California Injury Blog

A Costa Mesa couple in their late 60s died after the driver lost control of his 2005 Chevy Malibu, a news article in The Orange County Register reports. The auto accident, which killed 69-year-old Jack Henderson and his wife, Carolyn Henderson, 65, occurred on Newport Boulevard after the husband exited the 55 Freeway near Fair Drive and merged on to Newport, the article said.

The car reportedly crashed into a chain link fence, clipped some trees and rolled down an embankment back onto the freeway. Carolyn Henderson died on the scene while her husband was transported to Hoag Hospital where he later died, the Register reports. The grandparents were on the way to babysit their grandchildren when the tragic accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses reportedly saw the Chevy Malibu veer off the 55 freeway, become airborne from Newport Boulevard and flip at least twice down the embankment before coming to rest on the freeway. This is no doubt a huge tragedy for the family and we offer our deepest condolences to them during this very tough time. Investigators have already started looking into possible causes for the crash. Witnesses report speeding and that Henderson merged onto Newport at a high rate of speed.

Continue reading "Couple Dies In Costa Mesa Chevy Malibu Crash" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

A Huntington Beach woman was killed and three people were taken to the hospital with injuries after a Honda Pilot sport utility vehicle with a wheelchair lift slammed into a sedan, The Orange County Register reports. The impact crushed the Lexus and led to a seven-car pileup at the intersection of Talbert and Magnolia avenues, the newspaper reports.

Killed in the crash was 69-year-old Anne Shirley Mailman. The condition of the man and woman in the Pilot are still not known. The Pilot reportedly had handicap license plates as well as a wheelchair lift. It is not clear how this chain reaction auto accident occurred, police told the Register. They are still investigating and no one has been charged or cited yet.

Auto accidents are a no-win situation. People are physically and emotionally scarred. This one was no different. One woman lost her life. In the end, it could be just that – an unfortunate accident with people in these seven cars being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Continue reading "Orange County Seven-Car Pileup Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

A Santa Ana police officer driving on the wrong side of the street with lights flashing and sirens blaring has suffered critical injuries after he lost control of his cruiser and struck a stopped tow truck during a pursuit. According to a news report in Fox News’ Web site, the officer, who has not been identified, was backing up another officer involved in pursuing a fleeing auto theft suspect.

The police officer reportedly lost control of his patrol car, went on the wrong side of the road and slammed into a tow truck that was stopped and waiting for the police car to pass. The officer was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated from his vehicle, the news report said. The auto accident was reportedly a broadside crash and not a head-on collision.

Continue reading "Police Officer Critically Injured In Orange County Crash" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (1)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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-" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

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 " »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

Two people died in a crash involving several vehicles including a motorcycle in a horrific accident on the 55 Freeway in Orange. According to an article in The Orange County Register, California Highway Patrol investigators believe the chain of events started with a motorcyclist who lost control of his vehicle for an unknown reason and hit the center divider near Lincoln Avenue.

The male driver, who has not been identified, was thrown in the opposite direction and died after he was struck by several vehicles. A Honda driver, who swerved to avoid hitting the body of the motorcyclist, lost control and crashed into the guardrail, bounced off the center median and was hit by two other vehicles on the driver’s side. The Honda’s driver was pronounced dead at the scene, the article said. No other injuries were reported.

There are so many things that could have gone wrong there. The first thing to figure out with this one is what caused the motorcyclist to lose control. Eyewitness accounts say speed was a factor, but it must be determined if it was speed, negligence, debris on the freeway, mechanical malfunction in the motorcycle or some dangerous condition on the roadway that caused the initial accident.

Continue reading "Multi-Vehicle Crash In Orange Leaves 2 Dead" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

A 14-year-old boy died after the car he was a passenger in ran a stop sign and hit a car full of small children, The Orange County Register reports. The teenager who died was identified as Phoenix Nguyen. Thankfully, Devin Miller, his wife and four children who were in the car that Nguyen hit, were unharmed.

The accident occurred when Ty Van Nguyen, 18, of Garden Grove was driving an Acura on Bushard Street when he ran the stop sign on Banning Avenue and hit the Millers’ Cadillac Escalade, police said in a news release. Miller tells the Register that a Huntington Beach police officer told him he suspected street racing, but police have not confirmed that yet. Phoenix’s sister Paulene and two other teenagers, whose names were not released, were also severely injured in the accident, according to the article.

