Sports Injury & Recreational Accidents

California Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Traumatic Brain Injuries in Children

September 16, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

A star Southern California high school football player was hospitalized for a head injury after colliding helmet-to-helmet with another player during a game. While there has been increased concern shown toward these types of injuries in recent years – especially those that occur to children – head injuries, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries continue to occur, seemingly unabated by attempts to limit their occurrences and reduce their severity. This is unfortunate, because head injuries can cause serious, permanent harm to young and old alike.

What are Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)?

As its name implies, a traumatic brain injury is an injury that impacts the brain of the injury victim. Traumatic brain injuries can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the severity of the injury itself. As one might expect, mild traumatic brain injuries generally do not result in serious or permanent consequences whereas the impact of a severe traumatic brain injury can be disabling and permanent. The most common ways in which a traumatic brain injury can be inflicted include:

Northern California Lawyer Explains Hidden Dangers at Vacation Destinations and Assumption of Risk

September 14, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

A Citrus Heights couple’s Hawaiian vacation turned tragic after Mike Droter made a fateful decision to jump into the ocean one last time. Mr. Droter and his companion were in the final days of a vacation in Hawaii when Mr. Droter decided to enter the ocean to body surf. According to news reports, mere minutes after entering the water a wave crashed over Mr. Droter, breaking several vertebrae and causing damage to his spinal cord. This left Mr. Droter paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without assistance.

Vacation Destination Dangers

Vacations offer individuals the opportunity to unwind and participate in fun, exciting activities in which they might not otherwise have the chance to participate. Scuba diving, parachuting/parasailing, and body surfing are just some of these exciting and dangerous activities. Aside from the physical dangers, these activities can also present legal difficulties in the event the participant is injured or killed.

Skateboarding Safety: Thoughts from a Recreational Injury Lawyer in Santa Rosa, Oakland, and San Francisco

August 17, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

When you think about car accident victims, what groups come to mind? Vehicle occupants and pedestrians are probably at the top of the list. After a bit of thought, people might add motorcycle and bicycle riders. However, the truth is that car accident injuries and fatalities can involve a broad range of individuals. One often-overlooked group: Skateboarders. As a recent incident reminds us, skateboard accidents can be serious, even deadly. Sometimes the rider is at fault, but other times fault lies with the vehicle driver or another third-party. In those cases, our skateboard accident lawyer in Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and Oakland can help the injured and/or grieving recover compensation for their loss.

Skateboarder Killed by Car Near Santa Rosa

According to The Press Democrat, a male skateboard rider was killed in an accident on northbound Fulton Road on Friday night. A CHP spokesperson said that the skateboard rider had been travelling on the shoulder when he swerved into the path of a GMC Yukon at approximately 9:15 P.M. near the intersection of Fulton and River roads. The rider suffered major injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he later died. Police say that the rider veered into the SUV’s path for unknown reasons and the driver was unable to avoid a crash. Although the investigation is ongoing, police do not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor and do not expect to charge the driver in the incident.

San Francisco Sports Injury Lawyer on Potentially Defective High School Athletic Fields

July 9, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

All parents worry that their children will be seriously injured while playing high school sports. But rough play on the field is not the only potential source of a sports injury that a student-athlete needs to worry about. In many cases, defective equipment—and even the playing field itself—may pose a significant risk to your child’s safety.

High School Sues After Paying $592,000 for Defective Field

In recent years many schools have replaced their natural grass athletic fields with synthetic turf. Artificial turf is considered easier to maintain and allows schools to use their fields for more events. Some artificial turf proponents also claim it reduces the risk of player injury.

San Francisco Injury Lawyer on the Danger of Electric Shock Drowning

June 7, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

As summer arrives in Northern California, many people are getting ready to hit the water. We are lucky to have such a wide range of options for water recreation in our area including the ocean, lakes, and swimming pools. Most people are aware that there is always a risk of drowning, even in fairly shallow waters. Our San Francisco recreational injury lawyer wants to make sure that people are also aware of a lesser known type of drowning, electric shock drowning.

Two Recent Reports of Suspected Electric Shock Drowning

In recent weeks, there have been multiple news stories about electric shock drowning. On May 31, AOL reported on a teenage girl who died in a suspected electric shock drowning incident this spring. The girl’s father says she and her friends were swimming in a lake when he lowered a metal ladder into the water to provide them a way to climb back out. He soon saw that the girls were in distress and when he tried to enter the water himself he felt a strong electric current. His wife shut off power to the boat dock. Everyone except for the daughter made it out. Authorities suspect she died of electric shock drowning.

A Message About Pool Safety and Civil Liability for Pool Drownings from Your Santa Rosa Injury Attorney

May 18, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

As summer nears, pools and lakes are becoming (forgive the pun) hot spots. With the arrival of the water recreation season comes an increased danger of drowning and children are particularly at risk. Often, drowning is a tragic accident. However, sometimes drowning, in particular swimming pool drowning, occurs because a company or individual is negligent. When negligence puts people in danger, our Santa Rosa pool injury lawyer fights for the victims and for their families.

