Late winter and early spring in Upstate New York, Buffalo to Albany, create rapid freeze thaw cycles. Asphalt opens, water fills the gaps, freezes, breaks the asphalt even more, and the cycle continues. For drivers, daily routes become a pothole minefield. There are...
Auto insurance helps provide financial protection and peace-of-mind in the event an individual is injured in a motor vehicle accident or his or her actions result in the injury of another driver, passenger or pedestrian. To help ensure that monthly and annual premiums...
In New York and Vermont, to prove that an insurer has acted in bad faith, a plaintiff must provide a factual basis for claiming that the insurer did one or more of the following: Unreasonably denied the insured's claim Failed to conduct an adequate investigation...
There is no upside to two recent commuter rail accidents. There is, however, an important lesson for anyone who can take a moment away from concern for the victims of both crashes to consider the particulars of each accident. So let us compare and contrast the Feb. 3...
A week after the crash, investigators have a better understanding of a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Rensselaer. Seven cars were involved, most of them parked; in addition to the woman who died, three people suffered injuries. Their condition has not been disclosed....
We have friends who take two weeks off every year to explore the Hudson Valley. They drive (an environmentally friendly hybrid vehicle) the back roads and visit the big estates and the roadside farm stands. This year, they took their young niece and nephew with them,...
Over the years newspapers in New York State have reported on the state's practice of charging motorists for repairs to guardrails. The stories follow a pattern: There is a one-car accident that results in damage to a guardrail along a state highway. The driver files a...
We are discussing an appellate court decision from Pennsylvania about dram shop liability. The court declined to find a golf club liable for a patron's drunk driving accident, a ruling that illustrates a strict adherence to the specifics of the dram shop law. Both New...
The hospitality industry has long complained that dram shop laws go a little too far. These are the state laws that allow third parties like restaurants and bars to be held liable in alcohol-related accidents. The liability is not just for civil damages, either -- in...
The Memorial Day weekend is over, but the deadliest time of year for teenagers is just beginning. More teens are involved in car accidents between Memorial Day and Labor Day than at any other time of the year. Teens may have more time on their hands, they may have...