Wrongful Death

Oakland-San Francsico Personal Injury Attorney Comments on Trucking Accidents

April 15, 2011 | Gregory J. Brod

A lawsuit has been filed in Alabama federal court over Freightliner heavy duty trucks manufactured by Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a division of Daimler AG. The Freightliner truck lawsuit is seeking class action status and alleges Daimler sold thousands of vehicles with defective rac-and-pinion steering systems. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The lawsuit points out that Daimler has issued voluntary recalls of its rack-and-pinion steering systems. According to the recall notice the left hand inner tie rod may loosen over time and potentially separate from the steering rack under certain conditions, which could cause in the driver to lose control and potenially cause a catastrophic accident.

Here at thehttps://www.brodfirm.com Brod Law Firm we have safety advice for drivers when they approach commercial trucks during their everyday commute. Firstly, you should always be extra alert as you approach a large truck, as their blind spots are difficult to avoid. That being said, the following is a helpful tip for navigating a truck’s blind spot: If you can’t see a truck’s side mirrors, then that means the truck driver can’t see you. Also, you should never pass a truck on the same side it is signaling to turn. Trucks need to swing wide to negotiate turns safely, and the rear wheels follow a shorter path than the front wheels. As a result, you could get cought in the middle of the turn and collide with the truck. In addition, trucks require much more distance to stop in comparison to cars. Forcing a large vehicle to stop quickly can result in a fatal accident, so stay at a safe distance in front of trucks. And you should always use the proper procedure to pass a large truck or a bus on the highway–accelerate slightly and maintain a consistent speed while passing, and wait until you can see the entire cab in your rear-view mirror before signaling and pulling in front of it. Lastly, never attempt to cut off a truck in traffic or on the highway to reach your exit or turn.

If you of loved one suffered an injury due to a collision with a commercial truck, contact our office for a free consultation. We have over 10 years experience helping victims of serious traffic accidents get the compensation they deserve.

Caltrain Strikes and Kills a Man

April 8, 2011 | Gregory J. Brod

Yesterday, a southbound Caltrain struck and killed a man in San Mateo Thursday morning, according to the San Francisco Examiner. Train No. 198 left San Francisco station at 12:01 a.m. and hit the pedestrian on the tracks about 100 yards north of 25th Avenue at around 1am. Authorities are investigating how the man ended up on the tracks. There were 62 passengers on the train at the time of the incident, which continued southbound shortly after 2 a.m. and made all scheduled stops.

When a train accident occurs and you are injured or a family member is injured or killed, you may think that seeking monetary damages is an inadequate form of compensation, but monetary compensation can help pay for the medical bills and living needs of the train accident victim’s family. Victims injured by a train need to prove, with the aid of an attorney, that the defendants failed to act in a carful manner when they had a duty to do so and that the accident caused their injuries. Since each train crash is different, and each victim’s injuries and losses are unique, the types of damages available in each train crash will be different. An attorney can help you decide which kind of damages you should seek, such as medical bills and health care costs, future health care costs, property damage, impaired earning capacity, lost wages, pain and suffering, life care, and wrongful death. And because each train accident is unique, as they can have a single cause or multiple causes, a qualified and experienced attorney can decipher, with the help of accident reconstructionists, engineers and other experts, all the parties that can be held liable for a victim’s injuries.

Here at the Brod Law Firm, we have litigated and settled a large number of personal injury claims on our clients’ behalf, and we are able put our legal expertise to work on any personal injury case, including train accidnets. If you or a family member suffered an injury due to the negligence of another, please contact our firm. Our firm will work hard on your claim to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries, and we will fight on your behalf in court when a settlement is not possible

