California Injury Blog

Here is a story that tells us how important it is to get checked out by a doctor after you have been involved in an auto accident. According to an article in the Eureka Times-Standard, a 29-year-old man who was involved in a motorcycle accident and was found dead hours after the crash, died from his accident injuries.

The article states that Lawrence Friedman was in a motorcycle accident the afternoon of April 19. Officials suspect he did not realize the extent of his injuries and decided to go out with his friends to a party Saturday night. Officials, based on witness reports and investigations, believe that Friedman collapsed in front of his home after returning from the party sometime late April 20 or early morning on April 21. He was reportedly found dead on his front lawn by a delivery person.

Continue reading "The Importance of a Medical Exam After An Auto Accident" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A 23-year-old Orange County man was killed in a motorcycle accident after driving off a freeway overpass and falling into oncoming traffic on the 91 Freeway, The Orange County Register reports. According to the article, Kristopher Schneckenberger of Anaheim is the second motorcyclist in three weeks to be involved in such a fatal motorcycle accident.

Schneckenberger reportedly went over a concrete barrier of a freeway connecter and fell on the westbound lanes of the 91 freeway where he was run over and killed. California Highway Patrol have not been able to establish what caused the motorcyclist to drive off the overpass or lose control of his vehicle. On March 23, Mark Ramey, 22, of Moreno Valley, was also killed when he lost control of his motorcycle and flew off the freeway connector as he tried to merge from the 91 to the northbound 57 freeway.

This is no doubt a horrible tragedy for the family of this young man. It is easy to assume that the motorcyclist was speeding or being irresponsible when you read a newspaper article like this one. A lot of readers who saw this article made that assumption, as is evident from their comments on the Register’s Web site.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Killed In Orange County Freeway Accident" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

Two people died after a deadly motorcycle accident in Valley Center, San Diego, after the motorcycle they were riding on was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Officials have identified the two deceased as Lisa Marrazzo, 24, of Murrieta and Andrew Buchanan Gardenhire, 23, of Ramona.

Channel 10 News reported that Gardenhire, who was piloting the Honda CVR Ninja-style motorcycle at more than 100 miles an hour, veered into the path of an oncoming Toyota Corolla near Mac Tan Road. Both Marrazzo and Gardenhire reportedly died on the scene. Both were also wearing helmets, but that apparently did not help because of the crash’s impact. The motorcycle completely disintegrated and the Corolla was also totaled, the TV station reports.

Continue reading "Two Young Lives Lost In San Diego Motorcycle Accident" »

Posted by John Bisnar | Permalink | Email This Post | Comments (13)

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

California Highway Patrol officials in San Andreas are still looking for witnesses to a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred there, according to a news report in the Amador Ledger-Dispatch newspaper. The body of 61-year-old Earl Wiggins, along with his Harley, were found at the bottom of a steep embankment by his family members and friends Tuesday. Officials believe the motorcycle accident must have happened three days before Wiggins was found.

All they have right now is some accident reconstruction and preliminary investigation reports. According to officials, Wiggins was traveling eastbound on his 1997 Harley Davidson on Murphys Grade Road in San Andreas when he failed to negotiate a curve on the road and ran off the edge, the article stated. Wiggins is reportedly the third traffic fatality in the CHP’s San Andreas area, but the first motorcycle fatality. Last year, the San Andreas CHP investigated five motorcycle fatalities, the newspaper reported.

Continue reading "CHP Looking For Witnesses In Fatal San Andreas Motorcycle Accident" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A 12-year-old boy, who was riding in a motorcycle driven by his father, died after their motorcycle was hit by a 90-year-old driver making a left turn. According to an article in the Napa Valley Register, Eduardo Palafox was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by his dad, 32-year-old Jose Cruz Palafox-Iona.

The driver of a Subaru, driven by 90-year-old Marilyn Heinricher, collided with the motorcycle when the woman made a left turn, the article said. Paramedics performed CPR on the boy at the scene, but he reportedly died at the hospital. Both Heinricher and the boy’s father reportedly suffered minor injuries. Both father and son were said to be wearing helmets. Also, an accident reconstruction team is investigating whether Heinricher failed to yield right of way while making the left turn.

This is another tragic case involving an elderly driver possibly making an error on the road that turned out to be fatal. What a tragic loss for the young boy’s family. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Palafox family.

