Car and Auto Accidents

Statistics and Law in Northern California Ejection Accidents

July 15, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

One of the first and most important parts of working with a new client in our injury law firm is listening to the client’s story. We recognize that this can be difficult and that telling the story often means reliving some of the most terrifying moments in the individual’s life. In other cases, telling the story means relating (and imagining) the final moments of a loved one’s life. Some of the scariest car accident stories we hear involve crashes where one or more of a vehicle’s occupants is ejected from the automobile. Ejection accidents are always serious and often fatal. Our San Francisco ejection accident law firm is committed to representing the victims of these crashes. This includes helping our client win money for the pain and suffering caused by these terrifying collisions whether the client is the injured victim or a loved one imagining the final moments of a deceased relative.

Vacaville Accident Leaves One Dead, One Seriously Injured

In the early morning hours of Saturday July 13, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, an accident claimed a life in Vacaville, a city is located on I-80 between Sacramento and San Francisco. According to Officer James Evans of the California Highway Patrol, the accident occurred shortly before 5 A.M. at the intersection of Foothill Drive and Pleasants Valley Road. Responding officers found an overturned 1994 Chevy Camaro with one person trapped inside and another partially ejected from the vehicles. Evans noted that one victim was pronounced dead at the scene while the other, he did not know which, was transported to UC Davis Medical Center with major injuries.

Synthetic Drugs and the Danger of Drugged Driving

July 12, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

We’ve all heard the message that drinking and driving don’t mix. Intense education campaigns have taught people that driving while drunk threatens the safety of the driver and everyone else who has the misfortune of travelling on the same road at the same time. However, while they know about the danger of drunk driving, people often fail to identify the broader threat of “driving under the influence,” a threat that also includes driving under the influence of drugs. Drugged driving can involve legal or illegal substances. It also includes the category of synthetic drugs, a growing concern to our Sacramento DUI injury law firm.

Understanding Synthetic Drugs

Synthetic drugs, as discussed by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, are often sold in stores with labels often read “not for human consumption,” a falsehood that masks their intended use and allows the substances to avoid FDA regulation. Examples of synthetic drugs include synthetic marijuana, plant materials that are laced with chemicals that mimic THC which is the active ingredient in marijuana (also known as “Spice” or “K2”), and “bath salts,” which contain manmade chemicals akin to amphetamines. A 2011 study revealed that 11.4% of high school seniors had used synthetic marijuana in the past year, making it the second most commonly used illicit substance for the age group. Public health officials note that the adverse health effects of synthetic drugs can include hallucinations, paranoia, violent behavior, agitation, elevated blood pressure, high pulse rate, and seizures.

Considering Road Rage as Emeryville Family Seeks Answers in Possible Road Rage Death

July 5, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

It’s a term that originated in California, a dubious distinction, and a concern on the minds of local commuters given the headaches and traffic jams caused by the BART strike. When news reports out of Los Angeles in the 1980s began to talk about “road rage,” drivers added a new threat to their list of commuting concerns. Over time, the use of the term began to fade from the initial period when incidents seemed to reach almost epidemic levels. However, road rage and aggressive driving remain very real safety threats. Our San Francisco road rage lawyer is prepared to help those who are injured or lose a loved one due to an angry, aggressive driver in Northern California.

Man Shot After Minor Accident, Family Offers Reward for Information

Road rage is very much on the minds of one Emeryville family, who made a plea on Tuesday and offered a reward for information on their 22 year-old son’s death. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that, on June 12 around 11 P.M., Aya Nakano was driving south on Market Street near Stanford Avenue when his Jeep Cherokee was rear-ended by a silver sedan. He got out of his vehicle and police said that was some form of confrontation with the two men in the other vehicle followed. One of the men proceeded to pull a gun, fatally shooting Nakano hours before his 23rd birthday. The men then fled the scene, heading south on Market.

Celebrating Our Nation with a Safe and Happy Fourth of July

July 3, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

On the Fourth of July, we celebrate our nation and our freedom. It is a day filled with activity from parades to parties, barbeques to beaches, festivals to fireworks. Memories are made as families and communities gather. Ensuring the memories are happy means remembering the importance of keeping the holiday safe. The following topics are just a few of the summer safety issues our San Francisco injury law firm hopes you’ll keep in mind so that you and your loved ones have a safe Independence Day.

• Firework Safety

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (“CPSC”) 2011 Fireworks Annual Report, U.S. emergency rooms saw an estimated 9,600 firework-related injuries in 2011. Notably, approximately 65% of these injuries occurred in the single month span between June 17 and July 17. Children under age 5 accounted for 400 injuries in that focal period (7% of total) and an additional 1,200 injuries involved children aged 5 to 14 years (19% of total). In the focal month, sparklers led to 1,100 injuries (17% of total). Across the full year, burns accounted for more than half of all firework injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments.

Understanding Whiplash and Representing Northern California Victims

June 21, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

As a San Francisco personal injury law firm, our team spends a lot of time talking to car accident victims. We often hear people remark that they had no idea how much a car accident could change a person’s life until it happened to them. In particular, many say that they greatly underestimated the impact that neck and back pain can have on a sufferer’s everyday life. Whiplash is among the most commonly experienced car accident injuries. It is an injury that many dismiss as minor, believing it is often exaggerated or even imagined…until they experience it. As too many car accident victims have learned first-hand, whiplash is very real.

Whiplash: Causes & Symptoms

As the name suggests, whiplash is a type of injury that occurs when the head is suddenly thrust back and forth in a pattern that resembles the cracking of a whip. Two of the most reputable and respected health information website, WebMD and the website for the Mayo Clinic, provide useful discussions of the condition. Car accidents are among the most common causes of whiplash. Rear-end collisions are frequent culprits, with even low-speed collisions leading to whiplash injuries. Other causes include physical abuse and injuries from contact sports. Studies suggest that both structural differences and seating position render women more vulnerable to whiplash than men.

