San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

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 Cargo Spill Lawyer on the Danger of Big-Rig Spills

February 26, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

In our modern world, sometimes it seems like we do everything online. However, there are some industries that simply can’t be outsourced or fully digitized such as the transportation of cargo from one place to another. Cargo trucks are an important, often under-recognized, part of our economy. However, cargo spills remain a very real problem and our San Francisco trucking accident lawyer stands ready to help people injured when transportation of cargo goes terribly wrong.

Richmond Truck Accident Buries Cars in Gravel

On Tuesday, according to a report on SFGate.com, a driver somehow lost control of a big-rig sending it careening down a hill in the Richmond District of San Francisco. After sliding, the truck hit a group of parked cars and toppled onto its side, burying at least two vehicles in the truck’s load of gravel.

Caltrans and Your Dangerous Roads Lawyer on Structurally-Deficient Tunnels and Bridges

February 24, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Every time we get behind the wheel of a car, we are engaging in an act of trust. We trust that our car will function properly, we trust that other drivers will obey the rules of the road, and we trust that the roads and other infrastructure are safe. Sadly, there are far too many structurally deficient, dangerous tunnels and bridges that put drivers at risk. As a dangerous roads lawyer in San Francisco, with additional offices in Oakland and Santa Rosa, Attorney Greg Brod helps people injured as a result of deficient roads, bridges, tunnels, and other forms of dangerous infrastructure in Northern California.

Caltrans Investigates Bay Bridge Tunnel Problems

This week, ABC7 reported that Caltrans engineers are working to address corrosion problems discovered in the Bay Bridge tunnel. They are performing tests on the 80-year-old Yerba Buena Island Tunnel, partially in response to an incident last month when a chunk of concrete came loose and damaged a woman’s car. Luckily, the driver was not injured, but the concrete did approximately $3,000 worth of damage to the vehicle.

From Buses to Taxis to Uber: Common Carrier Liability in California

February 23, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

When we hail a cab or, the modern-day equivalent, call for an Uber, we expect to be getting a safe ride to our location. That’s what we pay them. In fact, often people are trying to make the safe choice and responsibly avoiding driving while intoxicated. However, a senseless act of violence in Michigan and a lawsuit pending here in California are both drawing attention to the safety of taxis and Ubers. As a taxi accident lawyer in San Francisco, Greg Brod has experience advocating for those injured when then entrusted the driving to someone else.

Uber Driver Suspected in Spree Shooting in Michigan

According to CBS SF, San Francisco-based Uber recently confirmed that the man who allegedly went on a shooting spree and killed six people in Kalamazoo, had passed the organization’s background check. An Uber passenger claims to have called to report an erratic driver over an hour before the shooting rampage allegedly began, saying the driver began blowing past stop signs, driving through medians, and sideswiping vehicles just after receiving a phone call. About an hour later, the first shooting occurred and seven more shootings occurred over the next several hours before the suspected perpetrator was arrested. Uber officials have expressed sorrow and horror. The company prohibits drivers and passengers from having weapons in an Uber vehicle.

Residential Fires: Causes and Forms of Injury

February 19, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Attorney Gregory Brod is a personal injury lawyer who serves as a fire injury lawyer in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. Along with his legal team, he works with people injured by fires caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing from fires started by faulty products, fires intentionally set by arsonists, and fires caused/exacerbated by a landlord’s failure to maintain a safe living environment. As we discuss in today’s post, there are a wide range of injuries caused by fires and our team is ready and able to help people facing all forms of residential fire injuries in Northern California.

Sixteen Homeless, One Injured After San Francisco Fire

Last weekend, as reported by ABC7, a three-alarm fire in San Francisco left 16 people without a home and injured one child. Firefighters were called to the North Panhandle building around 8:30 PM on Saturday. An assistant fire chief told reporters that Muni and power lines complicated the fire fight but they were able to contain the blaze in about an hour. A child was cut by glass during the blaze.

Drunk Driving: What Do BAC Numbers Really Mean?

