Stockton Injury Lawyer Blog

According to the Visalia Times-Delta, a Visalia big rig driver was seriously injured when he rear-ended a pick-up truck near Terra Bella. Both cars overturned.

Fortunately the pick-up truck driver sustained only minor injuries.

Truck accidents often result in serious, even deadly injuries. Because of the sheer force behind a truck, minor shifts in direction or speed may result in a loss of control of an 18-wheeler. It is often difficult for a big rig to maneuver in response to other drivers' abrupt changes in direction or unexpected conditions on the road.

In Tuesday's accident, the driver of the pick-up truck had slowed to make a left-hand turn when the big rig ran into her.

In order to keep our roads safe, a few tips for truckers/car drivers include:

• Maintain safe driving distances between cars and trucks
• Pass trucks with car. Remember that trucks have large blind spots so make sure you can see the truck in your rear view mirror before pulling back into the lane.
• Do not text and drive. Too often distracted driving is the cause of California car accidents.

Continue reading "Visalia Trucker Sustains Major Injuries In Accident " »

A deadly explosion at a California commercial building has left one person dead and severely injured at least two others.

The explosion made a large hole in the building's roof, and firefighters immediately evacuated the surrounding area.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Although it is unknown what caused the explosion, when significant injuries and fatalities occur on another's property many questions are raised about the safety of the premises.

Generally, the owner or operator of a premises - such as a store, a building, a park or even a home - has a duty to keep the property reasonably safe and to provide warnings of dangerous conditions he knows of or should have been aware of.

Where the owner knows about a dangerous condition, but fails to provide any warning, he may be responsible for any injuries that occur on the premises - including medical costs, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Continue reading "Fatal California Building Explosion Causes Substantial Damage" »

This week, Los Angeles Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa joined the ranks of numerous public officials calling for drivers to stop texting while driving.
The State of California banned texting while driving over a year and a half ago, but many drivers throughout Marin County, Stockton and all of California still continue to text while driving.

Texting can be deadly. In fact, some statistics estimate that you are 23 times more like to be in a car accident if you text while you are driving.

A bill is currently pending before the Sacramento state senate that seeks to increase first time fines from texting from $20 to $50 for violations and from $50 to $100 for each additional offense.

Bicyclists would be fined $20 for texting while bicycling.

The current law is being ignored by many, especially teenagers. According to the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, 26 percent of American teens admitted driving while texting.

Continue reading "Texting While Driving On The Rise In California " »

California legislators recently approved a bill that will provide funds to develop state-of-the-art treatment for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The San Jose Mercury News reports that on Tuesday, East Bay veterans signed a ceremonial copy of the bill - applauding the attention given to this significant and often debilitating - even fatal - condition.

Traumatic brain injuries are typically caused by a sudden blunt force or blow to the head, such as occurs in a car accident, a bike accident, a fall or even at a sporting event.

Symptoms may be difficult to detect and vague and may include mild headaches, confusion and slurred speech. However, without treatment these symptoms worsen and may affect motor skills, cognitive function, and the ability to communicate.

For veterans, brain injuries are called "invisible wounds of war" with service members returning from duty and not recognizing the symptoms for weeks, even years.

The new bill will provide training and education programs specifically designed to help medical professionals recognize the symptoms of TBIs and begin treating these injuries as soon as possible.

As a California personal injury attorney I support this legislation. Too often these debilitating injuries go undetected. With proper medical attention and treatment, brain injuries can be treated and the effects minimized or eliminated.

Continue reading "Legislation Approved To Treat California Brain Injury Victims " »