Pedestrian Accident

A 2017 New Year’s Resolution For Safe Driving

January 3, 2017 | Tapalian Law

People make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions from losing weight to improving their finances. Even though almost half of Americans admit they make New Year’s resolutions, only about eight percent of those individuals will keep their resolutions and reach their goals.

One resolution that every driver should make and keep is to become a safe driver in 2017. There are far too many motor vehicle accidents each year in the United States. Thousands of people are killed and injured each month throughout the country. If every driver would resolve to break bad driving habits, we could reduce the number of tragic car accidents. Below are several New Year’s resolutions that can help you become a safer driver in 2017.

I Resolve to Wear My Seat Belt –

Preventing Underage Drinking During The Holidays

December 12, 2016 | Tapalian Law

How serious is underage drinking during the holidays? According to information from the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 11,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years will try alcohol for the first time on any given day during December. With approximately 400 young people under the age of 21 years dying each month from alcohol-related causes, underage drinking is an extremely serious problem during the holidays and throughout the entire year.

As an experienced Massachusetts DUI accident attorney, I see the devastation caused by drinking and driving for victims and their families. This holiday season, take steps to prevent drinking and driving by protecting your teen driver from underage drinking.

Talk to Your Teenager About Underage Drinking

Watch Out For Fatigued Driving This Holiday Season!

December 7, 2016 | Tapalian Law

Are you busy decorating your home for the holidays? Does it seem you are always on the road running errands or shopping? Do you feel as if you are simply dragging because you are exhausted? If so, you could be at risk for a fatigued driving accident this holiday season.

If you are involved in a car accident, remember the Martha’s Vineyard car accident attorneys are always here to answer questions and help protect your best interests. Call

401-552-5000

or use our online

contact form

Winter Slip And Fall Safety Tips

December 5, 2016 | Tapalian Law

Snow covered trees, ice glistening from rooftops, and snow falling on a cold winter’s night while you sit by the fireplace may sound very appealing — until you try to walk on ice and snow covered walkways.

Winter weather creates some of the most beautiful landscapes in Rhode Island, but it also creates some of the most treacherous conditions for getting around. Since we cannot hibernate all winter, we need to take precautions to reduce the risk of slips and falls during winter months.

Preventing Winter Slip and Fall Accidents

What Happens When There Is Road Debris In Your Way?

November 30, 2016 | Tapalian Law

As a driver, you face many hazards on the roads. From other drivers and traffic congestion to weather and road debris, road conditions can quickly cause a motor vehicle accident. When road debris causes a collision with injury and damages, who is responsible for the compensating the accident victims?

Actions You Take When Encountering Road Debris

First, we need to look at how the crash occurred. When you encounter road debris, it is easy to panic. Your first reaction may be to jerk the steering wheel as you swerve to miss the debris. There are actually a few actions you can take when you encounter debris on the road.

What Are Considered Catastrophic Injuries In A Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Accident?

November 26, 2016 | Tapalian Law

A catastrophic injury can happen in any motor vehicle accident, but they are especially common in truck accidents. The difference in size and weight between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle leaves the occupants of the passenger vehicle at a very high risk for catastrophic injuries. Sadly, catastrophic injuries have devastating consequences that impact a person’s life forever. As an experienced Massachusetts truck accident attorney, I have seen this in many commercial truck accident cases.

Categorizing Catastrophic Injuries

Not every severe injury is categorized as catastrophic. Catastrophic injuries are usually defined as injuries that impact a person’s quality of life. In most cases, a catastrophic injury has a permanent impact and the conditions associated with this type of injury are irreversible. Catastrophic injuries can also be fatal.

Things NOT To Do After A Rhode Island Car Accident

October 28, 2016 | Tapalian Law

You read a lot about what you should do after a car accident. While this is very good information to have, you also should know what

NOT

to do after a car accident.

Protecting Yourself After A Car Accident

Be Careful What You Post On Social Media – How Social Sharing Impacts Your Rhode Island Accident Claim

October 21, 2016 | Tapalian Law

Thanks to sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, people can share the details of their lives with friends and family every second of the day. People post everything from what they are eating for breakfast and where they are eating dinner to how irritated they are standing in line at the grocery store and how long they have sat in the doctor’s office waiting to see the doctor.

Therefore, it’s common to tell others about a car accident you were in or other accident that caused you to be injured. Social media makes it easy and convenient to update all of your friends and family with one post. Posting on social media is much easier than making numerous telephone calls or sending a text to each person. However, sharing information on social media can damage your accident claim, especially if you have a public profile. Don’t be fooled; social media posts can damage your personal injury claim even if your profiles are private.

Nothing you post on the internet is completely private, regardless of your security settings. The attorney for the other party will be monitoring your activity online. He may also request a subpoena from the court to compel you to turn over the information from your social media accounts.

10 Bicycle Safety Tips to Prevent a Bicycle Accident in RI & Mass

September 15, 2016 | Tapalian Law

Beautiful fall weather abound. It’s the perfect time of year for a bike ride in New England. Whether enjoying a leisurely bike ride with the kids or cycling competitively, the cooler temperatures are perfect. Riding a bike is a fun activity to do with friends or alone, not to mention the health benefits. Most times it is very safe as well. However, it can never hurt to be reminded to take extra precautions whether you are the one cycling or driving your vehicle near a bicyclist to prevent a bicycle accident. In Rhode Island & Massachusetts people on bikes are required to follow the same traffic rules and regulations as other drivers. Simply put- drive your bike as you would any vehicle.

5 Safety Tips for Bicyclists to prevent a bicycle accident:

Ride on the right hand side of the road & with the traffic.

Pedestrian Killed By Bus In Providence

September 7, 2016 | Tapalian Law

According to The Providence Journal, a 30-year-old Cumberland woman walking to work on August 24 died after being struck by a Peter Pan bus. The bus struck Michelle Cagnon as she crossed East Approach in front of the Alex and Ani City Center ice skating rink. It appears that the Peter Pan bus was turning left onto East Approach from Washington Street when it struck Cagnon while she was in the crosswalk. This tragic accident is the fifth bus accident in Providence this year.

Pedestrian Deaths on the Rise

During 2013, 4,735 pedestrians were killed and 66,000 pedestrians were injured in pedestrian accidents throughout the United States. This equates to approximately one pedestrian death every two hours and one pedestrian injury every eight minutes. While this number represented a slight decrease in pedestrian deaths from 2012 to 2013 (a two percent decrease), a new study paints a much darker picture.