California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

NFL Player Edwin Jackson Killed in Car Accident

February 5, 2018 | by Robert Walch

Edwin Jackson, a professional football player with the Indianapolis Colts, was killed in a car accident on Sunday with a suspected drunk driver. The wrongful death car accident occurred on the I-70 freeway. According to ESPN, Jackson was using a ride sharing service, possibly Uber or Lyft, when the accident occurred.

Jackson and the driver of the Uber or Lyft vehicle were apparently outside of the car, on the side of the road, when a man who was allegedly operating his Ford F150 pick up truck while intoxicated, drove onto the shoulder of the highway and struck them. Both the Uber/Lyft driver and Jackson were killed.

In a freak occurrence, an Indiana State Trooper who was responding to the incident, ended up striking one of them with his vehicle. The body was in the center lane of the freeway when it was struck by the police officer. Continue Reading

Man Killed In Van Nuys Pedestrian Accident

January 31, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A man was hit by a car in Van Nuys on Sunday and unfortunately he passed away as a result of the impact. The Van Nuys pedestrian accident occurred at about two o-clock in the morning on Sunday, when a man, Obdulio Castaneda, was crossing the street and was hit by a car.

According to the Daily News, the Van Nuys car accident happened on Vanowen Street, near Kester Avenue. It has been reported that the man was crossing outside of the crosswalk when he was struck by the car. Continue Reading

San Jose Man Convicted for DUI Causing Wrongful Death in San Bruno

January 28, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A California wrongful death accident on the 101 freeway in San Bruno, California, has resulted in the conviction of a man from San Jose, who was intoxicated at the time of the crash. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Louis Sale consumed 16 shots of liquor before rear ending another vehicle on the 101 freeway, southbound, in San Bruno. The impact was so severe that the occupant of the other vehicle, Vivaldo Braga Veloso, Jr., from Burlingame, California, was killed in the accident.

Because Sale was intoxicated at the time of the 101 freeway accident, he was convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter, meaning he can go to prison for up to 10 years. The jury has not yet decided on the charge of second degree murder. If convicted of the second degree murder, Sale will face a much more serious penalty of 15 years to life in prison. Continue Reading

Driverless Cars, Car Accidents and Safety?

January 26, 2018 | by Robert Walch

Did you know that each year about 35,000 people die in car accidents in the United States? And worldwide, over 1,250,000 people perish in motor vehicle collisions each year! Did you also know that more people in the United States have died from car accidents than in wars?

Is there a solution?

Many believe that self driving or autonomous vehicles will cut down on car and other motor vehicle accidents and eventually eliminate most if not all such accidents with their resulting deaths, injuries and property damage.

CNN Tech reported that autonomous cars and other vehicles equipped with sensors and cameras with 360-degree vision have the capability to predict, perceive and react to whatever happens on the road and to do so even faster than any human driver. Such vehicles can sense a pedestrian crossing the street and stop; and adjust speed when nearby cars and other vehicles are slowing. Further, they are NOT distracted when a driver texts, as so often occurs now! Continue Reading

Father Sues Los Angeles County After Deputy Caused Accident That Killed His Two Sons

January 25, 2018 | by Robert Walch

In a matter of seconds, Luis Hernandez lost both his young sons in a Los Angeles wrongful death accident. An SUV driven by a rookie Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy crashed into two vehicles while responding to a call. The crash caused the SUV to veer on to the sidewalk where the Hernandez family was walking. According to The Los Angeles Patch, “Jose Luis Hernandez, 7, and his 9-year-old brother, Marco Antonio Hernandez, were killed and their mother was critically hurt.”

Mr. Hernandez has now filed a civil lawsuit against Los Angeles County alleging negligence and wrongful death. The suit argues that the deputy was driving at high speeds but “was not in the process of responding to an emergency call, was not in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law and did not have (her) sirens and/or lights activated.” Additionally, Mr. Hernandez argues the deputy should not have been allowed to drive before completing her training.

