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I am Really Sick and Tired of Ambulance Chasers who give us Real Personal Injury Attorneys a Bad Name.

Written on September 15, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Assult & Battery, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Damages, Defective Roads, Dog Bites, Editorial, Education, General Legal, Insurance Information, Medical Treatment, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Product Defects, Slip and Fall, Wrongful Death

California Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez

Yes you read the headline of this article correctly; I am sick and tired of ambulance chasers who give ethical personal injury attorneys such as me, a bad name.

An ambulance chaser has been defined by an online dictionary as:

“A lawyer or entrepreneur who hurries to the scene of an accident to try to get the business of any injured persons.”

First of all let me tell all of you something right now, lawyers or their representatives are prohibited from soliciting your business at the scene of an accident in the State of California.

Any attorney who engages in such conduct can face disciplinary proceedings.

If someone is coming up to you at the scene of an accident and recommending an attorney to you; chances are they are engaging in prohibited conduct.

You should never select an attorney based upon a solicitation at the scene of an accident, at your doctor’s office, by the tow truck driver, by a body shop, etc.

Always select someone based upon your own research.

My good friend who is an ex NICB agent, and who now runs an investigative corporation, has told me stories of unethical attorneys illegally paying runners, cappers, doctors, tow truck drivers, body shops, to refer cases to them.

He has also told me stories of personal injury attorneys who are in illegal partnerships with non attorneys to get business.

No attorney can fee share or be in a partnership with a non attorney to get your business.

To be frank, I am absolutely shocked to hear such stories. It is beyond my belief that some unethical attorneys are engaging in such behavior. It is to be frank, despicable.

For attorneys such as me who play by the rules, it is outrageous to think of the poor victims of this type of illegal activity.

Going one step further, you may have recently heard about the explosion in San Bruno and the horrible aftermath.

Sure enough, there are some bottom feeder law firms putting out press releases trying to scavenge business from those poor souls in San Bruno.

Historically in the State of California, attorney advertising was prohibited. In the last several decades attorneys have been allowed to advertise. Some have taken it too far.

I am not against attorneys being allowed to advertise, but I am against what I consider to be ambulance chasing in advertising.

The same thing happened after the Chatsworth Metrorail crash, and many other disasters.

As for me, I am no ambulance chaser. I do not need to be because I am good at what I do.

All of my past and present clients know this to be true. To be good at what you do, you need to actually care about your clients, and get them the money that they deserve.

Ask yourself a question; have you ever heard any other personal injury attorney discussing the topic of this article? Heck No. Do you wonder why? It is the dirty little secret that no one wants to talk about.

Well I am talking about it.

I would like to hear any comments you have. You may comment by clicking the comment link below.

By California Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © September 15, 2010

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Tags: ambulance chaser, california personal injury attorney, california personal injury lawyer, capper, norman gregory fernandez, referral, runner

If you Ride a Motorcycle You Need to Read This; it Could Save You or Your Family

Written on September 10, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Damages, Editorial, Education, Insurance Information, Medical Treatment, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

California Biker Attorney and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Beach Ride

I cannot tell you how many motorcycle riders have called me this summer after having a motorcycle accident.

One guy in particular really disturbed me. His fiancé called me. He was taken out by a 17 year old teenage girl who had gotten her drivers license 2 weeks before the accident.

As she was driving in the slow lane, she told the CHP that she swerved her car trying to avoid something in her lane. While swerving, she cut across 4 lanes of traffic on the 10 freeway, and nailed my guy on the motorcycle as he was riding to work as a truck driver.

My guy had been riding motorcycles for years, this was his first accident. He had leathers on, and a full face helmet. He suffered a traumatic brain injury from the accident.

In the hospital, his family and fiancé were told he had the worst possible type of brain injury, and that he had a 10% chance of survival. Even before he woke up from his coma, his family and fiancé were told that he had permanent brain damage.

The girl who hit my guy only had the California minimum insurance of 15k per person per incident. This insurance amount will not even cover one day of my guy’s hospital care.

He was in a coma for about a month and in the hospital for 4 months. He is recovering, but he will never be the same. He see’s double vision, he is learning how to talk again, and he will never be able to return back to work as a truck driver. It is unknown what the future has in store for him, but at least he is still alive, and his fiancé is sticking by him.

He is fucked not only because he got taken out by a teenage girl in a car on the freeway, but because of her minimum 15k insurance coverage, he will get no money at all to compensate him for his future care, future loss of wages, his pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, his emotional distress, etc.

This girl ruined his life.

This does not have to happen to you or your family.

WOULD YOU TRUST THE FUTURE OF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY TO HOW MUCH LIABILITY INSURANCE A TEENAGE GIRL DECIDES TO BUY?

Read the above sentence very carefully. If you as motorcycle rider want to put you and your family’s future in the hands of whatever liability insurance another driver buys, then you are a fool, yes a fool.

I cannot tell you how many times I get calls from victims of motorcycle accidents who are stuck living with the policy limits of the people who hit them. 99% of the time, the person who hit you in a motorcycle accident case, does not have enough insurance to properly compensate you.

