Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Automobile Accidents:
A car accident is a collision involving an automobile and anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings and trees. Sometimes a car accident may also refer to an automobile striking a human or animal. Car accidents — also called traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents and crashes — kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about forty times this number.

Other Vehicle Accidents:
Legal claims that arise from vehicle accidents are typically governed by the law of negligence.  Any individual who negligently operates a motor vehicle may be required to pay damages to an injured victim.  A personal injury case involving a vehicle accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed. 

Vehicle accidents can include:

• ATV accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Boating accidents
• Bus accidents
• Cruise ship accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Semi-tractor trailer accidents
• SUV rollover accidents
• Train accidents
• Truck accidents

The surviving family members of a fatally injured accident victim may be able to bring wrongful death charges against the defendant.

Bicycle Accidents:
According to the Federal Highway Administration, over 67,000 cyclists in the U.S. are injured every year in accidents involving motor vehicles.  Many cyclists who are injured in bicycle accidents are unaware that they have a personal injury case and that they may be entitled to compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills and lost incomes.  A cyclist may be entitled to receive compensation for an injury sustained because of a pothole, poor road or defective sidewalk.  There are state mandated residential and commercial bicycle laws, which entitle cyclists to observe different traffic rules than cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles.  This may mean that the cyclist is not legally responsible for an accident.

Boating Accidents:
Typically, powerboats such as runabouts, cabin cruisers and jet skis are the most common watercraft involved in boating accidents, although sailboats can be involved in accidents as well.  The most frequent sources of injuries are caused from propeller accidents and collisions.  Because personal watercraft such as jet skis cannot be steered when the throttle is released, inexperienced drivers often have collisions when confronted with an emergency.  Serious personal injury and even death can occur due to a boating collision or from a person falling over the side of a watercraft and drowning.  Legal claims that arise from boating collisions are typically governed by the law of negligence.  Any individual who negligently operates a watercraft may be required to pay damages to an injured victim.  A maritime case involving a boating accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings, or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed.  The surviving family members of a fatally injured boating accident victim may be able to recover damages in a maritime wrongful death action against the defendant.

Motorcycle Accidents:
Motorcycle riders are often exposed to dangers not met by automobile drivers and other motorists on the road.  The lack of any substantial protective barriers, as well as the difficulty that other motorists may have in seeing or stopping for a motorcycle, leaves riders prone to serious personal injury in the event of an accident.

Truck Accidents:
Truck accidents are usually much more complex than car accidents, and as roadways are becoming more and more crowded, truck accidents are occurring more frequently and involving a multitude of drivers. Truck accidents can occur due to reckless driving, mechanical failures, oversized/overloaded trucks, inexperience of the truck driver, driving in bad weather, and truck driver fatigue, and can result in truck/vehicle rollover, jack-knife, or head-on and rear-end collisions. Laws and regulations are specifically designed to protect motorists from the negligence of the truck companies and/or truck drivers. A person who is injured in a truck accident, or has lost a loved one due to wrongful death caused by a truck accident, can sue the persons or party at fault.

Spinal Cord Injury:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the nerves within the spinal canal are damaged.  Most SCI's are caused by trauma to the vertebral column, affecting the spinal cord's ability to send and receive messages between the brain and the body's systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic function.  Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI, followed by acts of violence, falls, sports injuries and diseases such as polio, spina bifida and Friedreich’s Ataxia.  The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning.   

Traumatic Brain Injury:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical phrase used to describe the damage to the brain suffered by sudden impact or physical force to the head.  Essentially, the human brain floats in a fluid substance called cerebrospinal fluid.  TBI can result when the force of momentum causes the brain to impact against the skull.  This type of injury, often the result of hitting your head on the windshield, pavement or object, is frequently referred to as a “closed head injury.”  Whiplash can also cause TBI.  These closed head injuries can result in lasting physical and mental problems.

Burn Injuries:
People who have suffered and survived the agony of second, third and even fourth degree burns describe the pain they experienced as among the most severe of all traumatic injuries.  Personal injuries involving severe burns commonly result from explosions, premises fires, defective products, motor vehicle collisions, electric shock, as well as accidental exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation.

Slip and Fall/Premises Liability:
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and can cause serious personal injury.  Most slip and falls happen in commercial settings, such as grocery stores, drug stores, office buildings, construction sites, gas stations and malls, but they also happen on private property.  Premises Liability accidents can include toxic exposure, animal attacks, swimming pool accidents and amusement park ride accidents.  In any event, there exist duties on the part of the property owners to maintain the property responsibly and avoid the existence of hazardous conditions.

Dangerous or defective conditions may be large or small, temporary or permanent.  Therefore, investigation of the claim is essential to a successful case.  Temporary conditions such as water on the floor of a grocery store, or snow and ice on the stairs of a restaurant need to be investigated quickly.

Construction/ On-the-Job Accidents:
Construction labor makes up one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States today; each year producing thousands of debilitating injuries and wrongful deaths.  Factors that contribute to construction accidents include workers lifting loads with worn and weathered cables, working on elevated platforms without fall protection or wearing defective safety harnesses and lanyards, and/or working in trenches with improper benching and using outdated tools and equipment.  Farming and manufacturing accidents, as well as the oil and gas industry accidents can also cause serious injury and toxic exposure.

• Toxic Exposure: Due to the tremendous growth of corporate industry in the United States over the past fifty years, the number of dangerous, toxic substances in the environment has grown significantly.  Some toxic substances are shown to cause substantial injury to people, such as lead-based paint (linked to brain damage, especially in children), asbestos (linked to lung cancer and restrictive lung disease), dry cleaning and other solvents (linked to brain damage and major organ damage), pesticides such as dioxin and DDT (linked to birth injuries) and toxic landfill waste (linked to leukemia).

