Personal Injury
A Growing Number of California Patients Are Refusing Medical Treatment
| May 3rd, 2012
April 30, 2012 A newborn child in Folsom, California, is at the center of a debate over patient rights. According to the Sacramento Bee, the child’s parents claim their rights to refuse medical treatment were violated the day the child was born. The controversy began on April 11 at Mercy Hospital, where the child’s father was the former chief of staff. The parents had decided on a natural childbirth and followed through with the decision as the father, who is also a medical doctor, delivered the child without the use of any medications. Less than 12 hours later, medical staff protested as the parents decided to leave the hospital after refusing medical treatment for both the mother and child. Medical staff then contacted child protective services to investigate. The couple has since filed a complaint against the hospital saying their rights were violated. The father added, “If this could happen to me, a doctor with privileges at the hospital, how is an 18-year-old who may not know her rights treated?” Statistics from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Research show that 77 out of every 10,000 patients at Sacramento-area hospitals were discharged against doctor’s advice in 201. That is a 45 percent increase in the number from 2002. The California Accident Lawyers with Berg Injury Lawyers encourage anyone who disagrees with their doctor’s diagnosis of their condition to seek a second opinion from another qualified medical professional.San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Offers Rider Safety Course
| April 16th, 2012
April 16, 2012 In a large city like San Francisco, California, the bicycle is the normal mode of transportation for thousands of residents every day, and protecting those riders on dangerous roads and highways can be a major concern. That’s why one group, known as the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, is working hard to educate bikers on the importance of safe riding practices, according to The Sacramento Bee. The group began the campaign four years ago by offering cyclists hands-on training with certified instructors. During those rides, cyclists learn to maneuver busy city streets and other obstacles, such as slick trolley rails and open car doors. Riders are also required to take a classroom portion of the training program where they must pass an exam on the basic rules of the road. The hope is that the classes can help reduce the number of fatal bicycle accidents in the city. In 2009, the city estimated that 531 people died as a result of collisions between vehicles and bicycles. That’s 67 more fatalities than the previous year. Experts who polled both cyclists and motorists in a recent study say that the best way to reduce the number of accidents is for both groups to have a greater understanding of one another. The California Accident Lawyers with Berg Injury Lawyers would like to remind cyclists that wearing a helmet is an excellent way to prevent injuries while riding a bike.Free Cab Rides Offered In The Bay Area Halloween Night
| October 31st, 2011
October 31, 2011 Tonight, trick-or-treaters will roam the streets in their ghoulish disguises on a quest for candy. Unfortunately, they could possibly have to share those streets with drivers who may have drank too much while celebrating the holiday, which puts everyone in grave danger. In order to help alleviate this problem, free cab rides home are being offered to anyone in the Bay area. The program is called Safe and Sober and is sponsored by California Personal Injury Attorney, William Berg, and his firm, Berg Injury Lawyers. They began the program seven years ago and have offered the rides during major holidays every year since. The rides will be offered between 10:00 PM tonight until 4:00 AM the tomorrow morning. The cab companies will offer the rides to anyone who has been drinking and needs a safe way home from a bar or restaurant. For a Safe and Sober ride this year, contact the following cab company within the your area:- Sacramento – Call Yellow Cab Company of Sacramento at (916) 444-2222.
- Alameda – Call Veterans Cab at (800) 281‐4488.
- San Francisco – Call Luxor Cab at (415) 282‐4141.
