Personal Injury Attorney Blog | All posts tagged 'Sacramento-Personal-Injury'

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers Examine Premises Liability

17. July 2015 Admin Compensation, Liability Issues, Negligence, Personal Injury, Premises Liability, Wrongful Death (0)

Attorneys at Sacramento’s Sette Law focus on the expansive category of personal injury law. Attorneys specialize in one of the most important (and occasionally complex) arenas called premises liability – when an individual on the property of another owner receives an injury. Our lawyers specify that a property owner (residential or commercial) must be proved negligent – a concept that’s not always clear cut in our cases in Sacramento. Personal injury attorneys will need to show that a property owner was aware of unsafe conditions and, further, did not attempt to repair the condition that led to the Sacramento injury.

Lawyers work with a wide variety of incidents that fall within the broad category of premises or property liability. Attorneys, then, must have a deep grasp of underlying laws regarding this niche of personal injury law. Attorneys in Sacramento must be well acquainted with the factors that impact a party’s ability to be compensated for losses incurred due to the personal injury.

Lawyers don’t expect the average citizen to fully grasp the details of personal injury law. Attorneys study and practice for many years to develop expertise in the arena of liability and personal injury so that we can responsibly represent clients in Sacramento. But lawyers at Sette Law want to share some basic information about premises liability so that, should an incident occur, an injured party might better understand what qualifies as liability for a Sacramento personal injury.

Attorneys Disclose Basics Requirements to Litigate for Personal Injury
Our lawyers point out that premises liability covers a great deal of ground. In Sacramento, injury attorneys have handled cases as varied as slip-and-falls in grocery stores to injuries received at sports events and music concerts and even backyard trampoline accidents that caused painful and costly injury. Lawyers explain that the circumstances may differ greatly but the basics of liability law are generally shared, although there are some differences in various state laws. Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys will abide by California statutes governing a property owner’s duty when representing injured plaintiffs in Sacramento. Liability attorneys here refer to state statutes which require property owners to ‘use reasonable care’ to maintain property in safe condition throughout the state and in Sacramento.

Personal injury lawyers know that many factors go into determining whether or not a property owner has fulfilled this mandate. When a plaintiff comes to Sette Law with a potential premises liability action, our Sacramento injury attorneys look for several qualifying conditions including the location of the property, any protections against the threat of harm and, among other considerations, what steps the owner took to protect against the harm that caused the Sacramento personal injury.

Attorneys at Sette Law add that not all states are as broad as California in the definition of who is protected under a property owner’s duty of care. Some states have three sets of ‘visitors’ to property – invitees, licensees and trespassers that are regarded differently under statues governing premises liability and personal injury. Lawyers in Sacramento, however, work within more inclusive statutes that require the following to establish personal injury:

Attorneys verify that a property owner had a responsibility to demonstrate due care to avoid potential injury;

Lawyers must be satisfied the defendant failed to show the required due care, and that the Sacramento personal injury was directly caused due to this lack of care on behalf of the property owner in Sacramento.

Liability Lawyers Manage Wide Variety of Premises Injury

Attorneys know that accidents can happen almost anywhere. Slip and falls may occur due to unsafe conditions in retail stores, amusement parks or someone’s home. But Sacramento personal injury lawyers are quick to point out that most falls may not meet the requirements for premises liability. The same is true for many kinds of injuries, and the courts have established protection against abuse of the legal system for frivolous claims of personal injury. Attorneys are very careful to decline cases that attempt to abuse liability law in Sacramento. Our accident lawyers know that such actions waste time and show disrespect for the rule of law we are pledged to uphold.

However, our Sacramento personal injury attorneys advise property owners to look carefully at their “duty of care.” There are many precedent cases that illustrate the extent of owner-liability for accidents and personal injury. Lawyers reference decisions such as a 2001 ruling that a Florida apartment complex owner did not provide adequate security resulting in the brutal abduction of a young tenant and her life threatening injury. Her attorneys won $15.7 million for the woman who was shot in the head three times.

Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys say that property owners must look carefully at conditions that could threaten safety and security and, consequently, lead to an owner’s liability. Attorneys in our Sacramento office have experience with a plethora of conditions that have contributed to accidents and liability for personal injury. Our lawyers mention events such as poor maintenance of property, dog bites, insufficient night lighting, knowingly housing dangerous residents and defective conditions that lead to accidents and grave personal injury.

Attorneys point to a recent incident that happened in June. A tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley, CA, caused the death of six young people and sent seven others to the hospital with severe injury. Our Sacramento accident lawyers say that officials quickly identified structural problems (such as significant dry rot) that may point to property owner liability.

Sacramento personal injury attorneys know that most premises liability cases do not receive such prominent attention as the Berkeley balcony collapse. The lawsuits handled by Sacramento personal injury lawyers are usually well below the radar of the national media. However, our accident lawyers say that coverage of such major tragedies can put a spotlight on safety and liability issues that may, in the future, save lives and protect people from personal injury. Attorneys expect the Berkeley incident will inspire property owners to more closely inspect their buildings and to reexamine the breadth of responsibility for accidents.

