Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

Brain injury can result from a variety of events. A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as head injury, happens as the result of physical trauma to the brain. An acquired brain injury (ABI), such as a stroke, does not involve external force. The results of brain damage can be devastating, including long-term paralysis and death. If you or someone close to you has suffered a brain injury as the result of an accident in California, please seek the help of an attorney with experience. Call Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO now for your free and confidential consultation.

Brain Damage General Information
Brain damage occurs when any part of the brain, cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum or brain stem, is injured. The brain injury may be mild, moderate, or severe, and its effects may be physical, emotional, or cognitive. The outcome from a head injury can range from complete recovery, to disability, to death.

Brain or Head Injury Causes
Numerous events and accidents can cause damage to the brain. Motor vehicle accidents are responsible for half of all traumatic brain injuries in people under 75. Falls are the number one cause of traumatic brain injury in those 75 and older. Everyone is at risk. Here is a list of brain damage’s leading causes:

• Car Accidents


• Motorcycle Accidents


• Truck Accidents


• Bus Accidents


• Pedestrian Accidents


• Bicycle Accidents


• Falls, Slips, Trips


• Assault


• Work-Site Accidents, including Construction Site Injury

Brain Injury Symptoms
Following is a list of symptoms indicating traumatic brain damage has occurred. These symptoms may occur immediately after the injury or even days or weeks later. Normally, the worse the symptoms, the worse the injury:

• Brief Loss of Consciousness, at onset of injury
  
• Feeling of Daze or Confusion


• Headache


• Dizziness or Lightheadedness


• Double Vision


• Ear Ringing


• Tiredness


• Bad or Metallic Taste in Mouth


• Problems with coordination, concentration, or memory


• Vomiting, Nausea


• Seizures


• Slurred Speech


• Personality Change


• Weakness in Extremities


• Death

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms and believe you have experienced a brain injury, seek prompt medical attention.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to an accident, please contact an experienced lawyer immediately. If you are in California, call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776). We will provide you with a free and private consultation to help apprise you of your rights and seek justice for your injury. Please call us now.

If you or a loved one has been injured in Pomona, California, call us at the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP now for a free consultation!

Ventura County residents are at risk every day for accidents and injury on Southern California’s numerous and dangerous roads. Crashes involving cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, trains and pedestrians are all too commonplace. Have you or a loved one been injured or killed in a Ventura County accident? Are you unsure as to who is at fault for your injuries? Let an experienced Law Team do the thinking and working for you.

Greenberg & Rudman LLP is a California Law Firm with over 50 years combined experience in fighting for the rights of the injured. We seek justice for you in your time of need. Not all victims are aware of their rights or status, and we can help you assess you rights and losses, now matter where or how you were hurt.

To make things easier for you during this painful time, we offer a free and confidential consultation when you call 1-800-ALAWPRO. And, we do not charge you a cent until a recovery is won for you. We will even come to your apartment, house or hospital room to sign you up. Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Call us now if you live in Ventura County.

Major Cities and Towns in Ventura County

• Oxnard: 188,849 residents


• Thousand Oaks: 127,112 residents


• Simi Valley: 121,427 residents


• Ventura (Buenaventura): 106,096 residents


• Camarillo: 62,739 residents


• Moorpark: 35,908 residents


• Santa Paula: 29,281 residents


• Port Hueneme: 22,445 residents


• Fillmore: 15,222 residents


• Ojai: 8,153 residents

Ventura County Towns & Communities with Smaller Populations

• Barsdale


• Bell Canyon


• Casa Conejo


• Channel Islands Beach


• El Rio


• Faria Beach


• La Conchita


• Lockwood Valley


• Meiners Oaks


• Mira Monte


• Newbury Park


• Oak Park


• Oak View


• Piru


• Point Mugu


• Saticoy


• Somis

In March of this year, Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, agreed to pay a settlement to the state of Alaska for causing resident patients to develop diabetes. As mentioned in previous blogs, Zyprexa (olzanapine) is an anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Since 2002, reports of Zyprexa causing diabetes, severe weigh gain, high cholesterol, and other problems surfaced. Since last year, Lilly has paid out over $1 billion to individuals suffering the adverse side effects of Zyprexa.

The settlement in the Alaska case came just 3 weeks after the start of the trial. Alaska is home to only 670,000 people, and the large payout is a surprise. Other states are seeking claims against the Zyprexa maker in order to recover money for its residents’ Medicaid bills.

Sales of Zyprexa were $4.8 billion in 2007, and over 23 million people have taken Zyprexa since its original FDA approval in 1996. In the trial, prosecutors contended that Eli Lilly downplayed Zyprexa’s risks to protect sales. Evidence also suggested that the drug-maker encouraged the prescribing of Zyprexa for ailments other than what the FDA had approved. Lilly admitted no wrongdoing.

