California Injury Blog

A bicyclist was seriously injured in a bus accident after an Anaheim Union High School District bus struck him at a street intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Empire Street in Anaheim, the afternoon of January 12, 2012. Officials say the bicyclist, a man in his 40s, was pinned under the bus. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The bus was not transporting any students at the time. An investigation is ongoing.

My thoughts and prayers are with this injured bicyclist. I'm relieved to note that his injuries are not life-threatening. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

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A bicyclist suffered serious injuries in a Fountain Valley car accident after he was caught in a collision between two SUVs. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury crash occurred the afternoon of January 11, 2012 at the intersection of Bushard Street and Talbert Avenue. Investigators say the two SUVs crashed at the intersection. One of the SUVs then veered off the roadway and struck the 29-year-old Huntington Beach man, who was waiting at a corner for the traffic lights to change. The bicyclist sustained severe injuries, but is expected to survive. Officials are still looking into the cause of the initial collision between the two SUVs.

My thoughts and prayers are with the seriously injured victim of this crash. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Bicyclist Seriously Injured in Orange County Car Accident " »

A 50-year-old bicyclist suffered severe injuries in a Santa Ana car accident after being hit by a vehicle. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the major injury collision occurred in the 100 block of North Euclid Street, the evening of December 25, 2011. Santa Ana police say the bicyclist was transported to an area trauma center in critical condition and was undergoing surgery. It was not clear if the bicyclist was in traffic lanes or in a crosswalk at the time. No arrests have been made or citations issued pending an official investigation. Officials are looking into what led to this collision.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victim who has apparently suffered life-threatening injuries in this crash. I wish this person the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Bicyclist Critically Injured in Santa Ana Car Accident " »

Four Fontana teens – identified as Rebecca Garcia, 16, Javier T. Contreras, Pedro Rivera, and Raquel Garcia, all 18 – were killed in a San Bernardino car accident in the early hours of October 23, 2011. According to a news report in The San Bernardino County Sun, the fatal car accident occurred at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Lime Avenue in Fontana. Contreras was driving a Chrysler Sebring east on Foothill when he lost control. The vehicle veered into the westbound lanes and struck a concrete bridge. The car then caught fire. Contreras and Rebecca Garcia died at the scene, while Rivera and Raquel Garcia died at area hospitals. All four were badly burned. Officials say it could take weeks or even months before the investigation is completed.

Continue reading "Fontana Car Accident Claims Four Young Lives" »

Maria Arreola, 60, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident, which police report, involved a drunk driver. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the fatal DUI crash occurred at the intersection of Slauson and Normandie avenues in Los Angeles’ Chesterfield Square, the morning of September 13, 2011. Officials say a driver, identified as 23-year-old Danilo Hernandez, ran a red light at the intersection before striking another car driven by a man. Arreola, who was pronounced dead at the site of the collision, was a passenger in one of the vehicles. The male driver whose car was hit has also been injured but is expected to survive. Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

Continue reading "Passenger Killed in Los Angeles DUI Collision" »

A 46-year-old man was seriously injured in a Huntington Beach car accident when a drunk driver struck his motorcycle. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the DUI crash occurred on Pacific Coast Highway, near Goldenwest Street, in Huntington Beach, the afternoon of August 12, 2011. Police say Jesse Rodriguez, 21, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup in the bike lane to pass slower vehicles when he clipped the Harley-Davidson driven by the victim.

The motorcyclist sustained serious injuries. Rodriguez fled the scene, but authorities were able to track him down and arrest him shortly after the incident. Rodriguez faces several charges including, driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, hit-and-run, and reckless driving.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Seriously Injured in Huntington Beach DUI Collision" »

Bo Feng, 17, was killed in an Alhambra car accident after she was struck by a vehicle while walking in a marked crosswalk. According to a news report in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the fatal car accident occurred the night of July 15, 2011, at the intersection of New Avenue and Shorb Avenue. Officials say a 73-year-old man who hit Feng fled the scene of the crash. Feng died a few hours after the collision. Police are investigating this hit-and-run car accident.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Bo Feng for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Apparently, Feng had recently been accepted to San Diego State and was looking forward to "dorm shopping." What a horrific tragedy!

