Don’t Own a Car but Still Sometimes Drive? A Personal Mobility Policy Might be for You!

Posted on December 16, 2019December 16, 2019 by Rahman Law PC

San Francisco has a great public transportation system network that is so effective, many San Francisco residents don’t even own a car! In 2014, a study found 88% of all new households (people who moved to San Francisco since 2000) didn’t own a car (source). This shows a rising trend in more families going car-free when compared to the total of all current households in San Francisco without a car, which is roughly 30% (source). 30% puts San Francisco in the top 10 cities in the nation for households without a car. At Rahman Law, we handle a lot of personal injury cases in San Francisco for pedestrians and bicyclists involved in a collision, and we know many of these bicyclists and pedestrians ride or walk because they do not own a car (and may not even need to own a car).

Not having a car to manage maintenance, fuel, and insurance on can be a financial relief for many people (and did we mention the psychological relief of not having to fight for a parking spot between street cleaning days here in San Francisco?!?), but sometimes we all need a car. After all, other California cities do not offer the same level of public transportation convenience available in San Francisco. Or maybe you’re thinking about a road trip to Las Vegas with a few friends? Let’s face it, sometime we all want or need a car to get us to our destination. People in households without their own car often rent one or borrow one for their long treks, but what many of us don’t fully understand is how insurance works when you’re driving a car that isn’t yours… until something happens.

There is an insurance policy known as a Personal Mobility Policy that a few insurance agencies provide. These policies typically cover private passenger cars that are being driven by but not owned by the policy holder (you). And most often, the car cannot be owned by a resident of your household, resident relative (someone related to you living in the same household), or an employer of you or any of these types of people. These policies may also include insurance to cover rental vehicles driven by you. Personal Mobility Policies offer a more affordable way to have protection when you’re behind the wheel of a car you don’t own should something go wrong.

Personal Mobility Policies can even go a step further than protecting you and your assets as a driver; these policies now often include coverage as a bicyclist, pedestrian, or as a passenger (even when using transportation networks for ridesharing services).

With Personal Mobility Policies covering things like bodily injury, property damage/loss, uninsured motor vehicle coverage, and even emergency road services on top of the standard comprehensive and collision pieces for people driving a car they don’t own, riding in a rideshare vehicle, riding a bike, or simply walking along on the sidewalk, Personal Mobility Policies might be best fit for the new San Francisco lifestyle as we continue to own fewer and fewer cars.

So if you don’t own a car but sometimes rent or borrow one, or if you ride a bicycle regularly (especially if you commute on your bike), or if you use rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, talk to your insurance provider and ask about a Personal Mobility Policy to see if they offer it and if it might be right for you. Some insurance companies will bundle it in with homeowners’ or renters’ insurance as an additional policy for a reduced premium, so if you have one of these insurances, start by speaking with your insurance agent there and asking about what’s right for you. Having the right coverage in place can help you should anything ever go sideways. Many of the phone calls we receive as personal injury lawyers in San Francisco stem from someone involved in a collision not having any or enough insurance.

Are Traffic Fatalities Rising in California from the Use of Rideshare Services?

Posted on September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 by Rahman Law PC

A rideshare accident lawyer is someone we hope you will never need, but we understand why we’re needed. When Transportation Network Service drivers like those for Uber and Lyft that offer ridesharing services are involved in a collision there are usually three or more entities involved in the claim which amounts to a lot of phone calls and hair-pulling levels of frustration. If there is an injury as a result of a vehicle collision with a rideshare driver as a passenger, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, then the stakes are even higher due to medical costs and lost wages during recovery. A catastrophic injury or loss of life from a rideshare accident is the worst-case scenario for someone to have to face and no one should face this alone. And with the increase in rideshare use, injuries and fatalities are an unfortunate reality.

There’s no doubt rideshare services are rapidly increasing in popularity. The California Mid-State Fair is held near our office in Paso Robles (we can even hear the concerts from our office!) and in recent years the site relocated the free shuttle services to make room for rideshare pick-ups and drop-offs directly in front of the venue. Local residents who charge patrons to park in their yard even dropped prices this year, too. The convenience of ridesharing is undeniable. But at what cost?

