Category: Blog

One of the leading causes of car accident injuries is distracted driving. Texting and driving increases the risk of getting into a car crash threefold. Aside from texting and driving, there are multiple other forms of distracted driving, such as eating, talking to others, looking away from the road, or reaching for something in the backseat. Being distracted behind the wheel is far too common.

Although it’s often hard to tell what’s going on in another driver’s car before an accident occurs, there are ways to rule out other causes and pinpoint distracted driving as the cause of your collision. If you’ve been injured in a car accident and you think distracted driving was the reason, you have the right to sue the liable driver for compensation.

Suing another driver for distracted driving will require proof of negligence and a detailed calculation of what you think your claim is worth. A California car accident lawyer at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys can assist you in gathering the appropriate documentation to file your claim. We’ll guide you through the legal process from start to finish and ensure every concern you have is put to rest.

Determining Fault

When determining fault in a distracted driving lawsuit, your attorney will investigate your accident by gathering all of the evidence available, which includes police reports, medical records, photographs, video footage, and witness testimonies. Using this evidence, your lawyer can build a case that proves the negligence of the opposing driver.

Once fault has been determined, your attorney will speak with your doctor to discuss your injury, the side effects you’re experiencing, and your expected recovery time. Each of these factors will play into your overall claim value.

Full Compensation for Your Claim

When seeking full compensation for the damages you’ve suffered, your car accident attorney will take into account more than just your medical expenses. Although medical bills will play a large role, other economic damages will also be examined, such as future expenses that can accumulate as a result of your injury, future lost income from being out of work, and any property damage to your vehicle.

Non-economic damages will be examined, as well, which are ways in which the injury has affected your lifestyle. These might include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, or scarring and disfigurement.

Reach out to a California Car Accident Lawyer

Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident is never easy, especially when you’ve experienced injuries because of someone else’s negligence. At  Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys, our attorneys have years of experience dealing with distracted driving lawsuits and we have specific strategies for proving negligence in these cases. If you’re seeking compensation for a car accident claim, we’re here to help.

To speak with a car accident lawyer and discuss your case in further detail, you can schedule a no-obligation consultation today by calling us at 1-844-404-2400 or by filling out the contact form below.

Motor vehicle accidents are terrifying. They happen suddenly, without warning, and can cause serious injuries. But, many people are surprised to learn that the impact of a car accident often far exceeds physical trauma alone. In fact, it is not uncommon for injury survivors to suffer from psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health conditions such as PTSD can be debilitating and feel impossible to overcome. When you’re dealing with the aftermath of a car accident, you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’ll pay for the care you need or provide for your family when you struggling just to function on a day-to-day basis. An Orange County car accident lawyer can help you seek the compensation you’re entitled to so you have the best opportunity to recuperate.

Manifestations and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Similar to many other mental health conditions, PTSD can range in severity, but the majority of people only discover that they have PTSD when it begins to affect their daily lives. Some of the most common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include:

• Nightmares
• Irritability
• Social isolation
• Insomnia
• Substance abuse
• Self-harm
• Flashbacks
• Emotional detachment
• Anxiety

Fortunately, with the right treatment, individuals can manage their symptoms and find new and healthy coping mechanisms. Treatment options might include working with a cognitive behavioral therapist and clinical psychologist, as well as SSRI medications that help regulate the symptoms associated with anxiety and depression.

Losses You Can Recover in Your Claim

The impact that PTSD can have on your life is undeniable, and our goal will be to obtain maximum repayment for the losses you’ve endured as a result of your PTSD diagnosis. Your economic damages have negatively influence your finances and might include lost wages, out-of-pocket costs, medical treatment and care, and the damage to your earning capacity in certain cases. But that’s not all you’re entitled to recover. Your non-economic damages are those that have had an impact on your life and emotional health. Some frequently sought-after non-economic damages include pain and suffering, lost quality of life, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of companionship and love, and even a loss of household services.

