Recent Posts in Personal Injury Category

Recently three people in San Francisco were attacked by dogs - a Pitbull and a mix Shepherd breed, in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The dogs tore apart the clothes of one of the three victims and injured the other two. The dogs were in the park without any owner(s) nearby. The attack was quite fierce; police took both dogs in custody. No one came forward to claim the dogs. In fact, the dogs were considered such a threat to other people's safety that they were euthanized.

It is not uncommon for a dog attack to happen anywhere. If you or someone you know has been attacked by a dog, immediately seek medical attention and get proper treatment for your wounds. Next protect your rights by consulting a personal injury attorney who specializes in dog attack cases. Even if you were not seriously injured, consider taking action against the dog's owner for two reasons; first, the owner needs to be aware of their dog's vicious or aggressive nature. Second, by acting now, you could be saving someone else, most likely a child, from serious injury or even death because it is most common for the aggressiveness in dogs to escalate (not diminish) as time goes on.

Also remember that when you are attacked by a dog, you need to collect as much proof as you can reasonable get. So get the identification of the dog's owner, the dog's name and the type of breed. Get names of witnesses. Take pictures of your injuries, of the dog(s) and of the area where it happened. Keep copies of bills and receipts for your medical care and for prescriptions.

Call San Francisco Personal injury lawyer Nelson C. Barry III who is a specialist in dog attack cases. Let him put his 31 years of experience to work for you to help you get the compensation you deserve for the pains and wounds you have suffered as well as the losses you have to borne such as medical expenses and lost income.

Nelson Barry has a 100% win record in dog attack cases. All of his clients who were attacked by dogs received the full compensation. For his reviews see the client testimonials page.

Make sure the dog bite attorney you select is experienced enough to get you the justice you deserve. It is the dog owner's responsibility to keep their dogs under control and if they do not, then it is their legal obligation to pay compensation to those that are the victims of their dog's viciousness. Not surprisingly, virtually all dog experts agree that the dog's aggressiveness is the fault of the owner, not the dog, because of how the dog was raised or treated. So it is only fair that the owner be held accountable.  

Today personal injury accidents are increasingly the result of our fast paced lives. People are too distracted or pre-occupied to pay enough attention to prevent themselves or others from being hurt or killed. Injuries to our bodies usually affect us mentally, emotionally or psychologically. Pain can cause stress, emotional conflict, depression and many other undesirable feelings. If our ability to work, take care of our families or pursue the things that are important to us are diminished, the repercussions can affect our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and others who rely on us.

We can be injured in many ways such as in a car, motorcycle or truck accidents, bus and train accidents, acts of domestic violence perpetrated on us by ones who are supposed to love us, injuries in the workplace, injuries from dangerous or defective products, injuries from defective or dangerous places where we walk or climb and injuries from dangerous animals (most commonly, dogs). Other sources of injuries are complications from errors in prescription medication, elder abuse, airplane injuries and molestation.

If you are or someone you know has been injured and wants to know how to hold the person at fault accountable, take immediate action by calling an expert in the area of personal injury and death claims. 

When you look for a  personal injury lawyer in San Francisco, contact Nelson C. Barry III who has helped his clients get the full compensation for the injuries for over 30 years. Always make sure to look for an attorney with many years of experience in the exact area of your problem. One should also look to see the results a personal injury attorney has achieved for his clients and for testimonials from the lawyer’s former clients. Above all, look for an attorney with integrity and credibility. Since the initial consultation is always free, go meet the lawyer face to face to get a good read for yourself. 

If you have been a victim of personal injury, do not settle for a little amount of money without consulting an attorney first. Often there are important things like future medical bills and future lost wages or income to consider. Usually, once you settle, your case is over forever. The law gives you a limited period of time to claim your losses. Hundreds of people get hurt every day but only a few of them get their compensation. Choosing the rightSan Francisco personal injury attorney is a  critical step after you have been through a severe accident.

You can also check the   Law Office of Nelson C. Barry III  for more information.

