Blog

The L.A. Times reports that Dr. Christopher Thompson, a medical doctor, an emergency room medical doctor no less, was convicted of assaulting two bicyclists by slamming on his car brakes after a confrontation on Mandeville Canyon Road, a narrow Brentwood, California street. Dr. Thompson was sentenced to five years in prison for his early morning road rage, a rage that caused permanent physical harm to his cycling victims. Even more outrageous is that Dr. Thompson took the Hippocratic Oath which, among other things, binds him to act “for the benefit of my patient and abstain from whatever is harmful or mischievous.” The victims in this case were not his patients but… Read More

Happy Holidays to You! I’m posting seven holiday driving safety tips both in text and in a video! So here are the tips: Don’t Speed — speed kills Don’t Drive Impaired — if you want to party, great! BUT designate a non-drinking driver ahead of time Motorcyclists and Bicyclists Protect Yourselves — you may know what you’re doing and where you’re going, but people in cars typically are not looking for you. Wear protective gear: Helmet, jacket, pants, boots, etc. Get Rid of Tailgaters: They may just seem annoying but they’re really quite dangerous. I’ve represented many people who have… Read More

Injured people have a right to legal representation. In my practice, I fight for those that have been injured by the negligent and intentional acts of others. Elder Abuse is the egregious mistreatment of those people who depend on their caretakers to, well, care for them. Instead, for a variety of reasons, they are mistreated by those who have been entrusted with their care. This can be in the form of physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or financial abuse. Are any of these forms of Elder Abuse worse than another? I say no, they’re all horrific and need to be… Read More

Hey, sometimes Elder Abuse is not so obvious. It is reprehensible, it is outrageous, it is legally actionable but is it always apparent? There are basically five types of elder abuse: Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse Sexual Abuse Neglect or Abandonment by Caregivers Financial Exploitation In this article, I’m going to give a brief description of these types of abuse. Keep in mind that an elderly person can be subjected to any one of these abuses or a combination of them. In the next article, I will discuss what you can do if you suspect, or know, that an elderly person… Read More

In this tough economy, more and more people are finding themselves with debt problems. And things gets worse when debt collectors get aggressive. Everyone should know their rights – what is considered “fair debt collection” as defined by the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA. FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from being abusive. Note that FDCPA regulates debt collectors who work for collection agencies and does not cover debt collectors who work for the original creditor (the company that originally lent you the money). We’d like to think that most bill collectors act professionally and follow the law when contacting… Read More

Prenuptial agreements are agreements between prospective spouses made in preparation of marriage. In marriage, each person has certain legals rights, such as property rights or spousal support (aka alimony). In order to modify these legal rights, the prenuptial agreement is used, which results in a person giving up certain rights which they would otherwise have acquired by reason of the marriage. Courts are increasingly recognizing prenuptial agreements due to rising incidence of divorce and remarriage. It’s A Contract Just In Case the Marriage Winds Up In Divorce Prenuptial agreements are like contracts. And like any contract, a prenuptial agreement must be… Read More

Thanks to Guest Blogger Alice Adams, a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) who speaks out as to the role of the LNC in a Personal Injury Case. Pulling no punches, she tells it like it is. This article clearly and succinctly spells out for both lawyers and lay people some very salient medical issues that arise in Personal Injury cases. I know you’ll enjoy her perspective. Give Me All You’ve Got (I’m not your expert) by Alice Adams, BA, RN, LNC A common misconception is that legal nurse consultants double as expert witnesses. They do not, and you do not want them to. As… Read More

This morning I read a very common-sense article in the New York Times entitled Power Windows Pose Great Risk to Children, Says Consumer Group. It piqued my interest so I decided to look a little further into the issue. It makes logical sense that, absent safety precautions, power windows are potentially quite dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates 1,995 power window related injuries (mostly minor) and six deaths per year. Janette Fennell, president of KidsAndCars.org disputes these numbers saying that her phone and Internet surveys indicate that there have been about 13.6 million power window related injuries over an unspecified… Read More

Community Property laws vary from state to state. Does Community Property Law apply in your state? Well, here’s the list: California* Idaho Louisiana Nevada New Mexico Texas Washington Wisconsin So, what then is Community Property? Simply defined, “Community Property” is all real and personal property, wherever situated, that has been acquired during marriage by a married person while domiciled in California* unless the property was his or her separate property. Wait! The word “unless” is in that definition. Yes, the “unless” part is very important when dividing property upon the dissolution of marriage. What, then, is “separate property?” “Separate property” is all property… Read More

irst of all, what is Alimony?* Generally speaking, it is the money paid by one ex-spouse to the other for support under the terms of a court order or settlement agreement following a divorce. Alimony is also called “spousal support” or “maintenance.” Okay, there are many factors that affect the amount and duration of alimony. While this is not a complete list, it pretty much covers all the general bases. Keep in mind that every marriage is unique and it is the combination of the factors below which will influence the spousal support determination. Factor Description Length of the marriage… Read More