Work with an Orange County Car Accident Lawyer

Retaining exceptional legal representation is critical to the success of your case. Your attorney will be responsible for conducting an investigation so fault can be established, gathering evidence to support your claim, and calculating the value of your claim so you come away with an award that can really make a difference in your life. For assistance in pursuing a car crash claim that improves your quality of life, reach out to a qualified Orange County car accident lawyer at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys.  We offer injury victims across Orange County a complimentary consultation so we can learn more about your case. You can schedule yours by giving our office a call at 1-844-404-2400 or by submitting the quick contact form we have included at the bottom of this page.

Find a Car Crash Lawyer Office below:

Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys Address: 20371 Irvine Ave Suite 110, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Phone: +1 (949) 271-7863

It’s your worst fear: losing someone you love before it’s their time to go. No one wants to face this possibility, but sometimes we’re forced to deal with losing a family member too soon. Sometimes, the death of a loved one is caused by another’s careless or reckless behavior.

You certainly want justice if your loved one was lost in an accident that could have been prevented. What can you do? There are laws in California that allow you to seek justice and compensation from the party that caused the death of your loved one, if the death was caused by negligence or wrongful actions.

What Is a Wrongful Death Case?

A wrongful death case is when you file a lawsuit against the party that caused your family member’s death.

Filing a lawsuit can serve several purposes: It can hold the at-fault party accountable for what they’ve done; it can prevent other people from being hurt by the negligent party; it can give you and your family justice for the wrongful death; and, it can compensate you and your family for the damages the death has brought to your life.

Fatal accidents that often involve negligence include the following:

• Vehicle wrecks
• Dangerous products
• Exposure to hazardous fumes or chemicals
• Premises liability accidents
• Motorcycle crashes
• Medical negligence
• Trucking collisions
• Construction or workplace accidents

Benefits of Winning a Wrongful Death Case

Many people file wrongful death claims because they don’t want the person who caused the death of their loved one to harm others. Filing a case has the benefit of also compensating the family for the losses they’ve been forced to face.

No amount of money can ever replace your lost family member, and no amount of money will ever truly set things right. However, winning a case might be the only justice you can receive for the death of your beloved family member.

Monetary compensation can be helpful for you and your family. In some cases, you could even use the money from a successful case to honor your loved one’s memory. You could found a charity organization in your loved one’s name, for example, or put the money toward something your family member cared deeply about.

Below are some of the damages often awarded in successful fatal accident cases:

• Pain and suffering damages
• Lost income the deceased would have brought in, had they lived
• Trauma and anguish the family experienced due to the death
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial costs
• Medical expenses related to the accident or injury that resulted in death

Secure Help with Your Wrongful Death Case

You and your family deserve to be compensated for the death of your loved one, and a negligent party must be held to account. Not only will you be protecting others from injury by one careless party, but your case could also change important elements of injury laws.

Get help with your wrongful death case by partnering with an attorney from Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys. Fill out the online form below and receive a free, confidential case review. You can also reach an attorney by dialing 1-844-404-2400.

As a passenger in a car accident, you have as much a right to fight for compensation as the driver of the car you were traveling in. In fact, depending on where you were sitting in the vehicle, you could have endured far worse injuries than the driver did. But when you’re dealing with debilitating injuries, the last thing you’ll want to do is take on more than you can handle. What if we told you that you could seek the compensation you are entitled to without being overwhelmed by a greedy insurance company or a pile of personal injury paperwork? All you have to do is call an attorney at our firm. Working with a lawyer can be the best choice when you need a legal professional on your side. Continue reading to learn more about recovering compensation as an injured passenger in an auto accident.

Who Should Cover Your Damages?

You may be thinking that the driver of the car that struck you should be responsible for compensating you. While this could certainly be the case, there are many instances in which the other driver could also be a victim. First, let’s take a look at circumstances under which the driver who struck you would be at fault. If a person chose to drink or use drugs and drive, if they were distracted at the wheel, if they were being aggressive in their driving, or if they were too tired to safely operate their vehicle, then they should be expected to repay you for the damage they’ve caused. Other times, a large pothole or another road hazard can cause an accident. Roadway dangers that cause a crash can sometimes be blamed on a government road safety authority. Here’s another possible scenario: The driver of the car you were in could be at fault for the crash that injured you. If that’s the case, you may be able to sue that person. To find out who will be financially liable for your damages, you may need to allow an attorney to investigate the cause of the wreck. Once this investigation is complete, we’ll know who should be brought to justice for their negligent actions.

