Due Care

Whenever we hear about a vehicle striking and seriously injuring a pedestrian, or even a bicyclist, most people tend to assume that the driver is at fault. If you're a vehicle accident lawyer, however, you know that this isn't necessarily the case.

We were thinking about this while reading of the terribly tragic case of a Montebello crash in which a mother was killed and her two small children were injured on October 1. The driver in the case was not suspected of driving under the influence and cooperated with police. As to the issue of liability, we obviously do not have enough information for an opinion, but since the unfortunate family members were not in the crosswalk, it's not all clear whether the fault for this personal injury would be borne by the driver or, as tragic as this case is, the deceased mother.

The fact of the matter is that pedestrians, too, carry some responsibility for preventing accidents. Using cross walks and traffic lights where they are available is both legally mandated and just plain common sense...especially when you are crossing with children.

We understand that L.A. streets can be enormous and finding a crosswalk can sometimes be very inconvenient. However, pedestrians really do need to be mindful of the fact that, while drivers have an ethical and legal responsibility to watch out for them, pedestrians also have a responsibility to allow themselves to be visible to drivers at all times. Jaywalking pedestrians on streets are often quite difficult to see, especially if they decide to walk in front of oncoming traffic in a sudden manner.

Of course, a great deal of the time when pedestrians are injured or killed, some or all of the responsibility belongs to drivers. When that is the case, an attorney in Los Angeles may well be essential and the Law Offices of Burg and Brock are ready and able to help.

Even so, prevention is always best. Use crosswalks and lights at all times and always watch out for vehicles that might be manned by a drunk or reckless driver or which simply might not see you in enough time to stop.

5 Kitchen Safety Tips

The road is one of the most dangerous places you can be, but, within your own home, the kitchen is the hazard hotspot. By far, the most household injuries happen in the same place where you cook your meals. Though personal injury that occurs in your own kitchen won't likely result in any lawsuits, it's still important that you stay safe. With that in mind, here are 5 kitchen safety tips to keep you protected.

1. Keep it clean: Having a clean kitchen is about more than aesthetics. If you keep your kitchen clean, you're minimizing the risk of food contamination or illness from bacteria. Always clean up spills as soon as they occur to avoid any accidents, and handle meats carefully to avoid spreading sickness. 
2. Take Your Time: It's not Top Chief. Relax. Cooking tends to be something a lot of people want to get over with, but slow down to cut back on mishaps. You might even enjoy yourself a little. 
3. No kids. No Pets: Nothing should be in the kitchen you can't control while you're cooking, and that includes small children and animals. Enforce a kid/pet free zone when there are hazards around. 
4. Knife care: Learn how to properly use knives. There are techniques everyone should learn to minimize chances of accidents. Don't buy cheap knives. They don't have to be top of the line, but they have to be sharp. 
5. Proper attire: Wear shoes while you cook! Nothing can end a pleasant dinner plan quicker than a knife to the foot or boiling water on your toes! Make sure your clothes aren't loose enough to touch the hot stove.

At the law offices of Burg and Brock, we care about your safety and your well being. We take cases to help anyone looking for an LA accident lawyer. no matter what the injury. Our expertise ranges from vehicle accidents to work place injury, so if you're looking for a top attorney in Los Angeles look no further. 

When Dog (or Cat) Bites Man

The prosecution of 22-year-old Brooklynite Andre Robinson, who cruelly kicked a trusting young cat and stupidly posted a video of the act on Facebook, is indicative of our evolving attitude towards animal cruelty. Before the 19th and 20th century, the idea that it was morally wrong to mistreat animals, even pets, was anything but a given and legal sanctions were almost unheard of until relatively recently.

Still, for all our focus on the need to protect animals from mistreatment and our love of our pets, we forget that there are times when pets can actually mistreat humans. While serious cat bites cases are relatively unusual -- most feline's jaws are simply too small to render the kind of injuries that can make it to a major court trial with any regularity -- dog bites are a major area of premises liability -- and for very good reason. Dog bites can be similar to slip-and-fall in terms of their dangerousness and their frequency.

While it might be tempting to make light of dog bites, they can be extremely serious. If children or infants are involved, the threat is obvious but even a healthy, full grown man or woman can endure seriously disfiguring and even debilitating injuries if a dog should go out of control. Of course, any type of animal can be a potential risk. In other words, if you're a pet owner, it's important not to let your love for your adorable cat, dog, parrot or any other creature blind you to the possibility that a guest could possibly be endangered. Pets and unfamiliar people can be a dangerous combination.

Of course, if you are of the victim of an injury received in someone else's home and negligence is an issue, the Law Offices of Burg and Brock are here to help. Whether the matter is dog bites, slip and falls, or swimming pool accidents, give us a call.

Where there's Smoke...

Motorcycle accident lawyer Cameron Yadidi Brock frequently takes on personal injury and vehicle collision cases, but he is deeply invested in a wide range of personal injury fields. That's why he was particularly interested to learn of a case when greedy cigarette companies were taken to task.

