California Injury Blog

Three Moorpark residents were reportedly killed after their car crashed into an Oxnard auto parts store early Sunday morning, the Ventura County Star reports. The driver of the car, Celestino Hernandez-Lara, 37, his wife Irma Apostol Reyes, 30 and Alejandrino de la Cruz-Matas, 42, were killed in the auto accident involving a Ford Taurus, the article said.

According to reports, Hernandez-Lara lost control of the Taurus when he failed to negotiate a bend in the road and struck the building. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash. Tests to determine whether drugs or alcohol caused the crash are pending, the article says. Although Hernandez-Lara and Apostol-Reyes were wearing their seatbelts, de la Cruz-Matas who was a passenger in the back seat, reportedly was not buckled up. All suffered from blunt force injuries.

This is one of those crashes we see on the freeway on our way to work or hear about in the news. There are always many questions hanging over an incident such as this one. The most significant question of course is: What caused this auto accident? In a case such as this where one vehicle was involved and all three occupants of the car died, there is very little information about the circumstances such as speed or what led to the crash.

Continue reading "Three Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash In Ventura County" »

A Marysville, CA nursing home is facing a $100,000 fine from the State Department of Health and Human Services after an 84-year-old resident was found dead in May 2007, her head stuck between her bed and a bed rail. According to an article in the Appeal-Democrat newspaper, Dorothy Rothacher reportedly died after the nursing home failed to lower bed rails or use an alarm that would have alerted nurses that the patient was getting up from her bed.

The nursing home owners, who also own Yuba City Care Center in the same city, has remained quiet about this incident. This apparently wasn’t the first time the state received complaints about this particular nursing home. Last year 17 complaints were received and state inspectors found 36 deficiencies there, the article reported. The most recent citation, an AA citation, is usually given for the most serious violations.

Rothacher had been a two-year resident at the nursing home and was suffering from osteoarthritis, psychosis as well as Alzheimer’s disease. The article also points out that nurses had given conflicting statements during the investigation about whether Rothacher got out of bed or whether a bed alarm was used. According to the coroner’s report, the cause of death was “asphyxiation due to a compressed and fractured larynx.” The nursing home also did not keep up with the patient’s care plan, which called for a bed alarm and rails positioned on the top half of the bed, allowing her to get out of the lower half.

Continue reading "California Nursing Home Slapped With $100,000 Fine In Resident’s Death" »

Two motorcyclists racing each other on the freeway may have caused an Orange County auto accident that killed a driver on the 241 toll road north of Portola Parkway in the early morning hours of Friday, The Orange County Register reports. The victim, identified as 46-year-old Andrew Parker of Trabuco Canyon, was reportedly rear-ended by one of the motorcyclists. Parker died on the scene, the newspaper says based on official reports from the Orange County Coroner.

Officials say the two motorcyclists were racing on the toll road when one of the riders on a Yamaha motorcycle slammed into Parker’s vehicle. The impact of the crash caused Parker to lose control and go off the road, roll over and crash into a light pole. The motorcyclist who hit Parker is also reportedly in serious condition in a local hospital with major injuries. He is said to have been thrown from his vehicle. California Highway Patrol investigators are looking for the second motorcyclist who fled the scene. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call CHP at 949-487-4000.

We hope anyone who reads this blog and saw this horrific crash is able to provide tips to investigators. This is no doubt another unnecessary death in Orange County caused by street racing. In this case they were on a freeway possibly emboldened by the fact that traffic was light. But it was no doubt a senseless act that caused the death of a man. Our hearts go out to Parker’s family.

Continue reading "Racing Motorcycle On 241 Toll Road Causes Fatal Accident" »

Five people were killed and six suffered injuries in a van crash when a tractor-trailer slammed into their vehicle. A group of 11 people, including staff and residents of a group home for the mentally disabled, were on a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo, according to an Associated Press news report. The report says that the van had stopped at an intersection and then pulled right in front of the tractor trailer on a rural highway.

