California Injury Blog

Gustavo Gracia, 33, was killed in a California car accident the morning of September 17, 2009, after a big rig flipped over and crushed his car on the 5 Freeway in Oceanside, California. According to a news report in the San Diego Union Tribune, Gracia was in a Lexus sedan on the 5 Freeway's transition to Route 78 when the truck rolled on its left side while the driver was negotiating a turn and hit the sedan. Gracia suffered major head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, 32-year-old Jerry Jimerson, sustained minor injuries. California Highway Patrol officials are looking into why the big rig, a 1996 Freightliner pulling a 32-foot cargo container, tipped over. Officials say they will perform a thorough inspection of the truck.

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A 15-year-old girl remains in a coma after she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a San Francisco Bay Area pedestrian-car accident that happened at the street intersection of Healdsburg Avenue and Florence Avenue on July 3, 2009. According to The Santa Rosa Press Democrat news report, the girl was crossing the downtown Sebastopol street in a crosswalk when she was struck by a car driven by 65-year-old Linda Chilvers. Doctors are now saying that the teenager could be in the hospital for six to eight months at least.

My heart goes out to the family of this teenager, especially her parents. I wish this young girl the very best for a quick and complete recovery, although she probably has a long road ahead. Please keep her in your prayers.

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Local residents in the Tamalpais Valley in the San Francisco area are crying out for better bicycle safety after 26-year-old Claire Diepenbrock suffered horrific injuries in a bicycle accident on May 26, 2009. According to a news report in the Marin Independent Journal, Diepenbrock was injured after she was hit by two cars while riding her bicycle in the busy stretch of Highway 1 near Tam junction. This roadway has apparently been the subject of numerous calls for speed limit signs and wider shoulders by community members over the years who believe a dangerous roadway condition exists on this roadway.

Community activists and local groups have been re-energized by Claire Diepenbrock's bicycle accident and resulting injuries. Many have sent out letters seeking changes to local politicians as well the as the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Diepenbrock suffered multiple fractures to her skull, jaw, cheekbones and ribs, a broken clavicle and punctured lung. Doctors are still assessing the extent of her brain injuries and possible brain damage. However, she is said to be improving.

My heart goes out to the injured victim Claire Diepenbrock and her family members who are reeling from the shock of her terrible injuries. I hope and pray that she makes a complete recovery.

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Good planning and time management go a long way. People with traumatic brian injury often have difficulties with time management, organizing themselves and basic planning. If the family is disorganized around them, life will become difficult. Using practical tools like a family calendar, personal planning tools and dividing up duties and responsibilities, making sure everyone knows what is expected of them will help the family and the person with TBI.

An 8-year-old boy is in critical condition after he was injured in a Santa Ana pedestrian accident the evening of May 24, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. The boy, who has not been identified, was playing with several friends just before the Santa Ana car accident occurred. He apparently stepped onto Hickory Street and was struck by a southbound Toyota Previa, Santa Ana police officials said. The pedestrian accident occurred near Bishop Street. The boy was taken to an area hospital and is said to have suffered critical personal injuries.

My heart goes out to the parents of this child and his friends, the other children, who saw him get hit by the truck on the street. I hope that this boy has a speedy and complete recovery. I can only imagine the strain this family must be going through. Please keep this young victim and his family in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were nine fatalities and 127 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Santa Ana. In all of Orange County, 41 deaths and 726 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of pedestrian accidents.

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Two 12-year-old boys suffered serious personal injuries in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident the morning of May 6, 2009, CBS News reports. The boys were struck by a car in the 12100 block of West Wicks Street, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said. One boy reportedly suffered a broken femur and the other child possibly suffered a head injury. Police were still investigating the circumstances of this pedestrian-car accident.

My heart goes out to these two children who were involved in this horrific pedestrian accident. I hope and pray that they are doing better and that their personal injuries were not catastrophic. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 90 deaths and 2,690 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in the city of Los Angeles. In 2007, in Los Angeles County, there were reports of 210 deaths and 5,095 injuries involving pedestrian accidents.

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A man is in serious condition after he was injured in a Seattle car accident while riding on his motorcycle, the Seattle Times reports. The accident occurred the night of April 15, 2009 when the man was riding with two other motorcyclists on the Duwamish Avenue South access road. When the group turned south on to Duwamish Avenue South, one man lost control of his motorcycle, skidded along the road and landed along the jersey median. The man suffered head injuries and became unconscious. Other motorcyclists attempted CPR on him until paramedics arrived. The injured motorcyclist was taken to a local hospital where he is said to be in critical condition.

