San Mateo Personal Injury Attorneys Blog | California Car Accident Lawyer

Infection is a big risk after a dog bite

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Animal Bites on Monday, September 14, 2020.

Being attacked by a dog is traumatic, but it might not compare to what you'll face during the upcoming days. Depending on the severity and location of the bite, there's a chance that you're going to need extensive medical care.

For this reason, it's imperative that anyone who's been bitten by a dog seek out medical care as soon as possible after the incident. Anyone who has a dog bite should see a doctor within eight hours of the bite to keep the risk of an infection to a minimum. Waiting longer than that could mean that you have an increased risk, especially if you're immunocompromised or have diabetes.

How often do fatalities result from intersection collisions?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

If you think about the one thing that your parents taught you as you started to gain independence as a child, it was probably to look both ways when crossing the street. Many of us had our parents tell us that because they knew all-too-well just how dangerous intersections could be, and they wanted to engrain in the importance of giving them the added attention that they deserve.

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) delved deeper into how dangerous intersections are as part of a federally-funded study that they published in late 2009. The statistics that they compiled revealed how intersection crashes account for 21.5% of fatal accidents and 40% of others. The researchers also found that no one municipality or state is immune to these types of incidents.

What factors make parks unsafe?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Premises Liability on Tuesday, August 18, 2020.

Parks are great places to play and get in physical activity; however, they can also be very dangerous. Many parks, especially in older neighborhoods, were built quite some time ago. Their infrastructure may have become compromised over time, and parts of them may have gone unmaintained and started to erode.

Older parks in less than desirable neighborhoods may attract the wrong type of people, creating safety concerns. They may have poor lighting and visibility. The design may create opportunities for criminals to isolate themselves so that they can prey upon parkgoers or vandalize what's there.

Drunk driving and speeding aren't a safe combination

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

Drinking and driving isn't ever a good idea because there's an increased risk of an accident occurring. Unfortunately, some individuals think that they can do this safely. A recent case in San Mateo County highlights just how wrong things can go when a person drives while they're intoxicated.

Allegedly, a man left a party with a friend as a passenger in his BMW. As they were nearing a curve, the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree before rolling back into the traffic lane. The passenger in the vehicle was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash. The driver had major injuries and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Can animal bites result in an amputation?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Animal Bites on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

Being bitten by an animal can be very traumatic; it can also potentially be life-threatening or life-altering. An amputation is a real possibility that you may face depending on the severity of your wounds.

Capnocytophaga is a type of bacteria often found in the mouths of cats and dogs. It can potentially infect a wound and cause severe medical issues.

What to do if you're seriously injured in a car accident

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Car Accidents on Monday, July 6, 2020.

Some car accidents are nothing more than minor fender benders in which all parties involved are able to walk away from the scene without injuries.

Conversely, there are also car accidents that result in serious injury, including but not limited to broken bones, amputation, severe burns, deep lacerations and paralysis.

How do insurance companies quantify pain and suffering?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, June 23, 2020.

When a person gets injured as a result of a car accident, the pain and suffering that they may be afflicted with tends to vary by the individual and severity of the accident. Insurance company adjusters use a multiplier method to account for this. It allows them to estimate the amount of compensation that a person is eligible for based on various components, including pain and suffering.

There many factors that insurance adjusters look at when estimating damages. Some of the primary ones include clear proof of the other driver's fault in causing the accident and how badly a motorist was hurt. Adjusters also look to see documentable proof of injuries and associated pain and suffering and how long the recovery time will be.

How can lawsuits help people injured in public spaces?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Premises Liability on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.

If a business is welcoming you inside, they owe you more than a hello. Public spaces need to be safely accessible to the public, and the details of what "safety" means have changed over the years. For the most part, store owners and others are expected to keep pace with the changes.

How do these updates happen?

Moves to change these standards often start with small lawsuits that claim that someone was negligent about public safety and put their guests or invitees in danger. The burden of preventing foreseeable accidents is always on the party best able to take action -- like a shopkeeper.

What if someone was hurt because a public space was unsafe?

Workplace injuries can now happen in the home

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Premises Liability on Monday, June 8, 2020.

You may be reading this while you take a quick break from work. You may also be reading this at home while you're in sweatpants before you rummage through the fridge. Maybe you're doing both, because of a long trend that has recently become the norm.

Working from home is now commonplace for millions of workers in California and elsewhere in the United States. In fact, many jobs based in California may be done by people outside the state, taking pressure off local housing shortages. It also saves money and time since people don't have to go to the office.

How does someone contract rabies?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III posted in Animal Bites on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

One of the biggest fears that humans have when interacting with animals is contracting a potentially deadly disease such as rabies from them. This medical condition can result in serious neurological problems and even result in an individual's death. Rabies can be transmitted to a human anytime they come in contact with an infected animal's saliva, brain or nervous system tissue.

Individuals generally contract rabies from being bitten by rabid animals. There are, however, rare instances in which humans have contracted the deadly condition after they've been exposed to infectious tissue or bodily fluids through scratches, abrasions or open wounds though. Research has not yet shown that a person can contract rabies simply by petting an infected animal or by making contact with their blood, urine or feces.