Articles Tagged with San Diego personal injury attorneys

After an Oceanside car accident in which another motorist is at fault, you should be thinking about your options for filing a claim for financial compensation. For most injury victims in motor vehicle collisions, the first step in seeking compensation is filing an auto insurance claim. Auto insurance claims can be filed as first-party claims through an injured person’s own auto insurance policy, or as third-party claims through the at-fault motorist’s auto insurance policy. When an auto insurance claim does not result in sufficient compensation, an injured person will often move on to file a car accident lawsuit. However, in some cases, the defendant will attempt to reduce his or her liability by raising the issue of comparative fault. 

What is comparative fault, and how can it impact your payout in an Oceanside car accident claim?

Understanding Damages in a Car Accident and the Effect of Comparative Fault

Whether you are driving on one of the major highways surrounding Poway or you are on a local road, a serious truck accident can happen without warning. Trucking accidents can happen for many different reasons, and it is important to work with an experienced truck accident attorney who can help you move forward with a claim and determine who may be liable for your injuries. Although every case has its own set of facts, the following are the general steps you should take if you have been injured in a Poway trucking crash. 

Gather Evidence at the Scene of the Truck Accident

Many truck accidents result in life-threatening and deadly injuries. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), large trucks usually weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 times as much as a smaller passenger vehicle, and they have a much higher ground clearance. As a result, a collision with a passenger car or light truck can mean that any occupants of those smaller vehicles sustain debilitating injuries. If you are physically and mentally able to do so, you should gather as much information as you can at the scene of the truck accident. You should take photos, and you should make sure to record the names and contact information of anyone else involved in the collision and anyone who witnessed it.

nabeel-syed-2856-copy-300x200If you were injured in a car accident in San Marcos or elsewhere in Southern California, it is essential to know how to file an auto accident claim. Every car accident case will have its own particular set of facts, but we want to provide you with more information about the claims process and the ways a San Marcos car accident lawyer can help. 

Gather Information to Support Your Claim

You will need to gather information and evidence to support your car accident case. This process starts at the scene of the accident, where you should take photographs of the scene on your smartphone. You should also obtain contact information for anyone else involved in the collisions as well as witnesses who may be able to support your version of the events. Beyond the initial scene, it is also important to get medical attention as soon as possible. By seeing a doctor quickly, you will be able to prove that your injuries resulted from the car accident, and your medical records will become important evidence in your case.

aaron-burden-60068-copy-300x212For families living in Carlsbad, it is extremely important to ensure that your children are wearing seatbelts and are properly restrained in the event of a car accident in Southern California. According to a recent report from NPR, 43% of kids who die in motor vehicle crashes are not properly restrained, which means that these children either were not wearing seatbelts at all or were not wearing seatbelts or other safety harnesses in the proper manner. What can parents learn from this information? It is extremely important to require your kids to wear seatbelts whenever they are in the car, and it is also necessary for parents to educate themselves about the proper restraints for children of all ages.

Traffic Accidents on the Rise

As the report explains, deadly traffic accidents are on the rise in the U.S., and many of them are preventable. In particular, in fatal crashes involving children, the simple act of properly restraining your child could prevent deadly injuries. We do know that some parts of the country have higher rates of child fatalities than others. All in all, however, more than 18,000 children across the U.S. were involved in car accidents between the years 2010 and 2014, and of those children, 15.9% died as a result of the car accident.

ryan-wilson-18905-copy-300x300If you are staying at a hotel in Rancho Bernardo with your family, and there is a swimming pool accident, who is liable? Hotel accidents and accidental drowning incidents happen more often than they should. Hotels in Southern California and throughout the country often have signs around pool areas that warn about risks. In some situations, parents sign waivers for their kids to use a hotel pool. Can a hotel still be liable in the event that a drowning incident occurs and a child sustains serious personal injuries?

The facts of each case are different, but it is important to know that warnings and waivers do not always release hotels or other property owners from liability in a swimming pool accident.

Premises Liability and Swimming Pools at California Hotels

d9xx3cjoh2s-manu-adan-300x200According to a recent article in Bloomberg, the year 2016 saw a noticeable increase in dog bite insurance claims across the country, including in places like San Marcos. Data from the Insurance Information Institute (III) and other industry groups indicates that “insurance claims for dog bites jumped 18% to 18,123 last year in the U.S.” On average, the cost for insurance companies of a dog bite is $33,230. While that single figure showed a slight decrease from 2015, it nonetheless represents a 70% increase from 15 years ago. Why has the average cost of a dog bite injury continued to remain so high? In short, the III suggests that medical costs are higher and injury victims are receiving larger settlements.

Since National Dog Bite Prevention Week is in April, now is a good time to think carefully about dog bite risks in San Marcos and steps we can take to prevent animal attack injuries.

Total Costs of Dog Bite Injuries Soar in California and Other U.S. States

rmwtvqn5rzu-jesse-orrico-300x199If you or someone you love recently sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in San Marcos, you likely have many questions about how you will get medical care. Currently, regional disability services are not available to victims of TBIs when they sustain them after the age of 18, according to a report from KHTS Santa Clarita News. However, newly proposed legislation aims to allow younger California residents—between the ages of 18 and 22—to receive access to regional disability services. The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 283, is a measure introduced by State Senator Scott Wilk, a Republican from Santa Clarita.

If the bill passes, how will it better serve TBI victims in California? What else should you know in the meantime about traumatic brain injuries?

Senate Bill 283 Aims to Provide Disability Services to Broader Population

Samsung_Galaxy_Note_7_Bulletin_30365292175-225x300For many San Diego County residents, it is now old news that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was recalled in massive numbers due to a safety defect and the related risk of a lithium-ion battery causing fires and serious burn injuries. For instance, if you traveled via airplane recently, you likely heard warnings about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 aboard the aircraft and the requirement that any of these devices on any passengers be turned off and stowed to avoid causing personal injuries to anyone on board.

A recent article in Forbes Magazine sought to assure consumers that its other products, such as the Galaxy S7, is safe for use. Indeed, in an official statement issued earlier this month, the company said, “Samsung stands behind the quality and safety of the Galaxy S7 family,” and it emphasized that “there have been no confirmed cases of internal battery failures with these devices among the more than 10 million devices being used by consumers in the United States.” Yet the product defects associated with the recalled smartphones have safety advocates at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wondering whether recall practices need to be changed in order to keep consumers safe, according to a recent article from NPR.

Defective Lithium-Ion Batteries Present a Problem That Goes Beyond Smartphones

When we hear about high-end drug rehabilitation facilities, many of us assume that paying high prices for treatment means a higher quality of care.  However, even the most expensive, high-end facilities can pose dangers for our loved ones when they’re in need of proper treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.  To be sure, abuse and preventable injuries occur with surprising frequency at high-end drug rehab centers.

Pills

Rehab Facilities with a History of Abuse

Are high-end drug rehabilitation facilities really places where patient safety is a serious issue?  Unfortunately, abuse can occur anywhere, and patient injuries and deaths can result.  In some cases, employees at these kinds of facilities commit sexual abuse and violence against patients.  In other cases, there’s just a poor quality of care, and preventable injuries happen.

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