25-year-old Kwayde, a motorcyclist, suffered a below-the-knee amputation when a driver made an unsafe left turn. He also sustained a severe concussion, a fractured hand, multiple spinal fractures, and the loss of a finger. On the very day of the crash, Kwayde had been accepted into a firefighter academy.

His experts argued the intersection lacked a dedicated left-turn lane and sufficient signage warning of oncoming traffic. In addition, the approaching curve limited visibility, forcing drivers to make hurried, unsafe left turns to avoid being rear-ended.

Defendant San Diego County won a last-minute motion excusing the County from liability. The jury awarded $13,140,000 against the defendant driver. Kwayde is appealing the judge’s ruling.

Superior Court, William Wood — Miller vs. San Diego County et al., March 6, 2025

Starting July 1, 2025, California’s new law SB 1061 adds strict language requirements to all medical contracts—including PI liens. If your lien or financial agreement signed on or after that date does not include the exact required statement, the debt will be void and unenforceable.

Required “Magic Words”:

“A holder of this medical debt contract is prohibited by Section 1785.27 of the Civil Code from furnishing any information related to this debt to a consumer credit reporting agency. In addition to any other penalties allowed by law, if a person knowingly violates that section by furnishing information regarding this debt to a consumer credit reporting agency, the debt shall be void and unenforceable.”

Don’t risk losing your right to collect—review and update your forms now.

Read the law here: SB 1061 – California Legislature

Police reports are often the most important evidence in traffic accidents—except they aren’t admissible in court. Still, insurance companies and victims rely heavily on them… even though they sometimes contain mistakes.

That’s why it’s important for doctors to take a few key steps to understand what happened biomechanically to their patient and determine if there’s a justified claim. As Lewkovich notes, patients and their attorneys can update and correct inaccurate police reports.

Common errors to check:

• Is the date of the accident correct?
• Is the location accurate?
• Are any witnesses missing?
• Is the officer’s name correct?
• 

For your free copy of the Police Report Accuracy Checklist, email John Tawlian.

A national survey reveals patient payment patterns:

• 56%  cash
• 27%  insurance
• 16%  PI case
• 9%     Medicare
• 4%     Medicaid
• 2%    workers’ compensation