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In July of 2008 the new cell phone laws in California came into effect. These laws have specific outlines for two different age ranges; those who are under 18 years of age and those who are 18 years or older. The difference in the laws has to do with the actual use of a cell phone in the vehicle in any way. According to the California commercial driver handbooks, this new law prohibits minors from using a cell phone in their car even with a hands free device an this includes any texting, pager use, or other forms of technology. This law also carries with it the risk of a fine of $20 for a first time offender and $50 for a second time offender.

This law was sparked by the ever growing trend of cell phone use in the United States as well as the high rate of teenage deaths caused by reckless driving and car accidents and it is a prevention attempt. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 35% of the leading causes of teen deaths is that of motor vehicle accidents and most of the accidents can be attributed to reckless or careless driving as well as distracted driving involving the use of cell phones and other devices. Another NHTSA survey found that in 2006 alone a teenager died in an auto accident on an average of once per hour during the weekend and once every two hours during the work week.

These new laws are in place for the safety of those teens who are operating any motor vehicle, and those who will be passengers in those vehicles. The use of cell phones in a car is dangerous to all involved. There is a popular internet commercial which encourages those who are passengers in a car that is being driven by a reckless driver to speak up about the driving and the dangers and to "be the spokesman" for safety. Safety is the issue here, and many lives have been lost as the result of a youth who has broken the law by speeding or using their cell phone while driving.

The only two exceptions in this new California legislation concerning the use of cell phone by minors while driving is in the case of an emergency and / or while driving on private property. But how many teens in Burbank, California have broken this law already? If you have been injured in an auto accident as the result of a negligent teen driver you have claims for a California lawsuit.

If you or your loved one has been the victim of serious injuries from a car accident caused by a teenage driver illegally using their cell phone in or around Burbank, Glendale, and / or Pasadena you should contact one of our Burbank Car Accident Lawyers for a free case evaluation today.

A big-rig crash on the 210 freeway resulted in the death of one of the truck drivers. The Glendale Police responded to the emergency call and conducted traffic since the eastbound lanes of the 210 (the Foothill Freeway) were closed for sometime after the 4 AM crash. A semi-truck driver rear ended another tractor trailer truck which resulted in the driver's death as well as minor injuries sustained by a passenger. The accident is still under investigation, but it has been reported that the statement by the truck driver whose truck was rear ended does not match up with the actual details of the accident and the damage that was done.

The driver reported that he felt a bump from behind and thought that he may have had a flat tire. But authorities say that the accident scene implied a different story because the damage which was done to both trucks would imply that he felt more than just a bump or what he thought would end up being a flat tire. The Glendale investigators are saying that this was a huge collision, and that the damages and fatal injuries prove that there is more to this accident then meets the eye or the statement of the other driver.

Some anonymous witnesses have come forward and given statement, but the Glendale police are still hoping for more witnesses so that they can piece together the puzzle and so that whoever is at fault in this fatal trucking accident is brought to justice. This could be the case of a reckless driver who lost his life upon his own negligence, or this could be a case of the wrongful death of a man caused by negligence on the part of the driver who survived the accident.

Not all trucking accidents are cut and dry in the determination of who caused the accident and that is why legal counsel is a huge benefit to people who have been seriously injured in any kind of trucking or motor vehicle accident. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a trucking accident in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena or the surrounding areas you may have reason to file a personal injury lawsuit.

Our Glendale Trucking Accident Attorneys are equipped and able to help you in this time of need, starting with a free, confidential case evaluation toady.

Trucking accidents are among some of the most deadly kind of automobile accidents in Burbank, California. Truck drivers are known for working long hours, and sitting behind the wheel of a truck for miles before they stop for sleep. Statistics show that regulations for big rig truck drivers and the companies that employ them are violated more than reported. It takes a fatal trucking accident to provoke authorities to investigate the road conduct of truck drivers and inspect whether to not they are following regulations such as not driving after so many hours without sleep.

There is a proposal in the working for the year 2010 from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that will help with monitoring the working hours and safe driving of truck drivers all over the United States, and especially in California. The FACT sheet for 2010 outlines several areas that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would like to see change in the trucking industry.

One area is that of evaluating the level of safety being exercised by those who are operating semi-trucks, big rigs, and 18 wheelers in Burbank, California, and all over the country. This regulation increase is an attempt to catch those truck drivers who are reckless in their driving and thus putting the lives of other drivers on the road with them in grave danger. A study done on the amount of auto accidents caused by driver fatigue and lack of sleep found that at least 10% of car accidents are caused by a tired driver who is not able to respond or react to traffic and accident risks around them.

