Auto Accident
Holding California Distracted Drivers Accountable
| May 9th, 2016
Driving in California is different than driving anywhere else in the U.S. Our roads and highways are fast-paced, and you’re either part of that flow or you’re in the way. Arriving safely at your destination requires your full concentration, which you just can’t give if you’re distracted. Each year, distracted driving claims the lives of thousands of people on U.S. roads and leaves tens of thousands injured. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we see firsthand the devastation distracted driving can unleash on a family and their community, which is why we fight so hard to hold distracted drivers who cause accidents accountable for their negligence. There are too many California families living without fathers, mothers, sons, or daughters just because someone couldn’t wait to send a text or answer a call. It’s got to stop. If a distracted driver injured you or someone you love, give us a call immediately. We’ll fully investigate the cause of the accident and work to get you full compensation for your injuries. By standing against distracted driving, you could be preventing it from happening to someone else in the future. Call our San Francisco car accident attorneys today for a free consultation.A Difference That Matters
| March 21st, 2016
At Berg Injury Lawyers, our number one priority is getting you a fair settlement in the least amount of time. We’ve done that for hundreds of clients in the past, and we’re ready to do the same for you. However, there’s a difference between settling and winning big. If you’ve been injured, any law firm can get you a settlement from the insurance company. In fact, you can get a settlement from the insurance company without a lawyer. They will more than likely be ready to pay you a small settlement soon after your accident, because after you sign, they’re off the hook. The difference between settling low and winning big boils down to where your settlement or verdict puts you six months down the road. When the insurance company comes back with an offer, ask yourself:- Is this enough money to pay all future medical expenses?
- Does this fully compensate me for all the paychecks I’ve missed due to my injuries?
- Does this number take into account my pain and suffering or the strain put on my family?
More People Are Calling Lawyers
| February 1st, 2016
According to the Insurance Research Council, more people are calling lawyers than ever. That’s an important statistic to consider when determining whether or not you should call a lawyer after your accident. After all, there has to be a reason why accident victims are seeking legal help and not going it alone. Here’s why we believe these numbers have spiked recently. Whether it’s a simple fender-bender or a serious wreck, working with the insurance company after an accident can be difficult. Every insurance company has a procedure they must go through in order to pay or deny a claim. That procedure requires information and that information takes time to collect. Essentially, they will investigate all the events leading up to and following the accident. That may require looking into your medical history, interviewing the parties involved, and consulting with the at-fault driver to get their perspective. At the end of the process, they will come to a number. That number represents the least amount of money they are potentially liable for, and that’s what they want to pay you. We can’t blame them. That’s how they make money. They’ll offer you that as a settlement, and if you take it, the insurance company is off the hook for good. Any further expense you incur due to your injuries is no longer their responsibility. Getting them to increase that original number by yourself can be difficult and frustrating. That’s why so many people in San Francisco are calling lawyers following their accident. An experienced car accident attorney can stand between you and the insurance company and work to get you the maximum compensation you are entitled to. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we speak with hundreds of accident victims every year who aren’t willing to risk going at it alone, and we’d be happy to speak with you as well. Give us a call today for a free consultation.Common Insurance Company Tactics
| January 4th, 2016
A serious car accident can be traumatic. What makes it worse is dealing with the insurance company. You’ve been seriously injured and need to focus on your recovery. You would think the insurance company would be on your side, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, they’re depending on the fact that you’re desperate so they can pay you as little as possible for your insurance claim. Here are a few common tactics insurance companies will use after your accident: Try to get you to sign quickly. The best-case scenario for the insurance company is to convince you to settle as quickly as possible, often for much less than you deserve. Keep in mind that if you settle before you know the full extent of your injuries, the insurance company is no longer liable for future expenses, which may be substantial. Minimize the extent of your injuries. A common strategy of the insurance company is to convince you and a jury, if it goes to trial, that your injuries are insignificant. In court, they’ll pay doctors to testify that your injuries are minimal and therefore don’t entitle you to compensation. Use social media against you. Insurance companies are notorious for trolling social media feeds of accident victims for information. A simple status update that you’re feeling better can be used against you by the insurance company. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, not helping people. They do that by paying accident victims as little money as possible for injury claims. The California personal injury attorneys at Berg Injury Lawyers know the tactics insurance companies take and can help you avoid the common pitfalls. Give us a call anytime for a free consultation.Takata Airbag Recall Expanded to Include More Vehicles
| June 1st, 2015
If you’re ever in an automobile accident, you may depend on safety devices called airbags to save your life. These devices work by inflating a fabric balloon in the event of a crash, which prevents the vehicle’s occupants from hitting the frame, dashboard, steering wheel , or other interior surfaces of the car or truck upon impact. While these devices save numerous lives each year, our California defective product attorneys at Berg Injury Lawyers explain that the airbags in your vehicle may actually be putting you and your loved ones in danger. Airbags in more than 34 million vehicles have been recalled over the past several weeks due to a problem with the how the airbags inflate during an accident. Japan-based company Takata Corporation initiated the recall after evidence showed the airbags they manufacture may eject metal and plastic debris inside a vehicle during an accident, causing serious injuries to vehicle occupants. Last week, the company extended the recall to cover even more vehicles. So far, six deaths and more than 100 injuries have been linked to the problem. Since it’s estimated that 1 in 4 American vehicles are now part of the Takata airbag recall, it’s crucial that you check your VIN at safercar.gov to find out if your vehicle’s airbags or other parts may be listed as defective. If your airbags have been recalled, contact the manufacturer of your vehicle to schedule a replacement of the defective parts. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we’ve seen the devastating injuries faulty safety products can cause, and our team of California personal injury attorneys are hopeful this information helps keep you and your loved ones safe from harm.Traumatic Brain Injuries May Have Long-Term Effects for Car Accident Victims