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority commissioned their own study looking at VMT (vehicle miles traveled) and found that Uber and Lyft are the ‘biggest contributors’ to San Francisco’s traffic congestion. Uber and Lyft came forward with their own study this month from a transportation consultancy review of six cities, including San Francisco, and again found that there is a statistically significant increase in traffic congestion brought on from these rideshare services – as much as 13.4% in San Francisco County, with a noticeable increase closer to the city’s core. The data has been increasing as rideshare and transportation network service use increases.

Traffic congestion is certainly a nuisance, but what does this mean for traffic fatalities in San Francisco and California as a whole? California has been one of the states with the highest traffic fatality rates for many years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes statistics on traffic accidents with fatalities including pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities from vehicle collisions (see our chart below).

California's Traffic Deaths: 1985; 2008-2018 — California’s Traffic Deaths: 1985; 2008-2018

If we were to compare California’s traffic fatality rate in 1985 (4,960) to California in 2017 (3,602), you can see that the rate of traffic accident fatalities is down overall, but looking at more recent years (since 2014), the traffic collision death rate is going back up. Now, keep in mind that California is currently the state with the second most pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities involving traffic collisions (Florida is first), which means many of these victims are pedestrians or people riding a bicycle, something San Francisco is working very hard to end with the Vision Zero initiative.

If you’re wondering how rideshare accidents have anything to do with traffic fatalities in San Francisco, you may want to read this recent study from the University of Chicago and Rice University, “The Cost of Convenience: Ridehailing and Traffic Fatalities,” which found a correlation to the increase in fatal car crashes and the launching of Uber and Lyft in the cities they examined. They found an increase of about 3% in the number of traffic fatalities for both vehicle occupants and pedestrians/bicyclists which has been the complete opposite of what many people expected. The idea behind transportation network services was to assist in convenience and provide an alternative for people who are or will likely be impaired and unable to drive themselves; which is a great idea on the surface as there were nearly 11,000 people killed by impaired drivers in 2017 and more than 1,000 of these people were pedestrians.

But this study and others like it have been hindered by the transportation network service providers in finding the total number of accidents and fatalities directly caused by or involving a rideshare driver. Uber, as an example, requires injured parties who seek lawful compensation for their injuries to sign a confidentiality clause as a condition of settlement. These confidentiality clauses are often referred to as ‘gag orders’ because they suppress the information and effectively keep the statistics of injuries and/or fatalities caused by drivers within their network from public scrutiny and reports. This makes it nearly impossible to provide hard data demonstrating that traffic fatalities are rising in California from the use of rideshare services. The associated increase of 3% in traffic-related fatalities due to ridesharing accidents may be an understatement.

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UBER Doesn’t Care About Your Safety

Posted on July 15, 2019April 8, 2024 by Shaana A. Rahman

Since its inception, UBER has walked a fine line between maintaining they are just a tech company, not a livery service like taxis, and promoting how “safe” it is to use UBER. Their website now sports a dedicated tab called “Safety” where they proudly tout their commitment to safety, all the while cleverly sidestepping the issues of how they ensure their drivers engage in safe driving practices and what, if anything, UBER does to even evaluate whether the influx of UBER drivers adversely affects the safety of vulnerable users of roads like pedestrians, cyclists, the disabled or the elderly. UBER’s answer to safety appears to be a new addition to the UBER app called “Ride Check” which is supposed to be used by riders and drivers in the event of a crash. Sadly, UBER guards the information collected by this feature more fiercely than a momma bear guards her cubs, to make it almost impossible for accurate statistics to be generated on how many rides end up in crashes.

In California, UBER’s purported safety conscious image has been inadvertently protected by state agencies tasked with collecting crash data. Vehicle injury and fatality accident statistics are, in large part, gathered from the California Highway Patrol database, which obtains information from local police reports. CHP then organizes this data so that items like how many injuries or fatalities occur within a city during a specific period of time, and the cause of the collision (a vehicle code violation) can be tallied. Since there is no formal method for an investigating police officer to indicate that a transportation network provider like UBER or Lyft was involved in a collision, statewide collision statistics cannot be compiled. Further compounding this problem is that as a private corporation, no one has required UBER make such information available to the appropriate government agency or the public.