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

Macaia Miller, 19, was critically injured in a Los Angeles car accident involving a hit-and-run driver. According to a City News Service report, the serious injury pedestrian accident occurred on East J Street in Lancaster, the night of June 20, 2011. Miller was crossing the road when a maroon or dark red four-door sedan struck her. Witnesses say that the driver made no attempt to stop. Miller was taken to a nearby hospital where she has been listed in critical condition.

Continue reading "Woman Critically Injured in Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Car Accident" »

Friends and family of a 14-year-old serious-injury auto accident victim gathered in Irvine Sunday night, the victim remaining in grave condition at a local hospital, according to the Orange County Register. The 48-year-old driver of the Mercedes-Benz and one of the other passengers has been released from the hospital, said Lt. Henry Boggs of the Irvine Police Department. The collision occurred at about 1:15 a.m. when the five people in a Mercedes-Benz collided with a Toyota pickup at the intersection of Irvine Boulevard and Culver drive, Boggs said.

Continue reading "Alleged Repeat DUI Offender Involved in Horrific Irvine Car Accident" »

One of the most common questions our attorneys are asked each week is: What is a fair settlement for my Iowa personal injury claim? Whether you were injured in Des Moines, Iowa City, Ankeny, Newton or another town in Iowa it will have an impact on the answer. Every county is different and the same injuries sustained in Des Moines many be worth much more than the same injuries in Marshalltown. You should talk to a personal injury attorney to find-out how where you were injured will affect how much your case is worth. Other considerations are of course what your injuries are (back, neck, shoulder, brain, etc.), whether you had to have surgery, how much time you were off work, if you lost your job, if your injuries are permanent, if you have permanent restrictions or limitations and what you have told your doctors along with many other factors.

Continue reading "Common Questions After an Iowa Persoanl Injury Clailm" »

The Following article on California Injury Blog is a guest post from KeepingUsSafe.org.

Last fall, I received a telephone call from a very troubled and frustrated young lady ("Mary"), pleading that I provide her with some resolution to what has developed into a family battle.

The battle involves a family debate over the driving abilities of their 83-year-old father. Mary says her family has become completely divided on the issue, some thinking her father is fine to continue driving, and some afraid that he is going to cause a terrible accident if he doesn't stop driving immediately.

Continue reading "Family Dynamics and the Older Driver" »

On December 29th of last year, the Miami Restaurant Chez Anouse Restaurant was temporarily closed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The closure was due to sanitation and safety law violations. According to the inspector who initiated the closure, the restaurant was guilty of having raw sewage in the backyard, fresh rodent droppings in the restaurant, and a live roach in the restaurant as well. These were all obviously deemed to be items not sanitary or safe for a restaurant environment.

Along with the above items, the inspector found that the restaurant held food too old to be distributed to customers, stored food in temperatures that weren't proper for food storage, stored food in dry conditions not proper for food storage, and left food on the floor. These were deemed to be conditions not proper for food storage.

The inspector also noted that the restaurant did not properly sanitize its cooking surfaces, did not provide hot water at the employee hand-washing stations, and did not provide sealed doors at the restaurant bathrooms. Finally, the inspector noted that the restaurant could not provide adequate proof of employee training.

Continue reading "Miami Restaurant Temporarily Closed" »

Christine Sanchez and Darlene Delira, both 25, were injured in a Ventura car accident, which police say, was caused by a drunk driver. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the injury accident occurred as the pedestrians were walking in a marked crosswalk on Main Street in Ventura early morning on December 24, 2010. The two women were crossing the road when they were struck by a southbound vehicle driven by Brendan Conaty, 26. The two victims were transported to an area hospital with injuries, but have been listed in stable condition. Conaty has been arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.

Continue reading "Two Pedestrians Injured in DUI Collision" »

A man in a motorized wheelchair was seriously injured in a San Diego car accident, which police report, was caused by a hit-and-run driver. According to an article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the serious injury pedestrian accident occurred near the intersection of Paradise Valley Road and East 8th Street in National City the morning of December 25, 2010. The 57-year-old man was riding along the shoulder of Paradise Valley Road when he was struck from behind by a pickup truck. The 22-year-old driver, Joshua Becerra, left the scene of the accident. The victim sustained severe head injuries. Becerra has been arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I wish him a complete and prompt recovery from his injuries.

