Car Accidents

Study Suggests Lowering Blood Alcohol Level to .05—California Bill Supports the Drop

August 14, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Drunk driving is a continual problem on California roads. In order to combat this deadly danger, a new state bill has been proposed which would lower the legal blood-alcohol level for drivers in California to .05%. ABC 7 News reports that California law makers are considering the bill, AB 1713, to reduce the amount of alcohol you can legally have in your system when you drive by .03%, as California’s current limit is .08%.

This idea to lower the legal blood alcohol level to .05% came after the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a report recommending lowering the drunken-driving threshold from .08% to .05%. This recommendation was made in hopes that it will reduce the number of alcohol-impaired deaths that occur each year in America. “Driving under the influence is blamed for some 10,000 deaths a year…Each day, 29 people in the U.S. die in alcohol-related crashes. Forty-percent of those killed are not the drunken driver.”

Many supporters of this bill believe it is necessary because “current blood alcohol content (BAC) is too high and leaves more drivers impaired, which results in more deadly crashes.” Studies show that for a driver with a blood alcohol level of .05%-.079% “the risk of being in a fatal crash is at least seven times higher than for drivers with no alcohol in their system.”

2 Young Men in Critical Condition After Head-on Santa Ana Crash

July 10, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Two young men in their twenties were seriously injured in a Santa Ana car accident. According to ABC 7 News, the young men were riding in a white Acura when it hit a semi-truck head on. The collision occurred in the middle of the day, near West McFadden Avenue and South Harbor Boulevard.

Video of the accident was discovered from a nearby surveillance camera—the video shows the Acura fly head-on into a semi-truck traveling the opposite direction and then land on its roof. After the incident, “than a dozen good Samaritans then rushed over and worked together to flip the car over.” After the crowd worked together to flip the Acura off its roof and back onto its tires, “firefighters had to use heavy machinery to free the men, who are still hospitalized.” The semi-truck driver was uninjured.

The big question under investigation in this case is: what caused the Acura to lose control and fly into the semi-truck? The video only shows the Acura hitting the semi-truck head-on, and so police are investigating what lead up to this crash. As of now, police believe that another truck “struck the Acura as the driver tried to make a left turn into a store.” Officers believe that when this truck clipped the Acura, it caused the car to flip and lose control, sending it into the path of the oncoming semi-truck.

Hundreds of Drunk Drivers Arrested, Dozens Killed, in July 4th Car Accidents

July 6, 2019 | by Robert Walch

The 4th of July is generally a day filled with food, family and friends, and fireworks as people across the nation celebrate America. These celebrations often include alcohol and far too often people make the dangerous choice to drive while intoxicated. As a result, a significant increase in drunk driving arrests and car accidents occur.

This was the case in California over the most recent 4^th of July holiday weekend. According to KTLA News, “nearly 600 suspected drunken drivers have been arrested statewide and a dozen people killed in crashes… [during] the long Fourth of July holiday weekend.” CHP began a maximum enforcement period on July 3^rd that continued through Sunday July 7th.

Police reported that a total of 589 DUI arrests were made between 6 p.m. July 3^rd and 6 a.m. July 5^th. This is up from last year, when 389 drivers were arrested for drunk driving in a 30-hour period which worked out to be an arrest almost every 5 minutes.

Lyft and Uber Passengers: What to do if You are Injured in a Rideshare Accident

June 12, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Using rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber are now a typical part of people’s lives, especially in big cities like Los Angeles. Riders use the apps when they don’t have a car, don’t want to drive, or aren’t interested in trying to find parking at their destination. These rideshare apps have certainly changed the way people get around.

With so many people using Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare services, the chances of being involved in an accident while using one of these services also increase. Accidents while in a rideshare car can leave passengers with serious injuries. If you are injured while a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, such as Uber or Lyft, it is important for you to know that you can get compensation for your injuries.

Lyft/Uber Accidents and Personal Injuries

Three-Vehicle North Hollywood Crash Results in Pedestrian Wrongful Death

May 21, 2019 | by Robert Walch

A three-vehicle car accident in North Hollywood resulted in the death of a female pedestrian standing on the sidewalk. According to KTLA News, the crash occurred just after 3:00 p.m. on March 26, 2019, on Victory Boulevard.

Police reported that a “BMW driven by an identified male in his 20s was traveling northbound on Vineland Avenue at a high rate of speed and ran a red light, colliding with another vehicle in the intersection that was coming in southbound and making a turn onto Victory Boulevard.” This initial collision sent the BMW spinning into a CVS parking lot, where it hit another car and the curb, which sent the BMW into the air. When the car came down on the side walk, it landed on top of the woman waiting there.

Nearby witnesses did everything they could to get the car off the woman before the fire department responded but were unsuccessful. When emergency personnel finally freed the woman, she was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival. Officers are now investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident, including whether the BMW driver was intoxicated at the time of the incident. They also reported that the BMW was speeding when it ran the red light.

Uber & Lyft Ridesharing Cars Causing Increased Traffic in San Francisco

May 13, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Are ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft taking cars and vehicles off the road, thereby helping to reduce traffic congestion and traffic accidents, or are these ride sharing services adding vehicles and congestion and traffic collisions to our streets and highways?