I have recommended for years that every motorcycle rider and biker carry at least 1 million dollars in under insured and uninsured motorist coverage to cover the difference between the insurance liability policy that a person who hits you has, and what you may actually need to compensate you for your losses in a motorcycle accident case.

Yet time and time again, I hear the same old story from motorcycle accident victims, they do not have under insured coverage or uninsured motorist coverage to cover their losses.

I will lay it out straight to you because I am a fellow motorcycle rider and biker; if you get into a motorcycle accident, chances are that you will suffer a catastrophic injury, because we are not surrounded by sheet metal like in a car.

If you suffer a catastrophic injury in an accident that is not your fault, you could be entitled to substantial money. In order to get substantial money, you need to have substantial insurance. Many if not most people who may hit you on the road on your motorcycle, either have minimum insurance or no insurance because of the economy.

Therefore you need to protect yourself and buy the level of insurance that you feel comfortable with in case you suffer a catastrophic injury. This is not only to protect yourself, but to protect your family as well.

I suggest 1 million in under insured, and uninsured. If you can afford more, get more.

Look many of you out there spend hundred’s and possibly thousands of dollars per year on aftermarket accessories for your motorcycles why not take a chunk of that and protect yourself and your family.

This is just common sense.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © September 10, 2010

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Tags: Insurance, liability insurance, Motorcycle Accidents, norman gregory fernandez, under insured coverage, uninsured motorist coverage

8 People are Killed at an Off-Road Racing Event in Lucerne Valley; What are the Legal Ramifications?

Written on August 17, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Car Accidents, Editorial, Education, Motor Vehicle Accidents, News, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury

Many of you have heard by now that 8 people died in the Lucerne Valley, at an off road racing event, when a truck went out of control during the event. Many of you may not know that 39 other people were injured; 10 seriously.

I personally send my heartfelt condolences to all of the family and friends of the victims of this tragic accident, and wish those injured a speedy recovery.

You can see by the raw video below that the spectators were standing way too close to the racing vehicles. Many have said that the reason why so many people were killed and injured was preciously because the fans were way too close to the action.

I have heard that there will be no charges filed against anyone having anything to do with the race, but that the national park service is going to do an investigation, since they were the ones that gave a permit for the race.

I have seen news reports that the promoters and organizers of this event put signs up stating that people should stay at least 150 feet away from the racing vehicles. I am sure they think that this warning is sufficient to protect them from being responsible for this horrible accident; I disagree.

As a Personal Injury Attorney, I deal with negligence cases in one form or another every day. The way I see it, the organizers and promoters of this event are legally responsible for the deaths of 8 spectators, and the injury of 39 others.

They owed a duty of due care, to provide a safe way for the spectators to watch the race. They should have had adequate security at the event to keep the spectators a safe distance from the race. The owed a duty of due care, to erect barriers, tape, or something so that spectators such as the ones who were killed and injured, would have known where to stand during the race.

They apparently did nothing but put signs up saying that spectators should stay 150 feet away from the action. Hell, I for one do not know how to measure 150 feet without some kind of tape measure.

Many might argue that the persons who were killed and injured assumed the risk of harm that they suffered at this event. I disagree. Spectators are not engaged in a dangerous sport, they are simply there to watch. With some minimal precautions from the organizers and promoters of this event, this tragedy could have been avoided.

If you or your family suffered through the wrongful death of a loved one at this event, or your or a loved one were injured at this event, all me now for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1. You may be entitled to substantial compensation for your loss.

By California Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © August 2010

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Tags: 8 killed at lucerne valley, 8 killed at race, assumption of risk, california personal injury, california personal injury attorney, california personal injury lawyer, lucerne valley tragedy, Negligence, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, Wrongful Death

Are There Any Real Biker Lawyers out there Beside Myself?

Written on June 7, 2010 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Criminal Law, Editorial, Education, Fatal Motorcycle Accident, General Legal, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Product Defects, Slip and Fall, Wrongful Death

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez

Are there any real biker lawyers out there beside myself?

When I look at the Internet I see a bunch of pasty face lawyers and attorneys in suits claiming that they are motorcycle injury attorneys. Some are well known so-called motorcycle attorneys who advertise in a bunch of motorcycle publications, and even set up booths at events.

I know one up and coming so-called motorcycle attorney outfit that is nothing more than a marketing franchise scheme aimed at bikers and motorcyclist like you.

Hell, they advertise on TV, and they are all over the Internet representing themselves as biker lawyers.

When I contacted them to find out what they were about, they sent me marketing literature. Basically if you join their outfit and pay a fee, you too will be a real biker lawyer. They have a nationwide marketing campaign going right now which is targeted at bikers and motorcyclist. What a joke!

Let me ask you a question. Would you really want to hire a motorcycle injury attorney from an outfit that is nothing more than a marketing scheme directed at you?

Some months ago a few of us so-called “biker lawyers” were in an article in the Los Angeles Times discussing what is what like to be a biker lawyer.

