San Mateo Injury Lawyers Blog — Published by San Mateo, California Injury Attorneys — Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

A Driver’s U-Turn Leaves One Motorcyclist Injured and One Dead in California

October 21, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

If you ride on the streets and highways enough, you’ve come across a bumper sticker (or stickers) encouraging you to “look twice” to “save a life” when it comes to motorcycles. This is always good advice. Motorcycles, due to their smaller size relative to cars and trucks, are more easily overlooked by other drivers on the road. Motorcyclists, due their vehicles’ exposed nature, are more at risk of catastrophic or fatal injuries when the drivers around them don’t exercise proper care and don’t diligently maintain the necessary lookout. If you have been hurt aboard a motorcycle, make sure you have the legal representation you need from a skilled San Mateo motorcycle accident attorney in order that you can get the compensation you deserve.

An August crash is just the latest tragic reminder of these truths. Two men aboard motorcycles were traveling northbound on Highway 1 near Big Sur early one Monday afternoon. At around the same time, a woman who had parked her Honda vehicle on the west side of Highway 1 began to execute a U-turn. In the process, she turned into the path of the two motorcyclists, according to a Monterey Herald report.

The Honda crashed into both motorcycles, who were believed to be traveling at about 55 mph. The older motorcyclist suffered minor injuries, but the crash killed the younger of the two men. “Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor in the accident,” according to the report.

A Recent Crash in California Reminds Us All of the Dangers of Distracted Driving

October 15, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

Distracted driving is dangerous and, too often, deadly. More than 50 people die, on average, every week from distracted driving nationwide, according to federal statistics from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA). Historically, California has had more than its share of fatal distracted driving accidents as, in past years, roughly 9-10% of all such accidents happened in this state. Whether a distracted driving accident hurt you or killed your loved one, California law may entitle you to sue for substantial compensation, so be sure to reach out to an experienced San Mateo injury attorney right away.

Recently, CBS San Francisco reported on a local accident that, thankfully, did not end in any deaths. According to the San Mateo Police Department, a white Range Rover SUV crashed into a building in the 4100 block of South El Camino Real. No one was hurt in the crash, according to the CBS report.

The CBS report also noted that, although the police department did not release an official cause for the accident, the department did provide a hint on its Facebook page. The department’s social media post read, “There are many things that cause us to lose focus while driving: drugs/alcohol/medication, age, health issues, distractions in the car & out. Pay attention to the road and avoid anything that will take your focus away from your one goal, to arrive safely at your destination.”

A Falling Pine Tree Branch in a California Park Kills One Woman, Puts Three People in the Hospital

October 8, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

A lot of times, when you hear the words “premises liability,” you might first think of a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident in a store or other place of business. The reality is, though, that the law of premises liability in California exists to protect more than shoppers and other guests on commercial properties. It can include slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents, but also swimming pool accidents or broken sidewalk accidents, as well. Basically, if you’ve been hurt on property belonging to someone else because they didn’t keep their property sufficiently safe, you may have a case for compensation and should contact a knowledgeable San Mateo injury attorney without delay.

Another kind of accident that may potentially present a case for premises liability damages is falling tree branch accidents. California has seen several of these accidents trigger litigation in recent years, and another falling tree branch accident has occurred just recently here in San Mateo County, this time with tragic results.

Late last month, according to a Facebook post issued by Burlingame City Hall, a tree limb of approximately 60 feet in length “dropped suddenly.” The branch crashed down upon a group of people picnicking in Washington Park and killed a 29-year-old woman. Additionally, three other people were hospitalized as a result of the impact, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal. The Daily Journal also indicated that the city had, following the accident, hired independent arborists to examine and assess the condition of the large pine tree.

A Fatal Accident in California is Another Reminder of How Severe Motorcycle Crashes Can Be

September 30, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

Each year, more than 12,000 people are injured and 500 killed aboard motorcycles in California. Those tragically high numbers exist in spite of the fact that many motorcyclists and their passengers engage in proper safety precautions. (Only about 1 in 10 people killed on board motorcycles in this state were not wearing helmets.) In other words, even with protection, motorcycle accidents are often catastrophic or fatal. If you or a loved one have been involved in a motorcycle accident, be sure you go out promptly and retain a skilled San Mateo injury attorney, who can help you make sure that you are taking action in a timely manner and getting everything to which the law says you are entitled.

