Broward County, Florida officials are giving dangerous dogs a “second chance” to stay off of “doggie death row,” the term applied to Florida’s dogs who are awaiting euthanasia after violating that county’s one-bite rule. County officials have now changed the standard, euthanizing dogs after a second attack.

Dog bites are serious injuries – over 1000 dog bite victims are sent to emergency rooms around the country each year. The impact of a dog bite can be lifelong, with victims not only facing injuries, but potential physical and emotional scars as a result of the animal attack. If you have been injured in an animal attack or bitten by a dog, a knowledgeable California dog bite lawyer can help.

California dog bite laws are strict. Under California Civil Code Sec. 3342, the owner of any dog who bites another person is responsible for the injuries – even if the dog hasn’t been vicious before and even if the owner has no knowledge of the dog’s potential to be vicious. This means that if you are bitten, the dog owner may be responsible for your damages including medical costs, damage to property or personal damages, and emotional distress damages. You may even be able to recover punitive damages if the dog owner behaved in a reckless or malicious manner.

Unlike Broward County, California – including Stockton and San Joaquin County – does not have a “one bite law” or other hard and fast rule regarding euthanizing dangerous dogs. Rather, a court will evaluate the dog’s conduct and determine whether to quarantine or euthanize the animal based on the severity of the attack and the dog’s prior history.

For more information, or if you have been harmed in a California dog bite attack, contact The Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, an experienced California personal injury lawyer.

The team doctor for the San Diego Chargers has been foundnegligent as the result of errors he committed in performing a hip replacement surgery on Kathleen Adams, a 54-year-old woman. As a result of the surgery performed by David Chao, Adams “has constant radiating pain in her foot and ankle, walks with a limp and has to take four types of medication daily just to make the pain tolerable…[t]he pain will be there the rest of her life.”

Medical malpractice or medical negligence occurs when a physician, hospital or other caregivers fails to meet the standard of care in a particular area of medicine. Where that failure causes harm, you may be able to sue for damages.

Chao has been sued 20 times since 1998 by patients on a wide variety of tort counts, including malpractice, personal injury, negligence and fraud.

If you have sustained an injury as the result of another’s negligent conduct, you may be able to recover compensation including lost wages, medical expenses and pain and suffering.

For more information, contact the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, dedicated to helping those injured by other’s negligence for more than 15 years.

An automobile accident caused the Golden Gate Bridge to shut down for an hour on Sunday. The car collision involved four cars. Although the specific reasons for the crash are unknown, a California highway Patrol officer stated that he suspected that one of the vehicles crossed over the line into oncoming traffic. Whether alcohol played a factor is unknown.

If you have been involved in a car accident, it is important to contact an experienced automobile accident lawyer to determine your next steps and help you obtain compensation for your injuries.

Many factors affect this determination. Here, this crash is one of several over the last few years that draw attention to a controversial issue – the lack of a median barrier across the Golden Gate Bridge. Whether Sunday’s accident could have been prevented had a barrier existed will likely be examined. Overarching issues such as roadway design often play as much of a role in causing an accident as driver error.

A knowledgeable attorney will investigate all the issues surrounding an accident and inform you regarding how these factors may affect you.

For more information, or if you have been injured in an accident, please contact the experienced Stockton personal injury lawyers at the Sette Law Firm for a free consultation.

The month of May has been designated National Bike Safety Month, and is designed to increase bicyclist’s awareness of potential dangers with an eye toward improving safety and reducing the number of bicycle accidents.

As a Stockton bike accident attorney and cycling enthusiast, I support efforts to improve the safety of everyone sharing the road, be it bicyclists, pedestrians, cars, trucks, busses or motorcyclists.

Recently several Bay Area bike accidents have been in the news, drawing attention to the potential for serious injury. Some of the tips offered as the result of National Bike Safety Month include:

• Follow the rules of the road – ride with traffic and obey traffic laws;

• Be visible – Wear bright clothing, use lights or reflectors and wear reflective clothing;

• Be predictable – Avoid making sudden turns or weaving in and out of traffic;

• Use “defensive bike” – Be aware of traffic around you and be prepared to take evasive action to avoid crashes; and

• Wear a properly fitted helmet

Hopefully as bicycling increases in popularity and safety measures are followed by both cyclists and drivers, the number of accidents will decrease.

