California Injury Blog

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" »

Three people were injured in a San Diego car accident after a school bus rear-ended a van and crashed into a house in the Emerald Hills area the afternoon of October 21, 2009. According to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the school bus had no children on board. Police say the bus initially crashed into the back of a van stopped at the intersection of Guymon Street and Euclid Avenue and then veered into the house. The van's occupants -- a 44-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son – were taken to a hospital for treatment of their injuries and to be evaluated. The occupants of the home were thankfully not in at the time of the crash. Police investigators say the bus driver may have lost control of the school bus because of a seizure or some other medical condition.

Continue reading "Three Injured in San Diego Car Accident Involving School Bus" »

At least two people were injured on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 in a San Francisco train accident when a bus struck an F-line streetcar.

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Fourteen people suffered injuries in a Los Angeles County bus accident after a city bus and a van collided at the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Concourse Avenue in Montebello on July 6, 2009. According to a news report in the Pasadena Star News, the bus was carrying about 40 passengers. Fourteen of those on the bus, including the bus driver, were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries. At least four of those injuries are said to be serious. The driver of the van suffered minor injuries.

It's a relief that this bus accident did not cause life threatening injuries or fatalities. My heart goes out to everybody who was injured in this Los Angeles County bus accident. I wish all the injured victims the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were six fatalities and 290 injuries involving car accidents in Montebello. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 712 fatalities and 56,475 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of car accidents.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Bus Accident Injures 14" »

Six people were injured in a San Bernardino County bus accident after a suspected drunk driver in a pickup crashed into the charter bus carrying 23 passengers from the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino to Los Angeles. According to a news article in the San Bernardino Sun, 32-year-old Vernon Christopher Hernandez ran a red light at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Mirada Road in San Bernardino the night of June 15, 2009 and slammed into the bus. Hernandez died in the bus crash.

After the initial impact, the bus and truck continued sliding 20 to 30 yards. The bus then crashed into a large block wall. Six passengers on the bus suffered personal injuries and all 23 were pulled through the windows after the bus crashed into the wall, San Bernardino County Fire Department officials said. The Los Angeles-bound charter bus had just picked up the passengers from the casino. Police are apparently still investigating what caused the bus-car accident, but based on the preliminary investigation, they are placing the blame on the driver of the pickup truck. Police say they believe alcohol or drugs may have played a part in this bus collision.

I'm relieved that other than the suspected drunk driver, no one else was seriously hurt or killed in this San Bernardino bus accident. I wish the injured bus passengers the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "San Bernardino Bus Accident Leaves Drunk Driver Dead and Six Passengers Injured " »

Three students and two drivers were injured in a Visalia school bus accident the morning of May 12, 2009 after two school buses collided. The school bus accident occurred at the intersection of Camp Drive and Road 69. The smaller bus was carrying special education students and was going north on Camp Drive approaching Road 69. The second bus, a full-sized school bus, was going west on Road 69 and had stopped at a stop sign. The driver of the larger bus did not see the smaller bus and pulled into the intersection as it approached, California Highway Patrol officials said. The bus collided at their right front corners and came to a stop.

Three out of six students in the smaller bus suffered personal injuries and were taken to an area hospital. They were treated and released. The two drivers -- Melville Tully Jr. 66 and Dennis Curtsinger, 58 -- also suffered minor injuries. They have been placed on administrative leave until CHP completes its investigation and the school district finishes its internal evaluation. Officials do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved in this school bus crash.

I'm glad that none of the children or the drivers suffered any serious personal injuries in this school bus crash. What a relief for their parents! It could have been a lot worse. I wish all the injured victims the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Visalia School Bus Accident Injures Three Students, Two Drivers" »

A preliminary report released by the California Highway Patrol states that driver error was to blame for a fatal Soledad tour bus accident on April 28, 2009, which killed five people. According to an Associated Press news report, an investigation shows that the Orion Pacific tour bus' driver, 69-year-old John Egnew of Corona, failed to negotiate a curve on a Highway 101 overpass in Soledad, causing the bus to hit a guard rail and overturn. The bus was carrying 34 French tourists and a Canadian tour guide when the bus accident occurred.

