Tips to avoid boating under the influence

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Blick Law

Tips to avoid boating under the influence, according to the Boating Safety Resource Center of the U.S. Coast Guard.

* An alcoholic beverage is only to be consumed by those of the legal age of 21 and older.

Consider these alternatives to using alcohol while afloat:

  • Keep stock of plenty of water and non-alcoholic beverages for hydration.
  • Bring snacks and other food items to reinforce energy as needed.
  • Avoid fatigue. Limit your trip to a reasonable time. Drinking alcohol on the water may accelerate fatigue possibly resulting in an accident or injury.
  • Be cautious to party ashore, at the dock, boating club, etc. Allot drinking time to these and not behind the wheel of your boat.
  • Wait a reasonable time after drinking an alcoholic beverage before operating your boat.
  • Having no alcohol on board is the safest way to enjoy the water. Intoxicated passengers may be at risk of injury or falling overboard.
  • Spread the word. Boating under the influence is just as serious as drinking and driving, if not more. *A boat is still a vehicle.

Boating, fishing and other water sports are fun in their own right. These water sports are meant for enjoyment but may turn in the course of an accident, as a result of drinking alcohol.

Take these initiatives to follow for a safe and fun summer on the water. Do not drink and boat. If you however find yourself in this unfortunate accident, please give a Tampa boating accident attorney a call today to assist you in your claim. Call 813-931-0840 today!

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May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Blick Law

May means school is out and flowers are in bloom. But May also welcomes more motorcycles on the road as a result of Florida’s sunshine weather.

On May 1, 2012 many on two wheels began a very important awareness. Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

Due to the increase in the amount of motorcycles on the road, this causes a new set of safety concerns, which launched this nation-wide campaign.

This national awareness month aims to bring attention for motorists to be mindful and cautious of motorcycles on the road. Not only does this month hope to bring a general awareness but it also sends a message of comradery for all to “share the road” with one another, safely.

This national initiative lasts the whole month of May and is being promoted from state to state.

As a motorist remember:

-       Be mindful on the road
-       Look twice before changing lanes
-       Remember to look for the one-eyed headlight on a motorcycle
-       Drive defensively
-       Blow your horn

As a motorcycle rider remember:

-       Be mindful on the road
-       Drive defensively
-       Wear your helmet for further protection
-       If you are riding in a group, stay close with one another –no gaps for motorists to intrude

At Blick Law Firm we encourage Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, celebrated the month of May. As a Tampa personal injury law firm, we see serious injuries or even lives taken all too often due to serious motorcycle accidents.

How to prevent this? It starts with awareness.  Take time to share with others this month and what it represents for your safety and those you ride with.

Look Twice. Save a life. Call 813-931-0840 for more information regarding motorcycle safety tips and how to stay safe on the road. If you find yourself in an unfortunate motorcycle accident, call Attorney Michael Blickensderfer today to assist you with your claim due to others’ negligence.

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Are you struggling to pay your mortgage?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Blick Law

Have you fallen behind on your mortgage payments?  Is your home now worth less than you owe on the mortgage? Are your payments and interest sky high and unaffordable? Are you facing foreclosure? Has your lender denied you assistance?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, call a Loan Modification attorney immediately to see if you qualify for a loan modification program.

A Loan Modification is a permanent change in one or more of the terms of a Borrower’s loan, allows the loan to be reinstated, and results in a payment the Borrower can afford. *This is not a short sale or refinance program.

Loan Modification programs have been initiated to provide the homeowner, who has experienced financial hardship, options to reduce the interest rate or principal balance of their home loan, or both. These programs make monthly mortgage payments affordable according to the homeowners financial situation in order for the homeowner to remain in their home.

Why hire a lawyer to assist with your loan modification? Struggling homeowners may benefit from hiring a lawyer to try to modify a mortgage or avert foreclosure, and avoiding being caught up in scams, saving overall costs of fees as well as time wasted. With a lawyer you may have a better chance to quickly and accurately get your home approved and modified.

