California Injury Blog

A Los Angeles teenager who lost both her legs in a freeway auto accident after her car hit a broken metal guardrail, will get $10 million from the state of California. According to a news article in the San Jose Mercury News, Priscilla Contreras was driving home in 2006 when she lost control of her car and hit the metal railing on the 10 Freeway.

Her family reportedly sued Caltrans for creating a dangerous condition on the freeway, failing to repair public property and not giving drivers and motorists enough warning about this clearly dangerous situation. Both parties reached a settlement March 6, the day the trial was set to begin. They had been embroiled in this legal battle for two years.

Continue reading "State of California Agrees To Pay Teenager $10 Million For Crash Involving a Dangerous Freeway Condition" »

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Anaheim City Council members apparently settled in a hurry authorizing the payment of $700,000 to the family of a 49-year-old man who died when a large Ficus tree came crashing down, smashing his parked van. Michael Gandy, a church maintenance worker who usually took lunch breaks while parking his Ford Aerostar van under the shade of the 50-foot tree, was celebrating his 49th birthday the day he died, The Orange County Register reported.

Gandy’s family members alleged in their claim that the city allowed a dangerous condition to exist on the roadway with its faulty tree-trimming practices. It certainly seems to me like they created the dangerous roadway condition. The family alleged that the city cut the tree’s roots making the tree unstable and prone to falling during Santa Ana winds.

Gandy’s sister, Carole Gandy-Strong, told the Register that she hoped her brother’s death will draw the city’s attention to the tree hazard in the area so no more lives will be lost tragically. Hopefully, Michael Gandy’s death and his family’s resulting lawsuit will lead the municipalities and property owners in Orange County to make wiser choices regarding their tree maintenance procedures.

Continue reading "Anaheim’s Tree Negligence Costs a Life and $700,000" »

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A man, who was a passenger in a 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse, reportedly died after a traffic collision near the Los Alamitos Race Track in an area, which city officials themselves have admitted is a dangerous intersection. The deceased man has been unidentified as Fernando Flores, but there is no word yet on his age or city of residence, The Orange County Register reports.

Apparently, the intersection where the accident occurred – Siboney Street and Katella Avenue – is an extremely busy and dangerous one where officials have applied for grants to make median and intersection improvements. Flores died after the car he was riding in crashed into a 2004 Chevy Tahoe driven by Ivan Gandarilla of Long Beach.

Officials are still investigating the crash and it is not known if alcohol was a factor in this crash. But Gandarilla was arrested on an outstanding warrant for driving under the influence. Flores was pronounced dead after he was transported to the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Gandarilla escaped with nonlife-threatening injuries. No one else in the Tahoe or the Eclipse suffered serious injuries, The Register reported.

Continue reading "Man Dies In Fatal Crash At Dangerous Orange County Intersection" »

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A 58-year-old Glen Ellen man died in a head-on collision on a section of Highway 12 in a legal passing area where there have been at least four auto accident deaths in the past five or six years, a news report in the Times Herald stated. According to the article, Alfredo Alcaraz was killed when his 1998 Honda Civic was struck by a 2003 Toyota Camry driven by 63-year-old Allen Gates of Santa Rosa.

Officials said Gates was eastbound when he unsafely passed a garbage truck. That led to a head-on crash with the Honda, which was going westbound and the impact pushed Gates’ Toyota into the path of the garbage truck. The driver of the truck was not injured but the Honda spun into a ditch.

Continue reading "Glen Ellen Man Dies In Head-On Collision at What Is Believed To Be A Dangerous Portion Of Highway 12" »

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A $1.2 million dollar study, approved by Orange County transportation planners will look at how to improve a section of highway from the Santa Ana Freeway, North of El Toro, to San Clemente, which has been a silent witness to many fatal car crashes.

This area includes over 14 cities and some unincorporated territory which has seen unprecedented growth over the years. While many changes have been put in place by the OCTA in South Orange County to improve congestion on the highways, new cities have sprung up over the years, as new schools, and reasonably priced homes became available. In fact, in 1980 the cities of Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Niguel had a total population of 205,000, but it is projected that in 2030 those same cities will increase in population by 45%.

Unfortunately, this study comes too late for several of the county residents who lost their lives on Orange County freeways. Just this month all three of the Cobble’s children, Emma 4, Kyle 5, Katie 2, died when a tractor-trailer, driven by Jorge Romero, rear-ended their minivan near the Oso exit. Kyle celebrated his fifth birthday the day before he died. Romero has been cited several times for such things as speeding; driving without his lights on; and, driving on a suspended license. An investigation is ongoing.

Continue reading "Road Improvement Study Underway in Orange County" »

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