Car and Auto Accidents

The Costs Of Car Crash Injuries

January 30, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Every accident has a story and it is often the details of that story that make a difference in civil litigation. Our Sonoma crash law firm often talks about some recurring details on this blog, looking at specific types of crashes, specific causes, and specific outcomes. Sometimes, however, we like to take a step back. Today’s post begins with a local accident and then pulls the lens back to look at the cost of car crashes in the U.S. and some proven strategies for car crash prevention.

Serious Injuries in Sonoma Crash

A frightening crash west of Sonoma appears to have involved two of the biggest dangers on the road: drunk driving and failing to wear a seatbelt. The Press Democrat that 50 year old Charles Purdon’s Jeep crashed into a tree off of Carriger Road on Tuesday night. Police suspect he had been drinking, noting they had received a call about a possible drunk driver in a Jeep shortly before the accident. Purdon was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, a factor that authorities believe contributed to his extensive injuries. It took nearly an hour to extricate him from his crumpled vehicle with firefighters eventually cutting the car away from Purdon’s leg which had become entangled in the Jeep’s dash. CHP officers arrested Purdon on suspicion of drunk driving.

Backover Accidents: Prevention and Compensation

January 22, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Driving is a risky activity and far too many of us fail to give it the attention it deserves, especially when we’re travelling a common route. For many, trips begin by putting the vehicle in reverse and backing out of a garage or driveway. While drivers may be on the lookout for other traffic, sometimes people neglect to look directly behind them, assuming their usual path is clear. Drivers may also look too quickly, only glancing long enough or carefully enough to register the presence of large objects like another car. It is this type of everyday neglect that leads to tragic backover accidents. Our San Francisco backover accident attorney represents the victims of these terrible accidents and their families, a group that all too often includes injured children or grieving parents.

Backover Crashes & Child Victim Statistics

Backover accidents is one of the focal issues for the non-profit group KidsAndCars.org. In a Backovers Fact Sheet, they note that every year thousands of children are injured or killed because a driver failed to see them when backing up. Most of these backovers occur in either a parking lot or a residential driveway. In a typical week, 50 children in the U.S. are involved in a backover incident including 48 who are treated in emergency departments and two who are fatally injured. Children between 12 and 24 months are the most common victims and in 70% of backover accidents either a parent or other close relative is the driver. Most of these backover incidents involve a larger vehicles like a van, truck, or SUV.

The Surprisingly Common Danger of Vehicles Crashing Into Buildings

January 20, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It’s the type of news story that always grabs attention. Yet, it is also an event that happens much more often than you might imagine. As the following blog post notes, vehicle-into-building crashes happen dozens of times each day in the United States. These crashes can cause injuries and death, putting the driver, the building occupants, and other bystanders at risk. Depending on the circumstances, the driver and building management may be liable to those injured in the crash. Our Alameda County injury attorney is prepared to help the injured and those who have lost a loved one recover needed compensation from all those responsible for the crash.

Car Plows Into Newark Macys Store

Last week, ABC7 reported on an accident in Newark, a California city located about 25 miles south/southwest of Oakland. Shortly before 5 AM on Wednesday, a car jumped a curb and crashed into the Macys store at NewPark Mall located south of Interstate 880. A 63 year-old woman was driving the vehicle which ended up about 50 feet inside of the store. Six people, the driver and five bystanders, were taken to the hospital including one customer in serious condition. A subsequent ABC7 article indicates one young woman nearly lost her right foot in the incident and one man remained hospitalized the next morning. Police believe the driver may have suffered some form of medical condition that contributed to the crash.

Repeat Drunk Drivers: A Look at the Problem of DUI Recidivism

January 16, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

We can answer many questions for the clients of our Santa Rosa DUI injury law firm. We can tell them about the law and the legal process. We can help them evaluate settlement offers and understand the unique world of the courtroom. While we are not medical professionals, we can help them understand what an injury may mean for their future. We cannot, however, answer one of the most common questions – Why? We cannot tell them why someone got a car while intoxicated, despite the fact that everyone has heard about the dangers. That decision, a decision that altered innocent lives, is especially hard to understand when dealing with the all-too-common situation of repeat drunk drivers.

Santa Rosa DUI Arrest is Man’s Second in 2015

Early Sunday morning, just eleven days into 2015, police arrested a Hayward man on his second drunk driving charge of the year. According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, at 6 AM on Sunday Mendocino County law enforcement sent an alert to their Bay Area peers about a suspected drunk driver in the area. Twenty minutes later police in Santa Rosa pulled over a gold Pontiac heading south on Highway 101 and weaving on the roadway. Behind the wheel they found 26 year-old Antonio Becerra Jr., a Hayward man with two previous DUI convictions and an arrest on suspicion of DUI earlier this month. Once again, police charged him with suspicion of driving under the influence.

Northern California Product Injury Lawyer Examines Recall Linking Unexpected Braking to Ignition Panel Design

January 9, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Technology is great. Until, that is, it isn’t. Our days our filled with technological devices that we couldn’t have even dreamed of even a short 15 years ago when the year 2000 arrived. New devices and modern additions to older products have changed the way we live, often offering huge safety improvements. However, sometimes a new technology turns out to be dangerous. Product liability law protects consumers in these situations. In today’s entry, our Oakland California product liability attorney examines in-car technology that has proved more harmful than good and looks at the types of product liability claims available to those harmed by a consumer item in the Bay Area.