San Diego Pedestrian Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), two people were killed and 29 were injured in National City pedestrian accidents. During that same year, there were 63 fatalities and 998 injuries reported involving pedestrian accidents in San Diego County.

What Caused This Serious Pedestrian Accident?

It appears from the report that the driver, Becerra, veered off the roadway and struck the man in the motorized wheelchair, who was traveling on the shoulder of the roadway. Under California law, those operating motorized wheelchairs have the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians.

Continue reading "Man in Wheelchair Injured in San Diego Hit-and-Run Car Accident" »

Michael Daniel Noreikas Jr., 28, was killed in a Riverside car accident, which officials say, was caused by his brother, 25-year-old Daniel Noreikas, who was driving under the influence. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, Daniel Noreikas was driving his 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck on Olivewood Avenue near Panorama Road early morning on November 20, 2010 when he lost control. The pickup hit a curb and rolled over. Michael Noreikas was transported to a local hospital where he died. Daniel Noreikas was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

I offer my deepest condolences to the Noreikas family for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Arrest Made in Fatal Riverside DUI Collision" »

A pedestrian was injured in a San Diego car accident, which police say, occurred after a driver made an illegal U-turn. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the injury car accident happened at the intersection of Rosecrans and Kurtz Streets the night of November 20, 2010 in the Midway District of San Diego. The pedestrian, described only as a man in his 40s, was crossing Rosecrans when the driver of a Ford Ranger made an illegal U-turn and struck him. The man sustained a broken femur and was transported to an area hospital. It is unclear from the report if the truck driver was cited for the accident. An investigation into the incident is pending.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this San Diego pedestrian accident. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery from his injuries.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Accident Injures Pedestrian" »

Gary Smith, a veteran Caltrans worker, was killed in a suspected DUI collision as he was working on Highway 99 in Butte County. According to a KTXL news report, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred near Chico the night of November 14, 2010. Caltrans workers, including Smith, were setting up a road closure on the highway when Russell Hodge drove his car through the closure and struck Smith. Police arrested Hodge on suspicion of drunk driving and second-degree murder.

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California law requires that all drivers be insured. For many however, the cost of insurance is too high to maintain and many low-income drivers simply go without it to the detriment of everyone. Assemblyman Dave Jones' bill, SB 171, was set to expire but on September 28, 2010, Schwarzenegger signed a five year extension. SB 171 is the first of its kind in the nation and offers low cost basic insurance to qualifying, low-income drivers with good records.

Under SB 171, all insurers in the state of California are required to sell a certain number of low-cost policies to qualifying drivers. Insurance companies and agents are required by law to inform prospective policyholders about the program. With poverty levels rising this program is more important than ever and insurance companies and agents must be held accountable to inform the public.

Continue reading "Low Cost Auto Insurance Program: How to Get It" »

Five children were injured in a Riverside car accident that involved an 89-year-old female driver. According to a KABC news report, the serious injury pedestrian accident took place at Cypress and Kirby streets in Hemet the evening of November 12, 2010. Five children -- ages 5, 6, 7, 11 and14 -- were crossing the street at the intersection. One vehicle stopped, but a second vehicle driven by the elderly woman passed the stopped car and crashed into the children. Three of the children suffered critical injuries and two of them sustained serious injuries. The driver has not been cited pending an official investigation into the car accident.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these injured children. Apparently, they were crossing the street to return home after playing in a nearby park. Tragic! These injured children and their families will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Five Children Injured in Riverside Car Accident" »

A teenager who was injured in a hit-and-run car accident in Yuba County has been identified as 16-year-old Jessica Rose. The Appeal-Democrat reports that the injury car accident happened the evening of November 7, 2010 on Rupert Avenue near Hammonton-Smartville Road. Rose was walking along the roadway when she was struck by an approaching SUV. The driver of the SUV that hit Rose did not stop at the scene. Authorities have described the hit-and-run driver as a white woman with black hair. The suspect vehicle is an older model SUV with faded red paint, possibly a Jeep, Montero or Trooper.

My heart goes out to Jessica Rose who fortunately escaped major injury here. I hope and pray that she recovers quickly and completely from whatever injuries she has sustained.

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