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Questions Answered by William John Light
2 Answers | Asked in Sexual Harassment and Wrongful Death for California on
Q: Can I sue an FBI agent who made improper sexual advances and retaliated with a violent attack resulting in death?
William John Light
William John Light
answered on Nov 13, 2024

Yes, the victim or her heirs can sue, but the victim is apparently dead, and it is unclear who you are and what your relationship to the case is. Whether the US Government is liable for the action of the agent depends on a lot of facts which are not included in your post. If the agent was acting... View More

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5 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents and Personal Injury for California on
Q: I just got rear ended waiting at a red light while driving my motorcycle? Just bought the motorcycle from my friend and

So the motorcycle is not in my name and niether is the insurance for the motorcycle. Also I don’t have a M1 endorsement on my drivers license. What steps should I take? The driver completely admitted 100% fault and I exchanged info and documentation.

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Nov 10, 2024

The motorcycle may still legally belong to your friend, and you might be insured as a permissive user of the motorcycle. If you are injured that can be a big deal. Uninsured drivers can only recover damages for their economic losses (medical expenses, property damage and wage loss). Insured... View More

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4 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury and Civil Litigation for California on
Q: Are there civil litigation attorneys that work pro bono or on a contingency fee? If so, could you recommend one, please?

I was brutally attacked by neighbor's pit bull that ripped both my arms open, and I was hospitalized for 3 days. Within hours of me being attacked my boyfriend contacted an attorney (Wilshire Law firm). I was less than impressed with their service - they dragged things out for several months,... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Oct 16, 2024

No, you cannot sieze the neighbor's property. At most, you can get a money judgment, and then record that judgment with the County Recorder's Office. If the property is sold within the next 10 years, then you would be paid from escrow. The judgment expires after 10 years, but could be... View More

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4 Answers | Asked in Consumer Law, Personal Injury, Products Liability and Civil Litigation for California on
Q: Do I have a lawsuit against this business for burning me?

I recently went for fire cupping and ended up with second degree burns. Clusters of blisters and some of my skin was completely ripped off. She told me it was just because my skin was sensitive, and that it wasn't a big deal and that no treatment was needed. After feeling severe discomfort I... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Sep 30, 2024

It sounds like you have a claim. Take pictures of your injuries as they heal and scar (if they do), follow up with dermatology appointments. If an accupuncturist's office performed the cupping, you should make a complaint with the Accunpuncturist Board... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury and Car Accidents for California on
Q: I am on the title of the car, my son caused the accident. Will my assets be at risk?

The lawyer wants information for umbrella. My son was not listed as the driver on the umbrella policy. We own the car. Son was on the auto insurance but not umbrella. The vehicle was listed on the umbrella. He caused the accident while he was 17 years old (now he is 18). So, Do we need to provide... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Sep 22, 2024

The owner of the vehicle is liable for its use, up to $15k per person or $30k per accident (if multiple persons are injured). If you knew or should have known of your son's propensity to drive negligently, you could have your own liability for allowing him to drive the vehicle. However,... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury for California on
Q: Wheel seperation from a semi , company says the driver wasnt working for them during the time of the injury accident
William John Light
William John Light
answered on Sep 13, 2024

The company is responsible to maintain its semi, even if being driven by someone who is not working. Further, the company's opinion about whether the driver was working or not, is probably not reliable. If he wasn't working, why was he driving the company's semi?

Not enough...
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5 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury and Landlord - Tenant for California on
Q: Do I have a case.

fell into a man hole type thing at my condo/apartments I live in

I hurt my hip and when I fell it knocked me so hard I lost bladder control. Blacked out. I keep having headaches

Im super sore and since I feel I keep seeing spots and hearing pounding.

This is something that just happened.

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Sep 12, 2024

That sounds like a case, although property owners have a defense they like to refer to as "open and obvious", so photographs of the area where this opening was will be important to discover why it wasn't conspicuous to explain why you fell into it. Also, medical evidence of injuries... View More

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4 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury, Insurance Bad Faith and Insurance Defense for California on
Q: Can an insurance company ignore my request to settle a 998 offer? I am the defendant.

The insurance company I am under received a 998 offer , it is within my policy limits but they want me to continue to fight the case. I want to settle this case and allow my policy to pay it. Can they ignore my request ,drag this case out to trial? Even though I will suffer the most damage in the... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on May 28, 2024

The decision to settle or litigate belongs to the insurance company. If it exposes you to a judgment in excess of your policy limit, it might be responsible to pay the entire amount. You should probably send the adjuster a letter, certified mail, demanding that it, alone, be responsible for any... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Animal / Dog Law, Car Accidents and Wrongful Death for California on
Q: A train killed my dog. I live next to the train tracks. What can I do

I live in between businesses about 40 feet from the tracks. It was about 9:10 at night I got home for my lunch and let the dogs out to go potty. I went across the tracks to do so and on our walk back we crossed over them again and the train blew its horn maybe ten seconds after I crossed and hit my... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on May 23, 2024

How did the train conductor do anything wrong? You had an obligation to have your dog on a leash. The train wasn't invisible, you should have seen it before the whistle blew and moved your dog, which should have been on a leash.

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2 Answers | Asked in Wrongful Death for California on
Q: How do lawyers go about demands in wrongful death cases?