How Much Compensation You Can Expect as an Injured Passenger

Car accident claim awards aren’t cookie-cutter, as each person who is affected by a crash will suffer different injuries and have their lives impacted in different ways. However, injury victims do tend to endure similar losses in car accidents, even as passengers. Some of those common car accident damages include the following:

• Lost income
• Physical and emotional distress
• Inconvenience
• Property damage
• Medical bills

You could be entitled to recover compensation for several other types of damages. You will need to be prepared to go into great detail with your lawyer as you discuss the ways your life has been influenced by your injuries. That way, each hardship can be factored into our calculations of how much we will seek as we pursue your claim.

Consult a Car Accident Attorney at Our Firm

Securing the compensation you deserve shouldn’t be an uphill battle, and working with a car accident lawyer in Riverside or Orange County can ensure that your case is settled as soon as possible. Schedule your free consultation with Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys today by picking up the phone and calling our office at 1-844-404-2400 or completing the brief contact form below.

Find a Car Accident Lawyer Office below:

Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys Address: 20371 Irvine Ave Suite 110, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Phone: +1 (949) 271-7863

As a cyclist, you are at an increased risk of injury than someone who is traveling in a motor vehicle. A bicycle is simply no match for an automobile weighing thousands of pounds. When you’re involved in a wreck caused by a negligent driver, you should be able to recover a portion of your losses from the at-fault party.

However, you can be sure that the defense is going to do everything they can to minimize the total amount they’ll be required to pay you. If you weren’t wearing a helmet, for example, your claim could be impacted dramatically, per California’s negligence laws. Continuing reading to learn more about how your claim can be affected by your lack of helmet use.

California Negligence Laws

The state of California practices comparative negligence in regards to personal injury claims. This essentially enables injury victims to file claims even when they are partially responsible for the cause of the accident. Now, you might be wondering how you contributed to the cause of the accident by not wearing a helmet.

The answer is: You didn’t. But, you did contribute to your injuries by making the decision to not put on a helmet. The defense will argue that this shows a disregard for your safety. You will still be able to file a claim, but your final award will be reduced based on the percentage of liability you are found to carry.

For example, if you were considered to be 10 percent culpable for your injuries and were awarded $250,000, your award will be deducted by 10 percent, or $25,000, and you’ll come away with a total sum of $225,000.

When you’re already at an increased risk when sharing the road with vehicles capable of causing catastrophic injuries, choosing not to wear a helmet simply isn’t worth the risk. If not for your personal safety, than for the risk of diminishing the value of your claim and leaving you with out-of-pocket expenses.

Obtain Full Compensation for Your Damages

The goal in pursuing a civil lawsuit is to obtain repayment for the damages you endured. Some of the different types of losses that could be considered when calculating the value of your bicycle injury claim include the following:

• Property damages
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Damage to your earning potential
• Loss of companionship and love
• Inconvenience
• Loss of household services

The amount that you’ll be awarded will largely depend on how significant your injuries were on your life. It stands to reasons that the more impactful your condition has been on your life, the more you can expect to be awarded. Your attorney will be responsible for quantifying your damages accordingly so that you can get the most out of your claim.

Contact an Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer

Are you ready to regain control of your life? If so, reach out to a qualified Orange County personal injury lawyer at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys today. Our firm will work diligently to secure maximum compensation for your suffering.

We are pleased to offer prospective clients a complimentary case assessment where we can examine the details of your bike crash in greater depth. To take advantage of this opportunity, simply complete the quick contact form we’ve provided below or call our office at 1-844-404-2400.

Riverside County is home to some of the most dangerous intersections in all of California. People who suffer injuries after being involved in motor vehicle accidents in these areas are likely to endure serious damages that can be recovered when you file a claim in civil court with the help of a Riverside car accident lawyer.

