For many, the mention of personal injury lawyers evokes thoughts of a famous 1994 case in which Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman from Albuquerque, New Mexico spilled hot McDonald's coffee on her lap. The case has frequently been cited as an example of individuals taking advantage of the justice system with frivolous law suits in hopes of a quick payday. However, the expert attorney in Los Angeles team at the Law Offices of Burg & Brock would like to shed some light on the facts of the case, many of which you may find surprising.
While many people believe Liebeck was driving her car when the spill occurred, leading to minor, superficial burns, this is actually far from the reality of the events. In fact, Liebeck was sitting in the passenger seat of her grandson's Ford Probe. He had pulled the car over so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to her coffee. While attempting to pull the lid off, the entire cup of coffee poured into her lap, causing third-degree burns on 6% of her skin, and lesser burns over 16%. It doesn't take an expert vehicle accident lawyer like Cameron Y. Brock to know that this is simply unacceptable.
Liebeck was not seeking a massive settlement, either, but simply $20,000 to cover her medical expenses. It was not until McDonald's refused to pay more than $800 that Liebeck's attorney Reed Morgan countered with a higher settlement amount. On August 18th, 1994, a jury found McDonald's 80% responsible for the incident, and awarded Liebeck an eventual total of $160,000, and $480,000 in punitive damages.
For many, the particulars of the case come as a surprise. Liebeck is far from the greedy, careless individual she was made out to be, but was very much a victim who suffered tremendously due to the negligence of a major corporation. It was thanks to attorney like those found at the Law Offices of Burg & Brock, Liebeck was eventually compensated for her pain. If you two have been unfairly victimized, contact the Law Offices of Burg & Brock today.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
Be Careful Out There!
We don't know how many of our readers are old enough, or obsessive fans of classic television enough, to remember the police drama "Hill Street Blues." The show was one of the first night-time shows to have the kind of continuing story arcs which are pretty much standard now and it was also pretty gritty and realistic back in an era when TV censorship was a little bit tighter than today.
Anyhow, the only reaon we're really mentioning the show is that, as personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles we're only too aware of all the unpleasant and much worse than unpleasant things that can happen on a holiday weekend like this. So we'd like to borrow Police Captain Phil Esterhaus' famous warning: "Be careful out there." To be specific, long holidays like this Memorial Day means that a lot of us are going to breaking out of our regular routine in various ways, and while that's generally a good thing, it can lead to disaster if you're not careful.
Of course, since the Law Offices of Burg and Brock are the place to go for an outstanding vehicle accident lawyer, traffic injuries and deaths are obviously the biggest and most serious concern. While certain advice might seem beyond obvious -- drinking and driving is obviously something we've all been told repeatedly is inappropriate, dangerous, and actually criminal if we're driving drunk. Still, it's all too easy to think those warnings don't really apply to you when you've had maybe just one large mug of lite beer on an empty stomach, but just that can impair you enough that should consider waiting a bit and maybe eating something before driving. As a separate maser, if you're taking a long trip this weekend, remember that driving while sleepy is, legal matters aside, not much better than driving while impaired by alcohol. And watch out for those semis and big-rigs with their big power and big blindspots. And for goodness sake, keep your seatbelts on at all times. It's crazy how many people still don't take this seriously lifesaving precaution.
Still, an attorney in Los Angeles sees all kinds of accidents and, even if you're a teetotaler who's not driving this weekend, accidents can still happen. Fires from barbecues, dog bites from improperly supervised canines, and slip and falls from poorly thought out weekend repairs can all lead to the kind of cases we see here on a daily basis. We're seriously not trying to scare anyone -- in fact, we actively encourage you to take weekend trips, visit with family and friends, do repairs if they're needed, and we're certainly not opposed to the existence of the bar or the beverage alcohol industry. Just be a little bit careful out there.
Anyhow, the only reaon we're really mentioning the show is that, as personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles we're only too aware of all the unpleasant and much worse than unpleasant things that can happen on a holiday weekend like this. So we'd like to borrow Police Captain Phil Esterhaus' famous warning: "Be careful out there." To be specific, long holidays like this Memorial Day means that a lot of us are going to breaking out of our regular routine in various ways, and while that's generally a good thing, it can lead to disaster if you're not careful.
