Harrowing motorcycle accident safety video

Warning: this is not easy to watch. This PSA from the UK shows a motorcycle rider’s fatal motorcycle accident. The family of the motorcycle rider speak in the video and want to send the message to all about motorcycle safety published September 4, 2014.

Very important and powerful message, but again, it is not easy to watch.

Dean is interviewed on ABC Four Corners – Australian version of 60 minutes – about Depuy as the Australian Class Action Lawsuit nears

Aired May 26, 2014 and the full video is available online.

 

The web page also has numerous documents about the world wide recall.

The extent of the apparent cover-up is breathtaking. It began when respected surgeons worldwide reported problems with the implant to the company. Instead of listening to their warnings, the company told each doctor they were the only ones having a problem. Isolated and confused by what was happening, the doctors were in effect being told they had caused the malfunction. The company refused to employ a toxicologist to assess the alleged problems. When evidence suggesting the hip implant was doing damage continued to mount, the company ignored it, instead responding by boosting its marketing campaign.

Finally, it took a Vietnam War veteran to expose the company’s behaviour. After his hip replacement went wrong, Bill Kransky took Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy to court in the US. Suffering from cancer, he lived long enough to win his case and a major compensation payout to provide for his family.

Attorney Dean Goetz and John Gomez were Mr. Kransky’s attorneys.  Read about Mr. Kransky’s heroic fight to have his day in court, as written by Dean, “We Are The Kransky Lawyers”

National Bike To Work Month

San Diego Bike To Work Month

– Special Events San Diego Bicycle Coalition

check out their calender of events – it’s middle of May but not too late to get in on the action:

May 16: Bike to Work Day

May 17:  San Diego River Bike Ride

May 21: Ride of Silence – This yearly ride is honored internationally to remember bicycle riders who have been killed or injured while riding on public roads. Learn about the ride of silence and find out where you can join the ride.

APRIL 27: BIKES N’ BRUNCH @ The Pearl Hotel – The final Sunday of this month (and each month) is Bikes n’ Brunch. Save $10 off the brunch deal when you pedal to The Pearl on April 27th!

 

We have a lot to celebrate as we enjoy the great Spring weather on our commutes!

  •  The number of U.S.workers who traveled to work by bicycle increased from about 488,000 in 2000 to about 786,000 in 2008–2012, a larger percentage increase than that of any other commuting mode
  • Among large cities, Portland, OR, has the highest bicycle commuting rate at 6.1 percent

Read the full transportation report from the US Census Bureau.

 

San Diego Bicycling

Bicycle commuting and alternate transportation has been growing fast in the USA.

From 1990 to 2012, the number of bicycle commuters nearly doubled in the 70 largest cities, according to data collected by the League of American Bicyclists. Today, Americans make more than four billion trips by bike each year. [1]

But the rise in urban bicycle commuting has been evidencing some alarming urban bicycle verses car safety issues. For instance a bike rider is in grave danger from a car door being swung out open in front of their path. Often a bike lane is situated right next to the curb where cars cross through the bike lane and then park swinging the car doors open into an oncoming bicycle rider’s path. Passengers and drivers in an automobile have the duty and responsibility to only open a car door when it is safe. For a bicycle rider, getting car doored is extremely dangerous and often deadly. A bicycle rider may be trapped in busy traffic and have no time and no place to go to avoid a car door.

In NYC in a very limited survey, “NYC counted bike-related infractions at 11 locations found that dooring (including near-hits) is a pervasive phenomenon with 77 infractions over the two days of measurement, 19 of them on one street alone.” [2]

While in Chicago, in a state that apparently tracks dooring as a subset of bike crash type, and have 3 years recent data, “In Chicago, one in five bike crashes were caused by a dooring incident.” [3]

If you have ever pedaled in a busy urban environment, even in well marked bike lanes, chances are you might have wished to have a car horn to get a car drivers attention when you are in a bad position and feel like the car is coming for you and for some reason not seeing you. “Loud Bicycle Horn” to the rescue for $95. It is what it says, a loud bicycle horn, not a wimpy bell but loud enough to project and be heard in the quietest car interior. [4] The inventor commented that car drivers seem to be concerned about not hurting their car more than hitting a human on a bike. This bike horn sounds like a car horn and should get a car drivers attention, and hopefully get you out of danger.