A September crash here in this area is yet another somber reminder of how serious motorcycle crashes are. The precursor to the crash was a vehicle breakdown, according to a CBS SF Bay Area report. The disabled vehicle, a BMW car, was situated in the slow lane of westbound Highway 92 on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge in Foster City.

A group of motorcyclists who were also traveling westbound on Highway 92 came upon the broken-down vehicle. Two motorcyclists crashed into the BMW. One motorcyclist was thrown off his bike, over the side of the bridge and into the bay. He died as a result. The motorcyclist and a passenger aboard the second bike suffered major injuries, according to the report.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) in California and What to Do When You Need to Take on Your Own Insurance Company

September 22, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

Back in April, a study from UC-Davis revealed that traffic accidents fell by half during the stay-at-home orders triggered by the pandemic. In mid-May, though, the news wasn’t so good, as the Los Angeles Times reported that traffic deaths were back up to their pre-lockdown levels. As people gradually return to their old routines, it is a sad reality that auto accidents, injuries and deaths will ensue. If you’re hurt in an accident, don’t wait… retain an experienced San Mateo car accident attorney right away.

Here in California, the state-mandated minimum insurance coverage is commonly referred to as “15/30/5,” which means $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident and $5,000 of property damage. Anyone who’s been hurt in a California auto accident can undoubtedly tell you just how easily and quickly one can rack up more than $15,000 in medical expenses following a crash. Ideally, when your bills exceed the other driver’s insurance coverage, that is when your own underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage (UIM) steps in. Unfortunately, it’s too often not as simple as that. So, it’s possible to be harmed by the driver who hit you and – especially if that driver has only minimum coverage (or no coverage at all) – to be harmed by your own insurance company.

An action (Case No. 20-2372-JAC) that followed a Southern California crash is a good example. In that crash, a nurse in her 60s was hit by a left-turning driver who improperly failed to yield the right of way. The accident was serious enough that the nurse’s vehicle’s airbags deployed, and she was rendered unconscious for a short time. The nurse experienced a great deal of ongoing neck pain and, ultimately, her doctor recommended a discectomy and fusion surgery. The injuries were bad enough that they even had altered the nurse’s planned timing of her retirement.

A Crash Along the Center Median of Interstate 80 Kills Person in California

September 15, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

When you’re hurt in an auto accident, there are many things you’ll need. For one thing, you’ll need time to heal, emotionally and physically. After that, though, it’s quite likely you’ll need to file an action in civil court to get compensation for the harm you suffered. To get everything you should from that lawsuit, you’ll need representation from the right San Mateo injury attorney. The right attorney can offer you and your case the right knowledge, the right experience and the right resources to ensure your case will achieve what it should.

One of the big things that the right attorney can provide is the right resources to do all the necessary investigatory work. Don’t overlook how important this is winning your case and getting the full recovery you deserve.

Some cases may be clear-cut in all the essential areas (such as an obviously distracted driver who admittedly ran a stop sign and T-boned your car.) Many though, are not. They are complex and require careful investigation to know what the true nature of the case really is. A tragically fatal accident from outside Vacaville, which was reported by KRON, is an example.

A California Crash Caused by a Suspected Drunk Driver Kills a 25-Year-Old Man

September 9, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

There are many ways to be harmed by the misconduct of a driver who gets behind the wheel despite being drunk or high on drugs. Whether you were the drunk driver’s passenger or were in a separate vehicle driven by a completely sober driver, your circumstance potentially may present an opportunity to sue and collect significant compensation. To make sure you’re presenting the strongest possible case to get the fullest possible recovery, it is best to have a skilled San Mateo injury attorney on your side.

Many times, the harm caused by these accidents is catastrophic. For example, a terrible accident in Stanislaus County, reported by the East Bay Times, brought a young life to a needlessly premature end. In the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 2, a woman from Ceres was traveling eastbound on Highway 120, a 2-lane road “with dips and curves.” The California Highway Patrol indicated that, despite a double-yellow line prohibiting any passing, the woman crossed the center line and attempted to pass the semi-truck in front of her.

The woman sideswiped a westbound Honda Civic then slammed head-on into a utility truck. The impact threw the woman’s 25-year-old male passenger from the vehicle. That man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report.

