Maine Injury, Accident, & Disability Law Blog : Maine Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Joe Bornstein Law Firm : Portland Bangor Maine

Beginning September 1, 2008, eligible Maine residents may see an increase in the amount of food stamps they receive due to higher home heating and other utility costs.

Food stamps are distributed in the form of a rechargeable debit card called “The Pine Tree Card,” and individuals can currently receive up to $162 per month, while couples can receive up to $298 per month. 

To be eligible, recipients must meet two income guidelines set by the federal government:

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While fatalities involving motorists in cars and trucks, bicyclists, pedestrians, and even alcohol-related accidents dropped dramatically in 2007, highway deaths of motorcyclists soared for the tenth straight year, accounting for nearly one out of eight highway deaths.

Experts expect this trend to continue as more and more people are riding motorcycles today for longer distances thanks in part to high gas prices and the near fifty miles to the gallon fuel efficiency motorcycles get.

A direct correlation to motorcycle fatalities is safety. While cars and trucks offer airbags, seatbelts, and improved fenders, motorcyclists are left exposed while riding, and therefore are at a much greater risk to be seriously injured when in an accident. And with the 1977 state repeal of the helmet law, motorcyclists over the age of 14 may ride a motorcycle without a helmet in the state of Maine, but do so at their own risk.

The median age of motorcyclists is also a contributing factor to the high number of fatalities, as many middle-age men who once rode motorcycles are returning to their youthful passion. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are seventy-five percent more registered motorcycles today than there were ten years ago. And while riding a motorcycle may be like riding a bike, over time one’s skills and reaction time decrease, often resulting in a learning curve that must be overcome for a rider to once again feel comfortable on a bike.

To a motorcyclist, there’s nothing more enticing then the open road. But at The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein, we see firsthand the dangers motorcyclists face every day on those very roads.

So ride safe! Because if you do, the only statistic you’ll have to worry about is how much fun you had!
 

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The device used in patients to treat a blockage in the carotid artery has been recalled. The blockage of the artery is known as carotid artery disease.

NexStent Monorail was manufactured by Boston Scientific between May 2007 to May 2008, and an estimated 2700 devices were distributed. The product was recalled on June 6, 2008 because its tip has shown to detach during the delivery procedure, potentially leading to increased procedure time, vessel wall injury, stroke, and/or emergency surgery to remove the detached tip.

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Beginning September 1, 2008, the cost of registering a vehicle in the state of Maine will increase by ten dollars. The cost of purchasing vanity plates and vehicle titles will also increase by ten dollars.

Registration for passenger and commercial vehicles will now cost $35, while vanity plates will be $25 and title fees will be $33.

The additional money generated will go to bridge and road maintenance, ultimately improving road and highway safety throughout the state of Maine.

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Prior to May 2007, people in Maine over the age of sixteen were not legally required to wear seat belts.  Now everyone must wear one.

A new Maine seat belt law states that all travelers in a vehicle must now wear a seat belt, with no exceptions.  The law also states that Maine police can now pull you over if they suspect you or your passengers are not wearing seat belts.

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