Orange County Personal Injury Law Blog

Winter is here, and California is seeing more rain. Although precipitation can be a welcome relief on the parched coasts and plains, water on the road surface and fog above it can also cause serious problems for drivers.

A driver was struck outside his vehicle on the I-10 freeway in Cabazon recently. His car had left the road briefly and struck a retaining wall in foul weather conditions, and he had gotten out to check his car before attempting to leave while the car was in one of the four westbound traffic lanes.

From lane-splitting on the freeway to hugging curves on the Pacific Coast Highway, motorcycling carries its risks in California. Bikes are harder to see than conventional vehicles, and they offer almost no protection to riders in the case of a collision. Experienced bikers know how to protect themselves, but sometimes that is not enough.

Motorcyclists and bicyclists rely on drivers of cars and trucks to help them stay safe, and drivers have a legal obligation to assist victims and investigators in the case of a crash. Drivers who may have caused a collision through reckless or negligent driving may have stiffer criminal penalties if they abandon or attempt to leave the scene of an accident.

Trucks of all sizes bring important goods and materials to California. The booming construction industry in the Golden State would practically come to a halt without semitrucks. But the same advantages of large commercial vehicles may become problems if the trucker is involved in a high-speed collision with a much smaller passenger vehicle.

Distracted driving due to motorists use of cellphones or other electronic devices is a major risk factor for accidents on California roads. Although it is completely illegal, driving under the infleunce of drugs or alcohol is one of the most dangerous risks that a driver can take for himself and the other who share the roads.

When you hear about dogs attacking people, it is usually a random dog that got loose or a stray. One California jogger experienced this firsthand when a dog attacked her. She attempted to defend herself with pepper spray, but this actually led to the dog's human owner attacking and biting the jogger. 

You may not have a problem calling animal control when you do not personally know the dog's owner. Unfortunately, many people suffer dog bites from a friend's pooch. You want compensation for your injuries, but you do not want to risk the friendship and potentially get the dog put down.