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Fatal Car Accident Reports Show Distracted Driving is a Big Problem

April 18, 2018 by

Distracted driving kills about one Californian per week. Nationally, in 2015, almost 3,500 fatal car accident reports involved a distracted driver.  In addition to the tragic human loss, the economic loss from distracted driving is staggering: approximately $46 billion per year. Compounding the tragedy is the fact that distracted driving auto accidents are completely preventable. So why do they still account for 10% of fatal car accident reports? Fatal Car Accident Reports Indicate No Reduction … [Read more...]

Five Reasons Your Personal Injury Claim May Be Denied

April 6, 2018 by

“Personal injury” is an often-used term that means different things to different people. In my 35 years serving as a personal injury attorney, personal injury claims have ranged from physical harm caused by a vehicle accident, a chemical burn injury, dog bites,  defective productive liability, to slip-and-fall  and swimming pool accidents. One constant in personal injury cases, regardless of the accident type, is the insurance companies’ attempts to deny claims. The insurance … [Read more...]

How do I get compensated after getting hit by an out-of-state driver?

April 4, 2018 by

If you are in a car accident, do not leave the scene without getting the other driver’s contact and auto insurance information. If you start to exchange information and see that the other driver is not from California, you may wonder “How do I get compensated after getting hit by an out-of-state driver?” A driver’s state of residence should not impact a car accident victim’s ability to obtain compensation. A driver properly insured in one U.S. state is insured in all 50 states. If the costs of … [Read more...]

Will My Car Accident History Hurt My Recent Car Accident Claim?

March 28, 2018 by

If you have been hurt in a car accident, and it wasn’t your first accident, you are probably wondering how your car accident history might affect your claim. In most cases, your car accident history will become a focal point of the case. This is true even if the other driver was 100% at fault. Insurance Only Pays For Injuries Caused By The Car Accident Whenever a driver hurts someone, the victim’s health becomes a primary issue. Physical and psychological injuries provide the basis for most … [Read more...]

What compensation will I receive after getting hit by a car?

March 23, 2018 by

On average, American drivers will be involved in four car accidents during their driving years. These accidents include one vehicle hitting another or a vehicle hitting a stationary object. They also include accidents where a vehicle hits a pedestrian or bike. Under California law, the person who causes the accident is at fault and must pay the accident victim's damages. The at-fault driver’s insurance pays up to the policy limits. After that, the driver is personally liable for any remaining … [Read more...]

Will Banning “Texting While Walking” Prevent Pedestrian Accidents?

March 21, 2018 by

Traffic accidents are killing pedestrians in record numbers. In 2016, pedestrian deaths reached their highest level since 1990. The 5,987 pedestrian accident fatalities in 2016 represented an 11% increase in deaths from 2015 and a 27% increase from 2007. Pedestrian accident attorneys have seen the devastating impact on families when cars kill or seriously injure pedestrians. The 2017 pedestrian accident death rate maintained the 25-year-high of nearly 6,000 fatalities in a year. Researchers, … [Read more...]

5 Hidden Dangers of Signing a Car Accident Private Settlement Letter

March 19, 2018 by

Dealing with insurance companies can be a hassle. Moving through a formal insurance claims process can take a lot of time. And time is one thing that is in short supply for most of us. If damage from a car accident appears minor and no one is hurt, it can be tempting to bypass the insurance companies. Rather than filing a claim, the two drivers sign a car accident private settlement letter. What is a car accident private settlement letter? A car accident private settlement letter records an … [Read more...]

10 Questions To Assess If A Premises Liability Attorney’s Experience Is Right For Your Case

March 15, 2018 by

Premises liability is a broad term that includes many types of accidents that property owners are liable for. So how do you know if a Premises Liability Attorney's experience is right for your particular accident? Understanding premises liability can help you choose someone who is right for you. Property owners have a duty to keep their property safe for visitors. This means the property cannot contain any dangerous conditions. It also means the owner must monitor the property for dangerous … [Read more...]

Who Pays A Passenger In A Car Accident Settlement?

March 13, 2018 by

Every year in California, vehicle accidents injure hundreds of thousands of passengers. If you are a passenger in a car accident, who pays for your injuries? Are there restrictions on whom you can sue? Are you more likely to reach a passenger car accident settlement with the driver of the car you were in or the other driver? The answers to these questions are fact-specific. The circumstances of the auto accident and the details in the drivers’ insurance policies determine the … [Read more...]

Can Lane Splitting Prevent Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

March 5, 2018 by

Lane splitting is a common, even expected, practice of motorcycle riders around the world. In the United States lane splitting is illegal in every state but California. Lane splitting explicitly became legal in California on January 1, 2017. Other states considering whether to legalize lane splitting are looking to California for guidance. One of the big questions is whether lane splitting reduces motorcycle accident injuries. What is lane splitting? Lane splitting, also called lane sharing, … [Read more...]