Auto Injury

Use Extra Caution to Avoid Injury When Driving Under These Conditions

Car accidents can be the cause of serious injuries and even death. That is why it is particularly important to drive safely when there are dangerous road conditions. Here are several situations that call for extra caution on the part of a conscientious driver.

• Bad weather – Rain, snow, or ice can make roads extremely dangerous. Be sure to leave extra room between you and the car in front of you in any of these hazardous conditions.
• Nighttime – Driving at night can be particularly dangerous. Be sure to switch to your low beams when there are cars coming in the other direction and watch out for cyclists and pedestrians who may have forgotten to wear something reflective.
• Road work – Be sure to obey the traffic signs in construction areas. They are for the safety of both drivers and workers. Road work particularly requires caution when it is being performed at night.
• Road hazards – From potholes to debris in the road, there are plenty of obstructions that can damage your car. If you can’t swerve, slow down as much as you can. For potholes, your tires will absorb the hit the best if you are going straight ahead. The side walls of your tires are not as sturdy.

Car Accident Injury Attorneys in San Diego

If you have been injured in a car accident in the San Diego Area, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm. We can help you to receive the settlement you deserve, so call 619-344-0360 without delay.

Cyclist Safety Tips for San Diego Roads

Whether you ride your bicycle around San Diego or the surrounding neighborhoods, for work, exercise, or fun, you need to use proper caution. Car accidents involving cyclists often result in serious injury to the person riding the bike. Here are a few tips to help keep you safe.

• Always wear a helmet – A helmet can’t guarantee that you will survive an accident with a motor vehicle, but it certainly improves your chances.
• Watch out for cars turning right – This is what puts you at the greatest risk, especially if the driver doesn’t check the bike lane before turning. At stoplights, wait to make sure drivers are not turning rather than trying to get a jumpstart on the light. It is legal to exit the bike lane and move into traffic when approaching a place where a driver may make a righthand turn. This will make you more visible. Once you are through the intersection, return to the bike lane as soon as you safely can.
• Have something reflective on your person and your bike – This will help make you more visible, especially at night but also during the day. For even more visibility, invest in head and taillights for your bike.

Bicycle Accident Injury Attorneys in Southern California

The personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm can help if you have been injured by a motor vehicle driver. A settlement can help you recover damages from medical bills, missed work, and additional pain and suffering caused by the accident. To learn more, call 619-344-0360 today.

Shocking Statistics Regarding Drivers and Hand-Held Mobile Devices

If your state isn’t hands-free yet, the laws are probably coming. Mobile device use while driving is resulting in many distracted driver accidents. In California, it is already illegal, and drivers under the age of 18 are not even allowed to use mobile phones in a hands-free manner. Here are some stats that show a shameless disregard for these laws.

• In 2015 approximately 2.2% of drivers were caught driving illegally using a handheld device.
• For the 18-24 age group, that figure is a shocking 4.9%, revealing that younger drivers seem more comfortable breaking this law to use a cell phone while driving.
• The biggest increase in handheld device usage occurred among drivers in rural areas.
• Drivers with children under the age of 8 were the least likely to break the law regarding hand-held devices.

The offenses ranged from making calls to reading and sending texts. In 2015, it was reported that 391,000 accidents occurred due to distraction and risky behaviors like those mentioned here. Distracted drivers were also to blame for 3,450 deaths during that calendar year.

Injuries Due to Distracted Drivers in California

California is a fault state, so the insurance of the distracted driver should be on the hook for medical bills, lost wages, and any pain and suffering that was caused, especially if the result was a wrongful death. The compassionate personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm are in your corner to help you get what you deserve from the insurance company that will likely try to settle for as little as possible if you don’t have assistance. To get in touch about your case, please call us today at 619-344-0360 to schedule an appointment at any of our Southern California offices.

California Driving Laws Regarding Cell Phone Use

If you live in the state of California, there are laws in place to protect you from distracted drivers. Of course, to get the full benefits of that protection, you need to obey the laws yourself. Here are a few things you should know so that you are never distracted by your phone while in the car.

