California Injury Blog

Published on: January 1, 2008

Costa Mesa Pedestrian Accident, Woman Suffers Severe Injuries

By Brian Chase

A 34-year-old woman suffered severe injuries after she was hit by a driver on a Costa Mesa street, the Daily Pilot reports. Laura Monteleone was said to be in critical, but stable condition. She had reportedly suffered significant skull fractures to the base and right side of her skull, brain injury and had several broken ribs.

Police found the woman bleeding from her ears and mouth when they arrived on scene, the newspaper said. She was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Investigators also determined that the driver, 34-year-old Sergio Rico Delgado, was not driving under the influence, but said he was at fault for the accident. He was also cited for driving with an expired license, the Pilot reported.

Pedestrian versus motor vehicle crashes are a serious problem in the United States. In 2003, 4,749 pedestrians were killed in accidents and accounted for 11 percent of the 42,643 auto accident deaths nationwide that year. The total number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in traffic collisions added up to 70,000 that year.
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Published on: December 31, 2007

Two Killed In Fiery Hollywood Street Racing Car Accident

By Brian Chase

An innocent motorist and his passenger were killed in a fiery three-car auto accident in Hollywood, which officials say was caused by two people street-racing in BMWs, while one of them, Carlos Steven John of Los Angeles, was driving under the influence of alcohol, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times . Police have arrested Carlos Steven John of Los Angeles and charged him with murder.

The fatal auto accident occurred early morning Saturday at Sunset Blvd. and Highland Ave. when the 21-year-old John, smashed into an Infiniti causing it to burst into flames. The driver of the Infiniti, who has not yet been identified, died on the scene. The passenger in that car who was first announced to be in critical condition with severe burn injuries, later succumbed to those injuries and was pronounced dead the following day. The BMW also struck another car, a Saturn Ion, but the driver of that car escaped with minor injuries, the report said.

The people responsible for this travesty must be held criminally and financially responsible for the death of two innocent men. Clear messages must be sent by our justice system that street racing participants will be held accountable for the losses they cause. What compensation is adequate for the loss of a family member?

Police are seeking the driver of the other racing BMW that sped away. That driver will also face criminal charges and as well as claims by the families of both of the deceased. The fleeing driver can be held just as responsible for this accident as the intoxicated driver.

It seems that we are representing more and more street racing accident victims in the last few years. In the last five years we have made more claims against the non-accident involved racing drivers than in the previous 24 years combined. It also seems that both freeway speeds and surface street speeds are up 5 to 10 mph over five years ago.
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Published on: December 31, 2007

Motorcycle Accident Round-Up

By Brian Chase

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.
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Published on: December 30, 2007

Fatal Dog Bite Victim’s Family Struggles to Make Sense Of Brutal Mauling

By Brian Chase

Kelly Caldwell was bitten and mauled to death by four dogs on Christmas night – all said to be pit-bulls. Now, even as people are placing flowers and stuffed animals on the street in Yermo where the ground is still stained with Caldwell’s blood, her family members are trying to make sense of this brutal mauling and investigators are trying to determine if criminal charges must be filed against the dog and its owners, according to an article in the Desert Dispatch.

Officers had to shoot two of the dogs, which they say were acting aggressively and quarantined two others. They learned later that all four dogs were owned by two men who lived in the same house on that street. What do the men have to say? That their dogs have nipped trespassers before, but that they would never jump over the fence and attack someone who was just passing by, according to another news report in the Desert Dispatch.

Investigators say they have no evidence yet to file criminal charges. But family members who saw Caldwell lying on the street said her legs looked like they were run over by a car and pieces of her body were scattered around the scene. Several neighbors told police that the dogs were aggressive and terrorized the neighborhood, a report in the Riverside Press Enterprise states. There are no documented complaints against the dogs.
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Published on: December 29, 2007

4 Orange County Residents Dead In Tennessee Big Rig Accident

By Brian Chase

Four Orange County residents died in a violent crash involving a big rig on a Tennessee highway when they were driving cross-country to visit family. The car went under a tractor trailer and got wedged underneath the big rig, the Jackson Sun newspaper reports. Those who died in the crash were: Judith Stele, 69; Rheta Kanter, 72; Brandt Stele, 69; and Gloria Friedman, 65.

The accident occurred when, for some unknown reason, their 2003 Toyota Avalon crossed the median into oncoming traffic and went under the tractor trailer. Judith Stele was driving the four-door sedan and it’s not clear why or how she lost control of the vehicle. Alcohol was reportedly not a factor in the fatal crash. All four who died were residents of Laguna Woods, the newspaper reported. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured in the accident. The Orange County Register reports that the four friends were driving on a clear day and in good weather.
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Published on: December 28, 2007

New Law Banning Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Is Much Needed

By Brian Chase

There are several new driving laws going into effect in 2008. But the most important one in our opinion is the law that relates to cell phone and other use of communication such as texting while driving.

