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So far michael@mccabemedia.com has created 53 blog entries.

Are E-Bike and Electric Scooter Accidents Becoming More Dangerous in Ohio?

E-bike accidents in Ohio are becoming an increasingly important safety issue as electric bicycles and scooters grow in popularity. Electric bicycles and scooters have become a common sight on streets, bike paths and around neighborhoods throughout Ohio. They offer an inexpensive and convenient way to get around, especially for teenagers and young adults. But as the popularity of e-bikes and electric scooters has grown, so has another number: serious injuries. National research shows a significant increase in emergency-room visits involving these devices, including fractures, head injuries and injuries resulting from collisions with cars. For Ohio families, the trend raises an important question: What happens when an e-bike or scooter ride turns into a serious accident? E-Bike Injuries Are Increasing The increase is not simply anecdotal. A national study published in the American Journal of Public Health examined nearly 1.9 million estimated micromobility injuries from 2019 through 2022. During that period, the population-based injury rate involving e-bikes increased approximately 293%, while powered-scooter injury rates increased about 88%. PubMed The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented the same broader trend. CPSC reported that injuries involving e-bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices increased an estimated 21% in 2022 alone, with micromobility injuries increasing an average of approximately 23% annually since 2017. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission More recent research presented at the 2026 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting also found a substantial increase in serious e-bike injuries among children and teenagers. At one pediatric Level 1 trauma center, e-bike accidents [...]

2026-10-20T19:06:39+00:00October 20, 2026|Personal Injury|
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Are Separate Bank Accounts Really Separate Property in an Ohio Divorce?

Keeping your spouse’s name off your bank account or retirement plan does not automatically keep those assets out of a divorce. Separate Bank Accounts. Still Married. What Ohio Couples Should Know. Your paycheck goes into your account. Your spouse’s paycheck goes into theirs. You divide the bills, keep separate savings, and rarely discuss retirement balances. That arrangement may work perfectly well for everyday life. But what happens if the marriage ends? At Godbey Law LLC, we regularly encounter married people who know very little about what their spouse owns. Some also assume that keeping an account in their name alone protects it from division in a divorce. That assumption can lead to an expensive surprise. A September 2025 U.S. Census Bureau report found that 23% of married householder couples with accounts at financial institutions had no joint accounts in 2023, up from 15% in 1996. Separate banking is increasingly common. It does not, however, tell you how those assets would be treated in an Ohio divorce. The name on the account does not settle ownership in a divorce. Ohio law expressly states that holding property individually or jointly does not determine whether it is marital or separate property. Generally, assets acquired during the marriage can be marital property even when only one spouse’s name appears on the account. Consider a hypothetical couple who keep their paychecks completely separate. One spouse pays household expenses while the other builds savings. The spouse with the savings cannot assume that the entire balance belongs [...]

2026-10-13T16:12:51+00:00October 13, 2026|Divorce & Family Law|
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When Waiting Could Make Things Worse: Understanding Injunctions in Civil Litigation

Civil lawsuits can take time. Unfortunately, the problem at the center of a lawsuit does not always wait for the court process. A business partner may be moving company assets. A former employee may have confidential information. Someone may be preparing to sell disputed property. Money could be withdrawn from an account. Construction or demolition may be about to permanently change a property. In situations like these, winning the lawsuit months later might not fully repair the damage. That is one reason courts have the ability to issue injunctions, including temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. These orders can sometimes stop certain conduct, require certain action, or preserve the current situation while the larger legal dispute is resolved. For individuals and businesses involved in serious civil disputes, understanding this option can be important. Just as importantly, timing can matter. What Is an Injunction? An injunction is a court order requiring someone to take, or refrain from taking, a particular action. Unlike a traditional lawsuit focused primarily on recovering money after a loss occurs, injunctive relief is often intended to prevent additional harm from happening in the first place. Courts generally consider injunctive relief when an ordinary award of money may not adequately remedy the potential harm. Consider a few examples: A business believes a former employee is using confidential information or proprietary materials. Two business owners are fighting over control of company accounts or assets. Parties disagree about ownership or use of real estate while construction, demolition, or a sale [...]

2026-09-23T00:58:50+00:00September 23, 2026|Civil Litigation, Litigation|
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Who Counts as Family When It Comes to Your Estate Plan?

