California Injury Blog

If you have been injured in Kentucky accident, especially if you live in the Louisville area, you should be seeking out Mike Schafer. Here's why. I've worked with Mike on a number of occasions on jointly improving our delivery of legal services to catastrophically injured accident victims. In my opinion, Mike is a legal genius in recovering compensation for the seriously injured and for the families of deceased car accident victims.

Continue reading "Mike Schafer, Best Personal Injury Lawyer in Kentucky" »

According to a communication I received from Consumer Watchdog founder Harvey Rosenfeld, Mercury Insurance has sued him, former Attorney General John Van De Kamp and former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi. Why? The car insurance company wants to stop them from warning Californians in the Official State Voter Guide about the huge premium increases to come under Mercury's Prop 17 for millions of drivers.

Prop 17 is fully funded by Mercury Insurance, apparently with the goal of jacking up Californians' auto insurance premiums. Prop 17 would surcharge drivers, including soldiers, students and seniors, who have had a lapse in car insurance coverage virtually for any reason during the last five years. This would penalize even those who have had no car accidents, citations or violations.

Continue reading "Mercury Insurance Wants to Increase Premiums, But Does Not Want Voters to Know about It" »

As a California personal injury lawyer who has been representing injured clients for more than three decades, a blog recently written by my friend and Dallas personal injury lawyer Jeffrey Rasansky, hit home. Jeff's touching article titled "A Tragic Reminder of Why I Do What I Do" reminds all of us why we got into personal injury law -- to help people and to hold wrongdoers accountable for their actions.

Continue reading "Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Demands Justice for Grieving Family Devastating by a Drunk Driver" »

Oscar Rodriguez, a bilingual fourth grader from Los Angeles, has emerged a wounded hero in the catastrophic Arizona bus accident on the Interstate 10 near Phoenix early morning on March 5, 2010, which killed six people and critically injured several others. According to an Associated Press news report, the 11-year-old Oscar, although injured in the crash himself, lay on an ambulance stretcher as he translated from Spanish to English and English to Spanish for busy emergency workers who were trying to save lives at the scene of the disastrous crash. Paramedic Kenneth Leslie tells the Associated Press: "The kid stayed calm and was brave more than any veteran that I've worked with."

Continue reading "Boy Hero Helps Emergency Personnel in Fatal Arizona Bus Accident" »

A driver who caused a Fresno car accident that killed a family -- Donald Fisher, 77, his wife Arlene, 74, and their son, Brian Fisher, 55 -- is likely to face criminal changes. According to a KFSN news report, the fatal accident occurred March 9, 2010 when 32-year-old Manuel Casillas crossed into opposing traffic lanes on Jensen Avenue and struck the Fishers' vehicle head-on. Officials are still looking into what caused Casillas to go over the center divide of the roadway.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the Fishers who were apparently very active and popular in their community. Tragic! My heart goes out to everybody who knew and loved the Fishers. Please keep this grieving family and community in your prayers.

Continue reading "Fresno Car Accident Kills Three" »

San Rafael police have arrested a Novato man in connection with a hit-and-run San Francisco car accident in which a teen pedestrian was injured. According to a CBS News report, two girls -- ages 15 and 16 -- were crossing Second Street in San Rafael, in a marked crosswalk, the evening of March 8, 2010, when a maroon van southbound on B Street, hit them. One of the girls sustained leg injuries. The driver did not stop and continued east on Second Street.

Hit-and-Run Suspect Apprehended

However, a witness wrote down the van's license plate number and reported it to authorities. A Marin County Sheriff's deputy driving north on Highway 101 near Lucas Valley Road, spotted the suspect vehicle, and arrested 48-year-old Gbayere Germain Any on charges of felony hit-and-run and failure to yield to a pedestrian, which is an infraction, a much lesser crime.

I hope and pray that neither of the two young victims was seriously injured. I wish the injured girl the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Man Arrested in San Francisco Area Hit-and-Run Car Accident" »

Khuong Nguyen, 42, was injured in an Orange County car accident after he was struck by an out-of-control car in the parking lot of a Garden Grove hotel. According to a news report in The Garden Grove Journal, the incident occurred at the Ramada Inn Plaza on Garden Grove Boulevard, the night of March 5, 2010, when a Jeep Liberty SUV that was being driven into the hotel parking lot by 58-year-old Dzung Truong, hit Nguyen.

