California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Do You Need a Bicycle Helmet? Yes! You do!

July 30, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Our California personal injury lawyers have seen many serious bicycle accident injuries over the years. In fact, we recently recovered over one million dollars for a client who was injured while riding his bicycle. Many people opt to not wear a bicycle helmet, and that can turn into a deadly decision. In fact, 800 people were killed while riding a bicycle with 515,000 people being injured in bicycle accidents that required a trip to the emergency room or doctor’s office back in 2010. One of the most common injuries that occur in bicycle accidents are head injuries. Neglecting to wear a bicycle helmet can increase your chances of death after a bicycle accident. There are a few other reasons that wearing a bicycle helmet is a must.

Visibility: Bicycle helmets are often brightly colored or have reflective features on them that make them more noticeable to drivers. Often, accidents happen when drivers are unable to see bicyclists that are traveling close to them. If your helmet doesn’t have reflective stripes, and you bike at night, you’ll want to consider adding some reflective tape to it.
Protection From the Weather: A bicycle helmet also protects your head from the weather. In addition, if you’re riding your bike and a storm happens, you’ll have protection from the rain and even hail. If you like to bike when it’s chilly outside, there are some helmets meant to help keep your head warmer.

VETPAW – A Great Cause to Donate Money

July 6, 2017 | by Robert Walch

If you love animals like we do, we highly support contributing money to VETPAW – Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife. This organization not only helps protect African wildlife like elephants and rhinos from hunters and poachers, but it also employs United States military veterans. Essentially, it is contributing to two great causes – protecting animals and employing veterans.

To learn more about the amazing job that VETPAW is doing with our veterans, to help protect animals, please visit their website at www.vetpaw.org. Also, to donate money to their cause, visit the following page: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/vetpaw2015.

Our California personal injury attorneys at the Walch Law Corporation are animal lovers and support and donate money to many different animal welfare causes, including again today to VETPAW. Attorney Robert Walch is a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and, in addition to donating money to the cause, attended their last symposium in May in downtown Los Angeles, to learn about more ways to help animals.

Los Angeles Motorcycle Risks

June 30, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Riding a motorcycle on the freeways of Los Angeles is a very exhilarating experience, yet many of the reasons it feels so freeing are the same reasons why it can be quite dangerous. Risks inherent in driving—such as potholes, construction hazards, water or ice, and uneven pavement—can cause far more damage to a motorcyclist than a person driving an automobile. Since motorcycles lack many of the safety features of cars, we have seen how motorcyclists can experience severe injuries, even from more minor accidents.

It is important to remember that due to certain prejudices against motorcyclists, many times the police or witnesses will erroneously blame the motorcyclist in a collision with another vehicle. Do not be too alarmed if this happens to you. We offer a free consultation and many times we are able to still obtain a financial recovery for a motorcyclist when they were originally blamed for the accident.

Our California motorcycle accident lawyers have handled motorcycle accident injury and wrongful death cases for many decades. Accordingly, we have seen all sorts of motorcycle accidents, we advise you to drive carefully and below are some of the risks specific to motorcycles, that all motorcyclists should be aware of:

What Reports Should I Make After an Orange County Car Accident?

June 25, 2017 | by Robert Walch

If you’ve been in an Orange County car accident, you’re aware of the shock and fright brought on by such an event. Car accidents can shake you up physically and mentally. Immediately after an accident, you’re likely thinking of how badly you’ve been injured, whether the people in the car with you are okay, and the damage to your car. Yet, in the days to come, there are several reports you should file. Here’s a handy list for you to keep track of the reports to make:

File a Police Report Within 24 Hours of the Crash: You will need to file a police report even if no one involved in your accident was injured. According to the California Vehicle Code, Section 20008, any driver of any vehicle who has been in a car accident must report the accident to either the California Highway Patrol, or the local police department where the crash took place. This report has to be filed within 24 hours of your accident. Generally, the police officer arriving at the scene will write this report. You should tell the officer your version of what happened and whether you are injured. Try to get a copy of the police report to take home with you, because your insurance company will likely require a copy.
File a Report with the California DMV: If any of the following events happened because of your accident, you are required to report the crash to the California DMV:

Lakeside Crash Kills Motorcyclist

June 20, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Two motorcyclists in Lakeside, California were struck from behind and tossed off their Yamaha motorcycles around 9 p.m. on Saturday evening, June 10th. A driver of a sedan, heading north on Winter Gardens Boulevard, drifted off the road and directly into the area where the two motorcyclists had briefly stopped.

Fox 5 News reports that the 37-year-old female motorcyclist from El Cajon died at the scene. Her fellow rider, a 32-year-old male who was also from El Cajon, suffered injuries and was hospitalized. The driver of the sedan was also taken to the hospital for moderate injuries.