One of my competitors admitted in the article, that he did not ride “because he wanted to grow old to see his grandchildren.” There was another attorney mentioned in the article, who I have never heard of before the article, who had recently starting working for the same firm of the guy who admitted that he did not ride, stating that he recently actually started riding, and that he recently started doing motorcycle accident cases; isn’t that grand.

Hell at least I give them a little credit for having an employee attorney who actually started riding a Harley Davidson Sportster right before the article came out.

Hell this firm advertises nationwide in many prominent biker rags. If you were to read their advertisements you would think that these guys are the baddest biker lawyers in town. I challenge them to ride with me sometime here in California. It would be nice to actually meet another attorney who rides motorcycles.

Geez would you want an attorney who is great at advertising, but who does not ride because “they want to grow old to see their grandchildren” representing you in your motorcycle accident case? Do you think that this guy actually respects you and your right to ride?

The reporter from the Times gave me a sentence or two credit in the article, notwithstanding the fact that she interviewed me for about an hour.

I thought it was amusing that the majority of the article was spent giving lip service to attorneys who don’t actually ride motorcycles, except for the one junior associate I mentioned above, who had just started riding motorcycles.

I challenge any of the so-called local California Biker Lawyers and Motorcycle Accident Attorneys who advertise anywhere in California to join me on a ride. The reason why I am issuing this challenge is because I believe that maybe only a few of them actually ride motorcycles if any do at all.

I do know of some lawyers nationwide who do actually ride motorcycles. One of them from Southern California who rides, does not do motorcycle injury accident cases.

There was an actual Superior Court Judge based in San Bernardino who actually rides motorcycles. He is, or was a Judge, I am not sure of his status now, but he does not advertise as a biker lawyer who handles motorcycle accident cases.

There is an attorney; his name is Jeff who lives in Korea, who rides. I met him through this Blog, the Biker Law Blog.

I know that there are lawyers out their sprinkled around the good old USA that ride motorcycle, but believe you me; they are the exception and not the rule.

In my personal opinion, I think that a law firm, or someone who advertises that they are “the best” motorcycle accident attorney,” or that they are “attorneys who ride,” or that they are “motorcycle accident experts,” etcetera, etcetera, should put their proof where there mouths are, or stop the false and misleading advertising.

I put my proof on the road on a daily basis. I do not make untrue claims about being a lawyer who rides; I am a lawyer who rides.

My firm has helped many bikers and motorcyclist in their time of need after a motorcycle accident. My client’s know I am a biker and motorcyclist just like them. When they talk to me, they are talking to a fellow biker and motorcyclist, not some attorney who advertises to them like they are a niche market.

Do not fall prey to slick advertising campaigns, or firms that are flat out misleading you into thinking that they are real bikers and motorcyclist only to get your business, when they are not bikers and motorcyclist who actually ride.

It is one thing to be a generic personal injury attorney who handles motorcycle accident cases, and another thing to flat out lie about being a biker and motorcycle rider only to get business, and to get real bikers and motorcyclist like you to sign up with them.

As I have stated many times, a generic personal injury attorney is at a severe disadvantage handling motorcycle accident cases, because they do not know the intricacies of riding a motorcycle, the very real dangers that bikers and motorcyclist face on the road when they ride, or how to deal with the prejudice that bikers and motorcyclist sometimes face, because they themselves have never had to personally deal with them.

You would not want to go to a general doctor for an orthopedic operation would you? So why would you go to a generic personal injury attorney instead of a real biker and motorcycle accident attorney to handle your motorcycle accident case?

So there it is. If you are a motorcycle accident victim, you need to do your due diligence when picking an attorney and lawyer to handle your motorcycle accident case.

If you see a slick advertisement from someone claiming to be a biker who rides, or who claims that they are the best motorcycle accident attorney, or that they are attorneys who ride, or someone who poses next to a motorcycle in a picture or advertisement, ask them a few questions about riding, particularly, when was the last time they rode!

You should know after a few questions whether they are bullshitting you our not.

My name is Norman Gregory Fernandez, and I am a real California Biker Lawyer, who handles motorcycle accident cases. Yes, I actually ride.

Then again, if you are anywhere in California, you can just call me. I will take care of you if you have a good case. Call me 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at 800-816-1529 x. 1.

If I agree to take your case, and you decide to retain me, I will send my people out to sign you up, so that you do not have to come into our offices.

We will handle your motorcycle property damage claim part of your case for free, unlike other attorneys who may charge you an administrative fee, or even a percentage of the amount of property damage.

I know attorneys who charge a fixed administrative fee to handle property damage. I will never take a dime of money to help you get your motorcycle repaired or totaled, if you retain me for your injury case.

We not only do not do that, but we think that it is wrong for a lawyer and attorney to take any part of the property damage claim in a motorcycle injury case.

If you are one of our clients, we will not only do the property damage part of your case for free; we will also do the following;

We will arrange to get you medical care, even if you do not have medical insurance, as part of your overall case.

We will help you to get a rental car if you are stuck without transportation.

We will help you to get a handicap placard for your vehicle so you can park in handicapped spaces while you are recovering.

