Mahopac Legal Blog

What are New York's gun laws like?

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in criminal defense on Friday, July 31, 2020.

Did you know that New York has some of the most stringent gun laws in all of America? It earned an A- in the Annual Gun Law Scorecard produced by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

The state takes gun violence very seriously, so if you are caught with a weapon you are not supposed to have or commit a crime with a weapon, you could face significant penalties. There are some individuals who are not allowed to possess guns at all. They may include:

Anyone convicted of a felony or "serious offense" as recognized by the state. This could include crimes such as stalking or harassment.
Those under the age of 21, unless they have previously been honorably discharged from the military or national guard.
Those who are addicted to illegal substances.
Those who have stated that they suffer from any kind of mental illness.
Those who were involuntarily committed for mental health treatment.
Those who had a handgun license revoked.
Illegal immigrants.
Fugitives.

After a crash, do you need to go to the hospital?

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in motor vehicle accidents on Friday, July 24, 2020.

When you're involved in a car crash, one of the things you need to do is to seek medical care. Most people know that doing so is smart, but did you know that it can help you get more out of your personal injury claim?

When you go to the hospital, you're showing that you take your health seriously and showing that you were injured at the time of the crash. Though you can go to the hospital or a medical provider after the fact, going right away is better for your health since you can get a medical exam immediately. Doing that gives you the opportunity to see if there are any underlying medical problems going on, too, which may prevent complications due to delayed-onset injuries.

Will you lose your car insurance if you get a DWI?

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in dwi on Thursday, July 16, 2020.

You may know that getting a DWI could lead to the loss of your license, but even if you don't lose it, did you know that you could lose your insurance? If you lose your car insurance, you won't be able to drive legally, even if you do have your license.

If this is your first offense, there is a chance that an insurance company may just raise your rates. However, if this is not the first time you've faced charges, then you could be looking at a policy that you soon can't have.

Who's most at risk of crashing in the summer?

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in motor vehicle accidents on Friday, July 10, 2020.

Did you know that the summer months are some of the most dangerous for drivers? Summer is known as the official holder of the "100 deadliest days," in part because of the number of teen drivers on the roads.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that teens are a vulnerable driver group. They are more likely to be involved in crashes based on data taken between Memorial Day and Labor Day over the course of five years between 2013 and 2017.

Making important estate planning decisions as a parent

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock on Sunday, July 5, 2020.

Being a parent may have always been a dream of yours. You may never have anticipated being the perfect mother or father, but you did want to have at least one child to call your own and to love and raise. Parenthood can certainly be a rewarding experience, and though you hope that you will always be around to care for and help your child whenever necessary, you know that life can throw unexpected events anyone's way.

To help offset some of the more difficult issues that could arise in the event that you suffer incapacitating or fatal injuries or illness, you have decided to make important decisions ahead of time by creating an estate plan. You are wise to make this decision, and having your wishes in legally binding documents could make a considerable difference in how quickly matters move forward if an unexpected event arises.

Your DWI could cost you thousands: Get a good defense

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in dwi on Friday, July 3, 2020.

You were stopped for a DWI, and you're now facing charges. Your concern is that you'll end up having to pay hundreds, or thousands, of dollars in fines and fees.

You may be right. For driving while intoxicated in New York, you can be fined a mandatory $500 fee up to a mandatory $1,000 fee, depending on the situation, for a first-time offense. For a second-offense DWI, you can expect fines up to $5,000.

You may still be able to sign legal documents with dementia

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in estate planning on Friday, June 26, 2020.

You were diagnosed with dementia a few months ago. For the most part, you still know what's happening around you. You know that you may lose some of this awareness as time goes on as a result of this disease.

In the early stages of dementia, there is no reason why you cannot live alone or live your life normally, in most cases. However, when it comes to legal documents, you will need to be cautious. If someone is dissatisfied with your will in the future, for example, they could claim that your disease did not allow you to make good decisions. In a worst-case scenario, all the planning you did could be overruled.

If a tire comes loose, whose fault is it?

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, June 18, 2020.

You were traveling on a highway when you felt some unusual vibrations. Then, only a few moments later, you realized that you were struggling to control your vehicle. As you started losing control, you saw your tire flying away from your vehicle toward oncoming traffic.

When all was said and done, another vehicle had collided with you and the stray tire. In total, three vehicles were damaged and multiple people were injured. You're not sure what to do, because you just had maintenance performed on your vehicle and your tires had been rotated.

Start estate planning now to make it easier later

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in estate planning on Friday, June 12, 2020.

Estate planning is something you hadn't been thinking about. After all, you're only in your mid-20s, and you have a lot of life left to live.

Unfortunately, there is no way to know when you could fall ill or pass away unexpectedly. Many people are caught off-guard by sudden car crashes or illnesses that impair them and make it impossible for them to discuss their wishes with their families.

Hacking laws are serious: Don't forget a defense

On behalf of Law Offices of Joseph J. Tock posted in criminal defense on Saturday, June 6, 2020.

You love to be on the computer. You've always been interested in coding and pushing the limits of technology.

Recently, you got in with a new crowd. One of them sent you a link and asked if you could get into the site to make a few changes. You did without considering the implications of your actions.

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