What Is a CCP 998 Offer in California, and How Can It Impact Your Case?
A CCP § 998 offer is a written settlement offer that can be used by either the plaintiff or the defendant in a civil case. The primary goal of a 998 offer is to…
Wildfire Evacuation Injuries: Can You Sue for Poor Emergency Planning?
In 2023, there were over 7,000 wildfires reported in the state of California, and this number is still growing in 2024. As experts continue to suggest that the frequency of these disasters will only…
Proving Future Medical Costs in California Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Brain and spinal cord injuries are among the most serious, life-altering traumas a person can suffer. In California, victims of catastrophic injuries may be entitled to compensation for both immediate medical expenses and the…
Burn Victims and Emotional Trauma
Burn injuries are like no other. These injuries are among the most painful and traumatic experiences a person can endure. Beyond the physical damage, burn victims often suffer from long-lasting emotional harm. These victims…
How California Juries View Brain Injury Claims Without Visible Head Trauma
Unlike a broken bone, a surgical scar, or other visible wound, a concussion or traumatic brain injury can be invisible to the naked eye. Still, the pain is real for victims and can be…
How Prosthetic Costs Impact Settlement Value in Amputation Cases
Losing a limb or requiring prosthetic assistance after an accident is life-changing in every way possible. The physical, emotional, and financial toll is overwhelming, especially the financial burden of prosthetic devices, as they can…
Who’s Liable When a FedEx or Amazon Van Hits You?
Delivery trucks and vans are an unavoidable sight on LA roads. They zip down neighborhood streets, double park in busy commercial areas, and block lanes of traffic during deliveries. In addition to making life…
How Jury Demographics in LA Affect High-Value Personal Injury Verdicts
Los Angeles County is known for a lot of things, including its diversity, booming economy, and dense traffic. When a personal injury goes to trial in Los Angeles, the jury pool—and those who are…
What to Expect at Your Deposition in a Personal Injury Case
If you’re pursuing a personal injury claim, you may find that the deposition is one of the most stressful parts of your case, especially if you’ve never been through one before. Being under oath…
Power Line Fires and Utility Negligence in LA
In California, power line fires caused by utility negligence are a common concern, having led to several lawsuits in recent years. These fires threaten densely populated neighborhoods, but utility fires have also played a…
Discovery Is the Most Important Part of Your Lawsuit
Soon after you file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, you will enter the pretrial discovery phase (“discovery” for short). For many plaintiffs, this is the most important part of your case–and it…
What Will Insurance Cover After a Fire?
California is a hot and dry state, especially near LA. Devastating fires break out frequently, destroying untold billions of dollars worth of real estate and personal property. Fire insurance is a must in many…
Hit and Run Accidents in Los Angeles
A hit and run in Los Angeles, as in most jurisdictions, involves a driver being involved in an accident with another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a fixed object, and then leaving the scene without…
The Future of Paralysis Treatment
Have you or a loved one suffered an injury to the spinal cord that led to paralysis? You may be wondering what the future holds for you. While many people live full lives with…
The Growing Issues of Jury Internet Access
Today, access to the internet is so widespread that expecting jurors to completely avoid looking up information about a case, the attorneys involved, or even the people giving testimony seems almost impossible. I was…
The Importance of Early Diagnosis in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) happen when the brain experiences a jolt, blow, or impact strong enough to cause damage. A TBI can result from things like car accidents, falls, sports injuries, or any incident…
The Role of Expert Witnesses in Personal Injury Cases
An expert witness is someone with specialized skill, knowledge, experience, training, or education. These qualifications enable the expert to assist the court in understanding the evidence or determining facts at issue in a legal…
Whiplash Injuries After Car Accidents
Whiplash injuries occur when the neck and head are suddenly and forcefully flung backward and forward. This type of injury commonly results from rear-end automobile collisions, but can also occur in other types of…
The Impact of Social Media on Personal Injury Cases
In our digital era, social media has woven itself into the fabric of daily life, providing instant connections to friends, family, and the broader world. Following a car accident, many instinctively turn to their…
Can My Cell Phone Data be Used Against Me in a CA Personal Injury Claim?
Yes, your cell phone can potentially be used against you in a California personal injury claim. Here’s how and why: Evidence of distraction: If you were using your phone at the time of the…
The Connection Between Algorithmic Bias and Employment Discrimination
Algorithms are mathematical equations and techniques based on logic. Computers use algorithms to make logical and math-based decisions, without the risk of human error or bias. However, computers also make predictions based on the data and algorithms they are provided – so…
FDA Issuing Warning Letters to Companies Selling Fraudulent COVID-19 Treatments
Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) continues working to protect consumers from companies making false statements about their products – those claiming certain supplements and drugs can mitigate, treat or prevent the novel coronavirus….
