California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

What are the Rights of a Passenger Injured in a Southern California Car Accident?

June 18, 2019 | by Robert Walch

When you are involved in a car accident, it can be life changing, especially if you suffer injuries as a result. It can be particularly difficult if you are a passenger in the vehicle, as you had no control over avoiding the accident. As a result of the accident, you may be facing medical costs and even a lengthy and expensive recovery. In situations like these, it is important to note that as a passenger injured in a Southern California car accident, you have the right to receive compensation for your injuries.

Southern California Passenger Personal Injury Claim

When you are a passenger in a vehicle that is involved in an accident, you are not considered at fault. This means that you will be able to make a personal injury claim for the costs of your injuries regardless of which driver was at fault for the accident.

Lyft and Uber Passengers: What to do if You are Injured in a Rideshare Accident

June 12, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Using rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber are now a typical part of people’s lives, especially in big cities like Los Angeles. Riders use the apps when they don’t have a car, don’t want to drive, or aren’t interested in trying to find parking at their destination. These rideshare apps have certainly changed the way people get around.

With so many people using Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare services, the chances of being involved in an accident while using one of these services also increase. Accidents while in a rideshare car can leave passengers with serious injuries. If you are injured while a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, such as Uber or Lyft, it is important for you to know that you can get compensation for your injuries.

Lyft/Uber Accidents and Personal Injuries

Whittier to Los Angeles Motorcycle Chase Kills L.A. Pedestrian In Crosswalk

June 7, 2019 | by Robert Walch

When should the police enter into a high speed chase to catch a fleeing suspect?

How should the police balance trying to apprehend a fleeing suspect with the risk of injury to bystanders in cars and who are pedestrians?

What should be the guidelines for police dangerous high speed car and motorcycle chases?

Dockless Electric Scooters or E-Scooters and Glendale Accidents

May 30, 2019 | by Robert Walch

What is the effect of dockless eletctic scooters, also called e-scooters, in the City of Glendale?

Are these e-scooters contributing to causing more accidents in Glendale, Los Angeles and elsewhere?

What should cities like Glendale do in regulating the use of dockless or e-scooters?

Three-Vehicle North Hollywood Crash Results in Pedestrian Wrongful Death

May 21, 2019 | by Robert Walch

A three-vehicle car accident in North Hollywood resulted in the death of a female pedestrian standing on the sidewalk. According to KTLA News, the crash occurred just after 3:00 p.m. on March 26, 2019, on Victory Boulevard.

Police reported that a “BMW driven by an identified male in his 20s was traveling northbound on Vineland Avenue at a high rate of speed and ran a red light, colliding with another vehicle in the intersection that was coming in southbound and making a turn onto Victory Boulevard.” This initial collision sent the BMW spinning into a CVS parking lot, where it hit another car and the curb, which sent the BMW into the air. When the car came down on the side walk, it landed on top of the woman waiting there.

Nearby witnesses did everything they could to get the car off the woman before the fire department responded but were unsuccessful. When emergency personnel finally freed the woman, she was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival. Officers are now investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident, including whether the BMW driver was intoxicated at the time of the incident. They also reported that the BMW was speeding when it ran the red light.

Uber & Lyft Ridesharing Cars Causing Increased Traffic in San Francisco

May 13, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Are ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft taking cars and vehicles off the road, thereby helping to reduce traffic congestion and traffic accidents, or are these ride sharing services adding vehicles and congestion and traffic collisions to our streets and highways?

Uber and Lyft, two of the most popular ride sharing services in San Francisco, are reportedly the cause of increased traffic in the San Francisco area. In a report published a few days ago in Science Advances and reported by the Los Angeles Times, Uber and Lyft have become so popular that they are the single biggest factor behind the growing traffic problems in SF.

Researchers supposedly reviewed millions of trips from the year 2010 to 2016 and concluded that of the 62% increase in weekday traffic delays in San Francisco, that Uber and Lyft were responsible for more than half of this traffic delay increase.