Although intoxication of the driver is not suspected, the California motorcycle accident wrongful death remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). If, upon concluding its investigation, CHP determines that the driver negligently caused the accident—whether because he was texting, speeding, or otherwise at fault—then the family of the motorcyclist who was killed should bring a wrongful death claim against the driver of the sedan. Before taking any action, the victim’s family should contact a California wrongful death attorney to discuss details and determine the possibility of seeking compensation.

Suspected DUI Driver Kills Jogger in Vista

June 14, 2017 | by Robert Walch

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that on Friday, June 2, at around 6:30 p.m., the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee jumped onto the sidewalk of Melrose Drive and crashed right into a couple out for their evening jog. Nanglee Vang—the father of five children ranging from toddlers to teens and a refugee from Southeast Asia—died at the scene of this California pedestrian accident. His wrongful death came just one day before his 41st birthday. His wife, 34 years old, was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Attorney Robert Bruce stated that, based on the circumstances of the accident, the other driver must have been traveling incredibly fast. A witness to the San Diego wrongful death accident stated that the Cherokee flipped several times before ramming into a light pole. Once the Cherokee stopped moving, the witness ran to the vehicle and held the driver’s hand until authorities arrived. The driver, who had to be cut out from his car and who also suffered serious injuries, was identified as Abraham Juarez Perea, aged 24.

Perea was charged with drunken driving and gross vehicular manslaughter. The Superior Court Judge ordered him to be jailed in lieu of $750,000 bail. On Tuesday, Perea pleaded not guilty.

Fatal Long Beach Accident

June 8, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Early on the morning of May 20^th, around 2:40 a.m., reports came in of a crash near Clark Avenue and Eagle Street in Long Beach. CBS News reports that the passenger in a truck was killed when the truck’s driver—suspected to be under the influence of alcohol—slammed the truck into a utility pole.

Once officers from the Long Beach Police Department arrived at the scene, they found two passengers still inside the truck. Officers pulled one passenger, who was unconscious, out of the truck and began administering CPR. Paramedics later arrived and pronounced the passenger dead at the scene. The other passenger was taken to the hospital.

Shortly after arriving at the scene of the Long Beach truck accident, officers also found the driver after a helpful witness identified him. He was walking away from the scene when the authorities caught up with him. He was also taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Authorities suspect that the driver was under the influence.

Semi-truck and Car Crash in Chino Kills One

June 2, 2017 | by Robert Walch

According to the Daily Bulletin, just before 2 a.m. on Saturday, May 27, 2017, a semi-truck drifted towards the shoulder of the eastbound 60 Freeway in Chino, California. The truck then hit several guardrail posts and slammed into the Mountain Avenue bridge cement wall.

A second vehicle then crashed into the truck and ended up on the bottom of the off-ramp. Both the semi-truck and the vehicle caught on fire. The driver of the vehicle was ejected from his car. Paramedics arrived at the scene and brought him to the hospital, but he unfortunately died from his truck accident injuries.

California Big Rig Crash Kills Four in Desert Center

May 31, 2017 | by Robert Walch

A tragic accident on Memorial Day killed four people approximately 20 miles north of Desert Center in Riverside County, California. A witness called in to report the accident at 3:11 p.m. According to an eyewitness who spoke to the Los Angeles Times, a car was traveling southbound on the two-lane Highway 177 when it crossed over the center line, seemingly in an attempt to pass traffic. It then slammed head-on into a big rig truck. Six California Highway Patrol officers and 11 Riverside County Fire Department and Cal Fire/Riverside firefighters were sent to the scene of the Riverside truck accident.

Officers found three individuals dead at the scene. A fourth person was extricated from the car and then airlifted to Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The crash had caused a large cloud of dust and debris to rise into the air and the spilling of diesel fuel all over the road. The eyewitness—Brian Mumey, a retired U.S. Army infantryman—said he treated the driver, who was the only person alive when he arrived. He noted that there was a group of trucks and RVs returning from Memorial Day events pulling boats, and that many cars were trying to pass them, including the car involved in the accident.

Riverside Accident Leaves One Dead and One Injured

May 27, 2017 | by Robert Walch

According to My Valley News, Early in the morning on May 19, 2017, around 12:45 am, several witnesses called 911 to report a crash at the intersection of Van Buren Boulevard and King Avenue in Riverside, California. Riverside Fire and Police Departments responded, and upon arriving at the scene, found parts of the vehicle spread across the road. First responders also found a white Toyota Avalon with significant damage to its front side.

The passenger of the wrecked Toyota was alive, albeit barely, and had suffered severe, traumatic injuries in the Riverside car accident. He was later identified as 21-year-old Prince Deavon Armony Franky Ketcha. The medics transported Mr. Ketcha to Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center, and within one hour, hospital staff pronounced him dead. The driver of the vehicle, who was seen walking after the accident, suffered only minor injuries.

California Highway Patrol Sergeant Eugene Norris said that the Toyota had been driving at a high rate of speed when it drifted to the right of the road and ran directly into a traffic signal pole. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and Sgt. Norris said that alcohol or drug intoxication have not yet been ruled out as contributing factors in the accident.