| May 4th, 2015
There are many injuries car accident victims can suffer and some of the most dangerous—and hardest to diagnose—are traumatic brain injuries, often abbreviated as TBIs. The California brain injury lawyers at Berg Injury Lawyers explain that almost half of all young Californians will suffer a TBI if they are involved in a motor vehicle collision. The risks of a TBI resulting from a car accident were recently discussed in an article released by Business Insider. The article told the story of a young man who struggled to overcome a TBI after being stuck by a car while crossing the street. The victim states he was walking in a crosswalk in San Francisco on November 3, 2010, when a passing motorist hit him. The impact of the collision caused the young man to be thrown across four lanes of traffic. The victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and endured months of pain and suffering as he worked to overcome his injuries and rehabilitate his body. His injury adversely affected his professional life and ability to make a living. It also had a profound impact on his personal life. If you’ve suffered a TBI through no fault of your own, the California personal injury attorneys at Berg Injury Lawyers know what it takes to help you get the compensation you deserve. Learn more about how we can assist you with your case and your claim by calling us at (800) 400-2374 today.Bay Area Car Accident Prompts CHP to Focus on Highway Safety
| February 2nd, 2015
While Northern California is home to some of our country’s most beautiful terrain, the heavy fog the region is also known for can make seeing the landscape—and our roads—extremely difficult. Just last Tuesday, five people were killed as the result of a bay area car accident caused by a lack of visibility due to heavy fog. So what is being done to reduce these types of California car accidents? Experts say the California Highway Patrol is using a decades-old program to protect those who are most vulnerable to fog-induced accidents. ABC 23 News reports field and farm workers are often on the road going to work when fog is at its densest. Many of these workers commute in large groups, which prompted the initiation of the Safety and Farm Labor Vehicle Education Program. It requires all drivers who carpool with more than nine other workers to be certified and carry extra safety equipment in their vehicles. Not only must they have a fire extinguisher, but the vehicle must also be equipped with a seat belt for every passenger. In order for a driver to get certified, they must also attend driving safety courses, have their vehicles undergo special inspections, and obtain a Class B driver’s license. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we applaud the efforts being made to keep our highways safe. Our California personal injury lawyers also encourage you to do your part to stay safe on the road by always buckling up.Californians Focus on Bicycle Safety as Fall Approaches
| September 22nd, 2014
Fall is quickly approaching and for many of California’s youth, this means returning to school. Large portions of today’s students choose bicycles as their source of transportation to and from campus, but this can present some serious safety hazards on the road. These risks were highlighted by a California car accident involving a bicycle that happened in Berkeley over the weekend. Reports indicate the crash happened on Sunday, September 21, at the corner of Eunice and Spruce Streets. News sources state the cyclist suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. To help prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future, many citizens and organizations are focusing on educating the public on the importance of bicycle safety. In fact, GearUp Cycle For Youth held a bike ride in Sacramento that aims to raise funds for educational programs in Northern California—including those that teach children how to safely navigate traffic on a bicycle. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we understand the serious risks riding a bike can pose, which is why we would like to offer a few safety tips to those in the Bay area who pedal. You can avoid serious injuries—such as a brain injury—by wearing a helmet each time you ride. Doing so decreases the chance of death or bodily harm by as much as 60 percent. It’s also important to obey all traffic signals and make motorists aware of stops and turns by using hand signals.Study Shows Distracted Driving Still A Prominent Behavior Recorded In California
| November 11th, 2013
November 11, 2013 Distracted driving is a major problem on the highways of the United States today, especially in California. In fact, the California Office of Traffic Safety reports that as many as 80 percent of collisions list a driver’s distraction as a contributing factor. The California Car Accident Lawyers with Berg Injury Lawyers explain that the state has taken strides to reduce the number of these collisions by enacting several laws against the behavior of distracted driving. Unfortunately though, a new study is showing that the results of these efforts may not be paying off. According to The Sacramento Bee, researchers studied the behaviors of drivers at several different intersections in the Sacramento area. The team concluded that distracted driving is a common behavior in the city that has seen little reduction in rates of occurrence over recent years. The study showed an average of around 80 distracted drivers at each intersection, with some of the most common distracting behaviors being listed as eating or drinking and listening to music too loudly. The numbers leave many citizens wondering what can be done to keep distracted drivers off the road. Berg Injury Lawyers and their team of California Personal Injury Lawyers explain that most experts contend raising public awareness of the dangers of distracted driving as the best way to curtail the behavior. This means being a good example by never driving while distracted and encouraging others to do the same.California Car Accident Prompts Concerns Over San Francisco City Employee Driving Policies
| September 23rd, 2013
September 23, 2013 The California Car Accident Lawyers with Berg Injury Lawyers explain that drivers of motor vehicles must follow certain rules and regulations to ensure both their safety and that of others around them. Failure to do so may result in claims of negligence being made against a driver in the event an accident occurs that results in death or injury. One such accident occurred on September 5 in a San Francisco, California, park and has since sparked heavy debate on the policies city employees must follow when driving metropolitan vehicles on public property. According to an article from the San Francisco Gate, the crash happened in Holly Park. Reports indicate the 35-year-old victim and her 11-month-old daughter were lying in the grass in the park when a 57-year-old city gardener veered off of a pedestrian path he was driving on and ran the woman over. She was killed as a result of injuries she sustained in the accident. Regulations state that city employees are prohibited from driving on pedestrian paths and grassy areas. Now, a hearing is scheduled to be held in order to determine how the regulations should be implemented. Berg’s team of California Personal Injury Lawyers are aware of how devastating a death caused by a motor vehicle collision can be and would like to send their deepest sympathies to the family of the victim.