Ford Recalls Vehicles, Design Linked to Unexpected Vehicle Shut-off

On Tuesday, CNN reported on the recall of approximately 13,500 Lincoln MKC crossover vehicles. The vehicles have a push-button ignition and buttons also take the place of a traditional gear shift. In a dangerous twist, Ford found that drivers who intend to press “S” to put the vehicle in sport mode sometimes hit the nearby start-stop button instead, causing the vehicle to shut down. Similarly, one car owner told federal regulators that his passenger was reaching for the radio but accidentally pressed the ignition switch button causing the vehicle to come to a sudden stop much as it would if a driver slammed on the brakes.

The Dangers of Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana

January 7, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Among the topics that dominated the news nationwide in 2014 was a growing shift in the laws involving marijuana. An increasing number of states have joined California in allowing medicinal use of marijuana and a few states have legalized personal recreational use. While federal prohibitions remain, authorities seem to be respecting state laws, at least on medicinal use. These trends make the issue of driving under the influence of marijuana even more relevant and of great concern to our San Francisco drugged driving law firm.

Legislature to Face Questions of Legalization & Regulation

Earlier this week The Sacramento Bee reviewed the key issues that California legislators will be facing in 2015. The paper included marijuana use on this list, noting that the state legalized medical marijuana two decades ago but has thus far refused to enact regulations dealing with marijuana cultivation, transport, or sale. However, advocates have won victories in other states and they are expected to push for recreational use in 2016. This year the legislature may be asked to rein in the medicinal use market.

When Winds and Negligence Combine to Cause Injury to Northern Californians

January 2, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

There are many weather threats that people worry about from earthquakes to lightning strikes to flooding. You might not put winds at the top of this list, but winds can and do cause major damage that can lead to serious injuries or even deaths. As with other weather-related safety threats, Mother Nature may seem like the primary culprit in wind injuries. However, our Sonoma natural disaster injury attorney knows that people and their decisions often share the blame. It can absolutely be appropriate to bring a civil claim when the negligence of a person, company, or even municipality combines with a known natural threat to leave you seriously injured or grieving.

Strong Winds Wreak Havoc in Sonoma County

As The Press Democrat reported, high winds in Sonoma County on Tuesday caused a wide range of property damage. Trees and power line were toppled, smashing into cars, damaging homes and blocking roads, closing Interstate 80 in Vallejo at the height of the afternoon commute. Winds also created other transportation problems throughout Northern California, shutting down the ferry service from San Francisco to East Bay, causing a power outage that interrupted BART services, and delaying flights out of San Francisco International Airport. Emergency dispatchers report receiving calls about more than 50 wind-related incidents and PG&E reports power outages impacted over 5,000 customers. While no injuries were reported in Sonoma County, winds were implicated in at least two deaths in Butte County, an area approximately 90 minutes north of Sacramento.

To a Safe and Happy New Year

December 31, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

It seems like each year passes quicker than the last. At The Brod Law Firm, we are grateful for all of the clients who trusted us to advocate for them and to fight alongside them in 2014. We know the decision of which law firm to hire is often a difficult one and we are honored to have worked with you and for you this year. We understand that no one ever wants to need an attorney, but when you do, we hope you continue to entrust us with your legal needs whether in a personal injury, landlord/tenant, health care fraud, or other area.

We also want to remind everyone to be safe as you celebrate New Year’s Eve. As a Northern California DUI injury law firm, we see tragic consequences of drinking and driving. While we generally see the victims of drunk drivers and not the impaired drivers themselves, we believe everyone can use a reminder from time to time about the dangers of drinking and driving. As a recent campaign emphasized, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving and the only safe level blood alcohol level is zero.

Elevated Risk on the Roadways on New Year’s Day

The Uncertain Legal Status of Uber and Other Ride-Share Companies

December 19, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Perhaps the biggest phenomenon in the transportation world during 2014 has been the rise of Uber and other ride-share apps. While some have been in existence for a number of years, ride sharing companies grew exponentially this year with both riders and drivers taking advantage of technology allowing a person in need of a ride to connect with a driver for hire. Although the services have many loyal devotees, there are increasing concerns about what happens when things go wrong both in terms of car accidents and when either party has bad intentions. Our San Francisco injury law firm is closely following the related legal developments and fully prepared to represent people injured while using Uber or other ride-share services whether in a crash or as the victim of an assault.

“Common Carrier” or Just Another Driver?

Uber and other rideshare apps may save passengers money but customers may not have the same legal protections they have in a traditional taxi. As the California Civil Jury Instructions explain, “common carriers” are companies that are in the business of transporting the general public or their property. This is important because common carriers owe enhanced duties and “must use the highest care and the vigilance of a very cautious person. They must do all that human care, vigilance, and foresight reasonably can do under the circumstances to avoid harm to passengers [or property]” (California Civil Jury Instructions 902). In contrast, a typical driver only owes a duty of ordinary care, a much lower standard. The enhanced duties make it easier to recover in a personal injury lawsuit if a car accident occurs. It is well-established that taxis and buses fall into the category of common carriers. While at least some courts have found ride-share companies fall into this category, others have yet to rule on the issue and the companies strongly contest the label.

The Impact of Alcohol: Santa Rosa Injury Lawyer Examines the True Meaning of BAC

December 18, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

In most news stories (and blog posts) about drunk driving accidents there is at least one reference to blood alcohol concentration (“BAC”). Most readers have probably heard that the legal limit in all states is 0.08%, but it can be hard to understand what BAC really means. Today, our Santa Rosa DUI injury law firm looks at what BAC means from a driving skills standpoint.

From “Buzzed” to Legally Drunk…

In a dedicated drinking and driving fact sheet, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) looks at how alcohol impacts a driver even before reaching the 0.08 mark. It is worth noting that these are generalized based on an average person and some people may experience a greater impact from the same BAC.