Slips, Trips and Falls result in people getting injured with greater and greater frequency. These accidents can occur both inside and outside the premises. Some causes of slip/trip and fall injuries are rugged surfaces, raised sidewalks, wet or uneven floors, slippery surfaces, poorly lit areas such as staircases, loose carpeting and other hazards that are hidden or from which our attention is diverted.  Slip, trip and fall injuries are especially hard on elderly people, often leading to serious deterioration in their lifestyles such as being confined to a wheelchair or a bed. 

Some types of personal injuries that might occur in these accidents are:

• Neck injuries
• Spine injuries
• Disfiguring abrasions
• Fractured elbow
• Knee and leg injuries
• Head injuries
• Fractured hip

In cases of Slip, Trip or Fall, the owner of the property may be liable to the person who is injured. The owner has a duty to inspect his premises on a regular basis for dangerous conditions and to fix them or warn people of the danger (with sighs, cones, hazard tape etc). If the owner fails to do any of these things, he is required to compensate the injured person. Of course, the injured person needs to collect some proof, for example, take some pictures of the accident area, unsafe surface conditions and the injury. It is also important to collect the information such as name, phone number and addresses of the witnesses as their testimony can help later if the owner tries to deny what happened. In addition to this, all expenses such as your medical bills, lost wages, ambulance cost and other expenses associated with slip, trip and fall injury must be documented properly so that you can get reimbursed by the injured property.

If you or your loved one has been a victim of fall injury, you should immediately contact Nelson C. Barry III, San Francisco slip, trip and fall attorney who not only has 31 years of experience but also has an excellent track record of aggressively pursuing those responsible for his client's injuries. San Francisco personal injury attorney Nelson C. Barry III will fight for your rights to the very end to get full compensation for all your losses. Remember you need to act immediately and notify your attorney because there are many details to be dealt with in order to properly preserve your claim.

Every year, thousands of people become victims of burn injuries due to the negligence of others or as the result of a defect in a product such as gas cans, heaters, stoves, barbeques and electrical items. Always the treatment is expensive and often skin graft surgeries are necessary to treat the victim. If you or a loved one has suffered such an ordeal, San Francisco personal injury attorney, Nelson C. Barry III is an experienced burn injury lawyer who will fight to help you get the compensation that will help pay bills, provide financial security and make life more comfortable in the future.  

There are different severities of burn injuries. First degree burns are minor ones that involve the damage to the top layer of the skin followed by redness, pain and swelling which usually heals with minimal medical treatment. Second and third degree burns damage the underlying tissues followed by redness, swelling and peeling skin. They are often severe and require skin grafts, take a long time to heal and leave prominent scars. In addition, the victim usually suffers physically, mentally and psychologically. Another type of burn injury is through inhalation of smoke or heated gases or toxins that damage the lungs or in effect poison the body.

Common sources of burn injuries are -

• Automobile fires

• Chemical spills

• Defective products such as stoves and electrical appliances

• Workplace accidents

• Explosions

• Hot liquids

If you or your loved one has been a victim of burn injuries, you should contact a knowledgeable Personal Injury Lawyer such as Nelson C. Barry III, who not only has experience in dealing with such cases but also understands the special needs of injured victims.  

Trucks, especially 18-wheelers, are huge and often weigh more than 80,000 lbs. When truck accidents occur, they can lead to catastrophic injuries to those who are involved especially those of us in regular vehicles. Trucking companies are required to follow certain federal and state regulations; nonetheless, these rules are often bent or broken by truck drivers and their employers. This often puts other drivers in extreme danger.

Truck accidents occur due to a variety of negligent actions not just on the part of truck driver but also on the part of trucking companies. These companies are notorious for pushing the truck drivers to meet the deadlines. In order to meet the unrealistic deadlines, truck drivers deprive themselves of sleep and drive faster. Often the companies hire driver's that are not safe drivers or are inexperienced. Some companies do not ensure that the trucks are not overloaded. Others look away when their drivers do not properly update their log books because drivers are required to get 8 hours of sleep for every 12-13 hours they drive. Companies also push to keep their trucks on the road hauling loads as much as possible and this can result in delays in maintenance of important safety features such as brakes and suspension mechanisms.

