San Francisco Bicycle Accidents Rising Faster than Ridership
When the New York Times announced that it would devote a print section and webpage entirely to the Bay Area, residents were ready to step into the national limelight.... Read More
Driver Convicted in Portland Bus Accident Lawsuit
Fired Trimet driver Sandi Day was found guilty last week on three counts including careless driving that led to the death of two pedestrians and serious injury of three... Read More
New Distracted Driving Gizmo Could Make it Easier to Text
Distracted driving has become a major problem nationwide, killing approximately 5,500 people and injuring nearly 500,000 each year. For that reason, safety advocates, policy makers and scientists have adopted... Read More
Report: Red Light Cameras Reduce Fatal Car Accidents
You know those annoying cameras that catch you accelerating through the end of a yellow light and send you a fat bill? In addition to eating a portion of... Read More

Cyclists Included in Proposed California Distracted Driving Law
Since Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made reducing distracted driving one of his top priorities, the dangerous practice has been the subject of heated debate among safety advocates, policy... Read More
Can Social Media Use Get You Fired? Interview with Employment Lawyer Laura Maechtlen
If you work in an office, the chances are that you've used social media at work before. Hopefully, you keep personal use of social media communities like Facebook and... Read More
New Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against PG&E for Pipeline Explosion
Jessica Morales was watching Thursday Night Football at her boyfriend’s house in San Bruno when a pipeline explosion resulted in the deaths of Jessica and seven other San Bruno... Read More
Car Accident Settlement: $275,000 Recovery Despite Pre-Existing Condition | GJEL
$275,000 for professor injured in freeway car accident. Read More
San Francisco Easy on Drivers Responsible for Preventable Bus Accidents
As I’ve said before, getting hit by a bus has to be one of the worst nightmares imaginable. Clearly, much of the responsibility lies with pedestrians to be careful... Read More
Distracted Walking Law Proposed to Ease Uptick in Pedestrian Accidents
In the past year, public opinion has nearly coalesced around the fact that distracted driving is dangerous and should be eliminated. But what about distracted walking? A new law... Read More

Proposed Bay Area Trail Could Improve Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety
One of the main goals of smart urban development is to grow within the existing confines of a city rather than expanding outwards. That’s what Alameda County’s transportation agency... Read More
California Tops 2010 Pedestrian Accident Fatalities
As part of its ongoing campaign to assess pedestrian safety, the Governors Highway Safety Association has released preliminary data from each state regarding pedestrian fatalities in 2010. Based on... Read More
Will Auto Technology Increase or Decrease Distracted Driving Car Accidents?
At this point, just about everyone is on the anti-distracted driving bandwagon. Safety advocates, major celebrities, cell phone companies and more have joined Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to... Read More
Report Links High School Football to Undiagnosed Head Injuries
It’s no surprise that high-school football is a dangerous sport. Allowing your child to play means accepting the increased risk of torn ligaments, broken bones, and head injuries. But... Read More
Report: PG&E Pressure Tests Could Lead to Future Pipeline Explosions
Since 2003, California-based energy company Pacific Gas & Electric has spiked pressure on gas pipelines nearly a dozen times, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. PG&E claims the practice is... Read More
Most Unlikely Courtroom Dramas
I’m a total sucker for legal dramas. When done well, it’s a great format to build suspense and make important social statements. When done poorly, courtroom dramas can range... Read More

Does New Distracted Driving Study Stretch the Facts on Auto Safety?
Over the past year, the national consensus about distracted driving has solidified as safety advocates, cell phone companies, and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, agree that it is a dangerous... Read More

VIDEO: Cell Phone Companies Take On Distracted Driving Car Accidents
The fight against distracted driving started with parents who had lost a teenager to the dangerous practice. Soon, the fight picked up steam, earning high profile supporters like talk... Read More
California Motor Caution Calendar
Fresh into the new year, it is common to make resolutions about attitudes or actions you would like to change this time around. These commonly relate to weight loss,... Read More
Toyota Launches Safety Institute to Reduce Car Accidents, Boost Sales
In 2010, Toyota was the only major auto brand to post reduced sales in the American marketplace, due largely to the company’s failing safety record following a string of... Read More

Senator Urges Investigation to Boost Helmet Safety and Reduce Head Injuries
In high school contact sports, parents are often comforted that despite whatever risks a sport entails, their child’s safety equipment will reduce the chance of serious injuries. Last October,... Read More

San Francisco Muni to Pay $2 Million Settlement to Passenger Injured in Train Accident
Serious accidents involving city public transportation agencies always draw major headlines. After all, there are fewer fates more terrifying than being hit by a train or bus. In the... Read More

Airbags, Economy Praised for Major Decrease in Car Accident Fatalities
A report released this week in the Journal Traffic Injury Prevention found that over the past five years, the United States has enjoyed the greatest decrease in car accident... Read More