There are two new laws that go into effect July 1, 2008. All California adult drivers will be required to use a hands-free device and prohibit anyone below 18 years old from using a wireless telephone or texting device while driving.

SB 1613 outlines the law as it relates to adults. This law will make it illegal, effective July 1, 2008 “to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, unless that telephone is designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking operation, and is used in that manner while driving. This offense would be punishable by a base fine of $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense. The bill would provide that this prohibition does not apply to a person who is using the cellular telephone to contact a law enforcement agency or public safety entity for emergency purposes, or to an emergency services professional while he or she operates an authorized emergency vehicle, as specified.” For more information on this law, please visit this Web site.
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Published on: December 27, 2007

Pack Of Pit-bulls Maul and Kill Barstow Woman

By Brian Chase

A 45-year-old Barstow woman is dead after being attacked by a pack of pit-bulls on the street on Christmas evening. According to a news article in the Desert Dispatch, the dogs (officials are still trying to determine how many) surrounded Caldwell and attacked her.

Police found Caldwell lying on the street around 9:30 p.m. Two of the pit-bulls that reportedly returned to the scene tried to attack officers who were trying to help Caldwell and determine what happened. Police shot both pit-bulls. Animal control officials took two other dogs, while another one is said to be at large.

Officials are still trying to determine who the dogs belonged to although they know at least two of the animals belonged to neighbors. They have also taken DNA samples from the two dead dogs, which confirm that they attacked the woman, an article posted on the local ABC station’s Web site reports. The two live dogs are being held as evidence, but will be released to their owners if it is determined that they did not attack Caldwell.

Police detectives are looking into whether the dogs’ owners knew whether the animals had any history of violence. If the dogs were dangerous and the owners knew about it, they could face criminal charges, officials told ABC. No arrests were made immediately, FOX News reports.
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Published on: December 26, 2007

Zoo Tiger Escapes, Mauls and Kills 1, Injures 2

By Brian Chase

It was like a scene from a horror/thriller movie. It was every child’s zoo nightmare translated into gory, grisly reality at the San Francisco Zoo. On Christmas Day, almost at closing time, a Siberian tiger somehow escaped from his grotto and went on a bloody rampage at the zoo’s café, killing one patron and seriously injuring two others, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

CBS.com reported that the San Francisco Police Department has opened a criminal investigation, as Police Chief Heather Fong is reported to have said, “…to determine if there was human involvement in the tiger getting out…” Sounds like the police have some suspicions as to how this happened.

At first authorities weren’t sure which one of the zoo’s five tigers mauled the visitors, but later determined that it was Tatiana, the same 4-year-old Siberian tiger, that had chewed a zookeeper’s arm during an attack about a year ago. Although state investigators determined that the attack was the zoo’s fault because they did not configure the cages properly, the zoo authorities decided not to put down Tatiana because they determined it was a “random attack” and was something that could be fixed with a $250,000 safety upgrade.

The tiger initially attacked and killed 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose near the grotto apparently when the tiger first got out. The tiger then proceeded to attack two other men in the café. The two injured men are brothers from San Jose ages 19- and 23-years-old. Their conditions have been upgraded to stable condition at San Francisco General Hospital after surgery. They suffered deep bites and claw wounds on their heads, necks, arms and hands, said Dr. Rochelle Dicker, a surgeon. She said they were expected to make a full recovery, according to MSNBC.

When four police officers arrived, the tiger that was sitting next to a victim, resuming its attack of the bloodied man. When the tiger made its move toward the officers, they all fired their guns, striking and killing the animal. Officers, who combed the zoo through Wednesday, did not find additional victims.
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Published on: December 26, 2007

CHP Officer Struck By a Drunk Driver, Seriously Injured

By Brian Chase

California Highway Patrol Officer Anthony Pedeferri’s life was transformed in a fraction of a second. The 36-year-old veteran motorcycle officer, father of two young girls and a fierce competitor in eight triathlons this year, is now fighting for his life after being struck by a drunk driver on Highway 101 while he was talking to a driver he had just pulled over, according to a news report in the Ventura County Star.

The driver, who was said to be operating his vehicle under the influence, has been charged with felony DUI, vehicular manslaughter, possession of marijuana for sale and transporting marijuana, the newspaper reported. According to the article, the incident occurred when the officer pulled over a small SUV onto the right shoulder. When Pedeferri was talking to the driver of the SUV, White’s large pickup truck, for unexplained reasons, veered off the center lane on to the shoulder and into the back of the SUV.

Pedeferri was knocked out of his boots and thrown 20 yards into the brush on the side of the highway. The impact of the crash also reportedly started a fire and sent the two vehicles spinning into the center lanes. A woman, who had previously worked as a dispatcher in the Ontario Police Department, was a true hero in the incident. She was the one who saw the officer’s boots at the scene, tracked him to the bushes and called the 911 dispatcher so he got immediate help, the newspaper reported.
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Published on: December 25, 2007

Sharp Spike in Motorcycle Accident Deaths Shown Nationwide

By Brian Chase

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.
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