The Ziff Law Firm is teaming up with the Elmira Pioneers this summer to select a Hometown Hero of the Game for each Pioneers home game from nominations provided by Twin Tiers residents.

Anyone who gives back to their community through their work, actions or volunteer efforts can be a nominee.

Tell us about your Hometown Hero today — nominate your hero!

Those selected as Hometown Heroes – and up to seven of their family members and friends – will be guests of the Ziff Law Firm at a Pioneers game at Dunn Field, where they will be seated in a specially designated box. The Hometown Hero will be recognized during the game by the public address announcer.

The Ziff Law Firm has saluted military veterans in its Veteran of the Game honor at each Elmira Jackals hockey game for the last three seasons at First Arena. Over that time, nearly 100 veterans have been applauded by Jackals fans for their service to our country.

Through our Veterans of the Game program with the Elmira Jackals, we have been so pleased to meet and honor local veterans and give them the recognition they deserve. Veterans are not the only people in the community worthy of recognition, though.

There are everyday heroes in our midst, and these are the folks we’ll be recognizing this summer. Our Hometown Heroes could be police officers or firefighters, volunteers, or they could be other people doing good work in the community.

The Elmira Pioneers play in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, which has nine teams from across New York State. The Pioneers’ season begins June 6 in Albany and the first home game is June 8 against Newark.

The Pioneers have 23 home games scheduled in the regular season, which concludes in early August.

The Ziff Law Firm looks forward to turning the spotlight on more people making a difference in our community.

Service to your community, whether through one’s occupation or volunteer work, is as American as baseball and apple pie, so we can’t imagine a better way to thank our Hometown Heroes. The Ziff Law Firm feels privileged to sponsor this program and looks forward to meeting our heroes and sharing their stories.

“Part of my dream with the purchase of the Elmira Pioneers was to give back to the community I was born and raised in,” said Don Lewis, co-owner of the Pioneers. “I am proud to partner with the Ziff Law Firm in hosting the Hometown Heroes program.”

To nominate your Hometown Hero:

Online form: www.zifflaw.com/hero

Email: hero@zifflaw.com

Mail: 303 William St., Elmira, NY 14901

Call: 1-800 ZIFF LAW

Thanks for reading and nominate your heroes!

Adam
__________________________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com

Should New York State follow Maryland's lead and crack down on pit bulls and their owners?

Another state has cracked down on pit bulls. Should New York State do the same?

A new ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals declares pit bulls as a breed are “inherently dangerous,” and the owner of a pit bull or one that has been cross bred that attacks a person or another animal is liable for damages. In addition, any landlord who rents to a pit bull owner is liable as well.

In New York State, the courts have said the exact opposite — there are no inherently dangerous breeds.  Should there be, though?  A disproportionate number of our dog bite cases involve pit bulls, but I have also handled dog bites involving one of the most docile of breeds – a golden retriever!

Pit Bulls make good scape goats.  Just check news across the country on any given day and you will see report after report of pit bull attacks.

Just in the last few days:

A pit bull was shot to death by police after it attacked a woman who was walking her dog in Long Beach, Calif.

The pit bull also attacked two bystanders who tried to help the woman.

Police tried to stun the dog using a Taser gun, but it did not work, so the officers had to shoot and kill the dog!

A 2-year-old pit bull attacked a 7-year-old boy in a back yard in Charlotte, N.C., seriously injuring the boy. The boy needed 20 stitches for his wounds. Authorities will decide this week whether to euthanize the dog.

A Pottsville, Pa., couple were hospitalized after being attacked by their own dogs, which authorities said were likely pit bulls. The dogs were first fighting between themselves, then  turned on the owners.

Are pit bulls so dangerous that their owners and landlords should be strictly liable for damage a member of that breed causes even if that particular animal has never been vicious in the past?  It’s hard to say without a hard look at all the data.  One thing we know for sure is that a responsible owner can minimize the risk of an attack by any breed of dog by properly socializing, rearing, training and restraining the dog.  Conversely, a dog owner who fails to do these things, or even worse, encourages protective and aggressive behavior towards people and other animals, has a much greater risk of injuring someone else.

