Motorcycle Stats You Should Know

As the weather gets warmer you will see more and more motorcycles on the road. Whether you are the one riding a motorcycle or you happen to drive past one on the road its important to know the dangers that come with them. Here are a few motorcycle stats you should know in order to be a little more cautious next time your on the road.

Fatality Rate of Motorcyclists

On average, there are over 5,000 motorcyclist fatalities every year, and this number has continued to increase over the years. The average fatality rate is just over 67 percent which is significantly higher than that of a car or truck.

Motorcyclist Injuries

While the fatality rate among motorcyclists has increased the amount of injuries due to motorcycle accidents has slightly decreased to around 83,000 every year.

A few other facts to keep in mind is that the time of day for the highest fatality for motorcyclists is between 3-9 PM. Motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident that a driver of a car. Lastly motorcyclists age 55 and older attest for 27% of motorcyclists killed in 2020.

Be Cautious of Motorcycles

  • Follow traffic laws and be aware of motorcyclists on the road.
  • Check all blind spots for motorcycles.
  • Allow motorcycles the entire lane of traffic.
  • Don’t follow too closely.

These stats and tips are meant to serve as education to both motorcyclists and other drivers on the road to show just how dangerous it can be for them and other drivers.

If you or a loved one does find yourself in a motorcycle accident, be sure to call the police, take pictures and note of any witnesses at the scene, get a copy of the police report, seek medical treatment ASAP, and then call a motorcycle accident attorney.

Chhabra & Gibbs P.A. has been helping victims of motorcycle accidents for over 25 years. Our dedicated team of attorneys and support staff are standing by 24/7 to help get you maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact us for a FREE consultation at 601-948-8005. Visit msinjurylaw.com for more personal injury news.

What You Need to Know About Credible Fear When Seeking Asylum

Now, more than ever, it is important to stay up to date and in the know about the changes and processes that are involved for the purpose of establishing credible fear when seeking asylum in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has implemented a new rule that gives asylum seekers less time to amend, correct, and seek redetermination of their negative credible fear results when an Immigration Judge affirms the denial of their credible fear. DHS has explained that with this new rule, individuals who are found to be ineligible for asylum “will be promptly removed rather than remaining in the U.S. for years while their cases are pending.”  Now, individuals will only have 7 days to complete the process for redetermination. Meaning, individuals will only have this amount of time to gather their evidence, find a way to effectively tell their story, and ask USCIS to take another look at their case so that they do not get removed from the United States.

If you or a loved one has any questions regarding credible fear when seeking asylum or any other immigration issues, please contact immigration attorney Angela K. Trehan of Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. Call us 24/7 for a FREE consultation at 601-948-8005, or our office cell phone at 601-927-8430.

Chhabra & Gibbs P.A. Immigration Team has over 10 years of experience dealing with complex immigration cases. We have staff who are fluent in Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Arabic. We have represented clients from over 35 different countries. We are eager to provide you with the professional legal assistance you require. You can learn more about our team and our Immigration Legal services at cgimmigrationteam.com. Visit msinjurylaw.com for more personal injury news.

Why do lawyers use legalese?

First, let’s define legalese.  Dictionary.com defines legalese as the formal and technical language used in legal documents that is often hard to understand.  You have to be kidding me.  Why would lawyers write anything that is hard to understand?  Shouldn’t they be writing with a style that the reader can easily understand?  Is that not more persuasive?  More credible?  More relatable? It makes many of us wonder, why do lawyers use legalese?

I dug around to find out.  No fancy research was used here; just plain Google.com.  I found some interesting theories.  Some old terms have been battle tested in court and are no longer vague. Even though these words or phrases are not used in common English, they have a firm meaning that one can rely on in a court document. Old words like chattel or mandamus may not be normal to hear at the factory break room, but they have firm meanings in legal speak.  I can see the point of that.  Another theory is that normal language leaves people trying to understand what is being said, while legal language causes people to try to misunderstand what is said.  This makes sense, but it highlights a sad reality of the mischievous goal that lawyers have when they write.  Truth should come before trickery.  Wordsmith gamesmanship may have been effective or cute a century ago, but modern society and our reading audience deserve better from us.

Let’s accept that some legalese has some meaningful purpose in legal documents where Judges who have law degrees are the primary audience.  But even the modern lawyer prefers an easy read over a King James Version of a brief.  We can do better.  Lawyers should be cognizant of whether a legalistic word has to be used or whether reader friendly words can have as firm of a meaning.  Where plain language can be used, it should.

There are many words used in almost all pleadings by almost all lawyers that are silly.  For example, the phrases “comes now” and “wherefore premises considered” are weaved into the fabric of our pleadings. Why?  If a pleading is filed by a party, is it not clear that the party is “coming now” to ask for relief?  And at the end of the document, does a party really need to say “now that you’ve considered the basis of my argument, here is what I am asking for?  Why not start every document with a cite to the rule which permits or directs its filing and end every legal document with a pointed request of what you are asking for?  This had bothered me for a long time.  Yesterday, I decided I had enough.  I deleted the legalese nonsense from a pleading I filed.  The irony is I am mildly insecure about it.  Will the reader think I’m stupid because I’m not acting in compliance with hundreds of years of unnecessary habits?  Or will these judges be grateful that I skipped all the nonsense and got straight to the point?  I hope it’s the latter.  I may never know, but we have to start the change somewhere.