Report: FDA Allowed Major Oversight Loopholes for DePuy Faulty Hip Implants
Late last year, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would recall hip implants manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics, a division of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson due to... Read More

Woman with head injury following truck accident
$515,000 for woman with head injury following truck accident. Read More

Driver injured in rear end car accident
$575,000 for driver injured in rear end car accident. Read More

Woman who suffered serious ankle injury after car accident
$250,000 for a woman with serious ankle injury following Vallejo car accident. Read More

Boarding care patient who suffered serious accident injuries
$410,000 for boarding care patient who suffered serious accident injuries. Read More

Student who suffered head injury in car accident
$290,000 for student who suffered head injury in car accident. Read More

Disabling injuries in car accident
$100,000 from insurance company for disabling injuries in car accident. Read More

Shopping mall back injury
$705,000 for shopping mall slip-and-fall injury. Read More

Young man with burn injuries from barbecue
$270,000 for young man with burn injuries from barbecue. Read More

Student with permanent injury after truck accident
$195,000 for student with permanent injury after truck accident. Read More

Severe back injuries in car accident
$1.5 million from insurance companies for severe back injuries from car accident. Read More

Hit and Run Car Accident Settlement
$250,000 for woman injured in hit-and-run car accident. Read More

Ankle injury following truck accident
$850,000 for ankle injury following truck accident. Read More
“Glee” Star Jane Lynch Joins LG in Fight to Reduce Distracted Driving Accidents
Did you make any new years resolutions this winter? For the driving safety parent, cutting down on your child’s use of cell phones behind the wheel is a great... Read More
State-By-State Drunk Driving Laws and Driving Fatality Statistics
While there is currently no federal law against drunk driving, it is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But each state varies in its enforcement... Read More
Good News for Lawyers on Social Media
There are two sides to the debate about whether state bar associations should enforce stricter regulations on attorney advertising. First, there’s the question of whether the courts should regulate... Read More
Holiday Drivers Increase Risk of Car Accidents
Due to the increased likelihood of drunk driving and adverse road conditions, winter holidays always carry an extra risk of car accidents. This year, warns the auto advocate AAA,... Read More
Fatal California Distracted Driving Accident Carries Major Penalty
Distracted driving is not just dangerous and thoughtless. It’s also a major crime when associated with the most terrifying circumstances. On September 15, 20-year-old Ani Voskanian caused an accident... Read More
Portland to Pay Accident Settlement for Pedestrian Struck By Distracted Driving Officer
It’s not a good sign if your city’s police officers are getting in distracted driving car accidents. That’s the case in Portland, Oregon, where police officer Ty Garrison struck... Read More
San Francisco’s WalkSF Meets to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents
At a meeting in San Francisco late last week, the city’s pedestrian advocacy organization WalkSF met with members of the Board of Supervisors to brainstorm methods to best reduce... Read More

Judge Will Hear Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawsuits Against Toyota
For the past few months, public opinion concerning the Toyota unintended acceleration lawsuits has largely favored the Japanese auto giant. But last week, a federal judge declined to dismiss... Read More
NHTSA Report: Drug Use Leads to More Fatal Car Accidents
In a unique report released last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the number of drivers fatally injured in car accidents who tested positive for drug... Read More
Portland Wrongful Death Victims Launch $30 Million Lawsuit For Bus Accident
Back in April, one of Portland’s TriMet busses struck five pedestrians while turning left onto a busy street. Danielle Sale, 22, and Jenee Hammel, 26, were both killed. Families... Read More
Can Congress Pass Auto Safety Overhaul in 2010?
For months, national lawmakers have been sparring over the benefits of a proposed auto safety overhaul, potentially the largest update for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since it... Read More

Insurance Industry Continues Opposition to Campaign Against Distracted Driving
The insurance industry is at it again. Addressing the fact that distracted driving causes more than 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries each year, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has... Read More

DePuy Orthopedics Faulty Hip Implant Lawsuits Move Forward
When DePuy Orthopedics launched its recall of thousands of their ASR hip implant models about two months ago, preliminary discussions indicated that San Francisco was on the short list... Read More
The (Misguided) Case Against Motorcycle Helmet Laws
In his manifesto against motorcycle helmet laws in the Chicago Tribune last week, columnist Steve Chapman listed a number of actions people can legally take to endanger their health:... Read More
DePuy Orthopedics and Faulty Hip Surgery Lawsuit Timeline
Just under two months ago, the Food and Drug Administration began recalling hip implants manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics, citing complaints it has received for more than two years about... Read More
Faulty California Hip Surgeries Lead to DePuy Orthopedics Investigation
Two months ago, the Food and Drug Administration announced its recall of hip implants manufactured by DePuy Orthopedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson. Since, complaints about the recalled... Read More
Good & Bad News for Bay Area Car Accidents Over Thanksgiving Weekend
As I wrote last week, holiday weekends inevitably carry an increased risk of car accidents and other holiday-related injuries. While this holds true for 2010, there were fortunately no... Read More
Remember the Faces of Distracted Driving Car Accidents
We spend a lot of time on the GJEL blog discussing distracted driving and the implications of the dangerous practice on a large scale. Since distracted driving contributes to... Read More