We will help you to get a cash advance on your case with a 3rd party company if you are unable to work.

We will fight to get you everything that you are entitled to in your case such as loss of income and future income, medical expenses and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, loss of use of your motorcycle, and any other out of pocket expenses related to your accident.

We will also fight to get your spouse a recovery for the loss of consortium related to your motorcycle injury accident.

Hell, we even make ourselves available to our clients after hours and on the weekends when necessary.

We are not bankers and do not keep bankers hours. We work when necessary, not by arbitrary hours like some other attorneys!

We will go that extra mile for you in your case.

There is a reason why many bikers, motorcyclist, motorcycle club members, and others come to me for representation on their California cases; and it sure is not because of my slick advertisements.

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Tags: Articles, bike accidents, biker lawyer, california personal injury, california personal injury attorney, Lawyers, los angeles times, motorcycle damage, motorcycle injury cases, motorcycle wrecks, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez

Beware of Accident Scammers and Con Artist; Don’t get Screwed out of a Recovery.

Written on December 30, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Editorial, Education, General Legal, Insurance Information, Motorcycle Accidents, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury

Watch out for accident scammers and con artist. You are driving alone in your car, you are thinking about the holiday season or some other event, you come to a stop, and then wham – some idiot has just rear ended you.

You neck jerks back, and then forward, your body hits the seatbelt going across your body. You are shocked. You did not imagine that a mild rear end car accident would sound so loud, or violently jerk your body like it did.

You heart starts racing as you realized what happened. You may not feel pain yet because your body is producing chemicals which mask pain, or your may feel mild pain or stiffness at this point.

You head feels light as you unbuckle your seat belt and get out of the car. The person who hit you is a nice clean cut guy or gal. They run over to you apologizing greatly about how sorry they are, and that they did not mean to hit you.

They offer to pay for the damage to your car, sometimes on the spot. They usually have the same story; they do not want to get their insurance involved because their rates will go up, or their spouse will get upset, etc.

You empathize with the person who hit you; you know that they are required to exchange insurance information with you, but they are so nice, and they are offering to pay, you actually feel bad for the person who hit you. They are talking a good game. They give you a $100 or $200. You go on your way; later that night you realize that you cannot turn your neck and you have the worst headache in history. It turns out that you are going to miss work for a couple of weeks recovering.

You find out later that you have $3,000 damage to the back of your car.

What have you done; you screwed yourself out of thousands of dollars in just compensation that you were entitled to because you let an accident scammer and con artist talk you out of doing what was right.

Make no mistake about it; there is no way to know right after a vehicle accident what your damages are. I have seen people who thought they were not injured after an accident, turn up with shooting pains a numbness hours later, they had nerve damage.

The California vehicle code requires all persons involved in a vehicle accident to stop after an accident, and to exchange identifying information and insurance information. You can be nice after an accident, but firm at the same time.

The first thing you should do is to call the police if you can, and then ask the other party to produce their driver’s license and insurance information. Ask them if the address on the license is current, and request their phone number.

If they try to play the same old con I discussed above simply tell them, look the law requires that we exchange information and I cannot take a chance on getting in trouble, can you please give me your drivers license and insurance information? If they refuse, tell them that you have already called the police.

Make sure that you note the model and make of their car along with the license plate information.

The vast majority of persons out there will comply with the law. However, there as those few asocial assholes that will try to scam and con their way out of not being responsible when they cause harm. Don’t let yourself be a double victim by being injured by them, and then turning around and letting them get off for a few hundred dollars.

If you have been the victim in a motor vehicle accident anywhere in California, call my firm ASAP for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x.1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com .

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Tags: california car accident attorney, california car accident lawyer, california motor vehicle accident attorney, california motor vehicle lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, norman gregory fernandez

Tort Reform is a big Scam; Why Tort Reform will Hurt You and take away more of Your Freedom!

Written on December 20, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Courts, Editorial, Education, General Legal, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Other, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Regulations

Tort Reform takes away your legal rights When you hear the term “Tort Reform” realize they what you are really hearing is a call to take away your legal right to get compensation when you are injured due to the negligence of another, to protect big business, the insurance companies, the big pharmaceutical companies, and big medicine; as though they are not rich enough.

You will be the only one getting screwed with tort reform; mark my words.

I hear a certain political party constantly preaching about tort reform this and tort reform that in a way to demonize personal injury attorneys as the fall guys for excessive costs of medical care, insurance, and everything else you can imagine.

You see they like to blame attorneys for taking on big business, the insurance companies, the big pharmaceutical companies, and big medicine, when they screw up and harm you.

Hell, 99.9% of the time, we are the only way you are going to be compensated when you are harmed due to the negligence of big business, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, or big insurance companies.

You don’t hear members of this political party telling you this do you?

One thing they don’t tell you is that since the 1970’s, there has already been a cap on general damages in medical malpractice cases of $250.000 in the State of California.

This means that if a doctor screws up and let’s say cuts out your only good kidney, or let’s say misdiagnosis an illness like cancer, you only get $250,000 for general damages in the State of California. Does this seem right to you? Hell no!