Oakland-San Francisco Injury Attorney Comments on Job Site Accidents

March 29, 2011 | Gregory J. Brod

A man washing windows at a Huntington Beach medical office building was electrocuted this morning when he accidentally touched over power lines with a metal pole, according to the LATimes. The man was using a brush on a long extension pole with a water hose attachment to clean the windows of a three-story building on the 17700 block of Beach Boulevard about 6:30am. He was trying to work around a tree when the pole came in contact with the power line. He was immediately electrocuted and died on the spot. Fire fighters found the man’s body on the sidewalk—his clothes were burned.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupation Injuries, electrocution is the fifth leading cause of occupational injury death in the United states, and a particular hazard to those whose work routinely brings them into close proximity to electrical sources. The highest proportions of fatal occupational electrocutions have occurred among those employed in the electrical trades and among utility workers and those employed in the construction and manufacturing industries. Contact with overhead power lines is reportedly by far the most frequent cause of fatal electrocution injury. A significant number of fatal electrocutions occurred during constructing, repairing, cleaning, and inspecting, or painting activities, the majority of which occurred at industrial places and premises.

Electrocution continues to be a significant cause of occupation death. All work sites should have proper warnings of hazards, safety equipment, and supervision, but, sadly, these necessities are often overlooked and workers are put at risk, leaving them vulnerable to serious and tragic accidents. When a work site fails to provide personnel with a hazard-free workplace and fails to meet the safety requirements enforced by OSHA, or any other safety regulatory committee with jurisdiction, serious injuries and deaths may occur. In such cases, the business owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and equipment or material suppliers may be held liable. After these types of accidents occur, the injured party should immediately contact an experienced Bay Area Work Site Accident Attorney. If you or a loved suffered an injury due to an accident at job site, please contact our office today. We have over 10 years experience fighting for the victims of job site accidents, and winning them the compensation they deserve.

San Francisco-Oakland Injury Attorney Comments on Crane Truck Accident

March 25, 2011 | Gregory J. Brod

Last Friday, a driver of a crane truck on 2nd Street and Townsend struck a 72-year-old woman walking in the crosswalk, according to streetsblog.org. The accident occurred at 8:58am in front of San Francisco Fire Department’s headquarters, and even though multiple emergency medical technicians were on the scene immediately after the woman was struck, they were unable to save her life. The truck that struck her belongs to Sheedy Drayage Company, but there is no available information about the driver yet. Lt. Mindy Talmadge, San Francisco Fire Department’s spokesperson, said that the driver of the crane truck is extremely distraught. No one was placed in custody or under arrest at the time of the accident, as the matter remained under investigation. Ultimately, as in any case such as this, it will be up to the district attorney if any charges are filed. Already three seniors have died on San Francisco’s street this year– unfortunate events that should prompt the city to get going on pedestrian safety improvements.

Truck accident litigation is complex. When a commercial truck is involved in an accident that results in injury or death, a number of issues must be taken into consideration in order to determine the possible liable parties for an accident. For instance, if a distracted or drowsy driving were a factor, both the truck driver and their employer could be held liable for the results of the injury accident. At the same time, however, other issues may have also been factors that may not have been known at the time of the accident. Typically, under these circumstances, a third party investigation is conducted in to find other possible causes for the accident so that the liable parties can be discovered and held accountable for their negligent behavior. Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, a trucking company is responsible for just about every act of their truck drivers. To determine who is responsible, it is important to retain the representation of an experienced injury accident attorney. Here at the Brod Law Firm, we have over 10 years experience handling injury accident claims arising from collisions involving different types of vehicles. If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to a collision with a truck, please contact our firm today.

San Francisco Wrongful Death Attorney Comments on Wrongful Death Suit

January 28, 2011 | Gregory J. Brod

The parents of the 22-year old Nils Yannick Linke, the young man who was killed on Masonic Avenue last August after being run down by a negligent driver, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The complaint describes the sad details of the accident, from the behavior of the two defendants before the accident to their behavior after the accident –when they left the defendant for dead. The story goes like this: At approximately 7:30p.m., defendants and over the following two hour time period consumed alcoholic beverages including two bottles of wine, a champagne cocktail, a beer, and two shots of liquor. The defendants left the restaurant at approximately 10 p.m. and drove while intoxicated. After striking Nils the defendants got out of car and saw Nils lying in the street, convulsing and bleeding. At that point they moved the bicycle to the sidewalk and returned to the car without rendering aid to Nils. Then they fled the scene at a high rate of speed, without contacting emergency personnel. Shortly after, they were stopped by the police, whereby they performed a driving under the influence investigation. Even though it had been two hours since the accident, it was determined that the defendant’s blood alcohol level was 0.10, and also tested positive for cannabinoids.