The five people who were killed were Sheryl Maiolini, 53, of Charleroi; staff member Mary Watkins, 43, of Ellsworth; and residents John Maise, 61, Richard Paquet, 43, and Julie Hugus, 41, the AP reported. Three were residents at the group home and two were staff members. Six others were taken to area hospitals with injuries that included a broken clavicle, a broken hip, and head, neck and spinal injuries. They are all expected to survive, the news agency reports.

Officials say the impact of the crash knocked the van on to its side and pushed it roof-first into a cinder block storage facility, causing the vehicle’s roof to crush and cave in. Officials don’t believe the big rig was speeding. The tractor trailer reportedly belonged to Stocker Trucking Co. in Gnadenhutten, Ohio and was driven by 44-year-old Steven Rouse, an Ohio resident. Rouse was reportedly treated for minor injuries.

Continue reading "5 Dead, 6 Injured In Pennsylvania Van vs. Big Rig Accident" »

A judge ruled this week that the driver of a runaway dump truck and the company that employed him must both stand vehicular manslaughter charges in connection with a horrible traffic accident in Rancho Cucamonga that killed one person and injured several others, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported.

The judge categorically stated during the hearing, the newspaper reports, that both Adam Ahlberg, the driver, and the company, Clark Grading, knew that the truck had defective brakes before it hit the road on June 16, 2006. The heavy truck careened out of control on Archibald Avenue because the brakes failed and struck pretty much everything in its way. It reportedly came to a stop only after running a red light at Arrow Highway and colliding with an Omnitrans bus and another Rancho Cucamonga public works truck.

Officials described the death and destruction caused by this runaway dump truck as something similar to a bomb explosion. The driver of the city truck, Angel Calzada, a 20-year veteran of the public works department, was killed in the accident. Investigators discovered that not only did Ahlberg know that the brakes on the truck were problematic but the problems were so bad that the California Highway Patrol once ordered the truck off the road after issuing a citation for faulty brakes. Of course, Ahlberg’s employers knew about it because he repeatedly noted the problems on his log as he is supposed to.

Continue reading "Dump Truck Driver and Trucking Company Face Vehicular Manslaughter Charges" »

In spite of decades of warnings from researchers and doctors that nail guns are dangerous and can cause major injuries or even death, the popularity of automatic nail guns surged during the building boom of the 2000s resulting in skyrocketing nail gun injuries, an in-depth investigation by the Sacramento Bee finds.

According to the report, California companies reported 1,890 nail gun injuries leading to missed work days between 2003 and 2006, according to Labor Department numbers. A national report apparently shows that the number of people affected by nail gun injuries is actually much higher – about 42,000 people a year, more than 100 a day are treated for these injuries in our emergency rooms. The cost is about $338 million a year in emergency medical care, rehabilitation and workers compensation, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Injury victims and their families are increasingly accusing manufacturers of sacrificing safety to boost the sale of these nail guns and nails, which are nothing but mini missiles, which cause injuries to not only the people who work with them, but also innocent bystanders. Consider this for a second – the most powerful nail guns available in the market can send 30 nails blasting out per minute and these things travel up to 490 feet per second.

Continue reading "Defective and Dangerous Nail Guns Are Causing Major Injuries and Deaths, Report Shows" »

Here is a story that tells us how important it is to get checked out by a doctor after you have been involved in an auto accident. According to an article in the Eureka Times-Standard, a 29-year-old man who was involved in a motorcycle accident and was found dead hours after the crash, died from his accident injuries.

The article states that Lawrence Friedman was in a motorcycle accident the afternoon of April 19. Officials suspect he did not realize the extent of his injuries and decided to go out with his friends to a party Saturday night. Officials, based on witness reports and investigations, believe that Friedman collapsed in front of his home after returning from the party sometime late April 20 or early morning on April 21. He was reportedly found dead on his front lawn by a delivery person.