Four of those killed were French nationals. Egnew, who was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown through the windshield and died. The CHP report says Egnew was not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and that his toxicology tests came back negative. Investigators have also determined that the bus had no mechanical problems and road or weather conditions were not factors in this fatal Soledad bus crash.

In this California bus accident, from an investigator's point of view, it is very unfortunate the driver himself was among the deceased. I'm sure this made the investigation all the more complex. However, now that a determination has been made that the bus accident in Soledad was the bus driver's fault, the Orange County-bases tour bus company could be held liable.

Continue reading "Soledad Tour Bus Accident Caused By Driver Error, CHP Officials Say" »

A Riverside County tour bus accident on the 215 Freeway the afternoon of May 2, 2009 injured 25 people and at least eight suffered critical injuries, according to an article in The Desert Sun. The Inland Empire Stages Ltd. bus was returning to Colton from a San Diego area casino when it veered to the right crossing two lanes and crashed into a cinder-block wall. California Highway Patrol investigators are looking into what caused the 56-year-old bus driver to lose control of the 2003 MCI E-Series Renaissance Coach, which was northbound on the freeway with 27 passengers.

The eight victims who were critically injured were taken to area hospitals. There is no word on how these victims are doing. This Riverside County bus crash occurred three days after a similar bus accident in Soledad took the lives of four French tourists and bus driver, 69-year-old John Agnew of Corona. That investigation is still continuing.

Continue reading "Perris Tour Bus Accident Injures 25" »

Officials have identified four French tourists killed in the April 27, 2009 Soledad bus accident as 68-year-old Daniel Le Garrec, 65-year-old Christian Montmayeur, 64-year-old Jacqueline Montmayeur and 26-year-old Michael Taveira. According to an Associated Press news report, the driver of the bus, who also died in the fatal bus accident, was identified as John Egnew. Four passengers are still in critical condition in area hospitals.

A total of 36 people were on board that Orange County-based Orion Pacific tour bus when it crashed into a guardrail and rolled over on the U.S. 101 near Soledad. The group included 34 tourists from France, a Canadian tour guide and Egnew, the American driver. California Highway Patrol officials are still interviewing witnesses and passengers and looking for any physical evidence that might point to a cause.

This is a challenge for investigators particularly because the driver is deceased. Reports that came out this week stated that Egnew was involved in a Las Vegas pedestrian accident a few years ago when he struck and injured a woman in a crosswalk. His employer settled with the husband of the woman, who suffered a brain injury in that accident.

Continue reading "Soledad Bus Accident Victims Identified" »

Soledad, California, tour bus accident driver of an Orion Pacific tour bus had been involved in pedestrian accident seriously injuring a woman in a Las Vegas crosswalk four years ago, the Associated Press reports. The driver, 69-year-old John Egnew of Corona, died after he crashed the tour bus loaded with French tourists, into a guardrail on Highway 101 on April 28, 2009. Egnew himself was ejected from the tour bus and died of head and neck injuries.

In the 2005 Las Vegas pedestrian-bus accident, Egnew said he did not see 71-year-old Joan Smith when he hit her with a bus, as she and her husband were crossing the street. Smith was knocked backwards and struck her head on the pavement. The bus continued rolling on top of Smith before backing off. Smith apparently suffered brain injuries and a fractured pelvis in that tour bus accident. The bus company involved in the pedestrian accident reached a $750,000 agreement with Smith and her husband last year. Egnew also pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of "starting improperly from a stopped position." Investigators are still looking into what might have caused Egnew to lose control of the bus this week that cost him and four others their lives.

The Associated Press reports that Weeks Enterprises, an Orange County-based company owns the tour bus operator, Orion Pacific. The company has had a solid safety record in the two years leading up to the Soledad bus crash. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is the federal agency that regulates commercial interstate travel, this particular carrier has not been involved in accidents in any state for the last 30 months. The agency also conducted 14 random roadside inspections. There were reportedly no driver issues or problems with any of the company's 12 buses. The National Transportation Safety Board also announced that the California Highway Patrol will take the lead on investigating this fatal Soledad bus crash.

