Why Some Social Security Beneficiaries Aren’t Sold with the Electronic Mode of Payment

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Starting March 1, 2013, the Social Security will stop sending most paper Social Security checks via mail to beneficiaries. What will happen is that recipients will have to switch to the electronic mode of payment, in which they’d either have to sign in for direct deposit using a bank account or through a debit card issued by the Treasury Department.

Said date is not too far from now. In fact, any beneficiary who fails to make the switch to electronic payments before March 1 may force the Department to send the monthly benefits through a Direct Express card program. That way, there would be no interruption on the flow of payments.

For the Social Security Administration (SSA), the transition from the print to the digital form of sending monthly benefits is a way to cut down huge costs, especially with the usage of paper in mailing out checks. Moreover, this switch from paper to electronic payments would lessen the occurrences of lost or stolen checks, therefore protecting the monthly benefits every beneficiary receives.

While millions of Social Security recipients in the U.S. have already switched from paper to electronic payments long before the March 1 deadline, there are still a small number of them who still stick to the paper checks they regularly received on their mailboxes. Many senior citizens, to be specific, are not too impressed with the idea.

According to the Washington, D.C.-based organization Consumers for Paper Options president Paul Runyan, many of the senior citizens who have been content with having their Social Security checks mailed don’t have any access to financial services. He asserted that they must be given due consideration, and that they should not be forced to switch to electronic deposits, which, for seniors, are uncomfortable and may possibly confuse them.

Fortunately for the SSA, it won’t penalize recipients who may miss the March 1 deadline, saying that it won’t stop sending them paper checks. However, the federal agency may have to ask them to have a pre-paid debit card that is credited every month with their monthly payments.

Incidentally, Los Angeles Social Security claim lawyers think that it would be for the best interest of the recipients to sign up for the electronic payments right away before the deadline.

Newest U.S. Pedestrian Accident Statistics

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Pedestrian accidents account to only a small percentage of all motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that some 4,432 people who were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2011 were pedestrians. This was a 3 percent increase from the previous, in which the NHTSA recorded 4,302.

Meanwhile, the number of injuries in pedestrian accidents reached approximately 69,000; a 1.4 percent decrease from the previous year, which stood at around 70,000. With these statistics, it is reasonable to conclude that many pedestrians right now are nowhere safe with vehicles around, especially in big cities such as Los Angeles in California.

In fact, the pedestrian activity in the second-largest city in the U.S. account to 20 percent of road activity. Sadly, it was revealed that the so-called “City of Angels” had three times as many pedestrian fatalities as the national average, which stands at 11.4 percent.

Indeed, getting involved in an accident while you walk on a sidewalk or use the crosswalk can be devastating. If you live in Los Angeles and you regularly travel on foot to work or school, then you must know that you are entitled to monetary compensation in case you have been injured in an accident.

If you want to claim for damages in a pedestrian accident, it is a must that you seek the expertise of a Los Angeles personal injury lawyers. Basically, pursuing a claim in such an unfortunate incident can be complicated, as this involves hard work with your chosen legal representative.

As it is, there is paperwork involved, as well as investigations to help establish the negligence of the liable party involved in the accident. Also, your claim is negotiated with the insurance company of the liable party. With your chosen attorney, he or she will do his or her best to successfully settle your pedestrian accident claim without resorting to litigation.

As you know, litigation may take a long time to settle, and this may involve legal fees that may be too much for you to handle. More importantly, you must cooperate with your attorney to ensure that you obtain the best compensation you deserve.

Avoiding Rain-induced Car Mishaps on the Road

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Time and again, the government has been making repeated calls for motorists to be very careful when out on the road driving. Just last year, excessive rains in the Southern California have caused multiple accidents. The drivers and victims of these vehicles may have already talked with a Los Angeles car accident attorney for insurance claims.

These accidents were due to the continuous rains that happened in the SoCal area last year. As it is, rains can cause the roads to be slippery. Water on roads cause hydroplaning that leaves a vehicle with little or no grip at all.

This consequently leads to loss of traction and ultimately accidents. So does this mean that one has to stop driving when it is raining? Of course not! All you have to do is follow these very useful tips that will let you drive through the most torrential downpours minus the accidents.

• Slow down. When the roads are wet, chances are it is more difficult to put the vehicle to a stop. Driving slowly gives you more time to slow your vehicle down, helping you avoid mishaps.
• Stay in the middle lanes. Rainwater tends to pool on the road’s outer lanes. This lessens the chances of your vehicle hydroplaning.
• Give enough driving distance to the vehicle in front of you. This gives you more time to react, slow down, and steer your vehicle away from accidents.
• Try to drive on the tracks of the vehicle ahead of you. These tracks have probably less water, enabling you to enjoy much grip.
• Stop tailgating. It doesn’t only give you less time to react when the vehicle in front of you suddenly slows down. The water mists from the vehicle in front of you impairs your vision.
• Be alert. Watch out for brake lights and other things on the road. This lets you do the right things that needed when emergency situations arise.
• Employ engine braking. Take your foot off the accelerator to slow down instead of using the brakes. Brakes can lock up your wheels, causing you to lose grip. If you need to slow down, use the brakes with minimal braking force.
• Turn your headlights, fog lights, and/or the hazard lamps when raining. This increases your visibility on the road, letting you steer away from road hazards and helps others avoid you.
• Never drive through water if you can’t see the ground through it. If it is moving, your car could be swept. If it is not, your vehicle might stall.

The thing is these accidents could have been avoided if the drivers have only exercised proper driving habits. Officer Adam Eggleston of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), in an interview with the ABC said that “we believe it was just the rain” and warned drivers to “really reduce speed”. So follow the above-mentioned tips to ensure your safety when driving through the heaviest of downpours.