Truong told police officials that he tried to stop, but his brakes failed and that the car continued forward, striking Nguyen and pushing him against a wall. Nguyen sustained major leg injuries. He was transported to a local hospital. Police do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved. No citations have been issued pending a police investigation.

I sympathize with Nguyen, who has apparently been seriously injured in this collision. I hope he has not suffered any catastrophic injuries and wish him the very best for a quick and full recovery. He will be in my prayers.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Injured in Orange County Car Accident" »

Steven Anthony Kelley, 18, was killed in a San Diego car accident after he was struck by a two cars while crossing El Camino Real, in Carlsbad, the night of March 5, 2010. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the second driver waited at the scene, but the driver who initially struck Kelley drove away. The following day, a woman called police and told them that she may have struck Kelley. She told officials she drove away because she thought she had "struck an object" and did not realize that she may have hit a person. Kelley was crossing the northbound lanes of El Camino Real, near Camino Vida Roble.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Steven Anthony Kelley for their tragic and untimely loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Accident Kills Pedestrian" »

The driver of a Ford Econoline van sustained fatal injuries in a Los Angeles car accident that happened the morning of March 4, 2010 on the 405 Freeway, in Torrance. The Daily Breeze reports that police arrested the drunk driver suspected of causing the collision. Adriano Baek, 27, was booked on one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of DUI causing injury or death.

Baek was driving south on the freeway near the Crenshaw Boulevard off-ramp when he attempted an unsafe lane change and ended up rear-ending the Ford van at a high rate of speed. The van driver lost control of his vehicle, veered across lanes, hit another vehicle and went down an embankment.

I offer my heartfelt condolences to everyone who knew and loved the deceased van driver. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Continue reading "Los Angeles DUI Collision Causes Fatality" »

Four people including an infant sustained serious injuries in a San Francisco car accident, which officials say was caused by a suspected drunk driver. ABC News reports that 24-year-old Faustino Vega-Xicohtencatl was traveling west in a 2004 Ford F-150 on Mark West Springs Road near Santa Rosa the evening of March 2, 2010, when he lost control of his vehicle and crossed into opposing lanes of traffic.

He struck a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer head-on critically injuring its driver, 21-year-old Carron Boyd. Randal C. Hinojosa, 22, a passenger in the Mercury suffered minor injuries. His 8-month-old daughter, Allesandrya Hinojosa, sustained severe head injuries and was taken to a local hospital. One other driver, who was involved in the crash, was fortunately uninjured. Police arrested Vega-Xicohtencatl on two counts of felony drunk driving. He was also charged with driving without a valid license

Continue reading "Major Injuries in San Francisco DUI Collision" »

Michael Harris, 67, of San Carlos was one of two people killed in a Los Angeles car accident that occurred the evening of March 3, 2010 on the northbound 605 Freeway in Cerritos. According to a news report in The Press-Telegram, a Ford van containing seven people was going north in the number two lane and was near the Artesia (91) Freeway, when the van tried to move into the carpool lane nearly hitting a Mitsubishi Lancer traveling in the number one lane.

Continue reading "Two Killed, Five Critically Injured in Los Angeles Car Accident" »

Newsweek recently featured the Los Angeles personal injury law firm BISNAR | CHASE in their "The Best of Los Angeles Law." The article was written to draw attention to the law firms in the Los Angeles area that specialize in certain areas of litigation like personal injuries and wrongful death due to accident, defective products liability and negligence.

The feature was part of a larger December of 2009/January of 2010 Newsweek issue which dedicated its subject to "people who matter most." According to the magazine, in-depth Q&A were conducted with prominent figures from Hillary and Bill Clinton to Henry Kissinger, Bill Maher to Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com. The "Best of Los Angeles Law" section allowed John Bisnar and Brian Chase, partners of BISNAR | CHASE, to talk about their legal achievements and innovative approaches to helping personal injury victims.

Continue reading ""The Best of Los Angeles Law": BISNAR | CHASE" »