Some homeowners try to take this challenge on themselves and while successful at times, it is a battle to win when it comes to dealing with lenders. Lenders deal with many struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments every day. Trying to work with the lenders directly may absorb much of your time. Those who have the assistance of a loan modification lawyer are more likely to get responsiveness from the lender; pushing your loan modification documents aggressively through the piles of other pending approvals.

With the help of Blick Law Firm, we will screen you to see if a loan modification is your best option and if so assist you to get your loan modification approved. Call Blick Law Firm today at 813-931-0840 and ask about your modification options!

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Florida boating under the influence (BUI) Part 1

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Blick Law

Boating under the influence? Yes, you heard right. BUI.

With warm weather approaching, the Gulf waters and many Florida lakes are packed with boats and other forms of water transportation. Boating while intoxicated can be just as deadly as driving and drinking.

Did you know? It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state. The Coast Guard enforces a federal law that prohibits BUI.  This law pertains to all water vessels, including canoes, rowboats and Ski Doos.

The use of alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities.

The penalties for BUI can include: large fines, revocation of operator privileges and serious jail terms.

**If caught, authorities will tow the boat to shore and arrest those that have been boating under the influence.

Alcohol affects vision, balance, coordination and judgment. These impairments increase the likelihood of accidents afloat – for both passengers and boat operators. The U.S. Coast Guard data shows that in boating deaths involving alcohol use, over half the victims capsized their boats and/or fell overboard.

Alcohol is even more hazardous on the water than on land. The marine environment – motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray – accelerates a drinker’s impairment. These stressors cause fatigue that makes a boat operator’s coordination, judgment and reaction time decline even faster when using alcohol.

Alcohol can also be more dangerous to boaters because boat operators are often less experienced and less confident on the water than on the highway. Recreational boaters don’t have the benefit of experiencing daily boat operation. In fact, boaters average only 110 hours on the water per year.

For more information visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/boating_under_the_influence_initiatives.aspx or contact Blick Law Firm to learn more about Florida boating while drinking at 813-931-0840.

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Necesito a un abogado de lesiones personales

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Blick Law

Contrario a creencias populares que los abogados de lesiones personales persiguen ambulancias y victimas, las leyes de Florida prohíben tal acción. De hecho, los abogados tienen restringido hacer cualquier tipo de contacto a las víctimas de accidentes en un periodo de 90 días. El abogado Michael Blickensderfer no practica tales técnicas de mercadeo. Nuestros clientes buscan de nuestros servicios por causa de clientes actuales o previos que han estado satisfechos por utilizar a Blick Law Firm para sus propios asuntos legales.

Si sus heridas o las de sus familiares no fueron su culpa, usted es elegible a recibir compensación financiera para cuentas de hospitales, el tiempo desempleado e incluso por el dolor o sufrimiento. Para proteger sus derechos y recibir lo que usted se merece, contacte a Blick Law Firm hoy para recibir una consulta gratis. Las nuevas leyes que prevendrán fraude de seguros y accidentes requieren que la victima reciba cuidado de emergencia dentro de las 72 horas del accidente. Si usted no puede llegar a nosotros, nosotros iremos a  donde usted.

 

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Consequences to your credit following a short sale

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Blick Law Firm

After selling your home in a short sale, many factors must be taken into account to determine your ability to obtain a mortgage.

Your post-short sale credit score may drop, usually around 100 points or more. This could prevent you from obtaining a favorable interest rate on any new home loan. Also, you may have to put more money down. In many cases, it often takes two to three years before you’re eligible for another mortgage.

As long as you were current on your older home mortgage before short sale, you will have to wait at least two years for a loan that is federally backed, such as those from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). If you are delinquent, it could take as long as three years. Private lenders, of course, are free to set their own time requirements.

Your credit score generally suffers a similar hit after a short sale or a foreclosure. However, most federally backed home loans don’t weigh your actual credit score or history too heavily when you go for a new home loan.

When you are ready to consider purchasing in the real estate market again, call attorney Michael Blickensderfer and let Blick Law Firm handle your proceedings and title closing.  As an experienced real estate lawyer, he understands the aftermath of a short sale and how to recoup and move forward with your life. Call us today at 813-931-0840.

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