Practice Areas

My practice is devoted to personal injury law in all its forms. Personal injury law covers damage to your body, mind, and emotions, but not your property. These injuries are caused accidentally through another party’s failure to use reasonable care. This means that through negligent or reckless action – or inaction, in some cases – you were harmed.

My job, as your personal injury attorney, is to prove that your injuries were caused by, and were a foreseeable result of, someone else’s action.

Personal injury sometimes has an irreversible impact on those who experience it. At best, it’s inconvenient and painful; at worst, personal injury can take away your ability to function, the ability to earn an income, limbs, and even life. While I realize that no amount of money is enough to replace these losses, the justice system strives to bring as much wholeness as possible to those who suffer. When you call Gary A. Peterson, you’re calling an attorney with over twenty years of experience in this arena. My focus is on helping you heal and return to as much wholeness as possible. I do this by working to get you compensation such that your focus can be on rebuilding your life, as opposed to worrying about money.

While I handle all types of personal injury cases, a good portion of my practice involves automobile-related injury claims. These are the most common, and often the most damaging types of personal injuries. Automobile-related injuries involve automobile vs. automobile, automobile vs. motorcycle/bicycle, and automobile vs. pedestrian, which are perhaps the worst of all since pedestrians don’t have the benefit of protective gear.

Every personal injury case is taken on a contingency basis; you only pay my fee if I obtain compensation for you. You never pay any costs upfront – such as those for filing your claim or hiring expert witnesses. I cover all costs and you pay them upon receiving your compensation.

I represent clients in all of the following areas of personal injury law:

Car Accidents

Statistics show that California’s roads are among the busiest in the nation. Our state’s legislature works to pass laws to make our roads safe but there’s no guarantee that other drivers will obey these laws. Texting and driving and driving while under the influence are both strictly forbidden by California statutes. However, these two activities are the biggest contributors to motor vehicle accidents in the state.

Truck Accidents

Large trucking is a United States Department of Transportation regulated field. There are strict rules for both drivers and trucking companies. Adherence to these rules is necessary to provide safe roadways for the truck drivers as well as other motorists. However, as is the case with automobile drivers not all truck drivers or trucking companies do so.

Motorcycle Accidents

Automobile collisions with motorcycles are extremely serious. Motorcycle riders have little to no protection and travel at the same rate of speed as the automobiles around them. In fact, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) motorcycle riders are five times more likely to be injured and 26 times more likely to die than other motorists. If you or a loved one has experienced injury while riding, call us to learn about your rights under the law.

Cyclist Accidents

While bicyclists may not face the added threat of highway speeds, these accidents still have tremendous impact on the cyclists. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), most cyclist accidents occur at non-intersection areas in the evening hours; a high percentage of these accidents result in fatal injuries.

Pedestrian Accidents

Perhaps the worst type of motor vehicle accident, pedestrian accidents are the most likely to cause death or permanent disability. Pedestrians don’t have the benefit of even the slight protections offered a bicyclist. Even though you, as a pedestrian, have the right of way, you’re still dependent on someone else giving you that right, as they sometimes fail to do.

Wrongful Death

When a loved one dies because of another’s negligence, the family is stricken by grief. As such, they may not be aware that they have an option for recovery. While the justice system cannot return their loved one to them, it can – and does – compensate them for that loss. This may be cold comfort, but it gives the survivors the opportunity to grieve and heal without worrying about finances, especially if the deceased was the sole provider.

Premises Liability

Commercial as well as residential properties must be maintained safely for those who visit and those who live there. Often, this responsibility belongs to the property owner; however, there may be a management company acting as an intermediary between the owner and tenants. Either way, improper maintenance can cause life-altering injuries.

Slip and Fall/Trip and Fall Accidents

There are federal, state, and local codes delineating a property owner or landlord’s responsibility for proper maintenance of their properties. Sidewalks, walkways, parking lots, steps, stairs, and aisles are each treated differently and it is the property owner’s responsibility to know the codes and adhere to them. Alas, not all property owners do this; the results are slip and fall/trip and fall injuries, some of which are quite serious. Call us for an explanation of your rights under the law.

Dog Bites

This type of injury can be quite serious, especially if the bites are to the head or face. California is one of the few states that have a Dog Bite Statute, in addition to the typical rules of negligence that apply in these cases. As an experienced personal injury attorney, I know the statute and the rules necessary to help you get the compensation you deserve.