personal injury

California Professor and Philanthropist Dies in Small Plane Crash

July 28, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

William Sachs Goldman, 38, passed away in July after his small personal aircraft crashed for an unknown reason. Goldman was an assistant professor of international studies at the University of San Francisco. He was the son of Richard Goldman and Susan Sachs Goldman, and the grandson of well-known philanthropists Richard N. and Rhoda Goldman, who established the Goldman Environmental Prize. As a member of a philanthropic family, Goldman and his wife were on numerous institution’s boards.

Small Plane Accident to be Investigated

Goldman was one of four passengers in the single-engine Cirrus SR22 plane, which crashed in a field in Schell Vista, southwest of Sonoma Skypark Airport. Goldman’s two minor children, George and Marie, and their caretaker, Valeria Anselmi, were the other passengers. They were all taken to local hospitals to treat their serious injuries.

Is Your Loved One’s Nursing Home Prepared for Dementia or Alzheimer’s Patients?

July 24, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

In July, Gary Lee Potts, 62, was arrested for his part in the 2014 death of Mauricio Edgar Cardenas, 65, who was an elderly nursing home resident with dementia at The Manse on Marsh. Potts, the owner of the facility, and another former facility administrator, Christopher E. Skiff, have been accused of elder and dependent abuse and involuntary manslaughter based on the care they and their facility failed to give to the elderly man.

If you believe your elderly loved one is not receiving the care he or she is entitled to at a nursing home, or you think that negligent care caused your relative’s death, contact our San Francisco elder neglect and abuse attorneys at Brod Law Firm right away. It can be difficult to investigate nursing home care. However, we are well-versed in these matters and will fight to get to the bottom of what has happened to your loved one.

Nursing Home Owner and Employee Charged With Manslaughter

California Elderly Relying on High-Interest Payday Loans

July 10, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

The California Department of Business Oversight (CDBO) had disturbing news. The CDBO released a report in May on California’s Deferred Deposit Transaction Law, which showed senior citizens, those older than 62, took out more deferred deposit loans than any other age group. In fact, 23.4% of those over 62 relied on these “cash advance” or “payday” loans in 2016. These are short-term loans during which an individual borrows a small amount of cash, which they then have to pay back with a very high interest rate. There are usually lending fees involved too.

This is just one example of how elderly individuals are often put in financially precarious situations and can easily be taken advantage of by lenders and individuals.

Payday Loans Have Extremely High Interest

Bus Crash on Golden Gate Bridge Harms 11 People

July 7, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

In early July, a casino bus was in an accident with two other vehicles on the Golden Gate Bridge shortly before 1 p.m. It was a chain reaction accident. One vehicle rear-ended the other when it came to a stop at the toll plaza. The bus then rear-ended both vehicles. Eight individuals from the bus, many of whom were elderly, and three individuals from the other cars were transported to nearby hospitals with minor injuries. Luckily, no one was significantly injured in this bus-related crash. However, large passenger buses can be involved in serious and catastrophic accidents. When the bus is at fault, victims must determine what went wrong and who is liable for their injuries.

Common Causes of Bus Accidents

Whether it is a school bus, public transit bus, or a commercial passenger bus, these vehicles often get into accidents because of:

San Francisco Police Officer to Stand Trial for Hit and Run

June 26, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

San Francisco police officer Christopher Kohrs has been charged with two felonies for a hit and run incident in North Beach that caused two men serious injuries. He will face one charge for a hit and run causing injury and one charge for a hit and run causing serious permanent injury. Allegedly, Kohrs was driving west on Broadway when he struck two men crossing the street in his 2009 Dodge Charger around 2:20 in the morning. Kohrs abandoned his car at the scene and fled. He turned himself in to the police approximately eight hours later.

California Hit and Run Law

Under California law, anyone involved in a car accident that leads to property damage, personal injury, or fatality is required to stop, provide their information, and render aid when possible. Realistically, even in a minor fender bender situation, a driver who is part of a collision should never leave the scene of the accident without fulfilling these basic requirements. If the crash caused injuries or death, then there is the additional responsibility to contact the police right away and remain there to offer information or assistance to the police and other first responders.