Continue reading "Soledad, California, Tour Bus Accident: Passengers Suspect Mechanical Problems" »

A California tour bus accident turned deadly when five people died and dozens were injured in a Soledad bus accident on the Highway 101 the afternoon of April 28, 2009. The Orion Pacific tour bus based out of Orange County was carrying French tourists when the bus crashed and rolled over on a freeway overpass, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The accident caused several passengers to be ejected from the bus and onto the overpass as well as the freeway below, California Highway Patrol officials said. The number of deaths is expected to increase, as many of the personal injuries are believed to be life threatening. Traffic investigators are looking into what may have caused the fatal California bus accident.

My heart goes out to the family and friends who were involved in this horrific tour bus crash. According to officials, this is one of the worst bus accidents this area has ever seen. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved the victims of this tragic accident. I am praying for the victims who are fighting for their lives in hospital beds and their families that are making arrangements to fly out from France to be with their loved ones. I hope and pray that the victims of this bus crash make a quick recovery.

The group of French tourist began their trip in Los Angeles and was apparently on an eight-day sightseeing trip. According to CHP officials, 34 of the tour bus passengers are French nationals, one was an American bus driver and the other was a Canadian guide. The group was headed from San Francisco to Santa Maria when the California bus accident occurred. Of the passengers four were under 18. Officials of concluded that no other vehicles were involved.

Continue reading "California Tour Bus Accident Kills Five " »

Breyer Law Offices recently posted a blog about bus safety and bus accidents in Arizona. The blog discussed the importance of seatbelts during bus crashes. Currently, the law in most states including Arizona and California, do not require seatbelts to be installed in buses. On the other hand, there are laws requiring seatbelt usage for passengers and drivers operating or riding in almost every other type of vehicle.

Alexis and Mark Breyer – a great husband and wife team -- give the example of a settlement involving a tragic bus accident, in which nearly 70 people suffered serious or fatal injuries. In that accident, the driver of the bus was uninjured because he was the only person in the bus who was afforded a seatbelt. Almost everyone else in the bus was ejected during this horrific crash, but the driver’s seatbelt kept him safely buckled into his seat. A similar situation arose in a recent Arizona tour bus crash involving Chinese tourists when seven people died and at least 10 others were injured when a bus driver lost control and crashed the vehicle. All of the victims in that crash were ejected too and were not wearing seat belts.

These bus accidents result in catastrophic injuries and death. We join Alexis and Mark Breyer in calling for all states in the country to give strong consideration to passing and implementing laws that require seatbelt availability and installation in all buses.

Continue reading "Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Phoenix, Arizona" »

Investigators looking into a fatal bus crash in Arizona that killed seven people and injured several others are now saying that the bus driver may have been distracted just before the horrific accident. According to this Associated Press news report, the bus company and the bus driver, 48-year-old Han Dong, were based in Los Angeles County. The charter bus company, D.W. Tour & Charter of San Gabriel, had its charter certificate suspended on Monday by the California Public Utilities Commission. That apparently happened because the company’s liability insurance expired on February 2, 2009.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has released the names and ages of injured passengers. The names of those were killed have been withheld until their family members can arrive from China. Those who were injured in this accident are: Äî Ying Lei Zhao, 35; Ya Fen Cheng; Shun Xing Zhao, 61; Shuang Wu, 8; Shou Gui Wu, 47; Rui Hua Bao, 35; Tian Yi Xe, 19; Bang Yao Hong, 50; and Yee Kwan Lau, 41.

Based on interviews with three survivors, investigators are checking out Dong’s driving history, medical records and certification to operate the bus. The crash occurred on January 30, 2009 along the U.S. 93 in Arizona and near the Nevada border. The investigation is now focused on whether the driver was possibly distracted for some unknown reason, officials said. They don’t believe, however, that the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the fatal bus crash.

Continue reading "Driver in Fatal Bus Crash was Possibly Distracted, Investigators Say" »

At least 23 Lennox Middle School students and two adults were injured in a school bus accident on the 405 (San Diego) Freeway in Los Angeles on January 10, 2009 as the children were returning from a field trip to the La Brea Tar Pits. According to this news report in the Los Angeles Times, the students were treated for bruises, scratches and pains at local hospitals. The school bus crash occurred on the northbound 405 Freeway in West Los Angeles near Palms Boulevard where road work was going on.

