Category: Car Accidents

This could happen to you. Every disturbing, graphic car accident in this video could happen to you, to me, to any one of us or our loved ones. Pay attention on the road. One millisecond of inattention can change someone’s life, and the lives of their loved ones, forever… and ever. The original video was posted by Tanvir Ahmad on Facebook and, after some sniffing around on Youtube, I was able to find it. I’ve only been able to watch parts of it, it was too disturbing for me to watch in its entirety. You may be braver. I’d like… Read More

The New England Journal of Medicine just published an article entitled The Most Primary of Care – Talk About Driving and Distraction by Amy N. Ship, M.D. Dr.Ship references a British Public Service announcement. Watch this. Show it to your kids.

Happy Holidays to You! I’m posting seven holiday driving safety tips both in text and in a video! So here are the tips: Don’t Speed — speed kills Don’t Drive Impaired — if you want to party, great! BUT designate a non-drinking driver ahead of time Motorcyclists and Bicyclists Protect Yourselves — you may know what you’re doing and where you’re going, but people in cars typically are not looking for you. Wear protective gear: Helmet, jacket, pants, boots, etc. Get Rid of Tailgaters: They may just seem annoying but they’re really quite dangerous. I’ve represented many people who have… Read More

What happens when you’re in an accident, it’s the other driver’s fault, their insurance fixes your car but now your car is worth less than it was before the accident? In legal terms, this decrease in value is called Diminution in Value. The vehicle looks okay but disclosing that it was in an accident will certainly decrease the amount a buyer is willing to pay. So, it begs the question “Can I ask to be paid for this decrease in my vehicle’s value?” The answer is a qualified “yes.” The law in the State of California (it may be different in different… Read More

A friend, Johnny, asked me to evaluate his auto insurance coverage. He lives in Los Angeles and drives an Audi TT, a small sports car. Although my often tongue-in-cheek responses are geared for California auto coverages and, in particular, Los Angeles, this should give you an idea of what to look for in your own venue. Most importantly you must be aware that if you do not have insurance coverage that is sufficient to compensate someone for injuries sustained in an accident that is wholly or partially your fault, you could be on the hook personally for that amount which exceeds… Read More

Just when you think you have no case, you may have a case. I was asked to take a case where Billy, a motorcycle rider who on first impression was thought to be partially, if not all, to blame for an accident from which he suffered catastrophic injuries. Billy was a vibrant, young 20 something motorcycle rider who was not expected to live. Turns out a lady turned left in front of him in a road construction zone. Upon further investigation, I discovered that there were potentially many reasons why this accident happened – not all of which could be… Read More

Twitter is the new rage but where it’s used can be outrageously dangerous. But wait! Before you think I’m anti-Twitter, please be sure that I am all for Twitter! I have a Twitter account with the screenname steigerlaw which, as of today, boasts 1,225 followers, and growing. And I’m following 1,800+ Twitterers as well (and growing). It’s productive, addictive and fun. I keep my Twittering professional — i.e., my Tweets (messages) are generally relevant to law related subjects save a few transgressions such as when I tout the Daily Puppy photo website because I’m a dog lover and think looking at puppy pictures is a great… Read More

We all know how dangerous and annoying it is to text while driving. How about the person crawling in front of you at 10 miles per hour because they’re “safely” texting. Don’t think that this little stunt increases safety! Or the person so involved in their texting that they don’t notice the car in front of them coming to a halt? Well, California has taken care of this issue once and for all (we hope). This new law makes it an infraction to write, send, or read text-based communication on an electronic wireless communications device, such as a cell phone,… Read More

Things to Do If You’re Involved in an Auto Accident CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY TO SUMMON POLICE and/or PARAMEDICS Then get the following information: Name, address and phone number of other driver(s) involved in the accident Driver’s license number of other driver(s) involved in the accident Insurance information of other driver(s) involved in the accident, name of insurance company, policy number Registered owner information of other vehicles involved in the accident If any of the other drivers appears to be on the job for a company, get the name of that company Passengers in other vehicles? Get their names, addresses, phone numbers Actual location… Read More

Twitter Address Folks, today tragedy struck when a 14 year old boy went joyriding along with two passengers aged 11 and 6. According to a Fox News Report, the event happened in Fontana, California as follows: A CHP officer pulled over the Nissan Maxima for running a red light on a Fontana street just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, but the driver sped off as the officer walked toward the car, the statement said. In a chase that lasted less than a minute, the driver ran several red lights and reached 90 mph on city streets before losing control and hitting the… Read More