San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

California Child Injury Attorney Demands Toy Safety as the Holiday Rush Begins

November 27, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

The family has gathered, the feast has been eaten, and the hosts are contemplating the inevitable leftovers. Today is the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season, although it seems like some stores have been holiday-ready for weeks! As you begin to think about gifts for the youngest set, we urge you to consider the issues of toy safety. Some of the hardest cases we see in our office involve children and our San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Rosa toy injury lawyer wants children in Northern California and worldwide to enjoy a fun and safe holiday season.

WATCH Releases 2015 10 Worst Toys List

World Against Toys Causing Harm, a mouthful of a name that lends itself to the handy acronym “WATCH,” believes (as does our firm) that “One injury to one child as a result of a poorly designed or manufactured children’s product is one too many.” Sadly, the group explains on its website, the toy industry makes some $70 billion worth of sales worldwide each year and with thousands of avoidable toy injuries occurring every year, WATCH believes that “safety often takes a back seat to earnings.”

Talking Turkey: Holiday Tips from your Northern California Food Safety Lawyer

November 25, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

It seems like food safety is in the news more and more. Last week, officials announced that an e. coli outbreak tentatively linked to a major chain restaurant has hit California (CBS News). Foodborne bacteria LOVE the holidays. As you contemplate Thursday’s feast, our San Francisco food safety law firm has some advice on holiday food safety to ensure foodborne illness doesn’t hit your Thanksgiving table.

Foodborne Illness and Holiday Celebrations

Foodborne bacteria can strike at home as well as in commercial dining establishments. The Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) webpage Tracking and Reporting Foodborne Disease Outbreaks reports that 48% of the outbreaks linked to a known single setting from 2009-2010 involved a restaurant or deli while 21% involved food consumed in a private home. We suspect these numbers might be skewed since it is easier to trace a larger outbreak to its source. Regardless, consumers have much greater control when it comes to home cooking.

Cargo Spills: Northern California Truck Accident Lawyer on the Danger of Unsecured Truck Loads and Shifting or Spilling Goods

November 24, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

We’ve all been there, you’re driving and find yourself behind a truck carrying a load that just doesn’t look secure and you imagine the load shifting and falling towards your vehicle. Sadly, cargo spill accidents are a reality, not just the product of overactive imaginations. Our Oakland truck accident attorney knows the law and partners with top-notch experts to hold all responsible parties financially liable for injuries caused by falling or shifting cargo.

Log Spill Near Sunol and Some Curious Examples of Cargo Load Spills

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that two big-rig trucks collided on southbound I-680 near Highway 84 at

San Francisco Bus Accident Lawyer Looks at Bus Accident Statistics After Union Square Crash

November 20, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

While they might be an unusual sight in rural locations, their big yellow counterparts excepted, buses are an important part of the transportation network in cities and tourist destinations. In some ways, buses are a cross between a large truck and a passenger vehicle, carrying the heft of the larger vehicles with the precious cargo of a packed car. Last week’s San Francisco tour bus accident has many taking a closer look at this special mode of transit. Our San Francisco bus accident lawyer remains ready to help victims of any bus accidents in the Northern California region including passengers, occupants of other vehicles, and bystanders alike.

Authorities Eye History of Bus Involved in Union Square Crash

Earlier this week, NBC’s Bay Area affiliate provided an update on last week’s frightening Union Square crash involving a tour bus. On Friday November 13, a tour bus plowed into a bicycle rider and hit multiple cars before crashing into scaffolding at the Union Square Apple store. The incident left 20 people injured with three still in critical care and two listed in serious condition as of Monday. Thus far, a city representative says the police suspect mechanical failure led to the crash, adding “This was 100 percent preventable if there was good recordkeeping and good maintenance reporting.” She also said she would like the city to take over regulating city tour buses.

Northern California Child Injury Lawyer on Children and Premises Liability Law

November 18, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Children are our most precious resource and protecting them is both a duty and an honor. Children are naturally curious and unable to fully appreciate potential dangers, making it important for adults to exercise vigilance to keep them safe. The law reflects this shared responsibility, including in the context of children and premises liability law. Our Oakland child injury lawyer helps parents fight for the rights of children who are injured or killed because someone else did not maintain their property in a safe manner.

Child Nearly Drowns at Oakley Pond

The Oakland Tribune reports that a young child nearly drowned in a pond in Oakley on Monday. Responding to a call, East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District arrived at a pond near the 5300 block of Tule Tree Lane where a one-year-old had nearly drowned. As of this writing, the child’s injuries are unknown but the article reports that an air ambulance transported the baby to a hospital.

Two Wheels, Two Feet: When Motorcycles Hit Pedestrians

November 17, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

At The Brod Law Firm, we are proud to work with motorcycle riders who’ve been injured by negligent drivers and we have long supported the motorcycle riding community. However, ultimately our job is to help the wrongfully injured or those grieving the wrongfully killed. While it is less common than pedestrian accidents caused by cars, pedestrian accidents caused by motorcycles are a threat. When a negligent motorcycle rider harms a pedestrian, our San Francisco pedestrian accident attorney is, as always, prepared to fight for the wrongfully injured. We know that most riders are as committed to safety as they are to the open road and suspect they’d support our efforts to help the victims of motorcycle riders who failed to appreciate the power two wheels can have.