Free Health Care At Alameda County Fire Stations In The Works
| October 17th, 2011
October 17, 2011 A pilot program to provide healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured in Alameda County at five fire stations is in the planning stages and could be in place as early as fall of next year. The Oakland Tribune reports that the nearly $10 million dollar project would offer free primary and preventative healthcare to those in need. The project, called the Fire Station Health Care Portal pilot program, which is headed by Alameda County Fire Chief, Sheldon Gilbert, and Alameda County Health Care Services Agency Director, Alex Briscoe, has a list of seven stations in the area that are contenders to host the program. That list will be narrowed to five participants by January. Then, those five stations will be overhauled to accommodate three full-time employees: A firefighter/paramedic, a care coordinator, and a nurse practitioner. They will be responsible for giving non-emergency, primary care to the public as well as responding to non-emergency 911 calls, giving medical advice for 211 calls, and providing follow-up care. Gilbert and Briscoe believe the idea could offer local solutions for a nation-wide health care crisis. Briscoe commented, “We’re proposing a solution to a health care system where costs are running wild.” If enacted, the program would run for three years before assessment of its impact. The California Personal Injury Attorneys at Berg Injury Lawyers would like to applaud local officials for making such great efforts to ensure everyone in our area gets the health care that they deserve.Firework Safety Vital for Alameda County
| July 5th, 2011
July 4, 2011 With today being our country’s Independence Day, many people in Alameda County are scouring out locations that will be suitable for their own personal fireworks display. The heat that has recently dried out the area, combined with the open flames and sparks of fireworks, could prove to be quite a hazardous situation. In fact, the National Council On Firework Safety (NCFS) reported an estimated 7,000 injuries caused by fireworks in 2008 alone. That number was an all-time low, and the council credits consumer education on safety as the main contributing factor to the decrease in injuries. One firework retailer in Dublin, California, offers a safety warning to each customer who comes through the purchase line, “We ask them to please stay where it’s legal, we ask them to go to the parks that are designated for firing the fireworks.” Firing from an open area, like a park, can greatly reduce the risk of house and forest fires as hot ashes from the fireworks descend. The NCFS also suggests that after each firing device has burned out, it should be placed under a watering hose or bucket of water to ensure it is fully extinguished. The California Fire and Burn Injury Attorneys with Berg Injury Lawyers hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July Celebration.California Community Tested for Alameda Environmental Injury
| July 29th, 2008
July 29, 2008
According to The Oakland Tribune, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating a possible Alameda environmental injury after dangerous levels of hazardous organic compounds were found at a former metal plating site.
The Department of Toxic Substances Control previously found very high levels of trichloroethylene, cis-dichloroethene, trans dichloroethene and vinyl chloride in the possible Alameda environmental injury location.
One woman who has possibly been affected from the Alameda environmental injury suffers from multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and a rare blindness disease. Another woman in the area suffers from cancer, while her children suffer other ailments from their premature births.
Additional residents in the area also fear an Alameda environmental injury from breathing in the potential hazardous compounds in the air.
The Alameda environmental injury case has been under the investigation of the Department of Toxic Substances Control since June 2007 and is ongoing.
Berg Injury Lawyers Helps Local Residents by Giving Away Hands-Free Headsets
| June 25th, 2008
June 25, 2008 With California’s new hands-free law taking effect July 1, 2008, many Californians are purchasing headsets for their cell phones so they can continue to talk while driving. Any motorists, who are caught chatting on their cell phones without a hands-free device starting July 1, will be fined. To help local residents and alleviate the added costs of purchasing headsets, Berg Injury Lawyers will be distributing 2,000 complimentary hands-free headsets. “With the new law taking effect, many Californians are faced with the added expense of purchasing hands-free headsets,” said attorney William Berg, founder of Berg Injury Lawyers. “By giving these headsets away, I hope to alleviate the extra expense while promoting safe driving. As part of my job, I constantly hear about car accidents that could have been easily avoided if drivers had been paying more attention to the traffic around them. I hope that this new law helps keep all drivers a little safer on the roads.” The law, which takes effect July 1, 2008, is meant to protect everyone on the road by reducing driver distraction. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, an estimated 300 lives will be saved annually in California due to the new law. Additionally, Connecticut, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., currently have laws in place to ban using hand-held mobile devices while driving. To receive a complimentary hands-free headset, visit the firm’s Web site at www.BergInjuryLawyers.com and fill out a simple form. Headsets will be available at Berg Injury Lawyers’ Alameda, Modesto, and Sacramento office locations beginning July 3 while supplies last. About California’s Hands-Free Law- While those 18 and older are allowed to use hands-free headsets, those under 18 aren’t allowed to use mobile devices with or without hands-free accessories (VC §23124).
- Police officers will begin ticketing drivers who use cell phones without hands-free devices on July 1. The first offense results in a $20 fine and the second offense is a $50 fine. Multiple offenses could result in more than triple the base amount.
- Drivers are allowed to use their cell phones without hands-free devices during emergencies to call police, fire, or medical authorities.