But the secrecy doesn’t end with the crash. Once someone injured by an UBER driver seeks lawful compensation for their injuries from UBER, UBER then forces the injured party to enter into a settlement contract that contains confidentiality clauses, essentially gag orders, as a condition of compensating the injured person for the negligent acts of their drivers. By design, the use of such confidentiality clauses and gag orders protects the illusion that UBER remains a safe way to get around. Making all injury and death settlements secret also has the added benefit (to UBER) of keeping the volume of injuries and deaths caused by UBER drivers shielded from public view.

Despite all of UBER’s efforts to hide behind a wall of secrecy, researchers from the University of Chicago and Rice University recently published a study that correlates an increase in fatal car crashes with the launching of UBER or LYFT in cities across the United States. Using historic crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for traffic fatalities researches found that by 2010, the year the ridesharing services began to expand, the number of traffic fatalities had decreased to its lowest level since 1949, only to begin rising after 2010. The researchers indicate in their paper that “[t]he arrival of ridesharing is associated with an increase of 2-3% in the number of motor vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents.”

If UBER cared, even a little, about how its business model affects the safety and health of the public at large, it could take affirmative steps to make the crash data collected available for use by those who could fairly evaluate whether UBER has helped us…or hurt us. Every aspect of the UBER business models rejects transparency. The goal is for UBER to tell us they are committed to safety and for us to suspend disbelief, open the door of a stranger’s car and hope to god our ride isn’t the first time the driver has ever navigated the streets of San Francisco, New York, Chicago or anyone other bustling city. But if you’re a pedestrian or a cyclist, no UBER app is going to protect you.

Beat the Heat with these Summer Safety Tips

Posted on July 5, 2019July 2, 2019 by Rahman Law PC

summer cyclist safety tips in paso robles and san francisco personal injury lawyers

Summer is here and with the extra hours of sunshine comes the heat! In San Francisco, a “hot” day might be in the 80s, but this year it’s already been hotter than usual and at our Paso Robles office and in other scenic riding locations on the Central Coast, temperatures can easily surpass 100 degrees. If you plan to go out in the heat for cycling or other activities, read on for some of our favorite tips to combat the hot weather.

Hydrate

Hydration always sounds like an obvious first step in the heat, but it isn’t just about hydrating during your summer activities, you’ll want to hydrate before and after, too. The CDC and Cal/OSHA recommend 1 cup of water for every 15 minutes of physical activity in the heat and consuming electrolytes (sports drinks/fruit juice) before and after to replenish the salt we use for sweating. They also warn that alcohol can reduce the body’s ability to regulate temperatures and should be avoided before your planned cycling day or any other activity in the heat. And just a reminder, CA Vehicle Code 21200.5 does not provide a specific blood-alcohol threshold to be considered riding a bicycle under the influence, but cycling impaired is unlawful and a violation fine can be up to $250.

Keep Your Core Cool

There are a variety of products out there to help keep your core temperature down in hot weather like specialty towels and jerseys. For motorcyclists, there are suits and jackets with mesh ventilation flaps. But there are also some very easy ways to keep your core cool without needing a gear upgrade. A favorite of many cyclists is freezing your water bottle when half full to create an ice block. A fun alternative from wine country is to freeze grapes and use them as ice cubes; they’ll cool your water and provide a tasty snack later. Want more? Here’s a DIY tutorial on how to make your own neck cooler here .

Watch for Signs of Heat Stroke

While you may have taken all of the steps to beat the heat, others with you may not have properly prepared. Symptoms of over-heating include headache, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. At the point of heat exhaustion, the affected person may sweat more profusely than usual and have a rapid pulse. If heat exhaustion goes untreated, the person may stop sweating altogether and/or become confused; the warning signs of heat stroke, a serious medical condition. If you believe someone is in danger of over-heating, get them into a cool area immediately. If there are concerns of heat stroke, call 911. For more information, visit the CDC’s website here .

