Pasadena Personal Injury Blog

Your cellphone can be the most dangerous distraction on the road

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer on Friday, November 2, 2018.

Today, cellphones are the Swiss army knives of communication. They connect us to billions of people around the world via voice, text, email, web browsing and application functions. These versatile tools fit in pockets and purses and are portable enough to be used just about anywhere. However, that doesn’t mean they should be used everywhere. Using a cellphone while driving is a dangerous practice that can lead to catastrophic or fatal injuries.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), thousands of people around the country are killed each year by distracted drivers. Over 54 percent of California drivers said in 2016 that they had been hit or almost hit by someone who was using a cellphone. OTS resources also state that five seconds is the average time someone’s eyes are off the road while texting and driving, and if that person is going 55 miles per hour, five seconds is enough time to travel the length of a football field.

Are you unwittingly compromising your child’s safety in the car?

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.

New parents have a lot to learn when they have a child. Household choking and suffocation hazards suddenly become a concern. Rescheduling the day around feeding and sleep schedules is suddenly the norm. And of course, there’s loads of new equipment to learn to use—from strollers to car seats.

Using a car seat isn’t always as straightforward as a new parent might expect. Sifting through the enormous variety of car seats on the market is an undertaking in and of itself. Figuring out how to use it properly is an entirely different challenge.

Workers' comp may not be your only solution for work injuries

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Construction Accidents on Friday, September 21, 2018.

For those employed in the construction industry, it is no surprise that this type of work is fraught with injury risks. The four most common construction accidents are falling from heights, being struck by objects, being caught in equipment or machines and electrocution. In California and other states, all employers must have workers' compensation for their employees, but sometimes, this is not enough for those suffering serious injury.

We understand how complicated it is to seek compensation other than workers' comp. You cannot typically sue your employer for your accident because he or she has provided workers' compensation insurance. With this in mind, most injured workers feel that they have no other solution at their disposal. You may be pleased to learn that other options may exist, depending upon the circumstances of your case. One of the most advantageous solutions is filing a third-party injury claim if eligible. This remedy applies in construction accidents in which third-party negligence caused or contributed to the worker's injury.

Targeting the state of California for wrongful death

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Wrongful Death on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.

In addition to the heartbreak of losing someone you love, an unexpected death in the family sends out ripples that are difficult to predict. Such a death has a profound impact on the deceased's loved ones and the loss often leads to financial hardships as well. While most people are resilient enough to cope with their loss, seeking a legal remedy for a wrongful death can lessen the monetary hardships surviving family members must endure.

In an ordinary incident involving private citizens, the law offers families several ways to seek compensation. Examples include personal injury claims, premises liability suits and wrongful death claims. However, when an employee of the California state government causes a death, the available legal remedies typically shrink to almost nothing. This is because government entities or agencies in the U.S. enjoy a degree of immunity from lawsuits.

What contributes to lawyer malpractice? 3 big mistakes

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Legal Malpractice on Monday, September 10, 2018.

When you hire a lawyer, you expect that they know what they're doing. You trust them to follow through on what they say. And you rely on them to avoid missteps that could cost you your rights.

When lawyers make mistakes - and you suffer the consequences - it often boils down to these three reasons:

Both drivers killed in fiery crash on 105 Freeway

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Friday, September 7, 2018.

Collisions involving commercial trucks can shut down Southern California freeways for hours on end. Many of us have been stranded on the road in the aftermath of one of these crashes. The real victims, of course, are usually those in the vehicles that collided.

Last month, a Land Rover SUV and a tanker truck were involved in a crash in Hawthorne that killed both drivers. The incident occurred shortly after 5:00 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 on the 105 Freeway. The collision caused a massive fire.

Are electric scooters a recipe for disaster?

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Injuries on Wednesday, September 5, 2018.

Walk around Santa Monica and you're bound to see several of them: the pay-as-you-go electric scooters that are all the rage. They're convenient when you need to go a short distance, fast. But they can also be dangerous. Learn more about how to use them safely:

Some classes of blood-pressure drugs do more harm than good

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer on Tuesday, September 4, 2018.

High blood pressure is a common medical condition. Also called hypertension, it affects roughly one in three Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And seventy percent of sufferers take medication for it.

Yet two classes of drugs commonly used to treat hypertension might actually be doing more harm than good, according to a recent study from the Medical Center Heart Institute. These medications include:

Can a brain injury impact your sense of smell or taste?

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Brain Injury on Friday, August 31, 2018.

Brain injuries can have a dramatic impact on your life, and the way they manifest is different in almost every case. Different parts of the brain control vastly different parts of the body and the severity of the damage also plays a critical role. It is important to remember that the experience will not be the same for everyone.

That said, it is absolutely possible for a brain injury to have a profound impact on your sense of smell or your sense of taste. For instance, one woman had an accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, and she couldn't smell or taste anything at all after the accident. The senses were just gone.

Not all roofing crews have proper fall safety gear

On behalf of Ball & Bonholtzer posted in Construction Accidents on Friday, August 24, 2018.

Many roofing crews must wear fall protection equipment in order to comply with OSHA's safety standards. These harness and rope systems are similar to those worn by rock climbers. They can keep someone safe, though that person could still suffer injuries in the event of a fall. Working at heights is very dangerous, and even experienced workers can slip and fall due to factors that are out of their control.

However, not all roofing crews have or use the right equipment. Some experts have speculated that only about 50 percent actually put on their fall protection gear.