Click here to read the joint statement released by Eli Lilly and the state of Alaska.

If you or a loved one has suffered side effects after taking Zyprexa, you need the help of a lawyer now. In California, contact the law offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free and confidential information session now. Let us help you understand your rights and seek the justice you deserve. Don’t hesitate to call 1-800-ALAWPRO now.

Riverside County and the Inland Empire are ever-growing regions of California. Unfortunately more people and more progress can translate to more injuries and accidents. Have you been injured in an accident or as the result of negligence? You may not even know you are a victim. At Greenberg & Rudman LLP, our job is to seek justice for the injured in California. Whether you’ve been in a car accident or motorcycle accident, or injured on the job or in a public place, we are here to help you now.

Many times, a person is injured and does not know that they may be entitled to compensation for their suffering. If you call 1-800-ALAWPRO, the Law Team at Greenberg & Rudman LLP will provide you with a free consultation to help assess your rights and needs. We take no payment from you until you are awarded a recovery for your losses. Let us do the worrying and thinking for you during this traumatic time. We will even come to your house or hospital room to sign you up.

If you live in Riverside County, help is around the corner. Call us now if you live in one of these California locations:

• Riverside: 287,820 residents


• Moreno Valley: 174,565 residents


• Corona: 144,661 residents


• Temecula: 93,923 residents


• Murrieta: 92,933 residents


• Indio: 71,654 residents


• Hemet: 69,544 residents


• Cathedral City: 51, 081 residents


• Palm Desert: 49,539 residents


• Perris: 47, 139 residents


• Palm Springs: 46,437 residents


• Lake Elsinore: 40,985 residents


• La Quinta: 38,340 residents


• Coachella: 35,207 residents


• San Jacinto: 31,066 residents


• Banning: 28,272 residents


• Beaumont: 28,250 residents


• Norco: 27,262 residents


• Blythe: 22,178 residents


• Desert Hot Springs: 22,011 residents


• Rancho Mirage: 16,672 residents


• Canyon Lake: 10,939 residents


• Calimesa: 7,415 residents


• Indian Wells: 4,865 residents

This week, U.S. News and World Report offered new information about yet more adverse Avandia side effects. According to the magazine, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in April this year shows that long-term use of Avandia and other thizaolidinediones can lead to increased risk for fractures or bone breaks.

Avandia (rosiglitazone) is a drug made by GlaxoSmithKline and used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Avandia has been shown to be linked to an increased risk of heart attack, other heart problems, and death, and as a result now possesses an FDA black box warning which advises patients and professionals as to its deadly risks.

According to the article 3 to 5 million people take Avandia. This new study showed that Avandia can “more than double the risk of fractures.” The most commonly associated bone breaks with drug usage were hip fractures and wrist fractures, with the frequency of fractures rising with the level of dosage. People taking Avandia for 2 years or more had the highest rate of sustaining a break, and those taking it for one year to 18 months also had a heightened risk. Men and women were found to be equally at risk.

The manufacturer responded by stating that fractures are listed “on our label,” and that a “dear doctor” letter had been sent to professionals. Other experts contend that the benefits of the drug continue to outweigh the risks for most patients, while agreeing that patients at risk for severe bone breaks should consider alternatives.

Have you or a family member suffered adverse effects or death from taking Avandia in California? If so, you need the help of a seasoned law firm. The team at Greenberg & Rudman LLP has over 50 years combined experience in taking on the rights of the injured. Please call us now at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for your free consultation and learn what we can do to help you.

Small cars are becoming more popular due to higher gas prices and heightened environmental awareness. But even though these tiny autos might be more prudent, they are consistently shown to be less safe. Size does matter when it comes to car crashes, and tests results for smaller cars can be misleading. If you have been injured in a car accident in California, please contact an experienced lawyer for help immediately.

Despite many changes and additions to small cars, statistics show that they are fatally more dangerous than mid-sized or larger automobiles. Fatality rates for small car passengers are constantly higher than those for large ones. Crash victims in smaller cars are 51% more likely to die in their accident.

Specialized safety mechanisms and design cannot outweigh simple physics. The weight and size of smaller cars continues to be the most important factor in safety, or lack thereof. The differences in weight are astounding; in some cases small cars can be outweighed by three times their size. Mini cars weigh anywhere from 1800 to 2500 pounds. Larger SUV’s by comparison weigh 3300 to 5500 pounds or more.

