Service Tag: insurance law

Internal Organ Injuries-Internal Bleeding

Internal organ injuries such as a collapsed lung or a severed kidney can definitely occur in more serious accidents. We have the experience and experts to assess and litigate and try these specific kinds of cases to get you the justice that you deserve.

Eye Injuries and Blindness

We have handled numerous eye and optical injuries that have varied from mild ocular injuries to partial blindness to total blindness, which require a lifetime of medical care and cause unimaginable pain and suffering. These cases occur as a result of explosions, defective products and negligent corporate employees, among other things. We have the experience and experts to assess and litigate and try these specific kinds of cases to get you the justice you deserve

Facial Injuries, Scarring and Disfigurement

Facial injuries and scarring can be the most devastating injuries because they require revision surgery and often can taint or forever change the way you look and are perceived when the scars keyloid. We understand the devastation that comes with these injuries and can assess and refer for treatment and care and try these cases to juries for significant verdict awards

Broken Bones and Fractures

Serious orthopedic injuries, fractures and broken bones can easily occur in any kind of accident, such as falls at the movie theatre or in a store, for example, and can result in hip and knee replacements or disabling shoulder or wrist injuries. We have the experience and experts to assess and litigate and try these specific kinds of cases to get you the justice that you deserve

Dental, Teeth and Jaw Injuries

Dental injuries can be devastating, painful and expensive. Such things as teeth replacement, caps, dentures, braces, implants and serious Jaw injuries such as TMJ, that require surgery and a life-time of treatment are common in accidents. We have the experience and experts to assess and litigate and try these specific kinds of cases to get you the justice you deserve

Life Care & Future Damages

Many of our clients suffer from injuries, whether orthopedic, spinal or brain-related which are likely to last for decades or perhaps for the rest of their lives. We routinely retain life care experts to offer opinions on the needs that our client will have for future care to address their medical needs deep into the future, and we have decades of experience presenting these issues to juries to support a substantial future damages award. Most of our life care experts are nurses or rehabilitation experts that have decades of training in medical care, home care and medical devices, including home and auto modifications. With our trial experience we make sure juries understand that future damages, both economic and non-economic, are substantial damages that can and should be awarded to our clients.

Wrongful Death

We represent many families whose loved ones have been lost in an accident by the negligent act of another. We have decades of experience in asking juries for damages for the loss of a loved one. Understanding how to calculate both economic loss and non-economic losses of the deceased requires special experts and trial preparation. Our time-honored methods of selecting juries and presenting evidence of the loss of a loved one and the grief of their absence has allowed us to recover millions of dollars for our clients in these cases.

Loss of Life

Wrongful death cases arise when a family member is killed in an accident, whether it is a vehicle, premises, construction or other kind of accident. The loss to the surviving family is horrendous making it difficult for the family to cope. We have decades of experience at dealing with the grief that families experience in wrongful death cases and presenting these cases to juries for large verdict awards

Survivor Claims

In California, the closest family members can file a lawsuit in a wrongful death case seeking damages, including funeral expenses and other economic damages such as lost earnings that the decedent would have made had they not been killed. Family members can also make survivor claims for the loss of support, direction and counsel that the decedent would have given over their lifetime. These are very sensitive cases and we have decades of experience in litigating and trying these cases to trial juries.

Catastrophic Accidents

Wrongful death, usually but not always, occurs in larger scale accidents, trucking accidents, warehouse accidents, extreme falls, poison, burn and explosion cases. We have the experts and the experience to analyze and assemble these cases for juries to easily understand who is at fault and what the measureable losses are to the family members resulting in significant jury awards

Falls From Height & Construction Accidents

Fall from height cases requires special knowledge and training because there are laws which regulate heights people can safely work at in California. OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry, eight feet in longshoring operations and 10 feet in scaffolding work. These cases require extensive knowledge and understanding of OSHA regulations and regulatory experts. These accidents are generally very serious and require seasoned counsel to handle. As an example, we recently obtained a $3,500,000 verdict for our client in a warehouse accident where he fell from a ladder over 20 feet and sustained spinal injuries due to the negligence of the warehouse.