Continue reading "The Importance of a Medical Exam After An Auto Accident" »

A woman in her 30s was reportedly hit and killed by a charter bus when she was crossing the street Tuesday morning in the Westlake area of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reports. The article states that the woman, who has not yet been identified, entered a crosswalk at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue, when she was hit by the bus.

Witnesses describe the charter bus as a yellow bus that looks very much like a school bus. The driver of the bus was reportedly trying to turn on New Hampshire from Wilshire. No one else was injured as a result of the bus accident and police are still looking into what caused the fatal accident, the Times reports. Officials have not yet released the name of the bus driver or the bus company either. No one has been arrested or cited yet.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Hit and Killed By Charter Bus In Los Angeles" »

A jury in Texas awarded $84 million to a man who was injured when a U-Haul rental truck he rented ran him over because the parking brake failed. According to a Bloomberg News report, Talmadge Waldrip, 74, parked the truck on a slight incline and the parking brake failed. In his lawsuit against U-Haul, Waldrip alleged that U-Haul failed to maintain its vehicles properly and should be held liable for his injuries.

According to the article, Waldrip’s pelvis was crushed in the 2006 accident leaving him unable to walk and with no bowel control. Waldrip also alleged in the lawsuit that the truck with 234,000 miles on it was poorly maintained. U-Haul officials have said they will certainly appeal the verdict and that they find the damages awarded “outrageous.” A company spokesperson told the news service: “The final verdict is another example of abuse of the legal system against corporate citizens in America.”

A Dallas court found U-Haul negligent and awarded Waldrip a total of $84.25 million, a majority (about $63 million) in punitive damages. The verdict is reportedly the 11th largest jury award this year so far.

Continue reading "Texas Jury Awards $84 Million To Man Injured By U-Haul Truck" »

A Modesto man is suspected of driving under the influence, hitting a bicyclist and then leading police on a six-mile pursuit. At the end of the chase, 29-year-old Emiliano Maldonado Jr. was arrested. The 51-year-old bicyclist, whom Maldonado allegedly struck, dragged and then left on the street, suffered severe injuries in the hit-and-run accident, but is expected to survive, the Modesto Bee newspaper reports.

According to officials, the bicyclist was following the rules of the road and was using his hands to signal as he headed North on Crows Landing Road Friday morning. He was trying to merge across traffic when the pickup driven by Maldonado hit him. Maldonado then reportedly made a U-turn dragging the bicyclist under the truck. However, the bicyclist managed to break free and Maldonado fled the scene. Police suspect Maldonado was driving under the influence. Officials are looking for more eyewitnesses who saw the bicycle accident.

Continue reading "Man Suffers Severe Injuries in Modesto Hit-and-Run Bicycle Accident" »

Two small children were severely injured in a frightening dog attack in Las Vegas after two pit-bulls escaped from their yard and pounced on the 5-year-old boys. One child was bitten on the face and another on the leg, according to Eyewitness News reports. Latest reports on the news station’s Web site say the boys are doing well now although one of them had to get 152 stitches on his face.

The dog owner in this case, will most likely face criminal charges, officials told Eyewitness News. Officials say the pit-bulls were running loose without any rabies vaccines or tags, which are all violations of Clark County laws. The animals have also been deemed vicious, which means the dog owner, Carlos Santiago, could face 12 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

Continue reading "Two 5-year-old Boys Hurt In Las Vegas Dog Attack, Dog Owner Could Face Charges" »

A California judge, earlier this week, approved a class action settlement for about 800,000 owners of the Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles, which were said to have lost value following an extensive tire recall stemming from concerns over potential rollover crashes. According to a Reuters news report, Judge David Alba approved the settlement in Sacramento on the Explorer class action lawsuit, which includes vehicles purchased or leased between 1991 and 2001 in the states of California, Illinois, Texas and Connecticut.

