Law Offices of Howard Kitay
Football is a popular American high school sport. It encourages active lifestyles, builds teamwork, and looks great on college résumés. For some high school players, football becomes a college sport and adult career. For others, their love of the game ends when they suffer serious head injuries. Head and brain injuries pose greater risks to…
Bicycle accidents are unique events that result in very different injuries than car or truck collisions. Victims of bicycle accidents face myriad risks that other motorists do not, such as open exposure to the road and other objects. This can lead to injuries that you will almost exclusively find in bicycle accidents. Understanding these potential…
Part of what has made ridesharing apps like Uber so popular among modern users is the speed at which drivers can arrive at the desired pickup location. Many passengers have traded traditional taxis for rideshare vehicles because of how quickly an Uber or Lyft can arrive from the time of the request. What makes this…
With hundreds of restaurants offering all manner of cuisines in the area, dining out in Chula Vista is a favorite pastime for tourists and locals alike. Nobody expects to come away from a restaurant with an injury, but this is the reality for many San Diego diners every year. Restaurants and bars can be hotbeds…
Calling a cab is still one of the most popular ways for tourists and locals to get around the San Diego area. Regional taxi companies transport thousands of passengers every year. Unfortunately, not every ride goes smoothly. Sometimes, passengers get caught in harmful taxi accidents and subsequent insurance claims. Obtaining just compensation for taxi accident…
Lane-splitting might be legal in California, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the safest practice. There are debates about the safety and dangers of lane-splitting, with those against it citing issues such as startling other motorists, speeding, and drivers merging on top of motorcyclists. There are certain injuries that lane-splitting might increase the risk of,…
A lot can go wrong in the aftermath of a serious personal injury. Luckily, much of the fate of a claim rests in the victim’s hands. It is often in your power to change the outcome of your insurance claim or PI trial. Avoid these top 10 mistakes to give yourself every advantage possible: 1.…
Complementing the modern age of convenience, Airbnb is an app with the goal of improving traditional travel. Airbnb allows vacationers to book affordable rooms or entire residences at establishments that hosts offer for rent online. Airbnb works with home and property owners, not hotels or commercial establishments. As such, it is the individual homeowner’s duty…
Despite operating through national companies, rideshare vehicles are at just as much a risk of car accidents as other vehicles on San Diego’s roadways. Uber and Lyft cannot guarantee the safety of drivers or passengers. Unlike traditional taxicab companies, rideshares do not have to abide by strict standards or regulations. This potentially increases the risk…
In a buzzing metropolis like San Diego, dozens of motor vehicle accidents occur every day. Some are minor while others result in catastrophic injuries. Since 1995, the number of fatal accidents in Chula Vista has averaged between 2.9 and 8.8 per 100,000 population, sometimes exceeding California’s statewide average. Motor vehicle accidents occur in a split…
When a person or company’s act of negligence causes the death of another person, California law gives surviving family members the opportunity to seek recovery from the responsible party. A wrongful death lawsuit is the legal action certain parties can take after negligence cuts a life short. In Chula Vista and throughout California, there are…
Car accidents can easily cause broken bones, lacerations, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Soft tissue injuries are also common following car accidents, and these injuries vary greatly in their severity and effects. Some soft tissue injuries are acute and require medical attention to prevent long-term complications, while others are degenerative and worsen over…
Many Americans deal with back problems and pain daily. While many of these issues result from injuries that worsen over time, some back problems are degenerative and have dramatic effects. Spondylolisthesis is a condition that causes extreme pain and stiffness in the neck and back due to vertebral slippage, or the discs between the bones…
Anyone spending time in or near water should be mindful of the very real danger of drowning, even for the most experienced swimmers. While most people are familiar with the dangers of drowning, few realize that some drowning deaths can occur after leaving the water. Although rare, “dry drowning” cases do happen, and unfortunately children…
After a car accident, everyone involved experiences a whirlwind of emotions, many of which are the human body’s response to stress. Our bodies respond to stress in different ways, and a car accident is a prime example of acute stress, an extremely stressful or distressing event that happens suddenly. One of the reflexes built into…
