“When a crash resulting in serious or fatal trauma occurs, the at-fault driver may be held liable for expenses incurred by the victims or their families due to the injury or loss of life,” explained California personal injury lawyer James Ballidis.

Traffic accidents claimed the lives of 163 passenger vehicle occupants and injured another 16,242 in San Diego County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. That year, 3,081 people lost their lives in traffic collisions that occurred throughout the state.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of the man who was killed in the collision on Interstate 15 last Sunday. We would also like to wish a full recovery to the driver and the passenger who were injured.

U-T San Diego originally reported this Fallbrook crash.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“When vehicle occupants sustain serious or fatal trauma in a collision, the at-fault driver may be legally obligated to compensate them for expenses related to their injuries or their family’s loss,” explained California personal injury attorney James Ballidis.

San Jose accounted for 31 of the 64 fatalities and 4,001 of the 7,431 injuries suffered by motor vehicle occupants in traffic accidents throughout Santa Clara County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. That year, San Jose ranked 11^th out of 13 cities with populations of more than 250,000 residents, an above average score considering the 1^st place is the worst ranking a city can receive from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Jorge Macias Diaz, the driver killed in the multiple-car crash. We would also like to wish a full recovery to his wife and to the driver of the Miata.

The San Jose Mercury News originally reported this Willow Glen collision.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of filing a claim for compensation after a crash resulting in serious or fatal injuries, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to discuss a specific legal matter with a California personal injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“Such predatory lending practices should really be addressed by lawmakers throughout the state,” said California personal injury lawyer James Ballidis.

Payday loans are often short-term loans provided without a credit check to anyone who can prove employment and the possession of a bank account. Borrowers are usually expected to repay the money within the span of a normal pay period, two weeks, and are subject to interest rates as high as 400 percent annually.

When a borrower tries to pay back the loan, often he or she is unable to do so in full, in part because of the fee. As a result, the borrower often takes on a new loan at that time, thus paying another fee. This can happen over and over, week after week, with fees building up until the borrower is completely trapped in the payday loan cycle with little hope of ever getting out.

Unfortunately, many people who fall into this payday loan trap are the people who can least afford to do so. These may be people who have jobs and earn money but who are barely scraping by or who are living paycheck to paycheck. They may not have easy access to credit cards, or they may have bad credit or no credit. As a result, when one thing goes wrong—a medical problem, a car repair, or a need to move and pay a security deposit—they may turn to a payday loan to get through the tough times. Thus begins the cycle.

Of course, anyone can fall victim to the trap of a payday loan, and the loans aren’t restricted only to the working poor. In general, however, it often seems as if the poorer segments of the population are targeted by these payday lenders who bank on the fact that people in lower income neighborhoods may not have as much financial knowledge or access to lower interest forms of credit.

Legislatures in California taking action to try to stop payday lenders do have some worries that bans in certain counties or certain areas will result in an increase in payday lending in certain receptive locations. This could worsen the problem in these areas without bans since payday lenders might collect there. Still, taking some action to protect the public from these dangerous predatory lenders is necessary, and, until the California legislature is ready to act on a statewide level, Santa Clara and other counties must do what they can to keep their residents safe from financial harm.

Additional information on this and other legal subjects is available to the public free of charge through our Preferred Friends and Clients Program.

To request a free book or article, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“Rendering the public more susceptible to disease is an unacceptable industry practice,” said California personal injury attorney James Ballidis, “one the government must move to regulate.”

Because of over-exposure to antibiotics and the resulting loss of effectiveness, serious medical conditions including menthicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become widespread problems (MRSA is a persistent staph infection common in hospitals and nursing homes that can’t be treated with normal antibiotics). The CDC also reports more hospitalizations, longer hospital stays and more deaths.

The FDA has known about the potential dangers of overuse of antibiotics for a long time. In fact, in 1977, the FDA determined that excessive antibiotic use in poultry, livestock and other animals could have a negative impact on the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment for people. At the time, the FDA issued an order banning both the use of tetracycline and penicillin (two antibiotics) until drugmakers were able to prove the drugs were safe.

Although this rule technically was issued more than three decades ago, the rule was never enforced. A number of factors likely contributed to the lack of enforcement, including pressure from congressmen or women, farm lobbyists and drug-industry professionals. Many of the farmers who opposed bans or limitations on antibiotics in animal feed argued vigorously that the drugs are necessary to ensure the animals remain healthy; however, natural food producers argue otherwise and their existence and success suggests that it is possible to raise and sell animals or animal products without using antibiotics.

Soon, however, farmers won’t be given a choice.  A lawsuit filed in May by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Union of Concerned Scientists and several other groups was finally ruled upon by a federal judge in March of 2012. In his ruling, the judge ordered the FDA to take action on their old rule and that the FDA must start the process of withdrawing approval of penicillin and tetracycline for routine use.

