Personal Injury

What Does It Mean that California Is a Fault State for Car Insurance?

In a no-fault state (there are currently 12 in the US), every driver is required to carry insurance that covers his or her own expenses should an accident occur. California is a fault state. What does this mean?

In a fault state, the insurance of the driver who is responsible for the accident pays the expenses. Therefore, if you admit that you ran a red light and hit another car, your insurance will be paying for the other driver’s damages including medical bills, car repair, and even pain and suffering caused by the experience.

When Accident Blame Is Shared in a Fault State

In a fault state, since accidents are paid for by the offending party, what happens if both sides share some blame? The powers that be may decide either on an even split or on another percentage. For example, if the other driver ran a stop sign, but you panicked when you should have been able to get out of the way, they may assign a 70-30 or 80-20 split. In this case, you would recover most of your losses from the other person’s insurance, but your insurance would have to cover the rest.

Why You Need a Car Accident Attorney

In a fault state, proving blame can make a huge difference in the settlement amount with an insurance company. Having a personal injury attorney on your side can help you to maximize your settlement. In southern California, drivers can trust Petrov Law Firm to put our experience to work for you. Call us today at 619.344.0360 to get your case started.

Statute of Limitations Restrictions on Personal Injury Claims in California

Personal injury settlements can help to cover your medical bills, missed work, and additional pain and suffering that you may experience due to another person or company’s negligence. However, if you have been injured, you need to get your claim prepared as soon as possible. This is because the state of California places a statute of limitations on how much time you have to request compensation.

The amount of time that you have to make your claim depends on the type of damages or the guilty party. Here are a few examples:

• If a government agency was responsible – If you are injured due to the negligence of a government agency, you need to submit your claim as soon as possible. The statute of limitations on a claim involving a government agency is only six months.
• If you have been injured – You have two years to make your claim in a general personal injury case, but you should start right away. The closer you get to the statute of limitations, the more an insurance company can try and drag things out or force you into a smaller settlement than you deserve.
• If your property has been damaged – You have up to three years to make a claim on property damages. Again, don’t let the length of time stop you from working on the case right away. The closer you get to the deadline, the less likely you are to receive what you really deserve.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

The personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm can help you to get your case settled within the statute of limitations so that you can maximize your compensation. Contact us today at 619.344.0360 to get started.

The Most Important Bicycle Safety Feature

When you are riding your bicycle around San Diego, safety must be of paramount importance. Cyclists rarely fare well when involved in an accident with a moving vehicle. That makes visibility critical for your well-being. What will make you the most visible to drivers?

Lights: The Most Important Safety Feature on Your Bicycle

The state of California actually has a few laws regarding lighting on your bike to make it more visible. Therefore, your bicycle should already have the following:

• A headlight for use when riding after dark
• A red rear reflector

However, you can increase your visibility and make riding even safer by adding additional lighting features beyond those required by law. For example:

• Use your headlight day and night to increase visibility during the day
• Get taillights instead of just a reflector to increase the likelihood of a driver seeing you from behind
• Acquire signal lights for drivers who don’t pay attention to hand signals or who have forgotten what they mean since taking their driving test

Bicycle Accident Attorneys in San Diego

If you have been injured in an accident while biking in southern California, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm can help. Since California is a fault state, the driver’s insurance company may try to place some of the blame on you to reduce the settlement. Before you sign any sort of agreement, be sure to call 619.344.0360, so you can get an experienced lawyer on your side.

What Types of Loss Can You Seek Compensation for in a Personal Injury Case?

Whether you have been injured by another driver in a car accident or due to any other sort of personal injury involving intent or negligence, you can seek compensation. What losses can you recover in a suit? Here are four types:

1. Medical bills – If you amass medical bills due to the injury, the person who is at fault is responsible for the medical bills.
2. Lost wages – If you are no longer able to work or even if you just missed a few days of work due to your injuries, you can receive compensation for the wages that you lost or will lose in the future.
3. Property damage – If any of your personal property was damaged in the incident (e.g. your vehicle), you can receive compensation for repairs or replacement.
4. Pain and suffering – Sometimes you can’t quantify all of the damages in the realm of things that you lost. There may also be emotional trauma or serious inconvenience that resulted from the accident that did not cost you a specific amount of money. While it can be difficult to put a number on the pain and suffering caused by an injury, this will normally be the largest part of a settlement.

Personal Injury Lawyers to Help Your Receive Due Compensation in California

The personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm have experience in helping people recover their losses in the wake of an intentional or accidental injury. To see if your case is actionable, call 619.344.0360 today to schedule a consultation.

Read This if You Believe You Are a Victim of Medical Malpractice

If you believe you have been a victim of medical malpractice, these are some of the things that you need to know:

• You can receive compensation for damages – If you were able to heal with no losses despite negligence, there is really no basis for a malpractice case. However, if you lost wages, the ability to work, or suffered other physical or emotional damages, you may be due compensation.
• You can only file a claim against your doctor – If you seek a second opinion, that is one thing, but if your doctor gets a second opinion to back up his wrong decisions, you can’t sue both doctors.
• Mistakes must have caused damages – It may not be your fault that you are sick, but it is not the doctor’s fault either. Damages caused by the illness wouldn’t be compensated for unless, for example, they were preventable if a simple diagnosis had not been missed.
• Your doctor only has to provide a minimum standard of care – This is why it is vital to choose the right doctor. If minimum standards are met, you can’t sue your doctor for not going above and beyond.

Personal Injury Lawyers in San Diego

The personal injury lawyers at Petrov Law Firm can help you to determine if you have a case and can help you to pursue the best outcome as far as receiving compensation is concerned. To learn more, speak with an expert today by calling 619.344.0360.

