2025 Update: Several states tightened driving laws this year. Pennsylvania, Iowa, and South Carolina adopted hands-free laws that prohibit holding a phone while driving, and Missouri’s 2023 hands-free law is now fully enforced. Virginia now requires every adult to wear a seat belt in any seat. Minnesota legalized lane splitting and filtering for motorcycles, Colorado […]
Every day, GJEL attorneys assist clients and prospective clients with their insurance claims regarding car accidents and other personal injury cases. In over 30 years of practicing personal injury law, we’ve seen just about every “trick in the book” from insurance companies, including asking people unfair or manipulative questions during a recorded conversation, requesting medical records that infringe on people’s privacy, and biased examinations by company doctors.
If you think your insurance company–or the insurance company of the person who injured you–may be using deceptive, fraudulent, or manipulative tactics against you or a loved one, we encourage you to file a complaint with the Insurance Department of your home state.
When it comes to the legal system, it’s important to understand the laws that govern our daily lives. One such law is Civil Code § 1714 CC, which deals with the responsibility for willful or negligent acts. This law establishes a clear standard for determining whether someone is liable for harm caused to another person. […]
Slowly but surely, technology has become an unavoidable part of our day. But fidgeting with cell phones and other technological devices while driving is enormously dangerous, contributing to more than 500,000 injuries and 6,000 deaths last year alone, according to the .National Highway Traffic Administration. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of devices that will help avoid the temptation to text, email, or dial friends while on the road. These devices can help make yourself and your teenager tech gurus, but more importantly, a safer drivers.
Everything that’s posted on social media is considered public, and even the most well meaning remarks about a personal injury claim could potentially be used against a plaintiff by the defense. For this reason, we’ve assembled the following social media guidelines for personal injury plaintiffs currently involved in litigation.
Safe driving behavior begins at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Teen drivers are tested by their local DMV before receiving their license, and all drivers must go through the DMV to renew their license or ask other important questions. California has made sure that residents don’t need to travel far to access DMV services. To help make this even easier, we’ve put together an interactive map of the DMV offices throughout California. Click the DMV office near you for its address and phone number.
Below you will find the GJEL Personal Injury Legal Dictionary sorted in alphabetical order. These are common terms you might see used in a personal injury case. [lwptoc title=”List & Definitions of Personal Injury Terms”] 3rd Party Insurance: An agreement to cover a loss resulting from the insured’s liability to a third party, such as […]
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, financial responsibility, or interactions with family and friends. This year, we’d like to ask you to consider an additional resolution: to be safer on city streets to prevent car accidents. To keep track of dangerous driving days and safety-related events, we’ve created a calendar of motor caution days, complete with days and weekends that are often riddled with car accidents, and holidays and events related to bike and car safety for teens and parents.
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 of DUI laws. Some states, for example, automatically suspend the driver’s license after he or she is first convicted for driving under the influence while some require no suspension at all. In addition, some states require ignition interlock devices to prevent drunk driving after the first DUI offense while others never require the breathalyzers. For more state-by-state information on DUI laws and statistics, check out our interactive map.