For more information, or if you have been injured in aCalifornia bike accident, please contact the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette.

Stockton news reports that a nine-year-old girl was killed in a pedestrian accident as she was crossing street. The Stockton girl suffered head trauma and burn injuries after being struck by a van. She was taken to the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento for treatment.

If you have suffered serious personal injuries as the result of any California accident, including car accidents or pedestrian accidents, it is important to speak to an experienced Stockton injury attorney to answer your personal injury questions and determine your next steps.

Reports indicate that the girl was crossing the street and in the crosswalk with other people when she was struck by a Chevrolet Astro van headed west. A CHP Officer noted “The driver was driving toward the sun, and this shows that sometimes your blind spot doesn’t have to be on the sides or behind you; it can be in front of you.”

Although it is unknown whether the young girl in the crosswalk was walking or riding her motorized scooter at the time of the accident, the bike caught fire when hit by the van. The fire subsequently burned her arms, legs and chest. The girl was in stable condition when she was flown to the Sacramento trauma center.

Police are investigating whether the woman who was driving the van was speeding or ran a red light. Alcohol doesn’t appear to be a factor.

Whenever an injury occurs, contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer is important to advise you of your rights and help you obtain compensation for your injuries. Because so many factors may play a role in determining fault in an accident, it is important to have someone on your side, investigating just what happened and ensuring your needs are protected.

Often, recovery of damages – including items such as medical expenses – involves working with an insurance company. Whether an insurance company will pay your claim depends on the specific language of an insurance contract. Further, some insurance companies may ignore or delay processing claims filed by people without attorneys. Where you are the party charged with causing an accident, the insurance company must provide you a defense. However, if the claims are not covered under the insurance policy, the insurance company will not be required to pay you damages.

With so much at stake, if you or a loved one has been injured in a personal injury accident such as a car accident, its important to contact an experienced Stockton injury lawyers to provide you crucial advice and help you recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries. For more information, contact the dedicated Stockton injury attorneys at the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette for an immediate consultation.

With the Fourth of July weekend upon us, the U.S. Coast Guard is heightening its efforts to educate the public about wearing lifejackets while boating. In Lake County, California, the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 88 has been passing out free lifejackets to Lake County youth and providing boat safety classes at elementary schools.

Such measures are necessary. According to the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), California has the third highest incidence of boating deaths in the country, and is second for reported accidents. In 2008, 45 deaths and 520 injuries were reported.

California law requires children under the age 13 to wear a life jacket, and a jacket must be on board for each passenger.

The Lake County Bee reports the most common reasons for accidents include:

• Careless/reckless operation

• Operator inattention

• Operator inexperience

• Passenger/skier behavior

In fatal accidents, alcohol use is common.

Spending a day boating can bring hours of fun and entertainment. However, as a California personal injury attorney, I’ve seen too many accidents as the result of boaters losing sight of basic safety precautions. For this Fourth of July, remember to bring a life jacket and use care while driving your boat.

For more information on boating safety, or if you or a loved one is injured in a boating accident, contact the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette, a California attorney dedicated to helping the injured.

The Central Valley Business Times reports that a consumer fraud investigation of Mercury Insurance, sponsor of Proposition17, by the Department of Insurance has revealed that the insurance company has disregarded California’s consumer protection statute and overcharged consumers for over 15 year.

Under California law, all automobile drivers must carry insurance. Minimum insurance requirement include $15,000 per injury or death per accident and $5,000 for property damage. Where a person has been in a previous accident, premiums may substantially increase.

Drivers in the Central Valley and throughout California who have sought car insurance from Mercury may have been subject to fraudulent activities including the denial of coverage of drivers in certain occupations, failure to consistently apply insurance premiums when they were due, resulting in overcharges, and failure to collect the appropriate information regarding previous accidents to ensure accurate fees were charged.

Ironically, Mercury Insurance is now sponsoring Proposition 17, promising it will lower car insurance premiums by offering a discount to new customers who switch from one insurer to another. Although Proposition 17 allows for “continuous coverage” in switching insurance company it would also allow insurance companies to substantially increase rates for drivers who’s insurance has lapsed for any reason, such as a prolonged absence due to military service, hospitalization from a car accident, or those who can’t simply can’t afford the premiums for a period of time.

