Appel Law Firm LLP

10/26/2021

We are proud to announce that Appel Law Firm LLP has been selected as a 2021 Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite! Thank you to all our clients and neighbors who voted and recommended our law firm. We look forward to continuing to serve our neighbors with their personal injury and workers' compensation legal needs.

06/18/2021

After 8 years, Snapchat has removed their 'speed filter' amid safety concerns over reckless driving:

The messaging app popular with teens is dropping a feature first launched in 2013. After several deadly car crashes involving the filter, Snap was the target of numerous lawsuits.

05/25/2021

We outlined the stages of a typical personal injury claim. Learning this general case timeline can help you know what to expect if you are hurt in a car accident, slip and fall, dog bite, bus crash, or any other type of accident:

Each year, millions of Americans are hurt in accidents. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accidents account for 39.5 m

09/16/2020

After gathering and reviewing PH Police crash data, we've identified several predominant safety issues that local drivers experience when navigating the Gregory Lane and Elinora Drive intersection in Pleasant Hill. Read our blog to learn more about the safety issues and the new construction being implemented by the city of Pleasant Hill to correct these issues:

The city of Pleasant Hill is installing a traffic light and other improvements at the intersection of Gregory and Elinora. Contact a Walnut Creek personal injury attorney.

08/28/2020

This past month we celebrated our 25th anniversary of offering personal injury and workers compensation related legal services in the SF bay area! This remarkable milestone would not have been possible without the trust, support, and loyalty of our clients, friends, and colleagues. Thank you! Click to read our entire announcement on our blog:

This month, Appel Law Firm LLP celebrates its 25th anniversary. This remarkable milestone would not have been possible without the trust, support, and loyalty o

05/26/2020

The CA governor recently announced that workers who contract COVID-19 while on the job may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation. Learn more about the new time-limited rebuttable presumption for accessing CA workers’ comp benefits on our blog:

Executive Order N-62-20 makes it easier for workers to obtain benefits if they are diagnosed with COVID-19. Contact Walnut Creek workers’ compensation attorney.

05/24/2020

The Appel Law Firm LLP is currently open and working remotely to provide the highest quality representation our new and current personal injury and workers compensation clients. Please do not hesitate to call us with your legal needs.

05/07/2020

Today Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order allowing employees across CA to apply for worker’s compensation benefits if they contract the coronavirus, with a presumption that it was work-related unless employers can prove otherwise.

The presumption applies for the next 60 days and is retroactive to March 19, 2020 when Gov. Newsom first issued stay at home orders, except for essential workers. Read the full executive order here:

01/20/2020

The issues presented in Uber’s safety report are critical, not just for those who use the app for ride sharing, but for anyone driving on the road. Click below to read our assessment of the report and learn more about these new statistics:

If you have been hurt in an Uber accident, contact a Walnut Creek car accident attorney today to schedule a free initial consultation.

10/31/2019

Almost time to trick or treat! Read our safety tips below to help your kids have great memories and stay safe on Halloween night:

- Avoid trick or treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult

- Plan a trick or treating route in familiar neighborhoods with well-lit streets.

- Hold a flashlight while trick or treating to help you see and others see you. Please WALK and don’t run from house to house.

- Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

- Be careful when you cross a street. Make sure to look in both directions and make sure that there are no cars coming. If you have a little brother or sister with you, take their hand and help them get across the street, too. If the street has a stop light, wait until the crosswalk light tells you that it is okay to cross now, but still check before you cross, look both ways.

- Choose bright costumes, and have children carry flashlights or glow sticks so they are easily visible. (Hint – Try adding reflective tape to costumes and candy bags!)

- Never, ever go into a stranger's house or even ring their door for treats unless your parents are with you and say that it’s okay.

-Always walk younger children to the door to receive treats.

-Be sure children do not approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless you are with them.

- Never accept rides from strangers.

- Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them.

- Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

- Make sure children know your cell phone number, their home telephone number, and address in case you are separated.
Consider giving them a cellphone so they can reach you easily.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

10/22/2019

This week is National Teen Driver Safety Week, which means it’s a great time for California teenagers and parents to talk to one another about how teenagers can travel safely on the roads, streets and highways.

We would like to remind all young motorists to focus on the road to help increase safety for everyone. We encourage parents to talk to their teenagers about the importance of good safety habits when operating a vehicle. Self-reported surveys show teens whose parents set firm rules for driving typically engage in less risky driving behaviors and are involved in fewer crashes.

The greatest dangers for teen drivers are alcohol consumption, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted driving, speeding, and driving with passengers in the vehicle.

The California OTS offers tips to parents and caregivers on how to talk to teens about the consequences of making dangerous and illegal choices behind the wheel.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old in the United States. In 2017, there were 2,247 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver (15 to 18 years old) and an estimated 93,000 teen drivers injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Parents can help protect their teen drivers by talking with them about these risks.To help reduce the risks for teen drivers follow these basic rules:

(1) Impaired Driving: All teens are too young to legally buy, possess, or consume alcohol. However, nationally in 2017, 15 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in their system.

(2) Seat Belt Safety: Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways for teens to stay safe in a vehicle. Yet too many teens aren’t buckling up. In fact, there were 539 passengers killed in passenger vehicles driven by teen drivers, and more than half (60 percent) of those passengers who died were NOT buckled up at the time of the fatal crash.

(3) Distracted Driving: Cell phone use while driving is more than just illegal, but also risky — it can be deadly. Drivers under 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.

(4) Speed Limits: Speeding is a critical issue for all drivers, especially for teens. In 2017, more than one-quarter (27 percent) of all teen drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash.

Further, the likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.

Whether it’s impaired driving, not wearing a seat belt, speeding, driving distracted or with friends in the car, it’s important for parents to let their teen know that driving is not a right, but a privilege. It can be taken away when they don’t follow the rules.

For more information about National Teen Driver Safety Week and to learn safe driving tips to share with your teens, visit www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving.

After spending years protecting your children from all sorts of dangers on the road and off, you now face the prospect of handing them the keys to the family car. It's time for them to learn how to drive. Are you prepared? We can help you mold your teen into a safe and capable driver.