Catastrophic Injuries and Your Potential for Financial Recovery

A catastrophic injury is a severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, brain, or skull. It can also include the loss of a limb, severe burns, or a severely damaged organ. These injuries can happen as a result of a number of personal injury accidents, including auto accidents, slip and falls, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. Catastrophic injuries are generally permanent or long-term and affect the injured person for the rest of his or her life. More often than not, these traumatic injuries leave a devastating emotional and financial imprint on the victim’s entire family as well. Because of the high financial costs associated with a catastrophic injury, it is important to hire an experienced personal injury attorney who has experience and a proven track record of success handling these types of cases. It is crucial that you or your loved one receive the financial compensation their injuries deserve.

What makes catastrophic injuries different from other personal injuries is the amount of physical, emotional, and financial devastation they can cause. When an innocent accident victim is facing a lifetime of assisted care, physical and emotional therapy, follow-up surgeries, and more, it is often impossible to move forward without the help of a supportive family as well as financial compensation from the person or entity who caused the injury.

What Are My Options After A Catastrophic Injury?

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Personal Injury

Even the Smallest Dog Bites Can Cause Serious Injuries

Dog bites don’t have to be gruesome to be deadly. In fact, according to health experts, even the smallest injury from a dog bite can be fatal. How so? The high risk of infection due to the type of bacteria that may live in a dog’s mouth (side note: human bites can carry a greater risk of infection than dog bites). This means that if you or your child were bitten by a dog, it is imperative to seek medical help, even if the bite does not appear to be deep.

What’s more, dog bites can cause significant damage beneath the skin, causing an injury that cannot always easily be appreciated or even seen by the untrained professional. Cuts or lacerations have a higher risk of infection than scrapes and puncture wounds caused by dogs with especially strong jaws are considered to have the highest risk of infection. To learn more about what can happen when a dog bite goes untreated, click here. The bacteria that causes serious infection may come from the animal’s mouth or may be present on victim’s skin. As the bacteria multiply, the body’s immune response causes common symptoms of infection (swelling and inflammation, for example). If you see any signs of infection following a dog bite, seek immediate medical attention, even if you have already visited a doctor relating to the bite.

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Dog Bite
Aug192015

“Baby You Can Drive My Car—Yes I’m Gonna Be a Star”

Woodland Hills personal injury attorney Barry P. Goldberg is regularly consulted on accident cases where the driver involved is driving someone else’s vehicle.  “Baby you can drive my car” might have some unexpected consequences.  After an accident, consumers always ask “Does the Automobile Insurance follow the car or the driver?”  The answer to this question…

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Bike Accident, Car Accident, Motorcycle Accident, Pedestrian Accident, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Uninsured Motorist

Summer is Over for Kids, But Bike Accident Season is Still Here

While for many kids, ‘summer’ has come to an end, it is still sunny and ‘light till late’ in the San Fernando Valley! This means many of are children are coming home from school and spending time outdoors, riding their bikes and enjoying the sunshine. As a parent, it is important to note that August is the most dangerous time of year for children, with nearly 3
million medical emergencies and 2,550 deaths because of accidental injuries. Thanks to texting and driving and other forms of distracted driving, bicycle accidents involving children make up a large number of these injuries; with some of them fatal. If your child has been injured in a bike accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

A recent report shows that the states that reported the largest number of bike-related fatalities were California, Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois and Michigan. This means that many innocent children are killed by the negligent driving of another. The report goes on to say that almost 2/3 of the bike accident deaths involved cyclists not wearing helmets. Wearing a helmet while riding a bike is a wise safety precaution.

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Bike Accident
Aug132015

California Supreme Court More Liberally Defines a “Dangerous Condition” of Public Property

Woodland Hills personal injury attorney Barry P. Goldberg id careful about lawsuits and claims involving alleged dangerous conditions of public property.  Proving a “dangerous condition” is not always easy even if the condition actually caused or contributed to the plaintiff’s injuries.  In order to sue a public entity, the plaintiff has the burden to establish…

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Bike Accident, Car Accident, Motorcycle Accident, Personal Injury, Uninsured Motorist

What to Do After a Dog Bite

If you or your loved one has been bitten by a dog, you are probably experiencing a range of emotions; including fear, uncertainty, anger. You may be so overwhelmed you are unsure of what the next step is. We can help.

What to do after a dog bite in Woodland Hills

Immediately after a dog bite:

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Dog Bite

Signs a Dog May Bite

Dog bites can be traumatic, life-threatening experiences, especially to the young ones who are most often the victims of these vicious attacks (a recent study show that 81% of dog bite attacks involve children). They can leave a victim scarred for life, both physically and emotionally, and require hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and other expenses.

While it can often be challenging to prevent a dog from biting, there are a few tips individuals can take into consideration in order to avoid potentially dangerous situations involving dogs and that can help reduce the risk of a dog bite injury. Remember, while pit bulls tend to be involved in the most dog bite attacks, any dog has the potential to bite and cause serious injury to an innocent victim. When near a dog, especially one you do not know well, it is crucial to pay attention to the dog’s cues that they are upset. This can include barking, growling, or showing their teeth.

6 warning signs that a dog may be prone to attack

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Dog Bite

Pit Bulls and Dog Bite Attacks

California is a very dog-friendly state and in the San Fernando Valley, it is not uncommon to see individuals, couples, and families dining ‘al fresco’ with their furry best friend or visiting the local park for a doggie play date. Dogs can certainly be wonderful companions and while many of them are friendly, some dogs are not, putting you and/or your loved ones at risk for a serious dog bite injury.

Pit Bulls and Dog Bite Attacks

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Dog Bite

Barry P. Goldberg Donates to Moorpark College Music Scholarship Fund

As a personal injury attorney, I see more than my fair share of tragic car accidents. When I represent accident victims (or their families), my team and I work tirelessly to ensure that they receive the maximum financial compensation possible. A born and raised San Fernando Valley resident, I also feel it is important to give back to my community in other ways.

Recently, the Moorpark College Music Department lost one of its extremely talented pianists, Rohith Gopal, in a car accident.  In memoriam of Rohith, who was accepted to Berklee College of Music one week after his death, Moorpark College created an annual instrumental music scholarship in Rohith’s name. I played with Rohith for two years and knew him to be an exceptional young man and a great musician.

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News
Aug32015

Is My Car a Total Loss? Do I Have a Choice in the Decision?

Woodland Hills Personal injury lawyer Barry P. Goldberg encounters this “total loss” dance in every car accident case where there is significant property damage.  In most cases, the client wants the car “totaled” so he or she can get a new car and not be forced to drive a car with massive repairs.  Sometimes, the…

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Car Accident, Motorcycle Accident, Personal Injury, Uninsured Motorist