California Injury Blog

Published on: May 10, 2008

Palm Desert Nursing Home Faces $100,000 Fine For Resident’s Death

By Brian Chase

A Palm Desert nursing home is facing a $100,000 state fine and the severest AA citation after a patient reportedly died from an infection caused by a perforated colon. According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, California Department of Public Health investigators issued the citation against The Springs at the Calotta, a 59-bed facility, for failing to identify and monitor the medical needs of an 87-year-old woman who suffered from a severe case of constipation for 24 days.

The woman died in June 2006, but it took investigators about a year and a half to obtain all the documentation and conduct internal investigations, the news report said. The victim was admitted into the nursing home on June 5 to recover from a broken pelvis. Apparently, nursing home administrators knew that she was constipated when she came in, but did nothing to relieve her problems. She eventually died June 29, less than a month after she was brought to the nursing home.
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Published on: May 9, 2008

Woman Critically Injured in Pico Rivera Big Rig Accident, Truck Driver Takes Off

By Brian Chase

A woman suffered critical injuries in a Pico Rivera big rig accident after the tractor of the big rig slammed into her compact car sending the vehicle into a telephone pole. The driver of the big rig reportedly took off and officials are still looking for this person, according to a CBS News report. The big rig accident reportedly occurred at the intersection of Telegraph Road and Paramount Boulevard.

According to reports, the truck traveling without a trailer, hit the woman’s compact car at the intersection. The car was so badly mangled that firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the woman free. The victim has not yet been identified by officials, who say she was lucky that her injuries were not worse or fatal. Anyone with information about the accident or the hit-and-run driver is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Pico Rivera Station at 562-949-2421.

This is obviously a horrible accident. We can only imagine what this victim’s loved ones must be going through at this time. We sincerely hope and pray that she gets justice and that can only happen when this heartless truck driver who hit her and left her on the road gets apprehended and is held accountable for his actions. The news report says that this driver was only driving the tractor portion of a tractor trailer. But if he was on the job and driving the big rig – which he most likely was — his employer could also be held liable for the accident along with the driver.

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Published on: May 8, 2008

More than 90,000 Toyota Highlanders Recalled For Defective Seatbelts

By Brian Chase

Toyota is recalling 90,189 Highlander and Highlander hybrids because apparently the third row passenger seatbelts are defective when it comes to securing a child restraint system. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the flaw in the restraint systems in these sport utility vehicles could result in injuries to children in the case of an auto accident.

So if you own one of these SUVs, please watch the mail for your recall notice. Toyota is promising to fix the problem for free. According to an article in the watchdog Web site Consumeraffairs.com, the seat belt webbing in the third row of the recalled Highlanders is not properly secured by the automatic retractor. This makes the seatbelt webbing prone to spooling out during normal driving.

How does the loose belt affect the stability of a child restraint? It could cause major injuries or even death in a high-speed crash or rollover accident. Such a defective seatbelt will do nothing to protect children from injuries during auto accidents. Toyota dealers will install a newer, better-designed seatbelt free of charge when the recall gets underway. If you own one of these vehicles and would like to know more about the recall, please call Toyota Motor Co. at 800-331-4331 or NHTSA at 800-327-4236.
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Published on: May 7, 2008

Two Orange County Men Injured in Dog Attack

By Brian Chase

Two Buena Park men are recovering after they were bitten by a pit-bull while taking a walk in the gated community of College Park, according to a news article in The Orange County Register. Larry Zimmerman, 43, and his Siberian husky were the first to be attacked by the pit-bull. Then the dog attacked Zimmerman’s neighbor James Kim, 59 and his wife who were taking an evening walk down the street, the newspaper reported.

Zimmerman suffered bites on both of his legs and his left arm while Kim got five stitches in his chest. Zimmerman told the newspaper that he is a dog-lover himself but cannot understand why dog owners cannot control their dogs. As personal injury attorneys who have represented victims of dog attacks, we understand Mr. Zimmerman’s point of view.

We are ardent supporters of cities and county agencies holding dog owners responsible for their negligence. In this case, this pit-bull and another boxer which was apparently not involved in the attacks, were running loose attacking these unsuspecting residents who were doing nothing more than taking a relaxing evening stroll. What a rude shock for them!
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Published on: May 6, 2008

Couple Dies In Costa Mesa Chevy Malibu Crash

By Brian Chase

A Costa Mesa couple in their late 60s died after the driver lost control of his 2005 Chevy Malibu, a news article in The Orange County Register reports. The auto accident, which killed 69-year-old Jack Henderson and his wife, Carolyn Henderson, 65, occurred on Newport Boulevard after the husband exited the 55 Freeway near Fair Drive and merged on to Newport, the article said.

