Howell Law Firm

03/16/2026

Most families report a care facility problem too late — not because they didn't care, but because they didn't know who to call.

Something will happen. Here's what you need to know.
California has two separate agencies that handle complaints:

● The Department of Social Services handles licensing violations
● The Long-Term Care Ombudsman handles resident rights and quality of care issues
● You can file with both at the same time
● You can file anonymously
● Complaints involving immediate danger are prioritized

The Ombudsman hotline is free: 1-800-231-4024

Retaliation against a resident for a family complaint is illegal in California. You have more power than you think.

Read the full guide here:
https://howelljustice.com/how-to-file-complaint-care-facility-california/

Learn how to file a complaint against a care facility in California, which agency to contact, and what to expect after submitting a report.

03/13/2026

1 in 6 Americans will get food poisoning this year. Most will lose their case before they ever call a lawyer.

The evidence disappears in the first 48 hours. Here is exactly what to do before that window closes.

Save the food. Photograph everything. Report it to the health department. Find your witnesses before they disappear. And see a doctor the same day, not tomorrow.

Most people wait too long and by then the case is already gone.
We broke down every step in detail right here:
👉 https://howelljustice.com/food-poisoning-case-strengthen/

If you or someone you know got sick from contaminated food, read this before you do anything else.

A food poisoning case is won or lost in the first 48 hours. Learn the five steps that preserve evidence, establish causation, and protect your legal rights in California.

03/11/2026

Think about this for a second. For every one reported case of nursing home abuse, 24 more go unreported.

Twenty four.

That means the nursing home abuse you hear about is barely the surface of what is actually happening.

So when a jury comes back with a $20 million verdict against a nursing home, it is not a random number. It is a message. It is the result of ignored complaints, missed medications, untreated wounds, and a staff that was stretched too thin for too long. It is what happens when a family finally has proof of what they suspected for months.

Here is what most people do not realize. Over 90% of U.S. nursing homes are understaffed. That is not an accusation. That is a documented fact. And understaffing is not just an inconvenience. It is how bedsores go untreated. It is how residents go hours without water. It is how people who cannot speak up for themselves stop getting the care they were promised.

44% of nursing home residents have reported being abused. 95% have either experienced neglect themselves or watched it happen to someone else in the same facility.

If you have a parent, a grandparent, or anyone you love in a nursing home right now, pay attention to the details. Unexplained bruises. Sudden weight loss. A loved one who seems withdrawn or fearful. Staff who cannot answer basic questions about care.

Document everything. Ask questions in writing. And trust your gut.
We broke down what this $20 million verdict actually means for families in California and what you can do if you suspect something is wrong:
👉 https://howelljustice.com/20-million-nursing-home-verdict-what-this-elder-abuse-case-means-for-families-in-california/

Big verdicts like this one do not just compensate a family. They force change that protects the next person who cannot protect themselves.

03/09/2026

Did you know airlines serve over 1 billion meals a year and almost nobody thinks they can sue if something goes wrong?

Here's what most travelers don't know: if you're injured by food on a flight, whether it's an allergic reaction, a foreign object, or food poisoning, the airline can be held legally responsible. Yes, even in first class. Yes, even if it was catered by a third party.

And here's where it gets really interesting. On international flights, a treaty called the Montreal Convention actually presumes the airline is at fault. You don't have to prove negligence. They have to prove they did nothing wrong. That's a big deal.

On domestic flights, different rules apply, but liability still exists.
The airline, the catering company, and the food manufacturer could all potentially share responsibility depending on what caused the harm.

Most passengers never think about any of this until they're sick at 35,000 feet with no idea what their rights are.
We broke it all down in a recent post, including what steps to take if this ever happens to you:
👉 https://howelljustice.com/airline-food-injury-lawsuit-california-passenger-rights/

If you've ever eaten on a plane (so, everyone), this is worth a two-minute read.

Injured by defective airline food or scalding beverages? California passengers can sue for compensation. Learn your legal rights and how to file a lawsuit.

