Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

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

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Posted In: CAR ACCIDENT , PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY , WRONGFUL DEATH

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Nail gun injuries are rising and these tools are unsafe and poorly regulated according to a report by The Sacramento Bee. Victims of nail gun injuries have filed and won many lawsuits against both nail gun manufacturers and construction companies for wrongful death, negligence and faulty product production. Approximately 42,000 people are hurt in nailgun accidents each year. In California, about 500 nail gun work-related injuries are reported annually. Professionals and novices are at risk. If you or a loved one has been injured by a nail gun in California, please consult an attorney immediately. Call us now for your free-consultation.

Nail Gun Equipment Information
Nail guns are made by multiple manufacturers and are used at a variety of sites. The nail gun's function is to aid building construction by firing nails propelled by compressed air, also known as pneumatic firing. Nail-gunned nails can travel up to 490 feet per second and fire rapidly, up to 30 nails per minute. Nail guns are extremely powerful. In one incident, a nail killed a worker after traveling 27 feet.

Contact-Tip Mode: A special feature, known as "contact tip", provides an automatic mode by which nails are fired whenever they make contact with any surface, including the human body, once the trigger is pulled. Nail guns in contact tip mode appear to be responsible for the majority of nail gun injury incidents.

Nail Gun Dangers
The newspaper reports that safety regulation and labor agencies are not doing enough to address the dangers of nail guns. Dangers of nail guns include:

• hazardous design, specifically:
  *automatic or "contact tip" mode
  *trigger location


• improper training at work sites


• insufficient safety precautions supplied by employers, including safety goggles or shields


• poor availability of consumer safety information at rental and retailing establishments

Doctors, engineers and safety commissions are all urging the modification of nail gun design, the restriction of nail gun usage, and in some cases, an all out nail gun ban. Most arguments against nail guns are against the "contact tip" or automatic mode. Research indicates that up to 75% of nail gun injuries are the result of automatic firing.

Nail Gun Injuries
Nail guns have become increasingly popular in the past 10 years, and as a result, nail gun injuries have increased three-fold in the past decade. Injuries from nail guns can range from mild to severe. Injuries sustained from nail gun accidents are more common and costly than those from manually and mechanically operated saws and sanders. Commonly, nail gun accidents resulting nails entering hands, eyes, heads and chests. Reports exist of:

• fingers being nailed together


• eyes impalement


• partial and complete paralysis, from nails entering the spinal cord

death, from nail entering the brain, heart or severing arteries

Nail Gun Injury Victims
Victims of nail gun injuries vary in background. Those frequently injured are:

• People doing home improvements


• New construction workers


• Non-union carpenters


• Bystanders and Passersby, including those in neighboring buildings or rooms, or those who are driving or walking by a worksite
  550 people are injured each year in this fashion

If you or someone close to you has been injured with a nail gun in California, please contact an experience attorney to help you learn your rights. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP have over 50 years combined experience in personal injury law. Please call us toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a private consultation. Let us help you during this difficult time. Call us now.

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Posted In: PRODUCT LIABILITY , WRONGFUL DEATH

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The fourth largest city in California, Santa Clarita is home to over 177,000 residents and ranked #18 in its Money magazine’s “Top Places to Live” list. However, unexpected accidents can happen anywhere and finding the right attorney is important when damages and injuries are involved. Before selecting an attorney, you should know what to expect as far as expenditures go:

• In the state of California, it costs over $300 to file a lawsuit


• Stenographers hired to record the testimony taken during depositions cost approximately $1,000


• In some cases, private investigators must be hired


• Other administration costs such as mailing, long-distance telephone calls, and messengers also add up quickly


• Expert witnesses needed for technical subject matters are extremely costly


• If a case actually goes to trial, tens of thousands of dollars can easily be spent

If you are like the average individual, you may not have or want to front all of these costs up front, especially if a successful outcome is not guaranteed. The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP are so confident in their ability to help you recover that they will front all expenses associated with the lawsuit. In fact, they only recoup the costs if they are able to collect money on your behalf. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an automobile accident, tort injury, work-related incident, or on the premises of another entity, the experienced attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP are the professionals for you. Call 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) now for a free consultation.