The lawsuit by Explorer owners, who by the way have every right to be dissatisfied and upset, did not make any personal injury or damage claims, but alleged a loss of financial value for the Explorers. As per the settlement, Ford Motor Co. has agreed to issue discount certificates valid for one year worth $500 toward the purchase or lease of the new Explorer or $300 toward the purchase or lease of any other new Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle.

Ford is also going to pay out $25 million to the attorneys representing the class members. Of course, company officials continue to say that the case was “without merit” and that somehow, they proved it in court. As personal injury attorneys who have represented numerous victims of Ford Explorer and Expedition rollover crashes, we know that Ford’s statements are without merit.

Continue reading "California Judge Approves Explorer Class Action Settlement" »

A 38-year-old El Cajon man died after a big rig slammed through his backyard and sent him into his swimming pool, missing his toddler daughter by inches, according to a Channel 10 news report. Officials said Kevin Vicary and his 2-year-old daughter were near the pool in their home as Vicary was cleaning it.

The chain reaction accident occurred when a Ford minivan ran a red light and struck the semi truck. The big rig then careened out of control and hit two other cars before crashing into the fence and going into the pool, the article said. The impact of the crash threw Vicary into the pool. He died from the injuries while his daughter was unharmed.

The truck driver and people in the other vehicle suffered bruises and minor injuries. Police have still not charged or cited anybody in connection with this incident. However, officials are saying preliminary investigations do show that the female driver of the minivan, whose name has not been released, ran the red light at a nearby intersection and triggered the crash.

Continue reading "Big Rig Chain Reaction Accident Kills San Diego Man" »

Officials in Prosperity, S.C. are investigating a case of nursing home abuse and neglect, which they say is the worst they have ever seen. The investigation into the conditions in Southside Residential Care began after 59-year-old William Sealy, a resident at the nursing home, died after he was rushed to the hospital.

Police say it is the worst case of neglect they have ever seen and that it was very obvious that Sealy had been neglected. According to a news report on WLTX-TV’s Web site, Sealy was reportedly suffering from malnourishment, dehydration, sores, bed bugs and black and swollen toes. The police chief who was interviewed for the story said he watched nurses pull the socks off Sealy’s feet in the emergency room and saw that it pulled off portions of his skin.

The nursing home administrators have denied wrongdoing and say that Sealy was a recent transfer from another nursing home. They also say Sealy was a “difficult patient and did not want anyone to do anything for him.” Prosperity authorities say that the nursing home in question has had a few problems over the years, but nothing major like this one.

Continue reading "South Carolina Officials Shocked To See Neglected Nursing Home Resident" »

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a new proposal on the table that requires all vehicles to have stronger roofs to protect occupants in rollover accidents. That’s a good thing, because 10,000 Americans die each year in rollover crashes alone and thousands more suffer major injuries that leave them disabled for life.

Well, this requirement could mean saving thousands of lives because the strength of a vehicle’s roof could make the difference between life and death in a rollover accident. The NHTSA currently conducts roof crush tests by pressing down on a plate placed against the edge of a vehicle’s roof. The roof must withstand a force equivalent to 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle, up to a limit of 5,000 pounds without the plate moving more than 5 inches, according to this article in Consumer Reports.

We’ve already said in previous blogs that this standard is still not adequate. Especially flawed are the tests conducted in determining this roof strength. The way they perform these tests are very different from the way accidents happen in real life. But a huge concern, from our point of view, is that a part of this proposal will limit consumer lawsuits against auto makers.

Continue reading "New Roof Crush Standards May Limit Lawsuits Against Auto Makers" »

At least 23 people across 14 states have been infected with salmonellosis caused by the same strain of bacteria found in the recently recalled unsweetened Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat Cereals manufactured by Malt-O-Meal, according a report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. According to the news release, the recalled products were distributed nationally under the Malt-O-Meal brand name as well as private label brands such as Acme, America’s Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Tops and Weis Quality.

