I have been driving through timed-lights streets in San Francisco (such as Bush, Pine, and now Geary street) for years hoping that one day the city will make those streets safer by placing stop lights not only on the sides of the streets but also above the lanes, like it is customarily done pretty much anywhere outside the City and County of San Francisco. 

I was really pleased to witness my little "dream" come true as more and more streets, including Geary and Bush get these over-the-head lights. Now, the drivers don't need to struggle or actively look for the light at the intersection when they drive but it is actually right in front of them. 
Hopefully, sooner than later all the major streets will have these larger stoplights above the roads, making the streets of San Francisco both easier and safer to drive.

 
 

I remember riding my GS650 down Fulton Street in the Western Addition of San Francisco one rainy evening a few years ago. I was going about 30 miles per hour when a car driver pulled out from the intersection without stopping to check for upcoming traffic and turned right into the lane I was traveling in. I tried my best to break and prevent the accident, my motorcycle skidded on a slippery road, while my body was thrown in the opposite direction. Neither I nor my motorcycle ever made contact with the driver at fault. 

When I contacted the other guy's insurance company, they tried to argue that because my vehicle never made contact with his vehicle, there was no accident and thus they should not accept liability for my injuries and damages. I had to admit that technically they were right. An accident is by definition is a collision between two vehicles or a vehicle and a body. However, I also believed that it was fundamentally unfair that a person who tries to avoid an imminent collision should be punished by not being able to recover compensation for his damages, while someone who doesn't care that much to avoid a collision would be compensated. I argued that even though there was no contact between the vehicles, I should still be compensated because ultimately I fell off the motorcycle due to the fault of that other guy. 

Eventually, the insurance company accepted my arguments and agreed with me, settling all my claims shortly after I finished my medical treatment.

 
 

I take 80 East and 101 South from San Francisco quite often. On some days I take 80 first, then come back to the city and rive to San Mateo or Santa Clara county in the afternoon. Every time I do this, I can't help but be amazed at the difference in the driving "culture" between the two destinations. For obvious reasons, 101 South carries more "high end" cars and drivers, many of whom are in executives positions at many of the software companies in the Silicon Valley area. Many of those drivers are in a rush, especially during the morning commute hours. Many of them are very aggressive drivers who must believe that they deserve to be ahead of everyone, which is less typical of the "middle class" drivers, that travel through Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano and other neighboring counties. I am sure that if I counted how many times I see drivers switch lanes in front me on 101, that number will far exceed the same number on I-80.  That, along with the fact that 101 South is more narrow in may areas and much more curvy than I-80 increases the likelihood of a serious injury accident in the San Mateo / Santa Clara counties.

This is exactly why it is especially important to adopt the defensive driver attitude on 101 and refrain from trying to be ahead of others or switch lanes too often to just be ahead of one car that's "in your way." It's hard to avoid the stress and pressure of having to be at work on time, especially if you have a business meeting or you are supposed to be closing sale. There is probably only one way to avoid that impulse of rushing in the morning - leaving early - earlier than you are supposed to and knowing, as you drive, that no matter what, you are going to be on time. 

If you have been recently involved in an accident in San Francisco, East Bay or South Bay/Silicon Valley due to your fault or the fault of the other driver/drivers, and would you to have your legal concerns addressed promptly and competently, contact San Francisco injury lawyer Arkady Itkin.

 
 

As any attorney becomes more successful in his practice, he or she becomes inevitably more picky  - and not only about the cases and the legal issues they are willing to work on, but also about the people that they are willing to represent. The practice of law and especially litigation is naturally stressful enough, especially in large cities such as San Francisco, where attorneys have a higher overhead and have less time and patience to deal with "problem" clients.

The more experienced attorneys have a better sense of who they are dealing, and what kind of client a person will be during the initial consultation  - whether by phone or in person. These more seasoned lawyers are familiar with the obvious and not so obvious "red flags" in potential clients. 

Thus, any person who has a serious legal issue which requires legal representation should make sure that he comes across as a "quality" client - the client that best and hence - the pickiest lawyers want to represent. Here are a few suggestions on how you can come across as a person that every lawyer wants to represent: 

(a) You are not excessively verbose - no matter how unique and emotional you think your case or legal issue is, be assured that the lawyer who you are speaking with has heard your kind of story more than once, and has likely handled a similar case not so long ago. Remember - the lawyer is a human being with his own feelings and emotions, but he is not your therapist. He is busy, his mind is racing through various legal theories of how he can help you, and he is probably thinking about his next meeting, so burdening the lawyer with the "background" information will not make your case stronger or the lawyer's representation better. Ironically, the less emotional pain you show in your case, the more respect, sympathy and compassion you will receive from your attorney. 

(b) You have unreasonable expectations - every now and then a potential client will call me and will tell me that he has a million dollar case. When I ask how they know that, they would tell me that their friends told them that or their neighbor had a similar case. When I hear this, I have to consciously prevent myself from saying: "Well, why don't you have your neighbor / friend handle this case for you?" Every experienced lawyer knows that a client who has unreasonable expectations will never be satisfied with the legal services he receives. Few things are more frustrating to a hard working attorney than hearing "Is that all I get?" after doing his best to fight/negotiate a settlement in an injury, employment, business or other case. So, let the attorney determine the value of your case instead of relying on the questionable opinions of people whose exposure to legal system is very limited. 

(c) You say that your case is not about money but about justice - let's be completely honest and face the truth - every civil dispute  - whether it's a personal injury claim, discrimination or harassment case or business claim  - is about money because money is the only remedy that you can receive. Engaging in litigation is first and foremost a business decision for both - the lawyer and the client, and therefore it should be treated as such. You must remember and be ready to hear from a lawyer that in light of all the facts and circumstances of your claim, it is not worth the time and the expense that it would take to take it to court and litigate. I believe that one of my most important jobs is not only fighting for the rights of employees injured persons but also advising people with full honesty whether in my opinion the fight is worth going after. It is important to remember that the inherent stress of litigation must have significant potential rewards to be worthwhile.