Sharing the Road with Drivers: 4 Tips to Keep Runners Safe

Any time you go for a run, you have to consider how to remain safe when there are so many drivers on the road who are not paying as much attention as they should be. Here are four tips to help you optimize your safety.

1. Look at drivers – Making eye contact is the best way to ensure that a driver sees you. In most cases, a driver will gesture to let you know he or she intends to wait for you to cross. Jog in place at the corner until you are sure it is safe.
2. Run on safe roads – A back road with no sidewalks is going to be a dangerous place to run, especially if the weather conditions are not good for visibility.
3. Pay attention to road conditions – Bad weather and darkness can affect a driver’s ability to see you or to stop in time if they don’t notice you until the last minute. Use extra caution and wear appropriate clothing that makes you more visible.
4. Stay alert – As a runner, you need always to be thinking about your own safety. An accident may be a driver’s fault, but that won’t help you survive a crash. So make sure you are not the one who becomes distracted, perhaps by a mobile device.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

The personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm are here to help if you are ever hurt in an accident. We hope you are able to enjoy your routine of running, but if an injury does occur due to a driver, call 619.344.0360 to get the help you need.

What to Do About Medical Bills When You Suffer an Injury

Receiving proper medical care is of the utmost importance when you have been in some kind of accident. However, at some point, you need to start thinking about how you will pay the medical bills that come in, especially if you were cared for at a facility that isn’t in your insurance network. What should you know?

• If someone else was at fault for your accident or injury, you are entitled to receive compensation for your medical bills.
• You don’t have to see an in-network doctor to receive compensation for your medical bills. In fact, you don’t even have to use your medical insurance.
• You do have to either agree to a settlement or win a suit to receive any compensation.
• Medical bills are not the only losses that occur in an accident. You may also be able to receive compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering caused by the injury.
• Don’t sign anything until you speak with a lawyer. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible. They figure you will take less to avoid waiting for the money. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you to maximize your settlement.

Southern California’s Reliable Personal Injury Attorneys

If you have been injured in the San Diego area, the trustworthy lawyers at Petrov Law Firm can help. We have the experience you want in your corner when dealing with an insurance company after an injury. Contact us today at 619-344-0360 to learn more.

Misconceptions About Smartphone Driving Laws in California

If you live and drive in California, you need to know the smartphone driving laws so that you remain safe and don’t end up with a fine. However, many people misunderstand the rules. Here are a few common misconceptions.

• All drivers can make hands-free calls in California – For most drivers, this is the case. However, if you are under 18, you can’t use your phone at all. The best idea is to keep it turned off or in “do not disturb” mode while you drive, so you are not tempted to break the law.
• You can pick up your phone at a red light – Maybe you got this idea because you see people do it all the time, but it is definitely illegal. You can’t pick up your phone for any reason while driving, and that includes while idling at a red light. Also, breaking this rule is particularly annoying since it causes people to miss the light change and affects traffic (besides being a safety issue).
• You can’t touch your phone at all while driving – Actually, this one is not true as well. If the action you wish to take requires one tap or swipe, you can do it. Just don’t pick the phone up or let it distract you so much that you get into an accident.

San Diego Car Accident Lawyers

If you have been injured in an accident, especially if the driver was distracted, the San Diego car accident lawyers at Petrov Law Firm can help. Call today at 619-344-0360 to get your case started.

Jobs with High-Risk of Injury Claims in California

If you are looking for a safe way to provide financially for your family, there may be a few jobs that you want to avoid due to the high-risk. If you’ve already been injured in one of these or other jobs, then you may need assistance to get the compensation you deserve. Let’s look at California’s most dangerous jobs, and then we will tell you where to turn if you do suffer an injury.

• Assembling wooden products – Woodworking results in the use of a lot of high-powered tools. You need proper training, safety guidelines, and equipment that is well-maintained if you are going to avoid injury.
• Animal handlers – From raising animals to taking care of sick animals, one of the most dangerous jobs in the state is working with animals. Especially when sick or injured, the behavior of animals can be unpredictable.
• Courier – From private messengers to delivery services, it can be easy to suffer an injury when you are always around new locations, dogs you don’t know, and have to deal with adversarial situations.
• Working with the elderly – Home care workers and nursing home staff are actually at the highest risk for injury among California’s workforce.

If You Have Been Injured in a Work-Related Accident

If you have been injured on the job, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm in San Diego. We can help you to understand how compensation works and whether your case qualifies. Call 619.344.0360 to get started now.

Common Accidents that Lead to Wrongful Death Cases

One of the most sensitive situations we work with at Petrov Law Firm is wrongful death cases. If you have lost a loved one in a tragic accident, we want to offer our condolences to you. We also want to let you know that if the death resulted from one of the following accident types, we may be able to help surviving family members receive financial compensation for your loss.

• Car accidents – If the other driver is to blame, you may be able to file for a wrongful death suit.
• Industrial accidents – Whether the death was caused by unsafe working conditions or a lack of proper training, you may be able to receive compensation.
• Product defects – If there was a known defect with a product that was sold or if the instructions for the product failed to explain safe usage, this may lead to a wrongful death case.
• Medical malpractice – From incorrect dispensation of medication to missing an obvious diagnosis, there are plenty of ways that your loss can be directly linked to malpractice on the part of a healthcare professional.

Compassionate Assistance for Grieving Families in Southern California

Of course, there could also be other situations where a company or individual is at fault in a fatality due to negligence or other reasons. Therefore, the best thing to do is to speak to a professional attorney who is experienced with wrongful death cases. To go over your situation with one of the compassionate lawyers at Petrov Law Firm, call 619.344.0360 today.