If there’s no police report your case becomes a little more complex than it otherwise would. On the other hand, we handle lots of cases where there’s no police report. I would say 10-15 percent of our cases there’s no police report. Sometimes the reason is the accident happened on private property, sometimes the reason [...]
GJEL Accident Attorneys' Blog
What if I don’t feel the insurance company is making a fair offer on my car?
Friday, May 10th, 2013Many times the insurance companies will try and make a relatively low offer on your car. It’s important to know that you don’t have to accept the offer. And, just because they say, “Oh, gee – this is what our appraiser says,” doesn’t mean that their appraiser is right. And we’re happy to help with [...]
New studies reiterate texting while driving is unsafe
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013Recently released studies have confirmed what we already know, but too often ignore: texting and driving is not a safe combination. Even though you’re 23 times more likely to be involved in a car crash if you’re operating your cell phone while driving, many motorists still try to sneak out a text or two while [...]
How does auto-medical payments insurance work?
Friday, May 3rd, 2013Many clients–probably most of our clients–have auto-medical payments insurance, also known as med-pay. The most typical amount is $5,000, but it can be as low as $500 and I’ve seen them as high as $100,000. What this means is whether you have health insurance or not, you can get your medical bills paid immediately by [...]
If my child is injured, how do funds get handled?
Friday, April 26th, 2013A very common question is, “If your child is injured, how do the funds get handled when we make a recovery?” And the answer in California is always the same. The funds go into what is called a “blocked account” after a judge approves the settlement. Whenever a minor is involved in a case, we [...]
Report: Hastings to Haiti Partnership’s Spring 2013 Delegation
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013By Ben Buchwalter “You make us think instead of just memorize facts,” said a fourth year Haitian law student on our last night in Jérémie, a rural coastal town in western Haiti. For the week before, the Hastings to Haiti Partnership (“HHP”), a group comprised of professors and law students from UC Hastings College of [...]
Do I need money to hire a lawyer?
Friday, April 19th, 2013A very common question we get is whether or not you need money in advance to hire us, and with our firm you do not ever need money in advance to hire us. We all started here giving free legal services to the poor when we got out of law school, and there’s never a [...]
Creative cycling attire tricks surrounding drivers into obeying the law
Tuesday, April 16th, 2013Cyclists across the pond have come up with a creative way to make sure surrounding motorists treat their safety with the appropriate amount of respect. By wearing reflective gear very similar in appearance to that of a police officer, cyclists are finding that confused drivers are much more likely to give them a wide berth. [...]
What if I was in an accident caused by someone with no insurance?
Friday, April 12th, 2013A very common question is, “What do I do if the person who caused the accident is uninsured?” And, there are several answers to that. First of all, we don’t always take at face value the statement of the person that they’re uninsured–because it’s rare–but occasionally a person will say they’re uninsured when they really [...]
REI lists San Francisco among most ‘bike friendly’ cities
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013In an infographic published by REI earlier this week, San Francisco was listed as one of the countries most “bike friendly” cities. As well as highlighting 6 cities with strong cycling populations, the graphic also provides some bike commuting tips and additional info. Although a lot of the information isn’t particularly earth shattering (did you [...]
What if I was in an accident and don’t have insurance?
Friday, April 5th, 2013A question that we get at least once a month is, “What do I do if I was in an automobile accident and I was uninsured?” And, this is a very significant problem. First of all it’s illegal to drive in California if you’re uninsured, and secondly, if the other person is at fault for [...]
And the unhappiest job in America is…
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013After compiling over 65,000 company reviews during 2012 and evaluating multiple factors that influence an employee’s job satisfaction, CareerBliss released their list of the happiest and unhappiest jobs in America. Topping this year’s list as the unhappiest job in the country is the thankless role of associate attorney. The survey data was complied by looking [...]
What if I don’t have health insurance?
Friday, March 29th, 2013A very common question is: what do I do if I have no health insurance? We can usually help you through that one. Number one: if you’ve been taken to a local trauma center, you can be sure that the people there–the social worker there–are going to work very hard to get you on something [...]
Robert Redford is too cool for speed limits
Monday, March 25th, 2013As proof that it’s not just young celebrities who can be terrible role models, 76-year-old screen icon Robert Redford recently boasted he drives at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. In a recent interview with Esquire, the onetime Sundance Kid was asked if he still enjoys driving fast. Redford’s response: “You bet. I’ll [...]
What if the police report is against me?
Friday, March 22nd, 2013If the police report is against you, and you disagree, you should always feel free to give us a call. Yes, it’s more of a challenge if the police report is against you, but there are two important questions. The first question is, “Were there any independent witnesses?” Because if there were no independent witnesses [...]
18-year-old required to refrain from saying ‘bingo’ for 6-month period
Tuesday, March 19th, 2013Much like you can’t yell “fire” in a crowded movie theater, it would appear yelling “bingo” in a crowded bingo hall is also off the table. Earlier this week a Kentucky judge sentenced an 18-year-old accused of second-degree disorderly conduct to refrain from using the word “bingo” for the next six months as part of [...]
How long is my case going to take?
Friday, March 15th, 2013A common question is, “How long is my case going to take?” And, another common question asked in conjunction with that: “Is my case going to take longer if I hire a lawyer?” We are very capable of moving a case very quickly, however there are some instances–if we are talking about a severe injury–where [...]
How much of an inconvenience to pedestrians are construction sites?
Wednesday, March 13th, 2013Much like most major cities, in Seattle there are currently a number of construction projects underway. Old buildings have been demolished to give way to new apartment complexes, office buildings, and retail establishments. It’s exciting to see different neighborhoods getting more built up, but there’s been an irksome downside to all the construction (well, aside [...]
Cyclist faces felony vehicular manslaughter charge after killing 71-year-old pedestrian
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013Although the widely reported accident took place almost a year ago, the San Francisco cyclist who collided with 71-year-old Sutchi Hui on March 29, 2012 has recently been order to stand trial on a felony vehicular manslaughter charge. The accident occurred at the intersection of Castro and Market streets when cyclist Chris Bucchere collided with [...]
Do I need a lawyer for my accident?
Friday, March 8th, 2013A lot of people ask, “Do I even need a lawyer for my accident case?” Very often, the answer is no. If you’re wondering whether you need a lawyer, feel free to call here – feel free to call any lawyer, and we’ll help you to think it through. As a general answer, for a [...]
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