If you’re interested in learning more about which intersections and streets you need to avoid or use extreme caution when traveling through, continue reading.

Ynez Road at Winchester in Temecula

This up-to-seven-lane intersection has been home to hundreds of crashes over the last ten years. With so many lanes of traffic, surrounding shopping centers, and sometimes-difficult-to-read street signs, it’s no wonder that Ynez Road and Winchester is one of the most dangerous intersections in Riverside County.

Additionally, crossing Ynez as a pedestrian can be particularly challenging, as there are only three pedestrian crosswalks available for use, and none available as you cross Ynez on the north side.

Gilman Springs and Bridge Street in Moreno Valley

Traveling along Gilman Springs Road, you’ll eventually see Bridge Street. This small intersection in a rural area in Moreno Valley is a one-lane road with a short left-turn-only lane as you turn onto Bridge Street. Unfortunately, there are no street or traffic lights in this area.

Where Bridge Street meets Gilman Springs, there is one lonely stop sign meant to direct and control traffic. There are no pedestrian crosswalks, and a speed limit of 55 mph is guaranteed to see plenty of speeding drivers, making this a particularly hazardous intersection in Riverside County.

Magnolia Avenue at Tyler Street in Riverside

Magnolia Avenue and Tyler Street in Riverside is one gargantuan intersection. With up to six lanes of traffic on one side and surrounded by shopping centers, banks, gas stations, and pedestrians, it’s not surprising that this intersection sees up to thirty accidents annually.

Though street signs are easily readable and there are pedestrian crosswalks on all four sides, there are no bike paths for bicyclists to utilize and the road turn signals are faded, making them difficult to decipher.

Arlington Avenue and Van Buren in Riverside

Take one look at Arlington and Van Buren, and you might find it hard to believe that it’s home to more than 200 crashes in the last ten years.

After all, there are pedestrian crosswalks on all four sides, lanes of traffic for bicyclists, and easy-to-read street signs, and there aren’t many surrounding shopping centers that might draw in additional traffic.

However, this intersection has enough traffic of its own without the dangers of coffee shops and other consumer interests. With a total of thirty-two lanes of traffic at this intersection, the large number of cars that travel throughout this intersection every day dramatically increases the number of individuals exposed to distracted driving, aggressive driving, and drunk driving, making it the most dangerous intersection in all of Riverside County.

Hurt in a Motor Vehicle Wreck? Get Help from a Riverside County Personal Injury Lawyer

Avoiding these intersections entirely is the only way to ensure you aren’t injured there, but that’s not a realistic choice, is it? If you suffer an injury in any of the previously mentioned intersections, or anywhere in Riverside County for that matter, get in touch with an experienced personal injury lawyer at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys.

You can schedule your free, no-obligation consultation by calling our office at 1-844-404-2400 or by filling out the convenient contact form we’ve included at the bottom of this page.

A semi-truck accident can be especially devastating. You’ll likely need help getting back on your feet. You’re not just seriously injured, either. You’re dealing with expensive treatments, repairs to your vehicle, and the pain and suffering that come with a serious accident.

Sadly, getting compensated for a wreck with a semi-truck is rarely easy. Fighting for compensation can take time, and if you’re not familiar with what you’re owed and how to obtain it, you could end up with a settlement that’s far too small to help you as much as you need.

When you’re dealing with an 18-wheeler crash, don’t hesitate to reach out to a lawyer for help getting compensated. Anything less than full compensation means more time struggling to overcome your injuries, so contact a lawyer for assistance.

Who’s Responsible for Your Compensation?

Determining fault for your truck crash will be one of the more complicated aspects of your case. It seems like it would simply be the trucker, right? Not always.

You may need to dig deeper than that to find the right person. That’s thanks to the concept of employer liability. This type of liability means that people on the job are not solely responsible for their actions. That person wouldn’t be driving a semi-truck under normal circumstances—he or she is on the clock. This means the trucking company may be responsible for the trucker’s negligent actions.

