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For over two decades, Richard M.
Katz has represented  victims of other's
negligence who have been injured. Through experience and education, this firm is able to
assist you in evaluating medical injuries and often provide
referrals to health care providers that can help you get better or
evaluate your injuries.
For nearly twenty five years my
office has pursued personal injury claims on behalf
of victims. We have represented individuals in
virtually all types of Personal
Injury matters, including Automobile
/ Motorcycle Accidents, Wrongful Death, Medical
Malpractice, Cemetery and Funeral
Home Negligence, Unsafe / Defective Products, Slip / Trip and
Fall, Dog
Attacks / Bites, Bad Faith Insurance Claims Handling and Wrongful
Termination.
Personal
Injury
Personal
injury law is also known as tort law. The word is derived
from the Latin word tortus, which means wrong.
A tort is defined as a civil wrong or wrongful
act. The wrongful act can either be negligent or
intentional and causes harm. Generally speaking there are
three broad areas of tort. They are negligent, intentional and
strict liability.
The most common types of cases which are the grounds
for a civil lawsuit are Automobile / Motorcycle Accidents, Wrongful Death,
Medical
Malpractice, Cemetery
and Funeral Home Negligence,
Unsafe / Defective Products, Slip / Trip and Fall, Dog Attacks / Bites, Bad Faith Insurance Claims
Handling and Wrongful Termination.
It is also imperative that you file your claim within the time
allotted by the State of California. The California statute of
limitations for personal injury claims vary depending on the nature
of the claim. There are governmental claims statutes that are
as short as 6 months. There are other statute of
limitations which are only 1 year. Effective January
1, 2003 the statute of limitations on some negligence tort claims
has been raised to 2 years. Do not guess!!! Failure
to take timely action could cause you to loose your legal rights!!!
Disclaimer
We strongly recommend that you call for
an Immediate Consultation Call
(626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.
If you want our Free Special Report Call 1(800)
745-1601 for a Free 24 hour Recorded Message or E-Mail NOW! !
Automobile / Motorcycle Accidents
Car and motorcycle accidents occur on a large
scale every day. The impact a car accident can have on someone can
be tremendous. Even simple "fender bender" accidents an
individual hurt can suffer back and neck injuries that have a
lasting adverse effect. Delay in seeking legal and medical attention
can seriously affect your claim. Remember injuries
sustained from a vehicle accident can later end up causing
significant medical problems.
We understand the complexities that vehicular accidents
entail, including legal, medical and insurance matters.
Determining who is at fault for a vehicular accident can be
difficult.
We have the experience, background and resources
to quickly and effectively determine who the
responsible parties are. Even if YOU are involved in a
vehicular accident and believe you maybe partially at
fault you may still be able to collect damages.
Do not guess! Failure to take action could cause you to loose
your legal rights, we strongly recommend that you contact
us for an Immediate
Consultation Call (626) 796-6333
or E-Mail us.
If you want our Free Special Report Call 1(800) 745-1601 for
a Free 24 hour Recorded Message or E-Mail NOW! !
Wrongful
Death
A wrongful death is a devastating event and families of the
wrongful death victim often feel pursuing legal action will only
increase their feelings of distress. Some families do not
immediately realize the impact a wrongful death can have on their
lives. Contacting an attorney who has experience in
these types of cases is smart. We have experience in
all types of wrongful death claims. We understand your
loss. We will handle your matter in a sensitive
and tactful manner.
In a wrongful death claim one may recover the expenses
associated to the wrongful death itself, in addition to any loss of
salary - past and future and benefits - past and future, loss
of companionship. Other factors often affect the monetary
compensation one may be entitled to receive. Remember all
wrongful death claims are different. We will assist the
family in properly determining what compensation each
family member can seek.
We have the experience and knowledge necessary to
successfully handle the wrongful death claim. We know that
no amount of money can replace a loved one. But financial
compensation can prevent future financial suffering to the
survivors and provide a feeling of vindication.
We know such a loss can be overwhelming but failure to take
action could cause you to loose your legal rights, we strongly
recommend that you contact us for an Immediate Consultation Call (626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.