Wrongful Death Settlements After Utility Company Car Accident
$4.5 million against utilities company in car accident & wrongful death accident. Read More

VS Transportation agency for bus/pedestrian accident
$8 million from transportation agency for bus/pedestrian accident. Read More

VS Cement company for motorcycle/truck accident
$3.8 million against cement company for motorcycle/truck accident. Read More
DePuy Hip Implants Blamed for Faulty California Hip Surgeries
Just under two months ago, the Food and Drug Administration began recalling hip implants manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics, citing complaints it has received for more than two years about... Read More

Boy injured in a pedestrian accident
$150,000 for a boy injured in a pedestrian accident. Read More

Man injured in a motorcycle accident
$100,000 for a man injured in a motorcycle accident. Read More

Injured passenger in a car accident
$100,000 for a woman injured as a passenger in a car accident. Read More

Client injured in car accident
$100,000 from insurance company for client injured in car accident. Read More

$100,000 Recovery for Client injured in a motorcycle accident
$100,000 for client injured in a motorcycle accident. Read More

$100,000 Settlement for a Client injured in a motorcycle accident vs. State Farm Insurance
$100,000 for client injured in a motorcycle accident. Read More
Helmet & ‘Lane Split’ Laws Could Reduce Motorcycle Accident Deaths & Injuries
The National Transportation Safety Board is taking on a tough crowd in its effort to implement a national law requiring motorcycle helmets for all ages. The Wall Street Journal... Read More
Do Bicycle Accident Injury Reports Improve Safety, or Scare Potential Cyclists?
This won’t surprise you: bicycle injuries are bad for your health. That’s (partially) the conclusion of a yearlong bicycle commuter study released by the Oregon Health & Science University... Read More
Lamorinda Sun Profiles GJEL Partner Luke Ellis on California Mock Trial
Practicing law for the past 35 years, GJEL Partner Luke Ellis has developed an outstanding reputation in the courtroom. For the past ten of those years, he has worked... Read More

National Transportation Safety Board Probes Aging Driver Safety
In the past, study of age-related driving dangers has generally focused on teenagers and twenty somethings, the demographics with the most questionable driving records. More recently, safety experts have... Read More
California Pedestrian Accidents Decrease As Oregon’s Increase
Pedestrians beware, as we head into the holiday months, generally considered the most dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists due to increased traffic, worsening road conditions, and dimmed visibility. Thanks... Read More
Supreme Court Defective Seat Belt Decision Will Impact Future Auto Safety
Sadly, vehicle seat belts do not represent a catchall solution to end car accident deaths. In fact, a recent Supreme Court case indicates that one victim may have “jackknifed... Read More
Pleasant Hill California Launches Plan to Reduce Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents
Pleasant Hill, a town of about 33,000 located between Walnut Creek and Concord in California's Contra Costa County, is moving forward with a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan designed... Read More

Election Emphasizes Lax Bicycle Accident Laws
As voters went to the polls yesterday, candidates, propositions, and the direction of the country were no doubt on their minds. Oddly enough, some Maryland voters were also likely... Read More
Aging Drivers React to Increase in Car Accidents
When is it time for aging drivers to put the keys away due to declining vision and reaction time? That’s the subject of yesterday’s great Oregonian story probing the... Read More

New Claims: Toyota “Covered Up” Unintended Acceleration Problems
The pendulum of public opinion about Toyota continues to swing. Last month, the mainstream media ran with early information that unintended acceleration accidents may have been the result of... Read More
California Ranked Safest State for Teen Drivers
In it's forthcoming November issue, US News and World Report has ranked California as the best state for teen drivers, placing second only behind the District of Colombia. California... Read More
Parents, Towns Prepare for Halloween Pedestrian Safety
Halloween is many different things to many different people. To kids, it's a fun time to dress up, walk around town, and gather as much candy as possible. For... Read More
Teen Driving Laws and Recession are Saving Lives
To round out National Teen Driver Safety Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an optimistic study showing that car accident deaths caused by teenagers has dropped... Read More
High School Head Injuries Blamed on Football Helmet Safety Standards
We've been focusing a lot on bicycle helmets on this blog over the past few weeks, but not as much on helmets to prevent other sports-related injuries. On its... Read More
During National Teen Driver Safety Week, California Agencies Boost Bicycle Safety
As National Teen Driver Safety Week, this has been an opportunity for teenagers, parents, and government officials to discuss important facts related to distracted driving, graduated licensing laws, and... Read More
Toyota Recalls 1.5 Million Vehicles for Potential Safety Defects
Regardless of how you feel about Toyota, the embattled auto giant that has recently recalled nearly 9 million vehicles worldwide, the company can be credited taking the crisis and... Read More