This process can take time and research, but a lawyer can help you find the at-fault party quickly.

Compensation Owed After a Semi-Truck Wreck

Once you know who’s supposed to compensate you for your semi-truck wreck, you’ll need to calculate how much that party owes you. Accidents involving large trucks like 18-wheelers can cause more damage than a typical car crash, so you’ll need to be sure you’re getting the full compensation you need.

Don’t just seek out the financial losses you’ve suffered. While these are likely your priority, chances are that you’ve suffered more than that. Your injuries can take a mental toll on you, leading to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You deserve compensation for damages like that.

Calculating the true value of a semi-truck crash claim can be complicated because non-economic damages don’t have a financial value, but a lawyer can help you determine what you’ve suffered and what that’s worth.

Your damages may include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Mental trauma
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage

Call an Orange County Semi-Truck Accident Attorney

A truck crash can leave you struggling with costly bills and an inability to work. You need compensation to overcome these hardships. Sadly, getting compensation for a wreck with a semi-truck is especially difficult if you’re working alone. Calculating the value of your claim isn’t easy, but it’s a necessary step as you seek full and fair compensation for what you’ve been through.

Fortunately, a lawyer from Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys can help. We’ll fight hard to make sure you get the compensation you need. We can start with a free consultation, where we’ll review your case and discuss how we can help you through this difficult time.

For more information, reach out to us. Give us a call at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the form below.

If you were asked to name the types of crashes that cause the most deaths, you might say head-on collisions. Or, if you know something about traffic statistics, you might expect intersection crashes or left turns to be high on the list, or even single-vehicle crashes off the road.

You might not expect that rollover crashes are still one of the crash configurations with a high number of fatalities each year, but they continue to rank near the top.

Increased Concern

The popularity of SUVs, beginning in the mid-1980s, led to both an increase in rollover crashes and concern about the design of these vehicles. The problem was real: When the US Department of Transportation took a hard look at the data in 2002, they found that rollover deaths had risen 9 percent across the 1990s, despite a decrease in passenger car rollovers. The reason? A more than one-third increase in incidents involving light trucks and SUVs.

Other interesting information was revealed, including that victims in rollovers were noticeably less likely to be wearing seat belts than the average driver. And yes, the data showed that SUVs had a higher chance of rolling when their drivers tried to maneuver before a crash, but that more than half of all drivers in multi-vehicle crashes that included a rollover fatality made no attempt to avoid the crash at all.

Improved but Not Removed

In 2005, more than 10,800 people died in rollovers, about 27 percent of all crash fatalities, and around four in ten of those rollover deaths were in passenger cars (not SUVs). Those numbers have been on a mostly steady (but slow) decline for some time.

By 2014, rollovers accounted for under 19 percent of crash deaths (nearly 7,600), and in 2016, the estimate was below 7,500 total, with tens of thousands more injured. But that was nearly one-third of fatalities that year, while rollovers only made up a few percent of all crashes.

Single- and Multi-Vehicle

It’s true that the majority of rollovers are single-vehicle crashes. But they still happen in crashes with other vehicles. In February, a pickup in Lakewood was left on its roof after causing a crash at an intersection. A day rarely goes by without news of a crash of this type, like the one earlier this month in El Cajon, where a two-vehicle collision left one on its roof.

Orange County Car Accident Lawyer

It doesn’t matter what type of crash you’ve been in, when you’re the victim of someone else’s careless driving, it’s critical that you take all the steps necessary to ensure that you are compensated for all damage and injury caused. Your medical expenses and lost wages need to be recovered—and without the right legal assistance that can be difficult.

Contact the experienced automobile accident attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys today at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. We’ve helped hundreds of clients settle their cases successfully, and we’re ready to help you.

In personal injury claims, victims are sometimes injured so severely that they are unable to work for a long period of time, and sometimes they are never able to return to their old jobs.

