Car and Auto Accidents

Vehicle Defect Attorney Looks at Settlements Between Federal Government and Major Automaker

July 29, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

In the U.S., motor vehicle safety is governed by a detailed network of laws and regulations governing initial build and on-going maintenance. Some rules have been standard for decades. Others are constantly being added/updated. While the rules are complex, the reason they exist is simple – A single defect in a single automobile can endanger dozens and thousands are at risk when a defect is repeated. Vehicle recalls are one preventative tool, but a recent settlement questions the effectiveness of some recalls. When a potential defect becomes a real accident and an injury or death is linked to a defective vehicle, our vehicle defect law firm in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa is ready to use our experience in car accident personal injury litigation and product liability law to advocate on behalf of the injured and the grieving.

Fiat Chrysler Settles Government Claims Related to Vehicle Defects and Ineffective Recalls

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, federal officials have pointed to numerous problems with Fiat Chrysler vehicles. For example, defective steering parts in more than 500,000 Ram pickup trucks could cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. The government claims a recall and repair campaign failed to fully address the issue and Fiat Chrysler has agreed to institute to the largest buyback program in U.S. history. Additionally, some 500,000 older Jeeps with potentially dangerous rear-mount gas tanks are eligible for buyback or repair. More than 75 vehicle fire deaths have been linked to the tanks, although Fiat Chrysler says the Jeeps are no more dangerous than similar cars of the same vintage.

The Threat of Injuries and Deaths in the Aftermath of a Minor Fender-Bender

June 30, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

You’re in a car accident. It’s relatively minor, but this certainly you are still shaken, upset, and angry. You take a deep breath and try to be thankful that no one was injured. That, however, can change in an instant. In today’s blog post, our San Francisco car accident lawyer looks at serious car crashes that follow on the heels of more minor accidents and reminds readers to keep safety in mind during the confusing moments after a crash.

Milpitas Fender-Bender Leads to Fatal I-80 Collision

Late Sunday night, a man was killed when he was hit by a car while checking on the damage from a minor crash that occurred only minutes before. According to the Milpitas Post, a 36 year-old South San Francisco man was driving a Toyota Prius along northbound Interstate 880 when he rear-ended a Mercedes vehicle. Officers believe the man exited his car to check on the other driver whose vehicle was disabled in a travel lane. After confirming she was okay, he returned to his car and stood in its doorway. A blue Toyota Matrix sedan approached in the same lane as the disabled Mercedes. Swerving to avoid the disabled vehicle, the Matrix hit and killed the Prius driver. Police are still investigating but say they do not expect to make an arrest.

San Francisco-Oakland Bridge Accident Lawyer on Continued Concerns About the Safety of the Bay Bridge

June 26, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

While the Golden Gate Bridge is the traditional symbol of our town, we think that other spans are no less beautiful. Reopened in 2013 following reconstruction, a project that faced years of delays and ultimately cost five times initial estimates, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is a gorgeous piece of engineering. However, given continuing Bay Bridge safety concerns, our San Francisco bridge accident law firm is left wondering whether the bridge will ultimately be recalled as beautiful but tragic.

Cracks Found in Rods Used in Bay Bridge Foundation

As reported on SFGate.com, this week Caltrans formally acknowledged that tiny cracks found on rods used to secure the foundation of the Bay Bridge’s new tower may threaten to more than 400 other fasteners, particularly in an earthquake. Caltrans chief engineer for the bridge project, Brian Mahoney, added: “As an engineer, if I have these microcracks I have to assume they exist in every rod.”

A California Law Firm Helping the Victims of the Hit-and-Run Epidemic

June 23, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

At its core, the justice system is about holding people accountable for their actions. In the personal injury/wrongful death arena, this means making at-fault drivers (and/or other wrongdoers) face their actions and the results thereof. Hit-and-run drivers are a prime example of individuals who have committed an egregious wrong. Our Oakland hit-and-run injury attorney works with professionals to find these offenders (notably, legal teams often locate people the police cannot find) and then uses the justice system to ensure they face their actions. We cannot make the perpetrators of hit-and-run accidents feel remorse, but we can make them face the consequences of their actions and compensate those they hurt.

Hit-and-Run Accident Kill San Leandro Pedestrian

Last week, a hit-and-run driver cut short the life of 26 year old Madeline Moore of San Leandro. As reported by the Oakland Tribune, Moore was crossing at the intersection of Hesperian Boulevard and Thornally Drive at around 9 A.M. on Monday when she was hit by a black Toyota T-100 pickup truck. She succumbed to her injuries that afternoon.

Across the Aisle: A Brief Look at the Criminal Side of California DUI Law

June 19, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

As a DUI injury law firm in Sonoma County, we believe our obligation to represent our clients includes ensuring they understand the legal process. One of the first things we explain about California DUI injury law is something anyone involved in a legal dispute should know — there are separate legal systems for criminal and civil matters. Injured parties can file (and win!) civil claims whether or not a criminal charge is filed based on the underlying incident. Despite the separation, we believe it is helpful for those injured by a drunk driver to understand a bit about criminal DUI charges in California.

The Underlying Laws Against Drinking and Driving

California law contains two broad prohibitions against drunk driving, Vehicle Code 23152(a) and (b). Section (a) is more general and makes it illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol. Section (b) is more specific and prohibits anyone with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher from driving in the state. Notably, this means a person can actually be charged with drunk driving even if their blood alcohol level is below the so-called “legal limit.” Police often charge drunk drivers with both offenses. Ultimately, defendants can be convicted of both offenses but they can only receive a punishment for one.

