San Francisco Accident Attorneys | San Francisco Accident Lawyers

Seatbelts and airbags are required safety equipment in most passenger vehicles. They are supposed to protect drivers and occupants, minimizing injuries when accidents occur, but when they are defective they can cause serious injuries and death in accidents that would have otherwise resulted in only minor injuries or no injuries at all. Defective airbags can even cause accidents by deploying when they should not. If you have been injured by a defective airbag or seatbelt, please talk to our San Francisco accident attorneys right away.

Defective Seatbelts

The three most common problems with seatbelts are:

• Slack
• Unintended unlatching
• Automatic shoulder belts

Unintended unlatching can result in the same injuries you would experience if you were not wearing you seatbelt at all. Slack can be the result of retractor failure or window shade devices.

When the belt has slack it allows your body to build up momentum before being violently jerked back by the belt. Slack in your seatbelt can cause injuries far more severe than if you were not wearing your seatbelt.

Automatic shoulder belts present the very dangerous situation of drivers and occupants wearing the shoulder belt only, with no lap belt. This is far more dangerous than wearing no belt at all.

Defective Airbags

Common airbag malfunctions include:

• Deploying when there is no crash, which can cause a crash
• Failure to deploy
• Deploying with too much force
• Improperly filtered gasses

Common airbag injuries include:

• Eye and eye socket injuries
• Facial injuries
• Brain injury
• Neck injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Broken arm or wrist
• Chemical burns
• Hearing loss
• Respiratory problems
• Decapitation

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an auto accident, please call our San Francisco, California auto accident attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.

Swimming pool accidents can occur at private homes, hotels and motels, public pools, water parks, schools, and anywhere there is a swimming pool. All types of swimming pool owners have a responsibility to maintain adequate safety, including preventing children and unsuspecting adults from wandering into the swimming pool area and being injured or killed. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a swimming pool accident our San Francisco accident attorneys can help.

Common Causes of Swimming Pool Accidents

Young children are most often the victims of swimming pool accidents, but adults who are excellent swimmers can also fall victim to swimming pool accidents.
Some common causes of swimming pool accidents include:

• Inadequate barriers allowing children or adults to wander into pool areas
• Pool drain entrapment
• Pool cover entrapment
• Dirty pool making it difficult to get out of the water
• Dirty pool making it difficult to see drowning victims
• Inadequate supervision
• Lifeguard negligence

Responsibility for Swimming Pool Accidents

Swimming pool accidents typically fall under premises liability. An exception would be a swimming pool accident caused by defective parts or equipment which would fall under product liability.

Home owners have a responsibility to put up fences, install alarms, and take other appropriate measures to keep children and adults from wondering into pool areas. Owners of pools which are open to the public have even greater responsibilities to provide adequate supervision and other safety measures.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a swimming pool accident, please call our San Francisco, California accident attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.

Slip and fall accidents fall under an area of law called premises liability. Premises liability holds property owners or those who control a property responsible for maintaining reasonably safe conditions. Slip and fall can cause severe and even fatal injuries such as brain injury. If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident you may be entitled to compensation. Please talk to our San Francisco accident attorneys today.

Conditions Leading to Slip and Fall

Conditions which commonly lead to slip and fall accidents include:

• Slick flooring materials
• Wet floors
• Spills, debris, or other messes which are not removed promptly
• Cleaning solution left on floors
• Lack of warning signs for wet floors and other hazardous conditions
• Unmarked step up or step down
• Unlevel floors
• Uneven stairs
• Damage flooring including torn carpet
• Missing or damaged railings
• Low obstacles
• Failure to remove snow and ice from public property such as sidewalks, or from private property
• Slick mold overgrowth due to failure to maintain a clean environment
• Broken or cracked sidewalks
• Potholes in parking lots or parking garages

Responsible Parties in Slip and Fall

Responsibility for slip and fall typically goes to the property owner or whoever is in control of the property such as a business owner or property manager. Landlords may be held responsible for some conditions leading to slip and fall. Government entities can be held responsible for slip and fall accidents on property they own or are responsible for maintaining.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a slip and fall accident, please call our San Francisco, California premises liability attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.

Motorcycle accidents are more likely to cause severe and fatal injuries than regular auto accidents. They also present some unique challenges for your attorney. Hit and run motorcycle accidents and single vehicle motorcycle accidents are common. When there are witnesses, they are often unreliable. Bikers still face prejudice every step of the way from the scene of the accident to the courtroom. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident you need the help of our San Francisco accident attorneys.