The laws of the State of California basically protect doctors from their negligence and the laws have done so since the 1970’s. States such as Texas have in the past couple of years, recently enacted their own tort reform laws. My understanding is that in Texas there is a $750.000 cap on general damages.

California is way behind the eight ball in this regard; we can only get $250,000 for general damages. It is time to either remove the cap in California or to increase it to reflect the inflation that has occurred since the 1970’s.

Look if you are the victim of medical malpractice, how much would the pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress be worth to you if let’s say a doctor screws up and cuts off the wrong leg, or even caused the death of a loved one?

Do you want some law to prevent you from recovering from your loss? This is tort reform. It is time to get educated folks and stop believing those talking heads who pocket big bucks from those who would save money with tort reform.

This is the essence of tort reform; it is taking away your legal rights, to protect a class of persons or corporations from the harm that they cause by limiting what you can get from them if they screw up your life.

You will see that one political party preaches about less government, and less regulation and intrusion, and they in the same breath will argue to regulate your legal right to obtain compensation as an individual when you are harmed. Who are they protecting? Big business, big medicine, insurance companies, everyone but you. These people are full of shit.

It does not matter what political party you are from when your life gets turned upside down in a personal injury case does it. In the end we are all the same; when we are sitting on our couch injured and hurting due to the negligence of another, all we want is to get better, to get compensated, and to get our lives back. Tort reform prevents this. This is what pundits do not tell you.

These are the same guys that are saying that providing medical coverage to millions of Americans, and prohibiting insurance companies from denying you coverage for pre-existing coverage is a bad thing. These guys are despicable.

It is time to expose the lies America. Tort reform is against your interest and your freedom as Americans.

This is another way to screw the little guy and protect those who are already making a fortune at your expense!

It is time to become educated folks. I am on the front lines of this fight on a daily basis. Any one of you could be sitting in my office looking for help for your personal injury case; you never know. What you should know is tort reform is bad for you; it is bad for all of us.

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Tags: Articles, big business, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury attorney, california personal injury lawyer, Celebrities, Events, insurance companies, News, norman gregory fernandez, tort reform

A Holiday Season of Suffering for Some.

Written on December 15, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Assult & Battery, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Dog Bites, Editorial, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Other, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Product Defects, Slip and Fall, Wrongful Death

Happy Holidays from the Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez

As I type this article I am thinking about the many motorcycle accident victims, the motorcycle passenger accident victims, the car accident victims, the truck accident victims, the slip and fall victims, and other personal injury victims whom I represent all over the State of California.

The life of a personal injury attorney is not easy, especially when you care about your clients.

I just got back from Redding, California where the deposition of one of my motorcycle accident clients took place. His life has been utterly devastated by a rear ender motorcycle accident. As a fellow biker I truly feel for him. I saw the tears well up in his eyes as he described how the motorcycle accident ruined his life in the deposition.

In the San Francisco airport on the way home, I spoke to the brother in law of a man who was killed while riding his Honda Goldwing, when a woman decided to turn right in front of him. His family is devastated. All he was doing was riding his motorcycle.

As I got in my car at the Los Angeles International Airport, I was informed by my staff that we finalized a very large settlement for a client who suffered massive injuries when a cager turned in front of his motorcycle in the San Fernando Valley.

While sitting in traffic on the way home after hours, I consoled a client who was massively injured in another motorcycle accident in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In my firm the above is the tip of the iceberg and only describes a little about what I do on a daily basis.

My job and my career as a personal injury attorney is to help those who are injured, and those whose family members have suffered a wrongful death. I help people on a daily basis.

While most people celebrate the holiday’s and are oblivious to the suffering of some, there are many out there who are not so fortunate.

I would like to send prayers out to all of my personal injury clients during this holiday season. This may sound corny, but I feel your pain, I suffer with you, I will endeavor to see that you get the very best medical attention; I will do everything in my power to get you the compensation you deserve. You are not alone.

Happy Holidays from the Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates

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Tags: bike accidents, biker attorney, biker lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, california personal injury attorney, california personal injury lawyer, motorcycle crashes, motorcycle passneger accidents, motorcycle wrecks

Bad weather in California causing hundreds of Car, Truck and Other Motor Vehicle Accidents; Be Careful.

Written on December 11, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Editorial, Education, Fatal Motorcycle Accident, In The Wind, Insurance Information, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Motorcycle Safety Tips, News, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

California Personal Injury Attorney and Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez

As all you Californians know, we have had a series of bad storms over the past week. Now this is nothing new to Northern Californians, but Southern Californians are definitely not used to the rain and snow.

There have literally been hundreds of car, truck and other motor vehicle accidents over the past week all over the State of California. Everybody is blaming the bad weather, but in 99% of all cases, the fault is on drivers who were not being careful while driving in the bad weather.

Everyone needs to be careful out there on the roads. I flew in to Los Angeles International Airport last night from San Francisco. Although it was not raining in Los Angeles, the traffic was horrible because of the rain earlier in the day. There were still your ubiquitous assholes on the road, not letting people switch lanes, tailgating, driving recklessly, you name it.

