Monthly Archives: August 2009

Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Attorney’s Top Ten Red Flags You May Have Brain Damage After a Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident

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1. After the accident, you start wandering between cars on the freeway asking if anyone will let you borrow their car.

 

2. You wonder why you have so many pockets in your clothes and why most of them are empty.

 

3. You can’t remember who you are and wonder if the girl in you wallet is your wife, a hot girlfriend or your sister.

 

4. You decide to make something of yourself as soon as you do remember who you are.

 

5. You’re sure you have a really good explanation for everything, if you can just remember what everything is.

 

6. You try surfing the internet while wearing a swimsuit.

 

7. You buy a hamburger but really don’t taste the ham in it.

 

8. You have an ice cream, but feel gypped when it doesn’t come with any ice.

 

9. You marvel at the simplicity of socks.

 

10. You still don’t understand how to do most things on your cell phone.

 

Now here are ten useful tips of advice from a Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a pedestrian accident in Los Angeles, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learning how we can assist you.

 

Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it may have been a few hours since the accident. However, if you ever have another accident, or if it’s only been a few hours since you were hurt, here’s what you should do from the start.

 

First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They may even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or start a fight.

 

Second, make sure everyone is safe from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your vehicle is a traffic hazard and you have accident warning devices like flares or triangles, put them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency personnel investigate the scene with the vehicles in place and move them more safely at a later point.

 

Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later say you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your best recollection is immediately after an accident.

 

Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company name and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.

 

Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the car and you aren’t too injured, take some photos of the vehicles and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.

Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your car if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you may feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only start feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are allowed to seek treatment.

 

Seventh, call a good Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the lawyer can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about car repairs, car rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer can almost always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Also, most Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.

 

Eight, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your lawyer can give you the form for this.

 

Ninth, do not agree to settle your claim privately with the person at fault for the accident. This almost never works out to your advantage. Don’t agree not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an accident are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.

 

Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or agree to accept a small payment for your vehicle repairs without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.

 

If you’ve had a pedestrian accident in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Carson, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, Cambria or San Luis Obispo, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Lawyer and your Santa Monica Pedestrian Accident Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane accident experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

 

If you have a Los Angeles personal injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

The Sebastian Gibson Law Firm serves auto accident victims in Los Angeles, and motorcycle and truck accident clients in Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, Ventura, Oxnard, Cambria and San Luis Obispo. We provide excellent representation to bicycle, pedestrian and car accident clients in Orange County, Newport Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Santa Ana, Orange, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Westminster, and Buena Park. We also have the knowledge and experience to represent clients from Palm Springs and Palm Desert to Indio, from San Diego to Carlsbad, from Newport Beach to Anaheim, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, from Palmdale to Victorville, and all of Southern California.

Visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com if you have a Los Angeles personal injury legal matter of any kind. We have the knowledge and resources to represent you as your Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Lawyer and Santa Monica Pedestrian Accident Attorney or your attorney in and around the cities of Oceanside, La Jolla, Del Mar, Chula Vista, El Cajon and Escondido. We also serve Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Fontana, Vista, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carson, Torrance and Manhattan Beach.

Montecito Bicycle Accident Lawyer’s Top Ten Things You Don’t Want to Do After a Bicycle Accident

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1. Ride off as if nothing happened.

 

2. Agree to a small payment for your bike before you even know if you will be in pain the next day.

 

3. Fail to at least exchange information and get the driver’s insurance policy number, the driver’s name, address and telephone number, information on the driver’s car and the driver’s insurance company name.

 

4. Fail to get a police determination of fault.

 

5. Fail to take photos of the scene, the vehicles and any scars, if possible, even with a cell phone camera and get witness information.

 

6. Fail to file an accident report form with the DMV.

 

7. Agree to be paid in apples and livestock.

 

8. Fail to hire an experienced bicycle accident lawyer.

 

9. Go up to Santa Barbara for the day and get drunk.

 

10. Fail to sit at the ocean and think how lucky you are to be alive.

 

Now here are ten useful tips of advice from a bicycle accident lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a bicycle accident in Montecito, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learning how we can assist you.

 

Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it may have been a few hours since the accident. However, if you ever have another accident, or if it’s only been a few hours since you were hurt, here’s what you should do from the start.

 

First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They may even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or start a fight.

 

Second, make sure everyone is safe from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your vehicle is a traffic hazard and you have accident warning devices like flares or triangles, put them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency personnel investigate the scene with the vehicles in place and move them more safely at a later point.

 

Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later say you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your best recollection is immediately after an accident.

 

Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company name and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.

 

Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the car and you aren’t too injured, take some photos of the vehicles and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.

Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your car if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you may feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only start feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are allowed to seek treatment.

 

Seventh, call a good bicycle accident lawyer as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the attorney can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good bicycle accident lawyer can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about car repairs, car rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good bicycle accident lawyer can almost always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Also, most bicycle accident attorneys advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.

 

Eight, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your lawyer can give you the form for this.

 

Ninth, do not agree to settle your claim privately with the person at fault for the accident. This almost never works out to your advantage. Don’t agree not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an accident are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.