While Seesense, aims to help make a bicycle rider more visible especially from the side, and also flashes light patterns like a police car lights to alert when the bicyclist is swerving, stopping or turning. The idea behind Seesense has to do with also helping cyclists avoid getting hit from the side in dark conditions when the typical bike lights might be very bright but are projecting on the road ahead, the see sense lights help the side on visibility and hopefully protect bike riders from side on collisions. [5]

And if you’ve ever felt like you need a protective bubble around you, even when riding in a well marked bike lane, there’s the x fire ad hoc bike lane laser lights. The X Fire has two laser lights that project a three foot line creating a bike lane around you or clearly defining your bubble. As many states enforce giving safe room to pass a bicycle rider, these are an excellent reminder of a safe zone that a bicycle rider needs and the law enforces in many states, like Colorado. [6]

These gadgets all focus on accident prevention, helping to make your self more seen and heard. But the inflatable bike helmet attempts to work more like a car airbag, inflating on impact. One advantage that some bike safety experts are skeptical of, is the design of this inflatable helmet which won’t give you helmet hair as it sits when on around your neck and is one of the selling points that the company promotes. [7]

There’s many more neat items featured in the New York Times article on bike gadgets http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2014/03/10/gadgets-to-boost-bike-safety/ Bike locks you can unlock from your mobile phone via an app. Smart back bike tires that keep all kinds of data for you like miles climbed, pedals per minute averages, calories burned. But, as a bicycle accident attorney, anything to keep a cyclist from getting seriously injured in a car accident is a great idea and worth trying. Bike League sponsored kid safe routes to school “bike trains” and even The X Fire ad hoc bike lanes are great.

NY TIMES Bike Gadget Article – has many more bike gadgets featured http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2014/03/10/gadgets-to-boost-bike-safety/

1. Bike League Of America

2. Car Doored http://www.wnyc.org/story/285015-data-from-only-state-that-tracks-dooring-show-its-big-problem/

3. NYC Bicycle v Car Doored http://www.wnyc.org/story/284818-nyc-taxis-get-friendlier-for-bikes-with-anti-dooring-decals-and-a-taxi-tv-video/

4. Loud Bicycle Horn http://www.loudbicycle.com/

5. Innovative Bicycle Lighting – See Sense http://www.seesense.cc/#sthash.yVvSVIAL.VOWgJ2vA.dpbs

6. Bike Light Virtual Bike Lane – The X Fire http://thexfire.com/products-page/lighting-system/bike-lane-safety-light

7. Inflatable Bike Helmet http://www.hovding.se/

STYKER ALERT!

On July 6, 2012 Stryker Orthopeadics issued a Recall for two of its artificial hip replacement systems:

1.  The Rejuvenate Stem and Neck System; and,
2.  ABG II Stem and Neck System.

If you have one of these recalled Stryker hip systems, call your surgeon today and tell him you want a hip x-ray and your blood tested for the following metals:

1.  Cobalt;
2.  Chromium; and,
3.  Titanium.

If you have metal in your blood,  ask your Doctor to order a MAX – MRI to determine if you have pseudo tumors or fluid collection in your hip joint area.

Don’t wait because if you have microscopic metal shavings in your hip joint area or the stem is corroding, you may have metalosis which could be damaging or killing your hip joint tissue, bone and muscle.

If you have or a loved one has one of these Stryker artificial hip systems you have a limited amount of time to legally pursue your claim.

Call me, Attorney Dean Goetz, today to make sure you preserve your legal rights.  Attorney Goetz is taking cases on a nationwide basis.

Don’t join a class action.  Retain your own attorney to handle your case.
See what Attorney Dean Goetz did for Mr. Kransky. *

Working in conjunction with John Gomez and his team. Gomez Law Firm and Dean Goetz have also joined forces on Stryker cases.

Distracted Driving 2014 Update – Auto Safety

One of the chief causes of distracted driving is technology, which includes texting or using a cell phone or smartphone, using a GPS navigation system, adjusting a sound system, watching videos, and looking for CD’s or DVD’s to play. Yet some of the proposed cures for this social ill include technological solutions.