The statistics concerning the sleep that drivers are not getting also show that in most cases, serious injuries were caused by the auto accident. Well these statistics are no different or truck drivers in Burbank and the surrounding areas. Our local highways such as the 134 freeway, the 170, and Interstate 5 have heavy trucking traffic, and news reports share details about fatalities that are the result of a negligent truck driver who has not followed regulations for sleep and fell asleep at the wheel.

If you have been the victim of a trucking accident in or around Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena which was caused by a negligent sleep deprived truck driver you need legal representation to fight for your constitutional rights in this case. There are truck driving regulations for a reason and when a driver fails to follow those laws they are liable for any accidents or injuries they may cause.

If your loved one has died a wrong death in a trucking accident on a Burbank freeway please contact one of our Burbank Trucking Accident Attorneys who are ready and able to help in your receiving compensation for any financial hardships you may be facing as well the pain and suffering you have faced from your loved one's death.

The big rig truck crash near Pasadena, California has been a nightmare for all involved. The family of the father and daughter who were killed deserve justice in this wrongful death situation. But the driver of the truck may not have been the only person at fault. There is speculation that the company who contracted the reckless truck driver also had safety violations with their other employees who operate trucks as well. On April 8, 2009 the California Highway Patrol (CHP) inspected the big rig truck and according to reports from federal inspection records, the company who employed this man has had a high number of violations.

This accident could have been prevented for a number of reasons, one being that of the driver actually heeding to the traffic signs banning trucks over a certain weight limit on the Angeles Crest Highway posted by the California Department of Transporation (CDT) for safety purposes. But maybe it could have also been prevented had the company taken the time to inspect the character and road integrity of this man who so carelessly disregarded the traffic limitations which resulted in his losing control of his truck and killing two people and seriously injuring 12 more.

A report showed that 33% of the time truck drivers employed by this company were more likely to be taken off of the road because if federal safety infractions.  The impactions may have been unsafe driving on the part of the truck operator, or even hazardous mechanical conditions that would have caused an accident had the truck not been able to stop or accelerate. Safety violations were most certainly the cause for this fatal accident near Pasadena and these violations were by both the contracting company and the reckless truck driver.

Were you a victim in this tragic trucking accident who suffered serious injuries in La Canada near Pasadena? Or, have you been involved in any kind of trucking or automobile accident which was the cause of company safety violations or reckless driving? You should contact one of our Pasadena Trucking Accident Lawyers today for a free case evaluation and see if you have claims to file for compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering.

In Burbank, California, both men and women go to the local hair salon on a regular basis to get the latest fashion in hair trends, or to up keep their regular hair cut. Sometimes people have their hair dyed by the hair professional and go from being a brunette to a blond in a matter of hours. In the world of cosmetology there are certain regulations a hair stylist must follow to ensure the safety of the person whose hair they are cutting or dying with chemicals. The use of scissors and clippers as well as bleach and other chemicals can cause injuries to customers if the hair professional does not exercise caution in using the instruments and solutions.

One example of a hair salon injury is one reported by a woman who was confused as to the liability of a hair salon if they injure you. She reports that while having her hair cut short, the hair stylist was using clipper near the back of her neck and upon the careless handling by the stylist of the clippers, the woman suffered a deep cut on her neck. The hair professional acted as though it was not that big of a deal and that the customer had no right to be concerned.

But when the woman went home here husband informed her that the cut was very deep and bleeding a lot. The woman complained of significant pain from the cut and attempted to contact the hair salon about this incident. Her husband applied a pain relief ointment to her deep cut, but it did not make the pain completely go away. The manager of the salon only asked what the woman would like her to do about the cut and offered no form of acceptance for liability of this woman's injuries.

In cases such as a hair salon injury in Burbank and the surrounding areas, it is important to know and make note of all of the details concerning the injury and make a record of the dates and actions of the hair professional. Hair salon injuries are not uncommon, and are a growing in legal awareness every day. There have been court cases that have been awarded settlements for scalp burns or injuries caused by improper handling of hair chemicals or instruments.

If you have ever been the victim of an injury which you suffered as the result of a negligent or careless hair professional in the cities of Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena or the surrounding areas. you should contact one of our Burbank Hair Salon Injury Lawyers today for a free, confidential consolation so that your questions may be answered. Call us toll free at (800)-704-8237.

In Burbank, California any time a patient goes in for any kind of surgery there is risk of injury. How serious that risk is can usually be determined by the intensity of the procedure being performed.  In some cases there are "routine" surgeries and these usually can be classified as normal, moderately quick procedures which do not pose too much of a threat to a person's nervous system or bodily functions. But there are also serious surgeries which carry with them an implication of danger and possible death if not successful or conducted in a proper way. When a surgery is unsuccessful as the result of negligence on the surgeon's part, it is considered medical mal practice and is punishable by law.