Uber and Lyft, two of the most popular ride sharing services in San Francisco, are reportedly the cause of increased traffic in the San Francisco area. In a report published a few days ago in Science Advances and reported by the Los Angeles Times, Uber and Lyft have become so popular that they are the single biggest factor behind the growing traffic problems in SF.

Researchers supposedly reviewed millions of trips from the year 2010 to 2016 and concluded that of the 62% increase in weekday traffic delays in San Francisco, that Uber and Lyft were responsible for more than half of this traffic delay increase.

14-Year-Old Skateboarder Injured in Ventura Hit-and-Run

April 30, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Over the weekend, a 14-year-old boy was injured in a hit-and-run accident in Ventura. The boy was skateboarding westbound on Darling Road just after 10 p.m. A car traveling eastbound down the road hit the teenager. A witness to the accident called 911.

The teenage boy was treated at the scene of the accident by first responders, then taken to Ventura County Medical Center for further treatment for his injuries sustained in the collision. In the hours following the accident, he was luckily said to be in stable condition as he was not wearing a helmet at the time he was hit.

Police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle that hit the young boy. KTLA News reported that “the vehicle did not stop, and the driver did not try rendering aid to the victim.” As of right now, Police do not have a description of the car or driver. They are asking anyone with information about this accident to contact the police at 805-339-4451.

Increased Traffic and Crashes on Silver Lake Roads Due to Traffic App “Short-cuts”

April 6, 2019 | by Robert Walch

According to ABC 7 News, popular traffic map apps, such as Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps, are causing big problems on small Los Angeles residential streets. One residential road in Silver Lake has become a popular “short cut” for app users. However, with more commuters using this “short cut,” the small street has now experienced increased traffic leading to several crashes.

Recently, the Waze app directed a large tour bus down the small Silver Lake street. The bus ended up hitting several vehicles—one witness reported that after hitting his car, the bus “hit four other cars and removed the bumper off of another one.” Luckily, no one was hurt. While Waze did respond to the incident stating the app was not designed for charter buses or oversized trucks, there is nothing to prevent drivers of these vehicles from using the app. Residents say that these apps have taken over the lives of daily drivers and it is ultimately having a negative impact on the quality of life in the small neighborhoods affected.

Residents on the street in Silver Lake say that the increased traffic has also led to more road rage, with drivers getting out of their cars and yelling obscenities at each other when the “short cut” turns out to still take a long time. Residents are very concerned about the safety of their small streets that are now becoming highly trafficked areas.

Teen Arrested for Murder After Causing Deadly Woodland Hills Car Accident

March 31, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Recently a 17-year-old boy was arrested for murder after causing a deadly accident in Woodland Hills that involved four other cars. The accident occurred just after 10 p.m. at the intersection of Winnetka Avenue and Ventura Boulevard. ABC 7 News reported that the teenager was recklessly driving a Mercedes-Benz for several blocks before causing the multi-car collision. He then sped through a red light at the busy intersection, without pausing, and slammed into a Toyota Tacoma. The force of that collision sent him spinning into a Ford Expedition and Lexus.

Tragically, the driver on the Toyota Tacoma died at the scene. The teenage driver that caused the accident and his passenger were both hospitalized. Two others involved in the crash were in critical condition, and one other passenger suffered minor injuries. After a preliminary investigation, the police stated, “The totality of the circumstances indicates the driver of the Mercedes displayed a willful disregard for human life.” As a result, officers arrested the young driver for murder.

It is certainly heart wrenching to see the consequences of one person’s poor decision to drive recklessly. In this case, 3 other cars were impacted, several injured, and one person died, certainly leaving a family in mourning. In this situation, not only will the young driver that caused this accident face criminal charges, but he will also be civilly liable to all those harmed by his careless and reckless actions. This civil liability would come through personal injury claims by those injured in this accident and a wrongful death claim by the family of the Toyota Tacoma driver who was killed in this Woodland Hills car accident.

Lyft and Uber Accidents

March 10, 2019 | by Robert Walch

You cannot drive around the greater Los Angeles area without seeing Uber and Lyft vehicles everywhere. They are a very helpful service for many people who need transportation. In fact, we often assist our seriously injured clients with obtaining transportation to their medical appointments, via Uber or Lyft.

Uber and Lyft have obviously disrupted the transportation industry. Previously, people would have to call a taxi company, give them their pick up address, and the taxi company would send a taxi to pick up that person in a certain time range. Now, people just go onto the app from their smart phone, which already has their location, and they can get the price of the ride in advance and often a car within minutes.

With this great benefit in convenience, however, comes certain problems. Uber and Lyft vehicles are all over the road. Sometimes Uber and Lyft drivers are waiting by curbs or in parking spots, other times they are just driving around waiting for a ride. Once they get the ride, they have to act quickly to confirm the ride and get to the pick up spot. Once they have the passenger, they frequently want to drop the passenger off at the destination as quickly as possible so that they can pick up the next rider and make more money.