San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

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.”

Marijuana Behind the Wheel: Unanswered Questions, Unnecessary Risk

May 17, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Marijuana has been a topic of discussion and debate for many years. While medical marijuana is accepted here in California, debate continues over how to control medical usage, whether to permit recreational use, and how to resolve conflicts between state and federal law. There is one question, however, that our San Francisco injury lawyer feels has not gotten nearly enough attention – the impact of marijuana use on driving ability.

The Debate Over Driving While High and the Criminal Law Question

Over the weekend, KPIX took a look at this important issue. Three drivers with varying histories of marijuana usage were put through a testing course in Washington state. On the first round, despite having an unclear amount of marijuana in their systems, all three drove acceptably. However, after smoking again, the report notes that fact that all three were high “really started to show” and one driver almost hit the photographer.

Focus on Safety: The NTSB’s Most Wanted List 2016

May 13, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Every year, the National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) releases what it calls its “Most Wanted List.” This list represents the NTSB’s top advocacy priorities for the year, improvements to safety that the NTSB believes can make the biggest difference in preventing transportation accidents and saving lives. Our San Francisco injury law firm shares the NTSB’s commitment to transportation safety and, while we advocate for injury victims in California every day, we know that prevention is always the best goal.

The following items are on the NTSB’s 2016 Most Wanted List:

Reduce Fatigue-Related Accidents: It is impossible to know exactly how many car accidents are due to drowsy driving, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes anywhere from 2% to 20% of yearly traffic fatalities are due to drowsy drivers. The problem also extends to other areas of the transportation field and the NTSB identified fatigue as a probable cause in 20% of the Board’s 182 major investigations between 2001 and 2012.

Children at Risk: Number of E-Cigarette Poisonings Involving Young Children Skyrockets

May 11, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Many smokers have turned to e-cigarettes in recent years, often with the hope that the product will be safer than traditional cigarettes. However, the research is far from clear and e-cigarettes are far from harmless. Aside from the danger to the person using them, a recent study notes the rising numbers of children being poisoned by the liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes. As a San Francisco dangerous products lawyer, Greg Brod is watching the e-cigarette poisoning story and ready to help Californians whenever unduly dangerous products put people, especially children, at risk.

E-Cigarettes Generally

E-cigarettes are, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), one of several forms of Electronic Nicotine Systems. Vaporizers and vape pens are closely related. These devices heat a liquid containing nicotine is heated into an aerosol form that is then inhaled by the user. The liquids often contain flavorings and a range of other ingredients as well. E-cigarette use has skyrocketed in the past few years, especially among teens.

Northern California Food Safety Lawyer Looks at Nationwide Listeria Outbreak

May 10, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Despite a movement towards farmer’s markets and co-ops, most Americans still get the bulk of their food from grocery stores and large retailers. In 2016, we should be able to trust that these products are safe. Unfortunately, foodborne illness remains a major problem in this country as a recent listeria outbreak demonstrates. While most people might suffer a bad stomach ache after exposure to foodborne bacteria, some end up in the hospital and some even die. Our San Francisco food safety lawyer is here to help when unsafe foods cause serious consequences.

Major Outbreak of Listeria Leads to Massive Recall

CBS SF recently reported on an outbreak of listeria that has prompted a massive recall of frozen foods. According to the report, the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has released a list of 358 frozen fruit and vegetable products, including 42 different brand names, that may be contaminated with the potentially deadly bacteria. The list includes products sold in all 50 states by retailers including Safeway, Costco, and Trader Joe’s. At least 8 people have been hospitalized after consuming contaminated foods, two of whom later died of other causes.

Oakland Injury Lawyer Examines Big Rig Crashes

May 6, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Driving near a big rig truck can be nerve-wracking even for experienced drivers. Whether you are attempting to pass one truck or feeling walled in by multiple big rigs, trucks can be intimidating. While most truck drivers and trucking companies are conscientious and safety-minded, we cannot say that there is no reason to be afraid. Big rig crashes injure and kill thousands each year. Our Oakland truck crash injury lawyer is prepared to fight for the injured and for the families of those who die in truck accidents in Northern California and the neighboring regions.

