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California will become the sixth state in the nation to ban texting while driving. The new law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2009. Motorists caught texting and driving at the same time could start facing fines of up to $100. This ban came after a couple of bills took effect in July 1. One allows adult motorists to use only hands-free devices while driving. The other prohibits drivers under 18 from using cell phones in any way while driving. This new law drives home the point and makes it clear that it is not OK for adult drivers to be texting while driving. Our source for this blog was this Associated Press news report.

According to statistics from the California Highway Patrol, cell phone use was a factor in 61 deaths and 3,489 injuries on California’s roads and highways from 2002 to 2007.
Under the new law, texting while driving could result in a $20 fine for a first offense and a $50 fine for subsequent violations. But the total expenses for the violator can add up because a number of fees could be tacked on to those penalties.
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Two people were bitten by a pair of loose pit bulls in Camarillo when they tried to pull the animals off another dog they were attacking, the Ventura County Star reports. One man sustained a bite to his hand and had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment. A woman was treated at the scene for a bite to her hand. The pit bulls ended up killing the dog that the two people were trying to rescue. Sheriff’s deputies captured the pit bulls and animal control officers impounded the animals.

It is extremely fortunate that the two people who tried to rescue the other dog were not more seriously injured by these pit bulls that were running loose in this Camarillo neighborhood. I wish both the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

This is the third Southern California dog attack in just the last week or so where two or more pit bulls have been attacking people or animals in packs. I’ve always maintained that pit bulls are extremely dangerous when they attack in packs rather than by themselves. They egg each other on and treat the person or animal they are attacking like prey in the wild. These breeds are nothing less than predators. They mark their targets and attack mercilessly.
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Posted in: Dog Bites
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Brooke Baum, 33, of Newport Beach, died in a December 26, 2008 skydiving accident after her parachute failed to fully deploy during a jump at a popular skydiving center in Perris. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, Baum jumped out of an airplane at 12,500 feet above the Perris Valley Skydiving facility at Perris Valley Airport. Family members and friends said Baum was an experienced skydiver.

My heart goes out to the family of Brooke Baum for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this young woman. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to this newspaper report, Brooke Baum’s is the third accident involving skydivers since July and the fifth since March 2005 at this Perris skydiving facility. Baum’s friends, who were there with her at the time, are puzzled about why her parachute did not open. By the time the reserve chute opened, it was too late for Baum. Her friends also said she didn’t seem to have any medical condition and was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the accident.
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Posted in: Aviation Accidents
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Rebecca Moon, 29, of Irvine, died in a December 27, 2008 Anaheim auto accident on Interstate 5, The Orange County Register reports. Moon was killed when a 1997 Chevy driving the wrong way on the southbound I-5 near Euclid Street crashed into the front left of her black 2001 Toyota. Two other passengers in the Toyota suffered minor to moderate injuries.

The wrong-way driver, identified as a 28-year-old Los Angeles man, escaped with minor injuries. California Highway Patrol officials are still investigating the crash. There is no word yet on whether the wrong-way driver has been arrested or charged.

My heart goes out to the family of Rebecca Moon for their tragic loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them. Please keep them in your prayers.
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A recent Bush administration change in federal rules on nursing home inspections makes it near impossible for the public to get information about nursing home violations and complaints about nursing home abuse and negligence. According to this news report, this new federal rule restricts release of detailed nursing home inspection information if officials say they are administrative and have no significant public impact.

This new rule was apparently put into effect in October with little notice and without a public comment period. It is not surprising that consumer advocates are sharply criticizing the administration for closing the door on such crucial information.
Officials of the Department of Health and Human Services say their employees have been too burdened by requests for information. Under the rule change, state employees who inspect nursing homes for the federal government are reclassified as federal employees and are not allowed to provide “privileged” information of documents to the public without approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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A hit-and-run driver may have deliberately swerved across lanes and struck 33-year-old Olivia Almalel on December 25, 2008. Almalel was crossing Reseda Boulevard at Devonshire Street in the early morning when the Northridge pedestrian accident occurred, The Los Angeles Daily News reports. Los Angeles Police Department officials say the driver, who was driving a green 1995-97 Mercury Grand Marquis, was going in the opposite lanes, but crossed over to the other side and struck Almalel from behind.

Almalel apparently suffered severe spinal cord injuries, which her family members say will leave her paralyzed for the rest of her life. Her brother, Oliver Almalel, tells police that his sister has no feeling below her waist. LAPD officials are asking anyone who has more information about this hit-and-run driver to call their Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8027. Almalel initially described the suspect vehicle as gray or black in color, but police investigators apparently retrieved a green bumper from the scene of the accident.
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Posted in: Pedestrian Accidents
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Alvin Gerk, 30, suffered fatal injuries in a Costa Mesa industrial accident on December 24, 2008, the Huntington Beach Independent reports. Gerk was found dead underneath a pickup outside of his place of business, AG Mobile, a service company for industrial trucks. According to officials from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), Gerk was underneath a truck trying to put the transmission in gear when it rolled on top of him.

Cal/OSHA officials are saying that this on-the-job injury may have been prevented if Gerk had applied the parking brake. Both Cal/OSHA and the Orange County Coroner are apparently investigating this fatal Costa Mesa on-the-job accident.

My heart goes out to the family of Alvin Gerk for their tragic loss. Please keep them in your prayers.
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Posted in: On-The-Job Injury
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The family of 5-year-old Sergio Flores has filed a lawsuit against the city of Temecula and Caltrans, which states that a dangerous condition on the roadway caused the fatal accident. Sergio was hit by a pickup while riding his bike. The accident occurred near Rancho Vista and Calle Rio Vista on December 22, 2007. Our source for this blog is this news report in The Press-Enterprise.

The lawsuit alleges that faulty road design led to Sergio’s accident. It also states that both the city and Caltrans knew or should have known that the lack of sidewalks on both sides of the street near a high school would pose a hazard to children who are walking or riding their bikes. The suit also states that drivers may not be able to see children walking or riding their bikes in time to avoid an accident. In addition, the plaintiffs allege that the dangerous street intersection did not have adequate lighting or speed controls.
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Posted in: Defective Roadways
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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.
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Posted in: Truck Accidents
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A 7-year-old girl is fighting for her life after she was critically injured in a Garden Grove auto accident on December 22, 2008, The Orange County Register reports. The crash occurred at the intersection of Garden Grove Boulevard and Nelson Street. Garden Grove police officials say the accident took place when a black Honda was driving east on Garden Grove Boulevard approaching a green light on Nelson. The Honda was apparently making a left on Nelson, but the female driver did not notice that the green arrow signal light was no longer lit and continued to turn, causing her to collide with a westbound Toyota.

The front end of the Toyota struck the center right side of the Honda at a high speed and the two vehicles were pushed on to the north side of the road. The Toyota then crashed into a third vehicle. Police have not said which vehicle was occupied by the critically injured girl. She is said to be in a coma and doctors do not expect her to survive. A woman and a few other children were also injured and taken to the hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
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