03/06/2026

If you were in an accident and the insurance adjuster asks you to sign a HIPAA authorization, stop before you sign.

Here is what that form actually does: it gives the insurance company permission to collect your medical records directly from your providers. And they won't just pull records related to your injury. They will pull everything they can find and then comb through it looking for anything to reduce or deny your claim.

A back issue from two years ago. An old knee complaint. Anything that gives them an argument that your current injury isn't entirely their responsibility.

What you can do instead: collect your own medical records and provide only what is relevant to your claim. That way you control what they see.

Before you sign anything the insurance company sends you, give us a call for a free consultation. This one conversation could protect your entire claim.

03/05/2026

If you drive for Amazon Flex and get injured on the job, do not assume you are covered the way a regular employee would be.

You are classified as an independent contractor. That means no traditional workers' comp. Amazon provides some occupational accident coverage, but it has significant gaps, and those gaps tend to show up exactly when you need help most.

What actually matters in these cases:

The timing of when you report the injury
Your medical records from day one
Whether you were actively on a delivery at the time

Many drivers find out too late that they assumed wrong. If you were injured while driving for Amazon Flex, talk to an attorney before you talk to the insurance company.

03/04/2026

Bedsores are not just a medical issue.

They are often the first visible sign that a nursing home or care facility is failing your loved one.Here's why they develop: when a resident isn't repositioned regularly, pressure cuts off blood flow to the skin.

This is entirely preventable with proper staffing and monitoring. When bedsores appear, it usually means someone wasn't checking. Someone wasn't turning. Someone wasn't there.If you see a bedsore on a family member in a care facility, ask these questions:

How long has this been developing?
What is the repositioning schedule?
How many residents does each aide cover per shift?

The answers will tell you a lot about whether this was negligence.

Questions about your situation? Feel free to reach out.

02/27/2026

Tips for Winning Your Small Claims Case

Small claims court isn’t about speeches.
It’s about preparation, documents, and timelines.

Most people lose before they ever walk into court, not because they’re wrong, but because they didn’t prepare.

That said, one important thing to check before filing:
If an accident involved an injury, even a minor one, the case may not belong in small claims at all.

Once a small claims case is filed or settled, you may limit your ability to pursue a personal injury claim later.

The article breaks down how to prepare for small claims and when it makes sense to pause and reassess.
👉 https://howelljustice.com/tips-for-winning-your-small-claims-case/

Tips for winning your small claims case can change when injuries are involved. Learn when a dispute should be handled as a personal injury claim instead.

02/25/2026

How to Negotiate a Total Loss After an Accident

When an insurance company declares a vehicle a total loss, they assign a value.
That number is not automatically final.

In many cases, you can challenge it by providing:
• recent comparable vehicle listings
• service and maintenance records
• proof of upgrades or new parts

Many people accept less than their car is worth because they’re told, or assume, there’s no room to negotiate.

Real situation: An insurer used outdated comps. Once current listings were provided, the payout increased.

If your car was totaled, did the insurance company tell you their number was final?

02/23/2026

Legal Deadlines in California Elder Care Cases

Elder abuse and neglect cases have strict legal deadlines.

In California:

• Physical abuse or neglect: 2 years
• Nursing home medical negligence: often 1 year from discovery
• Wrongful death: 2 years
• Public or county facilities: as little as 6 months

These deadlines depend on the facts and the type of facility.

Real example: A family waited to ask questions after repeated falls at a care facility and missed the deadline, even though the neglect was real.

Knowing the timeline early doesn’t mean filing a case.
It means preserving options.

02/20/2026

Can You Sue the Post Office for Injuries?

Government injury claims don’t work the same way as regular cases.

They come with shorter deadlines, special notice rules, and different procedures.

Missing one step can end a claim before it even starts, and that catches people off guard more often than you’d think.

If you’re injured in a situation involving the Post Office, this article explains what’s different and what to watch for:
https://howelljustice.com/can-you-sue-the-post-office-for-injuries/

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Learn how to sue the post office under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the steps required, and how an attorney helps you overcome federal bureaucracy. Free consultations available.