Personal Injury Attorney Tag

Potential Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Southern California

When you know what to watch out for, you can be safer when walking. Of course, no one wants to be hit by a car while walking, but it does happen. Here are some of the reasons:

• Poor conditions for visibility – There are certain conditions that make things more dangerous for pedestrians because they increase the chances of a driver not seeing you. For example, rain, fog, and other weather conditions can decrease visibility for drivers. It is also more dangerous to walk after dark, especially in poorly lit areas. Be sure to wear something reflective or hi-vis if you have to be out walking in conditions that impact visibility for drivers.
• Hybrid and electric vehicles – These vehicles can be virtually silent, so you may step out in front of one if you are not paying attention. Be sure to avoid looking down at your phone while walking so you can pay attention. And don’t walk with headphones in. While you can’t rely on your hearing 100% due to quieter cars, it is still a useful sense for keeping you safe.
• City infrastructure issues – If you live in a town with few crosswalks or lights for pedestrians, you are at an increased risk. This can also be an issue in a parking lot that doesn’t have sufficient signage or crosswalks for pedestrians.

If You Have Been Injured in a Pedestrian Accident

Petrov Law Firm has the experienced attorneys you want in your corner when negotiating a settlement with a car insurance company. Call 619.344.0360 today to get your case started.

4 Factors That Influence Your Personal Injury Settlement

If you experience a personal injury – a slip and fall, for example – what factors go into determining your settlement from the individual or company’s insurance company? Here are four of the primary things to consider.

• Medical bills – The more extensive the injuries, the larger the settlement. You need to be compensated for the medical bills you incurred, and that will include bills that occurred due to seeing a doctor who was not in your network.
• Lost wages – Did you have to use vacation or sick days? Did you miss other days of work that were unpaid? You should be compensated, not just for current lost wages but also future lost wages (for example, if you can no longer work due to the extent of your injuries).
• Personal losses – If you experience ongoing hardship due to the extent of your injuries, you should be compensated. This includes both emotional and physical damages.
• Other Intangible losses – Not everything you lose will have a set value. Personal losses are included as intangible losses. However, you may also experience intangible losses, such as loss of trust, safety, fertility, expectations. There are all sorts of things that could be lost due to an injury that doesn’t have a specific dollar value.

Get Help from Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California

Sadly, if you try to work with the insurance company alone, they may try to only pay for medical bills or just add in a little extra to get you to go away. To get what you truly deserve, call Petrov Law Firm in San Diego at 619.344.0360. Our experienced attorneys will help you to maximize your settlement.

Teens Need to Speak Up About Distracted Driving

Whether they view it as a part of their culture or just simply feel they are invincible and “able to handle it,” teens still seem the most prone to try to use their smartphones while driving. Even though this is a problem regarding all age groups, California does have additional laws that target younger teen drivers. For example, teens under the age of eighteen are not even allowed to use hands-free solutions for their tech while driving. The idea is to create the least distractions for someone who is still just getting used to driving.

If you are a teen yourself, how can you help your peers to drive safely and avoid the serious injuries that occur every year due to distracted drivers?

• Don’t get in a car with someone whose driving habits make you feel uncomfortable.
• Speak up if you believe the driver is taking dangerous, illegal, or unnecessary risks.

Keep in mind that about half of the deaths caused by distracted teen drivers are their own passengers, so advocating for yourself may save your life or a friend’s.

If You Have Been Injured by a Distracted Driver

Approximately 400,000 injuries occur every year due to distracted teen drivers, and other distracted drivers add many more injuries to that statistic. Petrov Law Firm is here to help if you have been injured in a car accident in southern California. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360, and let our experienced attorneys deal with the insurance company to ensure that you get what you truly deserve.

How to Handle a Slip and Fall Injury in a Store

If you are injured in a store, there are certain steps you must take to ensure you receive the proper compensation for your medical bills and other losses, such as missed workdays. Here are a few of the things you want to be sure to do as soon as possible.

• Get needed medical assistance – After a slip and fall injury, it may be best to call an ambulance. Even if you think you are okay, you should still see a doctor for an examination to make sure there are no hidden injuries such as a concussion, whiplash, or fracture.
• Let the business know about the fall – Most stores will have an accident report for you to fill out. Of course, if you need immediate medical attention, ask for the report and tell them you will fill it out when you can. Get a copy for your case.
• Gather visual proof from the site – You can use your smartphone to take pictures or videos of the circumstances that led to the fall. If there were witnesses, see if any are willing to provide you with contact info.
• Hire a personal injury attorney to help you deal with the insurance company – This isn’t something you can do alone if you want the proper compensation.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

Petrov Law firm has the experience you need in your corner if you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in a store. Give us a call at 619.344.0360 to get your case started today.

Important Safety Tips for Cyclists

When a cyclist is in an accident with a motor vehicle, injuries can be severe, even if the accident happens at just a few miles per hour. Here are some tips to help you protect yourself.

• Make sure your equipment is working properly – Lights, a horn, and protective gear are essential, but they only help if you make sure they are in good working order, so be sure to check regularly.
• Keep yourself as visible as possible – You can do this through lighting and reflectors on the bike itself as well as through reflective clothing. Of course, it is always safer to ride during daylight hours.
• Follow the rules for cyclists – Often, these are the same as traffic laws for drivers. Be sure to use the bike lane when there is one and know-how and when it is safe and legal to leave the bike lane.
• Watch out for distracted drivers – Yes, the accident will be their fault, but your safety is more important than who is right or wrong. A districted driver could make a quick righthand turn at a light without seeing a bike in the lane next to them, or they may miss your hand signals and not realize you are turning. Defensive riding is a must.