What do you think?  Are pit bulls inherently dangerous?  Are they simply the victim of bad press?  Let us know what you think!

Thanks for reading,

Adam
__________________________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Dog Bite Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com

Always press the crosswalk button before trying to cross a busy street, including Elmira's dangerous Clemens Center Parkway.

Many pedestrians have been killed and injured trying to cross the Clemens Center Parkway in Elmira, the four-lane, 40-mph road that cuts through the center of the city.

There is not much pedestrians can do when confronted by distracted, careless or intoxicated drivers. We have written extensively about the dangers facing pedestrians in previous blog posts about those incidents.  But there is something pedestrians can do that will help them to cross this and other intersections safely.

As spring arrives and the weather warms up, I love to walk from our office to downtown to grab some lunch.  A quick walk and some fresh air and sun is a welcome break from the office grind.  On these walks, though, I have noticed what I thought was a problem with several crosswalks and especially the crosswalk indicator lights.  There are several intersections where the “cross” indicator never came on when the light changed, and the traffic signal was so short that I didn’t have time to cross the intersection before it changed again.  This was a huge problem at the intersection of Clemens Center Parkway and Second Street, where the green light for Second Street is very short, and the distance a pedestrian has to travel across Clemens Center Parkway is in the vicinity of 100 feet.  I thought that something must be wrong with the intersection lights, and made a note to call the City of Elmira to alert them to this problem.

I consider myself I pretty savvy person, especially when it comes to my personal safety.  I have lived and worked and traveled in cities before, and doing what I do for a living makes me extra cautious. But I learned something new the other day from a fellow pedestrian.  I watched a woman ahead of me on second street reach the intersection with Clemens Center Parkway and push the big button on the pole near the corner.  When the traffic signal changed to green for Second Street, the “cross” light for pedestrians magically illuminated and stayed lit long enough for pedestrians to safely cross the intersection!

Like most people (or is it just me?) I knew the button was there but ignored it, thinking its only purpose was to prompt the traffic light to change more quickly.  I usually ignored the button out of sanitary concerns more than anything else.

I had no idea that those buttons cause the pedestrian crossing system to activate and change the timing of the traffic signal light changes to provide enough time for pedestrians to safely cross the intersection!

I HOPE that this was simply my country roots showing and that I am the only person who didn’t know this.  If I’m not, please learn from my mistake, press the button, and give yourself enough time to cross that intersection safely!

Thanks for reading,

Adam
__________________________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com

My book, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?” is available FREE to New York and Pennsylvania bikers; follow the link to order your copy.

Female car shoppers need better safety information when choosing a new or pre-owned vehicle.

I recently wrote about the striking results of vehicle crash results using female crash-test dummies.

Consumer advocates told The Washington Post that the inadequate performance of the female crash-test dummies shows the federal government needs to do a better job studying the impact of accidents on women and all people smaller than average-size men..

Historically, when it comes to vehicle crash investigations and ratings, it’s a male dummy’s world. Most of the ratings are based on man-size dummies. When smaller dummies representing women and smaller people, including children, were added to the testing, the results pointed to a greatly increased risk for smaller drivers and passengers.

The Washington Post cites as an example the 2011 Toyota Sienna, which shows that a female passenger in a 35-mph crash faces a 20 percent to 40 percent risk of being seriously injured or killed, according to test data.

And what if the female passenger wants to be the driver? Well ….

“A lot of women do substantial (safety) research before going to buy a car,” Joan Claybrook, a longtime consumer advocate who was head of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during the Carter administration when the star-rating system was introduced, told The Washington Post. “Yet there’s not a whole lot of information about how cars impact women” in collisions.

Which leaves women with few good shopping options for checking specifically on risks to women and children.

Here are three of the most commonly checked websites:

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation.
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

All have plenty of good, helpful information, and in some cases, information that breaks down for men and women. But there is not enough.

So residents of Elmira, Corning and the Twin Tiers, it’s time to participate in your democracy and write letters to your congressional members urging them to pressure government agencies to improve their crash ratings. Oh, and remind them that sometimes women drive and the crash tests should use more female dummies behind the wheel!

