What You Need To Know About California’s New Daylighting Law

At the end of 2023, California Governor Gavin Newson signed into law SB 413, making it illegal in California to park within 20 feet of the approach of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, whether or not there is a red curb painted or a sign. 

The “Big Wiggle”: Changing the Way We Prioritize Pedestrian-Friendly Streets May Be the Cure for San Francisco

Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Pilot Proposal Contributors, through its SFNext project, posited an interesting idea to revitalize downtown San Francisco.  (“Could this idea for pedestrian-friendly streets bring new life to downtown S.F.?”, San Francisco Chronicle, 11-13-23; https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/pedestrian-streets-downtown-18457711.php) The post (and some pre) pandemic issues plaguing San Francisco from Civic Center Plaza to the Financial District have been much talked about, making local headlines on what seems like a daily basis. 

Is Riding a Bike on the Sidewalk Safe or Even Legal?

In California, someone riding a bicycle may move out of the bicycle lane when “reasonably necessary” to avoid hazardous conditions, even if they are moving slower than traffic (Cal. Veh. Code § 21208).  When vehicle traffic is heavy and few pedestrians are in sight, it might be tempting to ride on the sidewalk to avoid road hazards, but as personal injury attorneys here in California, we want to share a few thoughts about riding a bike on the sidewalk. 

Pitfalls of Rideshare Service Apps

When it comes to rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft the benefits to using them as a passenger may seem pretty obvious: a ride home when you’re too tired to drive; a lift to get you closer to your destination when a parking lot is full; a shuttle between a train station or airport and a hotel when you’re traveling… Unfortunately, these idealized use cases tend to blind many riders to the pitfalls and risks behind using a rideshare service.

Cyclist Accidents – Personal Injury Lawsuit FAQs

We take our work in the bike community seriously and we are always here to talk to cyclists and answer questions about what to do if you’ve been injured or had your bicycle damaged in a car crash.   Sometimes, we just help cyclists navigate a claim on their own with an insurance company (you can download our free toolkit to help you with your property damage demand to get the insurance company to pay for your bike here), but sometimes having a lawyer in your corner is the best option.

New Year, New Law for Pedestrians

Pedestrians are safest in crosswalks.  However, crossing the street outside of a marked crosswalk is still something pedestrians do and is commonly known as jaywalking–crossing between adjacent intersections controlled by traffic signal devices or law enforcement where there is no crosswalk.  California law has historically prohibited jaywalking allowing police officers to issue citations for a moving violation to pedestrians carrying a fine of up to $250.00.

Conquer Your Fear of Cycling in the City

In a podcast a few years back, principal and founder of Rahman Law, Shaana Rahman, mentioned the fear she had when first riding in San Francisco.  There were new ins and outs that she had to learn including how to cross railcar tracks safely (go straight across) and negotiate busy intersections. 

New Fees for Renting a Car in California

Here in our blog, we try to provide as much information as we can on updates to laws and ordinances in California to keep you safe.  As personal injury attorneys, that information generally relates to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, but we’ve talked about schoolyard bullying and safety for your kids as well as e-scooter rental policies and defective products. 

Bike Month Activities for the Whole Family! 

National Bike Month is here and we want to celebrate!  A lot of what we post relates to rules of the road, laws and ordinances, and safety, but today we’re going to talk about all the fun ways to celebrate National Bike Month with bike activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family.