This may be seen as a very notable consumer case against a retail giant by any Los Angeles slip-and-fall injury attorney: A man walked up for a cup of coffee at one of the best coffee shops in the world was not only served with coffee but also with a plateful of million dollars.

Finally, on December 29, 2011, a San Diego jury awarded a man and his wife with almost $7.5 million in their slip and fall injury lawsuit filed against Starbucks.

According to the report, the personal injury claim was filed by Anthony Zaccaglin and his wife way back in 2009 stemming from the slip-and-fall accident that happened at a North County Starbucks branch. Zaccaglin sustained a traumatic brain injury after slipping and falling inside a Starbucks shop in Melrose, Vista. Witnesses stated that Zaccaglin was walking towards the pick–up counter from the cashier when he fell and hit his head on the cash register.

Witnesses added that a manager from the said Starbucks branch just mopped the floor area where Zaccaglin passed to fetch his order and then slipped. An employee later apologized for not “dry mopping” the wet floor. However, an apology could not heal the wound as well as the serious effects that the incident brought into Zaccaglin’s life.

Zaccaglin suffered from complications arising from the slip and fall accident. He is also permanently unable to attend to his job as a chiropractor. His wife said that he is suffering from excessive fatigue, severe headaches and side effects from his medication.

Zaccaglin’s slip-and-fall attorneys said that Starbucks initially offered $100,000 to Zaccaglin and his wife but the couple turned down the offer.

A jury awarded Zaccaglin with about $6.5 million and his wife with $1 million for losing consortium. The total amount of their slip and fall injury claim could amount to $8.5 million including added costs.

Starbucks, feeling sorry for Zaccaglin but somehow disappointed with the size of the verdict are reviewing the ruling to know if they can do some appropriate steps regarding the jury’s decision.

It looks like the case was not yet resolved since Starbucks is looking for ways to make an appeal. Wherever it may lead, hopefully Starbucks will not only focus on its appeal but as well as on the safety of their premises to avoid similar slip and fall injury accidents to occur again.

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has reported that every year, pedestrians make up about 12 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths. While pedestrian fatalities aren’t as high as the numbers in passenger vehicle or motorcycle accident deaths, it is still substantial. Statistics show that in 2008, as many as 4,378 pedestrians were killed while 69,000 pedestrians were injured in motor vehicle accidents.

Suffice to say, every day, a pedestrian dies because of an accident involving a motor vehicle. In South Los Angeles, a 19-year old pedestrian recently lost his life in a collision. Authorities reported that the accident occurred before 7 AM just along the 8600 block of Figueroa Boulevard and Manchester Avenue.

The pedestrian was reportedly outside the crosswalk when he was struck and killed by the vehicle. The driver stopped at the scene and after being interviewed by the police, was not cited for the accident. Although the pedestrian died, the police stated that the driver did not break any laws.

Liability is a huge issue in pedestrian accidents. As the human body is no match for the strength or speed of a moving vehicle, pedestrians are often killed or sustain serious injuries in a collision. Most victims or their families would want to recover compensation against the driver but proving fault in a pedestrian accident isn’t easy.

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This just goes to show that even professional and record-breaking Tour De Force champion bicyclists like Lance Armstrong can get involved in a bicycle accident.

"Lance Armstrong injured in tour of California." (photo credit: examiner.com)

Earlier this week, Armstrong, who was in the Tour of California, was sent to the hospital after being injured in a bicycle crash. The accident happened on a two-lane road outside Visalia, when one of the riders in the main group skidded on gravel and fell, which triggered a chain crash accident.

Armstrong allegedly tried to get back into the race but had to quit because of an injury below his left eye and a wound in his elbow that kept him from holding on too long to the bars of his bike.

Precautionary X-rays were taken and aside from eight stitches below his left eye, Armstrong was fine.

Learning how to ride a bike may be easy, the hard part is how to safely ride one.

These days, heavily congested roads have forced people to resort to using motorcycles and bicycles for their transportation. Riding bicycles are certainly more environment-friendly and fuel-efficient but staying safe on the streets while riding a bike can be a challenge.

Sometimes, when there are no bicycle lanes, cars, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles would have to share the road and this has been the cause of many bicycle accidents that have injured or killed thousands of people.

If Lance Armstrong got into a bicycle accident, the odds are, ordinary bikers riding for pleasure, exercise and transportation are even more likely to take a spill on the road sooner or later. So in the meantime, here are some bicycle safety tips:

•    Get a headlight and a rear light for your bicycle especially if you ride during the evenings.
•    Wear bright and/or reflective clothing.
•    Try to avoid busy streets as much as possible, most car drivers will be too busy or distracted to notice you.
•    Take the whole lane when you ride, or at least ride a little bit to the left, rather than stay on the right curb.
•    Never move left or make a turn without checking your area.

If you ride your bicycle safely and follow all of the above-mentioned tips but still get involved in an accident, you may file a personal injury claim especially if the other driver was negligent. Because just as you have the duty to be careful and diligent, so do the other motorists on the road.

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