Add Rahman Law to Your Phone Contacts

No one ever expects to be involved in a collision. If you plan to be out cycling, riding a motorcycle, or driving this summer, be sure to add us to your contacts in your phone. That way, you can call us immediately if you ever need us. We also have free toolkits and guidebooks on our website here. Have a great summer!

Rahman Law PC

San Francisco: 415.956.9245
Paso Robles: 805.619.3108

Bicycle Safety: How the Speed Limit Factors into Cyclist Fatalities

Posted on February 28, 2019February 20, 2019 by Shaana A. Rahman

In previous blogs, we’ve talked about the demographics shown as most likely to be involved in a fatal bicycle accident and how speeding contributes to traffic collision deaths. But while it might seem like common knowledge that the speed limit will also factor into cyclist fatalities (faster speeds usually means more powerful impact/injury), the specifics of how the speed limit relates to the outcome of a bicycle accident are not often discussed. And the results may surprise you.

Rural and Urban Jungles for Cyclists

Before we talk about numbers, it’s important to know that there are differences between riding in urban and rural areas when talking about bicycle safety. Urban areas see 60%-71% of bicyclist fatalities across the nation and California is still in the top three states for cyclist fatalities. California’s ranking for cyclists fatalities might have something to do with having the largest population of any state and 87% of those nearly 40-million people living in urban areas (Stanford).

Then speed limit where most bicycle fatalities occur in rural areas is 55 mph.

This speed is the zone with the second most bicyclist fatalities overall; however, for urban riders, 55 mph is only the sixth-ranked speed zone for fatalities. The approximately 29% of total rural cycling crashes with fatalities occurring in a 55 mph zone is significant.

The speed limit where most bicyclist fatalities occur in urban areas is 45 mph followed closely by 35 mph.

Because most bicyclist fatalities occur in urban areas, the data gathered shows urban cyclist collision fatalities can occur in most speed zones from 25 mph to 75 mph with the majority falling between 35 mph and 45 mph. Interestingly, the same speed zones show the most urban pedestrian fatalities, too.

Speed Limits Are Different Than Speeding

The information we just presented comes from speed limits, not speed travelled. Reports vary on the percentage of bicyclist fatalities resulting directly from speeding because being the leading cause is different than being one of several causes and can be difficult to separate. A 2010-2015 report found only 8.6% of bicyclist fatalities resulted directly from speeding (NHTSA, FARS, & ARF). But don’t think speeding isn’t a problem – in San Francisco, speeding is the leading cause of traffic collision deaths (SFPD 2010-2014) and is a leading contributor to traffic collision fatalities nationwide.

This report also found most fatalities for cyclists were occurring in non-intersections. This makes sense when the speed limit with the most fatalities for riders in urban and rural locations combined is 45 mph followed by 55 mph; these speed zones will have fewer intersections and crosswalks than zones with lower speeds.

bicycle safety, pedestrian injury, cyclist injury

Bicycle Safety Starts With Awareness

Knowing what factors can lead to or increase the chances of a cyclist fatality can help riders and drivers be more aware of their surroundings. The bicycle accident attorneys at Rahman Law support Vision Zero for San Francisco and we look forward to the day when no cyclist or pedestrian will become a fatality statistic.

California cyclist guide — Download our Ride Safe Reference Guide

Bicycle Safety: How the Speed Limit Factors into Cyclist and Pedestrian Injuries

Posted on February 21, 2019February 20, 2019 by Shaana A. Rahman

Most cyclist fatalities in urban and rural areas occur in 45 mph zones (link to other blog on fatalities); however, the likelihood of sustaining a survivable injury as a pedestrian or cyclist in a 45 mph zone is not the same.

What is the same is the speed limit where the most injuries occur: 25 mph.

Part of the reason most injuries occur for cyclists and pedestrians in 25 mph zones is the survivability factor. The likelihood of sustaining a serious or fatal injury in a collision with a vehicle as a pedestrian or cyclist goes up dramatically from 18% at 20 mph to 77% at 40 mph (AAA Foundation). Another reason for more cyclist and pedestrian injuries at lower speeds is the increased exposure as there are likely going to be more pedestrians in a 25 mph zone than a 75 mph zone.

