accident

California Jury Awards $21.5 Million in Motorcycle Injury Claim

January 8, 2020 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

Improper Lane Change Determined as Cause of Accident

A California jury returned a verdict in a motorcycle accident claim determining that the injured biker’s losses totaled $21.5 million. The man was injured in 2017 on the 405 Freeway in southern California. According to trial testimony, the defendant, who worked for a car dealership in Irvine, changed lands without signaling and hit the plaintiff, who was traveling northbound. The impact of the collision threw the plaintiff off his bike and into the path of another vehicle.

According to his attorneys, the plaintiff suffered serious and permanent injuries as a result of the accident. The parties could not agree on a reasonable amount of compensation for the injuries, so the case went to trial.

Witnesses testified at trial that the defendant suddenly shifted from the high occupancy vehicle lane and sideswiped the motorcycle. In addition to the driver of the motor vehicle, the plaintiff sued the car dealership that employed him, alleging that the driver was “unfit and incompetent” to perform the work he was hired to do and that the dealership was negligent in hiring and training him. Under the legal theory of respondeat superior, an employer can be liable for injuries caused by an employee, provided the employee was performing duties that were part of his job at the time of the accident. The driver was delivering a car for his employee at the time of the crash.

Contact Weber & Nierenberg for Proven Representation

At Weber & Nierenberg, we have successfully protected the rights of personal injury victims in California for decades, including those of people injured in motorcycle accidents. We take an individualized approach to every claim, learning the details of your accident and tailoring our counsel to get the outcome you want. Contact us by e-mail or call our office at 1-866-288-6010 for a free initial consultation.

Los Angeles Police See Dramatic Increase in Scooter Citations

September 18, 2019 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

Number of Tickets Up Nearly 2000%

Motorized scooters have become a part of life across California, and police officers in most cities, including Los Angeles, are taking a more aggressive approach to protect the safety of citizens. L.A. officials say that, during the first six months of 2019, officers have issued more than 800 citations to scooter operators, ticketing them for more than 900 different infractions. Officers wrote 249 tickets in June alone, compared to just 13 during the same time period last year. In fact, more than 500 tickets have been given since May 1, 2019.

City officials note that about two of every three citations were for illegally operating a scooter on a sidewalk. Paul Koretz, a Los Angeles city councilman, acknowledged that the city government has been concerned about the safety of citizens. He called riding on sidewalks “the most dangerous violation” committed by scooter operators and said, “If you are riding a scooter on a sidewalk, you will get a ticket.”

According to California law, scooter operators may not be on sidewalks under any circumstances. They may ride in the street if the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or slower, and can always use the bicycle lanes.

The city cited data collected by the Los Angeles Fire Department showing that, in accidents involving scooter riders, the scooter operator was at fault more than half of the time. The LAFD has reported more than 160 accidents thus far in 2019 involving electric scooters, including approximately 60 incidents where at least one person was taken to the hospital.

If you are cited for riding on the sidewalk, you can expect to fine of $197, in addition to court costs and other processing fees.

Officials say the major scooter companies, such as Bird and Lime, have put stickers on all their vehicles advising riders not to ride on sidewalks, but the measure has done little to change actual practices.

Contact the Experienced Attorneys at Weber & Nierenberg

At Weber & Nierenberg, we bring more than three decades of experience to injured people in California, including persons hurt in scooter or motorcycle accidents. We’ll learn what happened to you, as well as your needs and concerns, so that we can take the right steps to get the solution you need. Contact our office online or call our office at 1-866-288-6010 for a free initial consultation.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

February 27, 2017 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

car-bike-acident

Safety experts have long known that motorcycle accidents are far more deadly than other types of motor vehicle accidents, with statistics showing the fatality rate to be 35 times that of other motorists per mile driven. You can never fully protect yourself from the carelessness or inattention of other drivers, but understanding the most frequent causes of car-motorcycle accidents may help you anticipate and avoid potentially dangerous situations. Here are the most common factors leading to motorcycle crashes.

