News & Articles

California Code of Civil Procedure section 998 gives any party to a civil lawsuit a formal mechanism to make a written offer of judgment before trial. If the party who received the offer fails to accept it and then fails to achieve a more favorable outcome at trial, that party loses the right to recover […]

Legal Snapshot Legal Topic: California Hospital Lien Act – Civil Code §§ 3045.1–3045.6 Case Stage: Pre-settlement / Settlement Disbursement Primary Legal Issue: Hospital lien perfection, notice requirements, and the 50% collection cap Primary Authority: California Civil Code §§ 3045.1, 3045.3, 3045.4 [1] Date Legal Authority Last Reviewed: July 2025 Under California law, a licensed hospital […]

When a California personal injury plaintiff has health insurance, the amount a jury may award for past medical expenses is generally limited to the amount actually paid and accepted as full payment by the medical provider, not the larger amount originally billed. The California Supreme Court established this rule in Howell v. Hamilton Meats & […]

Under California law, a property owner or occupier can be held liable when inadequate security allows a third party to commit a crime that injures a visitor, tenant, or invitee. The claim rests on premises liability principles rooted in California Civil Code section 1714, which imposes on every person a duty of ordinary care in […]

A serious crash involving a semi-truck or 18-wheeler generates a category of evidence that simply does not exist in an ordinary car accident, federal records that carriers are legally required to maintain, electronic data streams captured by onboard computers, and regulatory files that can reveal a driver’s true fitness and fatigue level at the moment […]

What Are California’s Rideshare Insurance Periods and Why Do They Matter? When Does Uber and Lyft’s $1 Million Coverage Actually Apply? What Happens When the App Is On but No Ride Has Been Accepted? What If the Driver Was Off the App Entirely? Who Can Make a Claim Under the $1 Million Policy? How Does […]

  What are pain and suffering damages in California? How is pain and suffering compensation calculated in California? What types of harm qualify as pain and suffering in a California personal injury claim? Is there a cap on pain and suffering damages in California? What factors affect how much California accident injury compensation you may […]

What we know about the Garden Grove chemical tank emergency Who is impacted, evacuation boundaries, and local closures The chemical at issue: what methyl methacrylate is and why overheating is dangerous Health and safety guidance for evacuees, neighbors, and on-site workers What to document right now if you were evacuated or affected Possible civil liability […]

What Happened at the GKN Aerospace Facility? What Is the Evacuation Zone and Who Is Affected? Where Are the Shelter Locations? Where Can You Get Official Real-Time Updates? What Is Methyl Methacrylate and Why Is It Dangerous? What Are the Health Risks of Methyl Methacrylate Exposure? What Should You Do to Protect Yourself and Your […]

What Is Comparative Negligence Under California Law? How Does Pure Comparative Negligence Differ From Modified Comparative Negligence? How Is Fault Percentage Calculated in a California Car Accident? How Does Shared Fault Affect Your Compensation? What Is Proposition 51 and How Does It Affect Non-Economic Damages? How Do Insurance Companies Use Comparative Fault Against You? What […]