Continue reading "Elderly Driver Hits Motorcycle, 12-year-old Boy Killed" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

Motorcycle accidents, according to most recent numbers, have climbed at least 25 percent over the last decade. With more motorcycles on the road, there is obviously a probability of more motorcycle accidents, but these stories we found just from scanning the news over the last 20 days, shows fatal crashes are also on the rise. Here is a compilation of fatal motorcycle accidents from around the country.

Albuquerque crash: A man died while riding his motorcycle in Rio Rancho, N.M. According to this article, 21-year-old Luke Ballejos was riding on Highway 528 when he collided with a car turning from the highway on to a surface street. Ballejos was not wearing a helmet, officials said.

Texas motorcycle accident: A 22-year-old woman was dead after losing control of her motorcycle at an Austin intersection, according to a news report. Officials are still looking into what caused Sherry Ann Marvel to lose control of her motorcycle.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accident Round-Up" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

Officials in Santa Clarita are investigating a fatal motorcycle accident where a 25-year-old man was killed after crashing into a cement mixer truck. According to an article in the Santa Clarita Signal, http://www.thesignal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=53125&format=print the collision – the second fatal motorcycle accident in just one week in that area – occurred at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Robert C. Lee Parkway.

According to the report, the motorcyclist, David Glenn Garrett of Newhall, was traveling west on Golden Valley when he struck the right side of the cement truck, which was attempting to make a left turn on Robert C. Lee Parkway. Some witnesses reportedly told officials that Garrett was traveling at a high rate of speed, but officials have not yet been able to determine who was at fault, the Signal reports.

Garrett was dragged about 30 feet by the cement truck and died at the scene, the article said. The driver of the truck was on the job and was on his way to a construction site in the area. He was not injured. Investigators are also trying to pinpoint the cause of the accident. They will examine witness statements, speed assessments and toxicology tests to determine why the crash occurred and who was at fault, the report said.

Continue reading "Man Killed In Santa Clarita Motorcycle Accident" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A 55-year-old motorcyclist was killed after a van driver made an illegal U-turn in his path on a San Diego street, according to a news report on Channel 10’s Web site. Robert Hugh Reed of Sacramento died at the scene from severe injuries he suffered in the crash, the news station reports.

The motorcycle accident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of Valley Road when a 40-year-old woman driving a van reportedly made an illegal U-turn right in front of Reed. The van driver, who has not yet been identified, was not injured in the crash. Officials are still investigating the crash, but the report says they are considering possibly filing vehicular manslaughter charges.

Continue reading "Motorist’s Illegal U-Turn Kills Motorcyclist in Fatal San Diego Crash" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A Los Angeles jury has awarded $15.7 million to a security guard and retired cop who suffered severe brain injuries after he was hit by a city-operated dump truck when he was riding his motorcycle in Northridge, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The lawsuit was filed by Barry Bowman, a 62-year-old man who worked almost 30 years with the LAPD, who was employed as a security guard on film shoots at the time of the incident, the newspaper reports. Bowman’s attorney told the Times that the city, from the beginning, refused to settle with Bowman, never offering more than $50,000. Bowman suffered severe brain injury, short-term memory loss after the incident and still requires 24-hour care.

The important issue for the jury in this case was whether the dump truck operator, who was contracted by the city, was acting as a city employee when the accident occurred. The city’s attorneys argued that the truck driver was done with his work for the day and was “off site” when the crash happened. The city also said that the truck was going at 2 mph, but Bowman’s attorney said the truck was going at 14 mph, according to an article in the Los Angeles Daily News.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accident Victim Hit by City Dump Truck Awarded $15.7 Million" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

Motorcycles accidents are reportedly on the increase in the United States. Recent studies have found that motorcycle accidents have more than doubled over the last 10 years. California is only second to Florida among states that lead in motorcycle crashes. Here is a round-up of motorcycle accidents that happened around the country over the last few weeks:

Tricky turn: An unidentified man was said to have suffered critical injuries after he lost control of his motorcycle and went off the road in Rio Verde, Arizona, on Christmas Eve. The Arizona Republic reported that the accident occurred at a turn, but that weather and visibility were perfect. It’s not known if mechanical malfunction played a part in the accident.

San Jose fatal crash: David Flores, 47, reportedly died when he drove off the side of a San Jose road when he was on an afternoon ride with a friend, the San Jose Mercury News reports. According to his family, Flores was in a motorcycle accident in 2000 when he was hit by a woman who ran a red light. No one knows yet what caused Flores to lose control of his motorcycle.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accident Round-Up" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

Motorcycle accident fatalities are very much a reality in California and across the United States. In fact, a recent article in the San Diego Union-Tribune points out that with more and more baby boomers riding motorcycles, serious injury and fatality accidents are on the rise.