2 Killed, 3 Injured in Fatal Sun Valley Crash—Street Racing Likely to Blame

May 6, 2019 | by Robert Walch

A recent car accident in Sun Valley resulted in the deaths of two people and injured three others. According to ABC 7 News, the incident occurred just after 7:00 p.m. at the intersection of Lankershim Boulevard and San Fernando Road. The driver of a Toyota Corolla was making a left-hand turn when a speeding white Dodge Charger smashed into the car.

Emergency personnel immediately responded to the scene to help. Police identified

59-year-old Olivia Enriquez and her husband as the victims killed in the incident. Three people from the white Dodge Charger were taken to the hospital with injuries.

14-Year-Old Skateboarder Injured in Ventura Hit-and-Run

April 30, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Over the weekend, a 14-year-old boy was injured in a hit-and-run accident in Ventura. The boy was skateboarding westbound on Darling Road just after 10 p.m. A car traveling eastbound down the road hit the teenager. A witness to the accident called 911.

The teenage boy was treated at the scene of the accident by first responders, then taken to Ventura County Medical Center for further treatment for his injuries sustained in the collision. In the hours following the accident, he was luckily said to be in stable condition as he was not wearing a helmet at the time he was hit.

Police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle that hit the young boy. KTLA News reported that “the vehicle did not stop, and the driver did not try rendering aid to the victim.” As of right now, Police do not have a description of the car or driver. They are asking anyone with information about this accident to contact the police at 805-339-4451.

Ex UFC Fighter Killed by Rideshare Driver

April 22, 2019 | by Robert Walch

On Sunday, a former UFC fighter was killed when he was struck by a rideshare driver. The incident, which occurred in the city of Belém, in Brazil, allegedly occurred after the passenger, Rodrigo de Lima, exited the rideshare vehicle. According to ESPN, de Lima and the driver of the vehicle, Jefferson Roger Maciel, got into some type of argument. Maciel allegedly struck de Lima from behind while de Lima was walking away, causing the death of de Lima. It is not presently known what rideshare company the driver was working for at the time of the incident.

Information coming out of Brazil so far is pretty scarce, but it appears the rideshare driver struck de Lima from behind. Assaults like this can lead to the victim falling and striking his or her head on concrete or pavement, which can lead to a traumatic brain injury. When we have seen incidences like this lead to a death, it is usually due to a severe traumatic brain injury involving bleeding of the brain.

Head injuries are very serious and a concussion, which is a traumatic brain injury, can lead to very serious complications and even death in certain circumstances. It is very important that if you (or someone you know) suffer a concussion, that you (or the other person), get checked out by a doctor right away. Often a CT scan of the brain is needed to determine if there is any brain bleeding. Sometimes the doctor can determine from the examination that a CT scan will not be necessary. This is determined by the results of the testing the doctor uses to examine the severity of the brain injury.

One Killed in Anaheim Big Rig Crash that Closes 5 Freeway

April 12, 2019 | by Robert Walch

Recently an individual was killed as a result of a big rig truck crash on the 5 Freeway in Anaheim. KTLA News reports that just before 3 a.m. the semi-truck was involved in a crash with a Toyota Camry. The big rig semi-truck overturned on the freeway which resulted in the closure of all southbound lanes of the 5 for several hours.

Officers immediately responded to the scene. At this point, no specific details of the fatality have been released, and authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the accident. If the investigation reveals that the car driver was killed due to the fault of the big rig driver, the family of the victim will be able to bring an Anaheim wrongful death claim on behalf of the victim.

When a big rig semi-truck is involved in an accident that results in a death, the subsequent investigation is very important because it can determine which party or parties will be liable for wrongful death damages. It will be important to sort out the case facts to determine if the truck driver caused the accident by driving negligently—driving while drowsy, driving under the influence, driving while distracted—or if the accident was perhaps caused by a problem with the truck, such as a mechanical problem or a failure by the truck company to properly maintain the truck. In a big rig accident both the driver and the company that owns the truck are potential responsible parties and depending on the facts may be responsible for wrongful death damages if someone is killed as a result. Truck companies often carry large insurance policies to cover these types of incidents.