Barry P. Goldberg - Personal Injury Attorneys

Maria: Thank you for your thoughtful question. As you may know, our office seems to handle a disproportionate number of dog bite cases in the San Fernando Valley. The injuries can be significant given that a Pitbull-anything was involved. Most Homeowners policies EXCLUDE Pitbulls from the HO policy as they are the number one dog bite breed and inflict the most damage. That said, a mix "might" be covered depending on the wording of the actual policy and how the dog's vet papers describe the dog. We have successfully made claims on some Pitbull-mix cases in the past. Good luck! Barry

Jorge, Thank you for your important question. The short answer is "No." We take car accident cases all over Southern California. It is true that our main office is located in Woodland Hills and that clients definitely prefer lawyers that are nearby. Local law firms are just better at knowing the local traffic patterns and great medical facilities nearby. Recently, we added offices in Simi Valley to service the Conejo Valley, and in Northridge to service the north San Fernando Valley. Frankly, we are one of the most prominent car accident law firms in the San Fernando Valley and adjoining areas. The truth is that some of our biggest car accident cases have been outside the Valley; like Orange County, Ventura County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County. However, most potential car accident clients choose us because we are close! Thanks for your question! Barry Goldberg

Hi Rae! In California, it is not unusual to be hit by an uninsured motorist. In fact, there are over 2 million drivers on California roads with no insurance whatsoever. Usually, getting the uninsured driver to pay out of pocket is unsuccessful because they do not have assets that are easily found or attached. (If they had money, they would buy insurance!) Our firm looks for both "other sources" of insurance like an employer AND we look for YOUR Uninsured Motorist coverage under your policy. Making a UM claim under your policy will not affect your rates and your insurance company will pursue the uninsured motorist to recover all amounts paid. So--Make Sure YOU have Uninsured Motorist Coverage if you are a California driver! Barry

Hi Freddy! I get this question from potential new clients almost every day. The short answer is "NO." An insurance company is not permitted to raise your rates for a non-at-fault accident. This was part of Prop 213 many years ago. Most drivers hate to make a claim for the exact reason you are concerned---they don't want rates to go up or even be cancelled. This will not occur from an auto claim. However, contrast this with other types of insurance, like Homeowners Insurance. It is VERY COMMON that a home insurer will raise your rates or cancel your policy for making claims. This practice is perfectly legal. So, if you have a small leak or other small amount of damage, you may consider not reporting it to your home insurer and try fixing the problem yourself. For auto insurance rates, the insurance companies are permitted to consider at fault driving record, value of the car, mileage use, other adults in the home, increased cost of repairs, and other factors when raising rates! Barry

Thank you for this important question Ted! The first rule is to consider obtaining the same limits you would have for your liability coverage. (Liability limits should roughly equal your liquid assets.) This is important because it is estimated that over 2 million drivers in California are uninsured. The overwhelming majority of insured drivers carry the State Minimum of $15/30/5. This was established in 1974 and has not increased since. The majority of my cases now involve uninsured or underinsured motorist claims. Up your limits today----it is not that expensive comparatively!