Motorcycle Accident Causes

The cause of your accident points us to the responsible party. Common causes of motorcycle accidents include:

• Drivers who violate the motorcyclist’s right of way
• Defective motorcycle or parts
• Defective roadway

Helmets and Your Right to Compensation

California has some of the toughest helmet laws in the country, but that does not mean you cannot receive compensation for your motorcycle accident if you were not wearing a helmet. Helmets do not prevent accidents, so the person or party who caused your accident can still be held responsible. However, your compensation may be reduced if it is determined that a helmet would have reduced the severity of your injuries.

California’s helmet law is not straightforward. Simply wearing a helmet is not good enough. Your helmet must meet federal safety regulations. Unfortunately, interpretations of the law in court have been in conflict when it comes to how to determine compliance with this aspect of the helmet laws.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, please call our San Francisco, California motorcycle accident attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.

Emergency room error is a type of medical malpractice which can compound your accident injuries making the long-term outcome far worse. Emergency room error can be fatal, even when the initial reason for visiting the hospital was a minor injury or health problem. Victims of emergency room malpractice and their loved ones are often unaware of the error. If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of emergency room malpractice, our San Francisco accident attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Emergency Room Malpractice

Emergency rooms have a legal duty to stabilize patients who have a life-threatening injury or health condition even if they cannot prove their ability to pay. They also have a duty to implement policies and procedures to minimize the chance of errors which can easily happen in the chaotic emergency room environment. Some common emergency room errors include:

• Patient dumping
• Failure to fully evaluate a patient
• Administering sedatives or pain killers to an intoxicated patient
• Delayed diagnosis
• Delayed treatment
• Failure to monitor a patient
• Failure to fully treat a patient
• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose
• Laboratory errors
• Improper reading or test results
• Unsanitary practices and conditions
• Contaminated blood transfusions
• Surgical error
• Releasing a patient without informing them of a dangerous condition or injury
• Releasing a patient without giving them the proper instructions regarding home care or follow-up exams and treatment

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of emergency room error, please call our San Francisco, California emergency room error attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.

Construction sites are dangerous, noisy environments. Heavy equipment, power tools, and the nature of incomplete structures all pose dangers, but safety procedures and safety equipment can minimize the risks. Those in charge of construction sites have a responsibility to maintain safe working conditions and to protect by passers and visitors from harm. If you have been injured in a construction accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Talk to our San Francisco accident attorneys today.

Types of Construction Accidents

• Falls
• Heavy equipment accidents
• Power tool malfunctions
• Nail gun accidents
• Electrocution
• Collapsing scaffolding
• Collapsing building
• Explosions and fires
• Crane accidents
• Welding accidents
• Exposure to asbestos and other toxic dusts
• Harness failure
• Falling objects, tools, and materials
• Exposure to fumes

Construction Accident Victims

Construction workers make up the vast majority of construction accident victims, but other people can be injured or killed in these accidents especially when a construction site is in a heavily populated or high traffic area. Construction accident victims can include:

• Construction workers
• Other workers who are present on the site such as delivery persons or inspectors
• Visitors and guests
• Passersby
• People who work in buildings which are being remodeled, but are not involved in the construction
• Customers of businesses which are being remodeled
• Bystanders
• People in nearby buildings

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a construction accident, please call our San Francisco, California construction accident attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.

A defective children’s product can kill or maim your child. Accidents and injuries caused by these products are rarely isolated cases. Any type of children’s product can be defective, including toys, cribs, and car seats. Some defects, such as those leading to house fires, can injure or kill and entire family, not just the child. If you believe that you child was injured by a defective product, please talk to our San Francisco accident attorneys today.

Injuries Caused by Defective Children’s Products

Defective children’s products can cause accidents which cause severe and obvious immediate injuries. Some defects, such as lead contamination can cause long-term harm to your child that may not be noticeable right away. Injuries caused by defective children’s products can include:

• Strangulation
• Suffocation
• Choking
• Head entrapment
• Amputations
• Eye injuries
• Hearing injury
• Lacerations
• Burns from flammable materials
• Burns from items which get too hot
• Drowning
• Falls
• Lead poisoning

Examples of Children’s Products Which May be Defective

Any type of children’s product has the potential to be defective, but defects are particularly common in items such as:

• Toys
• Cribs
• Car seats
• Baby carriers
• Clothing
• Jewelry
• High chairs
• Playpens
• Baby gates
• Hammocks
• Bunk beds
• Strollers
• Pacifiers
• Bottle warmers
• Tents
• Playground equipment
• Electronics

If your child has been injured or killed by a defective product, you may be entitled to compensation. Taking action can also raise awareness of the defect helping to prevent more injuries and deaths.

If your child has been injured or killed by a defective product, please call our San Francisco, California product liability attorneys or submit an online questionnaire.