California Injury Blog

Published on: May 19, 2009

Dog Bite Accidents Continue to Victimize Children the Most

By Brian Chase

This is Dog Bite Prevention Week — a good time to consider the ways we can help prevent dog bite accidents. There is a lot of useful information out there for dog owners and others on how to prevent dog attacks. It is estimated that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year. About 800,000 Americans who receive medical attention for dog bites each year are children. When a dog bites a child, the victim’s small size makes the bite more likely to result in severe personal injury.

A majority of dog bite injuries in young children occur during everyday activities when interacting with familiar dogs. With the safety of children in mind, this year the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is introducing The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD, an educational tool aimed at teaching children, 3 to 6 years old, and their parents how to avoid dog bite accidents.

Children are also frequently bitten on the face, which can result in severe cuts, infection or scarring. Plastic surgeons, just in the last year, have performed more than 16,000 reconstructive surgeries involving dog bites. There are three times more dog bites than there are brain injuries and still, there is very little information out there not only for community members who want to stay safe, but for dog owners about the importance of responsible dog ownership.
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Published on: May 18, 2009

Los Angeles Dog Bite Accident

By Brian Chase

Martha Muro, a 26-year-old animal control officer lost part of her thumb in a Los Angeles dog bite accident when she was on the job. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the May 14, 2009 dog attack occurred when Muro was making a follow-up visit to a house on Live Oak Street to ensure that a dog owner had cleaned up “excessive dog feces” on his property. As Muro was talking to the owner at the front door, two pit bulls that were in the side yard, began lunging at a chain-link gate. Muro retreated from the front yard, but the dogs escaped, broke through a hole in a front gate.

A male pit bull grabbed onto Muro’s baton and pushed her to the ground. The dog was “going for her face and neck,” officials said. Muro was able to break free after a neighbor got help. The male pit bull was turned over to authorities by its owner and euthanized. Tests are underway to determine if there are any medical causes for the dog’s aggression including rabies. The second pit bull, a female, has been quarantined for observation.

My heart goes out to Martha Muro, the animal control officer, who was involved in the pit bull attack as she was performing her job. Apparently doctors are still evaluating whether the severed thumb section, which was found later, can be reattached. I wish Muro the very best for a quick and complete physical as well as emotional recovery.
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Published on: May 18, 2009

Riverside County Motorcycle Accident

By Brian Chase

Diana Gail Vandenberg, 54, of Wildomar died in a Riverside motorcycle accident the morning of May 17, 2009, according to a news report in the Riverside Press Enterprise. The Hemet motorcycle accident occurred at the intersection of East Florida Avenue and Meridian Street in Hemet when Vandenberg’s motorcycle struck a sports utility vehicle. Vandenberg was thrown from her motorcycle. She died about five hours after the car-motorcycle accident at a local hospital. California Highway Patrol officials are investigating this fatal motorcycle accident.

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

According the California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were no fatalities, but 18 injuries involving motorcycle crashes were reported in Hemet. In Riverside County as a whole, 41 deaths and 562 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.
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Published on: May 15, 2009

Los Angeles Car Accident Leaves Two Dead

By Brian Chase

Two people were killed in a fiery Los Angeles rollover car accident in Encino that occurred early morning on May 14, 2009, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The fatal car accident happened on Burbank Boulevard at Balboa Boulevard, according to Los Angeles Police Department officials. The car carrying the victims apparently rolled over and caught fire leaving it charred. Two motorists died at the scene and their names have not yet been released. The circumstances of this fatal car crash are under investigation.

I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the two people who were fatally injured in this rollover crash. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 260 deaths and 27,110 injuries reported in the city of Los Angeles as a result of car accidents. In Los Angeles County as a whole, there were 712 deaths and 56,475 injuries involving traffic accidents in 2007. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that at least 10,000 die each year in rollover accidents in the United States. About 40,000 people die each year in the United States in traffic accidents.
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Published on: May 15, 2009

Bakersfield Car Accident Due To Dangerous Roadway Caused Elderly Couple’s Personal Injuries, Family Says

By Brian Chase

The family of Bill and Belma Martin has said that the elderly couple’s personal injuries were caused by a Bakersfield car accident due to a dangerous roadway condition. The family apparently contacted the local ABC 23 television station because neither Kern County nor Caltrans would give them the help and information they needed. Bill and Belma Martin are apparently still bedridden with personal injuries after crashing into a telephone pole in April, the ABC News report says.