However, of all these factors, truck driver fatigue is the leading cause of truck accidents.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a truck accident due to a driver's negligence or that of the trucking company, you should hire an attorney who has experience in handling truck accidents as soon as possible. Often critical evidence is lost forever within a few weeks of the accident. Also trucking companies and their insurance carriers often confront the victims in an attempt to pay them less than what they actually deserve for their injuries, medical bills and lost wages. So it is often necessary to have a competent San Francisco personal injury attorney on your side.

Nelson C. Barry III is an experienced Truck Accident Attorney.  He will educate you about your legal options and will fight the insurance company when they try to coerce you into a quickie settlement. We at the Law office of Nelson Barry are on your side and we use Mr. Barry's 31 years of experience to confront the trucking companies and their insurance carriers to pay you fair value for your case. We are known for our aggressive representation and for getting excellent results. Call us today for free initial consultation and let us get started on your case. At Law Office of Nelson Barry, we do not charge anything unless we win.

It is terrible when someone gets into a car accident especially when it is someone else's fault. Accidents should not happen to anyone; they often bring misery, pain and disruption of lives to the victims and their families. However, as long as drivers are driving too fast, driving too close, texting, talking on the phone or not paying attention for other reasons, many preventable accidents will continue to happen.

After an accident, there are certain important things that one should do. The first step is to get the police to do a report at the scene of the accident. If the police report confirms that it was the other person's fault, this usually will not be disputed by the responsible person's insurance company. The report will also have all the other necessary information; driver's license number, addresses, home and work telephone numbers, name of insurance companies and policy numbers and vehicle license numbers. If the police do not come to the scene, get this information yourself. Without a police report, witnesses who confirm that it was the other driver's fault are very helpful so be sure to get their names, addresses and telephone numbers. Finally, take pictures of the cars, the area where the accident happened and the people involved as soon as you can after the accident; preferably before the cars are moved. The police usually do not take pictures so your pictures may be the only ones ever taken.

If you have collision coverage, get your car repaired at one of your insurance company's "approved" repair shops. This way if there is any problem when you pick up your car, you can take it back until it is done right. Your insurance company will later collect the repair cost from the other insurance company so your rates should not go up.

Remember, no insurance company, even if it is your own, will offer you the full compensation for your losses. Statistically, accident victims with serious injuries receive three times the compensation with an accident lawyer than they do if they represent themselves. Nelson C. Barry III is a San Francisco car accident lawyer who has 31 years of experience. The initial consultation is always free as is his "no recovery, no fee" rule.

Consult an attorney early. It will not cost you anything and you will get advice that will most likely help you avoid mistakes that could cost you and your family money later.

San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney, Nelson Barry specializes in protecting people with serious injuries. He will make sure his clients are compensated for their losses such as property damage, medical expenses, income loss and for physical and emotional losses.

Overall, there has been a constant decrease in the number of vehicular fatalities in the United States. As per the US Census Bureau, 2007 saw the lowest number of road accidents since 2003. However, the state of California still continues to witness the highest number of injuries and accidents. On one hand, the decrease in the number of fatalities among motorists is good news, but on the other hand, the increase in the number of motorcycle accidents is depressing. In fact, the number of motorcycle collisions throughout the US increased from 4,837 in 2006 to 5,154 in 2007.

There are several factors that contribute to rise in the number of motorcycle collisions. The foremost factor is that their small size makes it harder for motorists to see motorcyclists in their blind spot especially at night. When motorists change lanes without looking carefully enough in the blind spot, collisions happen. The other reasons are the absence of safety features in a motorcycle that makes motorcyclists more susceptible to accidents and injuries. Whereas cars are equipped with seat belts, air bags and solid bodies that provide protection, motorcycles are not. In addition, the fact that motorcycles are two-wheel vehicles, they offer less security and balance to riders making them more vulnerable to dangerous roads and poor weather conditions such as slippery, wet roads and heavy rains and strong winds. Speeding, reckless driving and inattention are other reasons that make motorcyclists prone to accidents. Also, head trauma is one of the most common injuries for motorcyclists and although these are often serious or even fatal, there are many other injuries that occur:

• Serious skin abrasions that often leave scars
• Broken or crushed limbs
• Brain injuries including cognitive dysfunction
• Facial injuries  scarring
• Injuries to the torso

If you or your loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, contact aggressive and competent San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney, Nelson C. Barry III. His 31 years of success and experience will be used to get the maximum compensation. Do not wait because the law limits the time period within which an injured person must file a claim. Call Lawyer Nelson Barry right away for a free initial consultation.

