California Injury Blog

A family of four was killed in a California car accident, which officials say, was caused by a speeding driver who ran red light. The car crash killed Jonathan Maloney, 45; his wife Susan Maloney, 42; and their children Grace, 5 and Aiden, 8. The at-fault driver, 19-year-old Steven Culbertson also died from injuries suffered in the crash. California Highway Patrol officials said Culbertson was driving a Mini Cooper the night of November 28, 2009 at 70 to 90 mph on Lakeville Highway when he hit a southbound 2004 Honda CRV driven by 61-year-old Thomas Graham. He then continued south through a red light at Highway 37 and T-boned the Maloneys' minivan. The van was then pushed into a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant driven by 52-year-old Carrie Rodriguez.

Continue reading "Fatal Car Accident Caused by Speeding Driver Wipes Out Family of Four" »

Five people were injured -- two of them seriously -- in a San Francisco car accident after two vehicles collided head-on in West Marin County. According to a news report in the San Jose Mercury News, the most seriously injured victims were Barbara Graves, 63 and Catherine Ward-Seitz, 42. The injury car crash occurred November 21, 2009, when a Lexus driven by 60-year-old John Smithyman traveling north on Highway 1 crossed over double yellow lines and hit an Audi going south.

Continue reading "San Francisco Area Car Accident Causes Major Injuries" »

An Orange County car accident that caused a vehicle to plow through a concrete wall and into a home was the result of a driver trying to avoid another car that was making a U-turn in front of him, according to a news report in The Orange County Register. Michael and Nancy Smith were sitting in their family room watching Monday night football and had just gotten up from their seats to go to the store when a Pontiac sedan crashed into a block wall of their Placentia home, after going through the Smiths' backyard. The Smiths said they were saved because they got up right on time.

Continue reading "Car Accident in Orange County Damages Home, Injures U.S. Marine" »

Jose Dominguez, 19, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident the night of November 21, 2009 after he was struck by a vehicle while walking in Loma Linda, California. According to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies found Dominguez at the intersection of Redlands Boulevard and Mountain View Avenue where he was struck by a 2004 Honda Civic. Dominguez was taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after the accident.

Continue reading "San Bernardino Car Accident Leaves Pedestrian Dead" »

Kristen Bedard, 36, was killed in a San Diego car accident after she was struck by a suspected drunk driver while walking down a Poway street. According to a 10news report, Bedard was walking north on a sidewalk in the 13700 block of Community Road in Poway the morning of November 23, 2009 when a southbound vehicle driven by 44-year-old Becky Marie Anderson veered off the roadway and struck Bedard, who died at the scene. San Diego County Sheriff's deputies arrested Anderson on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Killed in San Diego DUI Car Accident" »

Cydil Kohlmeyer, 35, was killed in a San Diego car accident after she was struck by a suspected drunk driver, while walking on a street, 10news reports. Kohlmeyer was walking in the 1200 block of Pepper Drive the night of November 21, 2009 when an eastbound pickup truck driven by 51-year-old Deborah Felix, went off the roadway and hit her.

The out-of-control pickup truck then continued on and plowed into several mailboxes, a parked truck, a fence, crossed two front yards and crashed into a house. Felix tried to run away from the scene, but several neighbors caught and held her at the scene, California Highway Patrol officials said. Felix was taken to a hospital and then arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. Kohlmeyer was transported to a local hospital where she died during surgery, the San Diego County Coroner's office reported.

Continue reading "Woman Killed in San Diego DUI Car Accident" »

Deborah Valdivia, 54, died November 15, 2009 from injuries she sustained in a San Bernardino car accident last month. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, Valdivia was walking across the street near Foothill Boulevard and Pepper Avenue in Rialto the afternoon of October 2, 2009 when she was hit by a minivan. She was transported to a local hospital. Rialto police are investigating this fatal car accident.

Continue reading "San Bernardino Car Accident Kills Pedestrian" »

Dalia Albert, 26, was seriously injured in an Orange County truck accident after her bicycle crashed into a semi-trailer the afternoon of November 19, 2009. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the big rig, driven by 29-year-old Juan Soto, was in the right lane of eastbound Edinger Avenue in Huntington Beach. He was apparently waiting at the light to turn right on Gothard Street. Albert was riding her bike east in the bike lane when the light turned green. Albert kept riding as the big rig turned right in front of her, Huntington Beach police said. She sustained several cuts and broken bones in her legs, but is said to be in stable condition. Police are still investigating this injury collision. Anyone who saw this accident is asked to call Huntington Beach Police at 714-536-5666.