The couple was reportedly traveling on Foothill Road when they crashed into a telephone pole not knowing that they were in a “right-turn only” lane. The car rolled over, causing multiple injuries to the Martins. Family members say the problem is that there are not enough warning signs on the street telling drivers they must turn right or a sign saying that the road ends. At the time of the rollover car crash, there was only one sign and that was at the corner of the turn. By the time the driver saw the sign, it was too late.

My heart goes out to Bill and Belma Martin and the family members who are now caring for this injured couple. I wish the Martins the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.
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Published on: May 14, 2009

Visalia School Bus Accident Injures Three Students, Two Drivers

By Brian Chase

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.
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Published on: May 14, 2009

Los Angeles Car Accident Caused By DUI Driver

By Brian Chase

Guido Bisson, 46, of Capistrano Beach was killed in a Los Angles car accident after his car was struck by a suspected drunk driver going the wrong way on the Glendale (2) Freeway. According to an article in the Glendale News Press, the fatal car collision occurred early morning on May 10, 2009 when 24-year-old Gregario Diaz of Sylmar drove north on the southbound lanes and crashed head-on with Bisson’s Cadillac Catera. Bisson was pronounced dead at the scene. Diaz’s two female passengers suffered major personal injuries and were taken to area hospitals. Diaz also sustained major personal injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, California Highway Patrol officials said.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Guido Bisson for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Bisson. He was obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time and became an unfortunate victim of this other driver’s negligence. Please keep the Bisson family in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were two fatalities and 60 injuries involving alcohol-related car accidents in Glendale. In Los Angeles County as a whole, in 2007, there were 268 deaths and 5,139 injuries involving DUI car accidents.
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Published on: May 13, 2009

Riverside Car Accident Kills Child in DUI Case

By Brian Chase

A Hemet man has been arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter in connection with a Riverside car accident that killed 5-year-old Taane Unga of Sun City, the North County Times reports. Steven Neil Peterson, 53, apparently caused the fatal car accident the night of May 10, 2009 on the 215 Freeway, which left Taane Unga dead and two other teenagers with major personal injuries. Peterson was on Interstate 215 near Harley Knox Boulevard in a Kia Rio when he tried to change lanes. After realizing that he was about to hit another car, Peterson swerved and lost control of his car slamming into Mazda MPV minivan.

The minivan lost control. Both vehicles slid sideways with the minivan rolling over and going off the freeway. Unga was ejected from the minivan and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other children — a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old — suffered major personal injuries, California Highway Patrol officials said. The driver of the minivan suffered minor injuries.

My heart goes out to everybody who knew and loved this little boy, Taane Unga. I offer my deepest sympathies to this family for their sudden, tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers. I wish the two injured teenagers the very best for a quick and complete recovery. I trust the suspected drunk driver in this case will soon be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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Published on: May 13, 2009

Soledad Tour Bus Accident Caused By Driver Error, CHP Officials Say

By Brian Chase

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.
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Published on: May 12, 2009

Washington Motorcycle Accident Kills Child

By Brian Chase

Nehalah May, a 9-year-old girl was killed in a May 10, 2009 Washington car-motorcycle accident after the motorcycle she was riding on crashed into another vehicle. According to a KXLY news report, 51-year-old Robin Scholz of Colfax was riding a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle on northbound Highway 195 with Nehalah when 89-year-old Esther Mae Westlund who was driving south on the highway made a left turn at Meadow lane, in front of Scholz. Washington State Patrol officials say Scholz probably did not have sufficient time to stop the motorcycle before striking Westlund’s 1986 Oldsmobile.

Nehalah May was taken to an area hospital where she later died. Scholz also suffered serious personal injuries. Westlund was uninjured and was cited at the scene for second degree negligent driving. Troopers say Westlund caused the fatal car versus motorcycle crash by failing to yield right of way to Scholz’s Harley. Both Scholz and Nehalah May were wearing helmets at the time of the Spokane motorcycle-car accident.

My heart goes out to the family of young Nehalah May for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. It’s extremely unfortunate that this little girl died because of another driver’s negligence. I offer my deepest sympathies to everybody who knew and loved Nehalah. I also wish Robin Scholz the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.
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