Medical Malpractice
Health care providers, including doctors,
nurses, technicians and medical facilities usually provide a
caring service with a high standard of excellence for their patients
however there are occasions when things go terribly wrong.
If you or loved one has been injured or if you have
lost a loved one because of a medical error you may be
entitled to financial compensation.
Nearly 100,000 wrongful deaths and countless
other serious injuries occur every year in the United
States because of medical negligence. Studies show that more than
90% of all medical errors go unaddressed.
We must prove that the health care provider fell below the
minimum standard of skill or care which their profession regards as
acceptable. This can only be established with a medical
expert. Once negligence has been shown, it is necessary to show
injury and damage has been caused to the victim because of
medical negligence.
Medical malpractice claims are subject to unique
statute of limitations. An action for injury or death
generally must be brought within one year from the date the claimant
discovered the negligent act, but generally no more than three years
from the date of injury. For retained foreign body cases, the
statute is tolled until the party discovers or should have
discovered the injury.
Actions on behalf of minors must be brought within three years
from the date of the negligent act, unless the child is under the
age of six, in which case the action must be commenced within three
years or prior to the child's eighth birthday, whichever provides
the longer time period. Please read Disclaimer.
If you or a loved one are the victim of a medical
error then we strongly recommend that you contact
us for an Immediate
Consultation Call (626) 796-6333
or E-Mail us.
If you want our Free Special Report Call 1(800) 745-1601 for
a Free 24 hour Recorded Message or E-Mail NOW! !
Cemetery and Funeral
Home Negligence
When
death takes a loved one it is always a sad and trying
experience often it can take months or years to overcome your grief
and feelings of loss.
Often
overwhelming feelings can be exacerbated and made far more
serious when the funeral home or cemetery mishandles
the remains of a loved one.
Funeral home or cemetery malpractice can result in the
improper handling of your loved ones remains, lost or
thrown out remains, inappropriate cremation of remains. These
are just a few of the areas in which a cemetery or funeral home can
have been negligent. Often survivors feel that they have let
down their loved one. Remember you did what you were supposed to do.
California law recognizes your rights to have
your loved ones remains treated with
dignity and respect If a loved one's remains have been
improperly cared for we strongly recommend that you contact
us for an Immediate
Consultation Call (626) 796-6333
or E-Mail us.
Unsafe / Defective Products
 Unsafe
Products deal with the area of the law referred to as product
liability.
The designer,
manufacturer, distributor, seller, and installer of products that
are defective can be liable under the theories of strict liability
in tort, breach of implied warranty of fitness and for negligence.
Many of these issues are unique to this area of the
law.
Every year thousands of
people are injured by a defective or unsafe product. Be
it a fall from ladder, a power tool or machine
malfunctioning, a tire or wheel failure, an adverse reaction to a
product or child hurt by a toy; these
products and many other products cause injury or
death every year. Often because of manufacturing or
instructional problems injuries can occur.
Although a manufacture and / or a
distributor must issue a recall or take other corrective
actions if they become aware that one of their products is
unsafe. Many times by the time a product is recalled many
consumers have been injured by the product.
Products can be dangerous for many
reasons. A product can be dangerous because it is poorly
designed or one of the component parts is defective.
Also instruction labels or owners manuals could be poorly
written and unclear. A label may have inadequate warnings. Defective
products cause severe and often fatal
injuries.
We believe that those
responsible should be held accountable. We strongly
recommend that you contact us for an Immediate
Consultation Call (626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.
Slip / Trip
and Fall
People fall
for many reasons and so each slip and fall or trip and fall
incident is unique. However, slick surfaces, tripping hazards
and poor lighting are a few common hazards.
Slip, trip
and fall include incidents of all types, including slips on food and
foreign substances in restaurants and supermarkets, trips over badly
aligned sidewalk edges and other dangerous surfaces, and falls down
stairs that are in poor condition, inadequately lighted and not
built to code.
Each case is
unique. We work with the unique aspects of your case
to resolve the case favorably. With our years of
experience we have experts that we will contact to assist us in the
preparation of your case, if we feel it is
necessary. Please contact us for
a Consultation at (626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.