The speed limits where the most cyclist and pedestrian injuries occur according to the NHTSA are 25 mph, 35 mph, and 30 mph (in that order). This data is combined for urban and rural areas. Keep in mind that the data for injuries comes from serious injuries which are reported. There may be more injuries occurring than what are reported and would likely be in lower speed zones because of the lack for the need of medical care.

Speeding is Also Responsible for Cyclist and Pedestrian Injuries

The information gathered by the NHTSA, NCSA, FARS, and ARF between 2010 and 2015 relied on speed limits to assume speed for much of their data. Speeding (going over the speed limit) factors into approximately 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in the United States and is the leading cause of about 8% of pedestrian fatalities. The most common speed limit zone for pedestrian and cyclist fatalities to occur as a result of speeding is 35 mph. Specifics on the number of cyclist and pedestrian injuries that were a direct result of speeding was not published; however, 35 mph is the zone with the second-most injuries for both pedestrians and bicyclists, making it likely that there are a portion of injuries occurring as a direct result of speeding. The unfortunate reality is that speed kills.

Pedestrian Safety

The California Legislature enacted the Pedestrian Safety Act in 2000 which includes new requirements for driver education on pedestrian safety among other items. California Vehicle Code sections 21950-21954 provide legal measures for pedestrian safety and protection, including that drivers have a higher duty of care than pedestrians. And in San Francisco, pedestrian safety is going even further with Vision Zero to bring the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities to zero. These measures are looking to increase pedestrian safety through more awareness and enforcement in California, including speed-related pedestrian safety issues.

bicycle safety, bicycle accident attorney, — Bicycle damaged in an accident? Download our free toolkit here.

Winter Cycling Safety Tips

Posted on December 12, 2018June 8, 2024 by Shaana A. Rahman

winter cycling in San Francisco As bicycle accident attorneys in San Francisco and Paso Robles, we talk to a lot of cyclists and we ride, too, so we know all too well that the short days of winter won’t stop you from riding. Many of us ride because we absolutely love it and don’t consider it a seasonal hobby. Others ride as a means to get to work and need to ride year-round. However, in the winter months there are some extra precautions cyclists need to take.

Let’s start with the basics; the five most common types of collisions between bicyclists and motor vehicles are:

A vehicle making a right turn across the cyclist’s lane of travel
A vehicle turning left at an intersection
Dooring
The failure of a motorist to stop at a red light or Stop sign
A vehicle or cyclist passing on the right

This bit of knowledge can help you be more aware in those environments and situations year-round. In the winter, people may be trying to get in and out of their vehicles faster due to cold weather and rain increasing the chances of a dooring. A cyclist is permitted to ride in the travel lane without going at the speed of traffic to avoid a hazard (CVC 21650; San Francisco Transportation Code Sec. 7.2.12). Signal and move over if you need to avoid a door that might open.

Here are Some Winter Riding Hazards and Our Winter Cycling Safety Tips:

Cycling When It’s Wet

California may not get a lot of rain, but it will eventually rain and that rain can flush debris into your bike lane including piles of slippery, wet leaves. Rain can also hide potholes underneath less conspicuous puddles.

Our winter cycling safety tip – Riding through a puddle is essentially riding into the unknown, so it is safer to avoid them.

Also, road surfaces can be the most dangerous just after the first rain in a while or after rain has just started because oil begins to surface. A rainbow-y sheen on a road can signal the dangers of an oil spot. These are most commonly found at intersections. Slick patches in the road can make it difficult to stop and/or turn.

Our winter cycling safety tip – Treat intersections with extra respect in the winter as they are already dangerous places for cyclists but the added element of oil can compound the problem. Treat patches with a rainbow sheen as a road hazard.

Remember what we said about avoiding doors – the same rules apply to any hazard in the bicycle lane and you may use the travel lane to avoid them. Remember to signal as the vehicle traffic may not expect you to come over if you see the hazard before they do.

Cycling In the Dark

We can’t say this enough: as riders it is important to be seen. The lights and reflectors required by California law are a great start, but more is better in this case. Fluorescent clothing can aid visibility during the day, but it’s lights and reflectors that make the biggest impact on your visibility at night.