Families come in all forms. But without the right estate plan, the law may not recognize the people you consider family in the way you expect. Family does not always fit neatly onto a family tree. For some people, family means a spouse and children. For others, it may include stepchildren, an unmarried partner, grandchildren, close friends, godchildren, siblings, aging parents, or even a longtime neighbor who has become as close as any relative. Modern families are complicated, blended and deeply personal. The problem is that the law does not necessarily know who you consider family. And that can become extremely important when someone dies or becomes unable to make decisions for themselves. If You Don't Make a Plan, the Law Makes One for You When someone dies without a valid will or other appropriate estate planning documents, state law determines how certain property is distributed. Those laws generally focus on legally recognized family relationships. They do not know that you helped raise a stepchild for 20 years. They do not know that you and your partner have shared a home and built a life together without getting married. They do not know that your best friend has been closer to you than an estranged relative. And they certainly do not know who you would trust to care for a beloved pet, manage important financial matters, or make difficult healthcare decisions. That is one of the most important reasons to create an estate plan. An estate plan gives you the opportunity to [...]

2026-09-09T18:04:35+00:00September 9, 2026|Estate Planning, Probate|
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The $11.89 Million Cost of Not Showing Up: What the Shilo Sanders Case Teaches About Lawsuits, Default Judgments and Bankruptcy

What happens if you are sued and simply do not show up? A high-profile bankruptcy case involving former college football player Shilo Sanders offers a dramatic answer, and an important warning for individuals and business owners alike. Most people do not want to be involved in a lawsuit. A complaint arrives, a business dispute escalates, a former partner makes a claim, or a customer, vendor, employee or creditor threatens legal action. The temptation may be to hope the problem goes away. Usually, it does not. The ongoing bankruptcy case involving Shilo Sanders, son of football coach Deion Sanders, is an extraordinary example of how failing to actively defend a lawsuit can have consequences that last for years. Sanders was sued in Texas over an incident that occurred while he was in high school. He initially defended the lawsuit, but his attorneys withdrew in 2020 after reporting to the court that Sanders was unwilling or unable to continue funding the defense. Sanders did not have new counsel in place when the matter eventually went to trial in 2022, and he did not appear. The court proceeded without him and ultimately entered a judgment of approximately $11.89 million against him. Sanders later filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. That is where this story becomes much more than celebrity news. It becomes a lesson about litigation, default judgments, business risk, and a dangerous misconception: if a lawsuit goes badly enough, bankruptcy will simply erase the problem. Sometimes bankruptcy provides exactly the fresh start someone needs. But [...]

2026-09-01T17:44:54+00:00September 1, 2026|Bankruptcy, Small Business|
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Three States, Three Rulebooks: What Tri-State Drivers Need to Know About Stopping for School Buses in 2026

Summary: Kentucky's new bus-stopping rule took effect July 15. Ohio's is coming. Indiana's is already the strictest. Here's what Tri-State drivers and parents need to know. If you commute anywhere in the Tri-State, you cross a state line without thinking about it. Down I-71/75 into Covington. Out I-74 toward Lawrenceburg. Over the Combs-Hehl and back. Most traffic rules travel with you. The rule about stopping for a school bus does not. As of this school year, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana each answer the same question — when do I have to stop? — a little differently. And Kentucky just changed its answer. Kentucky: the rule changed on July 15 House Bill 7 took effect in the middle of July, and it altered the one situation most drivers thought they had figured out. Under the old law, if you were traveling in the opposite direction on a highway with four or more lanes, you did not have to stop for a school bus. A lot of people learned that rule and drove by it for years. That is no longer accurate. Under HB 7, drivers must stop for a school or church bus with its stop arm out and red lights flashing when approaching from either direction on any highway — unless the road is divided by an elevated barrier or an unpaved median. Two details do most of the damage here: A center turn lane does not count as a median. If the only thing separating you from the bus [...]

2026-08-13T17:56:05+00:00August 13, 2026|Auto Accidents, Ohio Law, Personal Injury|
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New Ohio Traffic Stop Law (HB 492): What Drivers and Passengers Must Know

If you drive in Ohio, one of the most common interactions you'll ever have with law enforcement is about to work a little differently — and for the first time, the change applies to everyone in the car, not just the person behind the wheel. Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 492 into law on July 7, 2026. It takes effect 90 days later, in early October. After that date, a driver or a passenger who refuses to give an officer their name, address, and date of birth during a lawful traffic stop can be charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor. This is one of those rules that touches nearly every Ohio household. Your commute, your teenager's first car, your carpool, your family road trip. Here's a clear, practical rundown of what actually changed. What the new law requires Under HB 492, if a peace officer has reasonable suspicion that someone in the vehicle violated Ohio's motor vehicle laws, that person has to disclose three pieces of information on request: Full name Address Date of birth That's it. Refusing is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $250. One of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Sharon Ray of Wadsworth, explained during the legislative process that the misdemeanor classification was part of the point: a fourth-degree misdemeanor gives jails the authority to fingerprint and identify a person before release, which a fine-only offense does not. What the law does not require This is [...]