The free dictionary.com defines malpractice in legal terms as any type of misconduct on the part of a professional to not meet the standards of their practice which causes injury to a patient. In the medical field, this kind of negligence leads to life time or terminal injuries and / or damages and sometimes an instant wrongful death.  Any time there is an error during surgery or medical procedure that could have been prevented had the proper standard outlined by the hospital been followed for care or conduct it is considered and negligence and therefor medical misconduct.

In one circumstance a man in his 50s went in for what was classified a routine surgery and did not wake up for 10 months after being put in a medically induced coma. He was put under such sedation to prevent his death because of blood loss he suffered during the surgery. When he finally woke up he had to be informed that not only was in a coma for the last 10 months of his life, but that the surgery did not go well, and that he suffered an injury completely unrelated to his surgical diagnosis that forced the doctor to amputate his left leg.  This man's life has been changed forever because of the negligence of his surgeon who did not follow protocol demanding that he stop the simple procedure if another problem comes up during surgery.

Patients have been known to suffer medical mal practice in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and the surrounding areas. It is likely that you may have been a victim who suffered serious injuries caused by mal practice and surgical negligence. If you or a loved one has claims for a medical malpractice lawsuit because of an error made by the conducting surgeon or other medical professionals you should contact one of our Burbank Medical Malpractice Lawyers today for answers to your questions concerning rightful compensation for injuries and who is liable for your serious injuires.

April 1, 2009 was supposed to be a day for April fool's jokes and lots of laughs, but instead it will be the day remembered in La Canada, California, just miles away from Glendale, for the grotesque truck accident which left 2 people dead and 12 more people injured, 3 of them in critical condition. The driver of a big rig truck transporting motor vehicles drove too fast through a crowded intersection, lost control of his truck and caused a multi-vehicle collision. It was reported that he struck several cars before he crashed into a bookstore full of customers. 

One of the cars the reckless driver struck was occupied by a middle aged man and his young daughter. They were the two victims who were killed as the result of their automobile being dragged through the intersection and crushed by the big truck. Among the 12 who were injured, a man was hit with debris from the crash and others were severely injured and rushed to the hospital. They may have suffered deep cuts and an extreme loss of blood, brain damage, or internal organ damage as the result if the truck accident.

According to the authorities, the negligent truck driver has been arrested on counts of "gross vehicular homicide and felony reckless driving." But according to the testimony of some witnesses and local California residents, the community has complained to the California Department of Transportation (CDT) to restrict trucks from driving on that strip of road and their requests were ignored. A similar accident happened last September at the same intersection and still there has been no attempt made by CalTrans or the city of La Canada to reconstruct the intersection lay out or to ban trucks.  In light of this information, some of the responsibility for this trucking accident may fall on the city of La Canada, or the California Department of Transportation.

Wherever the blame may be shifted in this tragic event, the fact of the matter is that this accident might have been prevented. Had the reckless truck driver taken precautions and actually obeyed the laws of the road or had the city road officials acted upon the community cries for accident prevention and road / traffic changes this fatal accident may not have occurred. Someone is liable here, and something needs to be done to prevent this from happening a third time in the future.

If you are a family member of one of the victims in this recent truck accident or you have been the victim of a truck or car accident, in or near Glendale, that was caused by a reckless, careless driver you need to contact one of our Glendale Trucking Accident Attorneys as soon as possible. We will help fight for the justice of you or your loved one and argue the liability of the negligent party or parties involved.

Call today toll free (800)-704-8237 for your free, confidential consultation. 

The streets of down town Burbank are crowded, cracked, and at times confusing to navigate. But hopefully those road conditions will improve and cause less auto accidents in the future. The Burbank road expansion project opened yesterday, March 31, 2009. The road expansion project is an attempt by the city of Burbank to aid in car accident prevention on busy surface roads around the city. The target road is Burbank Drive and the areas which expanded were between West Lee Drive and Bluebonnet Boulevard. It was reported that the road construction cost less than anticipated and one can only hope that Burbank residents and drivers do not end up paying for the money saved by the city if the roads do not hold up to standard.

Road conditions are an essential aspect of road safety. There have been numerous automobile accidents which were the result of negligence of the particular city to maintain and up keep the local highways, surface streets, or back roads. A man could be driving down the freeway and have a manhole combust into the air right as he is crossing that section of highway; the metal gutter top could shatter his SUV windshield; decapitating him and the end result is atleast one fatality. The other drivers on the road would have to try to avoid a head-on-collision with the S.U.V. and quite possibly this becomes a multi-car accident and several people are critically injured, taken to the hospital by helicopter, or the victim of a wrongful death.

