San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

In the last few years, scientists have become more aware of the consequences of traumatic brain injury. Studies have linked multiple concussion injuries in sports such as football and hockey to a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE causes memory loss and is believed to also increase risks of depression and suicide.

Now, a new study has revealed that military members who have suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) during their lifetimes have an increased risk of suicide, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. In fact, nearly 22 percent of all military members who have suffered multiple TBIs have had suicidal thoughts compared with six percent who have had only one TBI.

The National Football League isn't the only professional sports league facing brain injury lawsuits. Recently, the family of former National Hockey League enforcer Derek Boogaard brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the NHL claiming that the League is responsible for brain damage that may have caused the enforcer's death.

Boogaard died from an accidental prescription drug and alcohol overdose. His family believes his prescription drug addiction was caused in part by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a serious brain disease that can lead to memory loss and depression. CTE is a disease found among athletes who have suffered multiple head injuries.

Last Thursday, a yacht capsized during practice for the America's Cup, causing 12 crewmembers to fall overboard. One crewmember, British champion Andrew Simpson, drowned and another was injured.

The accident occurred in the San Francisco Bay and is certainly not the first of its kind. In just the last year, there have been at least three other fatal yacht accidents along California's coast:

• March 2013: A sailboat accident near San Clemente Island killed one crewmember.
• April 2012: A yacht accident in Southern California killed four crewmembers.
• April 2012: A sailing accident close to Farallon Islands killed five crewmembers.

BMW recently joined Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda in recalling cars with defective airbags from Takata Corp.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there is a manufacturing defect in Takata's front passenger airbags that can prevent it from inflating correctly on impact. Furthermore, the inflation defect could cause metal fragments to fly out at the passengers and could even start a fire in the passenger compartment.

Last May, a tragic event sparked a year of focus on football brain injuries and multiple lawsuits against football entities, including the National Football League.

Former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau took his own life on May 2, 2012 after suffering from serious depression. Following his death, medical professionals discovered that he likely suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder that causes depression and memory loss. Like other former football players, Seau's CTE can be linked to his career and the multiple head injuries he suffered as a linebacker.

Last week, a distribution lineman was killed and three others were injured at an industrial facility in Menifee, California. According to county officials, the man was electrocuted while working with underground equipment. His three colleagues suffered smoke inhalation injuries.

Can the injured individuals and the family of the deceased worker recover compensation for their injuries?

If you were injured by a defective product in California, there are multiple routes you can take to hold the manufacturer accountable. Do you want to bring an individual lawsuit against the manufacturer that caused your injury or do you have a potential class action case? What is the difference? What is multidistrict litigation? These are all questions that an experienced product liability lawyer can help you answer.

Individual Product Liability Lawsuit: An individual lawsuit allows you to maintain control over the case, but it can also be less effective than other forms of product liability litigation. Individual litigation is a necessary choice when your injury is unique. For example, if a defective tire caused your injury but there are no other serious complaints involving that tire, you may need to bring an individual product liability lawsuit. Individual lawsuits can also be a good choice when the harm caused by the manufacturer is significant.

Are police officers and detectives treated differently when their reckless and/or drunk driving causes a car accident? This is what many people are asking after learning that a San Diego police detective will not go to jail after he admitted to driving drunk. Instead, he will perform community service and be placed on probation for five years.

The judge wrote that he did not sentence the police detective to time in jail because he would lose his job from the police force. Yet, if a truck driver drinks and drives, he can lose his job. Why should a police officer, who also frequently drives in his profession, face different consequences?