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Posted In: PRODUCT LIABILITY , SLIP & FALL

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If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury in Pomona, California, it is important that you seek the guidance of experienced legal professionals to help you understand your rights and remedies. The lawyers at the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP have experience in the following practice areas:

• Motor vehicle (car, truck, bus) accidents


• Premises liability (slip & fall, trip & fall, workplace & construction injuries)


• Dog bites and animal attacks


• Defective products


• Pharmaceutical injury and medical malpractice


• Toxic, environmental torts


• Injuries such as burn, spinal cord, brain, broken bones, back pain

In addition to over 50 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys have successfully collected over $150 million for our clients. More importantly, we advance all costs so that you don’t have to pay a dime until we first collect money for you. If you think that you have suffered injury at the wrong of others, call now so that we can give you a personal assessment of your situation. We’ll even come to your home or medical room to sign you up. Call 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9766) now. We’ll do what it takes to help you through this difficult time.

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Posted In: BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURY , BURN INJURY , BUS ACCIDENT , CAR ACCIDENT , DOG BITE , INSURANCE BAD FAITH , MEDICAL MALPRACTICE , MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT , MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT , OTHER COMMON INJURIES , PHARMACEUTICAL , PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY , SLIP & FALL , TRUCKING ACCIDENT , WRONGFUL DEATH

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Have you been the victim of an accident or injury in Oxnard, CA? Oxnard is the largest city in Ventura County, California in terms of population and with nearly 200,000 residents, accidents are bound to happen. If you or a loved one has suffered any type of personal injury including bodily harm, emotional distress, disease or sickness as the result of another person’s negligence, you need to consult with an experienced and respected California injury attorney immediately. We will protect your legal rights and fight for the compensation and damages you deserve.

Sometimes when a person is hurt, especially in a car accident or in a public area, they may not be at fault. Learn if you have been a victim of someone else’s neglect. You may be entitled to payment for your suffering. We are trial attorneys with 50 years combined experience and millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.

Let us help you. If you have been injured in California, please call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free legal consultation regarding your rights. We will come straight to your hospital room to sign you up.

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Posted In: BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURY , BURN INJURY , BUS ACCIDENT , CAR ACCIDENT , DOG BITE , MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT , MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT , PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY , SLIP & FALL , TRUCKING ACCIDENT , WRONGFUL DEATH

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If you have been hurt by a motor vehicle accident, slip or fall, faulty product, dog bite or negligence in San Fernando Valley, CA, we can help you. As personal injury attorneys, representing individuals who are victims of accidents is our specialty. Whether a car accident or construction accident, negligent maintenance or product liability, we know your rights and understand your physical or emotional injury. We are experienced and dedicated personal injury lawyers, and our outstanding results include numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.

If you or a loved one has been injured by the negligence or wrongdoing of another in California, you need assistance from successful and knowledgeable injury lawyers. Please call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) today for a free and confidential consultation. We will come to your house or hospital room to sign you up. We’re here to help.

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Posted In: BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURY , BURN INJURY , BUS ACCIDENT , CAR ACCIDENT , DOG BITE , MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT , MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT , PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY , SLIP & FALL , TRUCKING ACCIDENT , WRONGFUL DEATH

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A woman has sued Six Flags Texas and an attraction manufacturer for back pain and neck injuries she received in a park accident in 2006. Her lawsuit charges the theme park with negligence in the operation and maintenance of the ride which includes spinning participants in swing-like chairs. Injuries suffered by nine park-goers included bruising, back strain and neck strain. The lawsuit also claims product defect and “operator error.”

The accident occurred when mechanical bearings responsible for spinning the ride malfunctioned. In response, the operator deployed the emergency safety mechanism causing the ride to stop and abruptly lower the chairs and patrons inside. This movement caused the riders knock into each other, resulting in neck injury, back injury and bruising. One person was taken to a hospital for back pain.

The lawsuit claims the ride is “defective and dangerous.” Lawyers for the claimant said that the park had mistreated their client, stating she “couldn't get any cooperation from them, so she felt this was her last recourse.”

Have you or a loved one been suffered a back or neck injury in an accident in California? Are you the victim of negligence or product liability? Let an experienced attorney help you know your rights. Please call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation. We will come to your hospital room.

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Posted In: BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURY , OTHER COMMON INJURIES , PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY

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Ventura County is the home to over 750,000 people. Each year in California, thousands of innocent people are the victims of accidents involving negligence. If you have been injured as the result of a car accident, a negligent product, or dangerous public or work premises, you may be entitled to receive damages for your suffering. Accidents can cause serious emotional and physical pain, and we are here to help you through this difficult time.

The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP are an experienced and respected Southern California law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of people injured through the negligence of others. With an extensive record of trial and settlement success, we know how to represent your needs and fight for your rights.

