California Injury Blog

A fatal Santa Barbara personal injury accident took the lives of Leonel Leon, 22, Lorena Guadalupe Tellez-Pacheco, and Jaciel Tellez, 8 on August 24, 2010. According to a report in the Santa Maria Times, the truck driver and owner of the big rig, Joaquin Garcia Morales, rented a trailer that he loaded with 26 tons of gravel. As he was driving down a hill on Highway 152, he lost his brakes. The out of control big rig truck eventually came to halt when it collided with a 1,000 square foot wooden home.

The small 50-year-old wooden home was flattened and three of the occupants suffered fatal injuries. One of the families occupants had left the home moments before the devastating big rig crash occurred. In the height of the crash response, there were nine engines, a latter truck, two search and rescue vehicles, a search dog and 10 chief officers.

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Joshua Dubon, 23, and Richard Vasques, 24, were killed in a Los Angeles car accident early morning on July 2, 2010 after their car struck a tractor-trailer on Highway 101 in Agoura Hills. According to a news report in the Ventura County Star, the fatal crash occurred in the westbound lanes of the highway between Kanan and Reyes Adobe roads. One more person in the car, 21-year-old Soel Dubon, sustained major injuries in the crash. California Highway Patrol officials say all three victims were from Santa Paula.

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A woman was fatally injured in a Long Beach pedestrian accident after she was struck by a big rig the morning of February 8, 2010. According to a news report in The Press Telegram, the woman was crossing Wardlow Road at Santa Fe Avenue in a marked crosswalk, when a large truck hit her as it made a turn. The driver stopped and was questioned by police, but has not been cited or arrested pending a police investigation. The deceased victim's name has not yet been released.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this deceased victim for their tragic and devastating loss. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Woman Killed in Long Beach Pedestrian Accident Involving Big Rig" »

Dalia Albert, 26, was seriously injured in an Orange County truck accident after her bicycle crashed into a semi-trailer the afternoon of November 19, 2009. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the big rig, driven by 29-year-old Juan Soto, was in the right lane of eastbound Edinger Avenue in Huntington Beach. He was apparently waiting at the light to turn right on Gothard Street. Albert was riding her bike east in the bike lane when the light turned green. Albert kept riding as the big rig turned right in front of her, Huntington Beach police said. She sustained several cuts and broken bones in her legs, but is said to be in stable condition. Police are still investigating this injury collision. Anyone who saw this accident is asked to call Huntington Beach Police at 714-536-5666.

Continue reading "Bicyclist Severely Injured in Orange County Truck Accident" »

One person died and several others were injured in a Los Angeles car accident after a tractor-trailer rig lost its brakes and crashed on the southbound 5 Freeway near the Grapevine. According to a CBS news report, the fatal truck accident occurred the evening of August 23, 2009. At least three people suffered head injuries and one person was killed, California Highway Patrol officials said.

My heart goes out to all the victims who were injured as a result of this Los Angeles truck accident. I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased car accident victim. Please keep them in your prayers. I also wish the other injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "One Killed, Several Injured in Los Angeles Truck Accident" »

A truck driver was killed in a fiery Long Beach big rig truck accident the night of June 13, 2009, the Long Beach Press Telegram reports. Traffic accident investigators believe that the tanker trailer plunged off the road and into a river bed while making the transition from the eastbound 91 Freeway to the northbound 710 Freeway, California Highway Patrol officials said. The cause of the truck accident including the speed of the tanker is under investigation. Investigators believe the freeway columns may have suffered structural damage as a result of this fatal truck accident.

My heart goes out to the friends and family of this truck driver, who was fatally injured in this big rig truck accident. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers. It is indeed a relief that no one else was injured or killed in this horrific truck accident.

Continue reading "Long Beach Big Rig Truck Accident Fatally Injuries Driver" »

Up to 50 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction San Bernardino car accident on the 15 Freeway near the summit of the Cajon Pass early morning on June 10, 2009, the Associated Press reports. The 50 vehicles included several cars and two big rigs, spread over a half-mile section of the northbound lanes, California Highway Patrol officials said. Some suffered personal injuries in this horrific San Bernardino car accident, but officials do not know how many injuries there were or to what extent people have been injured.