In a personal injury case against R.J. Reynolds, plaintiff Judith Berger recently won $27 million after her attorneys were able to convince a jury that she was preyed upon the tobacco industry as a teenager - along with many other young people who begin smoking. Lawyers and Settlements.com Berger's lawyers were able to communicate a few key facts to the jury. First of all, they showed that 90% of people who smoke daily begin as teenagers, and that this demographic had been deliberately targeted by the tobacco industry - even though they were wholly aware of the addictive and damaging properties of tobacco.

The earlier a person begins smoking, the more likely they are to become addicted, and the stronger that addiction can become. That means that Berger's suffering over the course of her life was due to willful wrongdoing on the part of the tobacco maker -and fortunately, the judge and jury made certain that justice was done.

This is precisely the type of case that personal injury attorney Cameron Yadidi Brock finds the most inspiring, as it shows that innocent victims can often gain restitution for the damage done to them thanks to personal injury law. Of course, the personal injury and vehicle accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Burg & Brock, Inc. have gone a long way toward helping their own clients to achieve justice in their own lives.

It's a Dog's Life

A good news story we saw yesterday, about the outpouring of public support for a dog who'd been injured in a Culver City police chase, got us thinking. Now, don't get us wrong, we're delighted that total strangers were happy to give money to help defray the cost of treating the animal. After all, who doesn't love dogs and we're sure the owner, who might otherwise not have been able to pay for the cost of treating the 1 year-old Maltese mix, was relieved.

What's interesting is that you don't usually see such a response when one of our fellow human beings is seriously injured. As busy personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles, we help all kinds of people try to defray the cost of injuries they've received in accidents. The simple truth is that they very rarely receive any offers of financial aid from total strangers the way Gordo, the dog did.  Like we said on our earlier Facebook post, it helps to be cute! Whether we like it or not, most of us who find ourselves seriously injured after an accident will either need to be fairly compensated right at the outset, or find competent vehicle accident lawyers to finds the funds they need.

If you ever find yourself needing an automotive motorcycle accident lawyer and lack the ability of Gordo to attract random offers of fiscal support from the public, the Law Offices of Burg and Brock are here to help. Just call us at 1-888-509-2998.

The Three Deadly Types of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a leading cause of auto accidents in the United States, and it may be worse than you think. According to the NHTSA, more than 3,331 people were killed last year due to distracted driving and there were over 387,000 injuries. While the number of drunk driving accidents has been cut in half since the 1980s, distracted driving has been on the steady rise. At the law offices of Burg and Brock, as a leading vehicle accident lawyer, we know first hand just how damaging distracting driving can be. These are the key facts everyone should know.

There are three types of distracted driving: manual, visual, and cognitive. 

Manual distraction is when you take your hands away from the wheel. Changing the radio station, or grabbing your burger for a bite are both prime examples. 

Visual distraction, as its name implies, is when you remove your eyes from the road. This can take the form of looking at food you just spilled, or staring at a billboard.

Finally, cognitive distraction is a failure to concentrate on the task at hand. Believe it or not, daydreaming while driving could end badly because you might not notice that stop sign. 

The reason why operating your smartphone while driving is such a terrible idea is because it combines all three forms of distracted driving for the perfect combination of negligence. You've heard it before, but it deserves to be heard again: It's not worth the risk. 

     

If you find yourself involved in an accident that you didn't cause, statistics show it was likely the result of distracted driving, and you may need a personal injury lawyer to protect to your rights. The Law Offices of Burg and Brock are one of the best choices for an attorney in Los Angeles. We'll make sure the law is on you side. 

3 Safety Tips for Safe Driving Near Tractor Trailers

Some of the most deadly accidents on the road involve tractor trailers. The shear size of these large trucks can cause monumental damage if things go wrong. If they do, and you're involved, you should immediately seek out a vehicle accident lawyer to ensure your rights are protected. In the meantime, there general rules you should follow that can help you avoid incident. Here are three good ones. 

1. Always remember that truck drivers have very limited visibility, and have much larger blind areas than on cars. Always keep your eyes on a truck when you're near one to make sure you know what they're about to do. Don't try to pass if it looks like they're about to turn. You can't assume they see you because they might not. 
2. Never pass a truck on the right if you're nearing an intersection. Trucks often make wide right turns and the trailer can swing in front of you. Give them plenty of space. Always give more car lengths than you normally would when tailing a truck. If something happens, they're going to need plenty of room to stop.
3. Give yourself as much room as you can between your car and a truck. Tractor trailers create wind currents that can push or pull your car at high speed.

 Safe driving is all about good driving techniques, and these tips can help protect you. Unfortunately, a large percentage of accidents are the result of someone else's error. If something does go wrong, make sure you contact a personal injury lawyer. At the Law Offices of Burg & Brock we have your back as a top LA accident lawyer.