The cereals reportedly have “Best If Used By” dates from April 8, 2008 through March 18, 2009. Consumers have been asked to discard any of the above contaminated products. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. This is particularly true for young children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems. Some of the common symptoms of food-borne salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps.

As personal injury attorneys, who deal with foodborne illnesses all the time, we know how unpleasant and how painful a salmonella infection can be. Bisnar Chase successfully represented Robert Rife, who got the infection by eating contaminated raw quail egg at a sushi restaurant in Orange County. We later discovered that the restaurant had several health violations.

Continue reading "Salmonella-Contaminated Cereal Sickens 23 Across 14 States" »

Four members of a church group were killed on their way to an ice-skating rink Friday when their speeding 1994 Toyota Camry reportedly went out of control on the 60 Freeway in Pomona and rolled over. According to a KNX 1070 news report, all in the car were high school or college students. Killed in this crash were 21-year-old Richard Kim, 19-year-old Kevin Na, 18-year-old Daniel Kim and 16-year-old David Chung.

The car reportedly struck the center divider and rolled over. Three of the occupants were hurled from the vehicle with one landing in opposing traffic, the report said. Two died on the scene and two others died later in a local hospital. Na’s brother, 16-year-old Stanley, was the sole survivor of the crash and is now in stable condition, according to news reports.

In another rollover accident in San Diego on Saturday, 39-year-old Richard Guzman died and two others were injured when a pickup rolled several times on a surface street in Lake Morena, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. According to the report, the driver of the 2002 Ford Ranger, Michael Thompson, lost control of the vehicle. Guzman, who was sitting in the back seat, was not wearing his seatbelt, the report states.

Continue reading "Three Fatal Southern California Rollover Accidents Over The Weekend" »

Two girls – 13 and 14 years old -- were critically injured in a pedestrian accident at a Wilmington intersection when a man hit the girls as they were walking home from school and then tried to get away, the Daily Breeze reports. According to the article, police arrested 19-year-old Rigaldo Guevas after he reportedly swerved around a vehicle that had stopped at crosswalk and hit the young girls who were walking across the street.

Guevas allegedly tried to speed away, but was chased down and nabbed by two witnesses, who held him until police arrived and arrested him. Those two men are heroes in my eyes. They made sure the person responsible for causing this horrible accident would be brought to justice. Officials have not yet filed charges against Guevas.

The girls, whose names have not been released, were taken to an area hospital. The Breeze reports that one girl was unconscious and hooked to a breathing apparatus while the other was being treated for leg fractures. There were apparently several witnesses to this accident who saw Guevas speeding down the street in his black BMW.

Continue reading "Young Girls Severely Injured In Wilmington Pedestrian Accident" »

Two men were killed in a multi-vehicle freeway accident that started in the northbound lanes of the 15 Freeway in Rancho Cucamonga. The accident was triggered when the left rear tire tread on a Honda sedan separated, according to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

The Honda with the blown tire driven by a 41-year-old Long Beach man, then crossed the northbound lanes and struck a Ford E-250 15-passenger van, which in turn spun out, crashed through the guard rail and into a pickup truck. Both the driver of the pickup, 27-year-old Jesus P. Velasco of Pomona, and the driver of the 15-passenger van, Viorel Taru, 49, of Loma Linda, died in this horrible auto accident. The Ford van and the pickup truck were involved in a head-on collision, officials told the Daily Bulletin. Two other vehicles were also involved in a collision.

Continue reading "2 Killed In a Chain Reaction Crash Caused By Defective Tire" »

The Old Town Pasadena pedestrian traffic accident of last Thursday that hospitalized 7-year old Jose Gabriel Dela Rosa, has taken his life according to a Los Angeles Times article. A CBS news report stated that his father, Jose Gabriel Dela Rosa, also hospitalized due to the pedestrian accident, remains in fair condition. According to the CBS report an account has been established to help the family with the medical and burial expenses they have incurred. Anyone wishing to donate can send contributions to:

Jose Gabriel Dela Rosa Fund
c/o Comerica Bank
35 N. Lake Ave.
Suite 120
Pasadena, CA 91101

The accident occurred when a Toyota Corolla crashed into the Dela Rosas after colliding with a Nissan Altima at Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue. Officials are still trying to determine who was responsible.