Continue reading "Teenager Dies In Huntington Beach Auto Accident, Police Suspect Street Racing" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (2)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

A 48-year-old Fremont woman died in a two-car auto accident on the I-880, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The woman was reportedly driving her 1982 Mazda with her husband as passenger when she suddenly lost control of the vehicle. The car spun out came to rest sideways in the middle of the freeway when it was hit on the driver’s side by a Honda traveling in the same direction, the Chronicle reports.

From what I can see, this case could be a real “who’s at fault” challenge for the California Highway Patrol investigators and the attorneys for the various parties involved in the crash. What caused the woman to lose control of the Mazda? Was there a dangerous condition on the freeway? Was there a pothole there or some other condition on the roadway that needed repair? Maybe there was a mechanical malfunction or defect in her automobile or maybe it was fatigue, distraction or inattention.

The other issue here is also why the Honda hit the stopped Mazda. Maybe there wasn’t enough time and distance for the Honda to avoid the collision. If that’s the case, the driver of the Mazda would be legally responsible for the injuries to the driver of the Honda. That said, if the Honda had the time and room to maneuver around the Mazda, but hit the car because the driver was traveling too fast or following too close, the driver of the Honda could be held legally responsible for the woman’s death and her husband’s injuries. If it is determined that there was a defect on the freeway surface that caused the accident, then Caltrans could be held responsible for the accident.

Continue reading "Fremont Woman Dies In Fatal Crash On Possibly Slick I-880" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (5)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

Two women suffered injuries when their car broke down on the 22 Freeway and they were struck by a car driven by a drunken driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, Reyna Poblanu, 47, of Anaheim was driving a 1995 Mercedes Benz, which stopped in the two right lanes near the City Drive exit. Her passenger, 34-year-old Feliciana Adalpa of Anaheim, was getting out the car when a 2007 Toyota, driven by Dong Kim, struck her. Adalpa suffered major injuries while Poblanu suffered moderate injuries, the Register reported. Kim, 45, of Fullerton was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (0)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

Five people went to the hospital after they were injured in a crash reportedly caused by a drunken driver who was heading the wrong way on the 5 Freeway in Anaheim. According to an article in The Orange County Register, the early morning crash happened on the southbound lanes of the freeway north of Brookhurst Street when a man driving an Infiniti rammed into a Dodge truck.

A male passenger in the Infiniti – which was the car traveling the wrong way – suffered major injuries including head trauma and cuts, the Register reported. Two 19-year-old women in the Dodge suffered moderate injuries. The 20-year-old driver of the Infiniti – reportedly the one who was driving under the influence – suffered minor injuries. No names were released in the incident. No information was available about the fifth person who was taken to the hospital.

This is no doubt a horrible crash, which could have turned out a lot worse. One of these young people could have been dead and it almost happened. Officials did not tell reporters yet what this driver’s blood alcohol level was. How drunk and how incapacitated do you have to be to drive the wrong way on the I-5 and not even realize it?

Continue reading "Drunken Driver On Wrong Side Of Orange County Freeway Causes Accident, Injures 5" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (1)

Posted In: Auto & Car Accidents

Bookmark:

One person was killed in a Minneapolis traffic accident when a tire flew off a dump truck into oncoming traffic, according to an Associated Press news report. Not much information was available about the victim, but the report states that the truck was driving south on the Interstate 35, but that the tire went into the northbound lane striking a vehicle.

This type of auto accident is not at all uncommon, especially in Los Angeles and Orange counties where big rig accidents and mishaps involving debris on the freeway are quite common, unfortunately. Our firm handled a case that was identical to the Minneapolis accident. It involved a moving van that lost the tire and struck a vehicle. The crash resulted in the driver suffering severe brain injuries and the passenger suffering multiple broken bones.

Freeway debris and trucks spilling all kinds of debris is certainly a reality in California. According to a New York Times article, about 140,000 cubic yards of debris are dumped on our freeways and in California alone 155 people lost their lives in the last two years after accidents involving objects on highways.

Continue reading "Loose Tire Flies Off Dump Truck, Causes Fatal Minnesota Auto Accident" »