Red-Light Running: Violating a Simple Rule Causes Major Accidents

June 17, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Ask even a kindergartener and they can tell you – A green light means “Go” and a red light means “Stop.” It is a simple, straightforward rule and yet it is frequently violated. In some cases, drivers aren’t paying attention and simply don’t notice the change. In others, an impatient driver tries to sneak through a yellow but it has turned to a definite red by the time the vehicle moves through the intersection. Regardless of how it happens, red-light running is dangerous, can cause serious injury/fatality, and brings Californians to our San Francisco car accident law firm seeking civil redress.

Woman Dies After Running Red Light, Six Others Injured

On Saturday morning, according to a California Highway Patrol report and The San Francisco Chronicle, running a red light caused a woman to die and led six others to suffer injuries. Witnesses said the woman drove through a red light as she travelled west on Marsh Creek Road. As she did so, at around 9:30 A.M., her Dodge Charger was broadsided by a minivan that was proceeding south from Highway 4 onto Vasco Road.

Fatal Single-Vehicle Crash Serves as a Reminder of the Threat of Dangerous Road Conditions

June 14, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

For over fifteen years, Attorney Greg Brod has served Northern California as a Sacramento injury lawyer. In that role, he has learned that dangerous road conditions play a major role in causing car accidents. Sometimes, road design or maintenance is the primary cause of a single or multi-vehicle accident. Other times, the physical condition of the road is an exacerbating factor in an accident caused by driver error. In either case, we can help.

Young Man Dies in Accident; Road Conditions May Have Been a Factor

According to The Sacramento Bee, both speed and a rough road have been blamed for an accident that killed a young man on Tuesday evening in Sierra County. Andrew Metlenko, an 18 year-old from Reno, was riding as a passenger in a pickup truck driven by 18 year-old Cory Adam Neill of Truckee. The young men were in a 1995 Chevrolet pickup, travelling east on Henness Pass Road toward Stampede Meadows Road in the area northeast of Stampede Reservoir.

New BAC Recommendation

May 29, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Several weeks ago, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that all 50 states adopted a new blood-alcohol content (BAC) cutoff of 0.05. This is in comparison to the 0.08 standard that is used now. What the BAC tells, is the concentration level of alcohol in a person’s body. It is used to define intoxication and impairment, and the level at which too much alcohol has been consumed for safe driving. While impairment may vary for individuals of the same BAC, it is still the standard used because it can be measured objectively.

In the United States, all states impose penalties for drivers with a BAC of great than 0.08. In California, the possible penalties are determined by addiNational Transportation Safety Boardtional factors including prior convictions, speed, and if other passengers are in the car. Penalties include criminal charges, fines, jail time, probation, alcohol education school and a suspension of a driver’s license. If states were to adopt this new recommended BAC level, these punishments could potentially occur more frequently as the tolerance for alcohol affected driving is lowered.

Statistics The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), reports that 10,000 people are killed every year in alcohol related crashes. These fatalities account for approximately 31% of highway fatalities. On average, every hour, one person is killed and 20 more injured to do drinking and driving. This translates to more than 173,000 injured, with 27,000 of these suffering incapacitating injuries. In the past 30 years, there have been 440,000 fatalities due to alcohol impaired crashes.

Holiday Accidents in Oakland and Northern California

May 29, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Memorial Day is an opportunity to pause and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. It is also an unofficial kick-off to the summer season, a moment marked by barbeques and trips to the beach. For many, these events involve alcohol. In our many years as your Oakland car accident law firm, we have learned that too often holiday celebrations lead to an increase in traffic accidents, including accidents that cause serious bodily injury or even death. Holiday accidents turn celebrations into tragedies, tragedies that victims are then forced to remember while others celebrate the holiday in the years to come.

California Sees Fewer DUIS but More Traffic Deaths Over Memorial Day Weekend

According to the Oakland Tribune, this Memorial Day weekend saw fewer DUIs in California but more traffic deaths than the 2012 holiday. For the two-and-a-half day span between 6 P.M. on Friday May 24 and 6 A.M. on Monday May 27, the California Highway Patrol reports that 1,113 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence statewide (165 in the Bay Area). In 2012, the corresponding period saw 1,161 DUI arrests (166 in the Bay Area). This year, the period saw fifteen automobile fatalities in California (two in the Bay Area), not including a crash that fell just outside the timeframe claiming three lives in Colma at approximately 7:30 A.M. on Monday. 2012’s two-and-a-half day span saw eleven deaths due to automobile collisions statewide (one in the Bay Area).

Street Racing: A Growing Threat on California Roads

May 24, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

For many, driving is simply a necessity, an in-between time at best and often a headache. For others, however, driving is a passion. These enthusiasts view a well-built engine as an object of beauty; there can never be enough power and speed. Most car lovers understand that power carries risk but some choose to engage in risky pursuits. Street racing is dangerous and a threat to both those involved as well as innocent bystanders. It is a growing problem and one that is of grave concern to our San Francisco accident law firm.

Street Racing in the Headlines

Recent headlines from across the country have provided a grim reminder of the dangers of street racing. On April 30, as detailed by KABC, a pair of crashes involving eight cars and one bicycle occurred in South Los Angeles. Reports suggest that two cars had been racing when both were involved in nearly simultaneous collisions. The fiery crash claimed the life of one man, Jose Cuevas, a driver who had not been involved in the racing itself.