The Dela Rosas were visiting friends and relatives in California from their native Philippines. They had been here for barely a few hours when the auto vs. pedestrian accident occurred. Even though the Dela Rosas are not U.S. citizens or even residents of California, their mere presences here provides them a bundle of basic rights including full access to our courts.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Accident Rights of California Tourists and Visitors" »

A 17-year-old high school football player, who was reportedly drinking and driving a Subaru station wagon filled with teens who had been drinking and possibly using drugs, died after he lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over. Three of his classmates were seriously injured of which one girl is said to be critically injured and fighting for her life, according to news reports in the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News.

Cody James Murphy, a running back on the varsity football team who was driving the vehicle, died after the 2007 Subaru Impreza rolled over and crashed on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Investigators reportedly found a large, empty bottle of Jagermeister on the floor of the car, a glass pipe and a pill bottle containing medical marijuana. Investigators also reported that the teens were not wearing their seatbelts.

In a horrible ironic twist, the Ventura County high school these kids were attending, was going to stage a mock car crash as part of the “Every 15 Minutes” program, designed to show children the effects of drunk driving. It’s an elaborate exercise where students first look at the horrible drunk driving crash, attend the funeral of a “dead” student and even make a trip to the morgue. But now they have a dose of harsh reality. They will attend a real funeral and visit seriously injured friends in the hospital.

Continue reading "17-year-old Dead, Three Other Teens Injured in Malibu DUI Rollover Crash" »

A 23-year-old Orange County man was killed in a motorcycle accident after driving off a freeway overpass and falling into oncoming traffic on the 91 Freeway, The Orange County Register reports. According to the article, Kristopher Schneckenberger of Anaheim is the second motorcyclist in three weeks to be involved in such a fatal motorcycle accident.

Schneckenberger reportedly went over a concrete barrier of a freeway connecter and fell on the westbound lanes of the 91 freeway where he was run over and killed. California Highway Patrol have not been able to establish what caused the motorcyclist to drive off the overpass or lose control of his vehicle. On March 23, Mark Ramey, 22, of Moreno Valley, was also killed when he lost control of his motorcycle and flew off the freeway connector as he tried to merge from the 91 to the northbound 57 freeway.

This is no doubt a horrible tragedy for the family of this young man. It is easy to assume that the motorcyclist was speeding or being irresponsible when you read a newspaper article like this one. A lot of readers who saw this article made that assumption, as is evident from their comments on the Register’s Web site.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Killed In Orange County Freeway Accident" »

A defective 2001 Ford Expedition parked in a homeowner’s carport may have been the cause of a fire in Madison County, Ohio, which killed a woman and her two children, according to an in-depth investigative report in consumer watchdog Web site, Consumeraffairs.com. According to Peter Romans, the man who tragically lost his wife and children in this fire, the fire started in his Ford sport utility vehicle, which was parked in the car port.

The 2001 Ford Expedition, whish is suspected for sparking off this lethal fire, was included in Ford Motor Company’s recall of 9.6 million vehicles said to have been equipped with a defective cruise control switch. These faulty switches could cause a vehicle fire at any time, according to a report by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The Ford recall, which started nearly three years ago, is still dragging on because of its magnitude and failure on the part of regulators to keep up with it, the article states.

In fact, Consumeraffairs.com has been reporting on this problem for years now, with numerous Web site viewers complaining about their “flaming Fords,” which erupted into flames without warning. Many were able to escape without major injuries, but this family in Ohio wasn’t as fortunate. The vehicles recalled because of the defective cruise control switches spanned 21 vehicle models between the years 1993 and 2003. The article states that about 5 million vehicles have been repaired so far, which leaves 5 million more with the faulty switches, vehicles that are nothing but time bombs waiting to go off at any time.