Head-On Accidents

In nearly four of every five (78%) of car-motorcycle collisions, an automobile strikes the bike from the front. Such an impact is deadly, accounting for more than half of the deaths in motorcycle accidents (56%). More than half of those accidents happen when the driver of another motor vehicle makes a left turn into the path of the oncoming motorcyclist. When questioned after such an accident, most motorists contend that they never saw the biker until it was too late.

Lane Splitting

Lane splitting is an extremely dangerous tactic, where a motorcyclist passes cars or other motorists by riding between lanes of traffic. Lane splitting makes it extremely difficult for a biker to maneuver, and bikers who are lane splitting may not be visible in a driver’s side-view mirror.

Road Hazards

With just two wheels, a motorcycle is generally less stable than a car. Accordingly, when you unexpectedly hit loose gravel, a pothole or detritus on the road, you can easily lose control and crash.

Contact Weber & Nierenberg

At Weber & Nierenberg, we bring over 30 years of experience to people in and around SF Bay Area who have been injured in a motorcycle accident. We built our practice on a strong commitment to personal service and attention. We’ll take the time to learn the unique aspects of your case, so that we can tailor our representation to get the outcome you want. When you hire us to help you pursue full and fair compensation for all your losses, Joe Nierenberg will work directly with you throughout the process.

To set up a free initial consultation with an experienced California motorcycle accident injury attorney, contact Weber & Nierenberg by e-mail or call our office at 1-866-288-6010.

17-Year Old Pedestrian Dies After Struck by Car at Sloat and Vale, San Francisco

March 6, 2013 By lburciaga Leave a Comment

On the evening of March 2, 2013 on Sloat Boulevard at Vale Avenue in San Francisco, a 17-year old Lowell High School junior was struck by a car while she was walking across the intersection. The impact caused severe injuries which led to her death.

Reports state that the auto’s driver is being charged with driving under the influence.

Pedestrian accidents are numerous in San Francisco and the congested Bay Area. The personal injury attorneys at Weber & Nierenberg law firm are well-experienced in wrongful death cases and will work hard and competently to obtain complete compensation for your injuries and losses.

If you or someone you know needs to know their rights regarding a pedestrian accident or other type of personal injury, call the attorneys at the Weber and Nierenberg law firm. Personal injury attorneys at Weber & Nierenberg will work hard to make sure all aspects are thoroughly covered. For a free consultation or to make an appointment, call 1-866-288-6010.

Daly City woman struck by SF Muni bus over weekend dies

February 20, 2013 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

Eileen Barrett, 72-year-old Daly City, California, resident hit by a San Francisco Municipal Railway bus near Lake Merced. She passed away on Monday, February 18th. MUNI Bus Eileen Barrett was struck by an outbound 18-46th Avenue bus at about 4:30 p.m. at Lake Merced Boulevard. Although doctors initially thought she would survive this catastrophic accident, despite having been transported to a hospital with serious injuries, she did not make it. As is standard protocol for these kinds of accidents, the bus operator was expected to undergo drug and alcohol testing. San Francisco authorities expressed their condolences to the family and friends of Eileen Barrett and stated that a full investigation as to the cause of this accident is underway. Full article.

In many instances, an insurance company or public entity will dispute who is at fault for an accident of this measure. If the settlement offer is insufficient, a lawsuit may be filed to take your case to trial. Under California, a surviving spouse, children or parent has up to two years to file a wrongful death claim. The case does not necessarily have to be completed within this two year time period, however, it must be filed in the appropriate court before the time period ends.

At the law firm of Weber & Nierenberg, our attorneys work hard to help those who have lost loved ones seek justice. We are personal injury lawyers with offices throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, San Rafael and San Jose. Our wrongful death attorneys have handled many types of wrongful death claims. You can feel confident in and comfortable with our ability to vigorously protect your interests. Even if you are not certain that you want to file a wrongful death claim, you may have questions that our attorneys can answer.