Wrongful death occurs when an individual is killed due to reckless, negligent or intentional act of another person. In a wrongful death lawsuit, the victim’s family is entitled to financial damages as a consequence of loosing their family member. The d eceased’s immediate family members such as parents, spouse, children and brothers and sisters can file the wrongful death lawsuit, which may include claims for compensation for medical and funeral costs, lost wages including future earnings of the deceased and benefits such as medical coverage, retirement income and loss of support. Claims for non-financial items can include loss of love, care, companionship and punitive damages (which is applicable if person responsible for the death acted with oppression, fraud and/or maliciously).

If you feel you have a wrongful death claim, you should talk to an experienced wrongful death attorney in your area. It is important that you consult a knowledgeable lawyer immediately because the law allows only a limited time period within which the deceased’s family can file a claim. Failure to do so may prevent the family from ever collecting money from the responsible person. Generally speaking, if the claim is against a non-governmental person, the deadline is two years from the date of death. If the person died as the result of medical malpractice, the deadline is one year from the time that a reasonable person suspected that the death was due to doctor’s/ nurse’s/ hospital’s/ pharmacy’s negligence. If the claim is against a governmental entity, the deadline to make a claim is generally 6 months from the date of death. Often, if the person making the claim is under age 18, the deadline is not until the person’s 20 ^th birthday. These are just general guidelines so to be safe, contact an experienced attorney to be sure that your rights are fully protected. Also getting a good attorney working for you early will help make sure that any evidence that might get lost, isn’t. Don’t delay the opportunity to start building a case against the person(s) responsible for the loss of a loved one.

At Law Office of Nelson C. Barry III, we understand that if you have lost a loved one, this loss can never be repaired. However, with the help of a competent lawyer, you can very possibly make sure that no one else suffers the same type of loss. In addition, Mr. Barry can help you obtain the compensation to replace the financial loss caused by the responsible person.  Mr. Nelson Barry provides undivided attention to his clients and aggressively pursues all cases in order to maximize the benefits owed to his clients. Mr. Barry has helped thousands of people obtain top settlements and with his 31 years of experience as a competent San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyer he continues to do so.

There are many factors that need to be considered before an attorney can predict when your case will settle. Some cases are simple and might be resolved within a few weeks whereas others might take several months or as much as three years to resolve. One key factor is how long it takes for the injured person to heal. Lawyers usually want to wait until their client is completely healed (or at least as good as they are going to get) because settling earlier almost always means settling for less than full value. Another factor is whether the other party admits the accident was their fault.

Cases that take the longest are often those that involve dispute as to who is to blame for the accident and those with injuries that take a long time to heal. Typically, an auto accident claim takes 6 to 12 months; medical malpractice might take one or two years; workplace injury claims may take a year or so and wrongful death claims may settle right away or they might also take the longest, over three years.

Filing a legal claim for the personal injury is a serious matter and involves many complexities – the foremost of which is the tenacity with which the opposing lawyer fights the case. Other complexities concern obtaining evidence and testimony to support your case and dealing with people such as insurance adjustors and medical professionals.

Consulting an experienced  personal injury attorney who has no fear of going the distance for his client is important because getting a lawyer who is a fighter will almost always result in a better settlement. You want a lawyer who will be diligent and aggressive when handling your case; someone who will guide through the strategies of the case and protect your interest. In the end, the injury victim should be fully compensated and this means being paid for their medical bills, their income loss, their property damage and their pain and suffering.

