California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

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.

Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Fatal Thousand Oaks Crash

January 15, 2018 | by Robert Walch

After a man was killed in a Thousand Oaks car accident, the driver of the car that struck the house has been sentenced to four years in prison. According to the Thousand Oaks Acorn, Igor Lirtsman was killed when a car driven by Justin Stalberg, a 20 year old man from Thousand Oaks, who had marijuana and alcohol in his system, struck the house where Lirtsman was sleeping.

The Thousand Oaks wrongful death accident occurred after Stalberg, who was home on winter vacation from the University of Arizona, was out partying with friends from Thousand Oaks High School. The friends reportedly tried to convince Stalberg not to drive, but he drove despite their pleas.

California Ranks 18th in “Worst Driver” Statistics

January 12, 2018 | by Robert Walch

According to the Agoura Patch, California’s drivers ranked 18th in the United States in the category of worst drivers. Only 17 states had worse drivers than California, according to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Further, the United States ranked 19th among similar economic countries in the category of destructive driving.

The items that were taken into account for these rankings included drunk driving, careless driving, auto accident fatalities, seatbelt use, driving without a license, speeding and failure to obey traffic laws. According to the statistics, the worst characteristics of California drivers was their drunk driving and speeding. Continue Reading

Man Found Dead After Van Nuys Accident

January 10, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A man was found dead after he was struck by a car in Van Nuys, California, on Monday night. The incident occurred before 11pm, when a female driver struck the man and reported the incident to the police. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, prior to colliding with the man, the woman said she thought it was only a pile of clothes on the street.

At this point, it is unclear if the man was already deceased on the streets of Van Nuys, on 6800 Haskell Avenue, when he was hit by the car, or if the impact from the car killed the man. This Van Nuys car accident will have to be investigated fully to determine the cause and time of death. If the time of death proves to be earlier than the impact, then it would appear that the body was probably moved to the scene by someone else, or the man may have been struck and killed by another car that fled the scene after the impact.

Los Angeles Big Rig Truck Accident Causes Injury

January 9, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A truck driver was injured earlier today when his big rig truck fell from the 118 freeway overpass onto the 5 freeway. From photos of the incident, provided by the Los Angeles Daily News, the big rig truck appears to be blocking all lanes of the northbound 5 freeway. Fortunately, the driver of the truck was not trapped in the vehicle.

The driver of the big rig truck in the Los Angeles truck accident was taken to the hospital to receive medical care for his truck accident injuries. Amazingly, given the nature of this incident, it is surprising that there are no other injuries reported from the truck crash in Los Angeles.

So far, the cause of the Los Angeles truck accident has not yet been disclosed and may not be known. It is very possible that the rainy conditions throughout Southern California, which began yesterday, contributed to causing the wreck. Continue Reading

When Bullets Fall From the Sky: Negligent Los Angeles Injury

January 1, 2018 | by Robert Walch

There were more than fireworks falling from the sky in one South Los Angeles neighborhood on New Year’s Eve. ABC 7 News reported that amid the celebrations that night, a gunman fired a shot into the air, and the falling bullet struck nine-year-old Christopher Montoya. While Montoya is expected to make a full recovery, the individual who shot the gun is liable for causing his injuries, even if that person was not aiming at Montoya, or never even intended to hit him, or anyone else. Although this may seem like a “freak accident,” the individual shooter can still be liable for the injuries and damages he caused under the legal doctrine of negligence. Montoya can file a personal injury suit against the shooter, based on the shooter’s negligence.

Negligence:

Simply put, the doctrine of negligence means that we as humans, have a duty not to take actions that could hurt other humans. If we do take actions that cause harm, we are liable for that harm we caused, even if it was unintentional.

$3M Personal Injury Award for Los Angeles High-schooler Molested by her Teacher

December 15, 2017 | by Robert Walch

On December 14, 2017, a teenage girl, who was molested by her Los Altos High School teacher over three years ago, finally got some closure. U.S. News reported that a California jury awarded her “nearly $3 million in damages” in her personal injury lawsuit. The teen filed a personal injury suit because, as a result of the molestation, she now suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress. U.S. News stated that the suit named as defendants both her teacher, David Park, who had served time in prison for the criminal charges, as well as the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, located just east of Los Angeles. The school district commented that “the verdict mostly blames Park but serves as a reminder that it must be vigilant in protecting students.” While certainly nothing can take away what this young girl experienced, she now can move forward with both closure and some form of compensation.

In this case, the young girl brought this personal injury claim not only against her abuser, Mr. Park, but also the school district. Legally, both can be held liable for the harm that befell the young girl. While Mr. Park’s fault is obvious, the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District can also be named as a defendant in the case because they not only have responsibility over the teacher who is an employee of the district, but the District also has a responsibility to protect their students from harm. There is also an economic benefit for naming the school district—they have more money to provide compensation for the student’s injuries.