Car Accidents

2 Police Officers Injured in Los Angeles Hit and Run Accident

February 15, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers were injured when their vehicle was rear ended in Los Angeles. The two occupants of the car that rear ended the patrol car fled the scene and were not located by police.

The Los Angeles rear end accident happened near the intersection of Whitworth Drive and Fairfax Boulevard. According to the Los Angeles Times, the two officers who were injured in the accident sustained back and neck injuries and were treated at a local hospital.

This will likely be considered a work accident and the officers should be able to make a workers’ compensation claim for their injuries. Also, because the suspects left the vehicle and fled the scene on foot, police will be able to determine who the owner of the vehicle was. This will help investigators determine if the owner was involved in the Los Angeles car accident or if the car was stolen from the owner prior to the accident, in which case the owner may not bear any legal liability.

If the owner carried liability insurance, and was the driver or allowed someone else to drive the car, the police officers may make a bodily injury insurance claim against the owner’s insurance coverage. If no insurance is found, then the police officers may make a claim with their own uninsured motorist coverage, which may be covered by the police department for this type of situation.

Porsche Totaled in Huntington Beach Car Accident With City Truck

February 8, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Huntington Beach car accident has resulted in a government claim for payment made on behalf of a man who had his Porsche totaled by a city truck. The claim is being made by the man’s insurance company, Mercury Insurance Group, against the city for the value of the vehicle.

The likely reason why the insurance company is making the claim would be that the insurance probably already reimbursed the man for his damages, and now is seeking subrogation from the responsible party, the city of Huntington Beach.

In the car accident in Huntington Beach, the city truck allegedly ran a red light, which was confirmed by a witness, and collided with the Porsche, rendering it a total loss. Even though the police report placed the city vehicle at fault, the driver of the city vehicle said that he had a green light.

Our office is currently handling a case against the city of Los Angeles for a client who was also hit by a city truck, in a disputed red light case. Even though there is a witness saying that the driver of the city truck, and not our client, ran the red light, the city driver is claiming, like in this case, that he had a green light at the time he entered the intersection.

5 Car Los Angeles Freeway Accident Injures 3 on 101

February 3, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, a five car accident in Los Angeles, California on Sunday injured three people, including one person who suffered severe injuries. The cause of the Los Angeles car accident is currently unknown, but because it occurred as rain began to fall on Sunday morning, it is believed that the rain played a part in the crash.

The Los Angeles accident occurred on the 101 freeway, near Barham Boulevard in the Cahuenga Pass, according to the California Highway Patrol, who responded to the scene. The person who was seriously injured in the collision, who has not yet been identified, had to be extricated from the car by Los Angeles County firefighters who responded to the crash.

All three injured victims were taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where it can be assumed the two minor injury victims were treated and released.

Fog Advisory Warning for Los Angeles County Today

January 31, 2011 | by Robert Walch

To avoid Los Angeles car accident injuries, Los Angeles County drivers should be aware of a fog advisory issued today by the National Weather Service. The advisory warns of dense fog that will cause visibility to be reduced to a quarter mile in certain areas near the coast.

The advisory warns that drivers should take extra care when driving in certain roadways near the coast, including Pacific Coast Highway and the 405 and 710 freeways.

There was also a fog advisory for Orange County earlier in the morning, but it has since been lifted.

Please take extra care, drive slower and keep an extra space cushion if driving in areas affected by the fog.

Street Racer Sentenced to 7 Years for Glendale Crash

January 28, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Aren Aznavoleh, a Glendale resident, has been sentenced to seven years in prison as a result of a car crash he caused while allegedly racing his car through the streets of Glendale. The Glendale auto accident, which left one man paralyzed, occurred in 2009.

The victim, Rafick Daroosee, an Iranian, had only been living in the United States for 3 months before this car accident. Mr. Daroosee suffered severe brain damage and is paralyzed from this Glendale auto collision. His wife, who does not speak English or have a job, has been left to care for him.

A restitution hearing, in which Mr. Daroosee’s family will be able to appeal to the court to order Mr. Aznavoleh to pay them money for the damages they have caused, will be held on March 8, 2011. Unfortunately, all too often in these types of situations, the perpetrator of the crime does not have the money or assets to pay the amount ordered in the restitution hearing. Mr. Daroosee’s family will also be able to make a claim against Mr. Aznavoleh’s automobile insurance coverage, if he had coverage. In this case, it can be assumed that there will not be sufficient insurance coverage to cover the significant injuries and damages suffered by Mr. Darooosee.

Walch Selected Personal Injury Attorney of the Year 2010

January 24, 2011 | by Robert Walch

We are extremely proud to announce that a member of our firm, Gary Walch, was selected Personal Injury Attorney of the Year for 2010 by the Editorial Staff of the Consumer Business Review.