2026-08-13T17:04:41+00:00August 13, 2026|Auto Accidents, Community Resources, Ohio Law, Personal Injury|
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Hurt on the Road This Summer? We Can Help — No Matter Where the Accident Happened

Watch Video The fireworks are over, the coolers are packed, and half of Cincinnati seems to be pointed toward the interstate. Mid-summer is the heart of road trip season — the stretch between the Fourth of July and Labor Day when families load up the SUV for the lake, the mountains, the beach, or a long weekend three states away. It's also one of the most dangerous times of the year to be on the road. Safety researchers call the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day the "100 Deadliest Days" for a reason. Highways are packed with vacation traffic, unfamiliar drivers, construction detours, and more than a few people who started their celebration a little too early. Add in tired drivers pushing through a long haul, heavy trucks moving summer freight, and motorcycles out in force, and the odds of a serious crash climb sharply. If the worst happens while you're traveling, one question tends to hit first — even before the tow truck arrives: "I'm hundreds of miles from home. Who do I even call?" The answer is simpler than you'd think. You call us. Your Accident Doesn't Have to Happen at Home for Us to Help A lot of people assume that if they get hurt in a crash outside of Cincinnati — on I-75 heading south, on a back road near a rented cabin, or in a parking lot at a theme park two states over — they have to find a local attorney in an [...]

2026-07-30T00:29:19+00:00July 30, 2026|Personal Injury|
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Pomp, Circumstance, and Paperwork: What Every Family Should Know When Your Graduate Turns 18—and Again When They Finish College

There are few moments more bittersweet than watching your child cross a stage. The cap, the gown, the walk you've been imagining since they were small enough to fall asleep on your shoulder—it all arrives at once, and it all goes by far too fast. Whether it's a high school senior heading into the wide-open summer before adulthood, or a college graduate stepping into their first real chapter of independence, graduation season is a celebration of everything you've poured into them. It's also, quietly, a legal milestone. And we don't say that to dampen the confetti. At Godbey Law LLC, we've spent more than three decades helping families across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky through every season of life—the joyful ones and the difficult ones. One thing we've learned is that the happiest milestones often come bundled with practical realities that nobody warns you about. The day your child turns 18 is one of them. So is the day they walk out of college and into the world. This article is a gentle, hopeful guide to the conversations and documents that can protect the young adult you love—so that the only thing you have to focus on this graduation season is being proud. Milestone One: The Day Your High School Graduate Turns 18 Here is something that surprises nearly every parent we talk to: the moment your child turns 18, in the eyes of the law, they become an adult—and you lose the automatic legal authority to make decisions for [...]

2026-05-20T20:05:19+00:00May 20, 2026|Estate Planning|
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Raising your grandchildren? Why love alone is not enough in the eyes of the law

Godbey Law LLC  ·  Family Law Insights What every Ohio grandparent caregiver needs to know about legal authority, before a school, hospital, or court tells you that you don't have it. Across Ohio, tens of thousands of children are being raised primarily by their grandparents. The reasons vary. A parent's struggle with addiction. Incarceration. A mental health crisis. Military deployment. Illness. Or simply the painful reality that mom or dad is not in a position to step up. Whatever the cause, these grandparents are quietly carrying out one of the most generous acts a family member can perform: stepping in so a child does not fall through the cracks. At Godbey Law, we hear from these grandparents almost every week. They come to us with stories of love, sacrifice, and exhaustion, and almost always with the same painful question: "Why is everything so hard?" The answer, more often than not, is that they are raising their grandchildren without the proper legal authority. They have the love. They have the kitchen table, the bedtime routine, the spelling words, the doctor's appointments. What they don't have is a piece of paper that the rest of the world (schools, hospitals, insurance companies, landlords, and yes, the courts) will recognize. If that describes you, please keep reading. The good news is that Ohio law gives grandparents real, workable options. The harder news is that putting them in place before a crisis hits is critical. The "everyday emergencies" that catch grandparents off guard Most grandparents don't realize there's [...]

2026-05-08T15:30:07+00:00May 8, 2026|Custody & Visitation, Divorce & Family Law|
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