San Francisco Legal Blog

When taking public transit, you have an expectation of reasonable safety assured to you by California public transit laws. You expect that the vehicle's operator will drive in a safe manner, that the vehicle itself is in sound condition and that all due action has been taken to ensure the safety of all passengers. Yet while riding a public transit bus, you find yourself inhaling odorous fumes that seem to be coming from the bus itself. Those fumes leave you dizzy, and worried about the effect on your brain from oxygen deprivation. Do you have a case for personal injury?

You may. A bill introduced in California legislature details, among other things, that it was already legally required for the cab of a vehicle to be reasonably sealed against any fumes, oils or other noxious substances. The bill also made it clear that the floors of vehicles must also be free of holes and sealed against intrusion of fumes and other substances. This provides greater coverage under the law for vehicles such as buses, shuttles, and trains, which may not have a separate cab area.

Kids love to be active. As their parents, you want to do everything you can to ensure that they are entertained and getting enough exercise. While engaging in sports and active hobbies is a great way to spend weekends and vacations, all sporting activities come with danger. It is quite common for children to suffer serious injuries as a result.

If your child does become injured during a sporting activity, it is important that you know your rights. If you have put your trust in a certain company and felt it was their responsibility to keep your child safe, it can be heartbreaking to know that they failed in their duty. Catastrophic injuries can often happen at ski schools, bounce houses or adventure playgrounds, and many families become faced with a heavy financial burden when it comes to medical costs.

After a car collision on California roads, you may be too shaken to think of practical matters - or you may keep your head enough to call the police, exchange insurance information with the other driver and do everything you can to document the accident. Yet one critical document often required by insurance companies is a copy of the accident report. Can you request a copy of your accident report from the police?

Not only can you request a copy of your report, but the California Highway Patrol makes it fairly easy with a mail-in form. You may not be the only person who requires a copy of the police report, depending on extenuating circumstances. If you are not the owner of the vehicle and the insurance policy on the vehicle, perhaps if the car is registered in a spouse's or parent's name, then they may need to submit a request for a copy of the report to follow up on any damage claims. Passengers or owners of property damaged in an accident may also have the right to request a copy of the accident report.

 We have covered many facets of motor vehicle collisions on our blogs, but there are many more ways to take a closer look at the nature of traffic collisions. Sometimes, an accident can be especially dangerous and have a particularly high fatality rate, such as head-on collisions. In order to reduce the likelihood of a head-on crash, it may be helpful to go over statistics on these accidents and understand where they are most likely to occur.

According to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, head-on collisions take place more frequently in rural locations, as opposed to urban areas. Moreover, the majority of deadly accidents occur on roads that are straight, both in rural locations and on urban roads as well. As a result, it is important to keep in mind that even though roads may seem less hectic in rural parts of the country, the risk of a fatal accident is still present.