Wrongful Death

Four Family Members Killed in Fiery Highland Crash

May 18, 2017 | by Robert Walch

On May 9, 2017, a Highland crash tragically killed four members of the same family, including a girl and two boys. An adult in a second car was critically injured. Around 2:24 pm, at the intersection of Palm Avenue and Cypress Street, two cars collided. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, a gold Ford Taurus collided with a silver Acura TL. The crash caused the Taurus to roll over onto its roof and catch fire. It eventually became completely swallowed up by the flames.

ABC7 reported that, according to a witness, the Acura driver was trying to turn left when it was hit by the Taurus. The Sheriff’s investigators said that three Ford passengers died at the scene of the accident, while a fourth person escaped the burning vehicle but later died at the hospital. The Acura driver was hospitalized in critical condition.

A relative said that the deceased included an 83-year-old grandfather, a teenager, and two children, ages 7 and 8. She said that the children had just been picked up from school and were on their way home. The San Bernardino wrongful death accident is currently being investigated by the Major Accident Investigation Team at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Riverside Accident Leaves One Dead and One in Critical Condition

May 15, 2017 | by Robert Walch

According to My Valley News, an early morning Riverside crash on Mother’s Day left one person dead and another critically injured. A California Highway Patrol (CHP) incident log showed that the driver of a silver sedan lost control of the car and rolled over multiple times. The car eventually landed at the bottom of a ramp. The incident happened on eastbound 91 Freeway near the on ramp for Fourteenth Street in Riverside, California.

Witnesses called 911 and told dispatchers that the sedan was smoking, someone had been thrown out of the car as it rolled, and a second person was still trapped inside the car. When officers arrived, they discovered a destroyed car, the ejected victim, and the second person trapped inside the wreckage. Medical personnel attempted to revive the ejected victim, but the injuries were too severe and unfortunately the person passed away at the scene.

Firefighters used the “Jacks of Life” to remove the person trapped in the sedan. That person was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The CHP is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. Officers have not yet determined whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.

Woman and Her Baby Die After Oceanside Rollover Accident

May 6, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Around noon on Sunday, April 23, 2017, a single vehicle rolled over on Oceanside Boulevard in California. Witnesses called the Oceanside Police Department, who sent officers out to respond to the accident. When police officers arrived, they discovered the truck in the westbound lanes of Oceanside Blvd.

According to witness statements and the evidence present at the scene, the Toyota Tacoma truck was traveling eastbound on Oceanside Blvd. For a reason not yet determined, the driver lost control of the truck, over-corrected for the mistake, and hit the median in the center of the road. After striking the median, the truck rolled and landed in the middle of the westbound lanes of Oceanside Blvd.

According to news reports, the driver of the truck was identified as Adam Robey, 35-years-old. He escaped with minor injuries and was released after a brief hospital visit. The female passenger in the Tacoma, who was five months’ pregnant, was found partially ejected out of the passenger window. She was unconscious with a head injury. The passenger—35-year-old Carey Disanto of Oceanside—was flown to Scripps La Jolly. Her baby was delivered and immediately flown to Rady Children’s Hospital. Tragically, a few days later, Disanto succumbed to her injuries and passed away, and her baby girl passed away shortly after.

No charges have been filed against the driver, although Oceanside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team is continuing its investigation into this wrongful death accident. If the driver of the Tacoma was negligent and his negligence caused the fatal accident, it is possible that the family of Disanto could file a wrongful death lawsuit. Disanto’s family would need to speak with a California wrongful death attorney to discuss the specific facts of the case and determine whether it would be possible to seek compensation for their daughter’s and granddaughter’s deaths.

Pedestrian Killed by Suspected DUI Driver

May 1, 2017 | by Robert Walch

A woman driving a blue 2000 BMW X5 was traveling north on Beach Boulevard on April 27, 2017, around 4:00 in the morning, when she hit a 55-year-old man in a tragic Huntington Beach pedestrian accident. The man had been walking on the east sidewalk of Beach Boulevard, north of Edinger Avenue before striking the pedestrian, the woman’s SUV first hit a light pole, an electrical box, and a traffic signal light.

According to CBS News, an ambulance transported the man to UCI Medical Center, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital. According to Huntington police, the 34-year-old female driver, who remained at the scene after the accident, was arrested under suspicion of DUI.

Currently, Huntington Beach police are continuing their investigation of the wrongful death accident. If law enforcement finds that the driver had been under the influence, or was at fault for another reason, the victim’s family would be able to file a wrongful death suit against the driver of the SUV. The family of the victim should contact a California wrongful death attorney to discuss the details of the case and determine whether it would be possible to seek compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one.

Glendale Motorcyclist Killed in Crash

April 29, 2017 | by Robert Walch

A man in his thirties riding a motorcycle in Glendale was killed around 8 pm on Saturday, April 15, 2017, when his motorcycle collided with a car. The accident occurred at the intersection of Sonora Avenue and Flower Street in Glendale. The driver of the car did not sustain any injuries and remained at the scene of the Glendale motorcycle accident.

The accident caused a major fire. Although the firefighters and paramedics attempted to resuscitate the motorcyclist, they unfortunately were not successful. Local law enforcement is still investigating the cause of the fatal accident.

If law enforcement concludes that the crash occurred as a result of the car driver’s negligence, the motorcyclist’s family would be able to file a wrongful death claim and lawsuit against the driver. The family of the victim should immediately contact a California wrongful death attorney to discuss the details of the case and determine whether it would be possible to seek compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one.