Clearly, when an injury is catastrophic the injured party will seek a greater amount of damages—both economic and noneconomic—than when an injury is temporary. And catastrophic injuries often leave both physical and non-physical scars, all of which need to be taken into account when determining the current and future needs of the victim.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

Precisely what qualifies as a “catastrophic injury” is a moving target. Current state law doesn’t get into an explicit definition, describing a catastrophic injury only as one “including, but not limited to, loss of a limb, paralysis, severe burn, or severe head injury.” That’s led to some debate over what does and doesn’t qualify as catastrophic, especially when it comes to psychiatric injuries.

The definition in federal law doesn’t provide detailed guidance because it only characterizes an injury by the end result: “an injury that permanently prevent(s) an individual from performing any gainful work.”

But between those definitions and general practice, it’s usually agreed that severe burns, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries (including paralysis), major organ damage, and severe broken bones qualify. Incidents that result in serious psychological injury, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are also usually considered.

Causes of Catastrophic Injury

We might expect that catastrophic injuries only happen in industrial workplaces and a few other settings, but the truth is that they can happen under many circumstances—almost too many to mention.

Work accidents can cause them, of course, but so can car and truck accidents, public transportation crashes, and even situations that don’t seem like they could escalate to that level of severity, such as slip-and-fall accidents, defective product issues, and even dog bites. Most accidents of all kinds don’t reach a catastrophic level, but it can happen.

Orange County Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

The costs related to a catastrophic injury are equally catastrophic. Immediate medical expenses will give way to rehabilitation and long-term care needs. A person affected in this way will often lose all future income as an effect of the injury, and yet living expenses and other needs continue to accumulate.

That’s why when you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury it’s vital that you work with someone who understands how to help. Each situation is different, but the attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys have the experience needed to approach every catastrophic injury case effectively.

Give us a call today at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to schedule a no-cost, no-pressure consultation to discuss your case and learn more.

California is one of many states that allow a driver who has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) to plead to a lesser charge. One of those lesser charges is “wet reckless” (reckless driving involving alcohol).

Understanding what this charge means and how it works is useful when you’ve been in a crash with a driver previously charged with wet reckless. The existence of this plea on a driver’s record can be meaningful to your own car accident case and settlement.

Why Does Wet Reckless Exist?

Some states don’t allow a DUI charge to be pled down, even on a first offense with no harm caused. California law instead takes the approach that in some situations a compromise works for everyone. In this case, the prosecution can benefit by getting a plea to a lesser charge. They might be concerned that their evidence might not hold up in court, often because the defendant’s blood alcohol level was right around the legal limit.

The defendant who takes the plea admits guilt to an infraction but avoids the more serious DUI charge, which carries fines, license restrictions, jail time, probation, and other potential penalties.

Wet Reckless Restrictions

Being able to make a wet reckless plea is far from automatic and there are important conditions involved—no property damage or injury can have been caused, for one—but it allows a first offender to avoid the more serious DUI charge. While it keeps a DUI charge off the guilty party’s record, the court can place the defendant on probation and require him or her to enroll in an alcohol and drug education program.

Most importantly, the charge and plea stay on the defendant’s record, and if they have an additional DUI offense within ten years, the wet reckless will be converted to a DUI charge, causing the new offense to count as a second DUI with additional penalties.

The rules will be tightening soon, too: Beginning in 2019, the courts will have the option of requiring those convicted of wet reckless to use ignition interlock devices while on probation.

Why Does All This Matter?

If you’ve been the victim of a crash caused by another driver, it’s important to know if the driver has previous convictions—including a wet reckless charge—in their past. The record of offenses, their circumstances, and any previous harm caused by a driver can be important factors in a case; they can affect whether a case goes to trial or is settled, as well as what settlement is reached.

Orange County Car Accident Lawyer

After a car crash has left you injured or with property damage that needs to be repaired, contact the team at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys. Our experienced automobile accident attorneys know how to approach all kinds of motor vehicle accident cases, regardless of the circumstances, and we’ve helped hundreds of clients recover their medical expenses, lost income, and many other costs that they face after a crash.

We offer each client a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss his or her specific case, so you have nothing to lose. Call us today at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to learn more.