California Motorcycle Deaths Highlight Need for Road Safety

June 16, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

A motorcycle driver passed away Monday, June 12 after colliding with a barrier on U.S. Highway 101 in San Francisco. The accident happened around noon near the Ninth Street off ramp after the rider failed to maneuver through a curve on the road, leading to her immediate death. It also blocked off multiple lanes of the highway for appropriately two hours.

This tragic accident highlights the need for caution and a focus on road safety for both motorcyclists and other drivers. Individuals injured in multi-vehicle or motorcycle accidents may have to seek compensation through personal injury claims. For those who lose loved ones in motorcycle crashes, wrongful death claims may be appropriate and necessary. To learn more about your rights after a motorcycle crash, contact the San Francisco personal injury attorneys of Brod Law Firm right away.

Motorcycle Accident Statistics

Choosing the Right Care Facility for Your Elderly Parent

June 12, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

There may come a time when you have to put mom or dad, or grandma or grandpa, into a care facility. It is never your first choice, yet it is often the best one. Your elderly loved ones may need more physical support, supervision, and medical care than you are capable of giving them. By letting your loved one continue to live at home or with you, you are actually doing him or her a disservice and increasing the risk of negative health effects or early death. However, there are a number of practical questions that arise after you have decided a facility is best for your loved one, including:

What are his or her needs?
What care facilities are available and how do they differ?

Ghost Ship Warehouse Tenants Arrested and Charged with Crime After Deadly Fire

June 7, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

In October of 2016, a fire broke out in a warehouse in Oakland, California. The warehouse, known as Ghost Ship, had been converted into an artist collective and was illegally home to numerous people. At the time of the fire, the warehouse was hosting a concert with about 50 guests. 36 people were killed. Now, two tenants of the warehouse have been arrested and charged with crimes in relation to the fire.

The Ghost Ship Warehouse Fire

Investigators could not determine the exact cause of the fire, which began on the first floor at around 11:20 p.m., however it is speculated that it may have begun with an electrical appliance. Investigators could pinpoint numerous factors that led to the significant number of fatalities. The warehouse did not have smoke detectors or any fire suppression system, like sprinklers. There were only two stairways in the warehouse and neither led to a direct exit out of the building. One of the stairways was built from stacked wooden pallets, which meant it likely began to burn while visitors and residents were attempting to escape. Additionally, because the dwellings within the warehouse were homemade out of random materials and were not organized with straight hallways, it was difficult for visitors to navigate the warehouse and find an exit.

Uber Customers Blame Negligent Uber Drivers for Injuries

June 2, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

On March 13, 2016, Robert and Ruth Robinson requested an Uber through the phone app. They were picked up by driver Baher Tamim. The Robinson’s allege that Tamim’s negligence caused his vehicle to crash into another car that was stopped at a red light near Post Street in San Francisco. In a lawsuit filed in April against Uber, its wholly owned subsidiary Rasier LLC, and Tamim, the Robinsons cliam that the driver’s negligence behind the wheel caused them injuries.

Ride-sharing services like Uber have become extremely popular around the country. They can be incredibly convenient and can increase safety on the roads by ensuring that overly tired or inebriated individuals do not drive. However, ride-sharing drivers are normal individuals. They are not trained or expert drivers, and they can be careless, reckless, and intentionally harmful when driving. When this behavior causes an accident and results in their passengers becoming injured, the drivers and the ride-sharing companies face civil liability.

If you were injured in an accident caused by your ride-sharing service driver’s negligence, contact an experienced San Francisco personal injury attorney from Brod Law Firm. Uber and other services carry insurance plans, but you may need help filing a successful insurance claim or representation for a personal injury suit.

Child Injured at Bay Area Water Park

May 29, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

The opening of the Wave at Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, California, has been awaited for quite some time. It is a multi-million dollar complex in the San Francisco suburb. However, on May 27, opening day, a 10-year-old boy was injured when he was thrown from a large water slide and fell onto concrete below. The child was treated at the hospital for scrapes and then released.

The Emerald Plunge slide, from which the boy was thrown, and the Dublin Screamer chute next to it were both closed after being open for only about 90 minutes that Saturday. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health are investigating what went wrong and why a rider would be ejected from the slide when it was being used properly. Along with authorities, the city is determining what improvements should be made to ensure rider’s safety and prevent future accidents.

A Water Park’s Liability