If you or a family member has been injured by the negligence of another in California, let a personal injury attorney help. Please call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) today for a free and confidential consultation. We’re here for you.

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Posted In: BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURY , BURN INJURY , BUS ACCIDENT , CAR ACCIDENT , DOG BITE , MEDICAL MALPRACTICE , MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT , MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT , PHARMACEUTICAL , PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY , SLIP & FALL , TRUCKING ACCIDENT , WRONGFUL DEATH

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Automobile owners in Los Angeles, California and across the nation are being urged by the federal government to respond to a product recall that covers Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pickup trucks, vans, and passenger cars. Ford issued the recall in 1999 in response to hundreds of complaints and dozens of lawsuits after faulty cruise control systems caused engines to catch on fire, even after the vehicles were turned off.

Nearly ten years after the recall, Ford Motor Company still faces over 100 lawsuits as a result of their defective product. In addition to severe burn injuries, three wrongful deaths have been linked to engine fires caused by the faulty electric cruise control system. Furthermore, the NHTSA has received approximately 60 complaints since August 2007 on this problem.

Although 9.6 million vehicles have been recalled, only a little over half of them have been fixed. Worried about the outstanding 4.6 million automobiles with defective wiring systems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued consumer advisory warnings to owners of these vehicles. It appears, however, that Ford is struggling to produce enough replacement parts for this recall. As a temporary solution, vehicle owners can have their local service dealership disconnect the cruise control switches until replacement parts are in full supply. Owners who opt for this interim solution will not have to leave their vehicles at the dealership or make an appointment. A representative from the Ford Motor Company says that there should be an “ample supply” of replacement parts by June.

The recall covers cars as old as 1992 and as new as 2003. To check to see whether your SUV, truck, or car is affected by this recall, please refer to a full list published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm.)

If you were the victim of this product recall and have suffered injury or damages from an engine fire in California, we are here to help you. Please call 1-800-ALAWPRO to speak to an experienced legal expert at the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP. We are here to help you recover.

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Posted In: BURN INJURY , CAR ACCIDENT , MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT , PRODUCT LIABILITY , TRUCKING ACCIDENT , WRONGFUL DEATH

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The Supreme Court in Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc. recently denied a man an award for damages when his balloon catheter ruptured during heart surgery due to over-inflation. The man sued the manufacturer of the catheter, alleging that the device violated New York state law and that the defective product caused him to suffer from severe and permanent injuries. After hearing the facts, the Supreme Court found that the federal Medical Device Act prevented the man from seeking remedies based on his state common law claims of strict liability, breach of implied warranty and negligence.

The Medical Device Act bars a State from establishing any requirements that are 1) different from or in addition to any federal requirements which 2) relate to the safety and effectiveness of a medical device. The purpose of the Act is to provide federal oversight to the introduction of new medical devices. The Act categorizes devices into three categories, with more federal oversight regulating the most complex of the devices. Class I, which include items such as bandages or examination gloves, is subject to the lowest level of oversight. Examples of devices that fall within Class II are powered wheelchairs or surgical drapes. Class III devices, which include replacement heart valves and pacemaker pulse generators, are those that are purported to be used for sustaining human life, that significantly prevent impairment of human health, or that present a potential unreasonable risk of illness and injury. Class III devices are subject to the most federal oversight. According to the Act, medical equipment manufacturers cannot market or make changes to Class III devices without FDA approval.

In determining whether to grant pre-market approval, the FDA applies a balancing test that weighs the probable health benefit against the probable risk of injury or illness. Thus, a device that has the potential to cause injury could still be approved if the FDA determines that its benefits significantly outweigh that risk.

In the case at hand, doctors inserted the Evergreen Balloon Catheter into the patient’s coronary artery in attempt to dilate it. Despite the manufacturer’s warnings not to use the device in patients with a heavily calcified coronary artery and to refrain from over-inflating it past its rated burst pressure, doctors did both of those actions. As a result, the patient suffered a heart block, was placed on life support, and underwent an emergency coronary bypass surgery. In response, the man brought a suit against Medtronic, claiming that its catheter was designed, labeled, and manufactured in violation of NY state law. The Supreme Court found that the Medtronics catheter in question complied with Class III pre-market approval requirements of the FDA. As a result, the Court held that the man was pre-empted from bringing any state law claims because in doing so, it would impose additional requirements expressly prohibited by the Medical Devices Act.

