Last spring, a “Healthy Kids Survey” was given to Piedmont and Millennium high school students. Shockingly, students self-reported that 48 percent of juniors had driven a car after they had been drinking or had been in a car driven by a friend who’d been drinking. Hoping to reverse the trends revealed in that survey, the [...]
GJEL Blog » Driving Information
Every 15 Minutes Program delivers emotional message to Bay Area teens
Posted Friday, October 21st, 2011Contra Costa: Dirty DUI investigation uncovers crooked cops
Posted Wednesday, October 19th, 2011At least 20 DUI and vice cases have been dismissed in Contra Costa county as a sordid and shocking tale of corruption involving three local police departments unravels. Christopher Butler, a former police officer and private detective was at the center of an elaborate entrapment scam that discredited men going through divorce trials. Butler would [...]
Important bicycling safety measure now before the Governor of California
Posted Wednesday, October 5th, 2011Just last week we wrote about an unfortunate accident involving a cyclist and a San Francisco Muni bus that left the cyclist with a badly crushed arm. The incident took place, both sides agree, when the cyclist was forced to change lanes by an illegally parked vehicle. The bus, as is the case with the [...]
Community organizations making Bay Area streets, kids, safer
Posted Tuesday, October 4th, 2011Today when I cross an intersection, I still hear my parents, baby sitters and teachers telling me to “look both ways.” Those three words were reinforced by people around me throughout my childhood and now it’s as ingrained in my behavior as eating with a knife and fork. Education comes in many forms, and many [...]
Is your child seat safe? Get it inspected for National Child Passenger Safety Week
Posted Tuesday, September 20th, 2011This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, which serves as a reminder that while we’re getting better about buckling up our kids in the backseat, motor vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for children between ages of 3 and 14. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) is using this [...]
East Bay family awarded $11.7 million in Marsh Creek Road wrongful death accident
Posted Monday, September 12th, 2011Late last week, a jury ordered Contra Costa County to pay $11.7 million to the family of William Tindall, who was killed in a crash on Marsh Creek Road in August 2008. The jury found that the County had created, and had notice of, a dangerous condition of public property at the accident location while the road was being resurfaced. Luke Ellis of this firm represented the Tindalls in their lawsuit against the County and the California Highway Patrol.
California Dad Launches Campaign Against Distracted Driving Accidents
Posted Thursday, September 8th, 2011Over the past few years, parents here in California and across the country have implemented family policies against distracted driving. With the help of documents like the Parent-Teen Safe Driving Contract, parents have effectively set the tone that teens should stop talking, texting, and typing behind the wheel. In 2009, California dad Wayne Irving II took this a step further, when he launched Textkills.com, a non-profit advocacy organization that has since been endorsed by celebrities like Justin Bieber, Naomi Campbell, and even Simon Cowell.
Fatal San Francisco Muni Bus Accident Highlights Dangerous Left Turns
Posted Thursday, August 25th, 2011We’ve written a lot on this blog about the tragic result of San Francisco bus accidents. In the past, fatal Muni bus accidents have cost the city millions in lawsuit settlements, and most importantly, have claimed the lives of far too many San Francisco residents. Over the weekend, new city dweller Emily Dunn was struck and killed by a Muni bus in the city’s Castro District. The police report indicated that Dunn was struck 95% into the crosswalk by a Muni Bus making a left turn, an action that is commonly cited as unsafe.
Oakland Crosswalk Update Could Improve Pedestrian Safety
Posted Thursday, August 11th, 2011Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to live in or near cities that are well known for their walkability. The website WalkScore, for example, recently ranked the country’s most walkable cities, and listed San Francisco in second place, and Oakland in tenth. While this is certainly cause for celebration, it might not take safety into account, considering that it has been an awful year for San Francisco pedestrian safety, and that more than 550 pedestrians are killed each year in California alone. A new account by local blog Oakland North explains one reason why the East Bay city doesn’t live up to the walk hype: dangerous crosswalk signals.
San Francisco Hit-Run Accident Victim Ryan White’s Condition Improving
Posted Wednesday, August 10th, 2011By now, you’ve likely heard the story about 9 year-old Ryan White, a Philadelphia tourist visiting San Francisco to see the Phillies play the Giants. After the game, White was hit by an alleged drunk driver in San Francisco. White suffered bone injuries to his pelvis, left leg, and ankle, as well as internal injuries and a serious brain condition. But it looks like White has turned a corner following this tragic car accident. On Tuesday morning, doctors downgraded his condition from critical to serious, following White’s first spoken words since the accident.
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Beckley Mason is Director of Client Outreach for GJEL Accident Attorneys.
His primary roles at GJEL are to help ensure that clients are kept apprised of the status of their case, answer questions about the firm via phone, email, and Twitter, help tell the firm’s story to prospective clients via our website, and maintain the consumer resource sections of our news center and blog.
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