 

Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or agree to accept a small payment for your vehicle repairs without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.

 

If you’ve had a bicycle accident in Montecito, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Ventura, Oxnard, Carson, Torrance, Camarillo, Manhattan Beach, Cambria or San Luis Obispo, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Montecito Bicycle Accident Lawyer and your Santa Barbara Bicycle Accident Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane accident experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

 

If you have a personal injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

The Sebastian Gibson Law Firm serves auto accident victims in Montecito, and motorcycle and truck accident clients in Long Beach, Santa Monica, Ventura, Oxnard, Cambria, Camarillo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, and San Luis Obispo. We also provide excellent representation to bicycle, pedestrian and car accident clients in Orange County, Newport Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Santa Ana, Orange, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Westminster, and Buena Park. We also have the knowledge and experience to represent clients from Palm Springs and Palm Desert to Indio, from San Diego to Carlsbad, from Newport Beach to Anaheim, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, from Palmdale to Victorville, and all of Southern California.

Visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com if you have a personal injury legal matter of any kind. We have the knowledge and resources to represent you as your Montecito Bicycle Accident Lawyer and Santa Barbara Bicycle Accident Attorney or your attorney in and around the cities of Oceanside, La Jolla, Del Mar, Chula Vista, El Cajon and Escondido. We also serve Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Fontana, Vista, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carson, Hermosa Beach, Carpinteria, Goleta, Ojai, Lomoc, and Buellton.

Some Great Tips on How to Save Money Part 2

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28. Stop Running After Brands

Tonight there will be a little get together at your place. You want to use the best snacks in the party. Now, in the hurry of attaining the best do not go for costly brand names. It would be much reasonable and sensible, if you go for generic items. You can convert general green beans into something special, by adding a small quantity of butter, salt and pepper. No one can guess whether it is a generic item of low cost or label item of much higher cost. Try this at home and check out the huge difference between both prices.

Moreover, several brand companies are behind the manufacturing of generic brands. They only change the name of the generic brand that they are manufacturing. There are several companies doing the same thing. Thus, act sensibly and do not run after brand. Your this act show your intelligence and care for money.

29. Entertainment – Free of Cost

These days entertainment is really becoming costly, whether it is going for a movie or any amusement park. Thus, most of us prefer to be at home. Is there any other option that can convert our boredom to enjoyment, without being too costly? Yes, there are several options. This weekend, instead of watching television at home, go at your nearest police station for a “ride-a-long”, i.e. when the police officer respond to the real calls, accompany him. Attend free exercise classes, dancing and music classes, poetry readings in coffee shops offered by the community colleges. You can also attend concerts organized in certain areas that will cost nothing. To find out their venue and time, check out the newspaper and your college.

30. Old is Gold

Mostly, we throw away our old clothes or the replacement of old home appliances with new ones mean, throwing out the old ones. We treat old and worn out things of our home as garbage. If this so-called ‘garbage’ is sold on a consignment shop, you can get a good price for it. So, get up, collect all the old things lying at home, and earn money by selling them. It could be books, toys, movies and clothes. Moreover, there are many online consignment shops also available.

31. Best Out of Waste

There are several things in our house, which are not in use for a long time. They are like junk for us. It could be an old transistor, an old hat, makeup kit, sports kit, gardening tools or any clothes. Make a list of all these items and collect them. You can sell these items online. Just log on to any of the related websites. See the amount you have earned from the selling of junk. Do not waste this amount. Save it in your account and see the considerable growth in your savings. This is the finest example of ‘Best out of Waste’. So, do not waste your time and start collecting all the useless things in your house.

32. Friendly Cell Phones

Take care of your hard-earned money with an intelligent investment. Mobile phones are one of the greatest inventions of recent times. It encompasses some very interesting features, such as free long distance, call waiting, call forward, SMS, caller-ID, voicemail and many more. Thus, these are able to serve several purposes as compared to the ordinary phone. Moreover, they are reasonably priced. So, do not waste your hard-earned money on paying bills of two telephones, and act intelligently.

33. Know Your Rights

Most of the hospitals take to overcharging the patients. Costs of the medicines or other products are almost double, as compared to the normal rates. Always take care while purchasing medicines or going through the medical bills. Your alertness can save a lot of your hard-earned money. You can also take legal action against the hospital for overcharging.

Similarly, if a doctor is overcharging, you should stop him from this act. Often doctors add extra charges to the bills for the products, which they have already declared free of cost. Take additional care while going through the bills and save your money. There is one “Professional Courtesy”; many of us are unaware of this term. This is for those patients, who are facing financial troubles and are unable to pay the bill. They can ask doctor about it and he will provide them sufficient help.

34. Holiday Trips

Plan your visit within your budget. For more excitement, you may decide to visit a few countries, but that may be very expensive. Why not plan out, look around where you live and consider an exciting road trip that could be educating as well as cost effective.

35. Maintenance

Check out a list of annual maintenance your home demands on various heads. Such as air conditioner, heater, hot water heater, etc. Be patient and work on a level where you can save unnecessary expenses. Get your air conditioner tuned annually. If you do not, then you may face an air conditioner breakdown and consequent higher repair costs.