Dog Attacks
/ Bites
In 1994, an estimated 4.7 million persons in the
United States were bitten by dogs. Of these, roughly 800,000 persons
sought medical care for the bite. Over half (420,000) of those
getting medical care were children.
Ten to twenty people die every year as a result
of dog bites in the U.S. By far, the majority of the victims are
children. From January 1997 through December 1998, 27 people died
after being bitten by a dog. Nineteen of those victims were children
under twelve years of age. Of the eight adult victims, most were
elderly.
Many dogs do not exhibit aggressive tendencies
before an attack. Recovery from a Dog Bite consists of finding who
is responsible for the dog and finding available insurance
coverage, which is often provided by a homeowners or property
owner insurance policy.
There are special laws regulating dog owners
California has laws which may make a dog owner subject to strict
liability for any dog bite attack. The dog
owner is responsible for a dog bite. Whether the dog previously
attacked, whether the owner knew of such viciousness, or whether the
owner was negligent in controlling the dog are generally not
issues.
Please contact us for a Consultation at (626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.
Bad Faith Insurance
Claims Handling 
Bad faith insurance claims exist when
an insurer has failed to pay an insureds claim for no valid
reason. Other bad faith insurance claims result because the insurers
have taken a position that goes against the insurance coverage
policy.
In issues of bad faith insurance
claims, California law recognizes the right of an
insured to enforce his contractual rights. When an insurer has
improperly breached its contract with an insured they may
be acting in bad faith. The concept behind bad faith insurance
is that it requires both the insurer and the insured to act in
"good faith" and a "reasonable" manner.
Laws regarding bad faith claims against
insurance companies are often changing. Under California
law policy holders have rights when an insurance
company is not treating your properly they may be acting in bad
faith. Let us evaluate your bad faith case.
Please contact
us for a Consultation at (626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.
Wrongful Termination 
There is almost nothing worse than getting fired from a job.
Most employees are "at-will" employees. In fact California
is an "at-will" state. An at will employee generally can
be fired for no reason at all. Nevertheless, even at-will
employees have some legal protections. Please read Disclaimer
A firing might be "wrongful" for several reasons. Following are a
few examples of "wrongful termination";
Discrimination - An employer cannot
legally terminate you solely on the basis of gender, race, age,
creed, disability and a variety of other discriminatory reasons.
There are both state and federal laws that cover and prohibit this
type of discrimination.
Retaliation - An employer cannot
rightfully fire you for reporting their illegal actions to the
proper authorities (such individuals are commonly referred to as
"whistle blower"). An employer cannot terminate you in retaliation
for something you legally did or they illegally did, or because you
refused to do something that was contrary to public policy or
breaking the law.
Breach of Contract - An employer
cannot terminate you without good cause, if you work on contract and
are satisfying the terms of the agreement. (Union workers, athletes,
actors, upper management, independent contractors and such, usually
work on contract.) However, many contracts now contain a clause that
states that either party may end the employment relationship without
cause. Therefore the terms and conditions of the employment contract
must be reviewed carefully and by someone qualified to understand
the terms and conditions of the employment contract.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace -
Sexual harassment in the workplace is one of the most complicated
areas of employment law. Sexual harassment in the workplace often
goes hand-in-hand with other illegal acts, like gender
discrimination. There are two types of sexual harassment in the
workplace, "quid-pro-quo" and "hostile environment"
Hostile environment sexual harassment in the workplace is a
situation in which the employer, supervisor, or co-worker does or
says things that make the victim feel uncomfortable because of his
or her sex. Hostile environment sexual harassment in the workplace
does not need to include a demand for an exchange of sex for a job
benefit. It is the creation of an "uncomfortable environment".
Quid-Pro-Quo Harassment" is Latin for "this for that." It is a
trade. When the trade is on the basis of sex, it is illegal. This is
the the employer makes sex a prerequisite to getting something
in the workplace. For example: " sleep with me and you'll get the
job." That's illegal. Quid-Pro-Quo can also include negatives. For
example, "sleep with me or you're fired" is also illegal.
If you think you were wrongfully fired, please
contact us for a Consultation at (626) 796-6333 or E-Mail us.. | 
