By: MICHAEL CEFALI | October 16, 2026 | Legal Guides
Tell your own insurer about the crash right away, because your policy requires prompt notice, but hold off on giving the other driver's insurer a recorded statement or signing anything until you know how badly you are hurt. If only your car was damaged, a do-it-yourself claim usually works fine. If you were hurt, [...]
Premises liability cases can be hard to win, but not because the law favors property owners. They are hard because you usually have to show the owner was aware of the danger, or would have been with reasonable checks, before you got hurt, and that evidence tends to disappear fast. Cases with photos, witnesses, video, [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | October 14, 2026 | Car Accident
You can have a concussion after a car accident even if you never hit your head and never blacked out. The most common signs are a headache that will not go away, nausea, dizziness, feeling foggy or slowed down, and trouble remembering the crash or what happened right after it. Some symptoms show up hours [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | September 23, 2026 | Uncategorized
California follows a pure comparative fault rule. If you are injured in an accident, you can recover compensation even if you were partly at fault, and even if you were mostly at fault. Your award is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. If your damages are $100,000 and you are found 30 percent responsible, [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | September 22, 2026 | Uncategorized
If you were hurt in an accident that was not your fault, you have the right to recover damages. In California, those damages fall into two main categories: economic damages, which cover your measurable financial losses, and non-economic damages, which cover the human cost of an injury like pain and suffering. [...]
California has some of the strictest distracted-driving laws in the country, and they do more than generate tickets: when a distracted driver causes a crash, breaking these laws helps prove they were at fault. This guide explains the three Vehicle Code sections that govern phone use behind the wheel, what actually [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | September 18, 2026 | Uncategorized
A car accident does not only injure the body. The fear, shock, and stress of a crash can leave lasting emotional and psychological effects, even when the physical injuries heal quickly. If you feel anxious, on edge, or unlike yourself after a crash, that reaction is common and it is real. This guide explains the [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | September 17, 2026 | Legal Guides
Yes, in California you can sometimes recover more than the at-fault party's insurance policy limits, but how you get there depends on the facts. The policy limit caps what that insurer pays, not what you are owed, and there are several routes to recover beyond it: the at-fault person's own assets, your own [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | September 16, 2026 | Legal Guides
When someone you care about is hurt in an accident, it is hard to know what to say. The right words can bring real comfort, and a few well-meaning phrases can accidentally add pressure or even affect a future insurance claim. This guide covers what to say to comfort an injured person, what to avoid, [...]
By: MICHAEL CEFALI | September 15, 2026 | Car Accident
The steps you take in the minutes and days after a car accident in California protect both your health and your right to compensation. California law requires certain things at the scene, and a few careful choices can make or break an insurance claim later. This guide walks through exactly what to do, in order, [...]