Car and Auto Accidents

Seatbelts: A Look at Safety Statistics and a Reminder from Your Northern California Injury Lawyer

July 16, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

It is a topic we revisit often, but some things deserve repeating. While our Santa Cruz car accident lawyer is dedicated to representing people who are injured by another driver’s negligence, our firm believe prevention always comes first. Seatbelts are one of the best ways to prevent a collision from becoming a tragedy. We represent people when another driver was at-fault, regardless of whether our client wore a seatbelt, but that doesn’t change the fact that we encourage everyone to buckle up and be safe.

Two Teens Die in Santa Cruz Crash

Reporters with the Santa Cruz Sentinel recently covered a Highway 1 crash that killed two local teens an contributed to a back-up lasting more than six hours. It was just before 7 A.M. when a 15 year-old lost control of a Hyundai sedan, crossed over to oncoming traffic lanes and crashed head-on with a utility truck between Jensen and Salinas roads. The driver was ejected and landed in the middle of the two-lane roadway.

Back to Basics: 2012 Accident Figures and a Reminder of the Importance of Injury Counsel

July 7, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Sometimes the most basic facts hold the most power. We often talk about pretty specific issues when it comes to car accidents, but we shouldn’t forget the big picture. In this post, our Bay Area car accident lawyer and his team look at some general car accident statistics, numbers that we always remember represent real people and real lives. We also remind readers why every victim injured or killed by another driver’s negligence deserves the help of an experienced accident attorney.

Lower DUI Numbers Mark Start of Holiday Weekend for San Mateo County

Before turning to these difficult statistics, we want to highlight a local “win.” The San Jose Mercury News reported that police in San Mateo County made only eight arrests on suspicion of drunk driving this past Thursday and Friday, the opening half of a holiday weekend campaign against drunk driving. In contrast, they made 17 arrests during the same time span last year. A Daly City Police Department representative indicated no alcohol-related crashes were reported in the county during the period this year.

Law Enforcement Agencies to Step Up DUI Crackdown During July 4 Weekend

July 3, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Bay Area law enforcement agencies are signaling to Independence Day weekend revelers that they will be out in force to crack down on those whose booze-fueled enjoyment of the long holiday weekend spills over into a motor vehicle excursion while driving under the influence of alcohol. The important safety advisory has San Francisco personal injury attorney Gregory J. Brod reflecting on the human costs of DUI drivers that are exacted every July 4 weekend.

Just as fireworks are on prominent display during the holiday, so too, unfortunately, do the number of traffic fatalities blamed on a drunken driving crash explode on July 4. Indeed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, while 10,322 people were killed in DUI-linked crashes in 2012, 179 died on Independence Day alone, which is six times the daily average. In addition, over the course of the last four years, an average of 40 percent of all crashes that occurred on the holiday was blamed on a drunken driver. While the risk for being involved in an accident rises on July 4, it increases even more during the evening hours as DUI-linked traffic fatalities are two and a half times higher at night than during the day. And, because there are motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians out on the streets as well as motorists who may be imbibing too much, the risk for injury for those groups of people is also higher during the holiday weekend.

The California Highway Patrol has made it clear that it will marshal a stepped-up presence during the holiday weekend in an effort to reduce roadway deaths and prevent injuries. The CHP’s so-called Independence Day Maximum Enforcement Period starts at 6 p.m. Thursday and continues through Sunday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m. All available CHP officers will be on patrol in the state to enforce occupant restraints, speeding violations and DUI for alcohol or drug violations.

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According to the CHP, the numbers in California paint a grim picture when it comes to traffic fatalities during the Independence Day weekend, as 56 people were killed in collisions throughout the state during the July 4 weekend in 2013 alone. Of those who died within the CHP’s jurisdiction, nearly 70 percent were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The CHP made more than DUI 1,500 arrests during the holiday weekend last year.

