Car accidents can have multiple contributing factors, with several parties sharing the fault for causing them. If you are injured in a collision, some of the first questions you probably have are whether you can get compensation and how much your settlement might be. The answers to those questions depend on the state where your crash happened and case-specific factors.
Every state has negligence laws that govern your eligibility for compensation and potential restrictions that can affect your settlement amount. Liable insurers often try to manipulate your fault determination to lower your payout amount. When you choose a lawyer from Fuller Law Firm, we will ensure that fault is assigned accurately to help you recover the highest possible compensation.
California is one of only a few states that uses pure comparative negligence in personal injury cases. Under this law, you can seek compensation from other at-fault parties even if you are 99 percent responsible for causing your car crash, but there is a catch. The amount of compensation you can receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Since 2018, e-scooters have provided convenient transportation in San Jose. Several approved vendors in the city let you rent bikes and e-scooters, encouraging more people to utilize these micro-mobility options. Riders are prohibited from using sidewalks; instead, they must use streets and bike lanes, if available.
Sharing the roads with motor vehicles means there is a higher chance of e-scooter riders being involved in collisions. E-scooter accidents can seriously injure riders, especially if cars are traveling at higher speeds. Determining who is responsible for these collisions is often complicated, but you do not have to do it alone. Call an experienced lawyer from Fuller Law Firm for your free consultation so we can discuss your case and explain how we can help.
Sunny California is home to millions of residents, with millions more tourists visiting the state yearly. Various businesses, tourist attractions, beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, and public spaces inspire pedestrians to explore many areas on foot. Unfortunately, California ranks among the worst states in the nation for pedestrian accidents. In 2022, 40 pedestrians lost their lives in accidents in Santa Clara County alone.
Why do these accidents typically cause severe or fatal injuries? What can you do if you or a loved one are a victim of a pedestrian accident? A compassionate lawyer from Fuller Law Firm can answer those questions and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Property owners, businesses, and other responsible parties are legally obligated to keep their premises safe for customers, employees, and invited guests. This obligation holds true for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, retail stores, offices, public parks, apartment complexes, and a multitude of other properties.
If you are injured because the responsible party did not meet this requirement, you may be able to obtain compensation through a premises liability claim, even if your injury is the result of an assault or attack due to negligent security. Contact Fuller Law Firm to speak with a dedicated personal injury lawyer who can help you hold all liable parties accountable.
Under California’s premises liability laws, various parties who are responsible for a property have to use reasonable care to minimize the risks of injury to people who are on their premises. This duty to protect others may differ depending on the kind of business or property; for example, this obligation typically does not extend to trespassers.
Despite the recent appearance of a street sign in California mocking the state’s retail theft laws, being charged with this offense is no joke. The sign appeared in late June outside a Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco, reading "NOTICE: Stolen goods must remain under $950." The sign refers to Proposition 47, which California voters approved in 2014, which made any retail theft under $950 a misdemeanor offense. Some other criminal offenses were also downgraded to misdemeanors under Proposition 47, including bad check writing, petty theft with priors, certain forgeries, commercial burglaries, and possession of stolen property (so long as they were under the $950 threshold).
The law also changed some simple drug possessions into misdemeanors and provided that past convictions for these charges could be reduced to a misdemeanor by a court. Critics of the law say it has contributed to a surge in smash-and-grab robberies across the state. Some of Proposition 47’s provisions will be on the ballot in November in an attempt to roll them back. If you have been charged with a theft crime, it is essential that you speak to a San Jose theft lawyer who can build a solid defense on your behalf.
When someone is arrested for corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, one of the first things that happens is that an Order of Protection is automatically issued. A criminal Order of Protection requires the accused offender to stay away from and refrain from contacting the victim. If you and the alleged domestic violence victim lived together, this usually means that you cannot return to your home. This can leave you in an extremely difficult position. Before you are released from jail on bond, you will need to tell the court where you will be staying, and that cannot be your home address. This means that you will need to very quickly find alternate living arrangements. A San Jose domestic violence lawyer can help you navigate the requirements of the protection order while preparing to defend you against your domestic battery charges.
Everyone knows someone who has been injured or killed in a serious car crash, but it is still a terrible shock when it happens to you. Knowing what to do after a car crash can seem obvious until you are in the situation yourself.
If you have been hurt in a car crash, stop and think before taking action. Remember that you do not have to handle this situation by yourself. There are many good reasons for working with a San Jose, CA personal injury lawyer, and here are four of the most important.
In the best of circumstances, spending time researching California personal injury law, how much money you should ask for in compensation, and how judges in your area tend to rule in personal injury cases is a daunting task indeed. After a bad car crash, when you may be struggling with injuries, missing work and income, or grieving the loss of someone you love, getting the information you need for handling a personal injury suit may feel impossible. But you do not have to do this alone. A personal injury attorney can do the heavy lifting and let you focus on getting back on your feet.
The juvenile justice system is focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. When it is reasonable to do so, courts prefer to send minors to juvenile diversion programs instead of jail. Diversion programs can address the underlying issues that led the minor to commit a crime. These programs may involve substance abuse or mental health treatment and community service. The goal of a diversion program is to help a minor prepare to live a law-abiding and productive life instead of continuously reoffending. These programs can be especially helpful for children from disadvantaged communities as well as those who struggle with their mental health and could benefit from guidance and supervision. A San Jose, CA juvenile criminal defense attorney can help guide your child toward one of these programs.
A few of the juvenile diversion programs offered in California include:
When the police stop you while you are carrying an illegal item, like illicit drugs or an unregistered handgun, it is easy to panic and misidentify yourself. If the police show up at your home to carry out a search warrant, your instinct might be to claim that you are someone else or to give a fake name. A lot of people act out of sheer panic and give the police false identifying information when they are caught committing a crime, hoping that the police will fall for the fake identity and have charges filed against a person who is not them or a person who does not exist. In nearly all cases, police can readily see through false identities and will find out who you really are. If you are charged with providing false identification to a police officer, you need an experienced San Jose, CA criminal defense lawyer.
You do not need to have handed a police officer a fake ID to be charged with this offense, although doing so would certainly fall under this statute. (If you did use a fake ID, you will likely face additional charges, as possessing a fake ID is illegal.) Verbally giving a police officer a name other than your own legal name can be considered providing false identification.
After being hit by a drunk driver, you might have two different legal cases to deal with. One is the likely criminal prosecution against the drunk driver for a DUI with bodily injury. The other is your civil lawsuit against the drunk driver as you seek to recover compensation for your injuries. What happens to your civil lawsuit if the driver evades criminal liability for his DUI? You can likely still recover compensation for several reasons. The standard of proof required in civil cases is different, and the driver is probably still liable for the car crash he caused even if you cannot prove that he was drunk at the time. A Santa Clara County, CA drunk driving accident attorney can help.
To criminally convict a driver for a DUI with bodily injury, the state needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was driving drunk and his intoxicated driving is what caused your injuries. This is a high standard. There must be extremely strong evidence that the driver was drunk.