Drunk Driving Accidents in Woodland Hills and Financial Recovery

Drunk driving accidents needlessly cause thousands of injuries each year in California and throughout the United States.  According to one study, alcohol was responsible for more than half of traffic fatalities in California.  Indeed, that same year, more than 33,000 people were injured in auto accidents caused by drunk drivers.  If you or someone you know was injured or killed in a vehicle accident and one or more of the drivers was intoxicated, speak to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

In California, driving with a blood alcohol content (“BAC”) of .08% or greater is illegal.  Most of the time, depending on a person’s weight, a person drinks more than they think they have and reaches that illegal limit quickly — and still gets behind the wheel.  Federal statistics for fatal car accidents from 1994 through 2008 shows that even a small amount of alcohol (.01%) in the bloodstream, or half a beer, can increase accident severity significantly.  The study found that even where people consumed a low level of alcohol and considered themselves “buzzed,” accidents were more severe.  The more alcohol in the bloodstream, the faster the drivers went.  And, these drivers were more likely to hit another vehicle and were less likely to wear a seat belt.

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Motorcycle Safety Tips for Riders and Drivers

Motorcycle accidents in the San Fernando Valley can occur when you least expect them, which is why being prepared makes sense.  Half of motorcycle accidents are not significant, and a rider can walk or ride away–and half result in long hospital stays or even death. Certain factors, such as being a newer rider with fewer than five months of experience, or riding a new bike for the first time, can increase the likelihood of getting hurt.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Riding carefully with awareness is key.  In fact, statistics have shown that completing safety trainings can significantly reduce the likelihood of accident or injury among motorcycle riders.  Here are common causes of motorcycle accidents in the San Fernando Valley, and what you can do to prevent them:

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California Laws Around Texting and Driving

California, like many other states, has recognized the great dangers inherent in “distracted driving.”  Annually, distracted driving accounts for 6,000 fatalities nationwide.  Texting, in particular, takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds, and most auto accidents happen with less than 3 seconds of reaction time, according to California’s Office…

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Dog Bite Attacks and PTSD

Dog bites are considered a serious public health problem throughout California and the country because of the risk of severe injury involved. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that almost 900,000 people in the United States require medical treatment for dog bite-related injuries each year. What’s more, approximately 27,000 of those victims suffer disfiguring injuries.

Along with physical injuries, dog bites can result in long term emotional pain and suffering. It’s true that these emotional scars can have a powerfully disabling effect on victims and last longer than many types of physical pain. Children are victims of almost half of the dog bites that take place across the country, and can be particularly susceptible to emotional trauma.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Dog Bite Victims

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Feb122015
Personal Injury Attorney

Auto Accidents and Insurance Coverage

If you’re in an auto accident, you may have many questions.  Questions like: who will pay for my injuries? Or the damage to my car?  The answer can depend on who is at fault and whether you or the other driver has insurance.  It helps to know about the two major types of automobile insurance so that if you are in an accident, you are familiar with the next steps.

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance means that if the accident was your fault, your insurer will pay the other driver for property damage and injuries up to the policy limit.  If the other driver is at fault and has insurance, the other driver’s liability insurance will pay for damage to your car and personal injuries up to the policy limits of the other driver’s policy.

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Persuasive Visuals Make a Difference at Any Stage of a Claim

Woodland Hills Accident Attorney, Barry P. Goldberg, has long been a proponent of persuasive visuals even at the earliest stages of a claim.  Not only do insurers react to what they can actually see, visuals create a more memorable presentation than argumentative words from an attorney or dry descriptions from a doctor.  Without visuals, it is simply case 1,000,001 and is not individual or memorable.  Our law firm looks for persuasive visuals in every case.

Sometimes ordinary photographs provide enough of a visual impact to compel a favorable recovery.  One of the first things that is acquired in almost any accident case is photographs from all sources.  Cell phone photographs now provide easy access to injury photos, property damage photos and scene photos.  Our Woodland Hills law office has obtained amazing photos from police photographers that are often overlooked by experience counsel and insurers.  Normally, photos are not provided from a simple request for the police report.  However, in an obscure corner of the report there is an indication by a check mark whether photos were taken.  If so, we recommend ordering those photos immediately.  The photos are usually of a very high quality and show intense circumstances and very relevant physical evidence.

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Preventing Against Bike Accidents

California’s temperate climate and large network of roads and highways make a great combination for riding your bicycle almost any day of the week — but being careful pays off.  Not all drivers or even other riders provide as much courtesy as they should to others on the road.

In the San Fernando Valley, drivers are required to share the road with cyclists, whether they like it or not. To keep the roads safe, here are a few common scenarios cyclists and drivers should be alert to:

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Cycling Accidents in the San Fernando Valley

The CDC reports that while only 1% of trips taken in the United States are by bicycle, cyclists face a higher risk of crash-related injury and deaths than occupants of motor vehicles do.  Each year, more than half a million emergency room visits are attributed to bicycle-related injuries.  Major risk factors of bike and cycling accidents in the San Fernando Valley include:

(1) age – adolescents age 15 to 24 and adults over age 45 have the highest bicycle death rates,

(2) gender – men are much more likely to be killed or injured than women, and

(3) location – most deaths occur in urban areas and at non-intersection locations.

If you are injured in a bicycle accident, consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney about your injuries and your legal options can bring peace of mind as you begin your recovery.

Types of Bike Accident Injuries

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Suing a Drunk Driver

Spring often means an increase in parties (St. Patty’s Day, anyone?), sporting events, and other occasions where alcohol is present. This can also mean that more people leave these parties and drive while under the influence or intoxicated, which is against the law and one of the biggest contributors to car accidents in the San…

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