Driver Injured in Fire Following Big Rig Accident on I-580 Near Livermore

CBS SF reports that a truck driver was injured after a crash between two big rigs caused a vehicle fire. An official with the California Highway Patrol reports that the collision and resulting fire occurred on Interstate Highway 580 in unincorporated Alameda Country, near the North Flynn Road ramp east of Livermore. The accident occurred in the eastbound lanes shortly before noon on Monday. One driver was airlifted to the hospital with burn injuries. Flames also caused a small grass fire, but fire crews were able to extinguish that blaze. Lane closures were reported to last approximately two hours.

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.

The Deadly Cost of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Other Drugs

May 3, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Impaired driving, whether due to alcohol or other drugs, kills. We all know this long before we are old enough to step behind the wheel. Yet, for reasons we’ve never truly been able to understand, people continue to choose to drive drunk and drive under the influence of illicit drugs. Our Oakland drunk driving victims’ law firm works with the families left grieving because someone else made a dangerous decision that had terrible consequences — consequences that are all the more tragic because impaired driving deaths are both foreseeable and completely preventable.

Police Suspect Impaired Driving Caused Deadly Vacaville Collision

At least two families are facing the grim realities of impaired driving after a deadly crash occurred in Vacaville early Sunday morning. CBS SF reports that the driver of a Jeep SUV had pulled onto the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 80 near Lagoon Valley around 5:30 AM because she was feeling ill. After she exited her vehicle, a Honda Accord drifted into the shoulder and hit the SUV, causing the Jeep to spin and hit the driver. A woman inside the SUV died at the scene and the SUV’s driver and two other passengers were taken to a local hospital with minor to moderate injuries. The driver of the Accord had to be extracted from her vehicle by emergency crews and was also taken to the hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries. California Highway Patrol officials believe that the 28-year-old driver of the Honda vehicle was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Bed Bug Science and California Bed Bug Law

April 29, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Many of us have, at one time or another, been told to develop a “thicker skin.” In colloquial usage, this generally means one should be less sensitive to criticism or other negative words. However, it turns out that in the world of bed bugs a thicker skin is a very real physical trait and one that makes the pests even tougher to eradicate. This is important news. Our San Francisco tenant’s lawyer believes landlords in particular should be paying attention because landlords can and should be held responsible when their failure to take appropriate action leaves residents suffering and prolongs a bed bug infestation in the Bay Area.

Bed Bugs Developing Resistance to Certain Insecticides

This week, CNN reported that researchers in Australia found that bedbugs have begun to develop thicker skins that allow them to survive certain bug sprays. Bed bugs are parasites that feed on human blood and they have made a major resurgence in recent decades. Researchers believe the pests are only growing stronger and more resistant to certain treatments. In the recent study, researchers found that bed bugs that had a thicker natural covering were more likely to survive certain insecticides. The scientists hope that this research helps in the continued effort to “spot a chink in their armour” and develop more effective treatments.

The Continuing Story of the Berkeley Balcony Collapse and How Our California Construction Law Firm Helps Those Injured by Building Defects

April 27, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Last summer, Californians and the nation watched in disbelief as the story of the Berkeley balcony collapse unfolded. Six people died and many others were injured in the tragedy. The pictures were shocking and made many of us think twice before stepping out onto our own balconies and terraces. Some ten months later, lawmakers and others are trying to figure out what went wrong. As a San Francisco construction law firm committed to helping people injured or left grieving by dangerous structures, the Brod Law Firm is following the developments.

State Senate Looks at Safety Records and State Law in Balcony Collapse Review

As KPIX reports, a California State Senate subcommittee is looking into what caused the deadly balcony collapse last June. State Senator Jerry Hill focused the discussion on the history of the construction company that has been accused of performing shoddy construction that allegedly led to the structural failure. Hill noted that the company has paid some $26.5 million to settle construction defect cases in the past.