To discuss your concerns or just gain an understanding of your rights regarding a wrongful death claim, please contact our office by calling: 1-866-288-6010. The attorneys of Weber and Nierenberg have spent their entire career (almost 70 years of combined experience) representing injured persons exclusively. Our law firm offers a free initial consultation and represents clients on a contingency basis in wrongful death claims.

Take the Right Steps in the Early Stages of a Car Accident Case

April 24, 2012 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

Car Accident Case

The decisions you make in the moments, hours and days after a California car accident can have important consequences for your legal and financial interests. A good way to protect yourself if you have been in a car accident is to know what steps to take and in what order.

Until you have the chance to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer, you’ll be acting on your own. Any serious mistakes you make can expose you to criminal punishment as well as hurting your chance of recovering damages from the other driver’s insurer or your own.

Six Essentials After a California Car Accident

The following recommendations will help you avoid problems while protecting your legal interests in the immediate aftermath of an auto accident in the Bay Area. Then it’s a good idea to discuss your situation with an attorney who can provide additional advice about your legal options. Contact the law firm of Weber & Nierenberg in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose or San Rafael for a free consultation.

Here’s what you need to do right after a car accident in California:

Stop and Stay at the Scene. If you hit something or someone, stop. If someone hits you, stop. Leaving the scene of an accident until you take care of some essential business is a serious crime and could not only create major problems for your license, it could send you to jail.

Do What You Can for Injured Persons. Before you leave an accident scene, you and the other driver (if any) should check to see if anyone was hurt and do what you can to help – call 911, render first aid, or take an injured person to the hospital as soon as possible. Don’t worry about getting sued for injuries caused by your efforts in an emergency situation — California’s Good Samaritan Law will protect you from liability.

Exchange Information With the Other Driver. California law requires you to give the following information to the other driver: your name, address and phone number; your auto insurance carrier and contact information; and your license plate number. You have the right to receive the same information concerning any other driver involved with the accident. If any witnesses stopped, get their names and phone numbers, too. Do not express opinions about whether you are hurt, who caused the crash, or any other matters that could later come up as evidence in a lawsuit.
Report the Accident to the DMV. State law requires you to report any motor vehicle accident that results in property damage over $750 or an injury of any kind to a person. You need to complete a DMV Form SR 1 (“Report of Accident Occurring in California”) and send it in within 10 days of the accident. It’s not enough to report the accident to local law enforcement, call 911 or give a statement to a police officer.

Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company. Your auto insurance policy requires timely notification before you will be entitled to receive coverage under your own policy. You are also under an obligation to cooperate with your insurer in its investigation of your claim or any claim against you. That doesn’t mean you should answer all questions right away, though. Give your insurer a bare-bones report of the accident right away, then politely decline to give more detailed information until you have consulted with an attorney.

If You Were Hurt in Any Way, Get Medical Treatment. In the most serious accidents, victims will be taken be taken by ambulance to the nearest emergency room, then perhaps transferred to a regional trauma center. In the less serious range of accidents, however, people will often be tempted to decline treatment and continue on their way. This is a mistake. Many low-impact car accidents cause apparently minor injuries that will not get better on their own. Get medical treatment right away, if only to get an idea of what symptoms to watch out for.

Once you take care of these six essential steps right after a car accident, it’s time to consider legal advice about your insurance coverage, your right to personal injury damages, or your own risk of getting sued. With four offices throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the personal injury law firm of Weber & Nierenberg has a regional reputation for excellence in client service and case results in car accident litigation of all kinds.

For a free consultation about your legal options following a car accident anywhere in the Bay Area, contact Weber & Nierenberg in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose or San Rafael. To learn more about our lawyers’ experience and our firm’s approach to auto accident claims, see our website at www.weberandnierenberg.com.

