Car Accidents

Alleged DUI Driver Causes Agoura Hills Car Accident

April 1, 2015 | by Robert Walch

Four people suffered injuries in an Agoura car accident on Sunday when a driver, who is suspected of being under the influence, collided with another vehicle. The DUI suspect and the three occupants of the other vehicle all suffered injuries in the car accident in Agoura Hills, California. All four were taken to hospitals. Fortunately, the injuries were described as minor.

According to the Agoura Hills Patch, the driver suspected of driving under the influence was Joshua Maquindang, who is from Canyon Country, California. The driver of the other vehicle was Johanna Krause, a resident of Malibu, California, who was driving with her two daughters in the car.

The Agoura accident happened on Kanan Road close to Camino Tranquil. According to the California Highway Patrol, Mr. Maquindang apparently swerved off the road then into oncoming traffic, where he struck the other vehicle, causing the car accident injuries. Mr. Maquindang was booked after receiving treatment for his injuries.

Hopefully Mr. Maquindang carries automobile liability insurance sufficient enough to cover the injuries and damages suffered by Johanna Krause and her children. They will have ambulance and hospital bills to pay, as well as bills for any subsequent medical care they receive. There could also be a claim for loss of earnings if any time is missed from work.

4 Injured in Lancaster Accident

March 24, 2015 | by Robert Walch

Four people suffered injuries in a car accident earlier this afternoon in Lancaster, California. According to The Antelope Valley Times, the Lancaster car accident occurred when a fire truck, that was responding to an emergency call, struck another vehicle in an intersection. Apparently, according to the Lancaster Sheriff’s Department, the fire truck, with lights and siren activated, stopped at a red light, then cleared the lanes to travel through the intersection, when a Toyota Avalon, in the #2 lane on 10th Street West, changed to the #3 lane to get around stopped traffic, entered the intersection and was struck by the fire truck.

The severity of those injured in the accident is not currently known. However, the driver of the fire truck’s injuries were described as being very minor. He was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital regardless. One of the passengers in the Toyota Avalon, a pregnant woman, was ejected from the vehicle, but the severity of her injuries, including injuries to the unborn baby, are not yet known.

The Los Angeles Police Department provides many important tips for what to do when you are driving and hear or see an emergency vehicle approaching. We advise that all of our readers click here to read the LAPD safety tips. Following these directions might help prevent an accident with an emergency vehicle.

CAR ACCIDENT ON THE 10 FREEWAY EASTBOUND ON CHRISTMAS – URGENT HELP NEEDED

December 31, 2014 | by Robert Walch

The daughter of our friend and client was seriously injured in a car accident on the 10 freeway, also known as the San Bernardino Freeway, on Christmas morning. The accident happened at about 7:30am on December 25, 2014, when a sports utility vehicle ran the other vehicle off the road and into the center divider of the freeway.

The driver of the SUV did not stop to render aid or identify him/herself at the scene of the crash and thus far has not been located. We ask that if you or anyone you know witnessed this accident on the San Bernardino Freeway that you please either contact the California Highway Patrol at 1-800-TELLCHP or our personal injury law office toll free at 1-866-465-8792.

The driver of the 1998 Nissan Sentra suffered very serious injuries when her vehicle was ran into the center divider and she needs all the help you can give. If you have any information on this accident on the 10 freeway, especially a license plate number or any identifying information on the driver of the SUV, please call the CHP or our office right away.

Lyft Offers Additional Coverage in Case of a California Car Accident – Is it Enough?

February 11, 2014 | by Robert Walch

Lyft, a popular ride-sharing application, has announced that it is increasing the auto insurance coverage for its drivers. Currently, the law in California only requires ride-sharing companies, like Lyft, Uber and Sidecar, to carry one-million dollars in car accident liability insurance. This is the insurance coverage that covers people who are injured in an accident caused by a driver working for one of these companies.

The law does not, however, require that the companies provide collision coverage, which is used to repair the vehicle damaged in a car accident, or uninsured motorist coverage, which would cover the driver and passengers of the vehicle, if the other driver causes the car accident and does not have coverage or does not have adequate coverage for the serious injuries suffered.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Uber has said that they have been providing collision and uninsured motorist coverage since December. Lyft is now offering its drivers the option of carrying collision coverage and uninsured motorist coverage. If covered, it is unknown how much uninsured motorist coverage these companies will provide for their drivers and customers.

Google Glass – Traffic Citations? Potential for Injury Liability?

January 17, 2014 | by Robert Walch

A woman in Temecula, California, who was wearing Google Glass eye-wear while driving, was found not guilty of distracted driving, according to the Los Angeles Times, after she was issued a ticket by California Highway Patrol. In this particular case, the judge determined that officers would have to be able to prove that the driver of the vehicle actually had the Google Glass turned on, rather than just on the driver’s head, to possibly prove the driver was distracted.

This driver was charged under California Vehicle Code Section 27602, which was written to prevent drivers from looking at a video type of screen while driving. Here, the argument would be that the Google Glass device does not provide any distraction when simply worn, but not turned on.