The article talks about the spike in motorcycle accident deaths in North San Diego County. According to the report, the California Highway Patrol has already investigated 15 fatal motorcycle crashes this year, compared to eight last year – that’s almost a 100 percent increase over just one year. CHP officials say they don’t know what’s causing these incidents and what can be done to stop these deaths.

This reflects a nationwide trend as well, according to a recent report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), which shows that motorcycle fatalities last year made up 11 percent of all traffic deaths in the United States. That number was only at 5 percent in 1997.

Continue reading "Sharp Spike in Motorcycle Accident Deaths Shown Nationwide" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A motorcyclist died Sunday afternoon after he was struck head-on by a pickup truck that turned left in front of him, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports Joseph Michael Mateski, 43, of Yucca Valley, was reportedly transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead later that afternoon, the newspaper reports. Mateski was reportedly riding a 1984 Yamaha Enduro and was going south on Yucca Mesa Road at Highway 62 when the motorcycle accident occurred. San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department is investigating the collision.

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

“The staff at Bisnar Chase is a wonderful example of how customer service should be done. For 16 years of my life, I trained people in customer service. I know good customer service and at Bisnar Chase, they do what I teach.”

-- Denise Gowell, client

Ron and Denise Gowell were going to retire and travel the world. Like everyone, they had plans for the golden years of their lives. But, all that changed on Oct. 4, 2006 when Ron, who was riding his motorcycle, got hit by a female driver, who suddenly made an illegal U-turn. Ron had no time to think or react. His leg rammed into the woman’s vehicle and his tibia was completely crushed.

The motorcycle accident not only changed the couple’s world and their lives, but it brought in a sense of uncertainty to their collective future. Would Ron ever walk again? Would his leg have to be amputated? How much money will they get to pay for the astronomical medical bills? They didn’t have too many answers at that point. That’s when Denise started looking for a personal injury attorney who specialized in motorcycle accidents. She found Bisnar Chase and the firm was everything she expected and more, Denise says.

“Bisnar Chase got every penny for us that they possibly could,” she said.

It wasn’t an easy task because the woman who caused the accident had very basic insurance coverage and virtually no assets. The money that Bisnar Chase got for the Gowells helped them pay a lot of the medical expenses and much-needed money for physiotherapy equipment for Ron’s recovery. To read more about this client’s story, click here.

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A 24-year old Northridge man crashed his motorcycle into a left turning Honda Accord Sunday, September 30, 2007 at approximately 2 p.m. at the intersection of Tampa and Atlanta avenues in Porter Ranch according to the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division as reported on DaileyNews.com.

The motorcycle was traveling north on Tampa Avenue when the Honda Accord turned left from south bound Tampa onto Atlanta, immediately in front of the motorcycle. The motorcycle crashed into the Honda Accord. The accident threw the motorcyclist from his bike and critically injured him, according to the LAPD Valley Traffic Division. Atlanta Avenue is a side street south of the Simi-Valley San Fernando Valley Freeway (118) and north of Devonshire Street.

Continue reading "Porter Ranch Motorcycle Accident " »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

By: Staff Writer

Last week, a federal jury in Waco, Texas, awarded $6 million to a man who lost four fingers and suffered major injuries to his left leg after his motorcycle collided with an 18-wheeler. According to an article in the Waco Tribune, jurors deliberated for nearly three years before deciding that a Tennessee-based trucking company was liable because truck driver, Julie Renee Collins, was at fault in the big rig accident.

According to the article, Walter Browning was riding his 2003 Honda Shadow on Interstate 35, when Collins reportedly changed lanes hitting Browning and knocking him off the motorcycle. The jury did not buy the defense argument that Browning entered an entrance ramp and “drove directly into the tractor trailer”. Both the plaintiff and defendant’s attorneys hired accident reconstruction experts, each of whom painted a different picture for the jury and gave their own versions of how the accident may have happened.

Continue reading "Federal Jury Awards $6 Million to Motorcycle Injured In Texas Big Rig Accident" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

By: Staff Writer

The Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously to give $1.15 million to the family of a motorcyclist who died after he was struck by a Los Angeles city employee, who was reportedly driving a city vehicle at the time of the accident. According to an article on CBS’ Web site, 26-year-old Mgrdich Hovsep Fidanian of Glendale was traveling south on Barham Boulevard on Oct. 13, 2005 when he was hit by a car that was turning left into a store driveway.

