Pleasanton sits at one of the busiest freeway junctions in Northern California, where Interstate 580 meets Interstate 680. Commuter backups there regularly spill onto Santa Rita Road, Hopyard Road, and the streets around Stoneridge Shopping Center. Business travelers in rental cars, event traffic at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, and frustrated rush-hour drivers all show up in local injury claims. This guide lists five attorneys who represent injured people in Pleasanton, starting with Bay Area Injury Law Firm, then answers Tri-Valley residents’ questions about road rage, rental cars, and totaled vehicles.
Which attorneys handle personal injury cases in Pleasanton?
These five represent people injured in Pleasanton and nearby Tri-Valley communities:
- Bay Area Injury Law Firm
- Jeffrey John Rooney
- Harvey L. Ziff
- Heinrich Law
- Jasleen Singh
What should Pleasanton residents know about each attorney?
1. Bay Area Injury Law Firm
Bay Area Injury Law Firm is a personal injury practice based in Daly City. It was founded and is led by principal attorney Joseph Chan, Esq., a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. California attorneys are licensed statewide, so the firm can represent people injured in Pleasanton and throughout Alameda County.
Most of the firm’s work involves traffic collisions, including car, truck, and motorcycle crashes. That fits a city built around two major freight and commuter routes. The firm also represents pedestrians and cyclists hit by vehicles and people injured in crashes with rideshare and delivery drivers. It handles dog bite and burn injury cases as well, along with catastrophic injuries, meaning injuries serious enough to permanently limit a person’s ability to work or live independently.
Clients get help finding appropriate medical care early, which supports their recovery and builds the records a claim depends on. Cases are handled on contingency, so no attorney fee is charged unless money is recovered. The office speaks Cantonese and Burmese.
2. Jeffrey John Rooney
Jeffrey John Rooney is an accident lawyer based in San Ramon.
3. Harvey L. Ziff
Harvey L. Ziff is an attorney serving clients in Marin County and Fremont.
4. Heinrich Law
Heinrich Law is a personal injury firm in San Francisco.
5. Jasleen Singh
Jasleen Singh is a San Francisco attorney who handles personal injury and product liability litigation.
Can you recover damages after a road rage incident?
Yes, but deliberate conduct changes how the claim gets paid. A driver who intentionally rams your car or assaults you at a stoplight has committed an intentional tort. An intentional tort is a civil wrong done on purpose, such as battery, rather than through carelessness. You can sue the driver directly for your injuries, and punitive damages may be available.
Collecting is harder. California Insurance Code section 533 says an insurer is not liable for losses caused by the insured’s willful act, so the aggressive driver’s auto policy may deny coverage. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may help in some situations, and the California Victim Compensation Board can reimburse certain crime-related expenses. Report the incident to the police immediately. If you can do so safely, record the other vehicle’s plate and any dashcam footage.
Who pays if you are hit by someone driving a rental car?
Usually the renter and whatever insurance covers them, not the rental company. A federal law called the Graves Amendment, 49 U.S.C. section 30106, generally prevents rental and leasing companies from being held liable simply because they own the vehicle. The rental company can still be responsible for its own negligence, such as renting out a car with brakes it knew were faulty.
Coverage can come from several sources. They include the renter’s personal auto policy, supplemental liability insurance bought at the counter, a business travel policy if the renter was on a work trip, or a credit card benefit. Get the rental agreement number at the scene along with the driver’s personal insurance information, because sorting out which policy applies can take time.
What are you owed if your car is totaled?
You’re entitled to the vehicle’s actual cash value, plus certain fees and costs. California’s Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, at Title 10, section 2695.8 of the California Code of Regulations, require insurers to base total loss offers on comparable vehicles. They also require insurers to include sales tax and transfer and license fees in the settlement. Many people accept offers that leave those amounts out.
A claim against the at-fault driver can also include loss of use. That covers the reasonable cost of a rental car while your vehicle is repaired or replaced. If your car is repaired instead of totaled, you may be able to claim diminished value, which is the drop in resale price caused by an accident history. Get your own valuation, pulling listings for similar vehicles near Pleasanton, before accepting the insurer’s number.
How should you choose an injury attorney?
Choose a lawyer who explains your deadlines clearly, tells you who will handle your case, and gives a realistic view of it instead of promises. California Business and Professions Code section 6147 requires contingency agreements to be in writing, so ask how costs will be handled and whether the firm helps with the property damage part of your claim. Bring the police report number, photos, and your rental or insurance paperwork to your first meeting.
If you were injured in Pleasanton or elsewhere in the Tri-Valley, contact Bay Area Injury Law Firm to schedule a consultation with Joseph Chan, Esq. and learn where your claim stands.