Help for Those Injured in Cycling Accidents

Petrov Law Firm is here for injured cyclists in the San Diego area. Let our personal injury attorneys help you to get what you deserve from the insurance company. Just call 619.344.0360 to get started today.

How to Keep Alert When at the Wheel

We often talk about how important it is to avoid distractions when driving, but it is also essential to stay alert. Driving while drowsy slows reaction times and can cause a person to make a bad decision that leads to a dangerous accident. Here are a few tips to help you feel more awake while behind the wheel.

• Try to avoid driving at times you would normally be asleep – We know that schedule changes sometimes occur. However, these adjustments take time for the body. If you just decide one day to take a road trip and drive overnight to your destination when your body is used to being asleep during those hours, you may end up fighting an irresistible urge to close your eyes.
• Pay attention to how medications affect you – Some medications may cause drowsiness. Often these drugs impact people in different ways. Therefore, when starting a new medication, you should take some time to see how it impacts your alertness. Keep in mind that some medications could result in a DUI if you drive while taking them, so be sure to know the law.
• Take regular breaks – On a long drive, take breaks every couple of hours. If you have another driver in the car, be sure to change drivers when one of you is tired. If you have to, it is better to find a place to pull over and take a nap than to drive with your abilities impaired by drowsiness.

Car Accident Attorneys in San Diego

If you have been injured in a car accident in southern California, the personal injury lawyers at Petrov Law Firm can help. Call 619.344.0360 today to schedule a consultation.

Reasons to Get Checked Out by a Doctor After a Slip and Fall

Slip and fall accidents happen all the time. It may occur because a sidewalk is in disrepair, a store employee failed to put up a wet floor sign, a rug has become worn, or any other number of reasons. If you are injured in this way, you may immediately know you need medical assistance. For example, a broken bone is usually very painful and easy to identify.

However, you should get checked out by a doctor even if you don’t see any immediate and glaring injuries. Here are a few reasons:

• Fractures – If you fracture a bone, you may just feel a dull ache. You don’t want to wait until a bone has healed wrong because then fixing it becomes very complicated.
• Concussion/whiplash – Even if you successfully stop yourself from hitting the ground, your head may have whipped around. This can even cause a concussion, regardless of whether you hit your head. Early detection of this type of injury can allow you to watch for symptoms of more serious damage.
• Linking the accident to the injury – There are injuries that may not reveal themselves with symptoms for days or even weeks. Seeing a doctor right away will help you to establish a connection between the symptoms and the accident, even if there is a delay.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have experienced a slip and fall accident in southern California, contact Petrov Law Firm. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you maximize your settlement. Call 619.344.0360 today to get your case started.

Reasons a Personal Injury Attorney May Decline Your Case

Are you struggling to find a personal injury lawyer in southern California who is willing to take your case? There are a number of reasons that an attorney may decline to take on a case. Here are a few factors that will impact personal injury cases in particular.

• The statute of limitations has run out – If the injury occurred more than two years ago, there is likely nothing the attorney can do for you. You may still want to check in case your situation falls under a special circumstance, but if you are being turned away, this could be the reason.
• You don’t have a clear case – There could be a couple of reasons for this. Perhaps it is unclear whether an individual or entity is to blame for your injuries. Additionally, you need to be able to show there are damages. If all that was injured was your pride, there are no losses to recoup.
• There’s no way to receive compensation – Usually, an insurance company covers damages. If the person at fault has no insurance and no assets, there is nothing you can get as compensation, even if you have a legitimate case and a right to damages. The defendant (or their insurance company) has to have something to give.

Southern California’s Personal Injury Attorneys

Petrov Law Firm would be happy to review your case to see if you are able to receive compensation. Call 619.344.0360 to let us help you maximize your settlement!

How to Handle Medical Expenses Due to Injuries

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall, a dog attack, or in some other preventable way, the most important thing to do is to get the proper medical care. However, you may find that the bills are starting to pile up. Maybe the injuries were more extensive than you thought at first, or perhaps you were taken to a facility that this not covered by your insurance due to the location of the accident.

So how can you handle the medical expenses? The number one thing is to track all of the expenses closely. These bills prove that you experienced damages as the result of the accident. Now, it is time to hire a personal injury attorney in the state where the injuries occurred. This is vital because you will most likely be dealing with an insurance company.

Insurance companies hire people who are very friendly and charismatic as their adjusters. This gives you the sense that they are working for you and trying to get you the best payout possible to cover your losses. But remember: the adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to pay out as little as possible, so you should have someone who knows the law helping you to get what you truly deserve.

San Diego’s Personal Injury Attorneys

At Petrov Law Firm, we are committed to helping our clients receive the proper compensation for their losses. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to have an experienced attorney handle your settlement.

Trip and Fall Accident Victims Need to Read This Article

If you have experienced an injury due to a trip and fall in southern California, you need to know how to maximize the settlement you will receive from the insurance company. You can’t rely on them to make you a fair offer on their own. After all, the insurance company needs to protect their client and themselves. Here are a few vital tips.

• Get examined by a physician – You are going to need to see a doctor to confirm that you have injuries. You don’t have a case if you don’t have any actual damages. While doctor visits may be expensive, they should all be covered in the final settlement. Plus, you need to get looked at. You don’t want a minor injury to become something that stays with you forever just because you didn’t get it taken care of right away.
• Gather your proof – You should have taken pictures or videos of the scene of the accident. Hopefully, you were also able to get contact info for any eyewitnesses. If you filled out an accident report, make sure you get a copy.
• Hire an experienced attorney – You want a local attorney who is experienced in personal injury cases. This will ensure the optional settlement.

Personal Injury Attorneys in San Diego 

Petrov Law Firm has the experienced personal injury attorneys for you. Let us help you get what you truly deserve from the insurance company. Call 619.344.0360 today to learn more and to get the assistance you need!