I'm the plaintiff. The defendant killed (drove haphazardly) my mother (a pedestrian), and right now I'm livid and hoping that my lawyer sues him and his insurance carrier for an astronomical amount. What would most likely happen if his insurance limits are low? Currently, his insurance... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Apr 25, 2024

These questions should be answered by your attorney, who is paid for this information. However:

1. Insurance companies don't drop the ball and let their insureds fend for themselves. If that happened, it would be the best possible result for you because some serious consequences for...
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2 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents for California on
Q: My son was driving a rental and was in an accident which caused his death because he flew out the window his airbags ne

His airbags never popped out

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Apr 22, 2024

I am sorry for your loss. Side window air bags might prevent ejection. Seat belts do a better job of that. You may have claims against the vehicle manufacturer, the rental agency, and/or the driver of the other vehicle (if any). This is too complex for analysis on Justia. You will need to... View More

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4 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents for California on
Q: Are there situations where a company's insurance will not cover an employee driver in a company car post accident?
William John Light
William John Light
answered on Apr 1, 2024

One can always conceive of a circumstance in which an insurer may deny coverage. That imagined circumstance may have nothing to do with what is actually happening to you. Even if the employer's insurer refuses to defend or indemnify you, the employer still has an obligation under Labor Code... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice for California on
Q: irrelevant, protected information, not calculated for admissible evidence; calculated to embarrass, annoy, harass.

Response pursuant to CCP § 2031.060 (Motion for protective order

in response to request for authorization of medical records).

Which exactly statute defines criteria for Motion for Protective Order: irrelevant, protected information, not calculated to lead to admissible evidence,... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 30, 2024

You don't need a protective order. From the information in your post, all the defendant did was ask for an authorization. Just say no if the subpoena requests records unrelated to the injuries at issue.

If the defendant issues a subpoena for records unrelated to your injuries, then...
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2 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents for California on
Q: Is my car insurance allowed to provide the other party in attorney if I am at fault?

I was involved in a car accident with a moped, to which I signaled to change the lane and look both ways when suddenly the moped appeared out of nowhere and hit my vehicle. The other party was not a motorcycle licensed driver and was not the owner of the motorcycle or the insured party. The other... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 30, 2024

Your insurance can tell another party to get an attorney, if that happened. Your insurance almost definitely did not assign or direct them to a specific attorney. If that happened, the State Bar and/or Dept. of Insurance might get involved. Your insurance company is responsible to defend you and... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents, Personal Injury and DUI / DWI for California on
Q: Can I get recompensation for a car accident that happened 7 years ago?

I was in a car accident with a couple of friends, my friend (the driver) was under the influence and well we were all under the influence except for one of us, we kept telling the driver to let her drive because she was sober but he wasn't letting her or stopping. Suddenly when he made a left... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 23, 2024

Ordinarily, the statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of the injury.

If you or the driver were under 18 on the date of the injury, the two years began to run on the 18th birthday of either of you.

For certain felony convictions, the statute of limitations is 10 years from...
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4 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents and Legal Malpractice for California on
Q: Is it legal malpractice when a lawyer in an auto injury case doesnt contact the tow yard allowing the car to be sold?

This is after knowing the car was purchased by the person the attorney represents, that they had all credentials inside the vehicle when the accident happend, including the proof of the sale, along with the property of the new owner as they also resided in the car? And that after numerous attempts... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 21, 2024

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Selik. The attorney was representing the injured party in a personal injury case. Not a property damage case. It was not the attorney's duty to preserve or protect the car since he was not hired for that. Further, it does not seem that he could have done... View More

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4 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury for California on
Q: I got injured, my lawyer just sued, and my wife wants nothing to do with it- can defendants force her into a deposition?

This is a high value case in California. She was not there at the time of accident and I have other family members and friends who are willing to do depositions to explain how the injury has greatly affected my life.

My lawyer already explained to her that it looks bad if the wife refuses... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 20, 2024

You wife, religious or not, has to obey court orders, such as subpoenas for her deposition or trial testimony. "Render unto Caesar that things that are Caesar's". Her subpoenaed testimony belongs to Caesar. Subpoenaing a spouse is normal and there is no such thing as a religous... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Civil Litigation and Insurance Bad Faith for California on
Q: Can an insurer my deny injury liability coverage on an active claim if my vehicle was not registered at the time?

I said "I saw a green light for me.", before I turned left. He said "I saw a green light for me.", and went straight. To my best knowledge, there were no cameras and it's just my word and his. He is claiming personal injury. I claim nothing. My insurer wants me to sign an... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 19, 2024

Almost certainly not. A review of your policy terms would have to be completed to be definitive. Your insurer insured the car for the policy period. If the collision occurred during the policy period, the car should be covered. Registration, or failure to register, does not affect the risk to... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Car Accidents, Insurance Bad Faith, Personal Injury and Health Care Law for California on
Q: Can a car insurance company such as AAA call a hospital to request billing info without you signing anything/release?

I got into a car accident, the party who hit me insurance (AAA) accepted liability after sending them my dash cam footage. I had to go to the ER, I was hesitant because I lost my job 5 months ago and I thought I didn't have health insurance. Three days later I get a notification email saying... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 14, 2024

There might be a violation, but there is no private lawsuit for a HIPAA violation. You might be able to pursue an invaion of privacy lawsuit, but since you gave AAA the hospital bill, it doesn't really seem like your privacy has been violated. You should probably focus on a personal injury... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Gov & Administrative Law and Municipal Law for California on
Q: If an escooter/bike is on a sidewalk do they have to abide by pedestrian rules?

I read that in California it is legal for a bike or e-scooter to enter a sidewalk when the bike lane is blocked or nonexistent, if they were to enter the sidewalk would they have to abide by pedestrian rules such as not crossing when the no walking sign is up? Also if they were to be hit by a car... View More

William John Light
William John Light
answered on Mar 6, 2024

Who is at fault in a collision depends on a lot more than a pedestrian stop being on. Even if an e-scooter or pedestrian is violating the pedestrian stop, a motorist cannot just run them over. The real answer is, it depends. Did the motorist have a chance to react, slow or stop? Did the... View More

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