San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

Roadway Safety Reminders from Your Oakland Accident Attorney as Families Give Thanks that No One is Seriously Injured in Horrific Pile-Up

December 22, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

With Christmas just days away, it seems like even more of a miracle that there was not a single serious injury from a terrifying multi-vehicle accident near the Bay Bridge late last week. We have no doubt that many area families feel they have already received the best possible gift – the well-being of their loved ones. As an Oakland accident law firm, we see the tragedy that can result from a car accident. In addition to helping accident victims, we believe in accident prevention. Today’s post looks at the recent Oakland story and provides advice for avoiding car accidents and keeping you, your loved ones, and those around you safe in the holiday season and all year long.

No Serious Injuries in Twelve Car Pile-Up Near Bay Bridge

According to ABC7, a twelve-vehicle crash occurred on I-880 near the approach to the Bay Bridge around 9:30 AM last Friday. Looking at the pictures on ABC’s website, including horrific images of a big-rig resting on a red pickup truck and a picture of the red pickup after the big rig was finally moved, it is hard to believe that the pile-up did not cause a single serious injury. The driver of that red pickup was trapped for a time and was checked out by doctors, but was back at home by Friday evening. Overall, only two drivers incurred minor injuries in the pile-up. Many of those involved shared stories that made the lack of serious injuries even more amazing, such as a father who originally planned to have his preschool-aged daughter in his vehicle but changed plans at the last minute, perhaps saving her life.

San Francisco Injury Lawyer Examines Hydroplaning Amid Wet Weather in the Bay Area

December 18, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It has been an unusually rainy couple of weeks here in the Bay Area. According to SFGate.com, the rain is likely to continue this weekend and all next week with the forecast including a soggy Christmas Day. While we all know that we need the rain, that doesn’t make it easy to get through a long stretch of wet weather. The frequent rains also make for difficult driving and, because prevention is always the best option, our San Francisco car accident law firm wants people to stay alert for the possibility of hydroplaning and related accidents.

Parents Killed, Young Children Injured, Police Suspect Vehicle Hydroplaned

For at least one family, the threat of a wet weather accident became all too real recently. NBC Bay Area reports that an accident on eastbound Interstate 580 near West Grant Line Road claimed two lives on Sunday December 13. Officials suspect that the single-car accident, which occurred in the vicinity of the Altamont Pass, began when the vehicle hydroplaned on a pool of water. The vehicle then rolled repeatedly before coming to a stop down an embankment. The two adults in the car were pronounced dead at the scene while their children, ages 5 and 6, were taken to an area hospital with one reportedly suffering traumatic injuries.

Hoverboards: A Holiday Craze that May Become a Holiday Nightmare

December 16, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It is hard to miss the signs that the holiday giving season is upon us. For many children, the top item on their list for Santa is a so-called “hoverboard.” Although it isn’t quite the air-riding skateboard some of us remember from Back to the Future II, hoverboards offer both transportation and excitement attracting both the young and young-at-heart. If a hoverboard is on the wish list for someone you love, or if it makes your own “Dear Santa” letter, you need to know about the growing number of hoverboard fires. As an injury lawyer with a keen understanding dangerous product and recreational injury claims, Attorney Greg Brod can help people injured by hoverboard fires as well as other injuries caused by toys r recreational equipment. With three offices serving Northern California, his San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Oakland product liability law firm wants to ensure holiday gifts don’t become holiday tragedies.

The Hoverboards of 2015

First things first: What exactly are the hoverboards of 2015? Buzzfeed, a social and entertainment news site, published a fairly comprehensive report this summer titled Everything You Need to Know About the Hoverboard Craze. The article references multiple types of hoverboards including a motorized skateboard and a board with a single wheel in the center. For those looking for a “true” hoverboard (a la Marty McFly), boards that actually hover above ground are largely in the development and testing stages.

When Beams, Logs, and Similar Pieces of Truck Cargo Careen Into Vehicles

December 15, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

About a month ago, we wrote about the problem of trucks spilling their cargo endangering everyone on the road including travelers who drive by later and encounter a missed piece of debris. Today, following a story with a truly miraculous ending, we look more specifically at accidents where items such as logs or beams from trucks impale windshields or otherwise endanger bystanders or even the truck driver himself. As a truck accident law firm in Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and Oakland, we help people injured when cargo pierces a window or other barrier and we can also represent grieving families when these accidents lead to tragic death.

Miraculous Survival When Metal Beam Pierces Windshield

ABC7 reports that a male driver was travelling south on I-280 in San Jose on Thursday December 10^th. He was following behind a truck when he saw a metal beam come loose from the cargo load. The beam pierced the man’s windshield. While surrounding vehicles prevented the driver from veering to avoid the collision, the driver ducked to avoid getting hit by the metal piece. Despite the fact that a metal beam was sticking right through the front windshield, the driver walked away with only a scratch. Police have thus far issues a ticket to the truck driver for spilling a load.

The Growing Danger of Explosions Linked to Marijuana Honey Oil Production

December 11, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

You have probably heard about the threat of fires and explosions linked to methamphetamine labs, but did you know that producing a potent form of marijuana poses a similar danger? Experts in our region have linked a number of area explosions to the production of marijuana “honey oil,” also known as “hash oil” or “dabs.” The threat of injuries linked to honey oil explosions is a growing concern for our San Francisco burn injury lawyer. Whether you favor full legalization, medical use only, or a total ban on marijuana, you need to know about this threat since it endangers both those involved in the drug market as well as mere bystanders.