At Law Office of Nelson C. Barry III, the philosophy is that they and their clients are a “team” so Mr. Barry and his staff understand and listen to their clients and work hard for them. Mr. Barry’s goal is get his client the best possible result, whether it is by settlement or by going to trial. Mr. Barry is an experienced and aggressive San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney who has been obtaining compensation for his clients for more than 30 years. He also conducts free case evaluations and only gets paid when his clients win!

Prescription error is one of the most common medical malpractices that occur in pharmacies, hospitals and doctor’s clinics. When doctors and pharmacists fail to make sure that the patient is receiving the right medication in the right dose, they can be held liable for the consequences caused by their medical negligence. Sometimes these consequences can be very serious or even fatal.

Recently Safeway’s pharmacy filled one of Mr. Barry’s client’s prescription with the right medication but at 4 times the dose that was indicated on the prescription written by her doctor.  She overdosed and became very disoriented and fell down the stairs at her home causing her serious neck, back and knee problems. She did not suspect that the medication was the source of her problems (because she had been taking this medication for over a year without complication) so she continued to take it (at 4 times the prescribed dose) for a month. During that time she fell again in her kitchen and was knocked unconscious. Mr. Barry was able to obtain a very good result for his client by preparing the case, filing the lawsuit and eventually resolving it at a mediation. Since Mr. Barry fronts all the expenses for these kinds of cases, the whole process was very low pressure for his client who basically put the whole matter in Mr. Barry’s hands.

Mistakes in administering drugs are so highly prevalent in hospitals and pharmacies that at least 1 million people die each year due to prescription errors!

The errors include administering drugs that could adversely react with the drugs that patient is already taking; prescribing drugs to a patient who has known allergies to that specific drug; prescribing wrong medication or the wrong dose, failure to provide the right treatment and failure to provide the information about the risks associated with the drugs.

As noted above, Mr. Barry is experienced in pharmaceutical malpractice claims that result in injury or death. If you or someone you know has suffered injuries due to prescription errors, contact Nelson C. Barry III, a San Francisco personal injury attorney and let him put his 30 years of experience to work for you.

Government statistics conclude that car accidents are the leading cause of death and  personal injuries in the United States. Car accidents not only cost thousands of dollars, but it also tragically ends lives of many Americans.

Car accidents pose a serious threat to the public often resulting in property damage, injury and sometimes, death. Over the past several years, car accidents/collisions have increased dramatically and so have the number of injuries and deaths. In such cases, it is very important to hire the right  car accident lawyer for yourself, your family or for your friends. A good attorney can educate you and lead you throughout the process of filing a lawsuit with the goal of achieving a settlement that fully compensates the injury victim (for medical bills, income loss, damage to property, general damages to compensate the victim for their suffering). 

Getting behind the wheel is one of the riskiest things we do on a daily basis. Cars weigh a lot and drivers often exceed the speed limits which lead to violent and sometimes catastrophic results. No one expects to hurt someone and no one expects to be hurt but both happen with increasing frequency. If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence or carelessness, immediately contact San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney, Nelson Barry who is an accident lawyer with over 30 years experience! No insurance company, even your own, will fight for your rights so hire someone who will. The Law Offices of Nelson C. Barry is here to do exactly this for you. Mr. Barry is available 7 days a week for consultation and he will come to a client’s home or visit them in the hospital too if it makes things easier for them.

There are various types of Personal Injuries – Accidents ( car accident, truck accident, Muni accident, Motorcycle accident), Slips/Falls, Dog Bite, Defective Products, Asbestos, Wrongful death and domestic violence, to name a few.

The most common type of personal injury is Auto Accident which is mostly caused by other party’s negligence due to one of the following reasons:

• Distraction
• Furious driving
• Under the influence of drug/ medicine.

Slips/Falls cases occur when people are injured when they slip, trip or fall due to rugged and unsafe surface conditions.  Rough surface, wet floors and uneven floors are some of the causes of slips/falls that can lead to severe injuries and in those cases the victim is entitled to compensation; usually called a personal injury settlement.