Our winter cycling safety tip – Add reflective tape to your helmet, put lights in your wheel spokes, and/or wear a jacket with reflectors to boost your ability to be seen in the dark by others.

Some riders like to switch to yellow lenses in the winter to help them with glare. After you’ve outfitted yourself to be seen by others, make sure you can see them clearly, too.

Our winter cycling safety tip – If your usual riding glasses have a dark tint, explore other anti-glare options more appropriate for cloudy days; these might be clear, yellow, or even pink.

When riding at night in California, the following items are required:

Forward-Facing Bike Light: A white headlight is required. The light both makes you visible to others and illuminates your path. It needs to be visible from at least 300 feet forward. It may be attached to the bicycle or the rider. CVC 21201(d) & CVC 21201(e)
Rear-Facing Reflector or Light: A red reflector at the back is the minimum requirement, but a solid or flashing red bike light with a built-in reflector visible from 500 feet is also allowed. CVC 21201(d)
Side-Facing Reflectors: White or yellow reflectors are required to be visible on each side of the bicycle in three locations (forward, center, and rear), but there are multiple ways to meet this requirement. Side-facing central reflectors can be on the bicycle pedals, or on the shoes or ankles of the rider. There should be additional reflectors forward and rear of the central reflectors on each side of the bike like on the spokes, reflective tire sidewalls, or on the frame of the bicycle. CVC 21201(d)

If you would like more rules of the road for California, download our free Cyclist’s Quick Reference Guide here.

Winter Bike Checkup

Fixing ANY tire in the cold and wet is no fun. Add dark into that mix and, well… it gets complicated. Do yourself a favor and give your bike a winter checkup (even if you don’t ride a lot during the winter, seasonal checkups are a good rule of thumb for everyone). You’ll want to do everything you can to give yourself the ability to stop quickly when needed and avoid stopping for a fix in the rain.

Our winter cycling safety tip – Check your air, replace aged tubes, upgrade your chain lube or reapply it, and even fit your bike with a set of new brake pads before you go out into the winter weather.

Have Us On Speed-Dial

Our final winter cycling safety tip for this article – keep us saved in your phone. Save our contact information into your phone now so that in the event anything happens, you won’t have to look very long to find help. Our consultations are free. We also have a free guide available on what to do in a vehicle accident available here.

Rahman Law’s Contact Information:

Personal Injuries Are Happening Inside the Crosswalk: WalkFirst Initiative

Posted on October 30, 2018October 22, 2018 by Rahman Law PC

personal injury attorney crosswalks in san francisco WalkFirst is part of the Vision Zero program targeting ways to reengineer the City of San Francisco to reduce personal injuries to pedestrians from vehicle collisions. 170 locations have been identified as the highest priorities and they are being corrected over the next five years. As personal injury attorneys in San Francisco, we’ve been following along with these plans excitedly. WalkFirst is focusing on Engineering, Enforcement, and Education to reduce the number of fatalities and personal injuries to pedestrians and we think it’s great!

Engineering to Reduce Personal Injuries to Pedestrians with WalkFirst

Many of the changes you will see in San Francisco revolve around intersections with Stop signs and crosswalks. If you’re wondering why that is, much of the WalkFirst data was created in conjunction with SFMTA Municipal Transportation Agency. Their San Francisco 2012-2015 Collisions Report released in November of 2016 showed many non-fatal injury collisions with pedestrians revolved around exactly that (no. of collisions): crosswalks (1,305), Stop signs (364), and violations of the traffic signals (1,101). Correcting these three things would correct 23% of pedestrian personal injuries from vehicle collisions. In an effort to reduce these incidents, the WalkFirst initiative includes pulling back Stop and Yield lines, painting curbs red near crosswalks, and more pedestrian islands.

Speed is understandably at the top of the list for the causes of pedestrian personal injuries caused by vehicle collisions (2,199 or 18%). To aid pedestrians in crosswalks when the car coming at them is speeding, high visibility crosswalks and HAWK Beacons are also being added along with more medians. But until these tools are in place, remember to look carefully and make sure the drivers see you before you step off of the curb.

