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Lake Merritt puts more people on foot and on bikes than almost anywhere else in Oakland. That’s what makes it one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods and one of its most dangerous for anyone not in a car. When someone behind the wheel fails to share the road, Burneikis Law is ready to help.
Burneikis Law serves injury victims throughout Lake Merritt and all of Oakland. If you were hurt in a pedestrian, bicycle, or car accident, call (510) 328-3238) for a free consultation, available 24/7.
Return to the Oakland Personal Injury Lawyer hub for information about our full Oakland practice.
Lake Merritt draws people out of their cars. Residents walk to the Grand Lake Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, jog the 3.4-mile loop before work, and cross Lakeshore Avenue to reach the path on foot or by bike. Commuters exit Lake Merritt BART at 800 Oak Street and head home along Oak, 12th, and Fallon streets.
That foot traffic exists alongside some of Oakland’s most hazardous driving conditions. Grand Avenue is on the city’s official High Injury Network, a designation reserved for the small percentage of streets responsible for the majority of serious and fatal crashes citywide. Lakeshore Avenue built a documented history of cyclist fatalities before the city broke ground on the Maia Correia Memorial Bikeway. Harrison Street has a documented speeding problem, with left-turn failure-to-yield crashes recorded at intersections near 23rd and 27th streets.
Monica Burneikis has been practicing personal injury law in Alameda County since December 2005. She knows these streets. When an insurance company argues the accident was your fault for being in the wrong place, she knows what Oakland’s own traffic safety data says about that place.
$40M+ recovered for injury victims. Monica Burneikis is a solo practitioner, which means you work directly with her, not handed off to a junior associate or paralegal. She speaks English, Spanish, and ASL. Bar #239860. Contingency fee: no charge unless you recover.
Lakeshore Avenue’s history of dooring accidents is not a mystery. Cyclists in the unprotected lane between East 18th Street and El Embarcadero faced open car doors with no buffer. In August 2023, four-year-old Maia Correia died after a dooring near Hanover Street. The Maia Correia Memorial Bikeway has since improved that stretch, but adjacent crossings on Grand Avenue remain unprotected.
We handle bicycle accident cases from Lakeshore Avenue, Grand Avenue, and the loop path itself, where fast cyclists and slower foot traffic share space without separation.
Crossing Grand Avenue near the lake carries real risk. Wide multi-lane stretches, drivers accelerating toward I-580 at the Grand/MacArthur Boulevard interchange, and Saturday morning farmers market traffic that reroutes frustrated drivers through residential streets all create conditions where pedestrians get hurt.
Pedestrian accidents are also common near Lake Merritt BART at 800 Oak Street. The City improved five nearby intersections in 2019, adding painted crossings on Oak, 12th, and Fallon streets. Those improvements helped, but rideshare pickup zones at the exits still create stop-and-go conflicts with pedestrians every rush hour.
When another vehicle caused your crash, we can help. The Lake Merritt area sees elevated accident risk from event-day congestion at LakeFest Oakland and the weekly Grand Lake Farmers Market, from drivers cutting through residential streets to avoid Grand Avenue backups, and from freeway ramp traffic spilling off I-580 at the Grand/MacArthur interchange.
Lake Merritt is a renter-heavy neighborhood, with over 60% of residents in apartments or condos, many of them mid-rise and high-rise buildings along Lakeside Drive, Lakeshore Avenue, and interior streets. Building owners and property managers have a legal obligation to maintain safe common areas. Poorly lit parking garages, broken stairwell railings, uneven entry pavement, and neglected wet floors in building lobbies are all premises liability cases.
HOA-managed buildings (including Hanover Terrace, Crescent Villas, and Jayne Manor) add another layer: the management company may be named alongside the property owner. If you were injured in a common area, parking structure, or stairwell, call us before the building’s insurance adjuster calls you.
The driver who opened the door. California Vehicle Code 22517 makes it illegal to open a vehicle door without first checking for safety. If a parked driver opened their door into your path, they are almost always at fault. Their insurance covers your injuries, bike damage, and related costs. If the driver was uninsured, your own uninsured motorist policy may apply.
Not necessarily. California follows comparative fault: even if you were partially at fault, you can still recover damages reduced by your percentage of responsibility. Grand Avenue’s status on Oakland’s High Injury Network means the street has a documented history of dangerous conditions. The driver’s speed, sight lines, and reaction time all matter, and we investigate each before an insurance company’s version of events becomes the accepted one.
Property owners and managers have a legal duty to maintain common areas in a reasonably safe condition. If your landlord knew about a hazard, or should have known, and failed to fix it, they may be liable for your injuries. Photograph the scene before anything is repaired, then call us. We offer free consultations and take premises liability cases on contingency.
No. The consultation is free. Burneikis Law works on contingency: no upfront legal fees. Monica only gets paid if she recovers money for you, whether your case settles or goes to trial.
Burneikis Law is located at 66 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor, Oakland, CA 94607, approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Lake Merritt.
By car from Lakeshore Avenue: Head west on Grand Avenue, turn left onto Broadway, continue past 19th Street BART, turn right on 7th Street, then left on Franklin. The office is on the third floor.
By BART from Lake Merritt Station: Take the Orange or Beige Line one stop west to 12th Street/Oakland City Center. The office is a short walk from there.
Call (510) 328-3238) ahead to confirm parking. No charge for the consultation.
Lake Merritt is a 155-acre tidal lagoon at the center of one of Oakland’s most densely populated residential neighborhoods. The 3.4-mile path around the lake (zip codes 94610 and 94612) is among the most heavily used recreational corridors in the East Bay, shared daily by joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, and parents with strollers. The Grand Lake Farmers Market at Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue draws over 40 farmers and 30 food vendors every Saturday, closing Grand Avenue to traffic for several blocks. LakeFest Oakland and summer holidays bring additional road closures and pedestrian volume. Alameda County Superior Court, where injury cases are tried, is at 1225 Fallon Street, about seven minutes from the lake by car.
Contact Us
Burneikis Law represents injury victims throughout the Oakland neighborhoods surrounding Lake Merritt.
Call Burneikis Law at (510) 328-3238 for a free consultation. Monica takes calls 24/7. No upfront costs. We only get paid if you do.
Burneikis Law | 66 Franklin St, 3rd Floor, Oakland, CA 94607 | Serving Lake Merritt and all surrounding Oakland neighborhoods.
FREE Case EvaluationHow To Reach Us:
Address:
66 Franklin Street
3rd Floor
Oakland, California 94607
Phone Number:
(510) 328-3238
Hours:
24 Hours a Day