While the use of antibiotics on farms is not going to stop immediately, the FDA is going to move forward to help keep food safer. The FDA will have 60 days to appeal the court ruling, and a public hearing will need to be scheduled to give drug companies the opportunity to prove the use of drugs by farmers is safe.

Additional information on this and other subjects concerning public and transportation safety are available to the public free of charge through our office’s Preferred Friends and Clients Program.

To request one of these free resources, or to discuss a specific legal matter with a California personal injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“When a driver acts negligently and, consequently, causes harm to another person, he or she may be held liable for the victim’s injury-related expenses,” explained a California personal injury lawyer. “If the victim’s injuries prove fatal, then the driver may face a wrongful death claim from the decedent’s family.”

Blythe accounted for 1 of the 40 fatalities and 2 of the 395 injuries suffered by pedestrians in traffic accidents in Riverside in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. In its report, “Dangerous by Design 2011,” Transportation for America ranked the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area the 5^th most dangerous in the nation for pedestrian safety.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Rachelle Rogers, the 11-year-old girl who was struck and killed by the drunk driver last Monday.

The Press-Enterprise originally reported this Blythe accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of filing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

To request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“When a motorist’s negligence results in an accident causing serious or fatal trauma, he or she may be held liable for expenses related to the treatment of the injury or incurred by the victim’s family due to their loss,” explained a California personal injury lawyer.

Rancho Mirage accounted for none of the 7 fatalities and 1 of the 347 injuries suffered by bicyclists in traffic accidents in Riverside County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. In the span from 2008 to 2010, the number of deaths suffered by cyclists decreased by 9.2 percent, from 109 to 99.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Donald McCluskey, the cyclist killed in the crash triggered by the van yesterday.

The Press-Enterprise originally reported this Rancho Mirage accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, such as books and articles on pursuing an injury or wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to discuss a specific legal matter with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“Unfortunately, teens are more prone to taking risks on the road than adults,” said California personal injury attorney James Ballidis, “which is one reason why motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for them.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle accidents claimed the lives of eight teens aged 16 to 19 every day in 2009. The CDC found that teen drivers are four times more likely to crash than adults, with the greatest risk for male drivers and passengers aged 15 to 19. Alcohol consumption at any level increases this risk.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish a full recovery to the teenage passengers who were injured in the drunk driving crash in the freeway construction area on Wednesday morning.

KTLA.com originally reported this Colton accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing compensation for injury-related expenses, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to discuss a specific legal matter with a California personal injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“Teenagers are more prone to risk-taking than adults,” said California personal injury lawyer James Ballidis, “and are four times more likely to be involved in a crash.”

Concord accounted for 1 of the 4 fatalities and 54 of the 237 injuries suffered by bicyclists in traffic accidents in Contra Costa County in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. Throughout the state, cyclist fatalities decreased by 9.2 percent from 2008 to 2010, from 109 to 99—the lowest number recorded since 1984.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Solaiman and Hadessa Nuri, the cyclists killed by the teenager’s reckless driving on Saturday.

The Los Angeles Times originally reported this fatal Concord accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge through our office.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“When a motorist’s dangerously negligent behavior causes an accident, he or she may be held liable for the victim’s injury-related expenses,” explained California personal injury attorney James Ballidis. “In the event that the victim’s injuries prove fatal, his or her family may pursue a wrongful death claim against the motorist to compensate for their loss.”

In 2009, 11 motor vehicle occupants lost their lives and 295 were injured in traffic accidents in Calaveras County, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. That year, Calaveras County accounted for 4 of the 1,146 fatalities and 43 of the 17,976 injuries suffered in crashes in which alcohol was a contributing factor.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer our condolences to the family of Corazon Hicks, the passenger killed in the head-on collision with the intoxicated driver. We would also like to wish a full recovery to Mark Bottorff, the driver who was injured.

The Modesto Bee originally reported this Calaveras County accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury or a wrongful death claim, are available to the public free of charge through our office.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.

“After an auto accident resulting in serious personal injury, it is important to gather evidence and interview witnesses as soon as possible to determine the cause,” explained a California personal injury attorney.

In 2009, 50 motor vehicle occupants were killed and 4,259 were injured in crashes in Ventura County, according to the California Highway Patrol’s most current accident statistics. From 2009 to 2010, traffic fatalities decreased by 11.9 percent in the state, down to 2,715 from 3,081, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.

All of us at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to wish the six people who were injured in the crash in Santa Rosa Valley this morning a full recovery.

The Ventura County Star originally reported this multiple vehicle accident.

Resources for accident victims and their families, including books and articles on the process of pursuing an injury claim, are available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request one of these free resources, or to speak with a California personal injury attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.