The chain reaction car crash apparently began when two tractor-trailer big rig trucks crashed in the northbound lanes near Oak Hills Road. Motorist Phil Cokkinos, who talked to reporters at the scene, said he saw three or four big rig trucks and a couple of cars that were crushed between them. There were three separate car-truck accident sections, Cokkinos said, all totaling to about 50 cars. Officials believe fog and poor visibility may have caused this multi-car and big rig truck accident.

My heart goes out to all the victims of this horrific multiple car crash. I hope none of the victims suffered catastrophic injuries. I wish them all the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep these injured victims in your prayers.

Continue reading "San Bernardino County Car Accident Causes 50-Car Pileup, Injures Commuters, And Involves Big Rigs" »

Richard Jeffrey, 43, was killed in a fiery Fresno County truck accident the morning of June 1, 2009, the Fresno Bee reports. Jeffrey was apparently southbound on Highway 41 in a 2006 Nissan Altima near Mount Whitney Avenue when his car drifted off the road and ended up crossing into the northbound lane, California Highway Patrol officials said Jeffrey's car hit the front left side of a 1996 Freightliner big rig driven by Eduardo Lopez, 41. The car-truck collision ruptured the big rig's fuel tank, setting both the car and the big rig on fire. Lopez suffered major burns and was taken to an area hospital where he is said to be in critical condition.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Richard Jeffrey for their tragic loss. My heart also goes out to Eduardo Lopez, the driver of the truck, who has suffered severe burn injuries in this horrific car-truck crash. I wish Lopez the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep the victims and their families in your prayers.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's 2007 truck accident statistics, there were 361 fatal big rig accidents in California and 3,737 injury accidents involving large trucks in California.

Continue reading "Fresno County Truck Accident Kills Man" »

Ramon Camacho of Wapato is in critical condition in a Seattle hospital after a Seattle car accident, according to an article in the Yakima Herald-Republic. Camacho was riding a tractor on Clark Road when he was rear-ended by the driver of a Ford Focus the night of May 5, 2009. The driver of the car, 52-year-old Joy Douglas, is under investigation for vehicular assault, Washington State Patrol officials said. Douglas was not personally injured. A passenger in the Focus -- 42-year-old Traci Bennett, was also uninjured. Police say the use of intoxicants played a role in this Washington car accident.

My heart goes out to the personal injury victim Ramon Camacho and his family who must be going through a very hard time. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep him in your prayers.

Continue reading "Seattle Car Accident Seriously Injures Man" »

Henry Wei, 49, was killed in a San Diego truck accident the morning of May 5, 2009 after he crashed his box truck into a big rig on the 5 Freeway, according to a news report in the North County Times. Wei was driving a Ryder box truck that failed to brake and crashed into a tractor trailer, which had slowed down to about 5 mph. California Highway Patrol officials say they are not sure why Wei did not brake. One tractor-trailer was stopped; about to exit the freeway and a second tractor trailer behind it was going at 5 mph when the box truck Wei crashed into it at full speed. CHP officials are inspecting all three trucks for possible car defects such as mechanical problems.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Henry Wei for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Wei. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to statistics provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were 4,808 fatalities and 83,908 injuries involving big-rig and large truck accidents in the United States in 2007. During the same year in California, the federal agency reports 363 deaths and 5,959 injuries involving big rig accidents..

Continue reading "San Diego Truck Accident Kills One" »

Six people were personally injured the afternoon of May 4, 2009 in an Anaheim Hills car accident after a dump truck lost its brakes and struck several vehicles at the intersection of Imperial Highway and Santa Ana Canyon Road, The Orange County Register reports. Anaheim police officials said the white dump truck traveling north on Imperial hit a Toyota Camry on the driver's side. That man who was seriously injured had to be cut out of the vehicle using the jaws of life. The truck also hit three other vehicles -- a Honda CR-V, a Honda Accord and a Honda Odyssey van. Out of the six people injured, three needed to be hospitalized.