Fatal Drowning in Rohnert Park Condo Pool

One of the first reported drowning deaths of the 2016 season occurred on Sunday according to a report from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Police believe that a young child was using a kickboard in the swimming pool at a Sonoma condominium complex when he slipped off the board. Officers suspect that the 4-year-old boy was underwater for several minutes before he was spotted. Bystanders attempted CPR and rescue workers, who arrived within four minutes of the 911 call, continued the efforts, but they were unsuccessful and the boy was pronounced dead at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. A representative from the police office urged great care as the water activity season begins stating, “Whether you’re swimming or boating, in a lake, a pool or the ocean, it doesn’t matter the age, be observant, be aware.”

When Adventure Goes Wrong: Compensation for Injuries in Extreme Sports and Adventure Activities

May 4, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Californians love adventure. From extreme sports like skateboarding to adventure sports like zip lining and kayaking, countless people live in and visit California because they enjoy a thrill. While an element of risk is almost a requirement for these activities, adventurers should also be able to trust that the companies that market these thrills are taking steps to ensure participants are kept safe. People who’ve suffered an extreme sports or adventure sports injury (and families left with a void after a death) should not assume they are without recourse. Our San Francisco recreational injury lawyer can help.

Bay Area Woman Injured in Zip Line Fall

Recently, a vacation adventure turned into a nightmare for a Bay Area woman who was vacationing in Mexico. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Cloverdale mom said she was riding a zip line across a forested gorge in Puerto Vallarta when she suddenly began to fall and landed upside down in a tree. The woman’s husband, fellow travelers, and employees of the zip line company reportedly worked for about thirty minutes before they were able to free her from the branches. She suffered cable burns, substantial bruising, open wounds, and a possible torn ACL in the incident.

San Francisco Hoverboard Injury Lawyer on the Continuing Risk of Hoverboard Fires and Hoverboard Falls

April 19, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

It had been hailed as a star of the 2015 holiday season, until things started going terribly awry. For several months now, our San Francisco product injury law firm has been following the problem of hoverboard fires in the Bay Area and throughout the nation. In addition to the fires, falls and other hoverboard injuries are filling emergency rooms nationwide and causing great risk to riders of all ages.

Hoverboard Fire in Daly City Just One in a Continuing Trend

Late last week, according to CBS SF, police reported that a hoverboard caught fire in a Daly City home on April 4. Police say the hoverboard was charging in the kitchen of a home on Merced Boulevard when it allegedly combusted. Luckily, a resident of the home was able to put the fire out using a fire extinguisher, although fire officials still responded to ensure safety. While no one was injured, it is not immediately clear if the fire caused property damage.

Star Athlete’s Pledge Calls Attention to Brain Injuries in Women’s and Girls’ Soccer

March 9, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

At the Brod Law Firm, we are not only sports fans, we are fans of athletes themselves. Athletes make an impressive commitment to their sport, a commitment that can come with great peril. Far too many athletes off all ages, from the youngest tots dotting the fields on a sunny Saturday to the professionals playing in major arenas, face brain injury. When brain injury occurs because league rules put players at unnecessary risk or because coaches and other officials ignored danger signs, we are here to support players as a Northern California sports injury law firm in San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa. This week, we look at a subset of head injuries that is receiving much-needed attention thanks to one big star: head injuries in girls’ soccer and women’s soccer.

Chastain Pledges to Donate Brain to CTE Research

Remembered for her iconic celebration after scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup, Brandi Chastain has inspired countless women and girls to explore the world of sports. Last week, CNN announced that Chastain has pledged to donate her brain to Boston University’s ongoing research project into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (“CTE”) upon her passing. CTE is believed to result from repeated blows to the head which can cause the buildup of an abnormal protein in the brain. It is a degenerative brain disease that can lead to symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s Disease including memory loss, mood swings, and rage. According to USA Today, only 7 of the 307 brains pledged to the project looking at CTE in athletes and military personnel come from women, making Chastain’s promise particularly important.

Hoverboard Fires and California Product Liability Law

January 29, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

A problem we reported on in mid-December continues to endanger people, including children, in Northern California and nationwide – hoverboard fires. Hoverboards certainly turns heads the first few time you encounter them (even if it isn’t quite what those of us old enough to have watched the Back to the Future trilogy think of when we first hear the name!) and they can take time to master. A few bruises from tumbling off while mastering the ride are one thing, severe burns from an explosion are quite another and our team is here to serve as a law firm for hoverboard fire injuries in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Oakland.

Petaluma Fire Adds to List of Alleged Hoverboard Explosions

According to CBS SF, a hoverboard is being blamed for a home fire in Petaluma on Monday night. The hoverboard was allegedly charging and plugged into a wall outlet when it exploded, catching fire and sending burning debris throughout the home. Thankfully no one was injured, but officials estimate the damage to the home at around $10,000.