills, NY, learned this simple lesson when his car was destroyed in a huge train vs. car accident.  Ouch!

 Here’s a post on Engadget about this collision:

Once again proving that “people be stupid,” a Bedford Hills, New York man allowed his GPS to navigate him onto train tracks… while a train was approaching. Entering a long line of folks like Cherry Tree Guy and the Narrow Lane Invader, this mentat in question apparently followed directions to “turn right” onto a set of tracks, which he then inexplicably became stuck on. Upon noticing the speeding locomotive heading towards his car, the man jumped out of the vehicle and tried to warn the engineer by waving his arms frantically — to no avail. The train slammed into the truck at 60 MPH and pushed the vehicle more than 100-feet, damaging 250-feet of track. The man was unharmed, though we understand his ego has filed for divorce.

Thanks for reading,

Jim Reed, NY Accident Lawyer

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Remember the nightmarish stories of airline passengers being stuck on grounded airplanes for more than 10 hours with no food, insufficient bathrooms and no fresh air?  Well under a new New York law, those days are over or airlines will be facing hefty fines. 

New York State’s “Airline Passenger Bill of Rights” took effect on Tuesday, mandating airlines to provide water, snacks, fresh air and working restrooms for departing passengers delayed on planes at New York airports for more than three hours.

Airlines found to have broken the “Consumer Bill of Rights” for airline passengers would face penalties of up to $1,000 per passenger.

New York is the first state in the United States to adopt such a measure.

Inexplicably, the new law does not apply to tarmac delays that happen while planes wait for gates after they land, which is when many delays occur in bad weather.  

Thanks for reading,

Jim Reed, NY accident lawyer

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