The parents allege that the defendants acted with conscious and deliberate disregard of the rights, safety, and interests of others by voluntarily commencing and thereafter continuing to consume alcoholic beverages to the point of intoxication knowing from the outset that one of them must thereafter operate a vehicle. They also allege that because of their negligent, careless, reckless, wonton behavior and that because they decided to unlawfully drive and operate a vehicle, that they be held liable for general, specific, and punitive damages; for interest to the extent allowable by law; for the costs of the suit; and for such further relief as the Court may deem proper.

Here at the Brod Law Firm, we don’t feel there is really anything left to say, except that we hope Nil’s family is fully compensated for there loss and that they are able to move past this tragedy in there own time.

Oaklan-San Francisco Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Comments On Nursing Home Closure

January 14, 2011 | Gregory J. Brod

Another story of nursing home abuse has made the headlines again. This new story took place in Fair Oaks, California. According to the

San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney Comments on Toxic Air Surrounding Ground Zero

December 28, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

After almost six years since the attacks, thousands of rescue workers and volunteers are sick after being exposed to toxic dust at Ground Zero, such as the ironworkers who volunteered on the heap of rubble for days and are now sick and/or dying of lung disease. This happened despite the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) warning on September 12 that there were significant asbestos readings in the air. The good news is that on Wednesday of last week Congress passed and the President reportedly signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. The bill states its purpose is to “establish the World Trade Center Health Program (WTC Program) within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to provide:

“(1) medical monitoring and treatment benefits to eligible emergency responders and recovery and cleanup workers (including those who are federal employees) who responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; and “(2) initial health evaluation, monitoring, and treatment benefits to residents and other building occupants and area workers in New York City who were directly impacted and adversely affected by such attacks.”

In other words, this is healthcare for World Trade Center for all those responders sickened by toxic dust at Ground Zero. However, in order to get the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act past any unessasary obstruction in the US Senate, the bill was scaled back significantly. The original draft of the bill asked for a 10-year, $7.4 billion treatment and compensation package; the new version asks for 5 years at $4.2 billion. It also reopens the 9/11 Victims’ Compensation Fund to the responders, but it caps lawyers’ fees to 10 percent. The passage of the Zadroga Act is especially important to the 325 Ground Zero responders who were left out the recently approved World Trade Center Toxic Dust Settlement. The $4.3B billion package is an important action to support the 9/11 first-responders and volunteers injured-or handed out death sentences– after working at Ground Zero, but we wonder if it will be enough.

San Francisco Auto Accident Attorney Comments on Toyota Class Action

November 22, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

According to the LA Times, a federal judge has ruled that he will permit Toyota owners of Toyota Motor Corporation vehicles to proceed with a class action lawsuit that alleges the issue with unintended acceleration resulted in a drop in car value. The attorneys for Toyota requested that the U.S. District judge, Judge James Selna, dismiss the case, arguing that attorneys for the plaintiff group were not able to isolate a defect in the vehicles, which means, essentially, that there is no case. In his tentative ruling, however, Judge Selna did not agree and allowed the case to go forward. Toyota has issued the following statement in response to the ruling: “Importantly, today’s hearing did not address the merits of Plaintiffs’ allegations and did not consider any evidence…At this early stage, this analysis by the Court requires a basic assumption that the plaintiffs’ allegations are true, even though they are unproven. The burden is now squarely on plaintiffs’ counsel to prove their allegations an Toyota is confident that no such proof exists.”

Even though Toyota is claiming they are innocent, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is likely that Toyota vehicles have been involved in about 90 deaths linked to unintended acceleration crashes since 2000. Since last November, Toyota has recalled many millions of vehicles worldwide over floor-mat interference and sticking pedal problems that may lead to incidents of unintended acceleration. Some vehicles are subject to both recalls. Also, they are being sued by Allstate Insurance Co. over the millions of dollars paid in claims that have to do with accidents involving unintended acceleration. What is more, Toyota has just settled a lawsuit with the relatives of California Highway Patrol trooper Mark Saylor and his three family members, all of whom were killed in an accident involving unintended acceleration.