It's indeed the miracle that the driver of the Toyota Camry who was hit by the dump truck survived this horrible Orange County car crash. According to the Anaheim Police Department's spokesman, the truck hit the Camry on the driver's side and crushed it so that the distance between the two front doors was reduced to 16 inches. This Anaheim Hills car accident could have easily ended up in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. Thank God it didn't! I wish this victim and the other injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Anaheim Hills Car Accident Versus Dump Truck Injures Six" »

A Modesto truck driver has been charged with one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for his role in a fatal truck accident. The truck driver crashed an out of control big rig and killed 9 year old Tyler Fahy of San Mateo on September 22, 2008. According to an article in the San Francisco Examiner, Carlos Siordia, 43, was working for the Hayward-based construction company Century Roof Tile when the heavy-duty truck he was operating blew through an intersection. The large truck smashed into a car and several other cars in the parking lot of a grocery store.

Tyler was in the first vehicle struck by the out-of-control truck and died from his injuries. After a three-month investigation, San Mateo Police Department and California Highway Patrol officials determined that there were no mechanical malfunctions in the vehicle and that Siordia did not act in a grossly negligent manner. They determined that the brakes of the truck were operable as was the emergency brake. Siordia did not have a prior criminal record and had a valid commercial driver’s license. Tyler’s parents, including his mother Adrienne Colao, have sued Century Roof Tile for wrongful death. Colao was in the car when her son was killed.

Continue reading "Truck Driver Charged with Misdemeanor in Fatal Big Rig Accident" »

Vu Huy Phan, a 32-year-old Oakland man, was killed in a December 12, 2008 big rig accident after a large truck struck his car on Interstate 880 in Hayward. According to a news report in the San Francisco Chronicle, Phan was driving South on the Interstate 880 when he hit the back of a big rig near Industrial Parkway. Phan apparently pulled over on the far right lane of the freeway when another big rig struck his vehicle. Phan suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

My heart goes out to the family of Vu Huy Phan for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s truck accident statistics, there were 361 fatal accidents involving large trucks in California in 2007 and 10,635 injury accident involving big rigs during that same time. California tops the list of states with the highest number of fatal and major injury big rig accidents. Big rig accidents can be catastrophic simply because of the size and weight of the vehicle. Very often we see that the occupant of the passenger vehicle is seriously injured or killed in a big rig accident while the driver of the big rig usually escapes uninjured.

Continue reading "Hayward Big Rig Accident Kills Man" »

Sang Kyung Oh, a 38-year-old San Jose woman, was killed in a big rig accident on a Mojave Desert highway on November 30, 2008. According to this news report in the San Jose Mercury News, Oh was a riding in a 2008 Kia Spectra westbound on Highway 58 in San Bernardino County near Kramer Junction. A semi truck that failed to brake in response to slowing traffic crashed into the back of the car, pushing it into the eastbound lanes at which time it was broadsided by an eastbound semi truck.

Oh was pronounced dead at the scene, California Highway Patrol officials said. The Kia’s driver, a 29-year-old man, suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries. No one else was injured in this fatal big rig crash.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Sang Kyung Oh. My heart goes out to the driver of the Kia, who was severely injured. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep these victims and their families in your prayers.

Continue reading "San Bernardino County Big Rig Accident Kills Woman" »

Fullerton resident Faith V. Wilson was one of four people killed in a Ludlow big rig accident on the 40 Freeway on November 9, 2008. According to this news report, the 11/9/08 accident occurred after a Porsche Cayenne, in which the 66-year-old Wilson was a passenger, was rear-ended by a tractor trailer and pushed off the roadway. Wilson was one of the victims who died on the scene. The names of the other deceased victims have not yet been released.

This is a horrific and tragic accident for the families of all four victims who were killed in this tractor trailer crash. My heart goes out to all of them.

Based on this news report, it appears that the driver of the big rig was at fault for this accident. We’ve seen time and again that when big rigs collide with passenger vehicles, the results can be devastating. This is largely because of the size and weight of commercial trucks. Big rigs can have a max gross weight of 80,000 pounds, and even more if they are carrying an oversized load. This is a striking difference when compared to the average passenger vehicle weight of about 4,000 pounds.

Continue reading "Fullerton Woman Killed in Ludlow Big Rig Accident" »

Josh Sablan, a 19-year-old Visalia resident, suffered major injuries in an October 27, 2008 pickup versus big rig accident northwest of Tulare, the Visalia Times-Delta reports. Sablan was westbound on Avenue 248 near Road 68 when he tried to pass another vehicle. Sablan then struck the International big rig head-on. The truck was traveling east on Avenue 248, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The driver of the big rig, 39-year-old Stanley Gumm Jr., told CHP officials that he tried to swerve out of the way of Sablan’s 2006 GMC Sierra pickup truck, but couldn’t do so in time to avoid the 10/27/08 crash. Both drivers were apparently observing the 55 mph speed limit on that highway. Sablan was taken to a Fresno area hospital with critical injuries.