To protect yourself against the bad drivers you need to make sure that you have uninsured motorist coverage and under insured motorist coverage in a decent amount to protect yourself against these bad drivers with bad insurance.

If you are hit, the first thing you need to do is make sure you get a police report, go to the emergency room if you need it, and call me for a free consultation on your car, truck, or any other motor vehicle accident, anywhere in California, at 800-816-1529 x. 1. As all of my clients all over the State of California know; I am an attorney that cares about my clients. I will do what I can to take care of you.

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Tags: bad weather, bike accidents, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, california personal injury attorney, california personal injury lawyer, Car Accidents, motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle crashes, motorcycle wrecks, News, Truck Accidents

This Luckiest Guy on Earth or is He Plain Dumb.

Written on October 2, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Cagers, Car Accidents, Editorial, Education, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accident Videos, Motorcycle Accidents, Motorcycle Safety Tips, Riding Attire, Riding Your Motorcycle, Videos

I am posting a video of a motorcycle accident that happened in Greece, below. It is amazing footage of an actual motorcycle accident. Based upon what I am seeing in this video, the guy is lucky to be alive. He could have suffered massive internal injuries, broken bones, brain injuries, or death.

I cannot tell for sure from the video, who was at fault in the accident, because the video does not show the status of the traffic lights or other factors. However, I think it is safe to say that the guy on the motorcycle probably had a green light and was nailed by a cager who ran the red. If there is anyone on here who can decipher what is being said in Greek, please post a comment and tell us what is being said.

I am not posting this motorcycle accident video just for the sake posting it. I am posting it to show you what as a biker lawyer and motorcycle accident attorney I hate to see more than anything, a rider who does not ride with proper attire. What is this guy thinking? He has no leathers on; he is riding his motorcycle while wearing tennis shoes, shorts, t-shirt, and no helmet. He should have denim jeans or leather on, including a jacket, boots, gloves, and if it were me, a helmet.

You be the judge.

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Tags: biker lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident video, motorcycle riding attire, Personal Injury Resouces, Riding Attire

The Importance of Keeping Your Liability Insurance Even in Tough Economic Times.

Written on May 31, 2009 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Criminal Law, Editorial, Education, General Legal, Medical Treatment, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury

California Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses the importance of maintaining liability insurance in tough economic times My office has been swamped with accident victims who are not at fault in motorcycle, car, truck and other motor vehicle accidents, yet had no liability insurance at the time of the accident.

In California if you drive a motor vehicle such as a car, motorcycle, truck, etc., without basic liability insurance, you are precluded from recovering general damages such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, etc. (California Proposition 213)

In other words if you lose a leg, or become a quadriplegic, you will only be entitled to out of pocket expenses only if you drive without liability insurance. To add insult to injury, you could lose your license, have your car impounded, and face penalties from the State.

If you cannot afford liability insurance, there is a special program through the State of California to obtain cheap liability insurance. If you cannot get that, flat out don’t drive. It is not worth it.

My law firm is one of the few law firms that will represent accident victims throughout the State of California who did not have liability insurance at the time of the accident. We do not condone it, but we believe that everyone deserves a fair shake. We will do everything we can for you, even if you were an uninsured victim of a motor vehicle accident.

I am recommending that if you cannot afford liability insurance, you should use public transportation until you can. It is illegal to drive in the State of California without minimum liability insurance to cover you in case you are fault in an accident.

The flip side of the coin is that all California motorist should carry uninsured motorist coverage in an amount equal to what they would want to cover themselves for in case they are injured, to protect yourself from a person who is at fault in an accident against you, yet has no liability insurance.

Motorcycle riders should carry a minimum of $500,000.00, five hundred thousand dollars in uninsured motorist coverage because of the usually catastrophic injuries that result from motorcycle accidents.

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Tags: Articles, california motorycle accident attorney, fair shake, lawyer, Legal Separation, liability insurance, Marriage, Medical Treatment, motor vehicle accidents, Motorcycle & Biker Blogs, Negligence, Negligent Entrustment, Regulations, uninsured motorist coverage

It’s Been a Crazy Month, It’s Nice to Blog Again!

Written on November 17, 2008 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Editorial, In The Wind, Just BS, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Other, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses current events. The title of this article speaks for itself. It has been one heck of a crazy month for me. I have been super busy handling motorcycle accident cases, car accident cases, truck accident cases, slip and fall cases, family law matters, etc. I am getting ready for trial and doing my thing! Welcome to all of my new clients, I am never to busy for you.

Sometimes you find yourself so busy that it is very hard to come up for air, but it is nice when you do. I am sure many of you can relate to that statement.

In the past couple of months we have seen the beginnings of the economic meltdown that I predicted when I wrote multiple articles about how the high price of gas was a national emergency, and that it would destroy our economy. Now we can see that the high oil prices were not a matter of supply and demand after all, but pure speculation by commodities traders. How else can you explain that oil prices have gone way down with the markets!