The Times quotes several students including 13-year-old Vanessa Gonzalez, who was apparently knocked several feet out of her seat when the bus was rear-ended. Vanessa says she hurt her hip and her back and was “in a lot of pain.” Both drivers – 22-year-old Ulises Torres and 35-year-old Carmen Gutierrez, were evaluated at the scene for signs of impairment. But California Highway Patrol officials say the drivers were not operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The two buses, operated by Durham School Services, were traveling between 50 to 55 mph in moderate traffic when traffic suddenly slowed to a stop. The lead bus came to an abrupt stop and the second bus crashed into it.

My heart goes out to all these children, who were shaken up by such a traumatic Los Angeles school bus incident as they were enjoying a field trip. I’m extremely relieved that none of them was seriously injured in this Los Angeles school bus crash. I wish the injured victims the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "West Los Angeles School Bus Accident Injures 25 " »

Officials are looking at whether a Golden Empire Transit (GET) bus driver in Bakersfield was driving recklessly when she struck and killed 62-year-old James Tate who was walking in a marked crosswalk. According to this news report in the Bakersfield Californian, the accident occurred on December 26, 2008. The GET bus was traveling north on H Street when it turned left on to 24th Street and struck Tate, who was walking north in the crosswalk.
The bus driver was identified as 50-year-old Priscilla Martinez.

Bakersfield police officials who are investigating this tragic pedestrian accident are looking at whether Martinez should have seen and stopped for the pedestrian or whether Tate carelessly walked into the path of the moving bus. Traffic investigators are apparently reviewing videotapes of the fatal Bakersfield pedestrian accident as part of the investigation.

Continue reading "Man Killed in Bakersfield Bus versus Pedestrian Accident " »

Details of the deadly October 5, 2008 charter bus crash on Lone Star Road east of Williams, California in Colusa County are emerging as the California Highway Patrol accident and criminal investigation continues. The bus was carrying 42 passengers from Sacramento to Colusa Casino Resort, located on Highway 45 three miles north of Colusa when the driver lost control and the bus flipped into the air, cartwheeled and landed in a ditch.

According to the CHP as reported by ABC News, eight people died on 10/5/08 when the bus overturned on its way to the Colusa Casino Resort including six women – Lou Her, 68; Muang Saephanh, 68; Khou Yang, 67; Meuay Saelee, 74; and Fin Saechae, 64, Ma Vang, 60 and two men Xee Vang, 85 and Daniel E. Cobb, 68. All of them are believed to be from Sacramento. Cobb was the owner of the bus.

All of the thirty-five surviving passengers were injured in the Colusa County bus crash, some of them critically. They are all believed to be from the Sacramento area and of Laotian descent. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased accident victims. Please keep them all, including the injured in your prayers.

What is clear is that the 52-year-old driver of the bus from Stockton, Quintin Joey Watts, was not properly licensed to drive the bus, had a felony criminal record, had spent years in prison and was paroled less than a year ago.

Watts is in fair condition in Woodland Memorial Hospital and is under arrest on suspicion of felony driving under the influence. Watts’ criminal record includes convictions for possession of drugs for sale, possession of a firearm, possession of destructive device, check fraud, credit card theft and distributing phoney telecommunication devices. No previous DUI convictions have been uncovered.

The Texas license plates the bus carried were invalid, and no federal Department of Transportation registration number could be found, according to Officer Bob Kays of the CHP’s Williams station. However, a California Public Utilities Commission spokeswomen, Susan Carothers, said the bus had a valid license and insurance coverage. Which is good news for the victims and their families. The CPUC oversees charter transportation companies. Cobb had been registered with the CPUC as a charter operator since 1974, Carothers said.

Continue reading "Colusa County Charter Bus Accident Driver Arrested For DUI; Had Criminal Record" »

Eight people were killed and at least 35 others were critically injured in a Colusa County, California bus crash yesterday, October 5, 2008, after their charter bus drifted off a rural road near Williams, flipped over and rolled into a ditch. According to a News10 report, the driver of the bus, 52-year-old Quentin Joey Watts of Stockton has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence at the time of the 10/05/08 bus accident.