As Washington catches up to the rest of the country, let me ask you – how do YOU do your safety homework when you are buying a new or pre-owned car?

Share your tips in our comment section below!

Thanks for reading.

Adam
__________________________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com

Police are investigating an accident Monday that injured schoolchildren in Bradford County.

A school bus accident is one of parents’ worst nightmares. Fortunately for parents in northern Pennsylvania, a crash Monday involving a school bus and a minivan does not appear to have been serious.

Please notice that I said it “does not appear to have been serious.” Sometimes, minor accidents can cause serious injuries that are not immediately evident. That is why I always encourage all accident victims to be checked by a doctor as soon as possible after an accident, even if they feel OK.

Some of the students told WETM-TV it was one of the scariest moments of their lives. Any accident involving a bus full of children is SERIOUS.

Here is what happened Monday, according to WETM-TV:

State Police in Bradford County said a minivan rear-ended a school bus carrying the Canton Junior High School girls and boys basketball teams at Woodruff Road and State Route 414 in Leroy Township.

Students told police the bus stopped quickly when a car in front of the bus stopped suddenly to make a turn.

Ten children were sent to hospitals in Towanda and Troy to be checked for possible injuries.

WETM spoke with two of the girls leaving Troy Community Hospital Monday evening.

An eighth-grader, Lizzy Tymeson, told WETM: “All of a sudden, we slammed on the brakes because the car in front of us was going really fast and wanted to turn. When we slammed on the brakes, our heads slammed forward. The car went into us too fast. It was really scary.”

Lizzy said her twin sister was being tested for a possible concussion.

A seventh-grader, Jewell Vanryn, said, “It’s kind of scary because you don’t expect things like that to happen because you don’t ever think it’s going to happen to you.”

State police said no one suffered life-threatening injuries. The teams were headed to Towanda.

State police declined to identify the drivers involved or any other details as of Tuesday.

Residents of Elmira, Corning and the Twin Tiers, remember to always get checked by a doctor, even if it is a “minor” motor vehicle accident!

The data from crashes involving female crash test dummies is changing the way some vehicles are designed.

Automobile crash tests aren’t just for men anymore.

The auto industry and federal safety agencies have started adding dummies modeled on women after taking notice that women and children, usually smaller than men, fare less well in accidents.

Starting in 2011, The Washington Post reported,  the federal government began replacing its average-size male dummy with a smaller dummy in some tests.

For example, when  a 2011 Toyota Sienna was slammed into a barrier at 35 mph, the female dummy in the front passenger seat had a 20 percent to 40 percent risk of being killed or seriously injured, according to the test report.

The average for the Sienna’s class of vehicle is a 15 percent risk.

The manager of GM’s test lab told ABC News that GM has invested $200,000 in 200 crash dummies. GM can simulate men, women and children of all sizes, as well as infants.

Linda Tram, spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), told ABC News that studies show that women, with smaller bones and lower bone density, are at greater risk than men of suffering injury or death in crashes. Their less muscular necks make them more vulnerable to whiplash. In general, smaller people cannot tolerate crash forces as well as can full-sized men.

Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told ABC News: “One of the reasons we started using female dummies is the way women sit in a vehicle.” They tend, he said, to position their seats farther forward, to compensate for their smaller stature.

In general, experts told The Washington Post the smaller the person, the fewer crash forces the body can tolerate. When cars wrap around trees or utility poles, for example, smaller drivers and passengers suffer more head, abdominal and pelvic injuries but fewer chest injuries than average-size people, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Women’s less-muscular necks also make them more susceptible to whiplash, researchers say.

Government data from police reports also show women are at greater risk of being injured, especially when they’re not behind the wheel, the Post reported.

A 2011 study by the University of Virginia’s Center for Applied Biomechanics found that seat-belted female drivers in actual crashes had a 47 percent higher chance of serious injuries than belted male drivers in comparable collisions. For moderate injuries, that difference rose to 71 percent.

So before you buy in Elmira, Corning or anywhere in the Twin Tiers, find out what the dummies are revealing about your No. 1 choice. It doesn’t matter how much you love that vehicle. If it’s not safe, keep shopping!

In our next report, we’ll look at how you can learn more about the safest new vehicle models. Check back here soon!

