Sandusky Personal Injury Lawyer - fatal accident

When is the best time to drive? | Ohio fatal car accident lawyers

Chuck Boyk — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:20:00 GMT

Our Toledo, Ohio car accident lawyers handle Ohio car accidents on a regular basis. If you or someone you love has been injured in an Ohio car accident, contact our office today for your FREE copy of The Ohio Accident Book. You can also contact our attorneys 24 hours a day, seven days a week to discuss your Ohio car accident case.

The NHTSA also reported that speeding is a factor in 30% of all fatal car accidents, 18% of daylight car accidents were alcohol-related, and 54% of nighttime car accidents were alcohol-related.

It turns out that the snowy winter months are not the most dangerous time to drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, of NHTSA, reports that August is the most dangerous month to be on the road, and Saturday is the most dangerous day to drive.

The number of car accidents in August 2008 totalled 3,612 and the number of car accidents in January of the same year were 2,818, according to the NHTSA. The change in the number of car accidents could be due to the time of day, simple distractions, or unsafe behavior, according to Forbes.com, who reported the findings.

Injured in Michigan? We work with Michigan's best car accident attorneys, Buckfire and Buckfire. They handle all types of Michigan car accidents, and have also written The Ultimate Michigan Car Accident Handbook. To order your FREE copy today, contact their office 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Ohio car accident lawyer on last wills and estates | Ohio wrongful death attorneys

Chuck Boyk — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:45:00 GMT

Even if there is a will in place, dealing with a loved one’s death and estate can be overwhelming.

Toledo, Ohio car accident lawyer Dale Emch discusses will execution in his most recent Legal Briefs column in the Toledo Blade. If you have a general legal question you would like to see considered for publication in Legal Briefs, including those involving Ohio car accidents, Ohio workers' compensation claim s, Ohio dog bites, or Ohio ATV and motorcycle accidents, contact Attorney Emch at demch@charlesboyk-law.com or by contacting our office.

Dear Dale: I have some questions about being an executor of a will. When an attorney is appointed to be the executor of a family member’s will, how is the attorney paid for his services? How is the attorney held accountable for his honesty and integrity in handling the execution of the will? And, does the attorney have an obligation to make a financial accounting to the beneficiaries of his fees?

ANSWER: Ohio and local rules specify how executors and attorneys can be compensated. Executors and attorneys serve different functions in how estates are handled through the Probate Court.

Let’s start with the role of the executor. The executor administers the estate of a decendent who had a will.

This person can be a family member, a trusted third party, a lawyer, a bank, or a trust company. This can be a big job that includes responsibilities such as receiving payments owed to the estate, paying debts owed by the estate, determining the estate’s beneficiaries, and following the Probate Court’s orders concerning the estate.

An executor has a duty to act in the best interest of the estate and to carry out all state-law- mandated responsibilities. Acting in the capacity of an executor can be a time-consuming job for which state law allows compensation.

Under state law, an executor of an estate involving a will can receive a commission of 4 percent of the first $100,000 of the estate; 3 percent above $100,000 and below $400,000, and 2 percent above $400,000. So, for example, if you were the executor of an estate valued at $200,000, you could receive $4,000 for the first $100,000 and $3,000 for the next $100,000 for a total of $7,000. An executor also can receive commissions for other activities, but my space is too limited to include a laundry list here.

Whether or not the attorney acts as the executor doesn’t matter in terms of the legal obligations imposed.

The executor must carry out the obligations mandated by law, must act in good-faith, and must account to the Probate Court for expenditures made on behalf of the estate and for the fees received for those services.

If an executor does not meet the obligations imposed by law, the Probate Court can remove the executor.

You also asked about whether an executor has to make an accounting to the beneficiaries. At a time specified by state law, the executor has to make an accounting to the Probate Court and the beneficiaries.

But that doesn’t mean that a beneficiary has the right to demand an accounting of the executor whenever he or she wants that information.

Because you intertwined the roles of attorneys and executors in your question, I want to address compensation for attorneys. It’s not hard to imagine that the duties of an executor can become pretty overwhelming, especially if an estate contains a lot of assets or debts. Executors often hire an attorney to help sort out the estate and to handle the legal work with the Probate Court.

