Settling back into your spring sports schedule? Injury awareness is key!

By Andy Gillin May 23, 2022

Following the return to spring sports schedules for many across the United States, it’s inevitable that we’re going to see a spike in sports-related injuries nationally. So, as Americans... Read More

How to conquer car rental insurance scare tactics

By Andy Gillin May 22, 2022

We’ll discuss California laws governing car rentals, the various insurance-like products that rental companies sell, and free or low-cost alternatives. Read More

The Dangers of Texting and Driving

By Andy Gillin May 18, 2022

It seems hardly a day goes by without hearing something in the news about an accident caused by texting and driving, in California and throughout the US. Read More

There’s a New Reason for Why Men Don’t Belong in the Kitchen

By Andy Gillin Apr 20, 2022

While many of us are aware of the dangers outside our front door, are we aware of hazards within our own four walls? In an attempt to raise awareness... Read More

The Most Frequent Injuries Landing Young Adults in E.R During Spring Break

By Andy Gillin Mar 7, 2022

Spring break is a vacation period in early spring to be enjoyed by college students in every state of America. Although many jet-set abroad, most stay in the U.S.... Read More

Car Technology that Can Prevent Accidents

By Andy Gillin Jan 30, 2022

Slowly but surely, technology has become an unavoidable part of our day. But fidgeting with cell phones and other technological devices while driving is enormously dangerous, contributing to more... Read More

Safest Cars for Teenage Drivers in 2022

By Andy Gillin Jan 30, 2022

There are so many safety factors to consider when your teenager begins driving. When it comes to teen brain development, distracted driving, and graduated license laws, parents have a... Read More

Social Media and Your Personal Injury Case: Tips & What You Need to Know

By Andy Gillin Jan 25, 2022

Everything that’s posted on social media is considered public, and even the most well meaning remarks about a personal injury claim could potentially be used against a plaintiff by... Read More

Here Are The Top Causes of Distracted Driving

By Andy Gillin Jan 24, 2022

These 15 Driving Distractions Could Ruin Your Day. Wouldn’t it be nice to settle in to your morning commute in total relaxation, catching up with a friend in the... Read More

America’s Clumsiest Names of 2022

By Andy Gillin Jan 6, 2022

‘Clumsy’ is a word many people use to describe themselves, especially if they’re somewhat accident-prone and have a habit of tripping over, knocking into things, or dropping stuff. However,... Read More

Non-motorized scooters named America’s most dangerous Christmas toy, again

By Andy Gillin Nov 24, 2021

Christmas is a magical time of year for millions of families across the United States, with children all over the country often experiencing new food, toys and traditions, often... Read More

Credit Issues in Underinsured Motorist Claims

By Andy Gillin Sep 10, 2021

Among the issues unresolved since the introduction of underinsured motorist coverage in California by the 1984 passage of Ins C 11580.1(p) is the computation of the award by the... Read More

4 Real and 5 Fictional Seinfeld Lawsuits

By Andy Gillin Jul 1, 2021

Gearing up for the holiday weekend, we thought it necessary to revive GJEL Accident Attorneys' legal humor category. With that, we've compiled 9 Seinfeld-related lawsuits, five fictional and four... Read More

Marin County Motorcycle Accident Settlement [$200,000]

By Andy Gillin Apr 16, 2021

$700,000 for a motorcycle vs. auto accident in Marin County. Read More

Here are the Scariest Roads in California

By Andy Gillin Feb 5, 2021

What comes to mind when you think of traffic laws? There are right-of-way rules that say who yields and who proceeds at traffic intersections and crosswalks. And speed limits.... Read More

15 Back to School Safety Tips for Kids and Drivers

By Andy Gillin Aug 21, 2020

Summer vacation is coming to an end and the back to school blitz is officially here. With kids getting set to resume their daily commute, and some younger children... Read More

Bicycle Accident Settlement

By Andy Gillin Aug 19, 2020

$22.5 Million for a bicycle accident case Read More

Wrongful Death Road Defect Verdict

By Andy Gillin Aug 19, 2020

GJEL recovered 11.6 Million Dollars for a client in a California wrongful death settlement. Read More

Wrongful Death Paid in Trial

By Andy Gillin Aug 19, 2020

GJEL Accident Attorneys recovered 13.6 Million Dollars for a client which was paid during trial. View more about the wrongful death verdicts and settlements from GJEL. Read More

Pedestrian Struck By AC Transit Settlement Right Before Trial

By Andy Gillin Aug 19, 2020

Who is responsible for self driving car accidents?