Thanks for reading.

Adam
__________________________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com

A 30-year-old Whitney Point man was sent to the Broome County jail without bail after being charged with felony driving while intoxicated on March 8^th.

In a crash on I-88 last weekend, a 38-year-old Castle Creek woman was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Her car had “extensive damage” according to a Binghamton-based news report.

A 35-year-old Endicott man was arrested after driving with a blood alcohol content of over .18 percent. He was driving to the left of pavement markings, was unlicensed, and faces a variety of other traffic violations.

According to the Press and Sun Bulletin, on March 7^th, there was a four-car crash in Vestal, NY. Two of the four drivers involved now face ensuing DWI charges. One woman, Tonya Silvestri, faces a felony count of driving while intoxicated with a passenger younger than 15 years. The other driver, Stephen Hawkins, was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.17, a rate that is more than twice the legal limit. Police then went on to make 5 additional DWI arrests in the same weekend—just in Vestal alone!

Last Sunday, Detective Captain John P. Shea of the Binghamton police was driving a city car when he was charged with driving drunk. You can read the comments posted by local citizens about this incident here.

These select incidents are only a few examples of the recent headlines in Binghamton. As an accident attorney, I know that DWI cases are a factor in many accidents and are present in any area. This uptick in DWI arrests, however, is an important trend, one of which others should take note. When more people drive drunk, accidents are bound to occur. When police are arrested for driving drunk in city cars, it is evident that reform must be made. Citizens—be it a mother driving with her young daughter or a police captain entering his night shift— need to take responsibility for their driving and make safety a greater priority.  

What do you think about the recent drunk driving arrests? We would love to hear your comments below!

Thanks, Christina

_________________________________
Christina Bruner Sonsire, Esq.
NY & PA Injury & Malpractice Lawyer
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, New York 14902-1338
csonsire@zifflaw.com
Office: 607.733.8866
Toll-Free: 800.ZIFFLAW (943.3529)
Web:zifflaw.com
Blog: NYInjuryLawBlog.com

Photo courtesy of the Star-Gazette.

According to Yates County District Attorney Jason Cook, 42-year-old Penn Yan resident Steven Eldridge, “turned Pre-Emption Road on a nice summer day into a gruesome scene of death, destruction and human carnage—something one expects to see on the TV news from a third-world war zone.”

Indeed, last summer, Mr. Eldridge, high on cocaine and prescription drugs, crashed his car into a van carrying 14 Amish farmers from Steuben County. The farmers were expecting a peaceful, relaxing day touring farms in the Finger Lakes area. Instead, six people were killed and eight were injured.

According to the Star-Gazette, Mr. Eldridge was trying to pass a tractor in the rural town of Benton, NY, when he hit the farmers and pushed their van under the moving tractor. It is hard to imagine the acute pain and loss associated with that amount of gruesome brutality, and our thoughts and prayers still extend to the family, friends, and loved ones of the victims and the citizens in theYates County community, a place deeply shaken by one man’s tragic irresponsibility.

Today, Steven Eldridge was sentenced to 12-24 years in state prison for aggravated vehicular assault. For his recklessness and his total disregard for the safety of others, he is paying a price—one that, after driving under the influence of drugs and creating such unnecessary tragedy, he deserves. According to District Attorney Cook, Mr. Eldridge was more concerned about the damage to his car than the people trapped or killed by the crash. For his complete lack of conscience and respect, Mr. Eldridge is getting what is truly fair: time in prison.

Justice has been reached in this case, and I can only hope that it helps the victims and those affected by this accident find a greater sense of peace.

Thanks, Christina

_________________________________
Christina Bruner Sonsire, Esq.
NY & PA Injury & Malpractice Lawyer
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, New York 14902-1338
csonsire@zifflaw.com
Office: 607.733.8866
Toll-Free: 800.ZIFFLAW (943.3529)
Web:zifflaw.com
Blog: NYInjuryLawBlog.com

The road was blocked off and a tent was put up after a pedestrian accident in Waverly. Photo courtesy of wetm-tv.com.