Disparate Cycling Safety Rules Populate State Law Books
California Personal Injury Lawyers Call For More Protection for All Cyclists ORINDA, Calif. — While nearly every state in the Union requires at least some form of helmet use... Read More
Iowa Police Get Creative with Anti-Distracted Driving Message
In July, Iowa joined the 30 states that have boosted highway safety by enacting laws against distracted driving. Iowa police cannot impose fines on drivers who disobey the law... Read More
Parents Are Focus for National Teen Driver Safety Week
It's natural that National Teen Driver Safety Week would ignite discussions about teen safety issues related to distracted driving, reckless actions, and graduated licensing laws. What's unusual about this... Read More
California Should Adopt Multi-Tiered Strategy to Reduce Bicycle Accidents
Each year, more than 130 cyclists are killed on city streets in California alone, and nearly 700 are killed nationwide. Of these bicycle deaths, nine of ten were at... Read More
National Transportation Safety Board to Host Forum on Aging Driver Safety
Although it's an incredibily difficult discussion to have, safety experts nationwide are beginning to question when aging drivers should begin to consider cutting down on the amount that they... Read More
Self-Driving Car: Safety Hero or Distracted Driving Foe?
Over the past year, Internet giant Google has grown closer to developing a car that can drive itself. The company, which has overseen seven cars traveling more than 140,000... Read More

Interactive Bicycle Laws Map: Helmet Laws & Cycling Under the Influence
Last week, 22-year-old Derek Allen was struck and killed by a Muni bus in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond neighborhood. Allen is the second cyclist to be killed on San... Read More

Teens and Auto Insurance Quiz
Detailed answers: 1. Teens and college-aged drivers are not automatically covered by their parent or guardian’s policy. They must either be set up on their own policy or be... Read More
TV Lawyers: The Good, The Bad, & The Criminal
Since TV first hit households more than a half-century ago, legal dramas and legal comedies have been two of the most consistent and quality genres. Legal dramas have pointed... Read More

California Should Match Recognition for Bike Accident Memorials
In mid-August, German tourist Nils Yannick Linke was struck and killed by a drunk driver at the intersection of Masonic and Turk streets in San Francisco. Soon after, a... Read More
PG&E Pipeline Explosion in San Bruno Leads to 8th Death
When news outlets reported four dead in the days after this month's tragic PG&E pipeline explosion in San Bruno, observers here in California and nationwide hoped the number wouldn't... Read More

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Fires Back Against Distracted Driving Campaign Critics
Last week, when Insurance Institute for Highway Safety president Adrian Lund doubled down on past criticism of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's anti-distracted driving campaign, I hoped LaHood would respond.... Read More
Personal Injury Plaintiff Ordered to Reveal Facebook Data
Thanks to the ever-changing role of the Internet in public and private life, the role of eDiscovery is constantly evolving. Adding weight to this, a New York judge recently... Read More

GJEL News Center Consumer Library: We Welcome Your Input
GJEL News Center Consumer Library: We Welcome Your Input GJEL Accident Attorneys is developing a library of information oriented to safety for people in their daily lives and on... Read More

Recent Bike Accidents Show Need for Stronger Laws Protecting Cyclists
As more Americans take to the streets on bicycles in order to reduce their carbon footprints, unclog the streets, and get some additional exercise, traffic laws often prove insufficient... Read More

California Distracted Driving Rate Jumps Before Annual Summit
As elected leaders, transportation officials, and safety advocates converge in Washington DC today for the second annual distracted driving summit, the level of impact existing anti-distraction laws have had... Read More
Distracted Driving Targetted by AAA, Seventeen Magazine, & Ray LaHood
It's a big week for raising awareness about the dangers of driving while distracted. On Friday, AAA and Seventeen Magazine teamed up with the Department of Transportation to urge... Read More
Following PG&E Pipeline Explosion in San Bruno, DOT Urges New Safety Standards
I wish this had happened before, but I suppose it's one of those 'better late than never' scenarios. In response to last week's devastating pipeline explosion in San Bruno,... Read More
5 Recent PG&E Pipeline Explosions Like Last Week’s San Bruno Blast
Last week's PG&E pipeline explosion in San Bruno which killed four, injured more than 50, and left nearly 40 homes destroyed was far from an isolated incident. In fact,... Read More
PG&E’s Role Investigated in San Bruno Pipeline Explosion
In the aftermath of last week's pipeline explosion in San Bruno, civilians and government officials have probed the cause of the blast, and what, if any, responsibility the utilities... Read More