My heart goes out to this motorcyclist who is fighting for his life. I hope and pray that he recovers quickly and completely from his serious head injuries. Please keep him in your prayers.

The number of motorcycle accidents in Washington State is apparently increasing at an alarming rate. Washington State Troopers say they are concerned about the high number of fatal motorcycle crashes occurring so early this year. So far, just in the first part of 2009, there have been five fatal motorcycle accidents in Washington State. Total motorcycle fatalities reached 75 in 2008, an increase of nine incidents from 66 in 2007. In all, Washington State Patrol troopers have investigated 584 motorcycle collisions in 2008 resulting in 200 injuries.

Continue reading "Seattle Washington Motorcycle Accident Attorneys: Man Suffers Severe Head Injuries in Seattle Motorcycle Accident" »

A woman, who suffered severe brain injuries that left her permanently disabled after her car was broadsided by a Los Angeles Police Department vehicle will get $4.5 million in a settlement approved recently by the Los Angeles City Council. According to this news report, Sandra Griffin was sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked Nissan Altima just before midnight on September 9, 2006, when an LAPD patrol car driven by Officer Scotty Stevens struck her.

The crash apparently occurred when Stevens swerved to avoid hitting another car that was blocking lanes at the intersection of Imperial Highway and Success Avenue. Griffin and her passenger reportedly suffered “extreme and severe mental anguish, shock, anxiety, severe injuries to their nervous systems as well as severe mental and physical pain and injury,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Personal injury cases that involve traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries that have resulted in permanent disability are extremely tragic. Most of these victims require 24/7 care and become dependent on someone else to perform ordinary functions such as eating, dressing, bathing and moving around. It may seem as if Sandra Griffin “won” a lot of money in this settlement. But this is no victory and the settlement is no jackpot.

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A jury in Twentynine Palms, Calif., has awarded $15 million to the family of a 17-year-old local boy who suffered severe brain injuries in a 2005 traffic accident in Joshua Tree, which was reportedly caused by the negligence of a Southern California Gas Company employee. According to a news article in the Hi-Desert Star, Darryl Whitley of Yucca Valley reportedly ran the red light and struck the vehicle on the passenger side where the boy, Kyle Tilton then 14 years old was sitting.

Kyle’s auto accident injuries included the brain injury, a collapsed lung, eight broken ribs and major internal injuries. For the rest of his life Kyle will have to live with a condition called “frontal lobe syndrome,” which hampers his ability to reason as well as to plan and execute tasks. The $15 million will go toward the medical treatment and a lifetime of care Kyle desperately needs, his attorney told news reporters.

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A 12-year-old girl died last week after she suffered brain injuries in an all-terrain vehicle accident in a dirt field on April 8. Two days after the accident, Arlene Marie Ochoa’s family was forced to take her off life support because of the severity of her brain injuries, according to an article published in The Bakersfield Californian.

Arlene was a passenger of an ATV driven by her 13-year-old aunt, her best friend, as they traveled through a dirt field in the 2300 block of Macau and Areili streets, according to a Kern County coroner’s office release. She fell off the ATV and struck her head.

According to eyewitness reports, Arlene had been having so much fun on the vehicle that she kept letting go and holding her hands up, her father Robert Ochoa told the newspaper. Some of Arlene’s relatives were also present when the incident happened, but were facing the other way when the accident happened, he said. Arlene was a spirited girl who played soccer and had numerous friends and a beautiful heart, her grieving father said.

At first the Ochoas thought their daughter would make it through the injuries, but tests revealed that Arlene was in fact, brain-dead. Bakersfield police detectives are investigating the accident and still don’t know whether any California vehicle codes were broken. Under California law, anyone driving an ATV off-road must wear a helmet and anyone under 18 must secure a safety certificate to operate an ATV, Terry said.

It is not clear from this article whether the young girl was wearing a helmet. But here’s what we know about ATVs. Although ATVs are toys, they are powerful toys that can turn deadly. They are powerful vehicles that can travel at speeds of 70 mph. They are not designed to carry passengers.

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