Car Accidents

Man Killed in Hollywood Car Accident

October 30, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A Hollywood car accident early Monday morning resulted in the death of a man. According to WEHOville, the car accident occurred on La Brea Avenue, near where Hollywood meets West Hollywood, at about 2:00am, Monday morning. Witnesses stated that the man was driving too fast, struck parked vehicles, then hit a taxi. There was no report on whether alcohol or drugs may have played a part in this fatal Hollywood accident.

The driver of the taxi, which was struck by the car, had to be taken to a local area hospital. Fortunately, his injuries were only described as minor. The taxi driver was treated and released. Since it appears that the driver who tragically passed away in the car accident was probably at fault for causing the crash, there will probably not be any car accident wrongful death case here. However, if there was another reason for the crash, such as a defective road design, a wrongful death claim may possibly be made. Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased.

3 People Killed in Tragic Pico Rivera Car Accident

June 14, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A Pico Rivera car accident last night has resulted in the death of a man and two children, who were thrown from the car after the head on collision. According to the Los Angeles Times, the car accident in Pico Rivera apparently happened when the man, who was driving a Honda home from a party, went into the southbound lanes of San Gabriel Parkway, colliding head on with another vehicle.

The Honda was also carrying a woman and another child. Both of them were listed in critical condition from the serious injuries they suffered in this car accident. The other vehicle, a Nissan, had two female occupants. They were both taken to the hospital and their injuries were listed as serious.

The cause of this Pico Rivera accident has not yet been determined by police. Often, in night time accidents where a car goes into the other lane of traffic, alcohol or other intoxicating substances are involved and play a part in causing the crash. However, there are plenty of other scenarios that may have occurred. For example, there may have been a hazard in the roadway that caused the driver to swerve into oncoming traffic.

Lakers’ Player’s Bentley Totaled in Los Angeles Car Accident

March 31, 2013 | by Robert Walch

Jordan Hill, a forward on the Los Angeles Lakers, had his Bentley totaled in the early hours of Saturday morning after a Los Angeles car accident. According to BleacherReport.com, the Bentley was driven by Hill’s friend, Michael Lacey, a former college basketball player, when it crashed into an apartment building.

It does not appear that anyone was hit by the car when it crashed into the building, but Lacey and/or his female passenger did appear to sustain injuries, as police are said to have followed a blood trail from the car to the apartment elevator, in the building where Hill has an apartment.

Lacey was arrested on charges of driving under the influence. Neither Lacey, nor his passenger, required hospitalization for their Los Angeles car accident injuries. Hill, who apparently was not involved in the crash, did not sustain any injuries, although he is still recovering from his hip surgery.

One Killed in Los Angeles Car Accident

February 1, 2013 | by Robert Walch

One alleged robbery suspect was apparently killed this morning in a freeway accident in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles freeway accident occurred after police received a call about a robbery at a 7-11 convenient store. Officers saw a vehicle which they said was driving recklessly, and a high speed chase occurred.

During the chase, the suspects’ vehicle crashed into another vehicle on the northbound 5 freeway, at the interchange with the 110 freeway. After the crash, the suspects’ vehicle flipped over, trapping the three suspects inside. One of the suspects in the robbery died as a result of his injuries from the Los Angeles car accident. One other suspect had to be hospitalized for his car accident injuries, while the third was taken into police custody.

There were no immediate reports about injuries to the occupants of the vehicle that was struck by the suspects’ car. Based on the lack of information, it is assumed that there were no serious injuries in that vehicle.

Politician Injured in Los Angeles Truck Accident

December 3, 2012 | by Robert Walch

Mike Feuer, a democratic State Assemblyman who is currently running for city attorney was injured today in a Los Angeles truck accident. Feuer was driving his Toyota Prius when his vehicle was allegedly struck by a truck that ran a red light. Mr. Feuer was taken to the hospital, but his injuries were fortunately described as not life threatening.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Assemblyman Feuer’s campaign spokesperson said that the campaign will continue and that Feuer should hopefully make a quick recovery from his truck accident injuries. The L.A. Times also reported that Feuer was on his way to watch newly elected district attorney for Los Angeles County, Jackie Lacey, get sworn into office at the Galen Center in South Los Angeles, when he was in the Los Angeles car accident. The Galen Center is the arena where the USC Trojans basketball team plays its home games.

It was not disclosed if the rain in Southern California today contributed to causing this auto accident in Los Angeles. However, there were many rain accidents reported throughout Los Angeles today. For this reason, it is again advised that all drivers take extra precautions when driving in the rain, including keeping a larger distance between themselves and the vehicle in front of them, and driving slower than normal.

CHP Reports Increase in Los Angeles Car Accidents Due to Rain

November 29, 2012 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, the California Highway Patrol has reported that there were 188 car accidents in Los Angeles County today, for the areas covered by the CHP, just between the hours of 12am and 8:00am. The increase in Los Angeles car accident incidents today is mostly due to unsafe driving in the rain. By comparison, in the same time period last week, without the rain, there were only approximately 36 Los Angeles accidents.

The CHP blamed the Los Angeles rain accidents on drivers who drive too fast for conditions. Their main advice to drivers was to slow down, when driving in the rain. While many of the accidents were just one car accidents involving a vehicle that spun out in the rain, there were some serious Los Angeles crashes, including a Glendale big rig truck accident on the 5 Freeway and a fatality accident on the 134 freeway in Toluca Lake.

