Articles Posted in Car and Auto Accidents

After serving as a law firm for Oakland accident victims for many years, The Brod Law Firm understands that car accidents are often far more complicated than people initially assume. While negligent driving is a key factor in many collisions, dangerous intersections and other hazardous roadways can significantly increase the odds of a crash. These risky areas can lead to both single and multiple vehicle accidents and knowing the history of an area is often key to winning an Oakland injury lawsuit.

Neighbors Report Repeated Car Accidents on Grimmer Boulevard

A report in The Oakland Tribune focuses on a stretch of road that has seen more than its share of accidents and has left residents scared and angry. Leon and Marilyn Goheen told reporters that they had high hopes that they’d found a quiet suburban home when they moved to Robin Street almost fifty years ago. However, not long after the family settled in, the city built Grimmer Boulevard. Residents call the busy, curving roadway a “Dead Man’s Curve.”

Our Sacramento injury lawyer knows that a strong infrastructure is an important part of a strong, successful community. Maintaining roads and providing public transit options allows a region to thrive and helps attract both businesses and residents. Of course, since we regularly work with victims of auto accidents, we also know that any infrastructure investment must include a strong emphasis on safety as well as convenience.

Sacramento Infrastructure Projects

A report in the Sacramento Bee focuses on efforts to invest in Sacramento area infrastructure as a way to improve the regional economy. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson cited a number of projects that he considers key economic priorities such as a downtown transit hub, light rail access to the airport, and the construction of new bridges spanning the Sacramento River. He referenced a recent report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors calling for investment in infrastructure and transportation projects. Mayor Christopher Cabaldon of West Sacramento also spoke, promoting a project to improve the Port of West Sacramento and thus increase the international exporting of agricultural items. For her part, Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin focused on downtown revitalization and making the city a key hub for California’s high-speed rail system.

As an Oakland car accident injury law firm, we understand that a number of factors can increase the danger of a collision. Many people still fail to recognize the serious danger posed by drivers under the influence of prescription medications. Even if the medication is legally obtained, it can diminish driving ability and pose a danger to the patient and to everyone else on the road.

Medication Take Back Events

Recognizing the danger of drug misuse, many municipalities across the country are partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in a national Take Back Initiative. On Saturday, as detailed in The Oakland Tribune, police departments in Pleasanton, San Ramon and Livermore will host free prescription drug drop-offs. Residents can dispose of unused and/or expired prescription medications at the set locations. People can either drop of medicine in the original container (after removing identifying personal information from the label) or simply deposit loose pills directly into the collection containers. The events accept solid or liquid medications but not injectable or intravenous solutions due to the danger of blood-borne disease.

We hear many tragic and disturbing stories in our role as your Sacramento personal injury law firm. Each story calls to our hearts which leads to our dedication to injured victims. Still, some stories are particularly difficult to read such as The Sacramento Bee’s report on a recent accident in our region.

On Tuesday night, a West Sacramento police officer was en route to a vehicle pursuit in progress. The officer had his sirens and lights on as he sped down West Capitol Avenue. At the same time, thirty-one year old Brandon Louis Nickolas, a local transient, was walking nearby. Witnesses report that he appeared drunk as he staggered through the area, talking incoherently to himself. Nickolas was jaywalking when the officer’s car slammed into the man. The force of the crash was strong enough to send the pedestrian’s torso through the windshield of the police cruiser. Nickolas’s body was severed, his legs landing some distance away and his clothes ending up strewn across the roadway.

At the time of the crash, the officer was trying to join the pursuit of an unnamed seventeen year old. Allegedly, the suspect was driving a stolen vehicle and had refused to stop for police. Officers apprehended the teen and took him to Yolo County juvenile hall. According to the law, West Sacramento police booked the suspect on murder charges, in addition to the auto theft charges, because his actions led to the chain of events culminating in Nickolas’s death. The Chief Deputy District Attorney, Jonathan Raven, stated that he has not yet decided whether to proceed with the murder charge or whether the suspect should be charged as an adult.

San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority (SFMTA) spokesperson, Paul Rose, acknowledged to the press that there is a dearth of taxi medallions being issued to cab drivers in San Francisco, according to the California Watch. While names of drivers languish on the waiting list, San Franciscans and visitors alike complain about the price and unavailability of taxis around the city. Standing on the corner of a busy intersection is no guarantee that an open cab will pass you by, but calling a cab company for pick up can be just as frustrating. The long wait times and lack of communication leave customers fed up, and they just may have left already by the time the taxi finally arrives.

According to the SFMTA website, it has sent out only 12 offer letters to purchase a medallion in all of 2012 to drivers on the waiting list. It had, however, issued 142 single operator permits as of May 2012. While the city drags its feet, entrepreneurs have been streamlining the idea of carpooling with a cash incentive for drivers. Companies like Lyft and Sidecar have entered the San Francisco market in recent years. Drivers may sign up with one of the services if they have a clean driving record, pass a criminal background check, and who have a valid driver’s license, proof of registration and insurance, among other basic requirements. Pedestrians looking for a ride use a mobile app to determine which car is closest to them, then they send out a ride request. Payment takes the form of a “donation”, meaning the passenger pays what they think is fair. Patrons often pay less than they would for a cab, the driver keeps the “donation”, and Lyft or Sidecar, takes 20% off the top. Sidecar also allows passengers and drivers to rate each other on its mobile app.

In an interview with Time, the co-founder of Lyft, John Zimmer, responded to questions about the potential for push back from San Francisco taxis rather optimistically saying, “We haven’t heard from them…I think they’re watching very closely to see if they can learn something.” Instead, taxi owners have complained that these services are running illegal taxi companies. They bristle when comparing costs for themselves and for the ride share drivers. Taxi drivers must maintain million dollar insurance policy, they must purchase a taxi medallion, and they must pay the other costs of a highly regulated industry. Meanwhile, the ride share drivers are required to have the minimum insurance required in California for personal policies, as the companies maintain they are a matching service and not a transportation carrier.

The SFMTA has not decided what to do about the up and coming pay per ride carpooling industry. It remains to be seen whether a basic car insurance policy is sufficient to cover damages in the event of an accident involving a passenger who signed up for a ride with one of the carpooling services. Once damages go beyond the insurance policy’s limits, will the service provider be liable as well? According to Lyft’s Terms of Agreement, “Such Driver will be solely responsible for any and all liability which results from or is alleged as a result of the operation of the vehicle such Driver uses to transport Riders, including, but not limited to personal injuries, death and property damages.” Sidecar’s Terms of Agreement also denies the company has any responsibility for damages associated with a ride matched through its service. In the future, the city of San Francisco or other governmental entities could have the last say.
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We pay for insurance not only because it is often a legal obligation but also because we want the coverage to be there when we need it. As your San Francisco insurance coverage law firm, the Brod Law Firm team is dedicated to helping people recover compensation when an unforeseen event occurs.

Insurance is complicated. There are a number of different types of coverage types when it comes to automobile insurance in California. Key categories include:

1. Collision damages – Often when people refer to “full coverage” policies, they are really talking about collision coverage. This coverage applies to physical damage incurred on the insured’s own vehicle. The fullest form of collision coverage includes replacement if your vehicle is totaled. Often, companies require you to hold collision coverage if you lease your vehicle.