By Andy Gillin Apr 6, 2020

It is clear that the object of romantic interest in the Beatles’ song never anticipated a self-driving (“autonomous”) car; but as that technology gets closer to becoming a commercial... Read More

Hartford Insurance Claims: Hartford Personal Injury Lawyers

By Andy Gillin Feb 6, 2020

GJEL has recovered millions of dollars from The Hartford Insurance for injured victims. If you were injured and you think you might have a case against The Hartford Insurance,... Read More

Wrongful Death Settlement By Children Of Pedestrian Killed in the Roadway

By Andy Gillin Sep 17, 2019

A retired high school teacher and a longtime resident of rural Sonoma County was walking across Franz Valley School Road to retrieve his morning newspaper from the roadside mailbox... Read More

Ford Explorer Rollover Settlement

By Andy Gillin Sep 17, 2019

Our client was a fourteen-year-old girl who was in a car with her two friends, who were also minors. The car they were traveling in belonged to our client’s... Read More

Unsafe Lane Change Accident Settlement

By Andy Gillin Sep 17, 2019

Case Details: Our client, an experienced bicyclist, was riding westbound on Lone Tree Way in Antioch, California. He was in the #3 lane approaching the on-ramp for northbound Highway... Read More

Pedestrian Hit By Car In Crosswalk

By Andy Gillin Sep 17, 2019

Our client had entered the marked pedestrian crossing, with the signal, to cross Stockton Avenue at its intersection with Lenzen Avenue in San Jose. The driver of a 2010... Read More

Compensation for Post Concussion Syndrome After Car Accident

By Andy Gillin Jul 23, 2019

Our client was rear-ended in Brentwood while driving his 2005 Land Rover SUV. He was stopped waiting for the traffic ahead to move when his vehicle was struck on... Read More

Compensation for Pedestrian Hit By Car

By Andy Gillin Apr 16, 2019

About The Accident Our client was assembling furniture for his new residence on the driveway- pavement in front of his space at the garage shared with other condo owners.... Read More

Caltrans Accident Settlement

By Andy Gillin Apr 16, 2019

Our 63 year-old client, a self-employed plumber and part-time musician, suffered serious injuries and incurred thousands of dollars of medical bills and lost wages due to the negligence of... Read More

$3.6 Million Serious Injury Accident Settlement & Payout Amount

By Andy Gillin Mar 18, 2019

Our 81 year-old client suffered severe spinal injuries when he fell while trying to uncover patio furniture at a second home in Copperopolis, California, owned by a family member.... Read More

Hit and Run Motorcycle Accident Settlement Example

By Andy Gillin Mar 18, 2019

Our client was driving his motorcycle into an intersection in Mountain View, California, when he was struck by a car from his left-side that had entered the intersection against... Read More

Honda Car Accident Injury: $200K Settlement

By Andy Gillin Feb 27, 2019

On August 25, 2014 our client was on US-101 Northbound 70 feet South of Rengstorff Avenue in Unincorporated Palo Alto, CA. Our client was obeying the rules of the... Read More

San Francisco Motorcycle Accident Settlement $10,000,000

By Andy Gillin Feb 27, 2019

GJEL Accident Attorneys has recovered over $100 Million Dollars for victims injured and killed in Motorcycle accidents. Here is how GJEL helped one family after a serious motorcycle accident.... Read More

Motorcyclist awarded settlement after lost control of bike due to previous gasoline leak

By Andy Gillin Feb 27, 2019

On March 2, 2017 at 3:10 pm our client was driving his 2014 Kawasaki motorcycle Westbound on the San Francisco Bay Bridge one half mile east of Fremont Street.... Read More

Over $3.5 Million Recovered for Serious Injury Accident

By Andy Gillin Feb 26, 2019

Our 81-year-old client suffered severe spinal injuries when he fell while trying to uncover patio furniture at a second home in Copperopolis, California, owned by a family member. This... Read More

Will a Third Westbound Lane Solve Traffic Congestion crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge?

