Side Swipe, or Lane Changing Auto Accidents

Lane change or “side swipe” collisions are more common than one might think.  These auto accidents are described as a “glancing blow” from or on the side of another object, such as another vehicle and usually occur when one vehicle makes an improper lane change and makes contact with the vehicle in the adjacent lane. Drivers of motorcycles and commercial trucks can also be guilty of side swipe collisions.  Cyclists are often victims of these accidents as drivers underestimate or fail to acknowledge the space a cyclist needs on the road.

A side swipe accident in Woodland Hills may also be caused by a distracted driver who veers into the adjacent lane.  Distracted driving occurs under a variety of circumstances, including texting while driving, using a phone, being impaired by alcohol or prescription drugs, or a host of other circumstances.

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Car AccidentBy Barry Goldberg

Be Careful Out There! The Recreational Immunity Statute Could Preclude Liability!

Woodland Hills Personal Injury Lawyer Barry P. Goldberg encourages everyone to enjoy the outdoors and experience all that California, Los Angeles County and Ventura County have to offer.  However, if you are entering property to hike, sight see or bike, you may not be able to sue anyone if you are injured.  This surprises many…

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Bike Accident, Motorcycle Accident, Personal Injury, Slip and FallBy Barry Goldberg

Recovering Lost Wages After An Auto Accident

If you are involved an auto, bicycle, or motorcycle accident in the San Fernando Valley, you might be able to recover financial compensation for your injuries. For example, your lawyer may seek “lost income” and/or “lost earning capacity” damages in presenting claims to the insurance company or at trial. These types of monetary awards aim to make you or an injured loved one “whole” after an accident.

“Lost Income” Financial Recovery for Injuries

Personal injury victims may seek lost income damages as compensation for wages and benefits lost due to injury. For instance, if you were unable to work for two weeks following a car accident, your San Fernando Valley auto accident lawyer might seek two weeks’ worth of wages, because you “lost income” during that week. For purposes of calculating the damages, you need not miss the days of work consecutively. Any income lost can be counted, whether it was one day here, and two days the following week, due to pain and/or doctor’s appointments that prevented you from working. Lost income damages can be fairly straightforward to prove, because these damages involve examining the person’s work attendance record and their pay stubs.

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Car AccidentBy Barry Goldberg

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents & How to Avoid Them

As the weather in the San Fernando Valley continues to get warmer, and the days get longer, more and more locals are taking to their bikes to get around. Bicycling can be a great form of exercise and, for the eco-friendly, an ideal form of transportation. So what happens when you, or you and your family, are on a leisurely bike ride and an out of control or negligent driver careens into you? Do you have legal rights? Can you recover financial compensation for your injuries?

Bicyclists accidents and injuries

Each year, cyclists are involved in auto accidents with cars and trucks and suffer from serious injuries. Recent statistics indicate that these bicycle accidents are most often the fault of the automobile driver. Whether it is a result of motorists simply not paying attention for bicyclists as carefully as they should or texting and driving or simply a disregard for a cyclist’s life, cycling accidents in the San Fernando Valley are increasingly common.

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Bike AccidentBy Barry Goldberg

When Is It Necessary to Hire An Auto Accident Lawyer?

If you have lived in the San Fernando Valley long enough, you have probably been involved in or witnessed an auto accident. If it was what you considered to be a “minor” car accident, you probably figured you didn’t need a lawyer, that you could work it out with the insurance companies. After all, your insurance company is on your side, right? Wrong.

Many people work under the assumption that their insurance company will treat them fairly and have their best interests at heart. So when their insurance company tells the accident victim that they would like to settle the matter and offer a number, the person thinks “this must be what my injuries and property damage were worth.” While that may sometimes be the case, and indeed, you may be able to represent yourself in a car accident claim (click here to learn more about self-representation), it is often not the case.

Just because your own insurance adjuster tells you that you do not need a lawyer does not make it true. Before signing a full and final release in exchange for a settlement offer, make sure that you have obtained the full and rightful financial recovery that you deserve. Even when you think you were hardly injured, it is best to seek an opinion as many injuries pop up down the road, known as later injuries, and can have long-term side effects.

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Car AccidentBy Barry Goldberg

Auto Accidents and Double Yellow Lines: What’s the Connection?

California law prohibits driving to the left of, or essentially crossing, double yellow lines.  These lines symbolize a no-passing restriction or no-passing zone.  If a law enforcement officer catches a driver crossing over double yellow lines, the driver will receive a ticket and a hefty fine.  If a driver who has crossed the double yellow lines gets into an auto accident, the consequences may be much more severe.  The driver could be liable for all of the damage caused to the victims, due to the deliberate act of crossing the yellow lines.

Auto Accidents Caused by Crossing Over Double Yellow Lines

If you were injured a car accident in the San Fernando Valley because the other driver illegally crossed over double yellow lines, you may want to reach out to an experienced auto accident lawyer to discuss your legal rights and potential for financial recovery. Often times, the at-fault driver will try to raise defenses and make justifications for why he/she crossed over the lines, thereby challenging your claim. Defenses include trying to avoid a head-on collision, sun in their eyes, and more. Having a savvy personal injury lawyer on your side will help you fight these defenses and obtain the financial compensation you deserve.

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Car AccidentBy Barry Goldberg

Do Tinted Windows Cause Car Accidents?

Putting a window tint on the windows of your car may seem like a smart move to beat the summer heat in the San Fernando Valley.  Window tinting is not necessarily illegal, but it can be confusing because two sets of laws regulate tinting.  Furthermore, tinting can lead to car accidents as it can drastically reduce visibility.  In fact, some law enforcement officials have described driving a car with heavily tinted windows as akin to driving with sunglasses at night.  If you are in an auto accident that you believe was caused by the other driver’s tinted windows, be sure to take pictures of the car and the scene before the evidence is removed or destroyed. Indeed, whether the windows were tinted could become an important part of the theory of liability that your experienced personal injury attorney uses to help you recover financial damages for your injury.

Window Tinting and Car Accidents

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Car AccidentBy Barry Goldberg

Another Reason to Increase Your Uninsured Motorist Coverage–Latest Report Shows 4.2 million Californians — or one in six drivers —Have Suspended Licenses!

Woodland Hills Personal Injury Lawyer Barry P. Goldberg has long been a leading advocate of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage.  Most of Mr. Goldberg’s advocacy focuses on the fact that “unlicensed” drivers have reached alarming rates in California markedly increasing the chances that your traffic collision will be “uninsured.” The California legislature estimated the “unlicensed” driving population…

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Car Accident, Personal Injury, Uninsured MotoristBy Barry Goldberg

Auto Accidents in Construction Zones

Accidents involving motorists in highway construction zones are more common than one might think.  In fact, 88,000 auto accidents took place in construction zones in 2010, according to the latest findings from the U.S. Department of Transportation. California is among the top four states for fatal car accidents in or near road construction zones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Construction Site Car Accident Injuries

Common injuries from highway accidents may include back injuries, such as herniated disc fractures, spinal cord injuries (which may result in paralysis) and traumatic brain injury.  Facial injuries, such as lacerations and trauma, broken bones, and aggravation of a prior injury are also possible.

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Car AccidentBy Barry Goldberg