Pedestrian Accident

Ensuring the Law Keeps Up with a Changing World: A Law Firm for Californians Injured in Uber, Lyft, and Other Ride-Share Accidents

April 22, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

The world has changed a lot in the past twenty years. Cell phones have gone from huge, clunky devices saved for an elite few to sleek do-it-all computers that are in the hands of every adult and many (perhaps most!) kids. Paper maps are unheard of anymore; we just check GPS. And instead of hailing a cab, we summon Uber, Lyft, or a similar service. As technology changes, the law needs to keep up. One area The Brod Law Firm is watching closely is how the law responds in the case of car accidents involving ride-sharing companies. Greg Brod is proud to serve as a wrongful death and/or injury lawyer for San Francisco Uber accidents, Lyft accidents, and as an attorney for victims of ride-share accidents throughout Northern California.

Survivors File Suit Against Lyft for Deadly 2014 Accident

This week, CBS SF reported that loved ones of a man killed in a crash with a Lyft driver in 2014 have filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit against the ride-share company. In the early hours of November 1, 2014, two men summoned a ride using Lyft’s mobile app to return home from a party. News reports say that their driver swerved to avoid a stopped vehicle on Highway 80 and spun off the road and into two trees. One rider died, the other suffered serious injuries. CBS cites a CHP report that found the Lyft driver caused the accident by “making an unsafe turning movement” and was not carrying proof of insurance at the time of the incident.

Northern California Injury Lawyers Examines Pedestrian Accidents in Oakland and Antioch

March 1, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Car accidents are frightening anytime, regardless of whether you’re a driver, passenger, or even a bystander. They are, no doubt, particularly frightening to pedestrian victims. As an Oakland pedestrian accident law firm (with additional offices in San Francisco and Santa Rosa), we are here to help pedestrians who are injured in Northern California car accidents and families left grieving after a pedestrian is killed. In today’s post, we look at a recent accident in Antioch involving a young pedestrian and some statistics for pedestrian accidents in Oakland and Antioch.

Child Injured in Antioch Pedestrian Accident

KRON reports that a serious accident involving a young pedestrian occurred in Antioch last weekend. At approximately 1:55 PM on Sunday, a vehicle driven by a juvenile hit a parked car which, in turn, hit an 11-year-old girl near the intersection of Rockford Drive and Alumrock Drive. Although police report that her injuries were minor and she is expected to recover, the child pedestrian was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Oakland for treatment.

San Francisco Injury Lawyer on Tour Bus Accidents in California

January 19, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

City dwellers often have a love/hate relationship with tour buses. Tour vehicles block traffic when they stop to load/unload passengers or halt for a “quick” photo op and large, double-decker buses can impede sightlines. On bustour the other hand, the tourism industry is a major source of revenue for our state and our region (per a Dean Runyan Associates study, total direct travel spending statewide in 2014 was $117.5 billion, including $29,987 million in the Bay Area and $1,760 million in Sonoma County) and a major source of jobs (per the same survey, tourism accounted for 1,0270,000 jobs statewide in 2014). Sadly, however, tour buses have been in the news recently for a reason that trumps all other pros and cons – safety. Tour bus accidents are a growing concern and our San Francisco tour bus accident lawyer represents both locals and visitors who are injured or lose loved ones in these tragic collisions.

Tour Bus Fatally Strikes San Francisco Pedestrian

At approximately 1 P.M. on Saturday, a tour bus hit and killed a pedestrian at the intersection of Post and Divisadero Streets. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, police are still investigating, but early indicators suggest the pedestrian was crossing against a red light when the bus turned right and hit the man. One witness, a former police officer, said the man was waving and shouting at the driver just prior to impact, but the driver appeared to be distracted by another motorist running a red light. In the witness’s words, “I have no idea why (the driver) didn’t see him — unless he was looking somewhere else — but he must have passed right in front of him. He wasn’t driving fast, but he just kept going.”

Encouraging Communities to Prioritize Bicycle Safety

December 1, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Oakland bicycle accident attorney Greg Brod has spent years advocating for bicyclists in court and as a member of multiple Bay Area bicycle associations. In addition to helping injured bicycle riders obtain just compensation, he supports efforts to ensure bicycling is a safe and feasible transportation option for people in Oakland and throughout Northern California. Bicycling is almost an ideal form of transportation, allowing people to travel farther and faster than they can on foot while saving money, protecting the environment, and obtaining the physical exercise that we all need. Attorney Brod knows that ensuring bicycle safety as well as pedestrian safety helps ensure the safety of everyone who travels Bay Area roads.

Group Making Bicycling a Great Option in Albany

A group in Albany, California is working to make bicycling a convenient and safe option for residents and visitors to their town. According to the Oakland Tribune, pedestrian and bicyclist advocacy group Albany Strollers & Rollers has installed a public air pump for riders. The pump, along with a pump stop rack to hold the bike while the rider inflates the tires, is located near the California Bank & Trust at the corner of Solano and Santa Fe Avenues. Input from the city, the group’s members, and the Solano Avenue Association was used to determine the location. The group is also responsible for the colorful bike racks found in the city. A representative told the paper that the pump was funded by a grant from Grizzly Peak Cyclists and money raised by offering bicycle “valet parking” during the Solano Stroll.

Two Wheels, Two Feet: When Motorcycles Hit Pedestrians

November 17, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

At The Brod Law Firm, we are proud to work with motorcycle riders who’ve been injured by negligent drivers and we have long supported the motorcycle riding community. However, ultimately our job is to help the wrongfully injured or those grieving the wrongfully killed. While it is less common than pedestrian accidents caused by cars, pedestrian accidents caused by motorcycles are a threat. When a negligent motorcycle rider harms a pedestrian, our San Francisco pedestrian accident attorney is, as always, prepared to fight for the wrongfully injured. We know that most riders are as committed to safety as they are to the open road and suspect they’d support our efforts to help the victims of motorcycle riders who failed to appreciate the power two wheels can have.

Weekend San Francisco Motorcycle Crash Leaves Pedestrian Dead

Over the weekend, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the arrest of a motorcycle rider on hit-and-run charges. A police spokesman told reporters that a 67-year-old woman had been crossing 24^th Street mid-block in the vicinity of Noriega Street shortly before 7 PM on Friday when a motorcyclist passed around a double-parked vehicle and hit the pedestrian. The woman was transported to San Francisco General Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Pedestrian Fatalities: Local Accidents, National Statistics

November 12, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Some people never drive a car, some never travel by public transit, many never fly, but almost everyone is a pedestrian at some point. Pedestrian safety is a critical piece of the transportation safety picture and Attorney Greg Brod is proud to serve as a pedestrian accident lawyer in Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and other Northern California communities. In today’s post, we look at a tragic series of fatal pedestrian accidents in the Bay Area in recent days. We then move to the national level and take a look at who is involved in pedestrian crashes plus when and where these tragedies occur. Understanding accidents is critical to preventing accidents and serving our clients after a tragedy strikes.

At Least Three Northern California Pedestrian Deaths in November’s First Nine Days

Recent weeks have seen a number of fatal pedestrian accidents in the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Jose Mercury News reports that Interstate 880 near Highway 237 in Milpitas saw at least two fatal pedestrian accidents pedkilled within a week’s time. CHP personnel told reporters that a man was hit by multiple vehicles and killed when he tried to run across Interstate 880 on November 1. Another accident occurred on the same road on November 6 around 5:10 PM. According to the paper, a 65-year-old man was trying to cross the freeway’s southbound lanes just south of Dixon Landing Road. In addition to the two pedestrian fatalities, a motorcycle rider was also killed in the same general area on November 3.

Car Accidents and Daylight Savings Time: The Dangers After We Fall Back

November 3, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

The end of Daylight Savings Time is a yearly occurrence that many of us eagerly anticipate and dread in equal measures. Many people reveled in an extra hour of rest this past weekend (at least those without young children whose sleep cycles don’t change simply because we adjusted our clocks!). However, that extra hour of sleep comes at cost: lost daylight. While many people worry about the impact on afternoon activities and even on people’s moods, at our Oakland injury law firm we worry about another danger – the tie between car accidents and daylight savings time.

Increased Risk of Car Accidents When Daylight Saving Time Ends

sunset Last year, Time Magazine delved into the twice-yearly debate about changing the clocks, focusing on the impact of Daylight Savings Time (“DST”) on road safety. The article suggests that losing an hour of afternoon sunlight, as we do each fall when DST ends, may result in an increased number of traffic accidents. According to a 2004 study, the lives of some 170 pedestrians and 200 motorists could be saved each year by maintaining DST all year.

Vision Zero San Francisco: Making Progress on Plan to End Traffic Fatalities

September 8, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

As your San Francisco personal injury law firm, we fight for compensation for the injured and we know our client’s need money to move forward after tragedy. To put it bluntly, money helps. Still, we understand that no amount of money can take away the pain of an injury or the grief of a loved one’s death. This is why we believe in prevention first. While many entries on this blog include cautionary tales and evidence-backed advice that we hope will further support our commitment to safety, this post will focus on hope and the ambitious prevention goals embodied in the Vision Zero SF plan.

What Is Vision Zero SF?

Vision Zero SF is a road safety policy and a commitment to protect our city’s residents and visitors by making the streets safe and livable. According to the program’s website, 30 people die and more than 200 are seriously injured each year as they travel the city’s streets. The Vison Zero program, which originated in Sweden and is spreading to U.S. cities, is based on the belief that these numbers are unacceptable and these accidents preventable. San Francisco adopted the policy in 2014. The collaborative effort involves policy changes and cultural shifts with the lofty but firm goal of eliminating all traffic deaths by 2024. The initial Two-Year Action Plan calls for completing at least 24 traffic safety improvements in the first 24 months

Sharing the Road: Even the Safest Pedestrians and Motorcyclists Rely on Responsible Drivers

August 28, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Cars are powerful machines, a fact that is easy to forget as we go about our day-to-day lives. Occasionally, however, we are given a sharp reminder. In some cases, this comes in the form of a close call; a driver glances down momentarily, perhaps returning a beverage to the cup holder, and looks up to with just enough time to brake before hitting someone crossing the road. Such moments make us think about what could have happened and remember how much responsibility we have behind the wheel. Unfortunately, sometimes the reminder takes a harsher form and someone is hurt or even killed. These moments remind us of the sheer power of the automobile, the importance of attentive driving, and the vulnerability of other travelers, especially those not protected by an automobile themselves. As the following story of two crashes illustrates, pedestrian injuries and motorcyclist injuries are far too real and, in the opinion of our San Francisco injury law firm, far too common.

Pedestrian and Motorcycle Rider Hit in Two Crashes

A motorcycle officer and a pedestrian were injured in a pair of accidents on Tuesday. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a police officer aboard a motorcycle was struck by a car around 7:30 A.M. at the intersection of Leavenworth Street and Golden Gate Avenue. A police spokesman told reporters the officer was in the far-left lane when a Volvo travelling in the same direction changed lanes, hitting the officer and sending him crashing into a nearby parked car. The officer was injured but is expected to recover. The driver is cooperating with investigators.

A California Law Firm Helping the Victims of the Hit-and-Run Epidemic

June 23, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

At its core, the justice system is about holding people accountable for their actions. In the personal injury/wrongful death arena, this means making at-fault drivers (and/or other wrongdoers) face their actions and the results thereof. Hit-and-run drivers are a prime example of individuals who have committed an egregious wrong. Our Oakland hit-and-run injury attorney works with professionals to find these offenders (notably, legal teams often locate people the police cannot find) and then uses the justice system to ensure they face their actions. We cannot make the perpetrators of hit-and-run accidents feel remorse, but we can make them face the consequences of their actions and compensate those they hurt.

Hit-and-Run Accident Kill San Leandro Pedestrian

Last week, a hit-and-run driver cut short the life of 26 year old Madeline Moore of San Leandro. As reported by the Oakland Tribune, Moore was crossing at the intersection of Hesperian Boulevard and Thornally Drive at around 9 A.M. on Monday when she was hit by a black Toyota T-100 pickup truck. She succumbed to her injuries that afternoon.