Injury attorneys at Sette Law in Sacramento know that victims of accidents caused by the negligence of property owners can bring untold suffering to people from the devastating financial impact of medical expenses and lost wages to physical suffering that can last a life time. Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys urge property owners to become educated about their significant responsibilities in this arena and to do their part to protect public safety.

Oakland Has Fewest DUI Accidents Among California's Big Cities

4. February 2011 konicom Bicycle Accidents, Drunk Driving, Personal Injury (0)

The Oakland Tribune reports that Oakland has the fewest DUI car crashes among California's biggest cities. The study reviewed 13 of the state's biggest cities, including San Francisco and Sacramento.

The number of Oakland pedestrian accidents and hit-and-run injuries placed them at #3. Oakland ranked #5 for bike accidents.

If you have been injured in a DUI accident, or any other injury throughout the Bay Area, an experienced California personal injury lawyer can help.

The study reports that the 131 people were injured or killed in Oakland accidents where alcohol was involved. Although this number is still too high, it is a significant improvement. The city's partnership with a number of nationwide and statewide sobriety programs is credited with the improvement.

The Oakland Police Department has just received a traffic safety grant to look at ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Many factors are at play in any type of accident. Roadway conditions, driver distraction, and simple awareness of the rules of the road all impact the number, type and severity of roadway collisions and accidents. A knowledgeable California personal injury attorney can investigate the facts surrounding any accident and evaluate your options.

If you or a loved one has been injured in any accident, contact the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to helping those injured by the negligence of others.

Santa Cruz Car Accidents Caused By Distracted Drivers

25. November 2010 konicom Automobile Accidents, Personal Injury (0)

The Santa Cruz Patch reports that this past week the California Highway Patrol (CHP) began cracking down on distracted drivers. As part of a zero-tolerance enforcement campaign, the CHP will seek out and ticket those drivers who violate the state's hands-free cell-phone law. Reports indicate that in 2008, more than 30,000 California drivers had car accidents due to distraction. The leading cause of distraction - cell phone usage.

Other forms of distraction include eating, drinking, applying make-up, using a GPS, and adjusting the radio. As stated by a CHP officer, when California drivers are multi-tasking, they put both themselves at risk as well as increasing the risk of "injuring or killing their passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians or innocent victims traveling in another vehicle."

Put bluntly - no phone call or text message is worth a human life.

As a Sacramento car accident attorney, I agree. Whenever drivers takes their eyes off the road for just a moment, serious accidents and injuries can occur. Rather than take a chance, its always best to pull over or wait if you need to make a call or text. The risk of injury is far too great.

For more information, or if you have been in accident as the result of a distracted or otherwise careless, reckless or negligent driver, contact Attorney Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to helping the injured for more than 15 years.

Governor Signs Bill Allowing Video Monitors In Cars To Record Accident Information

15. October 2010 konicom Automobile Accidents, Personal Injury (0)

Governor Schwarzenegger has signed a new law - AB 1942 - into effect that will allow carmakers and owners to install video recording devices on their windshields. The monitors will save video and audio information if there is unusual movement or a crash. It also will record how fast, the direction of travel, a history of where your car has been, steering and brake performance and seat belt usage.

The purpose of the law is to promote safe driving habits and reduce car accidents. Although the bill received much support from companies who hire drivers and want to ensure they are driving safely, critics fear the devices could be used to secretly record conversations. Other concerns include who will control the device and whether it can be remotely activated by third parties such as the note holder, the DMV, or insurance company.

Click here for the entire text of the bill.

As a California personal injury attorney, I am hopeful that this law will have its intended purpose - ensuring and improving California roadway safety.

For more information, or if you have been injured in a car accident, contact the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to helping the injured for more than 15 years.

Drunk Driver Sentenced To Two Years For Injuring Rocklin Woman

17. September 2010 Admin (0)

A Ridgecrest, California woman was sentenced to two years and $2000 for a DUI accident in Nevada causing substantial physical injury to a woman from Rocklin. Constance Marie Forrest was nearly three times the legal limit when she ran into Sandra LeCompte and her husband.

Forrest was arrested after the Nevada Highway Patrol saw her vehicle going the wrong-way on I-80. By the time the NHP caught up to her, she had already collided with LeCompte's vehicle and caused the vehicle to rollover. Sandra LeCompte suffered a fractured wrist and wore a cast for weeks.

Although recent statistics point to the incidence of DUIs decreasing, driver intoxication is the lead cause of car accidents in the United States. Further, nearly 40% of traffic fatalities can be attributed to drunk driving.

Often victims injured by negligent drunk drivers face medical bills, lost wages, physical pain and emotional distress. Although the injuries in this accident were not life threatening, both physical and emotional injuries from any accident may linger, creating future damages and costs.

For more information, or if you or a loved one has bee injured by a drunk driver, contact the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette. For more than 15 years we've been helping those injured by the wrongful conduct of others.