Another common type of personal injury is Workplace Injury.  In addition to a worker injuring themselves or being injured by a co-worker (which lead to workers compensation claims) some workers are injured by someone who is not employed by a co-worker.  These are called “third party” claims.  In These circumstances, the injured worker can often make both a worker’s compensation claim and a third party claim which means they get worker’s compensation benefits and they get compensated for their losses from the person who caused the injury (or their insurance company).

Defective Products also cause injuries.  It is not uncommon for products to be sold or otherwise find their way into our homes or places of work even though the manufacturer knew that the product is dangerous.  In such cases, the manufacturer can be held liable and required to pay compensation to the person injured by their product.

Perhaps the most serious personal injury case is one for Wrongful Death which happens when a person is killed due to negligence or carelessness of an entity or an individual.  Families of the victim are entitled to receive compensation for the loss of their loved one.  This can include not only compensation for their pain and suffering, but also for funeral and burial expenses, for medical bills, for loss of the deceased’s income and other economic losses.

If you have ever been injured due to any of these causes, don’t take sick leave and sit at home; you are eligible for personal injury compensation.  Contact Nelson Barry, a highly experience, aggressive and successful Personal Injury Attorney in San Francisco. Mr. Barry has represented thousands of clients and has obtained many millions of dollars in compensation for them.  Call and let him get you what you deserve.

Personal Injury hurts both physically and emotionally. Personal Injury can be an automobile accident, animal attack, exposure to hazardous chemicals, workplace death, or battery. It is damage done to the body and to the mind by negligence of others and the law allows the victim to take action against the injurer to recover his/her claims.

It is extremely critical to pick a personal injury lawyer who is experienced, trustworthy and skilled in delivering outstanding results. Thousands of people get hurt everyday and settle for less compensation than they deserve because of the lack of knowledge and/or because of picking the wrong attorney.

If you are a personal injury victim planning to get legal advice from a lawyer, select the attorney who specializes in personal injury cases. A good  Personal Injury attorney will educate you about the matter, will treat your case as his own case and will aggressively represent you and get you the compensation you deserve. It is very important to understand that attorney’s advice and strategies will have a huge impact on the result of the case.

Personal injury cases cover claims for physical losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress and financial losses such as lost wages, medical expenses and property damages.

Although, there are a large number of personal injury attorneys who claim to handle your case, you need to find an attorney who can maximize the compensation for your injuries. An experienced and assertive personal injury lawyer ensures the success of the arbitration. If you are looking for a competent and experienced attorney, contact San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney Nelson Barry.

Texting while driving became illegal in California on January 1, 2009. So far, the state doesn't have statistics on how many crashes have been caused by texting. However, distracted driving caused 515,000 injuries and 5,870 deaths in 2008 nationally, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Oakland Tribune)

December 21, 2009

While commuting to work from the East Bay this morning, I found it very difficult to merge onto I-880 toward the Bay Bridge.  Traffic was so tight, in fact, that the car in front of me merged in front of a semi truck whom either did not see the car or could not brake in time.  The impact was slow and non life-threatening, but definitely scary as I watched the small sedan lift up in the air, drop back onto its tires and then pushed down the freeway several feet before coming to rest. My merging experience is not unique.

I-880 has the dubious distinction of holding down four of the top six spots on Roadshow's Dirty Dozen list — an unscientific annual ranking of the highways, expressways, interchanges and intersections we complain about most. It is based on the hundreds of calls, e-mails and faxes that roll into the Roadshow desk every week. (Oakland Tribune)

Travelers interviewed for this article described various I-880 intersections as:

"Horrible,"

"A scary experience.  From northbound 880 to 101, the barrier wall is covered with black marks and scrape marks. There are often tire tracks headed off of the other parts of the cloverleaves where people have missed turns."

"A study in terror, a regular white-knuckle, with people slowing rapidly, speeding up rapidly, merging, etc."

We here at the Law Office of Nelson C. Barry III wish everyone a safe holiday season and hope that you avoid scary traffic incidents if you must travel during this season.  Steer clear of busy freeways like I-880 and Hwy 101, whenever possible.

However, if you are involved in an accident please contact  San Francisco Accident Attorney Nelson C. Barry III for advise on how to make sure you are fully compensated for your injuries.