Making Smart Decisions About Emergency Medical Treatment

April 19, 2012 By Joseph S. Nierenberg

Emergency Medical Treatment

If you have been involved in an auto accident recently, you have a lot to think about. Getting your car repaired, arranging for a loaner vehicle, dealing with your insurer, or responding to a traffic citation can all seem like top priorities in the immediate aftermath of a car crash.

In the most serious motor vehicle accidents, of course, emergency medical treatment will be the first thing to look after when a driver, passenger, bicyclist or pedestrian was badly hurt. In low-impact or single-vehicle accidents, however, when there appears to be no serious injury, people often forget that soft-tissue trauma in the knee, shoulder, wrist or neck can cause serious problems for a long time to come.

If you need advice about the best ways to seek and obtain effective medical treatment after a car accident of any severity, contact the California personal injury attorneys at Weber & Nierenberg for a free consultation about your options. With offices in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and San Rafael, our law firm is convenient to clients throughout the Bay Area. Our lawyers have recovered millions for people with injuries of all kinds under a wide variety of accident scenarios.

Emergency Treatment Is the Starting Point for Your Medical Evidence

One problem that car accident victims have in common is the need to prove their injuries in detail, with proper medical evidence, and with a solid projection of future treatment needs. This is true in multimillion-dollar disability cases, strain or sprain cases, and everything in between. Unfortunately, people whose injuries do not seem to be especially serious often decline emergency medical treatment, only to discover later that they are experiencing problems that were probably caused by the accident.

If you wait too long to get medical attention for car accident injuries, you run the risk that you won’t be able to prove a connection between the collision and your health problems. If you were hurt in any way at all, you should get medical attention as soon as possible. Don’t be surprised if you come out of the emergency room with a clean bill of health, only to discover symptoms in the following days or weeks. Certain injuries to the head, neck, back or joints can get worse instead of better over time. Not all injuries are identified or diagnosed in emergency treatment, either.

Protect Your Interest in Full Compensation for Car Accident Injuries

By getting medical attention shortly after an accident, you’re creating a clinical starting point for the evaluation, treatment and eventual compensation for any injuries that might have been caused or aggravated by the crash. You should also keep in mind that so-called minor injuries do not always respond to conservative treatment, even if for most people similar symptoms clear up soon.

At Weber & Nierenberg, we have seen many cases where soft-tissue injuries to the knee, shoulder, neck or back turned out to generate six-figure accident claims due to missed work, repeated surgeries, or chronic pain and suffering that proved resistant to medication and chiropractic treatment.

If you refuse medical treatment right after an accident, you are unnecessarily complicating the process of proving a causal relationship between the injuries that might later develop and the car crash. If an insurance company sees the opportunity to deny or limit coverage for an accident claim, it will certainly pursue it. Early medical attention is one of your most effective tools for protecting your interest in full compensation.

Call 866-288-6010 to Discuss Your Injuries With an Attorney

Learn more about the ways experienced Bay Area personal injury lawyers can help you get the most out of your available medical coverage while protecting your interest in full compensation for apparently minor injuries. Contact us at any of our four locations for a free consultation, or visit our website at www.weberandnierenberg.com.

More Motorcycles On The Road Resulting in More Motorcycle Deaths

July 13, 2010 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

With gas prices soaring and people more concerned than ever with saving money due to the economy, it is not surprising that motorcycle sales are on the rise. In fact, motorcycle sales have increased by approximately 30% since 2001. People buy motorcycles because they get great gas mileage, they are cost effective, and bikers are cool.

However, and not surprisingly, with increased motorcycle sales, motorcycle accidents have also risen, as have motorcycle deaths. Motorcycle related deaths have risen an alarming 50% to coincide with the increased sales.

According to statistics, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident than car drivers, with a large percentage coming in the first year of owning a bike because of the lack experience and inability to recognize dangers. Motorcyclists must be extra defensive when riding because regardless of fault, they will likely be severely injured or killed.

