Recent Blog Posts
San Francisco Dog Attack Case Lead To Murder Conviction
A San Francisco Chronicle story reports that a California appellate court has upheld the murder conviction of Marjorie Knoller, the owner of the large dogs that fatally attacked a San Francisco woman back in 2001. California Supreme Court Upholds Conviction The trial court judge had held that Knoller could not be convicted of murder,… Read More »
What Determines Liability in Cases of Driver Blackouts in California?
A San Diego jury heard a case involving a Pizza Hut driver who blacked out while driving, resulting in a severe personal injury accident. The driver claims that she had no prior knowledge that she was subject to blackouts, and does not remember what happened in the accident. Under California Law, A Driver Might… Read More »
Will My California Insurance Cover Me For Car Accidents In A New Car?
Of course no one wants to drive for even a minute without insurance against claims for personal injury caused by a car accident, and for damage to any cars in an accident. Here in San Francisco, car accidents can cost tens of thousands of dollars even if no personal injury is involved. Sometimes, people… Read More »
Can a San Francisco Attorney Handle My Out Of State Injury Case?
From time to time I am asked if I can handle a personal injury claim for someone who lives here in the San Francisco Bay Area, but was injured in a car accident or other incident elsewhere. The answer is always yes. Advantages to Hiring an Attorney Near Your Home There are many advantages… Read More »
Can I Arbitrate My Kaiser Malpractice Case in San Francisco Without A Lawyer?
From time to time people in San Francisco, Oakland, and around the Bay Area ask me if they need an attorney to pursue a claim in the Kaiser malpractice arbitration system. Reading the Kaiser Arbitration Rules, you could easily get the impression that you could file a claim without a lawyer. The Kaiser arbitration… Read More »
Proving Fault In A Bay Area Slip or Trip and Fall Injury
I get many calls from people who were injured in the greater Bay Area or Oakland in falls in stores or restaurants. Often times, the callers think that falling in a store or restaurant automatically means that they can recover damages. And to a very limited extent they are actually right: most businesses here… Read More »
Should California Helmet Laws Apply to Adults?
In California, and about half the other states, the law requires minors to wear a helmet when on bikes. Bike accident statistics strongly support the position that helmets save lives for adults as well as kids involved in bike accidents. But no U.S. state requires adult riders to wear helmets, as many do for… Read More »
Starbucks Sued For Burns From Hot Tea
A woman burned by hot tea at a Starbucks has sued the chain, alleging negligence. This will no doubt bring back memories of the infamous McDonald’s coffee case of years past, where a woman sued after spilling hot coffee into her lap that she had purchased in a drive-through window. The Infamous McDonald’s Coffee… Read More »
California Kaiser Malpractice Claims – Do You Have to Arbitrate?
In California, most Kaiser Permanente medical malpractice claims are normally heard in a private arbitration, rather than proceeding in court. This is due to the Kaiser arbitration agreement, which calls for arbitration in Kaiser’s own system, under their own rules. Arbitration is a system where cases are heard with the same procedural rules as… Read More »
San Francisco Muni Accidents: Why Are There So Many Streetcar Crashes?
Many San Francisco car accidents are caused by our streetcars, also known as light rail vehicles, or LRVs. Many people do not realize how much longer it takes streetcars to stop. There is essentially a double delay: LRV brakes do not even begin to work until a second or two after they are applied,… Read More »