California Blog

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate the year that was and the year that is coming. Many people choose to spend the evening with friends and family celebrating until long after the clock has struck midnight. Unfortunately, too many people will celebrate too much and then get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Sadly, the New Year will begin as a tragedy for many families. Alcohol-Impaired Driving in the United States According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), one person died every...

Thousands of people are injured in burn accidents each year in the United States. Sadly, some of those burn injuries are caused by defective products. Products that should be designed to be safe for the intended use result in serious burn injuries. Burns can dramatically alter a person’s life. In some cases, the damage caused by a burn injury leaves the person scarred and disfigured or permanently disabled. If a defective product causes a burn injury, you may have a legal cause of action against...

Motorcyclists face many dangers each time they ride in and around Sacramento. Our roads are safe; however, the motorists who drive our roads can make it very dangerous to be a motorcyclist. Careless and distracted drivers can cause horrible car accidents that alter the lives of motorcyclists forever. What a driver does behind the wheel of a vehicle has the potential for impacting many lives. Because the system can place an unfair burden on a rider to prove that the other driver is fully responsible...

You may have heard or read that you cannot trust an insurance adjuster for the other driver for various reasons. The truth is that most insurance adjusters are honest men and women performing their job duties. They are not “out to get you” or deprive you of the money you deserve for an accident claim. However, the adjuster works for the insurance provider, and the insurance provider does not make money by paying large insurance claims. Therefore, to perform their job, adjusters do put the...

Being involved in a traffic accident is a stressful event regardless of the circumstances. However, when a hit-and-run driver causes the accident, it can make things even more difficult. Typically, when a driver causes a collision, you can sue that driver for compensation for your damages. However, when the driver illegally leaves the accident scene, recovering money for your injuries can be more difficult, but it is possible. The steps you take after a hit-and-run accident can make a huge impact on your personal injury...

Tailgating is dangerous regardless of the vehicles involved.  However, when you are tailgating a commercial truck, you are increasing your risk of a deadly car crash. You may have seen signs on large trucks advising you to remain several hundred feet from the rear of the truck. You should take these warning very seriously and avoid following a truck too closely to reduce your risk of being severely injured in a large truck accident. Consequences of Tailgating a Large Truck According to information from the National...

Every driver in California is required to maintain minimum insurance coverage. Drivers are required to have $15,000 in liability insurance for bodily injury or death ($30,000 per incident) and $5,000 in liability insurance for property damage. Liability insurance pays compensation to victims when you cause an accident. To meet your financial responsibility, you can purchase an insurance policy from a licensed insurance company, place a cash deposit of $35,000 with the DMV, apply for a surety bond of $35,000, or obtain a DMV-issued self-insurance certificate. Most...

If you were injured in a traffic accident in California, you might be entitled to recover compensation from the other driver for your damages and injuries. However, you must prove that the other driver is liable for your damages. An experienced Sacramento car accident lawyer can help you gather the evidence necessary to prove the elements of liability in a personal injury case. The Driver Owed You a Duty of Care For the other driver to be liable, he must have owed a duty of...

The NHTSA reports that 3,477 people died and approximately 391,000 people were injured in traffic accidents involving distracted drivers. This represents 15 percent of the injury crashes and 10 percent of the fatal crashes for that year. There is a lengthy list of attributes included in driver distractions in the NHTSA’s report. However, the five actions below are common reasons we see for distracted driving accidents. Cell Phone Use Cell phone use is one of the most common causes of distracted driving accidents throughout the nation. Instead...

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your loved ones is to stock all vehicles in your household with essential items in case of a traffic accident or emergency. Make sure that you review with teen drivers what is in the vehicle and how to use each item. Making an accident checklist for teen drivers and leaving it in the glove compartment with the pen, paper, and camera can be very helpful and comforting after an accident. Checklist for Vehicle Emergency...