First-time homeowners can find themselves adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Many are still numb from navigating the complex process of saving for a down payment, getting their credit in good shape, and jumping through all the hoops to acquire keys to their very first house. It’s understandable that they should want a long rest. However, it makes good sense to run through a checklist of essential items as soon as you move in.
If you or the seller didn’t get a thorough roof inspection during the sale, now is the time to act. Likewise, now that you are officially a property owner, why not streamline your finances by consolidating outstanding student loans? A little simplification goes a long way. It’s also an opportune time to experiment with solar panels, even if you just purchase a small array for the roof or yard. Another energy-related tactic that can save owners money, in the long run, is an annual energy audit. Explore how equity-based lines of credit might be a wise move soon. Finally, start building a repair fund for small fixes that all owners encounter from time to time. Use the following checklist to get your ownership situation in order.
Get a No-Cost Roof Inspection
Next to foundation work, roof replacement is a top reason for needing a collateral loan as it is the costliest potential component of house repair. That’s why it makes sense to have a local contractor who specializes in roof work perform a full inspection soon after you move into a new house. If you did not perform this critical step during the buying process, now is the time to find out what the state of your roof is. If minor repairs are needed, or the contractor suggests reasonable preventive measures, put them on the top of your priority list. Taking care of your home’s roof is one of those long-term jobs that pays major financial dividends. Don’t be reluctant to spend a few dollars on a complete inspection of the entire roofed area of the home.
Consolidate Education Debt
After getting rid of all the packing boxes and settling into a new house, one of the first things to do is explore the idea of consolidating college loans. It’s a smart tactic that can streamline the entire debt payment process and decrease monthly expenses at the same time. The great part is that it doesn’t matter whether your loans are government-backed, from a private lender, or a combination of the two. The wisest way to begin is to check out a helpful guide that walks through all the essential points of college loan consolidation and helps borrowers see which approach is most suitable for their financial situation.
Explore Small Solar Arrays
There’s no reason to go all-out with solar energy solutions until you have a good idea of how much savings might be in store. Since the cost of solar panels is significant, start small, try placing one cell on your roof or a backyard support panel. If you reside in a sunny region, there’s a good chance you’ll be surprised at how much electricity a single unit generates in a typical year. From there, consider the generation potential and related cost of installing several units.
Establish a Repair Fund
No matter how large your home is, it’s reasonable to expect several repairs needs over the next year or two. This is true for new as well as older structures, though the older ones tend to need more attention. To avoid the need to borrow for every small job, establish a home repair emergency fund as a separate savings account at your local bank. It’s up to you to determine how much cash to stash in the account, but many people put 1% of their home’s market value in it for rainy-day repair expenses.
Pedestrian accidents are a terrible and widespread problem in California. Nationally, pedestrian deaths account for 15% of all traffic deaths, with California leading the way in this horrific statistic. In case of receiving any type of injury, for example, a brain injury, it is important to immediately seek professional medical help and contact a lawyer for brain injury, who will tell you what compensation you can receive as a result of a road accident.
Surprisingly, the worst road accidents do not happen at intersections. Crosswalks, traffic lights, and waiting for pedestrians can help reduce the number of such accidents. Although collisions at intersections are a key cause of many accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles, most serious accidents occur elsewhere.
A large part of the problem of pedestrian collisions is the moment of surprise. Most drivers expect pedestrians at intersections, so they often take extra precautions. In these situations, the key factors that cause accidents and various emergencies are drivers exceeding the speed limit allowed by road traffic rules, pedestrians using smartphones or tablets, which significantly reduces their attention on the road, reduced visibility, driving while intoxicated or under the influence of various drugs substances, non-working traffic light.
Common injuries during road accidents with pedestrians
A physical injury can permanently damage many parts of the body. Road accidents with pedestrians often cause severe brain injuries. In adults, these injuries are the second most common. If you or a loved one has been injured in a fatal pedestrian accident, an experienced and knowledgeable pedestrian accident attorney can help you defend your rights and get justice.
Who is to blame for a pedestrian accident?
Especially if you hit a pedestrian who was crossing a crosswalk. This is not quite so. We do not take into account drivers who are in a state of alcohol intoxication, cannot drive a car in such a state, commit violations of traffic rules or drive on the sidewalk. However, there are opportunities for pedestrians to walk on the streets, including at crosswalks. First of all, pedestrians must protect themselves and think about the situation on the road. Cars are an ever-increasing source of danger, drivers cannot 100% control everything that happens on the road. Therefore, it is extremely important to cross the street carefully and pay attention to all possible situations. Driver negligence is not the only cause of death in road accidents. Parts can be thrown from moving vehicles, tires can burst, and brakes can fail. Or the driver begins to feel nauseous and loses control of the car.