Tests results from experiments performed by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) can be misleading. Due to the way the tests are conducted, frontal-impact crash tests enacted on small cars only provide for information regarding a collision with a car of equal size. Therefore, a good rating in head-on crash tests is a good rating only if the crash impact is with a car of similar weigh and size. Alternatively, test ratings for side-impact collisions are representative for a collision with any sized car.

If you or a family member has been injured in a car accident in California, contact a local attorney for help. Please call the Law Team at Greenberg & Rudman LLP toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation about your rights. Let us fight for you in this time of need. Call us now.

The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult parts of life. The pain can be even more agonizing if the death was not a natural one. Wrongful death is a legal claim against a person, persons, or organization for the death of another. Usually a wrongful death claim is sought by close relatives of the deceased. When some dies as the result of an accident, negligence, or error, it may be considered a wrongful death by law, even if there was no intent to kill. If you believe you have suffered the wrongful death of a loved one in California, please call an experienced lawyer immediately. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP offers a free consultation at 1-800-ALAWPRO to help you in your time of need.

Many circumstances can lead to wrongful death, but it is not the family’s job to understand all the legal definitions of or requirements for a wrongful death claim. During this terrible time, let us do the work and worrying for you. If you suspect that negligence or wrongdoing played a part in the death of your family member, let us help you now.

Here is a list of some instances where a wrongful death may have occurred:

• Car, Motorcycle Accident, Truck Accident, or Bus Accident


• Drunk Driving Accident


• Pedestrian Accident


• Hit and Run Accident


• Work-Related Exposure to Dangerous or Defective Conditions or Substances


• Death as the Result of Dangerous Premises or Defective Products


• Medical Mistakes, including Malpractice and Pharmaceutical-Related Death


• Fire


• Swimming Pool Drowning


• Elderly Death as the Result of Neglect or Abuse


• Animal Attack


• Airplane Crash


• Catastrophic or Mass Disaster


• Criminal Attack, including Shooting or Stabbing

If you have lost a loved one from any of the above-listed circumstances or other accidental causes in California, please call us. The Law Team at Greenberg & Rudman LLP offers 50 years combined experience in helping loved ones seek justice for the deceased. Call us toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776). We are here to help you now.

Living in Southern California doesn’t always mean sunshine and beaches. Orange County roads and freeways can be dangerous, and whatever kind of crash you have been in: rear end, side impact, rollover, or even hit-and-run, you may be entitled to compensation for your loss. If you have been injured in an accident, you need serious help from serious lawyers. Greenberg & Rudman LLP is the Law Firm to help you through this difficult time.

At the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP, we offer over 50 years combined experience in fighting for the rights of the injured in California. Orange County is no exception. When you call us at 1-800-ALAWPRO we will arrange a free and confidential consultation. Once we take on your case we will not charge you a cent unless a recovery is won. We’ll do all the work; all you need to is call. We’ll even come to you to sign you up!

Get the law on your side. Contact Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO if you are a resident of one of these Orange County locations:

Santa Ana: Pop. 351,697

Anaheim: Pop. 345, 317

Huntington Beach: Pop. 200,763

Irvine: Pop. 180.803

Garden Grove: Pop. 172,042

Orange: Pop. 137,751

Fullerton: Pop. 135,672

Costa Mesa: Pop. 113,440

Mission Viejo: Pop. 98,197

Westminster: Pop. 92,270

Newport Beach: Pop. 83,120

Buena Park: Pop. 81,066

Lake Forest: Pop. 78,020

Tustin: Pop. 70,871

Laguna Niguel: Pop. 66,126

Yorba Linda: Pop. 65,621

San Clemente: Pop. 65, 338

La Habra: Pop. 61,771

Fountain Valley: Pop. 57,353

Placentia: Pop. 50,323

Rancho Santa Margarita: Pop. 49,249

Cypress: Pop. 48,863

Aliso Viejo: Pop. 45,017

Brea: Pop. 39, 584

Stanton: Pop. 38,812

Dana Point: Pop. 36,765

San Juan Capistrano: Pop. 36,078

Laguna Hills: Pop. 33,253

Seal Beach: Pop. 25,334

Laguna Beach: Pop. 24,969

Laguna Woods: Pop. 18,371

La Palma: Pop. 16,112

Los Alamitos: Pop. 12,003

Villa Park: Pop. 6,230

Unincorporated Areas of Orange County: Pop. 118,664

The New York Times has reported that escalator-related injuries to elderly riders are on an alarming rise. People over 65 are more active than ever, but that should not mean that their outings are more dangerous. An injury on an escalator is usually the result of a slip, trip or fall, and injuries can be long-lasting and debilitating. Especially crowded boarding and exiting areas as well faulty machinery can increase the risk of accidents. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an escalator accident in California, please contact an attorney immediately to learn your rights.