36. Repair than Replace

If you are planning to buy a new couch for your home, think again. A new couch can put a heavy dent on your bank balance. Repairing your old couch will do the trick and save you a handsome amount. Replacing the cushions and slip-cover will make your couch look as good as new at a considerably lower cost. Similarly, if you find any of the appliances not working to your satisfaction, curb the urge to replace it. Get a repair estimate. May be all your appliance needs is some service and cleaning, which will cost you only a fraction of what a new piece would cost.

37. Eating out

Dining out could be highly expensive. Stop the practice at length. Look back for options. If you go through the Sunday paper, you will find a lot of special bargains. You may consider about signing up as mystery shopper on the internet, and can avail of eating in a fine restaurant free just for writing a report on food, service and cleanliness.

38. Plan Your Menus

Planning out a week’s menu once saves you from a lot of botheration and saves money also. If you know exactly what to buy matching your menu, it would help you to buy food that can be used more than once.

39. Saving Money – A Joint Venture

If you are married, then see that you and your spouse are working at the same wavelength when it comes to saving money. Your effort at saving may be offset, if your spouse is a lavish spender. Saving to be effective in the family has to be a joint venture.

40. Software

To keep a fine track of your debts and credits, you need to have effective and helping software, which would serve your purpose to look after you accounts. You may be able to find some free download version.

41. Enjoy life, Be Satisfied

It is basically for you to know that the reality of living life happily is in being with nature not in the company of possessions. Whenever you feel the urge to splurge, instead walk off to a nearby park and enjoy yourself in the lap of nature among trees.

42. Live in Tune With Your Means

Everyone desires to have everything in life. At times, this is not possible. May be the quickest way to have every thing beyond your means is to get into debt. But this is not the way to live life. Make sure of your financial position and enjoy life accordingly. The more you live life on debts, the more you stand to save less.

43. Save for Your Retirement

You may have to change your spending habits and be more prudent saving-wise. The more you restrict unnecessary spending, the more you will save for a retired life. Life expectancy is going up owing to medical inventions. So, you will need all the money to have a comfortable retired life.

44. Video and DVDs For the Family

Go for already viewed videos and DVDs at half price from major video chains. You may also try the other option of recording your own movies from the TV or from channels like HBO, Disney etc. You may create a theater type atmosphere at home, have your popcorn, manage a soda, spread a blanket and enjoy your home theater with your family.

45. Friends at Dinner

Whenever you have friends over dinner, have them share recipes. Let each family bring along some dish, and enjoy a great weekend sharing each other’s cooking. You can save a lot of money that way.

46. Friendly Exchanges on the Internet

Have more conversation time with the help of internet instant messaging system. You can also download a program to connect a micro phone and have voice conversation free. Your expenses remain normal as you pay for the price of internet.

47. Distance Calling

If you are planning out long distance calling, select the right carrier only. You may find a carrier for less money because of the competition. Check the plan and go for the right option. Be very sure about the coverage area offered, because it would be useless if you cannot send or receive messages.

48. Foods You can Freeze

Mostly people do not ever care to know that a number of items can be frozen. You can even freeze eggs. Set the eggs in room temperature when ready to use. When you find apples on sale, make apple pies and freeze them. Many other food items can be frozen easily. This way you can make good saving.

49. Discount Books

You may purchase a discount coupon book, which is nominally priced. Have a look at the options provided therein and exercise your choice accordingly. You can save hundreds of dollars following the discount coupon book.

50. Make Your Own Baby Food

You can make your own baby food. Visit the vegetable market and buy some fresh vegetables such as peas, corn, green beans and more. Have it run through the blender, and freeze it. When feed time approaches, treat your to wholesome and healthy food after defrosting the stored vegetable blend. You can save a lot of money, as over the counter baby food is expensive.

51. Carrying Own Food to Ball Games

If you are a keen ball games spectator, you will agree that edibles inside the stadium come at a price. Carrying food from home can cut down on your expenses considerably. However, make sure beforehand that the stadium authorities allow spectators to bring their own stuff.

52. Put a Stop to Smoking

Smoking is a habit that is the hardest to get rid of. You will do a great favor to your health and pocket, if you can manage to quit smoking. You are not only squandering away a good part of your money, but are also ensuring that you will spend a lot more on future medical expenses by promoting ill health.

53. Change that Adds Up

Keeping change in a piggy bank as a kid was meant to inculcate in you the habit of saving. You need a piggy bank today too. Drop all the change in it when you come home. This way you can do handsome saving very fast.

54. Move on to Online Freebies

Have a look at the freebie sites to find out sample items for cosmetics, books, clothing etc. These items mostly have no shipping charges. Shipping charges, if any, are minimal. Fill a form you and receive sample size soups lotions, shampoos and conditioners, etc, which are ideal for a traveler.

Dave Clark is a experienced article writer and has been in the industry for many years, he has written many books and is very knowledgeable in various fields, Dave also works for Cushy Sofa a supplier of Memory Foam Sofas, Memory Foam Mattresses, Memory Foam Toppers, Memory Foam Pillows and Divans