Continue reading "Bicyclist Severely Injured in Orange County Truck Accident" »

A California Personal injury claim can vary in complexity. Some require experienced attorneys, while others can be settled without one.

Continue reading "Do You Need A California Car Accident Lawyer?" »

Kristi Nicole Turner, 20, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident on November 13, 2009 after she was struck by an SUV while crossing the street. According to a news report in the Daily Breeze, Turner stepped in a crosswalk at Marine and Lemoli avenues in El Camino Village, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, when she was hit by an eastbound 1993 Chevy Suburban. Turner died at the scene. The driver of the Suburban kept going without stopping at the site of the accident. Witnesses apparently followed the SUV and flagged down a Hawthorne police officer who pulled the SUV over. California Highway Patrol is investigating this hit-and-run car accident. Investigators are looking into whether Turner had the green light when she stepped in the crosswalk.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Car Accident Kills Pedestrian" »

Marcos A. Arredondo, 18, and Macrina M. Ocampo, 58, were killed in a serious California car accident in Santa Barbara the morning of November 8, 2009 caused by s suspected drunk driver, according to a KCOY news report. The car that Arredondo and Ocampo were in, a Honda Accord, was struck by a driver who was going north on the southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway in Goleta, California. A California Highway Patrol officer, who had been alerted by a Santa Barbara Sheriff's Sergeant about the wrong-way driver, witnessed the accident. Two others in the Honda sustained major injuries and were hospitalized. The wrong-way driver was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter.

Continue reading "California DUI Car Accident Leaves Two Dead" »

Lisa Xavier, 6, was killed in a San Francisco car accident which officials say was caused by two cars racing on a public street. According to a Bay City News Service report, the tragic car accident occurred the afternoon of November 12, 2009 at the intersection of Willow Road and Bayfront Expressway in Menlo Park when Lisa was traveling in a car with her mother. Police say two cars were street racing when one of them ran a red light and crashed into the car containing Lisa and her mother. The driver of the car that caused the crash got out of the wrecked car, got into the other car involved in the race and fled the accident scene. Police are looking for 24-year-old Shannon Fox as a person of interest in connection with this case. Anyone who may have witnessed this car accident is asked to call Menlo Park police at 650-330-6300.

Continue reading "Girl Killed in San Francisco Car Accident Involving Street Racers" »

A man suffered injuries in an Orange County car accident after another vehicle made an unsafe left turn in front of him. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the accident occurred the afternoon of November 10, 2009 at the intersection of Newport Avenue and Macy Drive in Tustin, California, when a Chevy Equinox crashed into a Corvette while making the turn, and pushed the sports car into a concrete light pole. The rear half of the Corvette was crushed by the collapsed pole that nearly split it into two. California Highway Patrol officials say the driver of the Chevy Equinox was at fault for making an unsafe left turn into the path of the Corvette. The injured driver of the Corvette, who has not been identified yet, was taken to a local hospital. The condition of the other driver is not known.

Continue reading "Orange County Car Accident Injures Man" »

A Boston resident sustained fatal personal injuries in a skydiving accident near Lake Elsinore, California, The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The man was "wingsuiting" the afternoon of November 11, 2009 when he jumped from a De Havilland Otter aircraft and fell on to the driveway of a home near Murrieta. This renowned personality in the wingsuiting community claimed a national record earlier this week for the largest wingsuit formation. The newspaper report describes a wingsuit as "fabric stretched between a skydiver's legs and from the arms to the torso to create a surface similar to an aircraft wing that resembles an inflatable mattress."

Continue reading "Man Killed in Riverside County Skydiving Accident" »

A teenager was injured in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident after he was struck by a motorcyclist while walking on the street in an unincorporated area near Covina, California. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the 14-year-old boy was walking on Glendora Avenue the evening of November 12, 2009 near Arrow Highway when he was hit by the motorcycle. The teen sustained leg injuries and was taken to an area hospital. No one else was injured. However, the motorcyclist did not stop at the scene of the accident, but instead sped away at 50 to 70 mph, California Highway Patrol officials said. Witnesses are only able to describe the motorcycle as black and no description of the rider is available.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Hurt in Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Accident" »

Mark Thomas, 7, died in a fatal San Francisco car accident after his family's Ford Explorer SUV blew a tire, went out of control and rolled over on the Interstate 580 in San Leandro. According to a news report in the Oakland Tribune, Jewel Mims, Mark's 22-year-old sister, was driving the Explorer west on the Highway the afternoon of November 11, 2009, when the left rear tire blew. Mims took her hands off the steering wheel. The Ford Explorer went out of control, veered to the right and rolled over. Mark was partially ejected from the SUV. The boy was apparently in the rear cargo area and did not appear to be restrained, California Highway Patrol officials said. The boy died of head injuries shortly after the accident. No one else suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of this crash.