Attorneys can set their own hourly fees for estate work. They also can elect to be compensated in an amount set by the Probate Court. In Lucas County, the schedule for attorney fees on probate assets is 4.5 percent of the first $100,000; 3.5 percent of the next $300,000, and 2.5 percent of the remaining balance.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Which cities have the most fatal teen car accidents? | Ohio car accident lawyers

Chuck Boyk — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:38:07 GMT

Many factors can contribute to teen car accidents, including cell phone use and text messaging behind the wheel, drinking and driving, or other distractions in the car like friends or music. Mix those distractions with ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, which the CDC reports over 2 million teens nationwide suffer from, and it turns into a recipe for disaster.

Our Toledo, Ohio fatal car accident lawyers see the devastation that deadly car accidents can have. While fatal car accidents can happen to anyone, car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

According to a recent study by Allstate Insurance Company, Tampa, Florida is considered the top city for fatal teen car accidents between Thanksgiving and New Years Day out of the 50 largest metro areas in the country. Here are the other top nine cities in the US where fatal teen car accidents are the most prevalent:

Jacksonville, FL

Orlando-Kissimmee, FL

Kansas City, MO

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Las Vegas-Paradise, NV

Oklahoma City, OK

Louisville, KY

Richmond, VA

If you or someone you know has been injured in an Ohio car accident, contact our office for your free copy of The Ohio Accident Book.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Ohio wrongful death lawyers recommend books for grieving families

Chuck Boyk — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:28:00 GMT

If you or someone you know has lost a loved one due to a fatal accident, The Ohio Wrongful Death Book, written by the attorneys in our office, could help.

The Ohio fatal accident lawyers in our office see the devastation that Ohio wrongful deaths can cause, and they understand how much grief a death can bring to a family.

In response to our previous blog on book recommendations for those suffering from the death of a loved one, we are providing a more titles that can help you while you grieve.

The titles include The Bereaved Parent, by Harriet Sarnoff Schiff; Who Dies? by Stephen and Ondrea Levine; On Death and Dying, by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross; and Awakening from Grief: Finding the Road Back to Joy, by John E. Wlshons.

They encourage anyone who is grieving from the tragic loss of a loved one to seek help in this time of need, whether it be from other family members, or professionals.

Contact our office for your complimentary copy of The Ohio Wrongful Death Book.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Ohio fatal accident lawyers | Books recommendations for dealing with tragic loss of loved one

Chuck Boyk — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:12:00 GMT

Our Ohio wrongful death lawyers see the devastation that Ohio fatal accidents can have on a family. Our attorneys encourage the surviving family and friends to talk about their feelings, and avoid bottling up any emotions.

Losing a loved one to tragic circumstances is devastating. Dealing with the emotions of loss, confusion, and grief can be hard even when the death is natural.

We realize that sometimes it can be hard to talk to someone, especially if there are few surviving family members. Our Toledo, Ohio fatal accident lawyers recommend these books to help survivors cope with a loss, and learn how to talk to others about the pain they are suffering. Titles that can help you deal with the loss of a loved one include: This Thing Called Grief: New Understandings of Loss by Thomas Ellis, When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kusner, Spousal Bereavement in Late Life by Camille Wortman, and Lessons of Loss: A Guide to Coping by Robert A. Neimeyer.

The attorneys in our office have also written a book called The Ohio Wrongful Death Book that helps surviving family members navigate the complicated world of an Ohio wrongful death claim. If you or someone you know if suffering a loss due to a fatal Ohio accident, contact our office today for your free copy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

College student passes away during tragic accident at Christmas play

Chuck Boyk — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:04:00 GMT

Our Ohio fatal accident lawyers see the devastation that tragic accidents can cause to a family and a community.

Keri Shryock of Sylvania, Ohio tragically died shortly after a fatal accident during a Christmas pageant on December 18, 2008, according to the Toledo Blade.

Keri was playing the part of a wiseman in the play, and was suspended by a cable over 20 feet in the air when the cable snapped, causing her to fall to the ground. She passed away the next morning.

“Ms. Shryock should have never been up that high without proper safety devices and training,” Attorney Chuck Boyk said. “She should have been protected better in order to prevent this tragic fatal accident.”

If you or someone you know needs help dealing with a wrongful death caused by tragic circumstances, order your free copy of The Ohio Wrongful Death Book. Our fatal accident attorneys can help you navigate the complicated world of an Ohio wrongful death claim.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk