Wrongful Death

San Francisco Injury Lawyer Examines the Danger of Residential Fires

June 3, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

The ability to make and use fire is one of the things that has set the human race apart from other species. We use fire to stay warm, provide light, and cook food. However, fire is strong and when it is out of control it can cause serious injuries or death. When residential fires happen because of human negligence, such as when an apartment is not equipped with working smoke detectors or when a wiring issue causes a home to ignite, our San Francisco fire injury lawyer helps hold those at fault financially accountable.

Home Fire in San Francisco Leaves Man in Critical Condition

Earlier this week, CBS SF reported on a residential fire that left a man in critical condition in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley. The fire department was called to the first block of Cora Street at 2:10 PM on Tuesday afternoon. Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames and smoke inside a single-family home and there was smoke emanating out of the residence. It was only after they forced their way into the home and began a search that firefighters found a male victim inside. Emergency officials transported the man to the hospital in critical condition.

Safety and Justice: Northern California Accident Attorney Examines What Causes Fatal Car Accidents

May 25, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, 3,074 people died in traffic-related incidents in California in 2014. As far as our San Francisco car accident lawyer is concerned, that is 3,074 deaths too many. At the Brod Law Firm, we represent people left grieving after a family member dies in a fatal car accident in the San Francisco Bay Area region or anywhere in Northern California. We are also dedicated to providing our readers with information to help them stay safe. We know about the tragedies that can stem from a car accident and we want to do everything in our power to prevent those tragedies.

Study Focuses on Causes of Traffic Fatalities by State

If we want to prevent fatal car accidents, we need to know what causes them. Last year, the journal Business Insider looked at this very question. The report relies on a study conducted by the Auto Insurance Center, an insurance information website, that reviewed all fatal car accidents recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s information systems from 2009 to 2013 to determine what dangerous behaviors caused the highest number of fatal accidents in each state. For purposes of the study, the researchers included pedestrian, passenger, and driver fatalities.

“Look Twice Save a Life”: Examining Motorcycle Accidents Following Two California Motorcycle Fatalities

May 24, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Most drivers have seen the bumper stickers that read: “Look Twice Save a Life – Motorcycles Are Everywhere.” Tragically, many drivers fail to heed this warning. Motorcycle accidents and motorcycle fatalities are far too common and often a careless or inattentive driver is to blame. As an Oakland motorcycle accident attorney, Greg Brod advocates for riders and families whose lives are forever altered because of a driver’s negligence.

Two Motorcycle Rider Killed in Highway 113 Crash

CBS SF reports that two motorcycle riders died after a crash on Highway 113 near Dixon this past Saturday. At around 6:48 PM, California Highway Patrol officers were called to the scene of an accident near Hay Road in unincorporated Solano County. Police believe that a 36-year-old woman was making a left turn in a 2010 Dodge Charger and failed to yield the right of way to two oncoming motorcyclists. The riders, who were travelling at around 55mph on separate motorcycles, crashed into the car and both were ejected from their bikes.

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.”

The Deadly Cost of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs

May 3, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Impaired driving, whether due to alcohol or other drugs, kills. We all know this long before we are old enough to step behind the wheel. Yet, for reasons we’ve never truly been able to understand, people continue to choose to drive drunk and drive under the influence of illicit drugs. Our Oakland drunk driving victims’ law firm works with the families left grieving because someone else made a dangerous decision that had terrible consequences — consequences that are all the more tragic because impaired driving deaths are both foreseeable and completely preventable.

Police Suspect Impaired Driving Caused Deadly Vacaville Collision

At least two families are facing the grim realities of impaired driving after a deadly crash occurred in Vacaville early Sunday morning. CBS SF reports that the driver of a Jeep SUV had pulled onto the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 80 near Lagoon Valley around 5:30 AM because she was feeling ill. After she exited her vehicle, a Honda Accord drifted into the shoulder and hit the SUV, causing the Jeep to spin and hit the driver. A woman inside the SUV died at the scene and the SUV’s driver and two other passengers were taken to a local hospital with minor to moderate injuries. The driver of the Accord had to be extracted from her vehicle by emergency crews and was also taken to the hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. California Highway Patrol officials believe that the 28-year-old driver of the Honda vehicle was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

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.

California Settlements Pursuant to the Fair Claims Act

March 21, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Settlements with insurance companies are controlled by several legal factors. These are: the terms of the particular insurance policy at issue, case law that controls in this area and California State Insurance Statutes. Generally, these laws detail what constitutes unfair treatment and set standards for how insurance carriers should treat claims and claimants.

Fair Claims Act Standards

California Code of Regulations Title 10, Chapter 5, Subchapter 7.5 Article1 section 2695 sets forth the standards for prompt, fair, and equitable settlements. According to the California Code it is unlawful for an insurer to discriminate in its claim settlement practices against a claimant’s age, race, income, religion, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, or physical disability.

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.

Auto Repair Fraud: When Your Trust is Abused and Your Safety Put at Risk

February 9, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

For most of us, hiring a good mechanic comes down to one crucial trait – trustworthiness. Hiring the wrong mechanic can lead to financial losses, injuries, and even deaths. Yet, according to one local news station, auto repair fraud is far too common and far too easy to cover-up. As a San Francisco auto repair fraud injury law firm, we fight for those who simply made the wrong choice (an easy error to make) and who paid a steep price for lies told by so-called “experts” in cars and safety.

Auto Repair Fraud and Government’s Blind Eye Impacts Bay Area Family

Last Friday, NBC Bay Area told a frightening tale of a visit to the auto shop gone wrong. Reporters spoke to a San Jose family who hired a local shop to make some repairs to their SUV. After noticing strange noises upon steering after the shop worked on the vehicle, the family eventually learned that the shop’s employees had gone to great lengths to hide more than $11,000 worth of damage done to the SUV allegedly while in the store’s care. Eventually, one employee broke ranks to tell the family that the SUV had crashed several feet off a mechanical lift. The employee said management ordered them to fix the car as well as they could and return it to the family without saying a word about the incident.

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.”