Continue reading "San Francisco Area Rollover Car Accident Kills 7-year-old Boy" »

George Washington once said:

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.

Letter of Instructions to the Captains of the Virginia Regiments [July 29, 1759].

The advocates of consumer rights, viewing the resources of defense firms and corporate defendants, can relate to the trepidation felt by the out-numbered and out-gunned Continental Army. Because of that disparity in resources, Consumer Attorneys of California ("CAOC") consolidates the voices of consumer attorneys throughout the state to (1) preserve and protect the constitutional right to trial by jury for all consumers, (2) champion the cause of those who deserve redress for injury to person or property, (3) encourage and promote changes to California law by legislative, initiative or court action, (4) oppose injustice in existing or contemplated legislation, (5) correct harsh, unjust and oppressive legislation or judicial decisions, (6) advance the common law and promote the public good through the civil justice system and concerted efforts to secure safe products, a safe workplace, a clean environment, and quality health care, (7) uphold the honor, integrity and dignity of the legal profession by encouraging mutual support and cooperation among members, (8) promote the highest standards of professional conduct, and (9) inspire excellence in advocacy. This post is a multi-blog effort to inform consumer attorneys about CAOC's value and encourage participation in CAOC through membership.

Continue reading "California Injury Lawyer Supports The Efforts Of CAOC" »

Michelle Ramirez, 14, was killed in a Bakersfield car accident the evening of November 10, 2009, according to an ABC news report. Police arrested 46-year-old Glenn Russell the morning after the fatal pedestrian accident. Michelle was crossing Kern Street near 2nd Street in Taft when she was hit by a white Jeep Cherokee. Officers spotted the vehicle in Ford City and saw that Russell was working on his car trying to fix the damage from the collision. Russell apparently pled no contest to a DUI in 2007. He was booked this time on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

Continue reading "Teenager Killed in Bakersfield Area Hit-and-Run Car Accident" »

A woman and her young daughter sustained injuries in a Los Angeles car accident after an elderly driver hit them and then crashed her car through the storefront of a business in the Woodland Hills area the afternoon of November 7, 2009. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, both the woman and the girl, said to be 4 or 5 years old, were airlifted to an area hospital. The girl was more seriously injured than her mother, but has been listed in stable condition. Los Angeles police officials said elderly woman mistook her car's gas pedal for the brakes.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Car Accident Injures Two Pedestrians" »

Four people were injured, three critically, in a Los Angeles car accident the night of November 8, 2009, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports. The injury car crash occurred at the intersection of Holt and End avenues. Emergency personnel responded to a report of a traffic accident involving several vehicles and of victims trapped in the wreckage. Three of the victims were taken to an area hospital and were listed in critical condition. The fourth victim sustained minor injuries, Los Angeles fire officials said.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Car Accident Injures Four" »

Nineteen people were hospitalized as a result of injuries in a Los Angeles car accident after an MTA bus crashed into a car on Glendale Boulevard near the 2 Freeway in Silver Lake the evening of November 6, 2009. Nine others sustained relatively minor injuries. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, one of the 10 passengers was critically injured in this crash. The other injuries were not life-threatening, Los Angeles fire officials said. The accident apparently occurred when the bus driver lost control and hit the middle divider and another object before crashing into the car. Thankfully, no one in the car was injured. The bus driver and the 10 passengers were taken to an area hospital with injuries.

Continue reading "Los Angeles MTA Bus Accident Injures 19" »

Denise Friedrich, an animal control officer in San Jose sustained severe dog bite injuries after two pit bull mixes attacked her the morning of November 3, 2009. According to a news report in the San Jose Mercury News, Friedrich was responding to a complaint from Bikramjit Singh, a homeowner, that the two dogs had strayed into his backyard. When Friedrich got into the backyard, one of the dogs started to attack her. When she tried to fend off the pit bull with her baton, the other dog started to bite her as well. A police officer who came to Friedrich's rescue eventually shot both dogs because they lunged at him. Friedrich's suffered nine dog bites on her arms, legs and buttocks.

