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A pothole is a roadway defect that is caused by environmental factors such as heat, rain, ice and snow. These conditions erode a road and create cracks. When the cracks get deeper or wider, pavement material can separate and become dislodged by the tires of passing vehicles. If the hole spreads beyond the road and begins to erode the dirt below, a sinkhole will develop. Potholes present a danger whether you are walking on a street or driving in a car. They are especially dangerous to smaller cars, wheelchairs, bicycles or mopeds because even the smallest pothole can cause serious injuries. Seniors and disabled individuals are extremely vulnerable when operating scooters on surfaces pitted with holes. Parking lots or other private property owners are liable for large potholes that cause injuries. These claims are commonly filed under a premises liability theory. The most important factors are whether there are money damages such as medical treatment costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and the extent of the injuries sustained in the accident. Read more...https://bit.ly/2qmO1AP

Uber drivers are dependent upon the Uber app to inform them where a passenger is, where they want to go and what the fare will be. They are notified by a ping on their phone along with additional information as to where the pick-up will be. During the ride, the Uber driver may use the phone for directions, or to pick up other passengers. In other words, an Uber driver spends a lot of time looking at, and being distracted by, their phone. When an Uber driver gets a request for pick-up, they only have 10 to 15 seconds to accept the request. Within that time frame, no matter what the driving conditions are, a driver must make visual and cognitive choices. If you miss this deadline, it hurts your acceptance rate which hurts the amount of money you can earn and can eventually result in being de-activated in the system. Responding to the ping takes manual, visual and cognitive attention which, by definition, is a distraction. If you are responding to the call while in the middle of heavy traffic or while driving in unsafe road or weather conditions, this becomes particularly dangerous. Although Uber urges their drivers to use hands-free navigation, a phone mount and to always employ safe driving practices, there is a financial incentive to distracted driving because drivers must look at their phones, get the location and time requirement, decide as to how to respond and then respond in a matter of seconds.

Winter weather conditions in Albany, NY can become severe very quickly, and even the most experienced drivers can face dangerous hazards on the road. The Federal Highway Commission stated that one in four car accidents involve inclement weather. Some of the most common hazards are: Black ice: Roadways can be covered by a thin layer of ice that is invisible to the naked eye or hidden by a layer of fresh snow. Drivers are unaware of the hazard, and have no time to prepare for a collision or spin-out. Limited visibility: A heavy snowfall is sometimes referred to as a white-out, making it almost impossible to see other cars on the road. If you cannot see, you have no idea what to expect and no time to avoid an accident. Freezing rain: Raindrops can freeze when they make contact with a surface, including the windshield of a car. The roads become slicker and the visibility is significantly diminished. Sleet: Sleet looks like regular snow, but it far more slippery and makes a vehicle much more difficult to control.

With temperatures dipping to almost unbearable lows, its important to prepare yourself AND your vehicle for the unexpected. These nine bad winter habits, published by weather.com, could ruin your car and put you and others at serious risk for injury and even death: 1.Forgetting to change your windshield wipers. Proper visibility is absolutely vital to your safety. 2.While it’s smart to warm up your vehicle before driving, don’t let your car sit in idle for too long, this could damage or ruin your spark plugs. 3.Be sure your tires are in good shape. 4.Double check your tire pressure. 5.You should still be mindful of the sun in the winter. Not only can bright sun damage your windshield, it can also limit visibility. 6.Too little gas in your tank could lead to ice in your fuel lines. 7.When cleaning your windshield don’t take shortcuts like pouring hot water onto your vehicle, this could crack the glass. If you chose to drive with snow or ice accumulation on your vehicle you could find yourself with a ticket, or worse, the cause of a crash. 8.Do not slam on your breaks if you hit ice. Because of this common mistake drivers often lose control and cause head on crashes or veer off the road. Instead of slamming on your breaks try to stay calm and gently turn the steering wheel in the direction you are sliding while lightly tapping the brake. 9.For many of us living in the tristate area we have years of experience driving in inclement weather, but even for the most experienced driver, overconfidence can result in serious injury. There is never a good reason to speed, especially during cold weather conditions. If you or a loved one were injured due to a dangerous driver contact us today.