Alameda Personal Injury Law Blog

Why truck driver fatigue is a bigger problem at night

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, December 13, 2018.

Truck driver fatigue is a problem on the roads in Alameda County, particularly on the interstates and other major highways that are busy commercial delivery routes. According to one government statistic, over 13 percent, more than 1 in 10, drivers involved in a crash were considered fatigued.

Interestingly, incidents of truck driver fatigue occur more often at night, especially after midnight in the early morning hours, and in the mid-afternoon, between 2 and 4. In fact, some research has shown that the time of day in which a driver is operating may be more significant with respect to truck driver fatigue than how long the driver has been on the road.

Legal BAC limit lower for commercial truckers

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

Many people in the Bay Area probably know that a person who operates a vehicle when their blood alcohol content is over .08 is running the risk of serious penalties. For the average driver, .08 is considered legally drunk in California, and someone who chooses to drive while drunk may face a criminal charge. And, if they cause an accident, they may be held financially accountable to those who suffer injuries.

However, perhaps because they are driving large, complicated vehicles, commercial truckers are considered over the limit if their blood alcohol content exceeds .04 while they are traveling in a commercial vehicle. If drivers break this rule, they may at a minimum be putting their right to driver commercial vehicles at risk.

We pursue liability claims for inadequate security

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Premises Liability on Thursday, November 29, 2018.

In previous posts, this blog has discussed how our law firm can represent those who get hurt on the property of others. Generally speaking, property owners in California, such as business owners, hotels and lodging facilities and even landlords, have an obligation to keep those who come on their property safe.

This duty requires a property owner to keep their premises clean, in good repair and free of dangerous inanimate obstacles. However, property owners in California also have an obligation to keep guests free from criminal activity like physical or sexual assaults.

Several scooters recalled for safety reasons

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Brain Injury on Thursday, November 22, 2018.

A previous post on this blog talked about how the electric scooters that are so popular on the streets of the greater Bay Area and throughout Northern California can be hazardous. Shortly after that post, news came out that Lime, one of the distributers of these devices, was pulling several of the vehicles, of two different model types, from the streets.

There were two separate concerns with respect to these two model types. With respect to one, the batteries that supply the electric power to the scooter have a tendency to spark and catch fire, especially if the outer casing which holds them gets damaged.

Highway driving, commercial vehicles and avoiding trouble

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC on Monday, November 19, 2018.

When you drive on the highways throughout the state of California, you're always in close proximity to commercial trucks. Regardless of the time of day or road you're traveling on, there's no way of avoiding these large vehicles as they transport goods and keep our system of commerce functioning robustly.

The best thing you can do is learn how to share the road with commercial trucks. By doing this, you lessen the likelihood of being part of an accident. However, there is no way to guarantee your safety, as you never know if another driver will make a mistake.

What are the common causes of brain injuries?

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Brain Injury on Thursday, November 15, 2018.

Many residents of Alameda County and the greater Bay Area in California probably already know that a brain injury is a very serious matter. This blog has even discussed how even a so-called minor brain injury can have serious and irreversible consequences. Consequences that can cost a person his livelihood and even, to some extent, their ability to function.

Although car accidents are a common cause of brain injuries, brain trauma can happen after other types of accidents as well. For instance, a fall, even from a short distance, can cause a traumatic brain injury. This is so, particularly, with respect to children and the elderly. But, depending on the falling distance, the way the victim landed and other factors, anybody can suffer a brain injury from a fall.

Electric scooters posing dangers on the sidewalks

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Brain Injury on Thursday, November 8, 2018.

As their distributors got their start in California, many residents of the greater Bay Area have probably seen lots of people going from one place to another on one of the many electric scooters operated by a handful of now wildly successful startup companies. These scooters are supposed to be a clean and convenient way for pedestrians to get short distances without having to hail public transportation, drive their car or haul around their bicycles.

However, a recent lawsuit filed in this state cast this new mode of transportation in a bit of a darker light. The lawsuit is a class action, meaning that, if approved, several people who have been hurt as a result of these scooters will be allowed to collectively sue those companies that put them on the streets of Alameda County and other locations.

Pickup, motorcycle involved in fatal crash near I-580

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Wrongful Death on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

A collision between a motorcycle and a pickup truck on a road in the rural part of Alameda County left one person dead and another person injured. Initial reports about the accident were rather sketchy on details, but the accident did result in the closure of the road, which travels parallel to Interstate 580, while law enforcement officers investigated.

The first reports were that as a result of the late afternoon accident, the motorcycle wound up in a ditch and the pickup landed in a separate ravine that was off of the road. Initial reports were that the motorcyclist died and the driver of the pickup had to be transported to a nearby hospital after suffering injuries authorities described as serious.

Recreational marijuana cab increase number of car accidents

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, October 25, 2018.

California recently joined its sister states on the West Coast, as well as a handful of other states in the country, in allowing for the legal use of marijuana amongst adults. No matter how one feels about whether this is a positive policy move or ill-advised decision, this social change is going to present new challenges with respect to traffic safety, particularly now that this drug is legal in the state with the largest population.

According to studies that have been summarized in media reports, recreational marijuana has fortunately not had a short-term effect on the number of fatalities on the road. However, the overall number of car accidents is up in states where the drug is legal for all purposes. Specifically, depending on which study one looks at, accidents tend to increase by 5 to 6 percent in states where marijuana use is legal.

Interstate 5 is one of the more dangerous highways

On behalf of Law Offices of Leonard S. Becker, APC posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

One of the most famous highways in California, perhaps second only to the famous Pacific Coast Highway, is Interstate 5. This freeway passes through several major California centers as it effectively bisects the state lengthwise on its way from the Mexican border all the way up to close to Canada.

While not passing directly through the Bay Area, there is no doubt many of locals have to take this interstate when doing any sort of traveling over longer distances.