Intersection Collisions

Walch Law Recovers Over 3 million dollars for personal injury clients this year

September 8, 2015 | by Robert Walch

So far in 2015, The Walch Law Corporation has recovered over $3,000,000 for its wrongful death and personal injury clients. This notable figure does not include property damage recoveries, which include repairs for clients’ vehicles and pay offs when the vehicle is rendered a total loss in an accident.

Recently, our attorneys obtained a favorable judgment in a disputed liability intersection accident case that went to binding arbitration. The case involved a he said she said situation, in which both parties claimed the other party ran the red light. There were no independent witnesses to verify either party’s version of the events. Through detailed hard work and persuasive arguing, we were able to convince the arbitrator to award 100% liability against the other party. Once liability was determined, we were able to get our client fairly compensated for the total loss of his vehicle, his medical bills and his pain and suffering.

Robert Walch also recently got a very good settlement on a Los Angeles motorcycle accident case. The insurance company for the vehicle that hit our client would not make a fair offer, so we filed a lawsuit and eventually we were able to settle for a fair amount for our client.

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.

Camarillo Car Accident Kills Passenger

March 8, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A female passenger in a car making a left turn was killed in a Camarillo car accident on Monday. The victim, Antje Curphey, a 69 year old Fillmore resident, died from her injuries from the crash. The Camarillo crash happened at around 6:30pm when Richena Curphey, the victim’s daughter, allegedly made a left turn onto Carmen Drive, when it was struck by a truck crossing through the intersection.

The truck struck the passenger side of the victim’s Honda, leading to a direct impact where Antje Curphey was seated. The crash caused the truck to flip over and land on its roof. Both drivers were taken to hospitals, but their injuries were described as non-life threatening. The Camarillo Police Department is currently investigating what caused this Camarillo truck accident. If the truck driver bears any responsibility for the crash, the victim’s family may seek Camarillo wrongful death damages. The Camarillo Acorn reports that police do not expect that alcohol or drugs played a part in causing the Camarillo accident.

Left turn accidents occur all the time throughout Ventura County and the greater Los Angeles area. Usually, there is a presumption that the vehicle making the left turn is at fault for causing the crash. However, there are instances when the driver going straight is at fault or shares liability. Sometimes, the driver going straight is speeding or runs a red light, causing the collision. However, if a person attempting to make a left turn suspects that an oncoming vehicle is speeding or may run the red light, it is best to wait for the vehicle to pass and for the intersection to be clear before attempting the turn.

Sheriff Arrested After South Los Angeles Car Accident

July 26, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A South Los Angeles car accident has resulted in the drunk driving arrest of an L.A. County Sheriff deputy. Michael Grundy, a 45 year old sheriff deputy, apparently was driving under the influence and collided with another car in an intersection accident in South Los Angeles.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Deputy Grundy, who allegedly was driving with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his blood, then fled the scene of the Los Angeles accident, before being found by two other Los Angeles sheriff deputies, who brought Grundy back to the scene of the car accident in Los Angeles. Grundy was then arrested by the California Highway Patrol.

Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Death in Cahuenga Pass

July 8, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, a Van Nuys man was killed in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident early this morning. Los Angeles Police said that the driver of a 2003 Honda Accord, Maxime Desire, made a left turn in front of the motorcycle, causing the biker to be ejected from the motorcycle.

The motorcycle accident in Los Angeles is being investigated by the Valley Traffic Division of the Los Angeles police department. The motorcycle accident death occurred at Cahuenga and Barham, in the Cahuenga Pass. The California wrongful death victim of the Los Angeles motorcycle crash is a 41 year old man from Van Nuys, but his name has been withheld pending notification of his family.

Unfortunately, many Los Angeles motorcycle collisions occur when a car does not see a motorcycle and attempts to make a left hand turn in front of the bike. These motorcycle crashes are particularly dangerous because often the rider is unable to stop in time and is flipped over the car. Many witnesses to motorcycle collisions accuse the rider of excessive speed, which is normally due to the loud noise from a motorcycle engine, rather than the actual speed it is traveling. This often leads to traffic collisions reports, also known as police reports, which blame the motorcyclist, either in whole or in part, based on the witness’ mistaken recollection.