If you need help filing a claim involving defective Toyota vehicles or want to know if you have grounds to file a claim, please contact our office today. Here at the Brod Law Firm, we have over 10 years experience helping victims of car accidents receive the compensation they deserve.

San Francisco-Oakland Injury Attorney Comments of Train Accidents

November 8, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

Last week, according to SFGate, an Amtrak train struck and killed a man who was walking with a friend on railroad tracks in Albany. The accident interrupted train traffic between San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. Investigators interviewed the dead man’s friend to determine what happened. Amtrak said that none of the passengers aboard the train were injured and that they were transferred to another train and taken to the Emeryville station. The Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt said the men trespassed onto the railroad’s tracks.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, between January and December of 2009, there were 153 injuries reported on train tracks, 85 of which were fatal and 28 of which occurred between Amtrak and trespassers on the tracks. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, trespassers now account for the highest number of fatalities in the railroad industry. They state that in many industrialized countries, suicides account for a large number of trespasser fatalities, and the proximity of mental health facilities to rail infrastructure accounts for many “hot spots” in trespasser incidents. They also state that there are many reasons for trespassing on railroad rights-of-way, some of which involve recreation and some that have to do with the romantic notion (planted in our minds by Hollywood) that such acts of trespassing on are some sort of type of cultural right of passage. Trespassing on railroad property is usually a misdemeanor, with penalties ranging from $100 to $1000 or jail, depending on the state. Reviews written by experts recommend, where applicable, increased enforcement and observations by local law enforcement agencies at crossings, especially near schools before and after hours, pedestrian clearance line be placed on either side of the tracks, and “No Trespassing” signs be place on railroad rights-of-way.

If you or a loved one fell victim to train accident, please contact the Brod Law Firm as soon as possible for a free consultation. Our train accident attorney can help you sort through any questions you may have, explain the legal framework surrounding train victims’ rights, and, if you end up filing a claim, help you get the compensation to which you are entitled.

Oakland-San Francisco Injury Attorney Comments on Transportation Reform

November 4, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

Transportation for America writes: America’s transportation system is half a century behind-causing unnecessary pollution, expense, and congestion. We need our leaders to invest in public transportation, high-speed passenger rail, streets safe for biking and walking, maintaining our roads and transit systems, and green innovation. Here at the Brod Law Firm we wonder if the above listed things will come true or if we as a species will ever evolve past the automobile. Nevertheless, we face huge challenges– considering the fact that the majority of the House does not fully support alternative transportation, clean energy, and protecting the environment (most experts predict a two year gridlock), and the fact that Americans love their cars. The following is just one, though there are many, good argument to pose to anyone against working toward alternative transportation.
According to the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey, in 2008 U.S. motorists spent on average approximately $2,700 per vehicle on ownership expenses (purchases, registration, insurance, etc.) and $1,400 on fuel and oil, and about $4,100 in total.That year, governments spent $181 billion to build and maintain roadways, or about $730 annually per registered motor vehicle. Less than half of these roadway expenses are paid by motor vehicle user fees, the rest are borne through general taxes.

Needless to say it looks like it is up to individual citizens to do their part to effect change, such as using their cars less, walking or riding bicycles more and pressuring policy makers to invest in change. If you do choose an alternative form of transportation, don’t forget to stay safe whether you decide on cycling, walking or taking public transportation. Speaking of cycling, we would like to remind cyclists about, what some consider to be, their #1 enemy: the car door. As reported in NYT, cyclists sometimes call it “the door prize,” or simply being “doored.” In addition they report that a compilation of episodes in which drivers opened the doors of their parked vehicles into the path of oncoming cyclist can be found on BicycleSafe.com, which includes details of cases from places as diverse as India, Canada, Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco. Such collisions can seriously injury, even kill cyclists. Any cyclist who has been “doored” should contact a bicycle injury attorney. Our firm specializes in these kinds of cases and has over 10 years experience fighting for the rights of cyclists.