Catastrophic Injuries

Woman Seriously Injured in Los Angeles Hit and Run Accident

February 24, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles woman was seriously injured in a hit and run accident in South Los Angeles. The woman was crossing the street at 111th Place and Figueroa Street when she was hit by a Toyota Camry. The woman who was driving the Camry left the scene of the accident and was not located.

The injured woman had injuries that were described as life-threatening head trauma and was being treated at Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

It is against the law for a person to leave the scene of an accident without stopping to provide their information. If the driver of the Camry is found, she will face serious legal charges for the Los Angeles hit and run accident.

In addition to the criminal charges, the driver will likely face a personal injury claim made against her on behalf of the woman who was injured in the hit and run accident. In situations like this, the driver of the vehicle often does not have enough insurance coverage to cover the extensive damages that the injured woman has likely incurred, including hospital bills which can be six or seven figures.

The family of the injured woman should immediately contact a Los Angeles personal injury attorney who can investigate the relevant insurance coverages and liability, to see if there is possibly an uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist claim that can be made with the injured party’s insurance company as well.

Update: Bus Driver Killed, 23 Injured in Lake Arrowhead Church Bus Accident

February 22, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Regarding the tragic church bus accident yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported additional information today. Apparently, the bus was from a Korean Church in Pasadena, The Light of Love Mission Church. The bus driver was killed and 23 were injured, ten seriously, when the bus apparently crossed over the dividing line on a curve near Lake Arrowhead, struck a car and went down a steep snow covered embankment yesterday.

The bus was traveling down the sharp curves on California 189 in the Lake Arrowhead region when it collided with an SUV traveling in the other direction. The bus apparently went through a utility pole, plunging about 25 feet into a grove of trees, which eventually stopped the bus.

The driver of the bus was identified as Won Seok Chae, from Los Angeles. He was found dead at the scene. The bus driver was said to be a professional tour bus driver who volunteered his time to drive the church’s bus.

The coroner’s office stated that Chae lost control of the church bus as it rounded a curve, crossing over into the opposite lane, colliding with the other vehicle. A man and a woman in the vehicle struck by the bus were also injured in the Lake Arrowhead bus accident.

Gardena Apartment Fire Injures 5

February 17, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, five people were taken to the hospital with burn injuries after a Gardena apartment fire Wednesday morning. The fire occurred at about 1:00 a.m. near Wilkie Avenue and Redondo Beach Boulevard, in Gardena, California.

The most serious burn injury appears to be to a man in his 40s, who was listed in critical condition. The condition of the other Gardena fire injury victims is not currently known.

Apartment fires can be particularly dangerous for various reasons, including because they can spread from unit to unit very quickly, parking problems may block fire hydrants, lack of exits, burning stairwells blocking exits and inadequate alarms.

For these reasons, it is advised to prevent apartment fires by checking smoke alarms, knowing the locations of extinguishers and all exits, not overloading extension cords or sockets, and fully extinguishing cigarettes.

Unfortunately, many apartments, especially older buildings, are not fully updated with fire prevention safety in mind. For this reason, it is important, when seeking out an apartment, to make sure it is in a safe building.

San Diego Taxi Accident Injures 35

February 14, 2011 | by Robert Walch

35 people in San Diego, California were injured this weekend in a serious auto v. pedestrian accident when a taxi cab went out of control and into a crowd of people outside the popular Stingaree nightclub in the Gaslamp District of the city.

The San Diego accident happened at approximately 2:00 a.m., which is right around the time when the club closes and there is a mass exodus of people leaving the club, as witnessed by one of our attorneys on a prior visit to the nightclub.

According to San Diego police, the taxi cab driver was pulled out of the car after the accident and attacked by an angry crowd, resulting in only a broken nose. It is unclear at this time whether the taxi driver had blacked out or fallen asleep prior to the car accident.

Initial reports said that of the 35 people who suffered injuries in the San Diego taxi accident, six were in critical condition. It has since emerged that 23 people were taken to the hospital and none of the injuries were considered life threatening. The injuries reportedly included a woman with a severed limb, as well as others with broken limbs, bruises and scrapes.

There are many legal ramifications for an auto versus pedestrian accident such as this. One important legal factor will be the driving and medical histories of this taxi driver. If the driver has been involved in other accidents or has a history of blackouts or other such occurrences, the taxi company may be subject to a punitive damages claim for placing the public in danger by employing this person. The taxi company should also be held responsible for the injuries caused by its employee while on the job. Because there may be 35 or more people making a claim against the taxi company, the financial ramifications may end up being quite severe.

Los Angeles Big Rig Truck Crash on 101 Freeway

February 1, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A major Los Angeles truck accident occurred this morning on the 101 freeway, closing most of the freeway and causing a SigAlert until 10 a.m. It has now emerged that the Los Angeles truck crash injuries may have been caused by a drunk driver driving the big rig.

The big rig truck, which was hauling two trailers that were filled with sand, hit a divider north of the 170 freeway split. According to eyewitnesses, the truck then hit numerous vehicles on the westbound side of the freeway, before bouncing back onto the eastbound lanes where it landed on top of a sport utility vehicle.

Due to their injuries from this Los Angeles big rig crash, the drivers of both the big rig and the sport utility vehicle were transported to the hospital. The Times reports that the injuries suffered by the driver of the SUV are major, but not fatal. Judging by the Los Angeles Times picture from the scene, it can be assumed the injuries are very serious and we wish the driver a full recovery.

Investigation will show if the driver of the truck was intoxicated at the time of the Los Angeles truck collision. If he was in fact drunk, or under the influence of other substances, it can be expected that criminal charges will be filed against the driver.

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.

1 Killed, 2 in Serious Condition After Los Angeles Work Accident

January 22, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles work accident at a pharmaceutical company in Atwater Village, has resulted in the death of an employee and serious injuries to two other workers.

Apparently, on Friday morning, a worker saw two of his colleagues unconscious from inhaling very strong ethanol fumes that they were using to clean blood plasma from a container. The worker called 911 for emergency assistance and then went to help his co-workers. Unfortunately, he was also overcome by the fumes and died from this Los Angeles work injury. Paramedics and firefighters arrived at the scene close to 4:00 a.m., where they found two unconscious workers in the container and the third worker, who was also unconscious, outside the container.

Due to the extreme threat from the fumes, the rescue workers had to put on protective suits with breathing equipment so they could enter the area to try to rescue the workers. Jaime Moore, Los Angeles Fire Chief, said that if it had not been for the actions taken by the rescue workers, all three workers would have been killed in this work related accident.

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.

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.