In San Francisco, the Police Department also will unleash a heightened DUI enforcement campaign during the July 4 weekend. According to the San Francisco Examiner, the SFPD’s Avoid DUI Task Force will step up patrols during the period from 8 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday. Motorists can also expect random checkpoints from 8 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday.
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Serving Victims of Rollover Crashes Throughout Northern California

June 25, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Car accidents are often frightening, but rollovers are downright terrifying. Disrupting one’s sense of equilibrium can be exhilarating and fun (for the right people!) when on a roller coaster, but the same feeling is petrifying on the highway. Rollovers epitomize the lack of control driver’s experience in almost any accident. They are among the most dangerous and most deadly vehicle accidents and our Bay Area accident attorney is committed to helping the victims and ensuring their rights are protected.

Two Recent Accidents in Vallejo Show the Threat of Rollover Accidents

The Times Herald reports that an accident on Sonoma Boulevard in North Vallejo sent three people to the hospital on Monday morning. Witnesses say a Nissan pick-up truck was heading north on Broadway when it ran a traffic light, struck a curb, and passed through a Chevron station and the McDonald’s parking lot. Before rolling over and coming to a stop driver’s side down in the drive-thru lane, the truck hit two cars, one of which struck a third vehicle. Two of the other drivers reported pain and were taken to the hospital. The truck driver was hospitalized for possible seizures, which may have sparked the chain of events. An investigation is underway.

California Vehicle Fire Lawyer Examines the Threat of Car Fires

June 13, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Our work representing the injured involves a wide array of circumstances and varied incidents. The common link — they all stem from a defendant’s negligent, reckless, or otherwise wrongful act. Having experience in a range of injury arenas is particularly helpful when, as is often the case, a single incident involves overlapping issues. Vehicle fires are a good example and our experience in both burn/fire cases and in auto accidents mean our team is well-equipped to serve as your Oakland car fire law firm.

Vehicle Being Towed Bursts Into Flames in Benica

Shortly before noon on Wednesday, according to the Contra Costa Times, a passenger car being towed from Point Reyes to Pittsburg burst into flames on Eastbound Interstate 780 near Southampton Road in Benica. Firefighters arrived to find the car engulfed in flames. The tow truck and a patch of grass were also on fire. The truck driver reported that a loud pop from the car caused him to pull to the shoulder as smoke began to appear. His effort to control the flames with a portable fire extinguisher failed due to the rapidly growing blaze. Luckily, no injuries were reported. An investigation is underway.

Understanding Injury Law: Preparing Your Case Begins with the Facts

June 2, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

As a law firm for people injured in car accidents in San Jose and throughout Northern California, we know that every car accident is complex. We take a comprehensive view of every case, closely examining the facts to identify every person/entity whose acts contributed to the incident and anticipating the defenses they might raise. This fact-first approach to civil injury law allows us to prepare the best possible case, using the facts and the law to explain why our client it entitled to recover money damages from the identified defendants.

A single-car accident might include product-related claims for a faulty tire and complex municipal liability issues related to a long-unrepaired pothole and anticipated defenses involving immunity and the driver’s failure to wear a seatbelt. Complexity may be more overt in multi-car accidents such as the accident near Sunol that occurred early Saturday evening and, per the San Francisco Chronicle, left one dead and several injured. As of the time of the article, investigators would not even hazard a guess (at least publicly) as to what caused the accident that closed the westbound lanes of Highway 84 in a portion of rural Alameda County for several hours.

Our Hypothetical

Wake Up, California: Sounding the Alarm on Drowsy Drivers

May 30, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

While working with the wrongfully injured is something we do on a daily basis, the team at our Santa Clara car accident law firm is not immune to the basic human response to certain avoidable tragedies: anger. It angers us when we see injured people and grieving families hurt by someone else’s bad choices, such as the decision to drink and drive or text behind the wheel. Another unnecessary risk with potentially tragic — and utterly avoidable — consequences is drowsy driving. The dangerous act of sleep-deprived driving angers our team, and this is part of why we serve the injured, but our emotions are nothing compared with the loss, pain, confusion and anger felt by the victims.