By Andy Gillin Jan 30, 2019

The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) is making a strong push to add a third westbound lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to alleviate congestion during the morning rush... Read More

The Top Reasons to Go To Law School

By Andy Gillin Jan 18, 2019

The attorneys at GJEL recently hosted a scholarship program and asked incoming law students why they wanted to go to law school. As a part of this contest, the... Read More

AC Transit increases Transbay fares to pay for broken Salesforce Transit Center

By Andy Gillin Jan 7, 2019

Beginning January 2019, AC Transit increased Transbay fares by $1 to $5.50 for a one-way trip to San Francisco and by $36 to $198 for a monthly pass. This... Read More

FordGO Bike in San Francisco Impeding Expansion of Bike Share Program

By Andy Gillin Nov 7, 2018

MTC’s Restrictive Ford GoBike Contract Impeding Expansion of Shared E-Bikes Overshadowed by the expansion of scooters, shared pedal-assist e-bikes have quietly grown in popularity this year. Across the country,... Read More

Most Unlikely Courtroom Comedies

By Andy Gillin Oct 10, 2018

Last week, we brought you some of the most absurd attempts of replicating judicial in the most unlikely courtroom dramas. Ranging from Chicago to Miracle on 34th Street, it... Read More

Grand Avenue Improvements a Step Forward, But Safety Concerns Remain

By Andy Gillin Jul 24, 2018

Several highly-anticipated pedestrian safety improvements recently opened along Oakland’s Grand Avenue. One of the City’s high injury corridors, Grand has long served as a regional relief valve to I-580... Read More

During trial for wrongful death of a spouse

By Andy Gillin Jun 20, 2018

Multi Million Dollar Wrongful Death Settlement Amount:

By Andy Gillin Jun 11, 2018

Accident Overview In the Spring of 2015, our client’s husband was driving his van at 55 mph, in a 55 mph zone, in a rural county in California, when... Read More

Why Does Regional Measure 3 Divert Bridge Tolls to Santa Clara County and Other Unrelated Projects?

By Andy Gillin Apr 26, 2018

Just about everyone agrees that the Bay Area’s congested transportation system is in dire need of reinvestment. Read More

$11.7 Million in Traffic Wrongful Death Case

By Andy Gillin Mar 8, 2018

A Contra Costa County jury has awarded $11.7 million to the family of a man who died on a badly maintained stretch of county road while trying to help... Read More

Bankrupt Bluegogo Auctions Leftover Bikes for as Little as $1 Each

By Andy Gillin Mar 2, 2018

While LimeBike’s rapid expansion has brought thousands of bikes to dozens of cities across the U.S., not all dockless bike share operators have found success. Bluegogo, the first dockless... Read More

$4 Million Child Wrongful Death Verdict

By Andy Gillin Feb 9, 2018

In what appears to be the largest wrongful death settlement for a child in California history, the family of a 4-year- old girl killed in a traffic accident has... Read More

$10.6 Million Settlement for Death From Defective Product

By Andy Gillin Feb 9, 2018

$10.6 million settlement has been reached between the makers and sellers of an “off-road” tire and the parents of a 4- year-old girl killed in a head on crash.... Read More

Oakland’s Pedestrian Signals Remain Confusing and Unpredictable

By Andy Gillin Feb 5, 2018

In 2015, Oakland enacted a Pedestrian Signal Policy intended to fix its frustrating and nonsensical crosswalk signals, a hindrance to the City’s walkability. The City previously installed hundreds of... Read More

Jail Injury Lawsuit Verdict 1.7 Million Dollars against The City of Richmond

By Andy Gillin Jan 30, 2018

For the second time in a year the county took its chances in a court trial and wound up owing more than if it had settled out of court.... Read More

Will AC Transit’s Transbay Fare Hikes Sabotage its Ridership?