Deadly DUI Accident—Driver Killed and 3 Injured in Santa Clarita Crash

January 24, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A driver of a white Honda, who was likely driving under the influence of alcohol, caused a head on crash in Santa Clarita. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the driver attempted to make a left hand turn right into the path of an oncoming Toyota Sienna. The driver of the Honda died at the scene and those in the Toyota—the driver, his 3-year-old daughter, and another passenger— were hospitalized for what were described as moderate-to-major car accident injuries. Officers investigating the collision believe that excessive speed and alcohol were likely the contributing factors for the cause of the Santa Clarita car accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “every day, almost 29 people in the United States die in alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes—that’s one person every 50 minutes in 2016. Drunk-driving fatalities have fallen by a third in the last three decades; however, drunk-driving crashes claim more than 10,000 lives per year.” These statistics are indeed troubling and tragic.

Tesla Autopilot Accident on 405 Freeway in Culver City

January 23, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A Tesla Model S sedan collided with a fire truck Monday morning on the 405 Freeway, surprisingly not causing any serious injuries. According to the Mercury News, the Culver City car accident occurred when the Tesla driver, who claims he was using the vehicle’s autopilot feature, rear ended a stopped fire truck that was parked at the scene of another Culver City accident.

The freeway accident occurred at about 8:30 in the morning. The fire truck was parked in the emergency lane and carpool lane, with a California Highway Patrol vehicle behind it. Even though firefighters claimed the Tesla driver was going approximately 65 miles per hour, which is very rare for the 405 freeway at 8:30am on a weekday, the driver of the Tesla said he did not require medical assistance. Continue Reading

Oxnard Hit and Run Causes Serious Injury

January 22, 2018 | by Robert Walch

Jason Gonzales was hit by a car in Oxnard on Saturday and suffered very serious injuries in the Oxnard accident. According to the Ventura County Star, Mr. Gonzales was listed in critical condition from his Oxnard pedestrian accident injuries. The driver of the car that hit Gonzales has not yet been located and the City of Oxnard is offering a $10,000 reward if information is provided that leads to the driver being arrested and convicted of the crime.

The Oxnard car accident occurred on Ventura Road, North of Devonshire Drive. The driver who hit Gonzales then fled southbound on Ventura Road. The car was described as a black vehicle, similar to a Chevrolet Camaro. The car is expected to have damage to its front quarter panel from striking Mr. Gonzales. We hope that the information provided, along with the reward being offered, leads to a witness or someone knowing the driver and seeing the damage, coming forward to police with the information.

Fan Injured by Player’s Family At Los Angeles Rams Game

January 17, 2018 | by Robert Walch

Henry Romero, a die-hard Los Angeles Rams fan, never expected that watching the Rams playoff game would involve him getting hurt. ABC 7 News reported that the trouble began after the game when Romero took his daughter down to see the players and take pictures. They were asked to leave because, apparently, they were in the Rams family section. When an unknown lady sitting in the section yelled at them, “words were exchanged,” and then suddenly, Romero was attacked right in front of his daughter. Romero recounted, “I felt three big men hitting me. Hit me in the head, back of the neck, and in my face.” Romero’s young daughter was also hit in the process.

Ultimately, Romero suffered a fractured eye socket and stitches in his forehead. The Los Angeles Rams did comment stating, “We are aware of an incident following our game and we are working with authorities to determine exactly what happened.” Continue Reading

Five People Hurt in Four Car Accident on Los Angeles Freeway

January 16, 2018 | by Robert Walch

The Los Angeles Daily News reported that a “multiple-vehicle crash shut down the northbound 405 Freeway in Westwood, and five people were injured.” The crash occurred very early in the morning at about 12:40 am, on January 15, 2018. Quick to respond, by 12:50 am, police shut down all northbound lanes and diverted traffic off the freeway.

According to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Amy Bastman, four vehicles were involved in the Los Angeles car accident and five people ended up being taken to hospitals. Two of the car accident injury victims, a 40-year-old woman and a 39-year-old woman, were in critical condition. Three of the men involved in the crash — ages 18, 20 and 40 — were listed in serious condition. Currently, there are no details as to what caused the multi-car accident in Los Angeles.