Crash Leaves On-Patrol Officer with Broken Legs, Investigators Eye Fatigue as a Factor

According to The Press Democrat, CHP Officer Steven Rutledge was patrolling Highway 101 Northbound in Santa Clara on Sunday when he pulled over a driver at around 8 A.M. As he was leaning into his own vehicle, a Mitsubishi veered off the road and hit the police cruiser. Officer Rutledge, knocked unconscious by the impact, tumbled into his car. Fearing a fire, the driver who had been pulled over (who was thankfully uninjured) dragged Officer Rutledge out of the crumpled vehicle. The crash left Officer Rutledge, a new father who recently transferred to Sonoma County from Los Angeles, with two broken legs.

“The Car Was Out of Control” – A Lesson in Excuses from your Oakland Injury Lawyer

May 21, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Talk to a driver who crashed into another car, an object, or even a person and you’ll often hear the same claim: “I lost control of the car.” Even when the statement is true, it is often said in an attempt to disclaim responsibility. It is, quite simply, an excuse. As an experienced Oakland car accident injury lawyer, Attorney Gregory Brod understands that losing control of a car is typically the result of a prior action (or inaction) by the driver; meaning that the driver is indeed at-fault and can be held liable for the resulting collision. In some cases, the loss of control excuse may also point to other liable parties and other possible sources of compensation for someone injured in such an event.

The “Why” – What Caused a Loss of Control

A section of the How Stuff Works website addresses the question “How do you stop an out-of-control car?” In the process of answering that question, the site also points to the reasons behind a loss of control, dividing the triggers into two main categories: Equipment/Mechanical issues and Weather/Road Condition problems.

Recall Highlights the Importance of Child Safety Seats

April 16, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Child safety seats, now standard fare, are a fairly new innovation. Many adults, especially those who came of age in the 1970s or prior, recall having free reign to roam the back seat, a freedom today’s children couldn’t imagine. Today, we know that proper restraints can save lives and prevent serious injury. This blog entry focuses on the proper use of child safety seats to keep our youngest travelers secure. It also provides an important reminder that even “safety equipment” can be unsafe. If a defective car seat contributed to an injury or a fatality, our San Francisco child injury attorney is prepared to help.

1.3 Million Child Safety Seats Recalled for Latch Problem

Evenflo Company Inc. recently issued a voluntarily recall for buckles used in more than 1.3 million child safety seats manufactured between 2011 and 2014. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, the buckle may become stuck in the seat’s latch. This could be dangerous, even life-threatening, if it hampers a caregiver’s ability to get the child out of the seat in the event of an emergency. The article details the specific seats involved in the recall (not all seats made by Evenflo in the time frame are affected). Evenflo asserts that the malfunction only occurs when the buckle/latch has been exposed to contaminants such as food particles and says they have not received any reports of actual injury due to the problem. The company plans to alert all appropriate registered owners of the recall and to supply replacement parts.

Tailgating Accidents: California Lawyer on Prevention and Representation

April 9, 2014 | Gregory J. Brod

Tailgating ranks high on the list of most-common driving pet peeves. There are few safe drivers who haven’t experienced another driver following so close you swear you could reach out and touch the other vehicle’s bumper, even from the front seat! In some cases, the driver compounds the annoyance by flashing their lights, honking their horn, or making rude gestures. Our San Jose car accident lawyer knows that tailgating is not only annoying, it is also incredibly dangerous. Today’s post looks to remind readers of this danger and also to provide tips on coping with a tailgater. As always, our team is ready to represent the victims of tailgating accidents, helping injured and grieving Californians recover money damages from those at-fault.

Murder Charges Against Teen in Fatal Tailgating Crash that Claimed Life of Pleasanton Cyclist

In a Pleasanton courtroom, prosecutors are presenting a story emphasizing the grave dangers associated with tailgating. As detailed in The Oakland Tribune, the incident at issue occurred on June 9 on a rural road located by Pleasant Ridge Regional Park. According to prosecutors, nineteen year-old Cody Hall was driving a Dodge Neon when he began tailgating a bicycle rider and attempted an unsafe pass on the curvy roadway. Hall then lost control of his vehicle and hit 58 year-old Diana Hersevoort, killing the Dublin cyclist. Hersevoort’s husband was also injured by the Neon.