By Andy Gillin Jan 17, 2018

While the Bay Area engages in a spirited debate over increasing bridge tolls, AC Transit is quietly moving forward with a big increase in Transbay fares. Despite substantial Transbay... Read More

BART’s Excursion Fare: How the Agency Earns Millions from Passengers Not Riding Trains

By Andy Gillin Dec 11, 2017

Been in a situation where you need to exit a BART station shortly after entering it? If so, chances are you’ve been hit by BART’s Excursion Fare. Read More

The Transbay Transit Center Needs a Shuttle Connection to Caltrain

By Andy Gillin Dec 4, 2017

Just because DTX remains in limbo doesn’t mean that Caltrain’s 4th & King Station and the Transbay Transit Center should be disconnected indefinitely. Read More

The perils of through-double-right turns for bicyclists

By Andy Gillin Oct 30, 2017

Biking on most urban streets may not always be a stress-free experience, but an individual with basic bicycle safety knowledge can usually navigate through streets without incident if everyone... Read More

Marin County’s Awful Freeway Bus Stops Put Riders in Danger

By Andy Gillin Oct 12, 2017

Bus pads play a critical role in connecting Marin’s communities via transit. However, their hazardous conditions put bus riders in danger. Read More

What does litigation mean in a personal injury case?

By Andy Gillin Oct 11, 2017

In every case, the anticipated goal is to have the case settle quickly, meaning that each party is able to reach mutually agreeable terms and conditions of an agreement... Read More

Are Insurance Company Deadlines Important?

By Andy Gillin Sep 5, 2017

To be sure, the insurance company’s goal is to pay as little as possible for claims. As such, it may try to tell you that you have missed a... Read More

BART should eliminate platform door markings for new train fleet

By Andy Gillin Aug 30, 2017

Lines often extend across the entire platform adjacent to large swaths of empty spaces between doors, making entering and exiting the platform difficult. Read More

A driver’s guide to auto insurance claims in California

By Andy Gillin Aug 2, 2017

You don’t necessarily know what will happen if you get into a collision and need help from your insurance provider... Read More

Could Caltrain Have Avoided Brutal Cuts to Weekend Service?

By Andy Gillin Jul 25, 2017

There’s no sugarcoating how brutal these cuts will be for weekend passengers traveling to work, a Giants’ game, or other events and activities. Read More

‘Shops at the Ridge’ Create Suburban Dystopia at 51st and Broadway

By Andy Gillin Jul 17, 2017

Due to a lack of vision coupled with mismanaged implementation, the 51st and Broadway area has become even more of a mess today than it was before. Read More

Bakersfield Moves Forward with Horrific Centennial Corridor Project

By Andy Gillin Jun 22, 2017

The City of Bakersfield and Caltrans has continued down a failed 1950s path toward social, economic, and environmental ruin. Read More

Introducing the Hack Your Auto Insurance series

By Andy Gillin Jun 19, 2017

The series will discuss insurance topics that every driver ought to know in clear and simple terms, using up-to-date information. Read More

GIG Carshare Offers New Mobility Option to East Bay

By Andy Gillin Jun 8, 2017

Oakland and Berkeley residents have an exciting new mobility option after the launch of GIG, a one-way car share service by AAA and Ridecell. Read More

Bike to Work Day 2017: Ribbon Cuttings and Milestones in the East Bay

By Andy Gillin May 17, 2017

After last year’s momentous Bike to Work Day that saw the unveiling of new high-profile protected bikeways in Berkeley and Oakland, this year’s event on Thursday, May 11th was... Read More