The car reportedly crashed into a chain link fence, clipped some trees and rolled down an embankment back onto the freeway. Carolyn Henderson died on the scene while her husband was transported to Hoag Hospital where he later died, the Register reports. The grandparents were on the way to babysit their grandchildren when the tragic accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses reportedly saw the Chevy Malibu veer off the 55 freeway, become airborne from Newport Boulevard and flip at least twice down the embankment before coming to rest on the freeway. This is no doubt a huge tragedy for the family and we offer our deepest condolences to them during this very tough time. Investigators have already started looking into possible causes for the crash. Witnesses report speeding and that Henderson merged onto Newport at a high rate of speed.
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Published on: May 5, 2008

Tractor Trailer Loaded With Coca-Cola Bottles Overturns On Car, Causes Injuries

By Brian Chase

A driver from South Florida is in the hospital with severe injuries after a tractor trailer loaded with 2-liter Coca Cola bottles flipped onto his car in Miramar. According to an article on CBS News’ Web site, the big rig driver, for some reason, lost control of his vehicle, which toppled on to a Honda Civic, trapping and injuring driver Eduardo Ibarro.

According to fire department officials who carried out the rescue operation, Ibarro was significantly entrapped in the vehicle. The tractor trailer was actually on top of part of the passenger’s side of the Honda trapping the patient’s leg under the car’s dashboard. The Coca Cola bottles were reportedly strewn all over the roadway, which crews spent a good deal of time cleaning up. The driver of the big rig was reportedly unhurt. Ibarro is said to be recovering and suffered non-life threatening injuries.
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Published on: May 4, 2008

QVC Recalls 28,000 Defective SoleusAir Space Heaters For Fire Hazards

By Brian Chase

QVC is recalling about 28,000 defective SoleusAir space heaters that can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers. According to consumer watchdog Web site Consumeraffairs.com, no injuries have been reported as a result of the fire hazard, but the firm has received nine reports of flames inside or coming out of the heaters and 70 additional reports of smoking, overheating, sparking, melting and/or emitting burning odors.
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Published on: May 3, 2008

Orange County Seven-Car Pileup Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured

By Brian Chase

A Huntington Beach woman was killed and three people were taken to the hospital with injuries after a Honda Pilot sport utility vehicle with a wheelchair lift slammed into a sedan, The Orange County Register reports. The impact crushed the Lexus and led to a seven-car pileup at the intersection of Talbert and Magnolia avenues, the newspaper reports.

Killed in the crash was 69-year-old Anne Shirley Mailman. The condition of the man and woman in the Pilot are still not known. The Pilot reportedly had handicap license plates as well as a wheelchair lift. It is not clear how this chain reaction auto accident occurred, police told the Register. They are still investigating and no one has been charged or cited yet.

Auto accidents are a no-win situation. People are physically and emotionally scarred. This one was no different. One woman lost her life. In the end, it could be just that – an unfortunate accident with people in these seven cars being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Published on: May 2, 2008

Teenager Killed In Bicycle Accident At Busy Martinez Intersection

By Brian Chase

A 13-year-old boy in Martinez, Calif. was killed when be was struck by a teenage driver at a busy and apparently dangerous intersection as he was riding his bicycle. According to a news article in CBS News’ Web site, the boy, identified as Tommy Choi, sustained major injuries and was rushed to the hospital where he died an hour after the accident.

The boy was reportedly riding his bike back from school on the busy street, which had a speed limit of 35 mph. The driver who hit the boy was a 16-year-old. Drugs or alcohol don’t seem to be a factor but we don’t know yet if the driver was speeding or was distracted in some other way. The teen driver has not been cited or charged yet.
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Published on: May 1, 2008

Digitek Heart Drug Recall

By Brian Chase

Last week, pharmaceutical company Actavis Totowa LLC recalled all lots of its prescription heart drug, Digitek, because some of the drug’s tablets might contain twice the approved level of the active ingredient. According to an article in The Chicago Tribune, people have become sick or injured after taking the drug, which is used to treat heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.

The defective Digitek tablets were manufactured with double the appropriate thickness, which means it may contain twice the approved level of active ingredients. Toxicity from this drug, because of the high dosage, may cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, high blood pressure, cardiac instability or even death.

This apparently dangerous drug dosage was reportedly distributed by Myland Pharmaceuticals Inc. under a “Bertek” label and by UDL Laboratories Inc. under a “UDL” label.

It would be helpful to the Food and Drug Administration’s efforts for you to report any reactions to this drug to the FDA’s MedWatch adverse reporting program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm. Of course, contact the doctor that prescribed Digitek to you for his/her advise at your earliest opportunity.
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