Of course, since the Law Offices of Burg and Brock are the place to go for an outstanding vehicle accident lawyer, traffic injuries and deaths are obviously the biggest and most serious concern. While certain advice might seem beyond obvious -- drinking and driving is obviously something we've all been told repeatedly is inappropriate, dangerous, and actually criminal if we're driving drunk. Still, it's all too easy to think those warnings don't really apply to you when you've had maybe just one large mug of lite beer on an empty stomach, but just that can impair you enough that should consider waiting a bit and maybe eating something before driving. As a separate maser, if you're taking a long trip this weekend, remember that driving while sleepy is, legal matters aside, not much better than driving while impaired by alcohol. And watch out for those semis and big-rigs with their big power and big blindspots. And for goodness sake, keep your seatbelts on at all times. It's crazy how many people still don't take this seriously lifesaving precaution.
Still, an attorney in Los Angeles sees all kinds of accidents and, even if you're a teetotaler who's not driving this weekend, accidents can still happen. Fires from barbecues, dog bites from improperly supervised canines, and slip and falls from poorly thought out weekend repairs can all lead to the kind of cases we see here on a daily basis. We're seriously not trying to scare anyone -- in fact, we actively encourage you to take weekend trips, visit with family and friends, do repairs if they're needed, and we're certainly not opposed to the existence of the bar or the beverage alcohol industry. Just be a little bit careful out there.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
U.S. Government Takes Legal action against Apple and Publishers in E-Book Price-Fixing Case
At the Law Offices of Burg & Brock, our team, and particularly our co-founder Cameron Y. Brock, is known as the premier personal injury attorney in Los Angeles. However, our work at this highly recognized firm is far broader than simply personal injury cases. We also handle cases relating to vehicle accidents, and many of our attorneys have garnered an impressive reputation as a product liability lawyer,as well.
In order to maintain our reputation and impeccable track record of success, we must remain at the forefront of legal news, which is why we have been fascinated by the case made by the U.S. government over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy leveled at Apple Inc. and five publishing companies. It the suit, the government said that Apple and the publishers conspired to fix e-book prices as part of a scheme to force Amazon to raise its e-book price from a uniform $9.99 to $12.99 and $14.99. The department said that this resulted in higher prices to consumers and ill-gotten profits for Apple and its partners.
Three publishers, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette, have already settlted with the government, while Penguin, Macmillan and Apple decided to fight the charges. However, in December, Penguin followed suit in settling, with Macmillan following a couple months later.
This case is a prime example of the importance of top attorney in Los Angeles Cameron Y. Brock and his incredible team at the Law Offices of Burg & Brock. Without lawyers looking out for the good of the people, companies will often do anything they can to profit at the expense of individual citizens. We'll certainly be watching this case as it unfolds, while continuing to do excellent work on behalf of Los Angeles residents.
In order to maintain our reputation and impeccable track record of success, we must remain at the forefront of legal news, which is why we have been fascinated by the case made by the U.S. government over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy leveled at Apple Inc. and five publishing companies. It the suit, the government said that Apple and the publishers conspired to fix e-book prices as part of a scheme to force Amazon to raise its e-book price from a uniform $9.99 to $12.99 and $14.99. The department said that this resulted in higher prices to consumers and ill-gotten profits for Apple and its partners.
Three publishers, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette, have already settlted with the government, while Penguin, Macmillan and Apple decided to fight the charges. However, in December, Penguin followed suit in settling, with Macmillan following a couple months later.
