Personal Injury
What’s Up in the Law of Bicycling
By Chuck Geerhart You’re riding along, feeling great, and all of a sudden a car pulls out from a parking place in front of you and knocks you over. You’re hurt. Badly. What do you do? First of all, take care of yourself. Summon an ambulance and go to the ER or urgent care. Also,…
Read MoreHow to Succeed at an MSC in San Francisco Superior Court
How to Succeed at an MSC in San Francisco Superior Court SFTLA CLE Presentation April 25, 2017 By Arnie Levinson and Chuck Geerhart The Mandatory Settlement Conference is your next to last chance at a formal settlement negotiation (you might get ordered to a day of trial settlement conference.) The Court usually schedules the MSC to…
Read MoreLiability for Accidents Caused by Uber or Lyft Drivers
Liability for Accidents Caused by Uber or Lyft Drivers By Chuck Geerhart In 2017, I am representing more and more people who have been struck and injured by drivers working for Lyft or Uber. Many of my clients are pedestrians. Both Uber and Lyft carry $1 million in insurance covering their drivers when they are…
Read MoreTom Paoli and Chuck Geerhart Honored Again as Outstanding Volunteers for Pro Bono Legal Service
Tom Paoli and Chuck Geerhart Honored Again as Outstanding Volunteers for Pro Bono Legal Service On March 21, 2017, the Justice and Diversity Center (JDC) of the Bar Association of San Francisco again honored Tom Paoli and Chuck Geerhart as outstanding volunteers in public service. The award is given annually to the top 5% of…
Read MoreShould your lawyer be your friend
By Chuck Geerhart I represent people severely injured in accidents. My core mission is to get them as much money as possible to help compensate for their loss. But along the way, I develop relationships with my clients. Sometimes the relationship remains very businesslike– “get my case settled for fair value as fast as possible.”…
Read MoreThe Oakland Ghost Ship Fire: Who Will be Responsible
By Chuck Geerhart The Oakland “Ghost Ship” warehouse fire was a tragedy. Thirty six people died. There were also serious burn and smoke inhalation injuries. There were undeniably many fire and health and safety code violations in this building. The master tenant appears to be a ne’er do well with limited assets. To whom can…
Read MoreSafety First! Premises Liability and the Oakland “Ghost Ship” Fire
I’ve got to do something! My older daughter is a member of the community that suffered this devastating loss of life. I’ve been to “house shows” in West Oakland where her band played in performance spaces carved out of commercial buildings. And people lived there too. The last three trials I’ve done have been premises…
Read MoreAcceptance of SFTLA 2016 Civil Justice Award
Many thanks to the SFTLA Board for this award! I am thrilled and honored. I have to acknowledge the support and inspiration I have received from SFTLA over the years. I am happy to have with me tonight friends, colleagues, my wife Margaret Coyne and my daughter Alanna, and my brother Bill and sister Valerie…
Read MoreNuts and Bolts of Liens in a Basic Personal Injury case
By Chuck Geerhart 1) When is it a lien? A lien is a security interest in property. “Lien” is defined as “[a] legal right or interest that a creditor has in another’s property, lasting usu. until a debt or duty that it secures is satisfied.”* (Black’s Law Dict. (9th ed. 2009) p. 1006, col. 1.)…
Read MoreDon’t Let Litigation Costs Overwhelm Your Personal Injury Lawsuit
By Chuck Geerhart Although something like 97% of all personal injury lawsuits eventually settle short of jury trial, they can nonetheless be very expensive because of the costs of litigation. Most reputable injury lawyers advance costs for the client, but these advanced costs must be re-paid to the lawyer when (and if) the case settles…
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