Virginia Protects its Motorcyclists

With both the temperature and gas prices on the steady increase, you might notice a rise in the number of motorcyclists you encounter on the road.  You may find yourself with the urge to try out the feeling of freedom that comes from riding a motorcycle.  If this is true for you then likely your biggest concern before gearing up for the big ride is, what if I get injured while riding?  Here are a few things you should know.

The Commonwealth of Virginia protects motorcyclists by allowing riders who are injured by the negligent actions of another, to hold the party at fault responsible or liable for their injuries.  This means that if you have been involved in a motorcycle accident you may be able to receive compensation for your losses caused by the negligence of the responsible party.  Compensation for your injuries may include lost wages, pain and suffering, medical costs and expenses, punitive damages, economic losses, and lessened ability to enjoy life.

If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident or if you have any questions concerning Virginia law as it relates to motorcycles, please contact us, and talk to one of our outstanding attorneys like Bettina Altizer.  The Law Firm of Altizer & Altizer is located at 324 Washington Ave., Roanoke, VA 24016. We are honest, diligent, and competent Roanoke, Virginia lawyers proudly serving all of Southwest Virginia, including Roanoke, Salem, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Martinsville, Lynchburg, Lexington, Covington, and Clifton Forge and Botetourt County, Montgomery County, Giles County, Franklin County, Pulaski County, Floyd County, Bedford County and all surrounding communities.  Our Firm handles personal injury, medical malpractice, automobile accidents, civil cases, family law, and business law.

Here at Altizer & Altizer, we have been serving injured persons since 1974.  Our staff includes, among others, three Case Managers who together have a combined thirty years of experience with Altizer & Altizer.  Assisting clients who have been injured in automobile and motorcycle collisions is but one of the legal services that we provide.  If you are overwhelmed with the process of navigating the maze of your personal injury claim, please call us.  We can remove much of the stress and worry, which gives you the time and energy to recover from your injuries.  You can contact us at (540) 345-2000 or toll-free at (800) 310-5777.  One of our attorneys would be happy to speak with you.  We are your Personal Injury Legal Team.

Auto Wreck Can Change Your Life in a Split Second — But Help is On the Way

No one intends to be involved in an automobile wreck.  It happens in a split second, and it can be a frightening and stressful experience.  Fortunately, many of us have never been involved in an automobile collision.  But if you are, you will find that the process of dealing with various insurance company adjusters — one who handles your property damage claim, one who handles your medical payments claim, and one who handles your bodily injury claim – can be a confusing and time-consuming process.  Here at Altizer & Altizer, we have been serving injured persons since 1974.  Our staff includes, among others, three Case Managers who together have a combined thirty years of experience with Altizer & Altizer.  Assisting clients who have been injured in automobile collisions is but one of the legal services that we provide.  If you are overwhelmed with the process of navigating the maze of your personal injury claim, please call us.  We can remove much of the stress and worry, which gives you the time and energy to recover from your injuries.  You can contact us at (540) 345-2000 or toll-free at (800) 310-5777.  One of our attorneys would be happy to speak with you.  We are your Personal Injury Legal Team.

Auto Wrecks in Virginia — Its Not the Time to be a Tough Guy

You are sitting at a stop, waiting to make a left-hand turn, when suddenly a driver slams into the rear of your vehicle at thirty-five miles per hour.  Your first reaction is that you are stunned and trying to figure out what just happened.

Your second reaction may be anger that the other driver was not paying attention and has crashed your vehicle.  You call 911 to report the accident.  The officer responds as well as the ambulance.  In all of the chaos, someone asks you if you are injured and want to be transported to the hospital.  At the time, your adrenalin is pumping and you do not believe yourself to be injured, so you decline.  You car is towed, and you make your way home.

