Transforming Transportation

Any vehicle accident lawyer has to pay attention to the headlines. Currently, the CEO of L.A.'s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has unveiled a $120 billion plan that seeks to fund numerous public transit and highway projects for the next 15 years. The plan necessitates increasing the countywide sales tax by a half cent and maintaining the existing sales tax rate for the next 18 years. In November, L.A. County residents will vote on the measure - they'll need board support to reach the two-thirds threshold required to put the project into progress.

We certainly hope that this may lead to a reduction in traffic and road related personal injury cases. As it stands, tens of thousands of road fatalities occur each year. Looking forward to 2020 and beyond, we should expect this number to drop due to an influx of self-driving cars and better-coordinated and organized transportation systems, but we can never be too certain. Sure, L.A. has seen its fair share of light rail-related mishaps, but they pale in comparison to those that occur on the highways and major streets.

While pining for the future, we obviously need to remain careful and cautious in the here and now. So, if you or a loved one is hurt or injured in an auto accident, remember that a highly experienced team of personal injury attorneys is available. We're here to help.

The Neverending Story?

The news earlier this week that there were still lingering issues with gas leaks in the neighborhood of Porter Ranch got us thinking about one unlovable reality of the law. It's that, whether you're talking about personal injury or any other kind of tort, lawsuits can take a great deal of time to be resolved. While we're happy to say that the cases we handle are typically resolved in a fairly swift manner, everyone who reads a newpspaer can think of cases that have taken an inordinate amount of time to be resolved.

Apart from truly extreme cases -- say, the fictional lawsuit in Charles Dickens' classic novel, Bleak House, or the several decades long legal copyright imbroglio between the makers of the iconic James Bond film series and a producer who had obtained the rights to the story for Thunderball, which wasn't resolved until most of the original parties involved were long dead -- there are many cases that simply take too long to come to a conclusion. That's one reason why, whether you are looking for a vehicle accident lawyer or an attorney experienced in product liability law, you should seek out someone who knows what it takes to close a case in a timely manner.

Of course, the law is deliberate process and results are rarely as speedy as most of us would like, but we're happy to say that the Law Offices of Burg & Brock are one place where you can find a Los Angeles personal injury attorney who can wrap up cases in as timely a manner as possible. After all, helping people start over again after a serious accident is what we're all about, and the sooner that begins, the better. 

Safer on our Streets

We at the Law Offices of Burg and Brock often concern ourselves with city initiatives, especially when they relate to matters of personal injury.  One in particular we are very interested in is called Vision Zero, which is a road safety policy and approach that intends to ultimately improve L.A.'s most dangerous intersections. The aim is to reduce injuries and fatalities among those most at risk on L.A. streets - pedestrians and cyclists. Launched by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the project utilizes data in order to anticipate and minimize mistakes that, all too often, result in collision-related injury and loss of life.

As personal injury attorneys, such tragic cases that involve collisions are unfortunately not uncommon, so we applaud policies like this one that intend to make the Los Angeles community safer. Especially when it comes to healthy outdoor activities such as bicycling and walking, which some people may avoid due to safety concerns, any measured aimed at reducing accidental injuries and deaths is worthy of praise.

Unfortunately, tragedy can beset us at any time, nearly anywhere. Whether you're a walker, cyclist, or a driver, if you or a loved one find that you require a services of a highly experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney, remember - we're here to help.

Drive Peacefully!

A news story about an incident that started as a relatively minor automotive collision and ended in a stabbing got us thinking about the very real dangers of road rage. Fortunately, the man who was stabbed did not appear to suffer a truly life-threatening injury, but as personal injury attorneys, we've certainly seen less dramatic incidents result in more tragic outcomes.

The scary part is that road rage is extremely common. Indeed, if we're being honest, most of us have probably let our tempers get the best of us in traffic. Excessive honking, "flipping the bird," and so on are bad ideas...but they're bad ideas quite a few of us act on. They're also bad ideas that many a vehicle accident lawyer has seen the bad results of.

Of course, most road rage incidents are not as obvious as the stabbing case. Indeed, it's possible that many drivers never admit or even realize that a collision might have been triggered when one or both drivers became angry at some perceived rudeness in traffic. Even a very sharp Los Angeles personal injury attorney might assume a case is an ordinary accident...but that doesn't mean the anger was any less costly to the parties involved in the incident.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling angry at someone in traffic, remind yourself that it's ultimately no big deal -- but acting on your anger could turn into a moment you'll regret for the rest of your life.

Making it to the Slopes

Southern California might be known around the world as one of the sunniest places on earth, but our mountains are havens for winter sports enthusiasts. Right now, thanks to some late blasts of El Nino-driven cold and wet weather, our mountain areas are enjoying a lengthened ski season well into Spring. That's very good news both for the local economy and for the countless avid skiers and snowboarders who live out here. At the same time, at the risk of seeming gloomy, we personal injury attorneys can't help but see the potential downside, as a lot of us are lot more experienced on the slopes than we are driving to get there.

Assuming you want to avoid needing the services of a vehicle accident lawyer, here are just a few tips. You can find many more by Googling around and finding some of the outstanding resources providing by the State of California and other, but here are a few highlights.

* Chains. If you heading into the snow , you want to make sure you either have them or know where to rent them. They are not optional. and they may still be required on cars with snow tires!

* Know what else to bring. Driving in snow can be unpredictable and situations can arise that require products ranging from flashlights and kitty litter (for traction if you get stuck in snow), to additional blankets and dry clothing.

* Keep your tank full. Especially when you're driving in unfamiliar areas, it's easy to find yourself terrifyingly low in gas when the distance between stations can be far longer than us city drivers are used to.

* Drive Slowly and Be Sparing of Your Brakes. Braking hard can be truly dangerous on an icy, slippery road. Drive slowly enough so that you can use your brakes as little as possible.

* Do Your Research. Especially if you've never driven in snow before, be sure to find out as much as you can. We've only just barely scratched the surface here.

* The Better Part of Valor. If the weather seems like more than you can handle, it just might be. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to just stay put.

Of course, as personal injury attorneys, we're here to help if someone else's negligence gets you into a bad spot.Still, it's obviously best to be careful and avoid being in that spot at all. Stay safe, everyone!