• Don’t hold your phone while driving. A hands-free law is in effect for drivers who are over the age of 18.
• Never text and drive. It is extremely distracting and illegal. It is not just the typing and sending that is restricted. You should never read a text while driving either. Some phones give you an option to have an automated response while driving so people know not to expect a return message until you arrive at your destination.
• If you are under 18, you are still learning to drive. Therefore, all cell phone use is illegal while driving, even hands-free use. This will allow you to get used to being on the road without any distraction at all.

San Diego Car Accident Attorneys

If you have been injured in a car accident in the San Diego area, especially if the other driver was distracted, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm can help. When an injury occurs in a car accident in the state of California, assigning fault plays a key role in maximizing compensation. To learn more, give us a call today at 619-344-0360 to schedule a consultation.

Car Accident Aftermath – Symptoms to Beware

If you have been in a car accident, you may be tempted to assume your injuries are not that bad and there is no reason to go to the doctor. However, there are a few things you should watch out for in the weeks and months following an accident that could indicate an injury occurred.

• Vertigo – Vertigo is a false sensation of movement. Most people say it feels like the room is spinning. This can be an indicator that you are suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
• Headaches or migraines – Another indicator of post-concussion syndrome, this symptom usually means that you suffered either head or neck trauma.
• Brain fog – Confusion, inability to focus, and short-term memory loss are all indicators of head or neck trauma.
• Insomnia – Difficulty sleeping can indicate post-concussion syndrome, although it may also be linked to post-traumatic stress, especially if you are also having nightmares about the accident.
• Irritability and mood swings – If may be your coworkers or family members who alert you to this symptom. Take it seriously because it can be yet another indicator that an injury has occurred.

Whether it is a few days, weeks, or even months after your car accident, be sure to head to your doctor if these symptoms arise.

Personal Injury Attorneys in San Diego, CA

If you have suffered an injury in a car accident, even if the symptoms didn’t display right away, you deserve compensation from the party at fault. To deal with car insurance companies that want to pay out as little as possible, you need the help of the experienced personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm. Contact us today at 619-344-0360 to schedule a consultation.

Road Debris and Accident Fault in California

In California, compensation for motor vehicle accidents depends on fault. In most cases, it is easy to determine who is at fault in an accident if one driver was distracted or breaking the law and the other was not. However, there are other times when assigning fault is a little more complicated. For example, what if the accident was caused by road debris?

Road Hazards that can Cause an Accident

Here are a few examples of road hazards or debris that can contribute to a collision:

• Potholes – A driver may not see the pothole and could hit it, thereby damaging a tire. Or a driver may end up in an accident while trying to avoid a dangerous pothole.
• Road work – When road work has been performed, traffic cones, signs, or other debris may be left behind accidentally by workers.
• Dropped items – When a truck is being used to haul items, something may fly off the back without the driver noticing.

What Determines Fault?

Here are a few things that can determine who’s fault the accident is:

• Where was the road hazard and who is responsible for it ending up there?
• Whose jurisdiction is the road? There are federal, state, and locally maintained roadways.
• Was negligence involved in leaving the debris, or did it get dropped as you arrived?
• Was the road hazard the cause of the damages?

San Diego, CA Personal Injury Attorneys

If you have been injured in an accident involving a road hazard or debris, contact Petrov Law Firm to determine if you deserve compensation. We can help you to calculate your damages and to determine where the blame lies. Call 619-344-0360 to get started today.

Arrive Alive by Following This Cycling Safety Tip

What is the number one factor when it comes to staying safe while riding your bike around San Diego and the surrounding neighborhoods? Visibility! If a driver doesn’t see you, things can get dangerous very quickly. Here is the safety tip that may save your life.

Lights – The Most Important Bicycle Safety Feature

There’s no law in California that says you have to have lights on your bike day and night. You do have to have a headlight for the front of your bike at night. A rear reflector is also required (and must be red). But since prevention is the best medicine, you may want to invest in more lights for your bike than just the minimum requirements.

If you can install headlights and tail lights on your bike, and have them running both day and night, you significantly increase the likelihood of a driver seeing you. Installing turn signals for drivers who are unfamiliar with hand signals is also a good idea.