Continue reading "Teenager Critically Injured in Visalia Big Rig Accident" »

A jury in Fresno has awarded 57-year-old Maria Blanca Lopez and her family $10.5 million for injuries she suffered in a Fresno big rig accident caused by an intoxicated truck driver on June 9, 2007. According to a news report in the Fresno Bee, Lopez suffered severe brain injuries in the 06/09/07 crash. Jesus Chavez Ramirez, an employee for DAV Charities, ran a stop sign and broadsided Lopez’s car at the intersection of Church and Valentine avenues. He was on the job at the time and had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent, which is the legal limit in California.

According to court documents, Ramirez had been drinking the night before the accident and was still drunk when he arrived at work. Despite being intoxicated, he was still allowed to operate the 20,000-pound dump truck. Ramirez pleaded guilty to drunk driving in November 2007 and was sentenced to one year in jail.

Continue reading "Fresno Jury Awards $10.5 Million to Brain-Injured Woman" »

Charles Lowe, 53, of Oxnard died in a fatal Ventura truck accident on Highway 101 after his vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer, the Ventura County Star reports . Lowe was reportedly traveling north on the freeway near East Main, when he hit a tractor trailer in the right lane, California Highway Patrol officials said. The motorcycle flipped on to its side and threw Lowe into the road. The driver of the big rig, 27-year-old Javier Tamayo, was reportedly uninjured.

I offer my deepest condolences to Lowe’s family and Charles’ friends for their enormous loss.

Motorcycle accidents have been steadily climbing especially in states such as California and Florida where their popularity is ever-increasing. In 2006 there were 11 motorcycle accident fatalities and 224 reported injuries from motorcycle accidents in Ventura County alone, according to the California Highway Patrol’s motorcycle accident statistics.

Continue reading "Fatal Ventura Big Rig Accident Kills Motorcyclist" »

Nine people were injured after two vehicles collided with an out-of-control cement truck on Laguna Canyon Road at the 73 Toll Road interchange. According to an article in the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Thankfully none of the injured suffered life-threatening injuries. The Laguna Beach truck accident occurred when the cement truck, which was three-quarters full of cement, careened down the southbound exit ramp as its brakes failed and collided with the two passenger vehicles.

There is no question that overloaded trucks have an increased propensity to be involved in accidents primarily because the heavier a truck gets, the harder it becomes for it to stop quickly. It is also more likely to lose control, as with the cement truck in this Laguna Beach big rig accident. Given the size and weight of this cement truck, it is fortunate that victims of the crash did not suffer fatal injuries.

Increased weight in large trucks causes greater stress on the truck’s parts and could lead to mechanical malfunctions such as brake failure. It could also put the vehicle out of balance especially if it is traveling downhill, on a ramp or in windy conditions. Trucking companies know the dangers of overloading, but they continue to do it so they can transport more. However, it is also illegal.

Continue reading "Cement Truck Accident Injures Nine in Orange County" »

A Santa Ana big rig accident at the four-way stop intersection of Saint Andrew Place and Poplar Street has killed a 14-year-old boy riding his bike in the crosswalk, according to a news article in The Orange County Register.

Santa Ana police Cpl. Jose Gonzalez said Santa Ana resident Pedro Martinez, 51, was headed west on Saint Andrew Place in a big rig tractor when he hit Esteban Nunez. Nunez reportedly was riding his bicycle southbound in the northbound lane of Poplar and had entered the street intersection without stopping at the stop sign. The boy, a resident of that neighborhood, was not wearing a helmet when he was hit by the moving big rig and dragged under. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

This is such a tragic and heart wrenching accident. Please keep the boy and his family in your prayers.

The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that 770 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2006. The most serious injuries among the majority of those killed are to the head, highlighting the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. In Santa Ana there were four bicyclist fatalities and 107 injuries in 2006. This data comes from the California Highway Patrol.

Continue reading "Santa Ana Big Rig Accident Takes Teen Bicyclist’s Life " »