3 Reasons People Hate Hiring Personal Injury Lawyers!

Woodland Hills personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg meets hundreds of accident victims and prospective clients every year.  There seems to be a “unifying theme” from most, if not all, of the clients—they think they hate lawyers and they dread having to actually hire one!  The bad news— for the most part—their concerns are legitimate! …

Do Not Tinker with The 998 Offer to Compromise!

Woodland Hills personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg is a huge advocate of using the Code of Civil Procedure § 998 Offer to Compromise in every case that is in litigation or going to trial.  In addition, it should be used as a “cost shifting” tool even in Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Arbitrations.  In…

What Costs are Recoverable if I win my Case?

Woodland Hills personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg is both careful about incurring costs and spends a significant amount of time explaining how costs work to clients.  Clients need to understand what costs they will recover by going to trial and which ones they will not.  This analysis should be part of the decision-making process…

Truck Accident Lawyer

Tax Time Question—- Is My Personal Injury Settlement Taxable?

Woodland Hills personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg starts receiving phone calls around this “tax time” of year from clients asking whether their personal injury settlements must be declared and are taxable.  I always answer the question the same way, I am not qualified to provide tax advice.  In fact, I “glazed over” in law…

2016 Amendment to C.C.P § 998 Equalizes Costs for Plaintiffs and Defendants

Woodland Hills personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg frequently comments on proper uses and tactics of C.C.P § 998 Offers to Compromise.  In fact, it is one of the few very useful tools left for a personal injury attorney to prompt or force a settlement with a third party in litigation.  Moreover, C.C.P § 998…

A Landowner has a Duty to Warn of Certain Dangerous Conditions

Woodland Hills personal injury attorney Barry P. Goldberg must look for viable liability theories against all possible defendants, particularly in catastrophic injury cases.  One theory of liability that can create liability is when a dangerous condition of property exists and the landowner fails to warn of the known dangers.  The lure of this theory is…

Expert Testimony is Necessary to Establish Some Types of Damage, But Not Others.

Woodland Hills personal injury attorney Barry P. Goldberg is often faced with decisions whether to hire experts on medical causation, or allow the plaintiff and the jury to apply common sense.  Essentially, the question of whether an expert is required comes down to whether the medical [or economic] condition is “beyond common experience” such that…

Merry Christmas! Insurers are increasingly using the “Drop Check” to settle your case for less.

Woodland Hills Personal injury attorney Barry P. Goldberg has seen insurer trends over the past three decades of representing injury victims.  Early in his days of practice, insurers often utilized the “Drop Check” to attempt to side track negotiation and to settle cases cheaply and quickly.  The “Drop Check” is a tactic whereby the insurer…

Auto Accident Attorney Los Angeles

A Plaintiff without Medical Insurance Can Still Establish the Reasonable Value of Medical Services Rendered—- the Medical Bills are Admissible for That Purpose.

Woodland Hills personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg is frequently challenged to establish the reasonable value of his client’s medical bills even though they are not paid by health insurance.  The “challenge” is presenting a trial without incurring large and arguably unnecessary expert fees merely to have someone testify that medical bills in a particular…