These preventative tools have been engineered to reduce the number of collisions with pedestrians and tested with great success in other urban cities. The HAWK Beacon has reduced collisions as much as 69% and pedestrian islands as much as 56%. Altering a traffic signal to have a separate left turn phase can reduce collisions with pedestrians at an intersection by 48%. Expect to see these changes in the “High Injury Corridors” of San Francisco as WalkFirst and Vision Zero continue to bring the number of personal injuries and fatalities down to zero. We’ve taken the pledge to support these initiatives, have you?

Law Enforcement to Reduce Personal Injuries to Pedestrians with WalkFirst

Both WalkFirst and Vision Zero have the City and County law officials working with the initiatives to bring about the needed changes. After identifying the top causes of pedestrian collisions (there are nine top factors in collisions with personal injuries and the “Focus on Five” linked to collisions with fatalities), SFPD committed 50% of traffic enforcement to these identified most dangerous traffic behaviors. Data from other metropolitan areas with similar initiatives have found enforcement with education can lead to a 23% reduction in vehicle collisions with pedestrians. This includes red light cameras which have already led to a reduction in severe and fatal traffic injuries at their intersections.

WalkFirst and Vision Zero Education

Every day in San Francisco, about 3 people are hit by cars while walking and we have four times the national average of pedestrian fatalities for our traffic fatalities. WalkFirst and Vision Zero along with the City of San Francisco have all launched campaigns to educate the public about the issues with traffic safety in San Francisco. We are all pedestrians every day. Here at Rahman Law PC, we advocate for safer streets in our community for pedestrians and bicyclists and actively participate in WalkFirst and Vision Zero. As personal injury attorneys, we see the reality of these injuries every day and know that change is needed. If you would like more information, please visit these resources:

http://walkfirst.sfplanning.org/

http://visionzerosf.org/

When Do You Need a Personal Injury Attorney?

Posted on October 22, 2018October 22, 2018 by Rahman Law PC

Not everyone feels comfortable picking up the phone and calling a personal injury attorney. We’re not sure why – we’re really great people to have in your corner! We care about our clients and have a personal relationship with each one. We even spend time on the phone answering questions from people who are not our clients because we are passionate about advocating for our community. (Learn more about who we are and our team here).

But if you are someone who is still trying to decide if this is the right time to pick up the phone, let’s talk about when you need a personal injury attorney.

If you’ve been hurt by no fault of your own and have medical bills, you need a personal injury attorney.

Hospitals and insurance companies have forms which will ask you if this was an accident. They are going to want to know if there is someone at fault that should be paying for this other than your health insurance. And we all know how quickly medical bills can add up for a severe injury, especially if an insurance company decides the injury is not their obligation to pay. Or you may have submitted your bills to the insurance company of the other party already, from a car collision perhaps, and that insurance company isn’t paying. If you are injured, you need to focus on healing. A personal injury attorney can manage the bills: where they need to be sent and which party is responsible. If needed, a lien can be placed on your medical bills that will suspend their payment due date pending trial. This will protect you from debt collectors which can again, let you focus on healing.

If your injury is causing you to miss work and lose wages, it is time to talk to a personal injury attorney.

In California, we have 12 weeks of Family Medical Leave, but those 12 weeks can go by rapidly in the event of a severe injury and at that point, an employer might dismiss you from your job completely which can remove any benefits you had with it, including your medical insurance which you might be using. Do not wait until the 11^th week to see out assistance from a personal injury attorney, start looking as soon as you realize you’ll be missing work. Your injury may become long-term, especially if there are any unforeseen complications. And this lost time is something you’ll want to recover from the at-fault party, which a personal injury attorney will be able to evaluate for you.

The moment there is a dispute over liability or payment – call a personal injury attorney to protect your rights.

The moment of an accident or injury, many people will say things without knowing what their insurance company or employer will actually do. For example, if you were hurt on public transportation, the driver might apologize profusely and say that the City or other responsible entity will pay for everything, but this person is not in a position to make those decisions. The moment someone tells you “no” when you’ve been injured (mentally or physically) or suffered a loss (of property, money, or job) is the time to pick up the phone and call a personal injury attorney. If the person, company, or insurance provider deemed at-fault is no longer working with you, you need professional assistance. They have a team on their side and you should have one, too.