Gary has been an attorney since 1975, graduating from UCLA summa cum laude (with highest honors) and then the UCLA School of Law.

During his legal career of successfully handling thousands of serious injury claims in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino counties he has resolved claims for many millions of dollars for his clients.

Wrong Way Driver Kills 2 In Anaheim Car Accident

January 21, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, early Wednesday morning, on the 91 Freeway, in Anaheim, California, a man, traveling westbound on the eastbound lanes, crashed into another vehicle. The Anaheim car accident killed both the driver and passenger of the other vehicle.

The man who allegedly caused this collision by traveling on the wrong side of the freeway, was a 21 year old man from South Gate, California. He was in a Mercedes-Benz when he collided with the Toyota Scion. The occupants of the Scion were a 26 year old man from Diamond Bar, California and a 24 year old woman from Long Beach, California. The man was ejected from the vehicle but the passenger was not ejected.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the Mercedez was in grave condition and was taken to the University of California at Irvine Medical Center where he was placed under arrest.

It is not presently known why the man was traveling the wrong way on the freeway, causing this Anaheim wrongful death accident. Possible explanations could include confusion, intoxication, a suicide attempt or an attempt to wreak havoc and cause harm to others.

Driver Who Hit 2 Pedestrians Allegedly Arrested on Marijuana Charges

January 20, 2011 | by Robert Walch

After a downtown Los Angeles pedestrian accident, the driver of the vehicle has allegedly been arrested on charges related to marijuana possession. Allegedly, the passenger in the vehicle purchased the marijuana from a marijuana dispensary in Pasadena, using a prescription, and had it in his backpack at the time of the collision.

When officers investigated the Los Angeles auto versus pedestrian accident, they found 13 grams of marijuana in the backpack, after smelling marijuana in the vehicle. The driver was apparently also arrested, possibly on the suspicion that marijuana use contributed to causing the auto v. pedestrian accident.

The two pedestrians, who were hit by the car in Los Angeles, claimed to be injured but did not want immediate medical attention and were not transported to the hospital by ambulance.

It is important to note that while it may be legal to obtain marijuana by medical prescription for personal use, it is illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana. If the driver involved in this Los Angeles auto accident was found to be under the influence of marijuana at the time, he could face some serious criminal charges. Fortunately, the pedestrians who were struck were not seriously injured.

Newport Beach Crash Kills 3 – New Details

January 18, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Some new information has come in as to potential causes for the Newport Beach car accident that killed 3 people, and injured many more, this past weekend. It has emerged that the driver of the vehicle that allegedly caused the collision, Julie Allen, a 27 year old former high school track star, had possibly taken medication in the past for a possible mental health problem. Much detail is not currently available, but there are reports of a “serious episode” when Allen was in high school.

Friends and family have described Allen as a very cautious, religious person, who would not speed. At the time of the , since her car was allegedly traveling at such high speeds that it was airborne, possibly for more than 50 feet, before it crashed into other cars and a motorcycle.

The driver of the motorcycle was reportedly critically injured in the car accident. Two other motorists, Linda Burnett, who was from Santa Ana, California, and Christopher De La Cruz, from Laguna Niguel, California, were killed in the accident and their families will likely make Newport Beach wrongful death claims.

It has also emerged that another possible cause for the Newport Beach multi-vehicle collision could be a stuck accelerator, after investigators saw a web posting from Allen’s mom, regarding a prior incident in which her daughter’s vehicle had a stuck accelerator and could not control the speed. That incident ended safely and it is unclear if the web post was referring to Julie Allen or another sibling.

Driver Charged After Los Angeles Crash, Killing Passenger

January 16, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Luicci Nader, a Huntington Beach resident, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, a felony, after a Los Angeles car accident death. Nader was allegedly speeding in his 2008 Ferrari F-430 Spider, on Coast Highway, on December 24, 2010, when he lost control of his vehicle, careening to the opposite side of the road, and colliding head on with a tow truck.

Nader’s Ferrari split into two as a result of this car accident in Los Angeles and Nader’s cousin, Ralph Abinader, who was sitting in the passenger seat, died as a result of the car accident. Abinader was 24 years old.

Nader is being charged with the felony because he was allegedly driving with gross negligence.

Besides the felony count, Nader will also face a possible Los Angeles wrongful death claim against him, for the death of his passenger. A driver of a vehicle that causes an accident is not only responsible for occupants of the other vehicle, but is responsible for his/her passenger’s safety as well. The claim should be made with the driver’s insurance company, barring any exceptions in the insurance policy, which sometimes exist for people such as live-in family members.