Many critics point out that Mercury’s message in support of Proposition 17 is deceptive. Not only did it pay $2.2 million to gather the signatures necessary to have the measure placed on the ballot, but it also seeks to legalize some of the practices Mercury has been fined for – such as canceling policies and denying driver’s favorable rates.

The costs of car insurance are high enough. As a California automobile accident attorney, I’ve seen first hand the importance of maintaining adequate car insurance. Adding additional fees to obtaining insurance will only make it more and more difficult for California and Central Valley drivers to obtain insurance, making the costs to those who suffer serious injuries in car accidents even higher.

This past weekend, an off-road racecar became airborne and crashed into a large group of spectators watching the California 200 near Lucerne Valley. Six people died at the scene and two more later that evening. Several more were injured.

When accidents happen at sporting events questions arise regarding liability. Many spectators assume they are safe at sporting and special events – whether baseball games, concerts, or car races. However, this is not always the case. Further, when accidents do happen, the party ultimately responsible for any injury depends on a variety of factors.

One of the first issues to determine is who owns the property? Here, the property was owned by the Federal government and controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. In some circumstances, owners of land may be held liable for dangerous events that occur on their property.

Further, was a third party, host, or contractor involved? Here the event was promoted by Mohave Desert Racing (MDR). Did MDR do all that was necessary to warn of risks involved in the event and take necessary safety precautions?

Additionally, did the driver’s or spectators’ actions play a role? The contract for the event specified that the trucks are to limit their speed to no more than 15 mph when spectators are near by. Witnesses report that the truck was going faster than this speed when it left the raceway and that the spectators were crowding the field.

Although the specific facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic case are unknown, the event has raised many questions regarding the safety of off-road races.

As a California attorney concerned about injury prevention, I am hopeful more safety measures will be implemented to prevent further off-road accidents and injuries in the future.

A recent study compiled the most deadly highways and times to be on the road based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics. At the top of the list, California Highways I-10 and I-15.

These two interstates rank fourth and fifth, respectively, for the highest number of fatal car accidents.

Other noteworthy statistics include:

• 50% of fatal crashes occurred on rural roads.

• 60% of fatal crashes were single car accidents

• Fatal car accidents are down by 15%, but fatal motorcycle accidents are up by 13%

SafeRoadMaps provides an interactive link so you can check on the safety of any roads in Stockton, throughout California and all of the U.S.

Although it may not be possible to avoid driving on California’s most dangerous roads, use common sense especially during peak travel times – such as avoiding driving while distracted and designating a driver if you’ve had a few drinks.

For more information, or if you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact Frederick J. Sette, a California attorney dedicated to helping those injured for more than 15 years.

According to the San Francisco Examiner, the family of a 23-year-old woman killed in a fatal Muni bus accident in August plans to file a personal injury lawsuit this week. Emily Dunn died in the pedestrian accident after a Muni shuttle bus hit her while crossing the street. Reports indicate that the bus driver was driving on the wrong side of the street.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, it is important to speak to an experienced California accident law firm promptly to protect your rights and determine your next steps. A knowledgeable Stockton personal injury lawyer can provide critical advice concerning your personal injury questions and what to do after an accident.

Unfortunately pedestrian accidents are far too common. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) estimates that nearly 80,000 pedestrians are struck each year by motor vehicles resulting in serious injuries. Nearly 5,000 of these accidents result in wrongful death. Many times, these accidents occur where the pedestrian has the right-of-way, is crossing at a cross-walk and obeying all traffic signals. An accident may occur because of driver negligence, such as where a driver is distracted, is speeding or has drinking. Other times, an accident occurs due to a condition of the road itself – such as where the design of the sidewalk is unsafe, debris blocks safe passage, defective roadway design or poor property maintenance.

When the negligence of other people or entities results in harm to you, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. Damages may include medical expenses, lost wages, mental distress and pain and suffering. An experienced California personal injury lawyer can evaluate your claim, conduct an investigation and determine which parties may be responsible.

For more information or if you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact the dedicatedStockton personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette. Our California accident lawyers are committed to helping those injured through the negligence of others.