Los Angeles Legal Blog

Teen drivers pose hazards to California motorists

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, July 18, 2019.

Statistics have continued to confirm the popular perception that even generally honest and well-behaved teenagers are more prone to having accidents when they get behind the wheel. Nationwide, car accidents continue to be the number one killer of people ages 16 to 19. Perhaps more disturbingly, teen drivers account for almost 8.5% of all costs and expenses connected with bodily injuries from car accidents. This is problematic since people ages 15 to 19 make up only 6.5% of the overall population, meaning that this segment is contributing to a disproportionate share of injury costs.

Fortunately, California has some things to smile about when it comes to teen drivers and traffic safety. For instance, although considered the 18th best state for teen drivers overall, it ranks high, 6th overall, in terms of safety statistics. What this means is that, relatively speaking, California is not seeing a lot of teen fatalities from car accidents or a lot of cases involving drunk or drugged teen drivers.

How to protect your most personal identifying data in the workplace

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Consumer Rights on Thursday, July 11, 2019.

Biometric data includes some of the most personal information about you: Your fingerprints, your voice, your retinas, your facial composition - features that can readily identify you. In the wrong hands, this data can be used to commit far-reaching identity theft. Misuse can also lead to unlawful discrimination, invasion of your privacy rights and other serious consequences.

Common senior fraud scams

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Consumer Fraud on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

Sadly, in California, senior citizens are frequently the targets of fraudsters and other unscrupulous individuals who try to take advantage of them. Seniors are frequently the victims of consumer fraud because they are oftentimes in an emotionally vulnerable position. Moreover, retirees are frequently perceived as having a lot of money that thieves want to take.

There are many common ways that fraudsters these days are trying to trick senior citizens. For example, given the rising cost of medication, many people will sell discount drugs to seniors that turn out to be outright fakes or simply not what the seller represented the drug to be. The fraud aside, if a senior citizen takes these products, then they may wind up in a worsened medical condition.

Issues women face in the workplace

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. on Tuesday, July 2, 2019.

From getting paid less than their male coworkers to being sexually harassed, women face many challenges. Here are just two of the many issues women may face and what you can do if you experience workplace discrimination.

Women face a harsher punishment

Brake problems in Lime scooters are leading to injuries

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

From driving, hailing a cab/Uber or Lyft, to riding the subway, bus or light rail, there are so many ways to get around your city these days. You could also jump on an electric scooter to zoom around at speeds up to 15 mph.

Launched in September 2017, Lime scooters, the increasingly popular electric scooter startup, has dealt with a number of issues since parking their scooters in cities across the country. Vandals have abused the scooters in several ways, including: lighting them on fire, tossing them in lakes and stealing them. Even though scooter abuser has been an issue, injuries due to alleged faulty brakes has as well. Obtained by Consumer Reports, over 1500 e-scooter injuries have been reported from 110 hospitals in 47 cities across the country as of February 2019.

Study shows public not sensitive to the dangers of driving high

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, June 21, 2019.

A recent study by a group affiliated with the American Automobile Association, or AAA, concludes that the general public may not be as sensitive to the dangers of driving while high on marijuana as it is to the dangers of drunk driving or even other forms of drugged driving.

This study's findings may be significant to the residents of California since recreational marijuana use among adults is legal in this state.

Fatal Newport Beach collison may have been intentional

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, June 7, 2019.

According to investigators, a deadly collision in the Newport Beach area may have been caused intentionally.

Officers indicated that they were exploring whether a young man deliberately drove his Mercedes on to a highway in the area while traveling in the wrong direction. Police also indicated that the man was traveling at a high rate of speed, traveling at more than 100 miles per hour. Immediately prior to the accident, police received reports about a Mercedes driving erratically on the local roads.

Statistics on fatal accidents in California

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, May 24, 2019.

Not surprisingly, California has a relatively high number of traffic-related fatalities when compared with its sister states. The reason this is not surprising is that California has the largest population among all the states in the union. With that large population comes a lot of motor vehicles on the road, and with that, a higher possibility of car accidents with either a fatality or with catastrophic injuries.

According to the most recent statistics available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, the state had 3,602 traffic-related deaths in 2017. Since statistics were first kept in 1975, the number of deaths has decreased by 12%. Unfortunately, the number has been creeping up over the last decade, as the low-point in traffic fatalities was back in 2010.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Consumer Fraud on Friday, May 10, 2019.

Many Californians have to buy an item they need on credit. In other situations, they may have to make payment arrangements for medical bills or bills connected with other important services.

Unfortunately, residents of this state can find themselves in a situation where they are unable to pay these debts. For instance, the loss of a job, a health problem or a family crisis can make it very difficult for a person to keep up with the finances.

Unofficial High Holiday can end in tragedy on the road

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, April 26, 2019.

For over a generation now, those who support the more liberal use of marijuana in California and the rest of the country have observed April 20 as a so-called High Holiday. One custom of this countercultural observance is to ingest marijuana at around 4:20 p.m. on this day.

According to information compiled in a major medical journal, many people, especially college students, indeed planned to smoke marijuana on April 20. In states, like California, where the recreational use of marijuana is legal, sales of the drug tend to surge around this date.