The Toluca Lake car accident occurred on the westbound 134 freeway and involved at least two vehicles. Two people apparently suffered minor injuries, while a third person died at the scene of the accident.

The Glendale truck accident occurred at around two o’clock this morning, left debris over the southbound 5 Freeway and blocked the northbound lanes. The southbound lanes were not open until about 6:30am and the northbound lanes opened at approximately eight o’clock in the morning. Depending on the cause of the truck accident in Glendale, the family of the victim may be able to make a Glendale wrongful death claim against any responsible parties.

Los Angeles to Las Vegas Train Should Ease Traffic and Reduce Car Accidents

November 27, 2012 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, a company called Las Vegas Railway Express, will be set to operate a train route from Southern California to Las Vegas. The “X Train” will be for adults only and will be on refurbished trains traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and back to Los Angeles on Sundays.

This new passenger train route, which will leave from Fullerton, California, will be expected to ease traffic for those commuters who still wish to drive to and from Las Vegas. It should also cause a reduction in the amount of Nevada and California car accidents that occur each year. The route is expected to begin operations for New Years Eve in 2013.

Many California residents are very familiar with the extreme traffic during peak travel hours on Interstate 15. This new passenger train route should hopefully reduce those traffic jams. Also, with less cars on the road, the amount of car accidents should also be reduced. On the other side of the argument, when there are fewer cars on the road, sometimes cars travel faster, leading to more serious car accident injuries.

The train ride is expected to cost $99 each way, and is meant to be an extension of the Las Vegas party atmosphere. Passengers will not have to worry about drinking and driving, or driving home in traffic with a rough Las Vegas hangover.

Rapper Diddy Injured in Los Angeles Car Accident

October 26, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles car accident on Tuesday caused injuries to the rapper and entertainer knows as Diddy. According to The Sun, the car accident in Los Angeles occurred near the Beverly Hills hotel, on Sunset Boulevard. Diddy suffered injuries to his neck, ribs and collarbone.

Celebrity news site “TMZ” has reported that the Beverly Hills car accident occurred when a Lexus made a left turn in front of Diddy’s Cadillac Escalade. The Escalade was apparently unable to stop in time and t-boned the Lexus. Reports indicate that Diddy was being driven by a chauffer at the time of the Los Angeles crash. The police who were called said Diddy’s driver, Diddy, and the driver of the Lexus all sustained injuries in the left turn accident.

Apparently, Diddy did not leave the scene of the accident by ambulance. However, he did seek medical care and treatment for his car accident injuries.

Sometimes, auto insurance companies will try to negate a person’s injuries by making the argument that the person did not leave the scene of the crash in an ambulance, so the injuries must not be that bad. However, this is a misguided and unfair argument. Frequently, the effects of an automobile collision are not fully felt right away. Often, this is because accident victims often get a rush of adrenaline after a crash. They may be happy to just be alive, or more worried about others, and not realize the true extent of their own pain and injuries. Because of this, many accident victims will often tell the police, paramedics or 911 operators that they were not injured in a crash.

TRAFFIC SAFETY – GOOGLE, INC. WORKING ON SELF DRIVING CARS

September 26, 2012 | by Robert Walch

In an attempt to try to reduce California car accidents in the future, self-driving cars are now allowed on California roads. Jerry Brown, the governor of California, just signed a bill that allows the testing of self-driving cars on California streets.

Yesterday, Gov. Brown, at a ceremony held at Google’s headquarters located in Mountain View California, signed into law, SB1298, which establishes guidelines for “autonomous vehicles” to be tested and operated on California roads. The bill was sponsored by State Senator Alex Padilla (Democrat from Pacoima). According to the Los Angeles Times, Senator Padilla said, “We are stepping on the accelerator when it comes to the Google Car.”

It is well known that the cause of most car and other motor vehicle accidents is human error. It is believed that “autonomous car technology” can reduce the number of accidents and, therefore, the number of injuries and deaths on California roads.

Google, Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin stated, “These vehicles have the potential to avoid accidents … We can save lives, create jobs and reduce congestion. I expect the self-driving cars will be far safer than human driven cars.”

This project is not exclusively Google’s. Caltech and others also have been working to develop cars that use radar, video cameras and lasers to safely navigate roads and safely operate in traffic conditions without any human assistance. Their contention is that these computer-controlled vehicles should eventually drive more safely than human operators.

30 Year Old Man Killed in Glendale Car Accident

September 14, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A 30 year old man was killed this morning in a multi-vehicle freeway car accident in Glendale, California. According to the La Cañada Flintridge Patch, the Glendale car accident occurred on the 134 Freeway, at around seven o’clock in the morning. The California Highway Patrol reported that the man died at the scene of the Glendale freeway accident.

This multi-vehicle car accident caused the closure of three lanes of traffic on the Ventura Freeway and resulted in serious traffic delays from Monrovia to Burbank. The CHP is still investigating the cause of this Glendale freeway crash. Various witness accounts of the accident and of the aftermath have claimed that the car was overturned after the crash. A person who said she was in another car and witnessed the accident has claimed to have seen the deceased driver swerving before the collision.

It is always important however to look very carefully at witness statements. Sometimes, witnesses can have a bias. Other times, witnesses think that they recall something, but actually remember it quite differently from how it happened.