Motorcycle accidents and the wrongful death of motorcyclists can occur in many ways, including the following common causes of motorcycle accidents:

An automobile strikes a motorcyclist because the car driver is not paying attention
A motorcycle accident caused by a defective road condition, such as pothole or road construction with inadequate warning
Motorcycle accidents caused by cars driving too close to the motorcycle
Accidents cause by motor vehicle drivers failing to stop at a red light or stop sign

We want you to be extra cautious when riding a motorcycle, especially if you are a beginner. Talk to other bikers and learn how to recognize and avoid accidents or car crashes. However, if you have been involved in a motorcycle wreck, or if you lost a loved one in a motorcycle collision, we may be able to help.

With more than 25 years of experience, Weber & Nierenberg gives every case personal attention from the day of your first consultation until the day your case is resolved by way of settlement or trial.

For more information contact Weber & Nierenberg at 1-866-288-6010
for a free consultation.

Insurance Companies Are Not Your Friends

May 19, 2010 By Joseph S. Nierenberg Leave a Comment

Insurance companies are in business to make money. They are accountable to their stockholders, not their policyholders. Insurance companies make money, in part, by collecting as much as possible in insurance premiums and paying out as little as possible in insurance claims.

Insurance companies have employees and large law firms on retainer just to figure how to avoid paying your claim or to pay you as little as possible. Many insurance adjusters will approach you under the guise of friendship, but the fact is that their interests are directly opposed to your. They make their money by helping the insurance company limit the amount of compensation they pay you after an auto accident.

If you have been involved in a car wreck, motorcycle accident or other motor vehicle accident, you will want to seek counsel and advice from someone who is on your side; someone whose interests are aligned with your own. You want an experienced Bay Area personal injury lawyer (preferably one with experience in the type of motor vehicle accident responsible for your injuries or loss) to guide you through the legal system and help you maximize your compensation, rather than limit it.

With more than 25 years of experience, Weber & Nierenberg will gives every case personal attention from the day of your first consultation until the day your case is resolved by way of settlement or trial.
For more information contact Weber & Nierenberg at 1-866-288-6010
for a free consultation.

SUV collides with Muni Bus 5-4-10

May 5, 2010 By jnierenberg Leave a Comment

An SUV struck a #6 Parnassus Muni bus at the intersection of Market and Montgomery in San Francisco. Reports state that the SUV struck an island divider and then the left side of the bus. The SUV driver was taken to San Francisco General Hospital for observation and treatment.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle accident — especially a serious injury such as a complex bone fracture, amputation, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury — you should seek experienced counsel.

Schedule a free, confidential consultation with the personal injury attorneys at the Weber & Nierenberg law firm by calling us toll free at1-866-288-6010.

Why do you need a personal injury attorney?

Insurance companies want to pay as little as possible in claims. They may claim that you were not hurt or that your injuries came from another accident or condition. They may downplay the seriousness of your injuries.

If you talk to the insurance company, do not allow yourself to be recorded. We recommend not making any statements to the insurance company without counsel from an experienced lawyer. It is best to leave all communications to an attorney who has extensive experience handling car accident injury claims. Insurance companies, even your own, will use anything you say against you. They are in the business of paying out as little as possible for car accident claims.

If you have been injured in a auto accident, retain the services of a personal injury attorney with extensive experience handling insurance companies and auto accident claims. Call the personal injury attorneys at Weber & Nierenberg to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation toll free at 1-866-288-6010 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you.

How can we help you?

Once you hire us, we will try to preserve all evidence that remains at the accident scene. We will inspect and photograph your motor vehicle. We will obtain and review all police, fire and ambulance reports. Interviewing witnesses before the insurance company or public entity does is crucial.

We work with a renowned motor vehicle accident reconstruction expert to reconstruct the accident so that the insurance company or public entity can fully understand what happened.

To discuss your SUV or Muni Bus accident claim or wrongful death claim with an experienced San Francisco Bay Area personal injury lawyer, please call attorney Joe Nierenberg toll free at 1-866-288-6010
for a free, confidential consultation.