Once you have a chance to calm down, you begin to notice pain and discomfort that you had not noticed at the time of the collision.  You decide to tough it out.  Maybe you will feel better in the morning.  Well, you don’t.  Your pain gets worse, but still, you try to stick it out – hoping against hope that it will all go away.  You do not want to miss time from work, you do not want to sit in the emergency room, and you do not want to incur medical bills.  But your pain does not go away.  It is getting worse.  Let’s say a week or two down the road, you are still in pain, and you decide that you can’t tough it out any more.  You go to your family doctor.  You are diagnosed with a sprain/strain injury.  You are given medication and told to return if your condition does not improve.  It doesn’t.  You return to the doctor and are sent to physical therapy.  This does not ease your pain, and you are referred for an MRI.  The MRI shows a herniated disc, and you are referred to a neurosurgeon.  She recommends surgery.

So all the while that you were trying to tough it out, you were giving the at-fault insurance company the ammunition they need to devalue your claim.  If you are injured in an automobile collision, it is important that you seek medical attention for your injuries.  It serves no purpose to try and “tough it out.”  You may have a serious but as yet undiagnosed injury.  And you could be hurting your claim.

The bottom line is that you are your own best advocate.  No one can take better care of yourself than you can.

Call us at Altizer & Altizer, your Legal Team for Personal Injury.  We service all of Southwest Virginia including:  Roanoke, Salem, Vinton,Franklin County, Botetourt, Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Bedford, Galax, Hillsville, Pulaski County, just to name a few jurisdictions.  Call us at 540-345-2000 for A&A Legal Team — personal injury, auto collisions, and medical malpractice.

Should My Business Be an LLC or an S Corporation?

With unemployment and economic woe on the rise more people are putting their own shingle out by starting their own small business in an attempt to alleviate the financial burden.  Many individuals choosing to blaze this path are confronted with some difficult decisions.  One of the first decisions involves selecting the appropriate legal structure for their new business.  Among the choices available to new business owners, the most popular legal structures include the limited liability company (or LLC), and the S corporation.

So what is an LLC and how is it different from the S corporation?  An LLC is an unincorporated association whose owners cannot be held personally liable for the debts of the company.  It operates to protect the owner’s personal assets from the LLC’s creditors.  Similarly, corporations including S corporations also endow upon its owners a “corporate veil” that acts like a shield, guarding the personal assets of its owners called shareholders from the liabilities and debts of the corporation.  In addition, the LLC and S corporations alike receive preferential tax treatment when compared to other legal structures.  The reason for this is that the two entities are both treated as “pass-through” tax entities.

The LLC is different from the S corporation in that the formalities required to create and maintain the entity are generally less cumbersome.  Flexibility is the key advantage that the LLC holds over the S corporation.  The S corporation requires a lot more oversight.  There are strict record keeping and reporting requirements, restrictions on ownership and management, and even distributions of profits are subject to limitation.  The LLC however is free from many of the limitations and restrictions that encumber the S corporation.  There are fewer record keeping and reporting requirements, operational control is flexible in that it can be member managed or manager managed.  Ownership and profit sharing is also much more flexible because unlike an LLC, S corporations like any other corporation, require that profits are distributed in proportion to stock ownership.

The bottom line is that you must be aware of the specific situation and circumstances that affect your particular business.  An LLC or S corporation may be the right choice for your company and it may not.  There is no such thing as “one size fits all” in selecting the appropriate legal structure for your company.  Either an accountant or an attorney can assist you in choosing the right structure for your business.

If you have any questions concerning the LLC or S corporation, feel free to contact us, and talk to one of our outstanding attorneys like Bettina Altizer.  The Law Firm of Altizer & Altizer is located at 324 Washington Ave., Roanoke, VA 24016. We are honest, diligent, and competent, Virginia lawyers proudly serving all of Southwest Virginia, including Roanoke, Salem, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Martinsville, Lynchburg, Lexington, Covington, and Clifton Forge and Botetourt County, Montgomery County, Giles County, Franklin County, Pulaski County, Floyd County, Bedford County and all surrounding communities.  Our Firm handles personal injury, medical malpractice, automobile accidents, civil cases, family law, and business law.