While Google Glass is only being used by a trial number of people at the moment, it is only a matter of time before the devices become more common and we will probably eventually see a Los Angeles car accident where a claim is made, possibly against Google, because of Google Glass distracting a driver. Without having too much knowledge of how Google Glass works, it appears to me that Google’s argument will be that drivers should not use the device while driving, just like drivers should not be texting or watching a DVD on a video monitor. Unless there is something about the Google Glass that encourages users to use it while driving, it is hard to imagine liability being placed on Google, when a user decides to use the product while driving.

New Study Shows Link Between Cell Phone Use and Car Accidents

January 1, 2014 | by Robert Walch

A new study published recently shows how cell phone use greatly increases the risk of car accidents, especially with newer drivers. According to the Los Angeles Times, one interesting note from the study was that talking on the cell phone did not prove as dangerous as other studies have shown. However, talking on the phone usually requires dialing and/or reaching for a phone, which increases the risk of an automobile accident.

This study showed that with younger drivers, the chance of a car accident or nearly missing a car accident was seven times higher when the driver is reaching for a cell phone or dialing. Surprisingly, text messaging proved to be less risky, with the chances of an accident or almost getting into an accident four times higher than when normally driving.

In the case of adults with approximately 20 years of driving experience, dialing on a cell phone increased the risk of an accident, but the effect of text messaging was not clear from this particular study.

Riverside Car Accident Results in Wrongful Death

December 27, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A wrong way driver caused a tragic Riverside car accident early Thursday morning when her vehicle struck another vehicle in a head on collision. The car accident in Riverside occurred on the 60 Freeway close to Day Street in Riverside County, California.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the CHP initially received reports that there was a Chevrolet Impala traveling in the wrong direction on the freeway. Shortly thereafter, the CHP found out that a crash had in fact occurred.

The man who was traveling the correct direction was killed and passed away at the scene of the Riverside crash. The woman who was driving in the wrong direction, Patricia Starr-Blanco, suffered serious car accident injuries. Her prognosis is not yet known. Ms. Blanco also had a passenger in her car who suffered injuries that were not described as life threatening.

Off Duty Police Officer Helps Save Man After Los Angeles Car Accident

December 26, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles car accident on Christmas day resulted in a vehicle fire on the southbound 405 freeway, near the interchange with the 101 freeway. After a car apparently collided with the center divider, an off duty LAPD officer who witnessed the crash stopped to assist. According to the Los Angeles Times, officer Thompson cut the victim’s seat-belt and attempted to free him from the burning car, before Thompson himself was overcome by the fire and smoke.

Fortunately, two other people stopped and helped and pulled Thompson and the other victim from the burning car. The car ended up fully engulfed by flames from the 405 freeway accident. A captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department said that Thompson’s actions probably saved the victim’s life.

It is still unclear exactly what caused this car accident in Los Angeles. Vehicles collide with guardrails and center dividers for many reasons. Sometimes it is due to driver inattentiveness and other times the accidents are caused by other vehicles that change lanes into the car without seeing it, pushing it into the divider.

7 Car Tarzana Accident Causes Injuries and Wrongful Death

December 17, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A car accident in Tarzana on Monday, involving a total of seven automobiles, caused the death of one woman and numerous car accident injuries to other people involved in the crash. The crash occurred near the intersection of Ventura Blvd. and Corbin Ave., which is near where Tarzana and Reseda meet.

The woman who passed away as a result of the Tarzana car accident was not identified by the Los Angeles Times. According to investigators, it appears that speed may have been a factor in this multi-vehicle collision. The LAPD said that a Ford Taurus was probably the cause of the collision, as it collided with numerous vehicles. The Ford Taurus driver, who was also injured in the collision, was hospitalized as a result of the accident injuries.

In a case like this, the family of the Tarzana wrongful death victim should immediately contact a local wrongful death lawyer who can help recover wrongful death damages from all responsible parties. Typically, the first source for such a recovery would be the auto insurance liability coverage of the responsible party or parties. It will first be necessary to determine who was at fault, then the attorney will have to locate the applicable coverage and seek the maximum monetary recovery for the heirs of the deceased.

Police Officer Seriously Injured in Los Angeles Freeway Accident

December 14, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles freeway accident early this morning has caused serious injuries to a Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant. According to the LA Times, The police officer was helping a motorist who’s vehicle was non-operational on an off-ramp of the 110 freeway. Apparently, a Chevrolet Monte Carlo was speeding, hit a barrier and pinned the police officer into his vehicle.

The freeway crash in Los Angeles caused serious injuries to the officer, who has not yet been identified. The officer was taken to Los Angeles County USC Hospital. His injuries have been described as serious and authorities are investigating the exact cause of the Los Angeles accident.

Legally, in an incident such as this, the seriously injured officer may make a worker’s compensation claim as well as a Los Angeles personal injury claim. This is because he was injured on the job, but his injuries were caused by a third party. In such situations, any funds paid by worker’s compensation may be reimbursable from any funds recovered as part of any personal injury settlement or judgment.