Hiring a personal injury attorney is not an over-reaction to a situation. You are protecting yourself against insurance companies and businesses with teams of attorneys skilled at working against people who do not seek legal counsel. By selecting a personal injury attorney to represent you, you’ll have an advocate for you and as needed, they will bring in a team of experts who understand the focus of your case. If you’ve been injured through no fault of your own, you shouldn’t have to fight alone.

You should be comfortable with your attorney. We offer free consultations if you ever feel like you need to talk to us, please reach out!

Contact Rahman Law PC

San Francisco’s Unacceptable Number of Bicyclist Deaths in 2018

Posted on October 8, 2018October 8, 2018 by Rahman Law PC

The vision we share with many is that no pedestrian or bicyclist will be fatally injured by a vehicle in San Francisco – ever. The City of San Francisco is behind Vision Zero with a mandate to bring traffic deaths to zero by 2024. This year has been looking on track at reducing pedestrian fatalities, but we have reversed our progress for bicyclists and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has already said it is unacceptable. As bicycle accident attorneys, we agree. On Thursday, September 13^th 2018, the fourth bicyclist this year was fatally injured by a vehicle in San Francisco.

To put this number into perspective, since 2009, the two times San Francisco has seen as many bicyclist fatalities were in years with over 30 total traffic fatalities: 2013 and 2015*. 2013 in particular was the year with the most overall traffic fatalities since 2010. It’s only September and we have already reached this unfortunate target. Based on traffic collision statistics, it is impossible to say that there won’t be another bicyclist fatality in San Francisco this year. Data is still being compiled for this year, but last year was a record breaking year with low numbers and this year had been low as well. Unfortunately, it is turning out to be unacceptably high for bicyclist accidents and fatalities, especially compared to the ratio of overall traffic fatalities for 2018:

Why Are Bicycle Accidents on The Rise in San Francisco?

The increase in injuries and fatalities is on the rise in the state by some data. It is harder to be certain when looking at data for 2018 as so much of it is still being aggregated. The Govenors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) which reviews road safety in all states found that in 2016 and 2017 pedestrians are now the largest proportion of traffic fatalities nationwide than they have been in 33 years. More people outside of cars are dying; it is on the rise as a nation and as a state. Year after year California fluctuates at the top of the nation for the state with the highest number of bicyclists and pedestrians killed each year in traffic collisions. Usually, we’re first in total number of deaths, but sometimes we’re second. This means what San Francisco is trying to do with Vison Zero goes against the majority of the nation, state, and metro-area statistics. It will take education, engineering, and enforcement, but as bicycle accident attorneys and advocates for safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists, we believe it is possible.

The most recent incident occurred outside of a Vision Zero high-injury corridor on the 1600 block on Howard Street near South Van Ness and 12th Streets (Hoodline). The cyclist was on his way to a bicycling rally to advocate for more protected bike lanes (SF Examiner). Studies have been showing bicyclists feel safer in these protected lanes and they are a part of Vision Zero. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is calling for quick action and asks that San Francisco do a better job to prevent more loss in their press release following this terrible tragedy.

What Can You Do To Prevent The Next Traffic Fatality?

Don’t touch your phone! Not for a call, text, or map. Never drive distracted. In 2015, 10% of traffic fatalities resulted from distracted driving (NHTSA). This is easy for you to avoid.
Never drive impaired by alcohol, drugs, or medications. Drivers who were impaired by drugs or alcohol in collisions resulting in a fatality has been dramatically increasing! In 2015 it was up to 42.6% (NHTSA). And the worst time for this is during the holidays… which is coming up.
Slow down. To put it simply: speed kills. Approximately 31% of traffic fatalities are a result of speeding as the main factor (NHTSA). And experts believe the increase in fatalities is due to more people speeding… Are you really in that big of a hurry?

Rahman Law PC is dedicated to making San Francisco’s streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists because we walk and ride these streets, too! As bicycle accident attorneys we regularly attend events and advocate for pedestrian and bicyclist rights. Four deaths in one year is a setback in the progress everyone has been working so hard for, but we will not give up. Even one death is one too many.

*Data from Vision Zero SF. Some data is still under investigation.

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