California Personal Injury Lawyers

Our Palo Alto personal injury attorneys would need to show that the defendant’s careless driving resulted in the accident that caused your injuries. In other words, your injuries would not have happened if the defendant had driven reasonably and prudently. If we establish liability, we can help you recover damages for a wide range of costs and losses. These may include medical expenses, the costs of future care, damage to your vehicle, lost income from missed time at work, any lost earning capacity, and your pain and suffering. Insurers do not usually make fair payouts without resistance, but we will tenaciously pressure them to honor their obligations.

Motorcycle Accidents

People riding motorcycles deserve just as much respect as people in cars and trucks. However, they do not always get it. Many drivers fail to notice motorcyclists or act with a reckless disregard for their safety. They may cut them off on the highway, make dangerous left turns in front of them, or follow them too closely. Sometimes defendants or insurers try to escape liability by blaming the motorcyclist for the accident. This can involve the doctrine of comparative negligence, which reduces a victim’s compensation award in proportion to their fault. Our personal injury lawyers can help Palo Alto residents and other victims throughout the Peninsula fight back against allegations of comparative negligence. Motorcycle accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries, and you deserve to be fully compensated for your harm. You should not speak to an insurance adjuster until you have discussed your case with us.

Bicycle Accidents

Riding a bike offers a more environmentally sensitive and potentially more pleasant way to travel than getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. College students and commuters frequently use bikes to get to class, the office, the store, or a friend’s home. Children also often can be found on bikes in residential neighborhoods. Unfortunately, like motorcyclists, people on bicycles lack any protection from being struck by a careless driver of a car or truck. The force of the impact in a bicycle accident can result in permanent, devastating disabilities, ranging from brain trauma to spinal cord injuries like paralysis. We can help you hold a careless driver accountable for their actions. Our Palo Alto personal injury lawyers are proud of our victories for injured bicyclists, including a Stanford University student who recently received a $4.1 million award through our efforts.

Pedestrian Accidents

Drivers in the Bay Area are often rushing to their destination and distracted by technology. In densely populated areas, this means that pedestrians can find themselves at risk. Even people who are crossing at a marked crosswalk in daylight may be struck by a speeding driver or someone who is looking at their cell phone or GPS device. Rarely does a victim escape a pedestrian accident with only minor injuries. Many of these collisions result in an avoidable loss of life, leaving loved ones grief-stricken, angry, and uncertain about the future. The attorneys at Ziff & Cohn know what you are going through and combine compassion with zealous advocacy.

Dog Bites

People who choose to own dogs or other animals have an obligation to control their pets. Under California law, a dog owner is strictly liable if their dog bites a victim, with a few exceptions. Sometimes the dog owner may argue that the victim was injured because they had teased or provoked the dog. If this is true, the victim may receive a lesser amount of compensation. We can carefully explore the circumstances that resulted in a dog bite and gather evidence to defeat or minimize these arguments. We also can determine whether other parties should be brought into the case as defendants, such as a landlord or a person who was responsible for caring for the dog.

Wrongful Death

Families who lose a loved one in an unexpected accident face a host of challenges. While they are coping with the emotional impact of their loss, they may worry about whether they can withstand its financial impact. California law allows family members of accident victims to bring wrongful death claims to seek distinctive types of damages. These include not only the costs related to their loved one’s medical treatment and funeral but also more subjective losses. For example, a spouse or child might be able to recover compensation for their loss of the victim’s companionship and services.

Truck Accidents

Truck drivers must obey state and federal regulations that protect the safety of other people traveling on the roads in their vicinity. When they violate regulations or otherwise act carelessly, they can cause serious injuries to multiple victims. Truck accident claims often involve suing not only the at-fault driver but also the trucking company. If the driver was performing a task for the company at the time of the accident, the trucking company can be held vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence. In some cases, the company may share some of the fault if it failed to properly train or supervise the driver, or if it failed to maintain its vehicles.

Premises Liability (Slip and Fall)

Many accidents happen on the property of stores, restaurants, and other businesses that do not take adequate care to maintain their premises. Victims of slip and fall accidents or other accidents on property can bring a premises liability claim against the party that owned or possessed the property. Generally, they would need to show that the defendant knew or should have known about the hazard that caused the accident. An injured person should act promptly if they suspect that they may have a premises liability claim. Evidence crucial to establishing liability can decay or disappear quickly. At Ziff & Cohn, our personal injury lawyers can help Palo Alto residents and other victims preserve evidence and build these complex claims.

Product Liability

Consumer products that seem relatively ordinary can cause life-changing injuries and permanent disabilities. Some common examples of defective products include food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and car parts. In most situations, a victim can sue a manufacturer or another party that was involved in making or distributing a defective product. They would need to show that a defect arose during the manufacturing process, that the design of the product was dangerously flawed, or that the product and its packaging did not contain adequate safety instructions or warnings. A personal injury attorney in the Palo Alto area can help injured consumers assert their rights against corporations that do not respect their safety.

Consult a Knowledgeable Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been involved in a serious accident, or if you have lost a loved one, you should know that the clock is ticking on your opportunity to assert your rights. At Ziff & Cohn, we are ready to navigate each step of this complex process for you. Clients do not pay us any fees unless we get compensation for them, and we advance the costs of investigating and litigating your case. Ziff & Cohn represents people throughout the Bay Area, including in Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Jose, Daly City, and San Francisco. To learn more about how you can get the money that you need and the justice that you deserve, call us at (650) 329-0851 or contact us online for a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in the Palo Alto area.