Car accidents and other dangerous situations can cause severe or even fatal wounds, but not every injury is immediately apparent. Certain injuries take time to manifest symptoms, and abdominal trauma is one such injury. Any blunt force trauma to the abdomen can damage internal organs, cause internal bleeding that pools in the abdominal cavities, and…
Crash and accident data has shown for years that seat belts save lives and prevent countless fatal injuries on American roads, but they are only reliable when worn correctly. Few people realize that seat belts can have dangerous and even deadly consequences when worn incorrectly, and unfortunately, children are at the greatest risk. Most vehicle…
The American Automobile Association (AAA) considers Memorial Day the beginning of the 100 deadliest days to drive in the United States. Memorial Day typically signals the end of school, so many teen drivers take to the road to enjoy the summer months with friends. Unfortunately, the combination of youth, holidays, and traffic leads to thousands…
A spinal cord injury is one of the worst types of physical damages a person can suffer. The spinal cord is responsible for major parts of the body, including motor function and sensation. Serious damage can lead to permanent paralysis below the point of impact. Even “minor” spinal injuries can result in lasting pain and…
Slips, trips, and falls are extremely common forms of personal injury accidents. They can occur at the grocery store, in a parking lot, on private property, or in the workplace. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, falls are the leading cause of death in construction workers. Even if a fall isn’t fatal, it…
Encephalomalacia describes the softening or loss of brain tissue after an injury. Doctors also refer to this condition as cerebral softening. Encephalomalacia is a very serious brain disorder that can cause permanent tissue damage, such as brain scarring or loss of tissues. Encephalomalacia can cause brain damage that impairs functioning and health, as well as…
Chest trauma accounts for 25-50% of all trauma-related deaths in the world. Trauma to the chest can result in broken ribs, pulmonary injury, cardiac injury, and blood vessel damage. Stove-in chest is a complex type of flail chest injury. Flail chest describes damage to the chest due to significant blunt force trauma, such as in…
There are approximately 17,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in the U.S. every year. This does not include people who die at the scene of an accident. Vehicle accidents are the number one cause of SCIs in the United States. The five lowest vertebrae in your back are the lumbar vertebrae, separated by…
When a collision throws riders from the motorcycle and onto the asphalt or other roadway surface, the abrasive material can cause serious damage to the skin. Motorcyclists can reduce the chances of road rash with proper motorcycle personal protective equipment, such as a helmet that covers the face, riding jacket, appropriate pants, and boots. Unfortunately,…
In a motorcycle accident, a motorcyclist and his/her passengers have nothing except their gear to protect them from injuries. Direct contact with the ground, another vehicle, or a stationary object can cause catastrophic injuries in any part of the body. Motorcyclist deaths occur 27 times more frequently than deaths in other vehicles. “Biker’s arm” is…
When the head undergoes a blunt force trauma, the brain requires a certain amount of time to heal fully. Head and brain injuries can be complex and have physical, mental, and emotional health repercussions. Depending on the severity of a head injury, a patient will need to wait a length of time before resuming normal…
The tibia, or the shinbone, is the larger of the two bones that exist between the knee and the ankle. The tibia is one of the most critical areas in the human body for load bearing – yet it’s also the most commonly fractured long bone. Tibial fractures can occur in high-speed traumas, such as…
The skull is made of 22 separate bones, responsible for encasing and protecting the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. When blunt force trauma causes a skull fracture, the delicate brain and fluids are at risk of damage. Depending on the type and severity of the skull fracture, victims can suffer mild pain to severe brain damage.…
One of the leading causes of death in trauma victims is severe blunt injury to the chest. Chest injuries can occur in many types of accidents that involve blunt force trauma, such as collisions or falls. A common serious injury to the thorax in such accidents is flail chest, when multiple ribs fracture along the…
A brain injury is by nature a complex wound. The human brain is a delicate organ, responsible for sending messages to the body. It’s the command center for the entire nervous system, with billions of neurons and nerve fibers. When the brain sustains damage, the mental and physical consequences can be minor or drastic, depending on the location…