Getting to the Bottom of Your California Chain-Reaction Accident to Get You the Compensation You Deserve

August 27, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

A country music singer named Joe Diffie died earlier this year as a result of COVID-19. He was arguably best known for a 1990s song about poor judgments that unleashed a massive chain reaction of problematic outcomes, including a vehicle accident. In the song, “Third Rock From the Sun,” what unfolded was mostly hilarity and some unintentional property damage. In real life, though, errors in judgment can do life-changing harm to real people when those making the errors are drivers behind the wheel and their errors result in chain-reaction crashes. Getting the compensation you need for the harm you suffered in a chain-reaction crash is often no simple matter, as unraveling the details of the accident to determine who did what to whom — and who is legally liable to you — often requires in-depth investigation and considerable knowledge of the law. When it comes time to seek compensation for your chain-reaction accident injuries, make sure you have retained the services of a skilled San Mateo injury attorney to handle your case.

To give you an idea how complex these accidents can be, consider this recent one from Los Angeles County, which was reported by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. A CHP officer pulled over a BMW on the 10 freeway. At around the same time, a Scion cut off a Toyota RAV4. The driver of the Toyota swerved to avoid the Scion and, in doing so, moved onto the shoulder… and into the rear end of the CHP vehicle. The CHP SUV crashed into the BMW and one of those two vehicles slammed into the officer, who was walking toward the BMW at the time. The officer suffered serious injuries as a result.

Now, let’s take a look at all the different ways that different people could be liable. Certainly, the driver of the Scion, if the proof showed that he/she engaged in an unsafe lane change or other reckless driving, would be a prime candidate for being held liable. In this case, the Scion did not stop. While a hit-and-run driver who owes you damages is a significant complication, it is not something that necessarily will stop you from recovering compensation and is definitely not something you should let deter you from pursuing your case in court. There are several legal maneuvers your attorney can make to protect you if you were hurt by a hit-and-run driver.

Pedestrian Accidents Are on the Rise in California: Here’s What You Can Do if You’re Hurt in One

August 20, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

Statistics from the state’s Office of Traffic Safety show that pedestrian injuries – and deaths – are a serious problem that is getting worse. Almost 7,500 pedestrians died on California streets and highways in period 2009-2018, with nearly 900 of those happening in 2018 alone. That 2018 figure represented a 26% surge from just four years earlier. Pedestrian accidents occur for many reasons, and several of those involve negligent action or inaction by the driver(s) or others. If you’ve been hurt in a pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to substantial compensation, so contact a knowledgeable San Mateo pedestrian accident attorney right away.

In addition to the 893 dead, pedestrian accidents also injured 14,000 more in California in 2018. Many pedestrian accidents happen due to errors made by drivers. One of the more common errors is the driver’s decision to drink and drive. Federal statistics show that, in pedestrian accidents nationwide, roughly 15% involved a driver who had a blood-alcohol content at or above .08.

That was suspected to be the case in Anaheim recently. A suspected drunk driver jumped the curb an hit a 35-weeks-pregnant woman as she walked along the sidewalk, according to the Los Angeles Times. The accident killed the woman at the scene and left her baby, whom medical caregivers delivered, in critical condition.

How One East Bay Park Visitor Overcame an ‘Assumption of the Risk’ Defense in Her California Negligence Case

August 14, 2020 | Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos

When you are injured due to someone’s else negligence, you may find yourself facing an argument that, despite that negligence, the other person isn’t liable – and not entitled to compensation – because you “assumed the risk” of the kind of danger that ultimately hurt you. There are many circumstances, though, where you can successfully overcome an “assumption of the risk” defense and win your case. To get the help you need to do that, be sure you’re represented by a skilled San Mateo injury attorney.

A Bay Area woman’s injury was an example of an “assumption of the risk” case. D.W. was walking her dog at the Tilden Regional Park in the East Bay Regional Park District when she was hurt. Another park visitor’s dog, which was a very large breed, wandered over to where D.W. was and, although the dog’s owner told his dog to sit, the dog did not sit. Eventually, the dog returned to his owner but, as he did so, he collided with D.W., causing her to fall, break her leg and dislocate her ankle.

D.W., having been seriously hurt, sued the owner, A.W., for the harm she suffered. The injured woman accused the large dog’s owner of negligence that caused her accident. The injured woman also shrewdly added an additional assertion: that A.W. was negligent per se because he violated an East Bay Regional Park District Ordinance that said that allowed dogs at the park to be off-leash, but required that owners maintain control over their off-leash animals at all times.