Continue reading "Vicious Dogs Bite Animal Control Officer in San Jose" »

Charlotte Goldman, 84, was killed in a San Diego car accident the evening of October 29, 2009 while crossing the street in the Mission Valley area. According to a news report in Channel 6, Goldman was struck by a vehicle in the 6700 block of Friars Road. She died shortly after the accident at a local hospital. San Diego police are still conducting an investigation and the driver who hit Goldman has not yet been cited or charged.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Accident Kills Elderly Pedestrian" »

A 62-year-old man in a wheelchair sustained serious injuries in an Orange County car accident the night of October 31, 2009 and police are still looking for public's help in finding the driver who struck the man and then fled the scene. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the man was in his wheelchair near Wellington Avenue and North Lacy Street in Santa Ana when a large white van traveling west, struck him. The van driver kept going, but police believe the vehicle suffered front-end damage. The man in the wheelchair sustained major injuries and was transported to an area hospital. Anyone who witnessed this car accident or has information about the hit-and-run driver is asked to call Santa Ana police at 714-245-8701.

Continue reading "Orange County Hit-and-Run Car Accident Injures Man in Wheelchair" »

If you have been in a car accident, it is very important that you contact a car accident lawyer in California who will help you obtain a fair settlement by filing an insurance claim. Most people who have been injured in an auto accident do not sue. Instead they file a claim. The difference between an insurance claim and a lawsuit is that a claim is a way of working out a fair settlement with the insurance company. If the claimant feels like he/she is not receiving a fair personal injury settlement then the claimant can choose to file a lawsuit against the insurance company.

Continue reading "California Car Accident Lawyer: Claim What You Deserve" »

Ten people were hospitalized with injuries after a San Francisco car accident the morning of November 2, 2009 after a car rear-ended a 12-passenger van carrying adults with special needs. According to a news report in the San Jose Mercury News, the accident occurred on Cottle Road near Santa Teresa Boulevard in San Jose. The van was stopped at a traffic light, when it was rear-ended by a PT Cruiser. The injured adults in the van were transported to trauma centers for possible neck and back injuries. The woman driver of the PT Cruiser also sustained serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital.

Continue reading "San Francisco Area Car Accident Injures 10" »

Douglas Justin James Willison, 56, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident after he was hit from behind by a pickup truck in Yucca Valley, The Press Enterprise reports. Willison was riding his bike along the 8100 block of Palomar Avenue the night of November 2, 2009 when he was rear-ended by the pickup truck. Willison died at the scene. San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies are investigating this fatal collision.

Continue reading "San Bernardino Car Accident Kills Bicyclist" »

An infant in South Carolina may have suffered fatal personal injuries after his mother used a bug spray in their mobile home, according to an Associated Press news report. The 10-month-old boy, Jacob Whitfield, died and his 2-year-old brother is in critical condition, officials say. The boys' mother had apparently been using foggers in their mobile home because of an insect problem. On November 1, 2009, 25-year-old Elizabeth Whitfield called emergency personnel to report that her baby was struggling to breathe. Jacob died. His brother, Kenneth Whitfield, remained on a respirator, but is expected to stabilize.

Continue reading "Bug Spray May Have Killed Infant in South Carolina, Officials Say" »

There is no doubt that a car accident can be a stressful experience. The events of an auto accident can take but a few seconds, yet afterwards the people involved are forced to resolve unexpected problems that can take hours, dealing with possible serious California personal injury and damage to their car.

There are so many things to worry about after a car accident. Who was at fault? Does the other driver have insurance? Have the police been notified yet? It's easy to forget some of the little things one should do immediately after a car accident.

Knowing that you may miss a few of the details during the stress of the moment, it's good to know the most important things to remember no matter what. So, after you and the other driver are safe, the police have been notified, and the driver's information has been recorded, what is the most important piece of evidence you can gather?

Continue reading "The #1 Thing You Can Do After A Car Accident" »

John Bisnar, Senior Partner of the BISNAR | CHASE personal injury law firm has been rated "Superb," receiving a perfect 10 from AVVO, a top lawyer rating service on the Internet. Avvo is a national organization that evaluates attorneys in specific regions. A good Avvo rating is an evaluation of the lawyer's background that is calculated using a mathematical model which takes into consideration the lawyer's profile, years of experience, disciplinary history, professional accomplishments and industry recognition.

Continue reading "Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer is Rated "Superb"" »