In addition, it is necessary to realize that the culprit is not only the driver, in certain cases, but the fault may also be a pedestrian. Therefore, in each specific case, the degree of fault of the driver and the pedestrian is determined individually, taking into account several various factors. Drivers are required not only to obey the signs but also to maintain a safe speed following the road conditions (road conditions, visibility, condition of the driver, vehicle, current road traffic, etc.). You must stop even if you do not see pedestrians in the crosswalk. Drivers must pay attention to changing road conditions (potential dangers and obstacles) and react to them in time. This means that if you see a drunk person on the side of the road, slow down or stop all traffic. If you see a ball on the road, slow down because children may follow it. Watch for pedestrians around buses. Many believe that drivers are not to blame when pedestrians are drunk. The driver must fully monitor the entire situation on the road.
Pedestrians on roads with limited visibility must act in such a way that they are noticed by drivers. Exceptional visibility of pedestrians from the driver’s seat in conditions of poor visibility (at night, rain) and a safe speed of the vehicle in conditions of good visibility is extremely important. Investigators and courts must consider all the circumstances and obtain the report and the raw data used in it to determine the fault of the driver or pedestrian. Defense counsel for the suspected driver or injured pedestrian should also be involved in the evaluation of the evidence to help investigators and the court make the right decision.
If you are involved in a traffic accident, do not panic, but immediately contact a lawyer who specializes in traffic accidents and strictly follow the algorithm of necessary measures. This is a guarantee of further success. Even if the accident happened in the middle of the road, stop immediately (stop and return to the scene of the accident, which may result in a police fine for leaving the scene). After that, it is recommended to follow the following algorithm of key actions. It is important to inform other road users about the accident. Turn on the emergency alarms and place emergency stop signs on the roads. Call the necessary services to the scene (police, representatives of the insurance company, or an ambulance if the victim is near you). Before the arrival of the police, your car, the cars of the accident participants, and other things must be in their places immediately after the accident. Do not remove the vehicle from the scene until the police or insurance company arrives.
Location of vehicles, braking distance, broken windows, etc. plays important roles in finding the culprit of the accident. An accurate recording of the event ensures the accurate establishment of the circumstances of the event and the identification of the person whose actions led to the accident. Passengers are also witnesses, the police should ask them to explain the circumstances of the accident (the police cannot accept requests from passengers, as they are interested and can testify on your behalf). If you refuse to give a statement, you must tell the police officers. They will record this in the administrative report on the violation, which will include all the data received from the witnesses of the accident). With the help of a phone (photo, video), record the scene of the accident in detail (this should be done immediately after the event and before the arrival of the police). It also provides the detection of vehicle damage. Most information guarantees the highest compensation, and the administrative protocol will be fairly evaluated in court. Carefully read the police report, make comments and additions, and pay attention to the design and information contained in it.
What exactly can a qualified lawyer help you with?
First, as practice shows, calling a lawyer can calm a little and relieve stress. Secondly, this solution is urgently recommended. Before arriving at the scene of the accident, lawyers provide verbal legal advice and explain in detail what needs to be done. Thirdly, a qualified specialist exercises complete control over the painstaking preparation of all procedural documents. This examination takes place immediately after the lawyer arrives at the scene of the accident. This helps to avoid false information in documents. This is very important because these documents will be the main evidence in the future in the investigation of administrative offenses committed due to violations of traffic rules. Fourth, do your research: At the scene of the accident, attorneys can collect evidence, interview witnesses, and film the aftermath of the accident. This can work to your advantage and significantly strengthen your position on this issue. A car accident lawyer will file insurance claims on your behalf. In addition, the key goal of the legal department of the insurance company is to prove the validity of the insurance premium due to non-payment of the court judgment, collection of money from insurance companies is very rare. Experienced car accident lawyers are dedicated to helping you get all the insurance compensation you are entitled to as a result of a car accident quickly and easily. Experienced lawyers will prepare all the necessary documents so that the court can consider the case. These are relevant statements, lawsuits, petitions, etc. Including cases where such assessment is final. A lawyer allows you to prepare for court hearings. Efficiency requires constant and unwavering control. Otherwise, the enforcement document may be returned without effective enforcement.
