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saneej-kallingal-696189-unsplash-copy-300x200Leaving Neverland, the documentary outlining the sexual assault two young boys experienced at the hands of Michael Jackson, aired for two nights on HBO this past week. In the documentary, the boys recounted how Jackson not only abused them, but threatened them with the prospect of jail if they were to tell anyone. The boys were 7 and 10 at the time the abuse took place.

The documentary was graphic, sparing no detail, and was difficult to watch. It was an important documentary though, as hopefully it now gives sexual assault victims the voice they need to come forward and to know their story will be believed. It is important that any victim of sexual assault understands that they too, can come forward, even if not to pursue criminal charges. In California, it is also possible to file a civil lawsuit to claim compensation for this type of abuse.

Types of Sexual Assault

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deonny-rantetandung-115900-copy-300x200According to State Farm Insurance, California has more dog bite claims than any other state. Much of the time, dog bites are minor and do not require any treatment. Other times however, dog bites and attacks are serious and require extensive medical treatment. In some instances, they even cause permanent scarring and disfigurement.

When a person suffers these and other serious injuries from a dog bite, he or she often wonders if there is any available recourse. In California, there is.

California Law on Dog Bites

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abdiel-ibarra-249884-unsplash-copy-300x169If you are a driver in the San Francisco area, you likely have some stories about the distracted drivers you have seen around you. You can often see drivers eating, talking on the phone, texting, reading, and even putting on clothes or makeup. It is certainly scary to watch, especially knowing that they are behind the wheel of what is essentially a two-ton weapon moving at speed.  Many of us often say to ourselves, “That person is going to hurt or kill someone if they do not pay better attention to what they are doing!” The question then, is what happens when they actually do hurt or kill someone?

Motor Vehicle Accidents and Distracted Driving Statistics

In 2017 (the last year for which statistics are available), motor vehicle accidents were responsible for 37,133 fatalities in the US. According to The Office of Traffic Safety, California accounted for 3,602 of those. 858 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles in California, as well.  Nationwide, 3,450 people were killed by distracted drivers as well as 562 pedestrians and bicyclists. This accounts for almost 10% of total fatalities. In California, which has some of the most strict distracted driver laws, there were more than 178,000 cell phone use convictions and more than 31,000 convictions for texting while driving (these numbers are for 2016, the most recent year for these numbers). Californians ranked texting while driving and talking on a phone (either with hands or hands-free) as the two largest dangers while driving and over 62% of those surveyed said they had either been hit or almost hit by someone using a cell phone.  Clearly, distracted driving is a serious issue and is causing a substantial number of injuries and deaths that are potentially avoidable.

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ant-rozetsky-582421-unsplash-copy-300x169On January 18, KSBY-TV reported on a bus crash near Los Alamos off of Highway 101. The driver and six passengers were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Later that day, the driver was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in the incident, but it does raise the question as to who is liable in a bus accident.

Bus Accidents in the U.S.

Depending on your perspective, you may think of buses as inherently safe or inherently dangerous. The federal Department of Transportation puts out an annual report each year regarding crashes involving buses. The last report available is for 2016 and produced some eye-opening statistics:

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todd-quackenbush-222-copy-300x183If you rent your home in the San Francisco area, you most likely are aware of San Francisco’s Rent Control Ordinance. Even if you currently rent or you are thinking of coming to the area and renting, there are many specifics of the ordinance you may not know about. Consider the following when looking for a new place to live or if you feel like your current landlord is not following the law.


What Does the Ordinance do?


The San Francisco Rent Ordinance provides a number of protections to tenants who rent or lease a dwelling. First and perhaps foremost, the law regulates the amount that rent can be increased annually for specific dwellings in specific situations. To this end, the law also allows only a certain amount of capital improvement costs to be passed on to the tenant by the landlord. It also allows the tenant to petition the Rent Board for a decrease in rent if the landlord has failed to provide services that have been agreed upon or that are required by law. This includes if the landlord has not maintained the premises in a habitable manner or if unit has uncorrected housing code violations. Secondly, the law regulates the circumstances under which a tenant may be evicted.

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josh-wilburne-501947-unsplash-copy-300x200San Francisco’s Rent Control Ordinance gives tenants certain rights when it comes to eviction. It either prohibits eviction in certain cases or, in others, allows the tenant to recover relocation costs from the landlord. It also created The Rent Control Board to help prevent tenant abuse by landlords. One of the areas of law that the ordinance covers, which is frequently abused by landlords, is called “just cause” evictions.

Rent Control Ordinance

The  San Francisco Rent Control Ordinance regulates how and when landlords can increase rents and pass on their costs to their tenants. It also regulates tenant evictions. It provides restrictions on when landlords may evict tenants.

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christopher-jolly-616571-unsplash-copy-300x200California law requires that a landlord must ensure that a property is habitable before it is rented or leased. To a tenant, this means that the premises they rent or lease must have adequate living conditions. One of the conditions that can call habitability into questions, however, is a bed bug infestation.

The Health Risks of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs used to be a concern most prevalent in developing areas. However, in recent years, bed bugs have run rampant throughout the US. This increase has been mostly put down to the fact that bed bugs have developed strong resistance to many common pesticides. As such, infestations can occur even in the cleanest premises and can be incredibly difficult to eradicate.   Bed bugs are small (a quarter of an inch long or smaller) insects that feed on human blood. They typically feed at night and hide in cracks and crevices found in furniture, bed clothes, and carpets during the day.

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rod-long-1052613-unsplash-copy-300x200We are all familiar with product liability even if we do not necessarily recognize it by that name. In short, product liability means the idea that when we, as consumers, purchase a product and use it for its intended purpose, it is supposed to be safe and not cause us harm. While the idea itself seems simple, in reality it is not so straight-forward.

Product Liability in Law

At one point, consumers were not protected when they purchased a product.  Most everyone has heard of the idea of caveat emptor, or “buyer beware.” This is the idea that if you bought a product and it malfunctioned or caused harm, you were stuck with the results. Law constantly evolves and as time has passed, the idea that manufacturers and those who sell the goods should be held liable when consumers are hurt by the products they have purchased has come into being.

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yoann-siloine-532510-unsplash-copy-200x300The California Department of Public Health has previously declared that childhood lead exposure poses the greatest environmental health threat to children in the state. As such, both federal and California law provide protections to ensure that exposure to lead is minimized.  Children are especially sensitive to lead exposure, and California has long been considered a leader in trying to eliminate lead exposure in children.

How are Children Exposed to Lead?

Since 1978, lead has been banned in paint in the U.S. However, especially in a city like San Francisco that has a tremendous amount of older housing stock, decades of lead-based paint still exists in many buildings. Over time, paint breaks down and is worn away. This results in dust and paint chips being released into the environment. As every parent knows, small children will put anything in their mouths, including paint chips. Furthermore, lead was a constituent ingredient in many plumbing products. When it degrades, it can enter the water supply, thereby serving as another method of introduction into the bodies of children. Finally, lead can accumulate in the dirt on the grounds of a dwelling as it sloughs off exterior painted surfaces.  The dirt can then get ingested directly or brought into the house and incidentally ingested.

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daniel-monteiro-413416-copy-199x300Surprisingly to most drivers in California, the state does not require drivers to have liability insurance. What the law does require, however, is that a motorist be able to show financial responsibility. There are four ways by law that a motorist can do this. The motorist must either have a:

  • Motor vehicle liability insurance policy
  • Cash deposit of $35,000 on file with the DMV
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