San Francisco, CA Personal Injury Blog

News reports commonly focus on the economic and psychological burdens veterans face when trying to reintegrate themselves into society. Unemployment among veterans is uncharacteristically high, even though companies are encouraged to hire former military personnel. Also, instances of post traumatic stress syndrome are becoming more common even in people who were not in "traditional" war zones.

Perhaps the most unknown risk veterans face is the danger of being in Bay Area car accidents. According to a recent WashingtonPost.com report, veterans have a 75 percent higher fatal motor vehicle accidents compared to civilians.

A limosuine travelling across the San Mateo Bridge burst into flames and quicly spread within the vehicle. The driver responded to passengers knocking on the partition complaining of smoke in the cabin,  but the driver thought (because of loud music) they were asking if they could smoke in the car. 

When he pulled over, he noticed that the limo was actually on fire, and rushed to aid in getting passengers out of the car. Several Good Samaritans came to the driver's aid before firefighters reached the scene. While four passengers were rescued, five others in the vehicle were unable to escape.

Bicycle safety has been a priority in Bay Area cities; especially San Francisco and Berkeley, where bicycle traffic is mixed with narrow streets and heavy motor vehicle traffic. It is no secret that bikes are a popular mode of transportation as Californians enjoy the unseasonably warm spring weather. However, the safety system emanating from a region who just got spring (last week) is touted as being the standard all cities should follow.

Bicycle safety has been a priority in Bay Area cities; especially San Francisco and Berkeley, where bicycle traffic is mixed with narrow streets and heavy motor vehicle traffic. It is no secret that bikes are a popular mode of transportation as Californians enjoy the unseasonably warm spring weather. However, the safety system eminating from a region who just got spring...last week is touted as being the standard all cities should follow.

Minneapolis, Minnesota will host one of two national bike safety summits this year. Essentially, the state increased the number of riders over the last four years while bicycle deaths have decreased in each year.

The speed, excitement and sense of freedom that riding a motorcycle brings can be exhilarating. However, with the riding experience comes certain dangers, especially if the bike is not in perfect working order. Bay Area motorcycle owners have their preferences, but a recent Consumer Reports survey shed light on which bikes are the most reliable.

According to a study of 4,000 motorcycle owners, Yamaha, Kawaski and Honda fared better than traditional powers BMW and Harley Davidson. Some who were surveyed cited repair costs, high costs of accessories, and premium gas as their reasons for choosing Japanese models. Nevertheless, riders of the lighter and more agile models were more likely to be injured in accidents.

A bus carrying a group of tourists near Yosemite crashed on Saturday. According to a KGO News.com report, the bus was nearing the south entrance on Highway 41 when it lost control on a winding road. It went off the road and crashed down a ravine before hitting a tree.

Fortunately, no one was killed in the crash, but 15 passengers suffered injuries as they were reportedly thrown from one side of the bus to the other as it crashed. They were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Consumers across the San Francisco Bay area have seen the commercial for the new Infiniti JX, the new sport utility vehicle with a built in back-up camera. In fact, many automakers have incorporated the technology in their new offerings and it has become an impressive safety feature.

Unfortunately, the story of a Monterey County mother accidentally backing over her child is a tragedy that ostensibly could have been avoided. According to an ABC 7 News report, the mother and her husband had lost track of their 4-year-old while preparing for the day. As she was preparing to leave for work, she started to back out of her driveway when she heard a scream. She exited the car to find that she had hit her son.

As expected, the mother was very distraught as her little boy had suffered very serious injuries.

The man accused of driving his car into a crowded Wal-Mart store in San Jose was brought into a Santa Clara County court on Tuesday. While he faces criminal charges for property damage and vehicular assault in the Easter Sunday incident, he apparently has a number of previous run-ins with police.

According to an ABC 7 News report, Haamid Zaid allegedly drove a Lexus into the convenience store of a Chevron station located near the Wal-Mart. This incident occurred in December. In January, Zaid led San Jose Police officers on a foot chase after police were called to his home. In this incident he had admitted that he was under the influence of drugs. Also, he stands accused of throwing a chair through a bar window in October.