On a side note concerning the mortgage crises, I always wondered how a family with an average income could afford a million dollar house. I knew that everyone could not be getting rich around me, yet houses that were basically worth $200,000 in West Hills, California were selling for $700,000-$1,000,000. Now we all know why. It was a big pyramid scheme; nothing more, nothing less.

The mortgage companies and investors were artificially driving the prices of houses much higher than they were worth, by handing mortgages to everyone and their mother without any regard to whether they could pay the mortgage off. The result being that housing prices continued to artificially be higher than they were worth. The investors figured that if someone was foreclosed on, it would be no big deal because there would be some other sucker to come along and buy a house for 300% more than what it was worth! Well the bubble is bursting. I predict we have just seen the beginning. It could be a decade before the housing market recovers.

We all learned that the problem with the housing pyramid scheme was that in the end, there were not enough new suckers coming in at the bottom, to prop up the big wigs at the top who caused this crisis to begin with. What does our nation then do, we then give a bailout to the guys at the top who caused the crises, and let the poor suckers who were the actual victims in the pyramid scheme fall like the leaves of autumn.

We have been the observers of American history as we witnessed the United States of America elect our nation’s first African American President some 360 years after African’s were first brought to this new world as slaves. No matter who you voted for in the election of 2008, you must admit that it was sure something to see. It is truly amazing that in a nation where African Americans could not vote, sit at the front of a bus, or even own property in certain parts of this nation as little as 40 years ago, can now elect an African American to be President of the United States. Yes, we have seen American history. No matter what your political persuasion, maybe the dream that our Founding Fathers strived for can now be had by all Americans.

We as American’s will be tested hard in the coming months and years, both with the economic crises and the depression that we are in. Yes, it is beyond a recession, it is a depression. I am sure we will get through these hard times eventually like we have always done. We Americans will always prevail, it is in our nature to do so.

Tens of thousands of Americans have lost their jobs in the last couple of months. Over a million have lost their jobs on the last year.

We shall overcome. In these times of crisis, we will all need to help each other out to get through it. No man is an island alone.

God Bless America.

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Is there a difference between a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

Written on June 26, 2008 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Courts, Editorial, Education, General Legal, Motor Vehicle Accidents, News, Other, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses the difference between lawyer and attorney First off this article is not about regular yahoo personal injury lawyers who advertise or pawn themselves off as being biker lawyers or motorcycle accident lawyers, when they are nothing more then garden variety personal injury lawyers. This article is about the use of the term lawyer as opposed to attorney.

There has been some debate lately between some of my friends on a lawyer listserve between using the term lawyer or attorney when referring to ourselves.

I have referred to myself as a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney. I have also referred to myself as a Biker Lawyer which I am. Most lawyer business cards state; “Attorney at Law” as their title.

I have found that most laymen (persons who are not lawyers or attorneys) refer to a lawyer or attorney at law as lawyers for whatever reason.

I set out to find which term is the proper one to use.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a lawyer as – one whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advise as to legal rights and obligations in other matters.

Whereas the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines an attorney as – one who is legally appointed to transact business on another’s behalf; especially : LAWYER

It appears that a person licensed to practice law can either call themselves a lawyer or an attorney based upon Merriam-Webster’s definition of attorney and lawyer. However, it appears that attorney is the most appropriate reference to one who is licensed to practice law because the definition includes “legally appointed.”

The bottom line is that it is really apples and oranges. Either definition i.e. lawyer or attorney requires that the person calling themselves such to be licensed to practice law in their respective jurisdiction. You cannot conduct lawsuits on behalf of others in California unless you are licensed to practice law by the California Supreme Court, nor can you be admitted by the United States Court (Federal Court) to practice law unless you are duly licensed to practice law by a State or Territory of the United States of America.

I have heard of at least one person calling themselves a lawyer because they graduated law school, but were not licensed to practice law anymore. In my opinion they should not be referring to themselves as a lawyer.

Now what about bozo’s pawning themselves off as a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, or California Motorcycle Accident Attorney? If you search for California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer or California Motorcycle Accident Attorney on Google, Yahoo, or Microsoft Live Search, you are going to get a bunch of results with generic personal injury lawyers that do not ride motorcycles. You may get one or two that may ride, or have ridden in the past, but the rest are basically garden variety personal injury lawyers. Hell I do not come up on the search engines until the 3rd or 4th page and I am the real deal! You will also get the garden variety personal injury lawyers paying big bucks for sponsored pay per click advertisements.

In my opinion a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer or California Motorcycle Accident Attorney is a lawyer or attorney that rides motorcycles and that handles motorcycle accident cases. I am not saying that garden variety personal injury lawyers are not qualified to handle a motorcycle accident case; I am saying that an actual motorcycle riding lawyer and attorney such as myself knows a hell of a lot more about motorcycle accidents, motorcycle safety, and riding a motorcycle then a bozo who does not.

I do handle regular personal injury cases such as car accidents, truck accidents, slip & falls, dog bites, etc. as well as motorcycle accidents, but when it comes to being a biker lawyer, I am the real deal.

If you have been the victim of a Motorcycle Accident or any other type of personal injury case, anywhere in The State of California give me a call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at 800-816-1529 extension 1.