Falls from Heights

Workers are often injured or killed working on scaffolds or on high buildings or locations, we have experience at holding contractors and other business to OSHA and other regulation compliance

Collapsing Buildings and Vehicle Accidents

Workers and even the general public can be injured or killed due to collapsing buildings or scaffolds and heavy equipment vehicle accidents at construction sites. Regulation compliance, including OSHA, are crucial elements of proving fault in construction accidents involving falls or accidents with trucks, backhoes, graders, loaders, cranes, plows and other heavy equipment

Machine Accidents

Workers and the general public are often injured or killed when machines malfunction or lack appropriate guards or safety protections. Wood chippers, drill presses, boring machines, welding torches, fabricators, sanders, saws, grinders and other machiness can cause serious injury in the workplace and elsewhere and we have the extensive experience to hold these contractors, employers and product makers accountable for the safety hazards that can cause these damages

Electrocutions

Exposed power lines are often the result of negligent utility work and construction and regulatory violations and cause extreme injury and instant death. We have handled many of these cases involving power companies and construction firms to hold them accountable for regulatory violations and negligence that lead to these horrific accidents

Slip & Fall Accidents & Premises Liability

We see many “slip and fall” and/or “trip and fall” accident cases at indoor and outdoor malls, restaurants, pubs, fast food chains, hotels and motels, clothing retailers, home improvement centers, city government buildings, hospitals, apartment complexes, warehouses, grocery stores, coffee shops, nursing homes, even laundromats and beauty salons, and many other public and private locations where people can fall and get seriously injured. There are special laws that govern whether or not the floor, stairs, lighting or lights, handrails (if any), drains, curbs and chairs were maintained in a safe manner. We have the experience and the experts to successfully prosecute these claims against the resources and wealth of some of these businesses and insurers, particularly retailers. We use time-tested techniques against facility managers to establish that more often than not dangerous conditions and unsafe practices at these locations are generally a function of them choosing profits over safety. And, there are special laws and jury instructions that hold these entities responsible for periodic and written inspections referred to as the Ortega rule, that strictly require companies to inspect their premises and facilities at regular intervals to prevent spills, or simply a broken drain or other defects in the floor or the building. We have the experience required to locate and preserve the surveillance camera tapes which often show the accident and/or the lack of maintenance and inspection.

Dangerous Floors and Aisles

Floors in stores or malls can often have liquid or debris on the floors or aisles from other shoppers or even employees of the location that can cause you to fall and sustain serious injury. Stores and malls have a particular duty to keep the floors clean and clear from debris and hazards. We have experience in holding them accountable under the laws that require them to keep their locations safe and to do routine inspections and safety sweeps

Dangerous Merchandise-Impulse Buying

Retailers, stores and malls will often place products in a place where they can sell more products, even if it is not safe for the customer which can cause injury or death. We have experience handling cases where merchandise is placed up high and can fall, or is in the aisle and has jagged or sharp edges on the shelves or showcases or even putting dangerous carts in the aisles to encourage impulse purchases from customers. This is called putting profit above safety and we hold them accountable to win your case

Poorly Maintained Sidewalks, Stairwells, Parking Lots and Shopping Carts

Retailers are required to keep their parking lots, sidewalks and stairwells in a safe condition with appropriate markings for pedestrians, clear of debris, ice and snow and to make sure handrails are not broken and shopping carts are maintained in a safe condition

Fast Food Restaurants

These fast food stores present a particular danger because they serve food and drinks and are required to have mats near the beverage station and to keep the floors clear of food and debris, which can be very slippery and cause injury. They are also required to serve food that does not make you ill or sick and to make sure their drive-thru lanes are correctly marked and are safe for pedestrians and motorists. We have decades of experience in holding these food chains accountable for the safety of their restaurants, food and drive-thru lanes

Apartment Buildings and Laundry Mats

All buildings and businesses have a duty to keep their property safe and clear from debris, including proper handrails and lighting, and misleveling of elevators and escalators. We have decades of experience in holding these businesses and their insurers accountable for the safety of their locations and services