While this case imposes some limitation on an individual’s ability to recover from damages sustained in medical injury case, the Court left open several issues. First, the case only applies to medical devices and doesn’t include approved drugs. Additionally, the Court only addresses the impacts of the Medical Device Act on Class III devices. Finally, the case only applies to devices that have met the federal requirements. Devices that are not in compliance with regulations are still subject to claims of strict liability.

If you or someone close to you has been injured by a malfunctioning medical device, you may still be able to recover. The laws on medical malpractice and product liability are complex, but we are here to help. If you have been injured in the state of California due to a malfunctioning device, please call us at The Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776) for a free consultation regarding your rights.

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Posted In: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE , PRODUCT LIABILITY

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A Compton, California jury recently awarded $30 million to ten construction workers and two spouses for injury and damages resulting from a workplace roof collapse of a tank constructed for the Sanitation District of Los Angeles County. When the roof collapsed, several workers plummeted six floors into the bottom of the tank filled with rebar, metal, and wet concrete. Several others were left hanging 50 feet above the ground until help arrived. The occupational accident left several of the construction workers severely injured.

The construction workers sued the manufacturer and installer of the shoring and scaffolding material on claims of negligence, strict products liability, and product liability negligence. After reviewing the facts of the case, a jury deemed the manufacturer, Harsco Corp. 75 percent liable for providing damaged and inadequate shoring material. The jury also found DYK liable for negligently erecting the shoring and scaffolding material.

In 2006, there were nearly 49,000 nonfatal injuries and illnesses among California construction workers, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. In 2005, 102 fatalities resulted from construction accidents, falls, or exposure to harmful substances. In the state of California, there are nearly 940,000 Californians employed in the construction industry.

If you have suffered from a construction or workplace-related injury and live in the state of California, please call the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP for a free consultation about your rights. We are experienced personal injury attorneys who can help you recover from your injuries.

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Posted In: PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY

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We recently settled a wrongful death case where our client's husband was electrocuted when he plugged in a defective product he purchased from a second hand store, into an incorrectly wired electrical outlet that was in the home he was renting in the San Fernando Valley, County of Los Angeles, California.

In addition to her wrongful death claim, our client had a claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress damages because she witnessed the horrific event.

We sued the manufacturer of the defective ultrasonic cleaning product and the store that sold it for product liability as well as the owner of the rental home for negligence and premises liability.

We hired a well known professor of Electrical Power Engineering from a prestigious university to inspect the ultrasonic cleaner and the electrical outlet that it was plugged into. This expert concluded that the electrocution occurred because the electrical outlet was reversed wired, and the ultrasonic cleaner contained an interior exposed wire which came in contact with the metal casing of the product. These factors combined to electrically charge the outside of the product, causing our client's husband to die by electrocution when he picked it up.

The homeowner, who we proved hired a handyman who negligently wired the electrical outlet, had a homeowner's insurance policy for $300,000. We were successful in forcing the insurance company to pay the entire policy to settle the case. We also collected a significant sum of money from the manufacturer and seller of the product.

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Posted In: PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY , WRONGFUL DEATH

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Los Angeles, California. Work place accidents cause hundreds of thousands of injuries ever year, some of them serious. If you have been in a serious accident at work, you should contact a lawyer to learn about your rights. Our client was working in Los Angeles, California on a machine that came down on his hand and amputated three of his fingers. Employers in California usually cannot be sued for negligence by their employees under Workers Compensation for injuries that occur at work. One exception is called the "punch press" exception where the employer negligently removes a guard from the punch press, and this causes a work place injury to an employee.

Our client was working on a machine which did not have a guard. Sometimes there is a dispute as to whether or not a machine in the work place is actually considered a punch press. We hired an expert at our expense to determine if the machine that caused the work place injury was actually a punch press as defined by the California statute. After the expert determined that this was in fact a punch press, we were able to sue both the employer and the manufacturer for product liability and negligence. Even if the punch press originally came with the guard attached, there may be a product defect in the manufacturer's warning label on removing the guard and reinstalling it.

A guard on a punch press is a protection for the worker so that when the machine comes down to press on the metal that the punch press will form, if the worker's hands or fingers are in the way, the guard will hit the hand or finger and the press will stop. Without the guard, the punch press came down on our clients hand and cut off three of his fingers on his dominant hand. These work place accidents can be caused because the employer may have removed the guard negligently in order to have the punch press operate faster.

Although an injured worker can claim worker compensation benefits, that does not cover damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment. If you have been injured in a work place accident please call our law offices at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776).

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Posted In: PREMISES LIABILITY , PRODUCT LIABILITY

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