This case is a prime example of the importance of top attorney in Los Angeles Cameron Y. Brock and his incredible team at the Law Offices of Burg & Brock. Without lawyers looking out for the good of the people, companies will often do anything they can to profit at the expense of individual citizens. We'll certainly be watching this case as it unfolds, while continuing to do excellent work on behalf of Los Angeles residents.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Drug Company Merck being Questioned Over the Effectiveness of their Drug Liptruzet
As the most respected attorney in Los Angeles, Cameron Y. Brock and his team at the Law Offices of Burg & Brock consider it their duty to stay apprised of important legal stories throughout the U.S. and the globe. Often, in our research, we like to share the stories we find with friends, clients, or simply those interested in current legal news.
With over 90 years of collective legal experience, we have become renowned for our staggeringly successful record as vehicle accident, wrongful death and personal injury lawyers. However, our legal expertise also includes product liability, which is why we have been particularly concerned about a recent case regarding the drug Liptruzet, reported by LawyersandSettlements.com. Even though the drup has only recently been introduced on the market, some critics are questioning why the drug received approval.
A combination of the drugs Lipitor and Zetia, Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic says that since teh druge has not been proven to prevent heart attacks and strokes, approving it in combination with another drug doesn't make sense. Forbes says that Zetia has been shown to lower low-density lipoproteins but has not been proven in studies to prevent heart attacks or strokes.
Merck has said it is confident in its drug, however, thanks to the important work for liability attorneys, the company is still being taken to task to ensure their products are true to the company's claims. Whether you require a personal injury, product liability or even a vehicle accident lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Burg & Brock today for the best legal counsel in Los Angeles.
With over 90 years of collective legal experience, we have become renowned for our staggeringly successful record as vehicle accident, wrongful death and personal injury lawyers. However, our legal expertise also includes product liability, which is why we have been particularly concerned about a recent case regarding the drug Liptruzet, reported by LawyersandSettlements.com. Even though the drup has only recently been introduced on the market, some critics are questioning why the drug received approval.
A combination of the drugs Lipitor and Zetia, Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic says that since teh druge has not been proven to prevent heart attacks and strokes, approving it in combination with another drug doesn't make sense. Forbes says that Zetia has been shown to lower low-density lipoproteins but has not been proven in studies to prevent heart attacks or strokes.
Merck has said it is confident in its drug, however, thanks to the important work for liability attorneys, the company is still being taken to task to ensure their products are true to the company's claims. Whether you require a personal injury, product liability or even a vehicle accident lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Burg & Brock today for the best legal counsel in Los Angeles.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Of Torts and Tapas
The story of Minnesotans Katie Yokiel and Jonathan Radford gets a bit worse because it turns out that the couple was actually enjoying their final unwed meal before tying the legal knot the following morning. The salmonella apparently hit them not long after the wedding, with its usual quintuple whammy of diarrhea, fever, vomiting, cramps and headaches. We love tapas, but in this case it seems pretty clear it wasn't so much the food of love as fodder for us personal injury lawyers.
Of course, it's tempting to make light of a case like this -- even if none of us would enjoy having our wedding and honeymoon ruined by a truly nasty food-borne illness. On the other hand, if you've ever experienced even mild food poisoning, you know that it's a pretty powerful illness that makes it difficult or impossible to do much of anything. Salmonella is actually worse and, even in the best cases, takes a lot longer than 24 hours to clear up. In the worst cases it can actually lead to some pretty serious complications. If someone is older or their health is otherwise compromised, it's potentially deadly.
In other words, while we understand owning a restaurant is a very tough business, we're glad there's a civil root to punish restaurants if they flagrantly disregard the public safety. A personal injury lawyer has a stomach too, you know.
Of course, it's tempting to make light of a case like this -- even if none of us would enjoy having our wedding and honeymoon ruined by a truly nasty food-borne illness. On the other hand, if you've ever experienced even mild food poisoning, you know that it's a pretty powerful illness that makes it difficult or impossible to do much of anything. Salmonella is actually worse and, even in the best cases, takes a lot longer than 24 hours to clear up. In the worst cases it can actually lead to some pretty serious complications. If someone is older or their health is otherwise compromised, it's potentially deadly.
In other words, while we understand owning a restaurant is a very tough business, we're glad there's a civil root to punish restaurants if they flagrantly disregard the public safety. A personal injury lawyer has a stomach too, you know.
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