Wrongful Death

Pacific Coast Highway Car Accident Kills 1, Injures 6

August 3, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Early this morning, a one car Pacific Coast Highway car accident caused the death of a 30 year old passenger in the car. Also injured in the one car accident on Pacific Coast Highway were six other people, including a 1 year old baby.

Three of the injury victims of the car accident on PCH suffered critical injuries according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The car accident critical injuries were to a women aged 27 and 18, as well as to the baby boy. A picture of the wreck on PCH, from the L.A. Times, shows a badly mangled vehicle with massive front end damage.

Pamona Car Accident Kills 2

August 2, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Two people died early Monday morning in a Pomona car accident, when a 2008 Infiniti hit a Nissan Maxima, as the Nissan was turning left. The two people who died in the car accident in Pomona were passengers in the Nissan. According to the Pomona Police Department, Lorraine Martinez, who was driving the Nissan, did not have a license and was arrested for a possible auto theft.

Martinez, who is 26 years old, sustained only minor injuries according to the police. According to the Los Angeles Times, Police also said that after the Nissan was impacted by the Infiniti, it was ripped apart and hit a light pole, then became engulfed in fire. There were no immediate reports on the well being of the driver and any passengers in the Infiniti and it is unknown if the passengers died from the Pomona burn injuries or from the impact.

1 Dead in Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident

August 1, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles pedestrian accident in Koreatown on Sunday caused the death of a man who was walking on the sidewalk. According to the Los Angeles Times, an unidentified 73 year old woman first swerved her vehicle into oncoming traffic, then went off the road and up a sidewalk where she struck the pedestrian, causing his death.

The pedestrian, a Los Angeles resident named Yueany Qisquina, was 27 years old. He was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. The woman who allegedly caused this pedestrian accident in Los Angeles was not arrested and police did not find any evidence of alcohol or drugs playing a part in causing this Koreatown pedestrian wrongful death.

Driver Convicted in Truck Accident Deaths on Angeles Crest Highway

July 29, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Marcos Costa, the Brazilian truck driver who was blamed for a tragic truck accident on Angeles Crest Highway, has been convicted of vehicular manslaughter, for the death of two Palmdale residents who were in a bookstore when they were hit by the big rig truck.

In addition to the two people who died in the La Cañada Flintridge truck accident, other vehicles were also hit by the truck. The jury found Costa not guilty on the 2nd degree murder charges he faced, which would have carried much steeper prison sentences.

According to the Los Angeles Times and Glendale News Press, criminal charges were filed in the truck accident case because the driver allegedly ignored warnings about the brakes on the truck and also went down a steep path that was not appropriate for big rig trucks. Costa was also convicted of reckless driving causing injury.

Man Killed in West Los Angeles Accident

July 23, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A man was killed on Thursday night in a West Los Angeles accident in which a gun in his vehicle apparently went off, hitting him in the head. The man, Anthony Camacho, was 20 years old. His vehicle then rear ended another vehicle, causing a West Los Angeles car accident. The car accident in West Los Angeles happened on Sepulveda Blvd.

According to the Los Angeles Times, investigators are still investigating the cause of the death, as Camacho was alone in the vehicle at the time. One possible cause of death could be that the gun was not properly secured or malfunctioned, possibly if the car hit a dip or bump in the road. Another unconfirmed possibility is that Camacho committed suicide by shooting himself in the head while driving. If there was a problem with the gun that caused it to go off unexpectedly, there may be a products liability wrongful death claim for the family of Camacho.

2 Killed in Buena Park Motorcycle Accident

July 21, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A motorcycle accident in Buena Park has resulted in the deaths of the driver and passenger on the motorcycle. According to the Los Angeles Times, this was a one vehicle incident in which the motorcycle apparently hit a median, before skidding out of control and striking a pole.

The driver of the motorcycle, Johnny Carrillo, was an Army Ranger who had recently returned from Afghanistan. The passenger, a 31 year old female from Norwalk, has not yet been identified. The Buena Park motorcycle accident happened at about 2:00 a.m. this morning.

Road Rage Causes Downtown Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Wrongful Death

July 20, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles bicycle accident, where a bicycle was hit by a car, causing the wrongful death of the cyclist, has been blamed on a road rage incident between two cars, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim of the bicycle accident in Los Angeles was a 62 year old man who was hit by a Chevrolet Avalanche in downtown Los Angeles.

According to reports in the Los Angeles Times, the driver of the Avalanche and a driver of a Kia were involved in a road range incident. When the driver of the Avalanche apparently tried to pass the Kia, his vehicle hit the bicyclist, causing this downtown Los Angeles bike accident.

The driver of the Avalanche, a 37 year old man, was arrested, but has apparently been released, pending the possibility of future criminal charges for the Los Angeles bike crash wrongful death. There is no word yet on whether the driver of the Kia will face any criminal charges.

Update: Wrongful Death of Child from 3 Story Fall in Marina Del Rey

July 19, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Tragically, the four year old boy, Nico Lurie, who suffered catastrophic injuries from a 3 story fall on Sunday, has died as a result of his injuries, in a Marina Del Rey wrongful death incident.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the young boy apparently fell through a window screen, on the third story of the residential building, known as the Mira Bella Apartments, in Marina Del Rey, California. According to reports from ABC News, the boy was playing with friends on a bunk bed near the window when he fell through the window, landing on the concrete walkway below.

Police have said that criminal charges will not be filed and reminded parents not to place furniture near windows or other hazards.

Man Killed in Freeway Truck Accident in Anaheim

July 17, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A freeway truck accident in Anaheim early Sunday morning has resulted in the death of a male passenger and caused injuries to the driver of the truck. According to the California Highway Patrol, a truck crashed into another car on the 5 freeway in Anaheim, causing the truck to careen into the freeway guardrail and then overturn.

It is unknown which vehicle caused the Anaheim truck accident or if the occupant(s) of the car were injured. What is known is that the driver of the truck sustained injuries and was being treated at UC Irvine Medical Center, and the passenger of the truck was killed in the Anaheim wrongful death truck accident.

The truck accident in Anaheim caused three lanes to be blocked on the southbound 5 freeway, but due to Carmageddon, there was not much of a traffic backlog.

200 Million Dollar Judgment Awarded For Metrolink Train Crash Victims

July 14, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Many people remember the tragic Metrolink train crash in Chatsworth, California on September 12, 2008. The crash resulted in the death of 24 passengers and injuries to 98 survivors. Today, Judge Peter Lichtman decided how to divide up the 200 million dollars in funds available to the victims of the Metrolink train accident.

According to the judgment, in the first group, the adult wrongful deaths, the average recovery is 4.2 million dollars. In the second group, the parents of young people who were killed in the train crash, they were awarded an average of 1.2 million dollars in wrongful death damages. For the 98 injured passengers, their personal injury settlements, based on their injuries, damages and future care were for $12,000 or more.