Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What Does It Mean When Pedestrians Cross with the Light?
Pedestrians “cross with the light” when they have the right of way. Since California is a comparative fault state, pedestrians almost always have the right of way, at least to an extent. California’s comparative fault law recognizes that both pedestrians and motorists have a legal duty to avoid accidents if possible, and both parties… Read More »
Security Situations at Schools: What Parents Should Know
Since the 1999 Columbine shooting, tens of thousands of children have been victims of gun violence while at school. Many more incidents have occurred at extracurricular activities, such as at athletic events, on school buses, and during field trips. At all these times, school districts have a legal duty to ensure that students are… Read More »
What is the #1 Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?
Driver error is the number one cause of motorcycle accidents in SoCal. Bad weather and other such factors often contribute to accidents, but they hardly ever cause them. Some of the major causes of motorcycle crashes are discussed below. Motorcycle wrecks usually cause catastrophic injuries. The motorcycle rider accident fatality rate is thirty times… Read More »
Are Nursing Homes Required to Report Falls?
Yes, in most cases, nursing homes must report falls to state and federal authorities. However, according to a 2025 report, nursing homes don’t report almost half of these incidents. The reason boils down to money. Falls lower a nursing home’s Care Compare and other quality scores, driving away potential future residents. Furthermore, fall reports… Read More »
California’s ‘No Touch’ Law: A Closer Look
The Golden State did not pass a hands-free cell phone law until 2017, substantially later than other states acted. This law prohibits drivers from holding and using cell phones or other devices, except in limited circumstances. But California’s updated “no touch” law, which went into effect in July 2025, makes it clear that “touching”… Read More »
Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash in Oceanside
Hours after a September 2025 hit-and-run crash in Oceanside, authorities arrested a 65-year-old woman and charged her with the crime. Oceanside police responded to a report of a pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle around 10:20 p.m. on eastbound Oceanside Boulevard, west of El Camino Real. The victim, an adult male, died from… Read More »
The Car Crash-PTSD Connection
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder primarily affects emergency responders and military veterans. But other people are not immune to PTSD. Car crashes are the leading cause of civilian PTSD, which is a specific kind of brain injury. Extreme stress, like the stress and fear of a serious wreck, causes a chemical composition change inside the… Read More »
A Quick Guide to Burn Injuries at Work
Burn-related hospital stays are significantly longer and more expensive than other injury-related hospital stays, which is saying quite a bit. Furthermore, burn injuries require extensive physical therapy, driving up the cost of work-related burn injuries. Employers are legally and financially responsible for these costs, at least in most cases. A Carlsbad personal injury lawyer… Read More »
What Are the Legal Implications of Boat Accidents?
Justice and compensation are the two biggest legal implications of boat accidents. However, as outlined below, justice and compensation often involve a complex legal process. These legal implications kick in if a principal party, usually the boat operator or owner, was negligent. Quite simply, justice means holding persons or entities responsible for the mistakes… Read More »
Legal Obstacles to Bicycle Crash Settlements
A refusal to partner with a lawyer may be the biggest legal obstacle to a bicycle crash settlement. Victims with lawyers receive over three times as much money as victims without lawyers. Legal defenses, some of which we discuss in this post, are also legal obstacles to bicycle crash settlements in many cases. These… Read More »