Continue reading "Defective Cruise Control Switch in Ford Expedition Causes Fatal Ohio Fire" »

A new study released by the Auto Club has found that crashes involving teen drivers ages 15 to 17 costs $2.8 billion annually in California and more than $34 billion annually nationwide. This is money that is deemed as “cost to society” – to all of us – and includes expenses such as medical, cost of lost work, property damage, quality of life loss and other related expenses for the year 2006.

These numbers were reportedly calculated based on 66,785 crashes that occurred in 2006. That includes 177 fatalities and 27,869 personal injuries, according to the report. Auto accidents involving teen drivers cause tremendous grief and trauma for the individual families involved as they deal with the deaths or serious injuries of their loved ones. But in terms of financial costs, the effects are felt by not only the families, but employers, the government and society at large.

Continue reading "Auto Accidents Involving Teen Drivers Cost Us Dearly" »

A young boy is fighting for his life after a horrible crash in Pasadena triggered by a red light runner, which also left the 7-year-old boy’s parents injured. According to a news article in the Pasadena Star-News, the accident occurred at the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado Boulevard when the family was crossing the road.

They were reportedly hit by an out-of-control car that had just collided with another vehicle that had run a red light. The father suffered serious injuries and the mother escaped with minor injuries, the article said. The child was reportedly in full cardiac arrest when taken to the hospital.

Investigators are still looking at what caused the chain reaction crash, but initial investigations reveal that the driver of a Nissan Altima ran the red light and struck a Toyota Corolla, which in turn went out of control and struck the family, according to a report on KNX 1070. That report also said that the family had just arrived in California a day ago. Thankfully, the Corolla hit a light pole, which prevented it from striking other pedestrians at that very busy intersection.

Continue reading "Family of Three Injured in Pasadena Pedestrian Accident, 7-year-old Critical" »

Two men are listed in critical condition after they were involved in a rollover accident in Walnut where they were both ejected from the vehicle. According to an article in the Pasadena Star News, both the driver and the passenger who have not been identified, were not wearing their seatbelts.

The men were traveling at about 90 mph on Amar Road when the driver lost control of the late model Toyota Scion, officials said. The car rolled over backwards, hit the center divider and two trees before coming to rest, the newspaper reported. Both men were thrown out of the car. Both had to be airlifted to an area hospital. One man is listed as “death imminent” and another is said to be in critical condition.

Continue reading "Speed and Not Wearing Seatbelts Cause Major Injuries In Walnut Auto Accident" »

The Long Beach City Council, in response to recent vicious dog attacks in the city, has approved the creation of a new dangerous dog ordinance that would include stiffer penalties for dog owners, mandatory education on responsible pet ownership for owners who violate the law and implanting microchips on impounded dogs.

According to a news article in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, council members emphasized that they want to focus on how to better educate dog owners and make them responsible for pets that are under their care. Under the new ordinance, which is supposed to be an improvement on existing dangerous dog laws, the city will also impose tougher leash laws penalizing owners of animals that leave their property and encroach on neighboring yards.

The new law will also allow the city to impose fines or level criminal charges against owners of dogs that have attempted to bite, attack or threaten a human or another animal. The law will require owners facing criminal charges to take mandatory dog ownership responsibility classes.

Continue reading "Long Beach City Council Votes In Favor of Tougher Dangerous Dog Laws" »

A 63-year-old Orange County man died after he was struck and killed by a car on the 105 Freeway where he had pulled over to change a tire. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Yong Sam Kim of Brea died on the scene after the driver of a pick-up truck veered into the shoulder and rear-ended Kim’s 1996 Nissan Altima near Paramount Boulevard. Kim, who was changing the tire at the time died on impact, officials say.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether Kim was struck directly by the 20-year-old college student’s 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup truck or killed by the impact of the truck rear-ending his car. Officials are still looking into how and why the woman came off the freeway and onto the shoulder.

