Child Injury

School Bus Safety: Protecting Our Most Precious Resource

May 31, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

The yellow school bus is an iconic symbol of childhood in America. Many of us waved goodbye to our parents as we headed off to school on the bus and then grew to become the parents waving goodbye our own children. They transport our most precious resource, our children, so we should be able to trust they are safe. A recent lawsuit calls attention to the issue of school bus safety and caught the attention of our San Francisco school bus accident attorney.

Settlement Calls Attention to School Bus Safety

According to SFGate, a school bus company agreed to pay $11.5 million in order to settle a lawsuit claiming the company used unsafe buses to take San Francisco students to and from school. The lawsuit claimed that from 2006 through 2011, the company provided buses to San Francisco United School District that had threadbare tires, worn brakes, and other maintenance-related problems. Although the California Highway Patrol inspected the buses annually, they did not identify the problems at that time. The two mechanics who led the lawsuit say that company records show the bus company misrepresented the safety of the vehicles. The case alleged that company records showed 300 cases where the company violated a requirement that buses be inspected every 45 days and also ignored complaints from drivers and mechanics about the buses including reports of “metal-on-metal” sounds during braking.

A Message About Pool Safety and Civil Liability for Pool Drownings from Your Santa Rosa Injury Attorney

May 18, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

As summer nears, pools and lakes are becoming (forgive the pun) hot spots. With the arrival of the water recreation season comes an increased danger of drowning and children are particularly at risk. Often, drowning is a tragic accident. However, sometimes drowning, in particular swimming pool drowning, occurs because a company or individual is negligent. When negligence puts people in danger, our Santa Rosa pool injury lawyer fights for the victims and for their families.

Fatal Drowning in Rohnert Park Condo Pool

One of the first reported drowning deaths of the 2016 season occurred on Sunday according to a report from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Police believe that a young child was using a kickboard in the swimming pool at a Sonoma condominium complex when he slipped off the board. Officers suspect that the 4-year-old boy was underwater for several minutes before he was spotted. Bystanders attempted CPR and rescue workers, who arrived within four minutes of the 911 call, continued the efforts, but they were unsuccessful and the boy was pronounced dead at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. A representative from the police office urged great care as the water activity season begins stating, “Whether you’re swimming or boating, in a lake, a pool or the ocean, it doesn’t matter the age, be observant, be aware.”

Children at Risk: Number of E-Cigarette Poisonings Involving Young Children Skyrockets

May 11, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Many smokers have turned to e-cigarettes in recent years, often with the hope that the product will be safer than traditional cigarettes. However, the research is far from clear and e-cigarettes are far from harmless. Aside from the danger to the person using them, a recent study notes the rising numbers of children being poisoned by the liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes. As a San Francisco dangerous products lawyer, Greg Brod is watching the e-cigarette poisoning story and ready to help Californians whenever unduly dangerous products put people, especially children, at risk.

E-Cigarettes Generally

E-cigarettes are, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), one of several forms of Electronic Nicotine Systems. Vaporizers and vape pens are closely related. These devices heat a liquid containing nicotine is heated into an aerosol form that is then inhaled by the user. The liquids often contain flavorings and a range of other ingredients as well. E-cigarette use has skyrocketed in the past few years, especially among teens.

San Francisco Hoverboard Injury Lawyer on the Continuing Risk of Hoverboard Fires and Hoverboard Falls

April 19, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

It had been hailed as a star of the 2015 holiday season, until things started going terribly awry. For several months now, our San Francisco product injury law firm has been following the problem of hoverboard fires in the Bay Area and throughout the nation. In addition to the fires, falls and other hoverboard injuries are filling emergency rooms nationwide and causing great risk to riders of all ages.

Hoverboard Fire in Daly City Just One in a Continuing Trend

Late last week, according to CBS SF, police reported that a hoverboard caught fire in a Daly City home on April 4. Police say the hoverboard was charging in the kitchen of a home on Merced Boulevard when it allegedly combusted. Luckily, a resident of the home was able to put the fire out using a fire extinguisher, although fire officials still responded to ensure safety. While no one was injured, it is not immediately clear if the fire caused property damage.

DUI Accidents and Child Victims in California

April 15, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Perhaps the most important thing to know about drunk driving accidents is that they are 100% preventable. That may also be the saddest thing since it means that the victims didn’t need to be injured or didn’t need to die too soon. DUI accidents with child victims are particularly tragic because children pay the price for an adult’s bad decision. As a Santa Rosa child injury lawyer, Greg Brod helps represent injured children, whether they were in the car with the drunk driver, in another vehicle, or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Two Children Injured in Car Crash, Police Say They Were Passengers of a Suspected Drunk Driver

Earlier this week, The Press Democrat reported on a crash believed to have been caused by a drunk driver in Santa Rosa. Police say that they arrested an intoxicated man after he crashed his car on West Third Street on Monday night. His vehicle ended up on a residential lawn near Surrey Drive. The suspected drunk driver had two children, ages 10 and 11, in his vehicle. Both children along with the driver of another vehicle involved in the accident were taken to the hospital for medical care. All are expected to be okay.