A similar and related issue is how lawyers use unnecessary words or phrases.  These may not be legalese, but they are lawyerly junk words just the same. Some examples of meaningless phrases often used are “as you are aware” or “‘it is my understanding.”  Other words that add nothing substantive are “‘essentially” and “basically.”  All of these words and phrases have one thing in common: they project insecurity.  Why would lawyers be insecure?  I don’t know, but the majority of us are.  We want to be careful not to be judged for lying or dumb.  So, we use hedge words even when we know we are telling the accurate truth.  The irony here is that I’ve gotten to the point that when I see the hedge words, I assume the lawyer is not telling me everything.  Now, I’m consciously eliminating insecure words from my language, whether written or spoken.  If you hear me say one or if you read one I write, please tell me.

How do we stop it?

The bench and the bar should encourage each other to untether from centuries of meaningless but annoying tradition.  We should not talk above people or try to sound smarter than we are.  We shouldn’t fill pages of space with words that don’t meaningfully add to the document.  Our profession should be relatable to all those we claim to care about and represent.  The way we stop legalese is to have open discussions about it and implement legalese deletion as often as possible in documents until we all get used to using normal language.

At Chhabra & Gibbs P.A. we strive to make the legal process as easy as possible for our clients to understand. We handle all types of personal injury claims from car accident claims, and slip and fall cases, to workers’ comp claims, and more. Our firm has been helping those that are injured get the compensation they deserve for over 25 years. If you or a loved one is injured, contact us for a FREE consultation at 601-948-8005. We are available 24/7 and ready to Fight for You! Visit msinjurylaw.com for more personal injury news.

How to Get Compensation After a Car Wreck

There are roughly 4.7 million car crashes every year in the U.S. and is among the leading cause of death for those under the age of 55. Unfortunately, for those that are part of this statistic you will likely experience the physical pain and financial pain of a car wreck. After such a scary incident you may be wondering how to get compensation after a car wreck.

Types of Compensation After a Car Accident

After a car accident there are two types of compensation you may try to make a claim for, economic and non-economic compensation.

Economic claims are a type of monetary lose due to the accident. These monetary loses can be medical bills, damage to your vehicle, lost wages while you recovered, or other out of pocket expenses.

Non-economic claims are typically for your pain and suffering after a car wreck. Examples of this may include PTSD, anxiety, etc.

If you experienced any of these economic or non-economic claims you may have a case. The best thing you can do is contact an experienced car accident attorney to look over the case. This will give you the best chance at receiving maximum compensation for your injuries.

Evidence After a Car Accident

Following a car accident, it’s important to have as much evidence and information as possible. Be sure to get pictures of the accident, witness information, a copy of the police report, and medical records. It’s very important to seek medical treatment ASAP after a car wreck as you may have internal injuries you may not see.

If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident, 18-wheeler wreck, or motorcycle crash be sure to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. At Chhabra & Gibbs P.A. we have over 130 years of combined experience dealing with all types of accidents. We are available 24/7 and offer a FREE confidential consultation. Contact us at 601-948-8005 and let us Fight for You! Visit msinjurylaw.com for more personal injury news.

How long do I have to make a claim for social security disability benefits?

There are 2 types of disability benefits that you can apply for through the Social Security Administration. The first type is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and the second is Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) benefits. I will discuss each type below and the deadlines to apply for those benefits.

SSDI benefits are for individuals who have earned enough work credits due to paying into Social Security through their employment. These individuals have what is known as a date last insured from Social Security, which is determined by the Social Security Administration based on their work history. In order to be eligible for SSDI benefits, the Social Security Administration must find that you became disabled prior to your date last insured. Please note that the decision from Social Security does not have to occur before your date last insured but Social Security must find that your disability began before your date last insured.

SSI benefits are disability benefits are for individuals who have not worked or do not have enough work credits to be eligible for SSDI benefits, or whose date last insured has passed prior to their disability beginning. However, in order to be eligible for SSI disability benefits, you must also meet certain income or asset eligibility requirements from Social Security. There is no timetable to apply for SSI benefits.

Whether you are trying to apply for SSDI or SSI it is beneficial to contact an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer to assist you through the process. At CG Law Group we have a dedicated and experienced team of lawyers and paralegals to help guide you through the SSD process. CG Law Group is an affiliated firm of Chhabra & Gibbs P.A. which has been helping clients for over 25 years with their personal injury cases.

If you or a loved one needs help filling for SSD or has been denied for Social Security Disability in the past contact us 24/7 at 601-948-8005 for a FREE consultation. Attorney Teresa Harvey and her dedicated team look forward to helping you. Visit msinjurylaw.com for more personal injury news.