Part of what makes distracted driving so dangerous, is that the driver overreacts to a perceived threat on the road, which suddenly and unexpectedly comes into view because the driver was distracted. As an example, a driver may look up from his cell phone and see an obstacle that is not on the road but near the road and yank the steering wheel sharply to avoid this perceived threat and thereby lose control of his vehicle and roll the car or crash into a tree.

Some safety devices designed to help the driver regain control of their car or truck have proved worthwhile in price and effort, and these include anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control. Keep in mind that these two devices are useful when a driver has already somehow gotten into a situation where he or she is not in control of their vehicle. This is the end result of distracted driving, and these two devices and software may help the driver regain control of his vehicle or mitigate the dangerous or fatal result.

Electronic stability control is a program in a car’s computer which detects when the car is skidding, and selectively applies the brakes to certain wheels to help a driver go in the direction they need to go. According to both the US NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, one third of all fatal accidents could be prevented using ESC. [1]

Passive Auto Safety Technology – Disable Phones And Texting While Driving – And Certainly Don’t Check On Facebook Status Updates

Texting while driving, although a surprisingly common practice, especially among adult drivers (more so than teenage drivers), is illegal in 41 US states. In 37 states this violation is a primary offense, meaning that you can get stopped by the police, ticketed and fined for this offense alone. In the other 4 states, Nebraska, Iowa, Florida, and Ohio, you can be fined for texting while driving only if you are first pulled over for another infraction. [2]

One of the key cell phone distractions, noted by both teenagers and adults, in the car is the beep or chime indicating that they have a new text, email, or phone call. Many people find it hard to ignore so they attempt to quickly see who it is that contacted them. Even though this may take a driver’s eyes off the road for only a second, this is dangerous. But the greater danger comes when the driver feels he or she must see what their friend or business contact wrote, which can then distract the driver for a longer period of time.

A phone app, urTXT, was developed by a teenage race car driver, Zach Veach, to help combat this. The app turns on with the click of one button and is designed to be turned on by the driver when entering the car. urTXT will silence the distracting beeps, and send a message to the sender that the recipient is driving and cannot or will not answer until he or she finishes driving. [3] Of course, since this app does not automatically turn on when driving, it is up to the driver’s good sense and memory to engage it before entering the car.

Responsible parents, who want to be good role models for their kids, may choose another piece of technological equipment designed to make answering or viewing a text message impossible or extremely impractical while driving their car. The ORIGOSafe ignition interlock system can be installed in a car for $400 per vehicle, and operates by preventing the driver from holding a phone. It is a docking system which will charge the phone while driving, allows the driver to use Bluetooth to receive calls, but it will sound an alarm if the phone is removed from the dock while the car is running.

There is a commercial version of this device for fleets and companies from the same manufacturer. This helps ensure that a company does not need to worry about their drivers becoming distracted by texting or using their hands to control their phone. If the phone is removed from the docking station, an alarm will sound and the vehicle will not start until the phone is reauthorized by an Administrator. There are also workarounds in place if the vehicle is taken to be serviced, left with a valet or parking lot attendant, leant out, or if the phone is stolen. [4]

New York state troopers have been given a simpler form of technology to enforce that state’s laws against texting and driving; big unmarked SUVs which enable an officer to peer down into the driver’s lap to see if they are using a hand held device. This is in part due to the fact that before texting and driving laws, drivers would hold a phone up on the wheel to keep their eyes on the road (or so they thought). Now many drivers looking to skirt the law hold phones down in their laps. [5]

These devices, software and methods, while good and innovative, are unnecessary if drivers just use common sense and good safety practices while driving, and realize that most accidents happen for reasons related to driver error. No technology will replace the safety protections of a careful, alert and attentive driver. Drivers think that if they texted and drove once and nothing bad happened, they can do it again. But because we don’t know what lies around any corner, those actions are just ticking time bombs.