A recent study found that from 1991 to 2005, almost 40,000 elderly were injured on escalators. The yearly escalator-injury rate for that time period was 2660 accidents per year. Frighteningly, the rate is more than double what it was in previous years.

Most of the reported injuries (85%) were caused by slips and falls. Hospitalization was required in numerous occasions, in most cases for broken bones. And women were hurt nearly twice as often as men. Experts urge that all riders, especially elderly ones, use caution when riding escalators.

Escalator Accident Involving Elderly - Location of Injury:
Injuries to the following areas were reported. They are listed in order of injury frequency:

• Hips, Legs or Feet


• Head


• Shoulders/Torso


• Arms/Hands

Elderly Escalator-Related Accident - Type of Injury:
While almost never fatal, damage caused by slipping or falling on an escalator can be painful and require extensive recovery. Here are the most commonly reported injuries:

• Concussion or other Head Injury


• Broken Bones, including hips, legs, wrists, and arms


• Soft Tissue Damage, such as a muscle sprain or strain


• Skin Lacerations, which can be deep depending on the location and severity of the fall

If you or a loved on has been injured in an escalator accident, please contact an experienced attorney for help. The Law Offices of Greenberg and Rudman LLP have over 50 years combined experience fighting for your rights. Please call us toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free and confidential consultation. We will come to your hospital room to sign you up.

A frightening new analysis by Gannet New Service shows that motorcycle fatalities are on the rise at a staggering rate, and the victims are getting older. The results point to the weakening of helmet laws across the country and a new trend in motorcycles for middle-aged men. Bike crashes account for a disproportionately high number of traffic accident deaths. While California maintains helmet laws, hundreds of motorcyclists continue to be killed in crashes. If you or a loved on has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident in California, please call an attorney to help you understand your rights.

After 1995, many states began to roll back their helmet safety laws, with some requiring helmets for certain ages only, and other states eradicating helmet requirements altogether. In what some see as a direct result of weakening laws, the number of motorcycle fatalities from 1996-2006 rose from 2116 to 4810 deaths, more than doubling. All other vehicle accident fatalities decreased during that period.

In a strange twist, a fashionable, new trend in middle-aged biking has resulted in a large number of motorcycles accidents and fatalities in the 40-plus crowd. Experts state that this development is cause for alarm, since age can result in drivers having shorter reaction time and less physical dexterity.

Following are some statistics highlighting the dangerous and deadly risks motorcyclist take while on the road.

• Motorcycles comprise 2% of motor vehicles on the road, but account for 10% of traffic fatalities


• 90% of all motorcycle riders who are killed are men.


• For all motorcyclists killed, 42% of riders are not wearing helmets.


• Half of the bikers who died in 2006 were 40 or older, with 25% who were 50+. The average age for motorcycle death was 38.


• 50% of rider fatalities from 2002-06 occurred without impact to another vehicle, but rather from loss of control


• Once nearly every state required helmets for all motorcyclists. Today, only 20 states have such laws.

If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle-related accident, you should seek the advice of an experienced law team. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP offer 50 years combined experience in injury law. Please call us toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation. You deserve justice. Call us now, and let us help fight for you.

Pedestrians are at high risk for injury in California. A disproportionate number of traffic accidents involve pedestrians, often resulting in severe injury or death. Southern California’s Beverly Hills has 35,000 residents, but its businesses, fame and popularity increase the daytime population to over four times that size. More people in the city mean more people on the road, and sadly more accidents involving walkers and moving vehicles. As a result, the city was prompted to take serious safety measures to protect its on foot residents and visitors at selected intersections. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident in Beverly Hills or California, please contact an experienced attorney for help.

Due to Beverly Hills’ increased daytime population, the city incurs higher rates of foot and road traffic, especially in its “business triangle” area on and around Brighton and Dayton streets. Until recently, the city experienced more pedestrian accidents as a result of the increased traffic in its busiest intersections. Walker-related accidents accounted for 11%-31% of all reported traffic accidents prior to 1996. Then, in an innovative new measure, the city implemented pedestrian-only intersections whereby traffic signals allow pedestrians to cross unimpeded by oncoming traffic in any direction. These new intersections include the permission of diagonal pedestrian crossing as well, providing a safer and more pleasant walking experience.

Studies showed over time that these kinds of exclusive pedestrian crossings not only allowed for the smooth flow of foot and auto traffic, but also greatly reduced the risk of pedestrian-related accidents, especially when compared to similar intersections where the new crossings were not implemented. At those unchanged intersections, the rate of pedestrian versus motor vehicle accidents was even seen to increase.

If you or a family member has been injured in an accident in California, please contact a lawyer for help. Call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation, and let us help you understand your rights. We are here for you, so please call us now.