Family of Pilot Killed Fighting Wildfires Sues Aircraft Company
This has been a particularly bad year for wildfires here in California, with thousands of residents suffering injuries, loss and property damage. In August, a helicopter pilot lost his life when his aircraft crashed as he was dropping water on a wildfire….
Have You Seen “Chippie” Hanging Out in Traffic?
The California Highway Patrol recently posted a video of a holiday hitchhiker hanging off the back of a highway patrol officer’s motorcycle antenna. Chippie, the Castro Valley police department’s “elf on a shelf,” has been making appearances on the department’s Facebook page,…
Pursuing Catastrophic Injury Damages for Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can be physically, mentally, and emotionally debilitating. Doing the most mundane things like driving a car can cause severe discomfort depending on where you are injured. Most injury victims know that it will just take some time to heal and…
Teenagers Who Vape Are at Higher Risk for COVID-19
It seems like vaping news has taken a backseat since the entire country has been drowning daily in Coronavirus updates. It was not that long ago that we were seeing regular headlines about the teen vaping epidemic and increased deaths and now…
Smoke and Ash Inhalation Often Comes with Catastrophic Burn Injuries
California is synonymous with certain natural disaster events such as earthquakes and wildfires. Over the last several years, however, wildfire season seems to be turning into a continuous devastating event lasting the majority of the year. This is tough on a large…
What You Need to Know about Big-Rig Blind Spots
How many times have you driven down the highway getting ready to change lanes when you suddenly realize another vehicle is next to you seemingly out of nowhere? You instantly dart back over into your lane panicked about a near miss but…
Why Is It So Hard to Sue Amazon for Defective Products?
The internet has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. The ability to get to know a stranger from the other side of the world morphed into the ability to have products made all over the world regularly…
FAQs about the Paid Family Leave Benefit Extension in California
Having a child is a joyous time but it can also raise a lot of logistical questions that can cause some anxiety. Your simple life is suddenly going to revolve around doctors’ appointments, baby-proofing your home, and sleeping, eating, and showering around…
Crushing Injuries Related to Vehicle Collisions
The range of injuries that can be expected when you become involved in a car accident is vast. A typical crash includes many of the following injuries including, broken bones, bruises, cuts, whiplash, and a sore back. What few people consider are…
What Are Wage and Hour Violations?
Every state has laws designed to ensure a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s pay. Not surprising, every state also has employers who will break the rules, causing employees to suffer economic hardship in the quest for the almighty dollar. Taking…
When Is a Broker or Shipper Liable for a Truck Accident?
When you become the victim of a trucking accident, you will have a long road ahead of you when it comes to recovering. The size and power of large commercial vehicles is enough to instantly kill with little effort, so the injuries…
UPDATE: California Court Says Uber & Lyft Drivers Are Employees, Not Contractors
On August 10, 2020, the San Francisco Superior Court sided with California drivers, saying Uber and Lyft must classify those drivers as employees. Per Market Watch, “Judge Ethan Schulman of the California Superior Court in San Francisco struck at the heart of…
Wrongful Termination May Not Be What You Think It Is
Losing your job is never easy. If you are laid off or let go due to downsizing or the company’s financial woes, chances are that you will be met with a level of compassion by your employer. Even getting fired doesn’t necessarily…
There Is No Such Thing as a Safe Autonomous Vehicle
Autonomous vehicles began as concept cars, highlighting the type of futuristic technology that car companies like showing off. The difference is that while many concept vehicles never make it onto the road, self-driving cars have. They’ve done so under the guise of…
Should the 40 Hour Work Week Be a Thing of the Past?
Anyone who has worked the standard 9-to-5 grind every day has probably daydreamed about a four-day work week. While there are certainly advantages to implementing that plan, such as improving health and overall happiness of employees, many companies still prefer the traditional…
A New Study Shows Hope for Improvement for Spinal Cord Injury Victims
It can be a very long, challenging road for many who suffer from spinal cord injuries. New treatment protocols come out periodically but at the end of the day, their effectiveness will depend upon the benefits they bestow. When it comes to…
Car Insurance “Coronavirus Rebates” – Who Is Really Profiting?
The California stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic began March 19, 2020. As the order slowly modifies and lifts in phases, there is no doubt that some things have changed. You likely haven’t been out driving – other than essential short…
In California, Traffic Is Down but Reckless Speeding Is Up
In the weeks and months since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shutdown of schools and businesses, traffic on LA highways has dropped dramatically. The frustrating bumper-to-bumper traffic for which our area is known is significantly reduced, which in theory is great news….