Bicycle Accident Injuries in Southern California

If you have been injured while riding your bike in the San Diego area, let the personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm help you to get a fair settlement. Insurance companies may seek to reduce the payout by placing some of the blame on the cyclist. We can help you get the full compensation that you deserve.

Before you sign any sort of settlement, it is important to get help from a professional attorney. To learn more, call 619-344-0360 to schedule a consultation.

How Does California Being a Fault State Affect Personal Injury Claims?

California is a fault state. This means that when an accident occurs, a percentage of fault is assigned to each driver. How does this affect personal injury claims? It has to do with a term called pure comparative negligence.

How Pure Comparative Negligence Works

When someone is 100% at fault for an accident, the other party can receive compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, vehicle damages, lost wages, and more. But what if the drivers share responsibility for what happened? Consider this example.

Let’s say you are driving down the road when a driver who was distracted by texting slams into you. That seems pretty cut and dry. It is illegal to text and drive. The other driver was distracted and hit you. But what if you were speeding at the time? Now you may share a percentage of blame. If you were driving the speed limit, the distracted driver might have missed you. Therefore, you may only get compensation for 70% or 80% of your losses instead of 100%.

Car Accident Attorneys in Southern California

If you have been in an accident, you need the best car accident attorneys in order to maximize your settlement, especially if you bear some fault. Petrov Law Firm – located in San Diego, North County, and Chula Vista – can help. Our expert personal injury attorneys can assist you to determine what your real losses are and how much of the blame can be placed on the other driver. To learn more, call 619-344-0360 today.

Runner Safety Tips for Dealing with Drivers

One of the biggest dangers to runners are drivers who are distracted. We’re going to give you a few tips for sharing the road with people who may not be on the lookout for runners.

• Be alert – Don’t assume that a driver sees you. You can jog in place while you wait for a light to change or for a visibly distracted driver to make a turn in front of you.
• Find a safe route – You may be able to plan your route so that you can stay on the sidewalk and make minimal road crossings. Or you may choose to run on roads that are not as busy.
• Always try to make eye contact – If you do have to cross the street in front of a driver, always try to make eye contact so that you are confident the driver sees you, even if they are at a stop sign or light.
• Watch the weather – Wet or slick roads can make it tougher for drivers to stop, even if they see you. They can also lead to a slip and fall. If you were to fall in the middle of the road when crossing in front of a vehicle when you had plenty of time, the gap can be closed quickly.

Personal Injury Lawyers in San Diego and the Surrounding Neighborhoods

If you have been injured while running, whether it is by a driver, a dog, a trip on a damaged sidewalk or any other cause, Petrov Law Firm can help. To see if you can recover losses in a personal injury suit, contact us today at 619-344-0360. We may be able to help you get compensation for medical bills, lost wages, or other expenses.

California Drivers Need to Know These Smartphone Restrictions

California may not have the toughest smartphone laws for drivers, but there are definitely a few things you should know before you get on the road with a mobile device. Here are some tips for avoiding a traffic violation (and for general safety since these laws are in place to keep drivers from being distracted).

• For drivers under the age of 18, be sure to tuck your phone away and leave it there until you arrive at your destination. 18-year-olds are not even allowed to make hands-free calls while driving in California.
• For drivers over the age of 18, hands-free calls are okay. However, you still need to avoid sending or even reading texts while driving.
• For drivers over the age of 18, you are allowed to pick up your phone to make a call. Just be sure you have a headset, use the speakerphone option, or have the phone connected to your car via Bluetooth. The only thing you are allowed to hold your phone for is dialing.
• California’s smartphone laws only apply to drivers on public roadways. If you are in your own driveway or a private lot, you are allowed to use a phone. Just be cautious because if you hit another car in a private lot while talking on your phone. It may not be illegal, but it can still make the accident your fault for being distracted.

Car Accident Attorneys in San Diego, CA

If you have been injured by a distracted driver in California, you may be due additional compensation for medical bills, missed time from work, and other damages. To learn more, speak with the experienced personal injury attorneys at Petrov Law Firm by calling 619-344-0260.