February 17, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

We talk about drunk driving fairly often on this blog. One reason is our commitment to advocacy — as a Sonoma injury law firm we are proud to advocate on behalf of those injured or killed by drunk drivers. Another reason is our commitment to prevention – drunk driving accidents are 100% preventable and we hope the information we provide helps convince people that alcohol and driving do not mix. Today’s post looks at a frightening drunk driving accident in Petaluma and then takes a closer look at the meaning of blood alcohol content (“BAC”) numbers and how they impact a person’s ability to drive.

Driver Slams into Window of Petaluma Business

According to a report by CBS San Francisco, police arrested a man early Monday morning after a scary crash in Petaluma. Just after 1:30 AM, police responded to a call from the 100 block of Petaluma Boulevard North. When they arrived, they found a car had driven into the display window of a business which, luckily, was closed at the time of the incident.

Understanding California Courts: Plaintiffs’ Lawyer on Civil vs. Criminal Courts, State vs. Federal Courts

February 16, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Our San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa plaintiffs’ law firm believes in keeping our clients informed and educated, whether it is a personal injury matter, a False Claims Act case, a small business dispute, or any other claim within our firm’s purview. We make this a key commitment in our work because it helps make the process of claim resolution a bit easier and makes the system a bit less intimidating. Today’s focus, explaining two of the key divisions within the court system, is intended to help you to understand some of the different courts in California where your potential claim might be filed and heard (note: often, our cases are settled prior to actual trial).

Civil versus Criminal: The Two Faces of Justice

The first distinction is one we refer to often in these posts, the separation between the civil and criminal courts. Criminal law is about punishment and guilty verdicts result in fines and/or incarceration (or, in some places, the death penalty). In contrast, the object of civil cases is the redress of a wrong which, if the plaintiff prevails, is scales typically accomplished through monetary compensation and/or restitution. Criminal cases are brought by the government, while civil cases are between two private parties.

Northern California Dog Bite Lawyer on Police Dog Attacks

February 12, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

As readers of this blog know, we are proud to serve as a dog bite law firm for Oakland, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and all of Northern California. In today’s blog post, we look at a very specific category of dog-inflicted injuries, police dog bites. Although police dogs can be an important and justified law enforcement tool, there are times when police dogs attack the wrong person or are not trained in a proper manner causing undue injury to their victims.

Hayward Settles Claim Involving Use of Police Dog

The Oakland Tribune announced this week that the city of Hayward has entered into a settlement in a lawsuit involving a police dog that inflicted serious injuries on a man. According to his Complaint, in March 2014 the man had been seated in his car in the driveway at his workplace when a police car pulled up next to him. After shining a light into his vehicle, again per the man’s claims, an officer handcuffed the man while another officer held him down with a knee to his back. The man alleged that the police then released a dog which tore at him inflicting serious injury to his arm and chin. The city agreed to pay the man $45,000 to dismiss the claim, but declined to issue any further comments on the matter.

Protecting Fair Housing Rights: California Housing Attorney Examines Disability Discrimination and Other Forms of Housing Discrimination

February 10, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Few words can stir up as many emotions as the word “home” does. Home should be a place where we feel safe, where we can let down our guard, be our truest selves, and feel love. Everyone deserves a place to call home, regardless of age, race, or sex. Likewise, individuals with disabilities have a moral, ethical, and legal right to be treated fairly when it comes to housing. Sadly, housing discrimination is a very real problem and our San Francisco tenants’ attorney is committed to fighting for everyone’s right to a place to call home.

Proposed Settlement in Disability Discrimination Case Under Fair Housing Act

Last month, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a press release announcing a proposed settlement in a case against a Wisconsin landlord and property owner accused of discriminating based on disability in violation of the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”). The lawsuit alleges that the defendants, one individual and one company, discriminated against a mother and daughter by refusing to renew their lease because the daughter is a person with Down Syndrome. Further, the defendants allegedly demanded the family develop a “plan” to address behaviors purportedly stemming from the daughter’s disability and pressured them to move. Additionally, the gavel3 defendants were accused of discriminating against the pair by not taking prompt action to stop disability-related harassment by others living in the building including offensive comments (e.g., “You don’t belong here. . . you belong in an institution.”), interference with their use of the property, and following the pair around the premises. Allegedly, complaints about this behavior went unaddressed.

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.