Fire Officials Suspect Production of Marijuana Honey Oil Caused Petaluma Explosion

This week, ABC7 reported that fire officials suspect Monday night’s explosion of a home in Petaluma may have been sparked by butane gas used in the production of honey oil. Just after 9 PM Monday, firefighters were called to a home near the corner of La Cresta and Haven drives. At the scene, fire officials found light smoke along with signs of an explosion, but no active fire was present by the time the residence was cleared for entry. Police report they questioned but did not arrest the only resident who was home when the explosion occurred. Luckily for him, that resident suffered only minor injuries. Fire officials report that the explosion caused about $10,000 in damage. The cause remains under investigation, but fire officials say they believe the explosion was tied to the production of marijuana honey oil.

From Military Tool to Gift-of-the-Moment: Drones and the Threat of Drone Injuries

December 9, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

One of the most controversial tools used by the military and domestic government authorities has become the season’s most in-demand gift. Drones are becoming more powerful and more accessible, with hobbyists of all ages taking the controls. Drones are fascinating, but drone injuries are a very real danger. From interfering with aircraft to injuring an operator or a bystander, drone accidents happen and our Northern California drone injury lawyer is prepared to use a variety of legal theories to advocate for those injured by drones in San Francisco and the surrounding regions.

Drone Nearly Collides with CHP Helicopter Over Martinez, CA

A close call in our area last weekend highlights a potential safety threat from privately operated drones and has the California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) urging operators to take care when flying the devices. According to ABC7, on Saturday night a CHP helicopter was working with Martinez police and flying above Highway 4 when they spotted a small red light. The light turned out to be a drone flying at nearly the same altitude as the helicopter, approximately 800 feet, despite the Federal Aviation Administration’s (“FAA”) recommendation that drones remain under 400 feet. Luckily, the CHP pilots, travelling nearly 100mph, spotted the drone in time and banked allowing the drone to fly by the helicopter. CHP officials believe they have identified the drone’s operator and have turned the incident over to the FAA to determine an appropriate response.

Food Labeling Litigation Update: Court Allows Consumer Suit Challenging Organic Label to Proceed

December 8, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Eating healthy has never been so easy…or so hard. Thanks to the Internet and increased access to information about nutrition and other health topics, consumers have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Still, sometimes all that information becomes overwhelming, especially with more products appearing on store shelves making a wide range of promises. Useful and accurate labeling is critical to enabling consumers to make informed choices. Food labeling lawsuits allow consumers to fight back when companies make false and potentially dangerous promises. As a food safety law firm in San Francisco, the Brod Law Firm believes consumers must be able to trust food labels and rely on companies to produce safe foods that live up to company promises.

California Supreme Court Rules in Organic Labeling Case

Last week, the Supreme Court of California issued an important ruling in favor of consumers in a food labeling lawsuit. At issue according to NBC7 was whether consumers could file suit in California alleging that a product was falsely labeled “organic.” A lower appeals court had ruled such suits were barred by federal law which typically supersedes state law. That decision, handed down in 2013, held that Congress intended that government officials would be solely responsible for policing the term in order to create a uniform national standard.

Structural Bridge Accidents: Fears and Realities

December 4, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

According to Medicinet (a part of WebMD), gephyrophobia is relatively common although few sufferers know the precise term. In layman’s terms, gephyrophobia is an irrational fear of bridges. While we do not intend to make light of a real psychological condition, a recent report on bridge safety in the Bay Area and nationwide has our San Francisco bridge accident lawyer wondering whether fear of bridges is always so irrational.

NBC and GAO Report on State of Bridges

Earlier this year, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit (“the Unit”) looked into the state of area bridges and, as discussed in an updated article published this week, the news station’s concerns are now being echoed in a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”). In April, the Unit found that 472 of the nearly 4,000 bridges in the Bay Area were rated “structurally deficient” by expert engineers, meaning some part of the core bridgecollapse structure needs either repair or replacement. Although NBC reports that this number has improved a bit to 405 based on the GAO’s latest numbers, a disturbing 10% of the bridges in the nine county region remain in need of important work. Another 17% of the region’s bridges are functionally obsolete. Notably, functionally obsolete means the bridge is no longer adequate for its purpose but it does not mean the bridge is out of service or that there is a specific defect. As USA Today reported, the bridge that collapsed on I-10 in Southern California back in July had been labeled functionally obsolete in a 2014 National Bridge Inventory.

Driving Driverless Cars: Researchers Look for the Best Balance Between Humans and Technology

December 2, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It is a topic that can spark quite a bit of discussion around the watercooler at our San Francisco injury law firm – Are driverless cars the future of safe driving or a dangerous detour? We put our trust in computers every day and human error is certainly at the root of many car accidents, but can a computer ever respond the same way a driver can? What balance between human and computer would provide the safest solution?

Stanford Researchers Find Distraction May Be Key to Driver Readiness in Automated Vehicles

The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported on ongoing research into the safety of driverless cars at Stanford University. Specifically, researchers are looking at how automated vehicles can best alert drivers and hand off control when the software and/or sensors become overwhelmed. There are already cars on the market that can be programmed to stay in a lane or maintain a safe distance between vehicles, but there is still a need for a human driver at times and handing off control is a major issue. Automation, for all its many benefits, can lull people into a false sense of security. The Chronicle sums up this issue well: “One riddle automakers must solve: How to get owners to trust the technology so that they’ll use it — but not trust it so much that they’ll be lulled into a false security that makes them slow to react when the car needs them.”

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.