You can also check out my California Motorcycle Accident website at www.californiamotorcycleaccident.biz.

You can check out my main California Personal Injury website at www.thepersonalinjury.com

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You were just involved in a Motorcycle Injury Accident; Now What?

Written on June 1, 2007 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Editorial, Education, Fatal Motorcycle Accident, General Legal, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Riding Your Motorcycle

Motorcycle Injury Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez I have written many articles in the Biker Law Blog about what you should do after a motorcycle injury accident, selecting a lawyer, selecting the right lawyer, etc.

You can find all of my articles by using the search function on the upper right sidebar of the Blog, scrolling through all of the articles, or by looking at the right sidebar and scrolling down to Biker Laws, and then selecting general legal. I highly suggest that after you read this article on Motorcycle Injury Accidents, that you read through the Blog to educate yourself.

With that being said, the title of this article is “You were just involved in a Motorcycle Injury Accident; Now What? The title of the article speaks for itself.

I receive many calls from Bikers that are injured in Motorcycle accidents, and to be quite frank, it sometimes blows my mind, how stupid some people can be; Let me explain.

What would you do if you just had your received a gunshot wound? You would probably call 911 if you could, or transport yourself to a hospital, right?

In the case of a motorcycle injury accident, it would probably be safe to say that the smart thing to do after a motorcycle injury accident would be to call 911, or get transported to a hospital as soon as possible to get checked out, right? Obviously if the accident is severe enough other people will do this for you. I cannot tell you how many calls I get from guys who just did a swan dive over their handlebars, and just go home rather than go to the emergency room to get checked out. One guy actually had a punctured lung and had he not followed my advice to immediately go to the emergency room he could have died.

Let’s face it, if you are having trouble breathing, you cannot bend your knees, you have road rash, YOU NEED MEDICAL TREATMENT

What is the second thing you should do after a motorcycle injury accident? Well if you are smart either you or a loved one would call a competent motorcycle injury lawyer to deal with the legal issues involved in your injury accident, right?

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When a Personal Injury Exacerbates a Pre-Existing Medical Condition; The “Egg Shell Skull” Theory.

California Personal Injury Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez discusses egg shell skull theory. Many people live their lives with pre-existing medical conditions such as: Bad knees; degenerative conditions in the back, previous broken bones that have healed, etc.

Are you entitled to recover for damages in a personal injury accident when a pre-existing medical condition is exacerbated? Yes!

The Egg Shell Skull Theory

The Egg Shell Skull Theory goes something like this. Let’s say Humpty Dumpty, who has a skull as thin as an egg shell, is driving, and gets into a car accident that is not his fault. His skull being as thin as an egg shell shatters into a million pieces so that all of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men could not put his head together again. Can Humpty Dumpty recover for his injuries considering the fact that he had a skull as thin as an egg shell, which is not normal for human beings? Yes!

The law of personal injury in a nutshell (not to be confused with egg shell) makes persons who are negligent, liable for injuries that they cause that are reasonably foreseeable. The case law on the subject has concluded that it is reasonably foreseeable that persons who are injured may have pre-existing conditions, or deformities, and that a negligent person must take the injured person as they find them. Hence Humpty Dumpty is entitled to a recovery eventhough is head is as thin as an egg shell.

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You may have a Black Box Data Recorder in your Car and Not Even Know it.

Written on April 3, 2007 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Editorial, Education, Fatal Motorcycle Accident, General Legal, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Passenger Injuries, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

California Personal Injury Lawyer Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez Editorial I am sure that many of you have heard the term “Black Box” data recorders which are usually associated with airplanes and airplane accidents.

Did you know that many manufacturers are now installing Black Box Data Recorders in Cars? probably not. Black Box data recorders have been put into cars for years now and nobody knows it, or it has been kept very low key; now you know.

Black Box data recorders in cars can give data such as speed at the time of an accident, gear position, braking position, direction of car, whether seatbelts were being worn, etc.

Obviously this type of data is huge for personal injury lawyers such as me. It can help get around the he said, she said, arguments for who as at fault in an auto accident, and get right to the root of actual fault. Many Personal Injury lawyers do not even know about Black Boxes being installed in cars.

There is one dilemma when it comes to Black Boxes in cars; your right to privacy is out the window. It can be predicted in the future that GPS enabled black boxes will allow Big Brother to track your movements, and potentially even disable your car.

You can read a couple of stories about Black Boxes in cars by clicking here, and by clicking here.

Technology can be good and bad. In the hands of the wrong people, it can be used to usurp the freedoms we so love in the United States. I say cast a weary eye on anyone who wants to use fear as a motive to get us as Americans to give up the freedoms that generations of us have fought and died for.

The least the car companies could do is to let us know if a Black Box is installed in our car, and to let us know what its capabilities are. As a matter of fact I think it should be legally mandated that we as consumers be notified by car manufactures if a Black Box is installed in our car.

Like I said above, the technology can be good, and it can be bad if misused by those who would seek to take our freedoms and right to privacy away. Let us have the choice.

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