Recent Blog Posts
DEATH BENEFITS PAID IN FULL WITHOUT 100% FAULT/CONTRIBUTION
Unlike most injuries, if an industrial injury, exposure, occurrence or event even partially causes or contributes to an injured worker’s death, the entire applicable death benefit is payable to the deceased employee’s dependents. This also means that these particular death benefits are not reduced even if the injury/industrial cause is an aggravation of an… Read More »
Self-Driving Cars
As a child, I remember going to the World’s Fair in Vancouver (Expo 86). One of the many pavilions held promises of future technology. Among them, I vividly recall “video phones” where you could see the person you were talking to and self-driving cars. Almost thirty years later, the phone tech has become a… Read More »
WHAT IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY?
California Government Code, Section 830(a) states that a “dangerous condition” means a condition of property that creates a substantial (as distinguished from a minor, trivial or insignificant) risk of injury when such property or adjacent property is used with due care in a manner in which it is reasonably foreseeable that it will be… Read More »
YES, YOU DO HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS
(The following is being provided for informational purposes only, and does not constitute, nor substitute for, personalized legal advice.) Well, actually, you have rights (plural) to your medical records. Where you live, or where you have treated, can have an impact on what your rights actually are. Most people have heard of “HIPAA” (the… Read More »
WHEN TO RETAIN A WORKERS COMPENSATION ATTORNEY
BY: ROBIN STEELE, PARALEGAL TO RICHARD H. IRWIN, ESQ. If you’ve suffered a workplace injury and are wondering whether to hire a Workers’ Compensation attorney, the answer depends on the severity of your injury and the overall complexity of your case. The moment any complexity is introduced into your case is the moment you… Read More »
Airbags: Technology reducing injury and saving lives
Fatality rates from car accidents have been dropping every year and it’s fairly common for many of the most popular vehicles to earn top safety ratings from the federal government’s crash test program. Airbags are a big part of this trend. Frontal airbags have been a federal requirement since the 1999 model year. Side… Read More »
Big Rig Accidents
Tractor trailers are big trucks which can cause catastrophic injuries when they are involved in an accident. Fortunately, they are required by law to carry insurance policies which are larger than the typical policy which you or I may have for our car. Unfortunately, big rig accidents also typically involve many injured parties. Having… Read More »
BYSTANDER EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES
Patient’s Close Relatives Can Recover for Witnessing Medical Negligence Sometimes, doctors (and other medical professionals) make noticeable mistakes when caring for patients, mistakes that the common person, lacking any medical training, is capable of recognizing. For those situations, some family members and other close relations make seek recovery for the mental and emotional trauma… Read More »
CAN YOU SUE THE UNITED STATES?
In practicing personal injury, medical negligence and assorted tort litigation, we are frequently asked if a lawsuit can be brought against the United States of America, an agency of the federal government, or an employee of same. The simple answer to such an inquiry is . . . if they permit you to do… Read More »
GIVE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS SOME ROOM ON THE ROAD
While waiting last Friday for the light to change green at Van Buren Boulevard and Wells Street here in Riverside, I watched in terror as an Emergency Vehicle, lights flashing and all, had to delicately maneuver around traffic approaching it from behind in order to make a left turn. It wasn’t dark, and the… Read More »