California Highway Patrol officers say drugs or alcohol have not played a part in this accident. The woman, who reportedly suffered moderate injuries in this accident, is not yet facing charges. But, this is clearly a case that requires more investigation. The most important question of course is how the woman lost control of her vehicle and went onto the shoulder of the freeway.

Continue reading "Driver Veers Into 105 Freeway Shoulder, Strikes and Kills Orange County Man" »

Continued from yesterday...

Can the city of Huntington Beach be held responsible for the death and injuries suffered in last month’s two automobile accidents at the intersection of Bushard and Banning?

Under the provisions of California’s Government Code section 835, a public entity is liable for the damages of a person injured because of a condition of public property when the injured person proves that:

1. There was a dangerous condition on the public property at the time of injury;

2. The injury was proximately caused by the dangerous condition;

3. The dangerous condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of injury of the kind that occurred; and

4. Either (a) The negligent or wrongful action or failure to act of an employee of the public entity created the dangerous condition, or (b) the public entity had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition a sufficient time before the injury to have taken measures to protect against the dangerous condition.

A public entity may absolve itself from liability for creating or failing to remedy a dangerous condition by showing that it would have been too costly and impractical (unreasonable) for the public entity to have done anything else but what it did or did not do. (Government Code section 835.4).

Continue reading "Three Injured In Huntington Beach Auto Accident -continued-" »

Is this a dangerous intersection? Is Huntington Beach flirting with liability for accidents at this intersection? What can be done to prevent future accidents?

Three people were taken to the hospital after an auto accident at a seemingly dangerous Huntington Beach intersection where a similar crash had occurred March 15, killing a 14-year-old boy. In the most recent incident, two drivers and a passenger were hurt after a Ford Mustang rammed into a Toyota Camry at Bushard Street and Banning Avenue after running a stop sign, officials told The Orange County Register.

This almost seems to be a replay of the March 15 incident when an Acura loaded with teenagers ran the stop sign and crashed into another car filled with young children. Phoenix Nguyen was killed in that crash and three others were injured. Officials say the 17-year-old driver of the Mustang, who ran the stop sign, was also speeding. There are four stop signs at that intersection and the speed limit is 45 mph, but police investigating the case say the teenager was traveling at a much higher rate of speed.

The Mustang driver’s name was not released because he is a minor. The passenger of the Mustang, 56-year-old Gregory Jackson, and the Camry driver, 76-year-old Malcolm McKenzie, both suffered multiple injuries but are said to be in stable condition. The teenager only suffered minor injuries.

It’s a miracle that this accident did not have the tragic consequences the earlier accident did. We’re happy for all involved that they escaped this crash only with injuries and are expected to recover. But this accident does leave a lot of questions unanswered, the biggest of them being ‘Is this a dangerous intersection?’ If the answer to that question is yes, did the city do anything to remedy that dangerous condition?

Continue reading "Three Injured In Huntington Beach Auto Accident " »

Two people died after a deadly motorcycle accident in Valley Center, San Diego, after the motorcycle they were riding on was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Officials have identified the two deceased as Lisa Marrazzo, 24, of Murrieta and Andrew Buchanan Gardenhire, 23, of Ramona.

Channel 10 News reported that Gardenhire, who was piloting the Honda CVR Ninja-style motorcycle at more than 100 miles an hour, veered into the path of an oncoming Toyota Corolla near Mac Tan Road. Both Marrazzo and Gardenhire reportedly died on the scene. Both were also wearing helmets, but that apparently did not help because of the crash’s impact. The motorcycle completely disintegrated and the Corolla was also totaled, the TV station reports.

Continue reading "Two Young Lives Lost In San Diego Motorcycle Accident" »