Murder Conviction From Costa Mesa Car Accident Wrongful Death

June 30, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Gustavo Adrian Vega, a 23 year old man from Costa Mesa, California, was convicted of murder today for a Costa Mesa car accident he allegedly caused when he was driving under the influence.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Vega had a prior DUI conviction and in this car accident in Orange County, he ran a red light and then fled the scene on foot. Mr. Vega was later caught by Costa Mesa police and he had a blood alcohol level of .17%, which is over twice the legal limit in California.

Mr. Vega will face a maximum prison sentence from 19 years and eight months up to life in prison for the murder as well as felony hit and run conviction.

Suspect Flees Los Angeles Hit and Run Accident Via Metro Bus

March 7, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A man fled the scene of a downtown Los Angeles car accident yesterday by boarding a Metro bus, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspect in the hit and run collision has not yet been identified or located.

The car accident in downtown Los Angeles occurred at the intersection of 7th Street and Alvarado Street, when one of the vehicles apparently ran a red light. While the LAPD was saying it is unknown which vehicle ran the red light, the odds are that the driver who fled the scene was the culprit.

In our experience, hit and run drivers have fled the scene of the accident for many reasons, including because they have been intoxicated, the vehicle is stolen, their status in the country is not legal, they are in a hurry to get somewhere, etc. Usually it is the person who is not responsible for the accident that flees and does not exchange information at the scene.

The other vehicle in this Los Angeles hit and run accident had three occupants who were taken to a hospital with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.

Because the vehicle was left at the scene of the downtown Los Angeles auto collision, police investigators will be able to determine who the owner of the vehicle is. Once they locate the owner, they can determine through eyewitness testimony if the owner was in fact the driver who fled the scene by bus.

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.

Metrolink Train Kills 1 in Sylmar

January 19, 2011 | by Robert Walch

On Tuesday, January 18, 2011, at around 8:00 p.m., a man was killed after being struck by a Metrolink train in Sylmar, California. It is unknown why the man, who was 19 years old, was hit by the train. The Los Angeles train accident happened near where Pierce Street intersects with San Fernando Road, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

According to the Los Angeles Times, who analyzed data from 1993 to September of 2008, three Metrolink accidents, apparently none involving injures or deaths, occurred at that intersection. Interestingly, one block north of where this train v. pedestrian accident happened, where the trains cross Van Nuys Boulevard, there have been eight accidents which have resulted in five deaths and one injury, during the same time period.

Unless the cause of the train accident in Los Angeles was a suicide attempt by the pedestrian killed in the accident, the family of the victim should hire a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer to investigate the cause of the accident and whether there was any fault attributable to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

New Years Car Crash Deaths Caused by Drunk Driver Fleeing Police

January 4, 2011 | by Robert Walch

In a tragic New Years Day Los Angeles car accident, two people were killed when their vehicle was hit by a drunk driver fleeing the police. Demetria Dorsey, and her husband, Kelvin Dorsey, were in their Infiniti, traveling South on Crenshaw, when they were struck by a Geo Prism, driven by Jorge Alberto Molina.

Molina, from Culver City, had allegedly sped through multiple red lights before colliding with the Dorsey’s Infiniti, causing the Infiniti to roll and hit a pole, killing both of its occupants. The Dorseys were driving home from a New Years party. Mr. Molina then fled on foot before collapsing and being arrested. Mr. Molina has been booked on two counts of murder and is being held on $1 million bail. The Los Angeles Police Department has said that Mr. Molina was driving while under the influence and that it was unclear if he knew that the police were chasing with him at the time of the Los Angeles auto collision.

Unfortunately, we see time and again innocent commuters or pedestrians in Los Angeles who are killed by drivers as a result of high speed pursuits. Here, Mr. Molina faces a Los Angeles wrongful death claim against him. We have previously proposed a re-thinking on when police should engage such pursuits, as the ends oftentimes do not justify the means. This allegedly drunk driver may have caused worse damage had he not been pursued, but more likely than not it was the LAPD vehicles which caused him to travel at high speeds and cause this collision. If the police had simply taken down his plates and watched with a helicopter overhead, without pursuing at high speeds on the ground, this tragedy might have been avoided.