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Distracted Teenage Driving – Is Your Child at Risk?

November 29, 2016 by

For California teenagers, their 16th birthday means the freedom of the road.  For parents of those teenagers, age 16 is the beginning of increased insurance costs and sleepless nights.  Do parents of teenage drivers have reason to be worried?  The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's  new report on driver distraction says yes.  As a personal injury attorney, I have seen first-hand the devastation distracted teenage driving can cause. We know that driving while distracted puts lives at risk.  Yet … [Read more...]

Can You Sue for Losses When You’re Partly at Fault for a Car Accident?

November 22, 2016 by

Auto accidents are sometimes caused by more than one driver.  When two or more people are responsible for a crash, California comparative negligence laws kick in.  These laws allow you to hold another driver accountable for your damages, even when you are partially to blame.  But as a car accident attorney, I can tell you that cases involving multiple at-fault drivers are complicated. Comparative negligence is the key for auto accident victims who bare some … [Read more...]

Who is the Best Expert in a Car Accident Case?

October 27, 2016 by

Expert testimony can make or break an auto accident case.  Experts are not always required in car accident lawsuits.  However, experts are helpful in complex cases, those involving multiple parties, and/or when liability is not clear.  As a car accident lawyer I use experts who help jurors understand the impact of injuries on accident victims and their families. Expert witnesses analyze complicated issues, draw conclusions, and explain their opinions to … [Read more...]

Is Distracted Walking the New Danger for Pedestrians?

September 27, 2016 by

Long Beach, CA was named the 10th most walkable city in the United States.  According to the City's press release, Long Beach is the only city in Southern California to make the top 10.  This is great news for the City since it invested heavily in the needs of pedestrians.  But as a Long Beach personal injury lawyer, I have seen the number of pedestrian accidents rise. Why? A new report from Business Wire may shed light on why this is happening in … [Read more...]

Michael D. Waks Essay Contest Winner

September 22, 2016 by

This summer, the Law Office of Michael D. Waks held it's first annual Essay Contest for students living with a disability.  Disabled Los Angeles County high school seniors and students attending a California accredited college or university, competed for the $1,000 scholarship.  Participants wrote about the educational challenges presented by their disability, how they overcame them, and how their disability has influenced their educational and career path. The theme of the essay contest … [Read more...]

How Are Truck-Car Accidents Different from Car-Car Accidents

August 31, 2016 by

How Are Truck-Car Accidents Different from Car-Car Accidents by Michael Waks   Because trucks are larger and heavier than cars, a truck-auto accident will have a greater impact on the car than a car-car accident. And therefore there is a greater risk victims will suffer serious injuries in a truck accident. A Long Beach auto accident attorney explains. … [Read more...]

Was Someone’s Carelessness to Blame for Your Injury Accident?

August 23, 2016 by

When people act carelessly, others get hurt.  Personal injury lawsuits come about because someone's failure to use reasonable care resulted in an injury to someone else.  Under CA civil laws, a person can be held legally liable for damages he causes because of his negligence.  As a personal injury attorney I see all kinds of accidents which could easily have been avoided if the person at fault had acted responsibly. When determining if a person's conduct was negligent, the foreseeability test … [Read more...]

What Can You Do After a Swimming Pool Accident?

August 18, 2016 by

Swimming pool accidents have grave consequences, especially for young children.  Each summer we read about the horrors of young children drowning, but near-drownings have their own kind of horror.  As a personal injury attorney I have seen families devastated by the wrongful death or injury of a child involved a swimming pool accident. In children ages one to four, only birth defects cause more deaths than drowning.  And many victims of near-drownings are left in a … [Read more...]

How Do Insurance Companies Treat Personal Injury Victims?

August 16, 2016 by

"How will the insurance company and their defense attorneys treat me after I make a claim?"  As a personal injury attorney, I get this question all the time.  It is such an important question, that even when a potential client doesn’t ask, I explain it anyway.  Why?  Because no one should go down the path of litigation without understanding that it is an adversarial process. When you make a claim against an insured after a car accident, slip and fall accident, … [Read more...]