Dog/Animal Bites:
Every year, millions of Americans are bitten by animals.  Being attacked by a dog is an extremely stressful event. Many dog bite injuries leave scars and have lasting emotional effects.  In every state, a dog owner is liable for bites to people inflicted viciously by a dog that previously bit a person viciously, or that were inflicted pursuant to the command of the dog owner.

In almost all states, a bite victim can recover compensation from a person whose negligence caused the attack and from a person who violated a leash law, a trespass law applicable to dogs or other dog safety laws.  The owner or keeper of a dog is strictly liable for his or her dog, even if it is the first time the dog has injured someone.  As long as the injured victim was not trespassing, teasing or tormenting the dog, the keeper or owner of the dog is liable for any injuries sustained.  Compensation for a dog bite can include payment for medical bills, pain & suffering, mental anxiety, fear and scarring.

Insurance Claims:
Insurance claims are a notice for reimbursement from an insurance company when the insured has suffered a loss that is covered under the insurance policy. Insurance companies cannot refuse to pay a customer's claim without "reasonable justification."  This means that an insurance company must engage in a reasonable investigation and pay legitimate claims in a timely manner.  If an insurance company fails to handle its customer's claim properly, it may be held accountable for resulting economic losses, including lost wages, interest on money the insured borrowed to cover expenses while insurance benefits were wrongfully withheld, and loss due to damaged credit.

Defective Products:
Products liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer.  Products liability cases may include defective or poorly designed machinery, tools, motor vehicle defects, recreational products, pharmaceuticals and other defective products and equipment.  A person injured by a defective or dangerous product may be eligible to file a lawsuit for product liability.  Damages can be recovered under one of the following categories:  strict products liability; negligence or breach of warranty.   

Workers' Compensation:
Workers' compensation is insurance that an employer is required by law to carry in case an employee is injured on the job or becomes ill, temporarily or permanently disabled, or fatally injured due to circumstances surrounding his or her job.  Although workers' compensation laws vary from state to state, covered medical care generally includes: medical, surgical and hospital services; dental services; crutches; hearing aids; chiropractic treatment; physical therapy; nursing care and prescribed medications.  Additional monetary compensation may be provided if an injured employee is temporarily unable to work for more than a certain number of calendar days set by state law, hospitalized as an in-patient, or becomes permanently disabled due to a job-related injury or illness.  The right to receive medical treatment at the employer's expense typically continues as long as treatment is reasonable and necessary to treat the injury. 

Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization.  A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents.  Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death.  In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one.  Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his or her spouse, children and/or parents had he or she survived.  It also includes the recovery for funeral service expenses in memory of the decedent and for burial cost.  Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support. 

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Woodland Hills, California Personal Injury attorney, call Manuwal & Manuwal, Attorneys at Law today at 866-435-2710, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a free consultation.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Woodland Hills, California Personal Injury attorney, call Manuwal & Manuwal, Attorneys at Law today at 866-435-2710, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a free consultation.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Manuwal & Manuwal, Attorneys at Law
6320 Canoga Ave., Suite 270
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Phone: 866-435-2710
Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-5:00PM
Services provided after-hours

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:

• Attorney Robert I. Manuwal, Esq.

Professional Licenses:

• Attorney At Law - Admitted to California State bar - 1982
  
• State Bar Number 102781

Admitted To Practice Before:

• All California Courts
  
• United States Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
  
• United States District Court - Central District

Professional Affiliations:

• State Bar of California
• Former Mediation/Settlement Officer
  
• Former Judge Pro Tem
  
• Former Arbitrator
  
• Editor-in-Chief Law Review
  
• Honors Graduate

Education:

• UWLA, J.D. - 1982 - Cum Laude; Editor-in-Chief, Law Review, 1981
  
• Co-author of two articles, 1980-1981, with the Honorable Roberta Ralph adn Albert C. Garber, Esq.
  
• UCLA, BA Political Science (Constitutional Law) - 1977

Work Experience:

• Principal, Manuwal & Manuwal:  Over 27 years experience in tort and insurance litigation, wide variety of serious injury and loss of life cases involving auto accidents, truck accidents, rollovers, boating accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip/trip and fall accidents, premise liability accidents, wrongful death, dog bites, insurance bad faith, and insurance claims; Jury trial and appellate experience.

Public Service:

• Served as Judge Pro Tem, Settlement Officer, Court Appointed Mediator and Arbitrator with the Superior Court

• Attorney Sheri S. Manuwal, Esq.

Professional Licenses:

• Attorney At Law - Admitted to California State bar - 1982
  
• State Bar Number 106305

Admitted To Practice Before:

• All California Courts
  
• United States District Court - Central District

Professional Affiliations:

• State Bar of California
• Former Mediation/Settlement Officer VAST Program
  
• Superior Court
  
• Former Arbitrator
  
• Editor, Law Review

Education:

• UWLA, J.D. - 1982 - Dean's List; Editor, Law Review, 1989-81
  
• Co-author of two article, 1980-1981, with Steven Rein: Index Editor
• UCLA, BA History - 1977
  
• Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution and California Academy of Mediation Professionals, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2000

Work Experience:

• Principal, Manuwal & Manuwal:  27 years experience in tort and insurance litigation, wide variety of serious injury and loss of life cases involving auto accidents, truck accidents, rollovers, boating accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip/trip and fall accidents, premise liability accidents, wrongful death, dog bites, insurance bad faith, and insurance claims; Jury trial and appellate experience.

Foreign Languages Spoken:

• Multilingual
  

Public Service:

• Served as Settlement Officer on VAST Program. Van Nuys Superior Court. Mediator/Arbitrator ADR Panel. Superior Court.