Learn More

Cell Phone / Texting Laws By USA State

  1. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/electronic-stability-control-could-prevent-nearly-one-third-of-all-fatal-crashes-and-reduce-rollover-risk-by-as-much-as-80-effect-is-found-on-single-and-multiple-vehicle-crashes
  2. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/11/15/texting-while-driving-may-be-common-but-its-illegal-in-most-states/
  3. http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/state-laws.html
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/23/zach-veach-a-15-year-old-takes-on-texting-and-driving_n_912174.html
  4. http://symbian.sys-con.com/node/2578547 http://www.driveorigo.com
  5. http://www.newsmax.com/US/Texting-Crackdown/2013/11/25/id/538408

Happy Holidays from the Goetz Law Firm

San Diego beach wave washes over 2013 to 2014 beach sand
San Diego Beach on New Year’s Day January 1, 2014

2013 was a busy year that started with the Kransky vs. DePuy hip trial in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Thankfully, justice prevailed and the jury awarded our client, Loren Bill Kransky $8,388,000 for the personal injuries he suffered because DePuy made a Defective Hip Device.  The year ends with a proposed settlement from DePuy which will resolve many of our 132 DePuy ASR hip cases.

The year included many other legal battles on behalf of our friends and clients who were injured by defective products or in motorcycle, auto or industrial accidents.  We are proud that we help injured people obtain justice by providing our services on a “you win or we don’t get paid basis.”

We hope you continue to think of us, if your family and friends are in need of our services during the coming years.  Thank you for your confidence and support.  We truly appreciate it.

May God Bless you and your family and we hope 2014 is the Best Year Of Your Life!

Whom to Trust After a San Diego Motorcycle Crash: a Lawyer or an Insurance Company?

Whether your son crashed his motorcycle on the way to Comic-Con; or you got “banged up” badly in a freeway accident on I-5, you need help getting compensated for your injuries and damages. Trouble is, you don’t know what help you actually need… or where to get that help.

On the one hand, you’d prefer to “keep things simple.” In an ideal world, you’d just file a claim with an insurance company, and that would be that. After all, why bother making life more complicated by talking to a lawyer and possibly taking a fight to the courts? You have enough on your plate, as it is.

Why You Probably Should Talk to a San Diego Motorcycle Crash Lawyer, Even If Your Crash “Wasn’t That Bad”

1. Your injuries could be (far) worse than you realize.

For instance: head injuries, like mild concussions, can evolve over time and get worse. Today’s headache can turn into tomorrow’s “splitting headache,” which can become next month’s memory loss. Likewise, seemingly minor injuries to soft tissue (e.g. whiplash injuries) can lead to tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of medical care, long term. Even if you don’t feel acute symptoms, protect your rights to get compensation, if you need it.

2. Insurance companies do not play fair.

Consider a recent American Association for Justice (AAJ) report: “The Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America: How They Raise Premiums, Deny Claims, And Refuse Insurance to Those Who Need It Most.” The AAJ report is full of scathing criticisms for many big name carriers. In particular, the report censures Allstate (of “You’re in Good Hands” fame) for sticking to a “delay, deny, and defense” strategy to limit claims. The nefarious idea is to make the claims process so expensive and so time-consuming that lawyers won’t want to help clients who are hassled by Allstate.

3. A consultation with San Diego motorcycle accident attorney is a risk free way to get immediate clarity and feedback about what to do next.

Dealing with an accident is horrendously difficult, not only because injuries are painful but also because the crash causes mental fogginess. A single phone call can help you feel immediate clarity about your case, without obligating you to take any kind of action.

Connect with San Diego motorcycle lawyer Dean Goetz. Mr. Goetz has over 30 years of trial experience, and he recently settled a motorcycle injury case for $1.25 million. Call 858-481-8844 to get a free, no obligation consultation.

Are you elgible to receive a settlement for your recalled DePuy ASR hip implant device?

On November 19, 2013, DePuy issued a Press Release,

DePuy Announces U.S. Settlement Agreement to Compensate ASR™ Hip System Patients Who Had Surgery to Replace Their ASR Hip

[…] The U.S. settlement is valued at approximately $2.5 billion, based on an estimate of 8,000 patients participating in the program.

If you or a loved one was implanted with defective hip implant, please call Dean today at 858-481-8844. Dean is a personal injury attorney who is an expert in the Products Liability field of law and knowledgeable about DePuy ASR recall lawsuits.

DePuy ASR Hip Implant Recall
DePuy ASR Hip Implant Recall

It is not too late, if you or someone you know has been implanted with the Depuy ASR, contact Dean immediately