Weekend San Francisco Motorcycle Crash Leaves Pedestrian Dead

Over the weekend, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the arrest of a motorcycle rider on hit-and-run charges. A police spokesman told reporters that a 67-year-old woman had been crossing 24^th Street mid-block in the vicinity of Noriega Street shortly before 7 PM on Friday when a motorcyclist passed around a double-parked vehicle and hit the pedestrian. The woman was transported to San Francisco General Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Pedestrian Fatalities: Local Accidents, National Statistics

November 12, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Some people never drive a car, some never travel by public transit, many never fly, but almost everyone is a pedestrian at some point. Pedestrian safety is a critical piece of the transportation safety picture and Attorney Greg Brod is proud to serve as a pedestrian accident lawyer in Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and other Northern California communities. In today’s post, we look at a tragic series of fatal pedestrian accidents in the Bay Area in recent days. We then move to the national level and take a look at who is involved in pedestrian crashes plus when and where these tragedies occur. Understanding accidents is critical to preventing accidents and serving our clients after a tragedy strikes.

At Least Three Northern California Pedestrian Deaths in November’s First Nine Days

Recent weeks have seen a number of fatal pedestrian accidents in the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Jose Mercury News reports that Interstate 880 near Highway 237 in Milpitas saw at least two fatal pedestrian accidents pedkilled within a week’s time. CHP personnel told reporters that a man was hit by multiple vehicles and killed when he tried to run across Interstate 880 on November 1. Another accident occurred on the same road on November 6 around 5:10 PM. According to the paper, a 65-year-old man was trying to cross the freeway’s southbound lanes just south of Dixon Landing Road. In addition to the two pedestrian fatalities, a motorcycle rider was also killed in the same general area on November 3.

Northern California Child Injury Lawyer on Strangulation by Window Cord Blinds: The Product Danger Remains

November 11, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

From hard corners softened with cushions to outlets plugged with guards, parents spend hours making their homes safe for their children. Still, even the most diligent parent can’t spot every potential danger in their own homes or in other places children visit. That truth is one of many reasons we demand that companies produce and sell safe products, a demand backed up by California’s strict liability rules in product liability cases. At The Brod Law Firm, a San Francisco child injury law firm, we believe in both prevention and accountability. Today’s blog entry looks at a danger lurking in many buildings including children’s homes, child care centers, and the residences of relatives or other caregivers – window blind cords. We encourage every parent to be alert for this danger, but we also believe the manufacturers should be held responsible when unnecessarily dangerous products harm our children.

ABC7 Reports on Strangulation Danger Despite Industry Standards

The threat of strangulation by window blind cords is not an unknown danger, but ABC7 recently investigated and found the danger remains despite industry standards intended to prevent child injury and child deaths. According to the report, the government estimates that one child dies every month after being strangled by blind cords. The news channel relays the story of one California toddler whose mother had tied the pull cord out of reach to protect blinds her children and then, one tragic day, found her son dangling from blinds near his crib. Sixteen month old Jacob had gotten trapped in the inner cord of the window coverings.

Bay Area Tenants’ Attorney on Renter Protections in Era of Rising Rents Throughout Northern California

November 10, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

High rents in San Francisco have been the topic of national news for some time now. However, the problem does not magically end at the Bay Bridge. The cost of renting in the Bay Area is rising, including in Alameda where disputes over rent hikes led to violent protests late last week. While we respect the right of people to protest peacefully, we are never in favor of violence and believe that disputes between landlords and tenants can and should be resolved in a peaceful manner. As an San Francisco/Oakland tenants’ law firm, we use the law to fight for renters in Alameda, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and throughout Northern California.

Protests in Alameda During Meeting on Rising Rents

On Thursday, according to the Oakland Tribune, crowds descended on Alameda’s City Hall, spilling out of Council Chambers into the hallway and lobby. For a period, the meeting was put on hold because of the loud, chanting crowds. Some protesters suggested that only landlords were being heard before the Council because they’d arrived early to claim all the seats in the chambers. Two protesters were arrested, including one who seriously injured a municipal employee.

Bed Bugs in Northern California Rental Properties

November 6, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Bed bugs continue to plague people across the nation and here in Northern California. While their bites can cause substantial suffering, ultimately it is hard to blame the bugs themselves; they are just doing what nature tells them to do. However, far too frequently, people exacerbate the problem and cause, worsen, or prolong infestations through their actions or, often, their inaction. Attorney Greg Brod, a Northern California bed bug lawyer based in San Francisco, fights for people who have suffered with the pests because of someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions. As a recent story reminds us, far too often it is the most vulnerable who suffer the most. A bed bug lawsuit can ensure their stories are heard and their situation remedied.

Low-Income, Elderly Residents Report Bed Bug Infestation in Stockton

Late last month, The Record reported the story of a bed bug infestation at one of the most recognizable buildings in Stockton. The Hotel Stockton provides housing to low-income residents, including many seniors coping with disabling health problems. Revamped in 2004 and currently owned by a private partnership headquartered in Sacramento, the Hotel long-served as a key gathering place for residents of the North-Central California city and even held municipal offices for a time.