Or, what about a woman who is driving on a side street and one of her tires gets caught in a pothole which has not been fixed or patched by the city? She would naturally lose control of her car and possibly crash into a light pole or another vehicle; or sadly enough she could be killed or severely injured in the accident.  If there are no other cars around there is nothing else to consider, but what if this automobile accident happens during peak after school traffic times? If her car goes off road and onto the side walk, school children are at risk of being killed in a pedestrian accident or suffering brain damage or becoming paralyzed as the result of being struck by a motor vehicle.

Both of these stories in some form or fashion have been reported in the news and actually happened. Driving a car is a huge responsibility, and the stress of drivable constructed roads should not fall on the everyday driver; and legally it does not. The Burbank road expansion project will aid in traffic flow and improve road safety, but there have been prior car crashes in the city of Burbank, or Glendale, or Pasadena that were caused by negligent road construction and / or a lack of proper maintenance.

If you or someone you know have been involved in an auto accident which resulted in serious injuries or the wrongful death of a loved one in the city of Burbank or the surrounding areas you should contact a Burbank Automobile Accident Attorney as soon as possible. If your accident revealed any signs of negligence on the part of the city of Burbank, Glendale or Pasadena you may have cause to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim.

Do not hesitate; Call us today for a free consultation!

A family in Pasadena, California is seeking a wrongful death claim against the city of Pasadena. The lawsuit claims that in February a Pasadena police officer wrongfully shot their loved one, Leroy Barnes, during a routine traffic stop. The details of the shooting and the autopsy have been withheld from public access for investigation and court purposes.

The general overview of the shooting is that Barnes, a previous offender, was a passenger in a car with a negligent driver who was being reckless and driving on the wrong side of the street.  Reports say that Pasadena Police officers pulled the vehicle over, probably with intentions of preventing a potential car accident. The reports are not clear, but maybe in an attempt to arrest Barnes, somehow he and the arresting officer got into an argument that turned physical. Somewhere in the struggle Barnes was shot several times, and killed by the police officers.

The primary issues in this wrongful death claim focus the inconsistencies in the statements made by the Pasadena Police Department (PPD). The family claims that these inconsistencies prove negligence on the part of the officers to exercise caution in using their weapons. In addition to a lack of caution, a deliberate intention on the police officer's part to shoot and kill Barnes is implied by all of the inconsistent testimonies by the Police Officers involved in the fatal shooting. One article reports that the family claims that Barnes was "executed" by the police and witnesses testify to seeing the police officers shoot Barnes while he was face down and clearly not a threat to them.

This is not a case of a criminal resisting arrest, and even opening fire on police. This is not even a case of self-defense for the Pasadena Police Department (PPD). This is a case of police brutality, and as the result of the PPD, Leroy Barnes has suffered a wrongful death, and his family is now mourning the death of a child and loved one. Barnes may have been a convicted criminal in the past, but that is no justification for any police officer to take the law into their own hands.

Have you, or someone that you know been involved in a situation that involved negligence on the part of the Pasadena, Burbank, or Glendale police department? Maybe you have been the victim of police brutality and critically injured as the result. You may have reason to bring a lawsuit against the city of Pasadena or The PPD for police brutality, negligence, or even a wrongful death claim for your loved one who has died. Contact one of our Pasadena Personal Injury Attorney's today. We offer free, confidential consultation for your convenience.

Wrongful death in Burbank and the surrounding areas, what is it? It is a death that occurs in Burbank and nearby cities as the result of negligence on the part of an individual, a company, a group of people, etc. Negligence may include but is not limited to a lack of attention to mechanical errors by servicing companies in Burbank, reckless driving in Pasadena, drunk driving in Glendale, and lack of supervision by a paid care-taker in local day cares or nursing homes in Burbank.

When a wrongful death takes the life of a loved one, there are legal options of compensation and justice in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena and all of California. One should hire an experienced wrongful death attorney with training who is best suited to represent the interests of wrongful death victims. Our Burbank Wrongful Death Attorneys are dedicated to fighting for the rights of residents whose loved ones have been victims of wrongful death and / or negligence in Burbank and other surrounding cities

In recent news, a family in the Bay area is taking legal action and fighting for the rights of their loved one who was physically beaten, shot, and killed by a California transit officer. The family is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the transit agency and the transit officer. The wrongful death attorneys for the family of the deceased are claiming that the shooting was intentional, and other surrounding factors to the incident may support this claim. Other surrounding factors include another officer striking the victim in his head before the victim was shot and the shooting officer mistakenly shot his gun instead of his Taser.

If you or someone you know has had a loved one die as a result of wrongful death caused by the negligence of authority officials, or you or someone you know has been the victim of negligence causing serious injuries or a wrongful death, please contact one of our Burbank Personal Injury Lawyers today. We offer a free, confidential consultation.