80-year-old Norma M. Ivester was always concerned about the traffic on her road. Often discussing it with her neighbor, Genevieve Babcock, Ms. Ivester even said, “The way some people drive, someone will get hit out here.” Ironically, Ms. Ivester died this week in a fatal pedestrian accident outside her home on Broad Street in Waverly.

On March 14, Ms. Ivester walked across the street to get her morning paper at Ted Clark’s Busy Market. At 8:17 a.m., on her way back across the street, she was hit by a passing car.

The incident has deeply affected many in Waverly. In a WETM-18 News story, resident Joe Carnrike said, “I’m thinking, why do things like this always happen to the nicest people?” Family and friends unanimously have named Ms. Ivester as “one of the nicest and [most] caring women they ever knew,” according to the article. Ms. Babcock described “a caring woman who couldn’t do enough for anybody,” and Ms. Ivester’s sister-in-law said simply, “She was a kind and loving person. She was a good neighbor and a good family member.”

So, what happened?  How could a short trip to get a newspaper turn into a death sentence for a woman described as “careful” and “always looking out for others”?

While the investigation of this particular case is ongoing, part of the accident may lie in Broad Street itself. The area is full of pedestrians, with shops ranging from office product stores to thrift shops to coffee houses. Broad Street also extends into a less populated area where the speed limit increases. For cars rushing to join highways like the nearby Southern Tier Expressway, speeding may seem inconsequential for a relatively small few blocks on Broad Street. With pedestrians and nearby New York State Bicycle Route 17, however, temptation can turn into tragedy.

Charges have not yet been filed in Ms. Babcock’s case and it is unclear if the driver of the 1997 Mercury that hit her was driving distracted or even speeding. What is clear, however, is that this story is representative of a larger, more dangerous trend: the lack of caution among drivers on Broad Street. Ms. Ivester’s own warning about drivers stands in grave poignancy, foreshadowing a death for a beloved community member.

Ms. Ivester’s sister-in-law said, “Everyday she went across the street for her paper, and this shouldn’t have happened to her.” Indeed, a trip to get a newspaper across the street should not be a cause of death. Stricter enforcements are needed to ensure safety on Broad Street.

Thanks, Christina

_________________________________
Christina Bruner Sonsire, Esq.
NY & PA Injury & Malpractice Lawyer
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, New York 14902-1338
csonsire@zifflaw.com
Office: 607.733.8866
Toll-Free: 800.ZIFFLAW (943.3529)
Web:zifflaw.com
Blog: NYInjuryLawBlog.com

GPS technology may help caregivers keep a close eye on Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

The recent death of a Lansing woman is a grim reminder of the toll Alzheimer’s disease and dementia take on our elderly residents and their families, who are often their overwhelmed caregivers.

Johanna L. Kirkwood’s body was found Monday, two days after she wandered from her home in Lansing, according to the Star-Gazette. Her husband had gone to the store about noon Saturday, and when he returned, she was gone.

Police and rescue workers searched for two days, and found her body Monday not far from her home. She was 82 years old.

Mrs. Kirkwood’s death is a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband and other family members.

Bob Kraft, an elder law attorney in Texas and a friend of the Ziff Law Firm, wrote this week about an exciting new use of GPS technology that may help other families avoid facing a terrible tragedy similar to what happened in Lansing.

Bob wrote about two companies that have placed GPS technology in footwear so when people like Mrs. Kirkwood wander off, as long as the patient is wearing shoes, the patient can be located. The shoes send an alert if the patient goes beyond a designated safe area, Bob said. As Bob notes, this is very helpful for caregivers and families.

Bob learned about this product from an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. The newspaper said the companies, in New Jersey and California, have created a shoe that uses GPS technology to track the movements of people wearing the shoes.

Aetrex Worldwide of New Jersey began selling the shoes on its website last month and has sold “a few hundred pairs” so far. The company president said they are in talks with the Department of Veterans Affairs and assisted-living companies about selling the shoes.

The shoes sell for $299, plus a monthly tracking fee, but as any caregiver of an alzheiners or dementia patient in Elmira, Corning and the Twin Tiers will tell you it is a price well worth paying for the patient’s safety – and the caregivers’ peace of mind.

Thanks for reading.

Adam
__________________________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com