Child Sexual Abuse and the Role of the Civil Courts

April 12, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

We wouldn’t trade our role in the justice system – that of a plaintiffs’ law firm – for anything. While we are very honored to be chosen to represent our clients, we know that the very nature of our practice means we often see people when they are facing some of the very worst days of their lives. In this respect, few (if any) of our cases are as difficult to hear about as those involving child sexual abuse. We know that these are very sensitive matters and are absolutely heart-wrenching for the victims and their families. We take our clients’ trust seriously, especially when we are serving child victims (whether in childhood or as adults), and are committed to providing the very best of legal representation in our work as your San Francisco child sexual abuse victim’s law firm.

Dental Assistant Charged with Molesting Multiple Young Girls

Last weekend, as reported by KRON 4, Concord police arrested a local dental assistant after multiple reports that he molested young girls. The first reported incident allegedly involved the 24-year-old man touching and photographing the an 8-year-old girl’s vaginal region while she was under sedation in the exam room of the dental clinic. Since the man’s arrest, two more females under age 10 have come forwards with similar allegations. The charges are only allegations and remain under investigation, but officials fear that there may be more victims who were sexually abused while sedated with medical gas. The dental assistant was booked and held on over $8 million bail and has thus far been charged with eight counts of forcible lewd acts involving a child and an additional count of child pornography.

California Dog Bite Lawyer on Cases Involving Young Children

April 5, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Like most of you, we love dogs. Whether pet owners themselves or just people who enjoy the sight of a happy puppy on the street, our team knows there is no love as pure as that offered by a dog. We also know that sometimes dogs attack and that the victims of those attacks deserve justice, especially when that victim is a young child. There are special rules for child dog bite victims in California and our San Francisco dog bite lawyer helps ensure they receive all the compensation they deserve.

Child Bitten By Dog in Pinole Home

Last week, ABC7 News reported that a young girl was bitten in the face by a dog in a Pinole home. The 3-year-old child was reportedly alone in a room with her uncle’s American bulldog at the time. Contra Costa Animal Services told reporters that the child was taken Children’s Hospital in Oakland where she was treated for two one-inch facial lacerations. Per routine practice, the animal was taken in by animal services for a 10-day quarantine period when he will be tested for rabies and his behavior will be assessed. The owner will then be allowed to petition for the animal’s return or opt to surrender the dog.

Bay Area Wrongful Death Attorney on the Untimely Death of a Parent with Minor Children

March 16, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

childhands' Working in accident law means we often see people at the very worst moments of their lives. This is difficult, but it is also a privilege and it motivates our team to do our very best work for every single client. As an Oakland wrongful death lawyer, Attorney Greg Brod has experience helping people move forward after tragedy and understands that compensation helps, even though no money can never bring back a lost loved one. Nowhere is this more true than in cases involving the wrongful death of a parent who leaves behind one or more minor children.

Discovery Bay Crash Leaves Parents Dead, Children Injured

A car crash near Discovery Bay last weekend claimed the life of a mother and father, orphaning three children, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. At 11:22 P.M. on Sunday, the family was in a Dodge van travelling east on Highway 4 and approaching Old River Bridge when an on-coming Chevrolet swerved into their lane. The Chevrolet crashed into the van, forcing it off the road and causing it to overturn in a drainage canal.

Star Athlete’s Pledge Calls Attention to Brain Injuries in Women’s and Girls’ Soccer

March 9, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

At the Brod Law Firm, we are not only sports fans, we are fans of athletes themselves. Athletes make an impressive commitment to their sport, a commitment that can come with great peril. Far too many athletes off all ages, from the youngest tots dotting the fields on a sunny Saturday to the professionals playing in major arenas, face brain injury. When brain injury occurs because league rules put players at unnecessary risk or because coaches and other officials ignored danger signs, we are here to support players as a Northern California sports injury law firm in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa. This week, we look at a subset of head injuries that is receiving much-needed attention thanks to one big star: head injuries in girls’ soccer and women’s soccer.

Chastain Pledges to Donate Brain to CTE Research

Remembered for her iconic celebration after scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup, Brandi Chastain has inspired countless women and girls to explore the world of sports. Last week, CNN announced that Chastain has pledged to donate her brain to Boston University’s ongoing research project into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (“CTE”) upon her passing. CTE is believed to result from repeated blows to the head which can cause the buildup of an abnormal protein in the brain. It is a degenerative brain disease that can lead to symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s Disease including memory loss, mood swings, and rage. According to USA Today, only 7 of the 307 brains pledged to the project looking at CTE in athletes and military personnel come from women, making Chastain’s promise particularly important.

Remembering a Pioneer Who Fought to Prevent Medication-Related Birth Defects

March 8, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

We don’t often comment on the passing of well-known individuals on this blog site, but a recently reported loss made our team take a moment and think about all the individual did to help the injured and prevent countless more tragedies. His crusade reminds us that medications are not without their dangers, even if they’ve made it through the rigorous FDA approval process. Our San Francisco drug injury law firm would like to take a moment to remember Bay Area medical geneticist Dr. Edward Lammer for his pioneering work into birth defects and prescription medications.

Dr. Edward Lammer’s Crusade to Prevent Accutane-Related Birth Defects

Last Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle announced Dr. Lammer’s unexpected death on February 20 at the age of 62. Before relocating to the Bay Area to work on the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, Dr. Lammer became known as of the first scientists to establish a link between Accutane, a popular acne drug, in pregnant women and severe birth defects. He was the principal investigator in a 1985 study that found that women who used Accutane in the first trimester had nearly a 25 times greater risk of having a child with malformations.