San Jose Alcohol Related Injuries Are Up

By Andy Gillin Apr 26, 2017

Compared to other population centers in California, the San Jose area appears to be doing well at limiting alcohol-involved injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol’s latest report on... Read More

San Jose bicycling is more dangerous than we thought

By Andy Gillin Apr 25, 2017

The latest annual report on motor vehicle collisions from the California Highway Patrol has a ton of information about what’s happening on California roads and highways, with extensive datasets... Read More

ACE extension to Merced a poor choice for gas tax funding

By Andy Gillin Apr 18, 2017

The Merced extension will serve very few riders and makes little sense in the context of California’s high speed rail priorities... Read More

Why police should pay more attention to bicycle safety

By Andy Gillin Apr 11, 2017

On Feb 23, a 9-year-old girl riding a bicycle in San Jose was injured in an auto collision. A few weeks later, the same thing happened to an 11-year-old... Read More

AC Transit board calls Telegraph Avenue road diet a “disaster” and “absolute disgrace”

By Andy Gillin Apr 6, 2017

The project has decreased collisions for all modes by 40 percent, increased yield rates, and reduced speeding. However, not everyone is happy... Read More

The Most Dangerous Intersections for Bay Area Cyclists

By Andy Gillin Apr 5, 2017

View the most dangerous Intersections for Bay Area Cyclists with this interactive map provided by GJEL Accident Attorneys. Read More

Key collision factors in San Jose are getting worse

By Andy Gillin Mar 28, 2017

Last week, we looked at the number of motor vehicle injuries occurring in the San Jose area and concluded that traffic safety around GJEL’s San Jose office is getting... Read More

San Jose-area roadside danger is rising

By Andy Gillin Mar 23, 2017

Numbers don’t lie. But unless you have experience analyzing data, it can sometimes seem difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the stories they tell. Read More

Casual carpool continues to thrive despite lack of resources

By Andy Gillin Mar 21, 2017

While the Bay Area is known for its ride-hailing transportation startups, a low-tech casual carpool system has continued to thrive into its fourth decade. Read More

Avoid these San Jose intersections on St. Patrick’s Day

By Andy Gillin Mar 13, 2017

Whether driving or riding in a passenger seat, there’s no way to guarantee your safety in a car, on any day of the year. But you can educate yourself... Read More

Introducing San Jose by the Numbers, a GJEL traffic safety series

By Andy Gillin Mar 7, 2017

Through nearly 40 years of representing accident victims and families, GJEL has shown that many injuries suffered on the roads are preventable. Our efforts to improve traffic safety extend... Read More

Half a century later, Redwood City intersection to get crosswalks

By Andy Gillin Feb 27, 2017

Half a century ago, Caltrans plowed through Redwood City to build Woodside Road... Woodside Road was built according to the era’s abysmal design highway standards, creating a barrier between... Read More

Despite its flaws, Telegraph Avenue redesign is working

By Andy Gillin Feb 13, 2017

The City of Oakland released a progress report for the Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Project to assess the project’s performance over its first six months. Read More

BART to Silicon Valley to cost $644,000 per new passenger

By Andy Gillin Feb 1, 2017

Buried in the EIR/EIS is an astonishing revelation of how cost-ineffective the BART extension will be in attracting new transit riders. Read More

Will Bluegogo compete for the Bay Area’s bike share market?

By Andy Gillin Jan 20, 2017

As Bay Area Bike Share inches toward a tenfold expansion by 2018, a new Chinese bike share company, Bluegogo, may try to beat it to the streets. Read More

Protected intersections arrive in the Bay Area

By Andy Gillin Jan 11, 2017

These innovative Dutch-inspired designs (amongst the first dozen built in the U.S.) seek to maintain physical separation between drivers and bicyclists through an intersection. Read More

BART surprises commuters with sudden holiday service cuts

By Andy Gillin Dec 29, 2016

Commuters working between Christmas and New Years were surprised to encounter sudden cuts in BART service this week. Read More

High fares, TNCs, and cheap parking undercut Oakland Airport Connector ridership

By Andy Gillin Dec 27, 2016

The controversial Oakland Airport Connector (OAC) is losing money and struggling to meet ridership projections... Read More

Oakland’s inequitable and ineffective free holiday parking persists

By Andy Gillin Dec 19, 2016

Parking can be a sensitive issue in most cities, and Oakland is no different... Read More

Will Bay Area Bike Share underperform expectations in the East Bay?