Self-Driving Cars: Liability of the Future

June 5, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

One of Google’s new technological innovations is the self-driving car. According to Fast Company, in 2010 Google revealed that it had created a fleet of self-driving vehicles that had logged over 100,000 miles on California roads. Since then, more vehicles have been created and logged more miles on real roads.

Earlier this month, numerous news sources, such as SFGate, reported on the lack of accident reports available for accidents involving Google’s self-driving cars. The presence of self-driving cars on the road raises additional questions about what happens when they’re involved in accidents, and who can be held liable for personal injuries resulting from those accidents.

Google’s Self-Driving Vehicles

Uber: Rider Beware?

May 27, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

On Wednesday, May 27, SFGate reported on Uber’s proposed new headquarters to be built in San Francisco’s Mission Bay. Meanwhile, as Uber is planning the move, its legal status across the United States is far from settled. Many jurisdictions have banned Uber and other ridesharing services from operating. We’ve already discussed some of the aspects of Uber, and other ridesharing services, to be aware of in a previous blog post. We’ve discussed the danger that can be posed by Uber drivers who haven’t been properly screened, and some of the ways that criminals have used Uber to prey on unsuspecting passengers. But what happens in a situation that is less nefarious – that is almost ordinary? What happens if you’re in an Uber and you get into an accident?

Cities and States Reject Ridesharing

Portland, Oregon sued Uber in December of 2014 for operating illegally. According to Forbes, the lawsuit alleged that Uber was operating illegally and asked that the court declare that Uber would be subject to Portland’s taxi regulations, as well as to order that Uber stop operations until the City could update regulations to address ridesharing. According to the Los Angeles Times, the city of Portland dropped its lawsuit after Uber agreed to suspend ridesharing in the city until April of 2015. In the meantime, the city administration crafted new regulations for ridesharing regarding issues such as pricing, insurance, and inspections. NBC reported that in April, Uber and Lyft launched a four month pilot program in Portland.

Examining Wrong-Way Highway Crashes, Protecting Wrong-Way Crash Victims

May 15, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Some time ago, a video made the rounds of in-boxes and television newsmagazines in which a driver pulled up close behind a vehicle being towed and woke his passenger up shouting, pretending they were staring into the headlights of an oncoming truck. While many found the prank funny, our Northern California car accident law firm couldn’t help but think of the real nightmare of head-on wrong-way crashes. Although relatively uncommon, wrong-way accidents are more likely to cause death or serious injury than an average collision. We help the victims of these terrible crashes, those who saw real headlights approaching and the families whose loved ones final moments may have been marked by that terrible image.

Three Dead in Sacramento Wrong-Way Crash

A wrong way-crash claimed three lives in Sacramento not long after midnight on Tuesday April 12. According to The Oakland Tribune, a 24 year-old Hayward man from and a 25 year-old South San Francisco man were killed when their vehicle was struck by a Ford F-150 pickup truck on I-80 near Madison Avenue. Police say the truck was going the wrong direction in the highway’s fast lane at the time of the crash. The driver of the pickup, identified only as a male as of the time of this writing, also died in the collision.

Dangerous Road Lawsuits: Compensation & Protection

May 6, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Some roads are known for good things, perhaps picture-perfect scenery or a time-saving shortcut. Other roads are more infamous than famous. From a too-sharp curve to an inadequate merge lane, from a poorly constructed intersection to a pothole-ridden surface, there are a myriad of problems that can render a road unsafe. Dangerous road conditions are a factor in many accidents, including single- and multi-vehicle crashes. Dangerous roads lawsuits are complex, but Northern California dangerous roads lawyer Greg Brod knows they are essential to helping the injured and the grieving recover much-needed compensation and they can also push government authorities to make changes that can prevent future tragedies.

Business Owners Express Concerns After Sonoma Crash

A report by the Press Democrat about a weekend crash in Sonoma County calls attention to the issue of dangerous roads. Around noon on Sunday, a 29 year-old driver crashed her Honda CRV into a Subaru Outback parked outside of Wild Flour Bakery on Bohemian Highway in Freestone. In turn, the Outback crashed into a bench before plowing into the entryway of the popular bakery. A 52 year-old sitting on the bench was injured in the chain-reaction accident. Police arrested the driver of the CRV on suspicion of felony-level drunk driving.

Pedestrians and Drunk Drivers: A Dangerous, Often Deadly, Mix

April 28, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

There are few activities that involve more trust than the simple act of crossing the street. While we learn at an early age that we should look both ways before crossing, we still trust that stopped vehicles will remain stopped and that people will heed basic traffic laws. Very few drivers set out to hurt or kill a pedestrian. Yet, people continue to drive drunk, an act that violates the trust of every single pedestrian. As a Sonoma pedestrian accident attorney, Greg Brod is dedicated to fighting on behalf of pedestrians hit by drunk drivers and holding drivers accountable when they violate our trust and endanger us all.

Petaluma Pedestrian Hit By Suspected Drunk Driver

Late last week, The Press Democrat reported on an accident involving a suspected drunk driver and an elderly pedestrian. According to police, 85 year-old George Stucky was badly injured when hit while using a crosswalk at the intersection of Petaluma Boulevard North and East Washington Street in Petaluma on Thursday at 5:16 P.M. Police say an unidentified driver was stopped at the intersection, apparently waiting for Stucky to cross before making a left turn onto Washington Street. Allegedly, 48 year-old William Atkinson hit Stucky when Atkinson drove around the stopped vehicle in order to make the same left-hand turn. Police suspect Atkinson had been drinking; he was transported to an area hospital for a blood-alcohol test before being booked on suspicion of felony drunk driving involving injury. As of late Thursday, Stucky was being treated at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and listed in stable condition.