Eyewitnesses told California Highway Patrol officials that the bus drifted off Lone Star Road and then rolled over several times ejecting passengers into a field. The bus was reportedly carrying passengers north from Sacramento to the Colusa Casino Resort and taking a shortcut along Lone Star Road at about 6:15 the night of 10/5/08 when the tour bus accident occurred.

My heart goes out to all of the people injured on this bus and the families of those who died in this horrible accident. Please keep them in your prayers.

In 2006, there were 331 deaths as a result of bus accidents and 16,044 bus accident related injuries nationwide, according to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. California accounted for 45 deaths and 1,488 injuries as a result of bus accidents.

I have a bad feeling about the victims’ ability to collect compensation from this driver and his company.

Continue reading "Colusa County Bus Accident Kills Eight, Critically Injures 35" »

Fourteen people were killed and 40 suffered severe injuries after a charter bus taking worshippers from the Vietnamese Martyrs Church of Houston to a religious festival in Carthage, Missouri, blew a tire and crashed on Highway 75 north of Dallas. According to an Associated Press news report, the bus’ right front tire blew after which it skidded across a guard rail before sliding off the highway on the other side of a bridge over a creek, landing on its side. Texas state troopers say this is one of the worst fatal bus accidents in their state’s history.

According to police and fire officials, 12 people died on the scene and two died in hospitals. At least six people are said to be hospitalized in critical condition. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials are still investigating the cause of the bus accident. It could take up to 18 months for their investigation to be completed. This bus accident reportedly occurred less than a mile from the spot where a truck driver crossed the median and killed 10 people about five years ago in another fatal truck accident.

I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I wish survivors a speedy recovery from their injuries. Please keep the victims and their families in your prayers.

I’d be very interested to know all the contributing causes to this accident and the resulting injuries. Preliminary reports say that the bus’ tire blew and it then veered out of control and crashed. I would want to know if the tire that blew was a defective auto product or if the tread separated. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 299 fatal bus crashes and more than 12,000 injury crashes involving buses in the United States in 2006. Bus crashes commonly occur because of driver error, mechanical defects, poor vehicle maintenance, a defective auto product or a dangerous road condition.

Continue reading "Fatal Chartered Bus Accident In Texas Kills 14, Injures 40" »

A school bus carrying nine students heading home from a summer school program at Sonoma State University overturned on Highway 101 near Asti, skidding on its side for 200 feet before coming to rest in the middle of the freeway, according to an article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Some of the students and the driver suffered injuries during the California bus accident.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Ramos said that everyone in the bus was able to get out through the front windshield, which had popped out. . Some students suffered cuts and bruises while the driver complained of pain. One student was treated for a dislocated shoulder and another was treated for head injuries at a local hospital. Thankfully none of the students were seriously injured. This accident could have been catastrophic.

The bus, which was operated by First Student, a national school bus company, crashed when the driver drifted off the side of the freeway, officials said. Bus company officials said the driver was a veteran employee and was one of their best drivers. Doesn’t sound like it however.

From the news accounts it appears that the carrier company will be held fully responsible for this bus accident. Buses are considered “common carriers” and that includes school buses, city buses and charter buses. Common carriers have an “utmost duty of care” to their passengers, which is a much higher duty than that of your friend who is driving you to school.

Continue reading "Students Injured In Sonoma County School Bus Accident" »

Faith Creer, 31 of Los Angeles died in a recent charter bus accident reported by The Los Angeles Times. The bus was in the left lane headed eastbound on Interstate 40 when it drifted onto the dirt median. The bus then crashed as the driver tried to correct its direction and fell on its side. Creer died when she was thrown out by the impact of the bus crash that also injured 21 others, eight of them seriously.

I’m deeply saddened by the loss of life and the scale of injuries caused by this bus wreck. It is always scary to imagine that as a passenger in a vehicle you can have your whole life suddenly upturned or even destroyed. And it is interesting to note here that CHP Officer Taj Johnson is quoted as saying they don’t know why the driver of the bus drifted across the lanes and also that the driver himself didn’t know how it drifted.

Continue reading "I-40 Bus Accident near Barstow Kills Woman" »