Woman Killed in Cypress Car Accident

April 25, 2017 | by Robert Walch

According to the Whittier Daily News, a La Mirada woman lost her life on Easter Sunday in a three-car crash in Cypress, California. The Cypress car accident took place at Katella Avenue and Valley View Street. According to the coroner, the woman, Alexis Barragan, aged 22, died around 12:40 am and was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been a passenger in a car that was driven by Nicholas Sanchez-McCormick, from Whittier, California.

Through their investigation, the Cypress police officials determined that Sanchez-McCormick had been driving westbound on Katella and ran a red light. His car then crashed into two other vehicles. Cypress law enforcement concluded that Sanchez-McCormick had been driving under the influence of alcohol, and arrested him for vehicular manslaughter and felony drunk driving. At the time of the accident, Sanchez-McCormick already had a DUI case pending against him.

The investigation is still underway, but it appears that the Cypress accident and death were caused by a driver who was operating a vehicle under the influence. Ms. Barragan’s family will have the right to make a wrongful death claim against the driver. The victim’s family should hire a California personal injury attorney experienced in wrongful death claims to handle their claim.

CHP Searching for California Hit and Run Wrongful Death Driver

April 17, 2017 | by Robert Walch

“Leaving Oceanside. See you soon.” This was the last text sent by Christopher Allen Isaacs to his girlfriend, Jennifer Gonzalez, before his untimely wrongful death. Around 5 pm on Friday, April 7, near the Santa Fe Drive exit in Encinitas, Isaacs, just 24 years old, was killed by the unknown driver of a silver Toyota.

According to NBC San Diego, Isaacs had been riding his 1995 Harley-Davidson motorcycle in between two lanes when the Toyota driver switched lanes directly in front of him. After Isaacs’ motorcycle collided with the Toyota, his body was tossed underneath an 18-wheeler. He died from his injuries at the scene.

The tractor-trailer driver, a man from Montebello, was not charged in the motorcycle accident wrongful death. The California Highway Patrol officers are still looking for the driver of the silver Toyota, who fled immediately after the accident.

If the Toyota driver is found and the driver’s negligence caused the death of Isaacs, Isaacs’ family will have the right to seek compensation through a California wrongful death claim. The victim’s family would need to hire a California wrongful death lawyer to determine what types of claims exist and to represent them in pursuing those claims in court. If no responsible party is found, we hope there is a valid uninsured motorist policy to help with the extensive wrongful death damages.

San Diego Wrongful Death Hit and Run

April 12, 2017 | by Robert Walch

A man driving a white SUV ran a red light at Pacific Highway in San Diego when he struck and killed 50-year-old Garold Crosbie. After killing Crosbie, the driver sped off, fleeing the scene. The driver was later identified as 21-year-old David Dominguez, after his passenger alerted police to the incident. This pedestrian accident occurred in the Little Italy area of San Diego.

According to Fox5 San Diego, Dominguez has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI, and fleeing the scene. He is currently being held on $1 million dollars’ bail. If convicted, Dominguez could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Crosbie’s mother, Betty Crosbie, said that her son had been “on a good path” and that his family was proud of him. She added that nothing in court could “make our loss go away.” In this situation, it is likely that Ms. Crosbie has a case for California wrongful death damages against Dominguez for negligently causing the death of her son. While Crosbie’s family would need to speak with a California wrongful death attorney to discuss the specifics, it likely has the right to seek compensation for Crosbie’s death.

Five-Vehicle Crash Kills Man in Bakersfield

April 7, 2017 | by Robert Walch

According to The Tribune, a semi-truck driver hauling grain mush from Firestone Walker Brewing Company was traveling east on Highway 46 around 2 pm on March 31st, when his truck began drifting onto the shoulder. The driver—Charles S. Celaya of Wyoming, tried to bring his truck back onto the road on a right-hand curve. As he did so, his big rig crossed over the divider in the center of the highway and clipped a Dodge Dakota. The clipped Dodge crashed into a Ford F-150 and a Honda Odyssey.

Apparently, the big rig then collided headfirst with a GMC Sierra that had been driving in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, according to police, the GMC driver—68-year-old Jesus Acebedo of Bakersfield—was killed from blunt force trauma in this big rig truck accident.

The police investigation appears to be ongoing; as of now, law enforcement does not believe that drugs or alcohol played a role in this accident. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the family of the GMC’s driver may be able to make a wrongful death claim against the operator of the big rig truck. We highly recommend that the family hire a California personal injury attorney who is familiar with handling wrongful death cases, to investigate the circumstances of the accident and determine whether such a claim exists.

DUI Crash Kills Wasco Woman and Injures Two Others

April 2, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Kern County Sheriff’s deputies in Wasco took a 50-year-old man into custody under suspicion of driving while intoxicated and failing to yield the right of way after he caused a wrongful death car accident that killed one woman and injured two others. Just before 8 pm on March 30, three cars collided near Prospect Avenue and Highway 43 in Wasco, California.

According to police reports, a man driving a Ford Ranger pulled out in front of a female driver, who was driving a Honda Civic. Sadly, the crash killed the woman. 23ABC News reports that the Kern County Coroner’s office has identified the victim as Carolina Vasquez of Shafter. A 20-year-old man driving a Ford Expedition then crashed into the victim’s Honda. He was injured but he survived the crash. The man arrested was identified as 50-year-old Erwin De La Pena. Authorities are continuing to investigate.

Although the police investigation is ongoing, it appears that the accident was caused by a driver whose blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit for drivers in California. If it turns out that the driver was intoxicated and caused the crash, the family of the victim would be able to make a wrongful death claim against the driver. The victim’s family would need to hire an experienced California personal injury attorney to determine what types of claims exist and to represent them in pursuing those claims.