Fidanian’s parents and siblings filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angles stating that the driver of the car, who worked in the city’s finance department, used his car as a “city mileage vehicle” and was driving the car within the scope of his job as a city employee, according to the CBS news report.

Another aspect of this lawsuit was the issue of the “dangerous road condition” on Barham Boulevard. The family claimed in its lawsuit that the roadway was perilous for drivers and commuters because of trees, signs and elevations, which hampered the view of motorists. The lawsuit also argued that the posted speed limit on Barham Boulevard was too high given all these dangerous conditions. At the time of the crash, Fidanian was driving over the brow of the hill at the top of Barham Boulevard and through two sets of traffic lights, the CBS article said.

Continue reading "Los Angeles City Council Gives Family of Deceased Motorcyclist $1.15 Million" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

As a patrol officer for the San Diego Police Department, David Iorillo had arrested quite a few drunk drivers. But he didn’t think in his wildest dreams that he would be the victim of one. It happened to Iorillo in December 2002.

Officer Iorillo was off-duty riding his personal motorcycle onto the 15 Freeway when he was hit from behind at about 25 mph by a Porsche Boxster. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Sure enough, he had been hit by a drunk driver.

Thankfully, the injuries did not put an end to his career as he initially feared. He was on light duty for six months and is now back on patrol. Iorillo hired the Bisnar Chase law firm to represent his interests in going after the intoxicated driver. Iorillo says the outcome of the case was better than he expected.

Read David's account of his accident, recovery and his experience with the Bisnar Chase law firm here.

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

Let's start holding the supplier of alcohol responsible for accidents caused by intoxicated drivers.

A 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs after she allegedly hit and killed a motorcyclist on the 101 Freeway and then abandoned her car and hitched a ride home with a passing motorist. According to an article posted on Fox News’ Web site, Stephanie Nordberg was taken into custody in her home early Friday morning, several hours after the alleged incident.

Police said the crash happened at about 10:40 Thursday night north of Highland Avenue when Nordberg’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo hit a motorcyclist traveling in the number three lane. The rider, identified only as a 33-year-old Palmdale man, was driving a custom-made two-wheeler to the home of its owner, who was following in a nearby vehicle, according to the article.

Nordberg’s Chevy then careened and hit the center divider where it was hit by a 2006 Toyota Solara. The 28-year-old woman who was driving that car was fortunately not hurt. Officials say Nordberg then left her vehicle on that freeway near the scene of the crash and then flagged down a passing motorist who reportedly drove her home. Meanwhile paramedics took the motorcyclist to a local hospital where he died, the report said.

What a tragedy for the young man and his family! It is beyond me how someone can cause a severe injury accident and not do whatever they can for the injured and immediately leave the scene, seemingly like nothing happened. I am trusting that Nordberg, if she was the at-fault driver, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Years in jail would not be too harsh for causing a hit-and-run fatal accident, especially while intoxicated.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Killed by Drunk Driver on the 101 Freeway " »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

The motorcycle rider who died Saturday as a result of a collision with a truck on the Riverside Freeway has been identified as Calvin Moody, 34-years-old of Compton, California.

The motorcycle accident occurred in the westbound lanes of the 91 Freeway near Gypsum Canyon Road according to the Orange County Sheriff-Corner, Larry Esslinger, as reported by the CBS2 website.

Moody was declared dead at about 5:00 p.m. Saturday in Anaheim at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital after colliding with the truck about an hour earlier.

Continue reading "Fatal Orange County Motorcycle Accident" »

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

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

Bookmark:

A 22-year-old motorcyclist who is completely disabled after he was struck by a drunk driver will receive a $704,649 settlement from the insurer for an Indiana bar where the drunk driver that caused the accident had been drinking, according to an article published in the Journal and Courier newspaper.

Christopher Harmon is said to be in a “waking coma” after he suffered a severe brain injury in the Sept. 2, 2004 crash. According to the newspaper article, his parents quit their full-time jobs, sold their home and bought a house in Indiana just to take care of their son. The parents accepted the settlement from Jake’s Roadhouse bar’s insurer in return for releasing the bar from further liability.

According to a civil tort claim filed by the Harmons on their son’s behalf, 24-year-old Nicole Fox who had been drinking at Jake’s caused three oncoming motorcyclists to crash with her erratic driving. Fox’s blood alcohol level was 0.23 percent – almost three times the legal limit for driving in Indiana, which is 0.08 percent. Harmon suffered brain injuries while another 47-year-old man, Jerome E. Raiff lost part of his left arm and leg.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accident Claim Settled for $700,000" »