By Andy Gillin Dec 9, 2016

After several years of anticipation, the expansion of Bay Area Bike Share (recently rebranded as Ford GoBike) from 700 to 7,000 bikes will finally commence Spring 2017... Read More

Two potential “peanutabout” locations in Oakland

By Andy Gillin Dec 5, 2016

Oakland has several skewed intersections that could be candidates for peanutabout designs. In particular, two intersections exhibit potential for such a design... Read More

Oakland moves parking kiosk into brand new bike lane

By Andy Gillin Oct 3, 2016

Recently, the City made a perplexing change to the design that relocated the parking attendant kiosk into the middle of the bike lane... Read More

The complicated story behind widening Highway 1 in Santa Cruz

By Andy Gillin Sep 13, 2016

Santa Cruz County is in the midst of a debate over how to relieve gridlock along Highway 1. Traffic congestion has continued to worsen in recent years along the... Read More

“Bay Bridge Forward” to add much-needed capacity to Transbay commute

By Andy Gillin Aug 17, 2016

Facing crush-load BART trains, packed buses and ferries, and congested freeways, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission recently approved $40 million in near-term capacity relief. The “Bay Bridge Forward” program seeks... Read More

Photos from the 2016 Summer Intro to Careers in Law Program

By Andy Gillin Aug 15, 2016

This summer marked the fourth year our firm has hosted local high school students for a one week program offering an introduction to careers in law. Once again, a... Read More

Uptown’s transformation continues with $6.3 million TIGER grant for 19th street BART station

By Andy Gillin Aug 2, 2016

Transportation funding keeps flowing into Oakland – last week, the Go Uptown project received $6.3 million via an extremely competitive federal TIGER grant. A joint effort between BART and... Read More

Untangling 27th Street in Oakland

By Andy Gillin Jul 27, 2016

As Oakland remakes key Downtown corridors such as Telegraph, Harrison, and 20th, big changes are also in store for 27th Street. Oakland recently submitted a grant application to the... Read More

Why is BART in the long-term airport parking business?

By Andy Gillin Jul 20, 2016

As BART’s ridership has surged over the past five years, the system has developed a shortage of station parking. On a typical weekday, many of BART’s lots fill up... Read More

7 years after cuts, restoration of off-peak BART service remains distant

By Andy Gillin Jul 15, 2016

Seven years ago in the midst of the Great Recession, BART significantly cut evening and Sunday service in an effort to balance its budget. Prior to cutting service, BART... Read More

Should self-driving vehicles be required to get a license?

By Andy Gillin Jul 8, 2016

Following the first fatal accident involving a self-driving vehicle, the debate has been renewed over whether autonomous cars are ready to share the road with traditional vehicles. The accident,... Read More

Even Oakland parking enforcement officers are parking in Telegraph’s protected bike lanes

By Andy Gillin Jun 22, 2016

Oakland’s parking enforcement officers have been criticized recently for their lack of enforcement of illegal and unsafe parking behavior along Telegraph’s new protected bike lanes. Yesterday, parking enforcement was... Read More

How to fix Telegraph Avenue’s protected bike lanes

By Andy Gillin Jun 13, 2016

A month after unveiling a road diet on Telegraph Avenue featuring Oakland’s first protected bike lanes, Telegraph remains a mess. Obstructions of the bike lanes are seemingly never-ending as... Read More

Should self-driving cars still have steering wheels and brake pedals?

By Andy Gillin Jun 8, 2016

Earlier this week, GM CEO Mary Barra said she believes self-driving vehicles should continue to include steering wheels, brake pedals and accelerators as the technology develops. The state of... Read More