California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

St. Patrick’s Day – Los Angeles Car Accident Warning

March 16, 2012 | by Robert Walch

This Saturday is Saint Patrick’s Day, a holiday recognizing Saint Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland. As the holiday is often associated with the lifting of restrictions on drinking alcohol, this is a day that many people will be drinking throughout Los Angeles County. This holiday, combined with the rain showers that are expected throughout the weekend, can lead to heightened car accident dangers on the roads.

We at Gary K. Walch, A Law Corporation, wish to remind our readers to be extra cautious when driving this weekend. As with most holiday weekends, there will be people drinking and driving. It is important to remember that no matter how short the trip, or how costly the transportation, never drink and drive. If you plan on drinking, make sure you have a designated driver or can arrange for a taxi or other transportation. The cost of a taxi is always cheaper than a DUI arrest or, even worse, a drunk driving car accident.

If you are intoxicated and cause a Los Angeles car accident, not only will you be financially responsible for any personal injuries you cause, you may also be subject to criminal liability, which may include jail or prison time. It is anticipated that the Los Angeles Police Department will set up checkpoints throughout the city to try to preemptively stop drunk drivers, before they cause a car accident in Los Angeles.

Woman Killed in Oxnard Car Accident

March 13, 2012 | by Robert Walch

An Oxnard car accident on Tuesday resulted in the death of a woman who apparently drove her car into oncoming traffic. According to the Ventura County Star, the woman, Jill McDonald, an Oxnard resident, apparently caused the collisions when her BMW, going south on Victoria Avenue, went over the dirt median and into the opposing lanes of traffic. There, it had head on collisions with two other vehicles.

Oxnard police said it was not yet clear why McDonald crossed the median and went into oncoming traffic. According to Oxnard police, Roberto Ramos, the driver of one of the vehicles struck by McDonald, suffered a leg injury and also experienced chest pain in the car accident in Oxnard. The other car struck by McDonald, driven by Donna Leitte, also had four young children inside. Fortunately, according to police, the children and Leitte only sustained what were described as minor injuries in the Oxnard accident.

This is a complicated legal situation. Those who were injured in these collisions should contact an Oxnard personal injury lawyer to investigate the cause of the crashes and why McDonald went into oncoming traffic. There are numerous possible reasons why McDonald could have crossed over the median. Possible explanations include avoiding a hazard, a sudden health incident (such as a stroke or heart attack), a tire blowout or a suicide attempt. The coroner’s office should be able to determine the cause of death and whether McDonald died before or after the impacts.

Man Killed in Simi Valley Motorcycle Accident Wrongful Death

March 9, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A Simi Valley motorcycle accident on Wednesday night caused the wrongful death of the male motorcycle rider and caused serious injuries to the female passenger of the motorcycle. The motorcycle crash apparently occurred when the motorcycle, driven by a Chatsworth resident, struck a Honda CRV that was making a left turn from the eastbound direction of Cochran Street to the Northbound direction of Stearns.

Both the man and woman were thrown from the motorcycle. The man died at the scene and the woman was taken to Los Robles Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. The woman suffered serious neck, rib, pelvis, and head injuries. We wish her the best in her recovery from these motorcycle accident injuries.

According to the Ventura County Star, police said the driver of the Honda CRV did not appear to be impaired at the time of the Simi Valley motorcycle crash. It is also unlikely that the Honda driver suffered injuries, but it is possible.

There are many possible causes to this Ventura County motorcycle accident. One possible cause is that the driver of the CRV did not see the motorcycle coming and made the left turn in front of the motorcycle, causing this accident. In this case, the driver would be responsible for the motorcycle accident wrongful death damages. However, the driver of the CRV may claim that when he started the left turn it was safe, but the motorcycle was speeding and unable to stop, which caused the collision.

Camarillo Car Accident Kills Passenger

March 8, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A female passenger in a car making a left turn was killed in a Camarillo car accident on Monday. The victim, Antje Curphey, a 69 year old Fillmore resident, died from her injuries from the crash. The Camarillo crash happened at around 6:30pm when Richena Curphey, the victim’s daughter, allegedly made a left turn onto Carmen Drive, when it was struck by a truck crossing through the intersection.

The truck struck the passenger side of the victim’s Honda, leading to a direct impact where Antje Curphey was seated. The crash caused the truck to flip over and land on its roof. Both drivers were taken to hospitals, but their injuries were described as non-life threatening. The Camarillo Police Department is currently investigating what caused this Camarillo truck accident. If the truck driver bears any responsibility for the crash, the victim’s family may seek Camarillo wrongful death damages. The Camarillo Acorn reports that police do not expect that alcohol or drugs played a part in causing the Camarillo accident.

Left turn accidents occur all the time throughout Ventura County and the greater Los Angeles area. Usually, there is a presumption that the vehicle making the left turn is at fault for causing the crash. However, there are instances when the driver going straight is at fault or shares liability. Sometimes, the driver going straight is speeding or runs a red light, causing the collision. However, if a person attempting to make a left turn suspects that an oncoming vehicle is speeding or may run the red light, it is best to wait for the vehicle to pass and for the intersection to be clear before attempting the turn.

Volunteers Searching for Driver in Oxnard Pedestrian Accident

February 27, 2012 | by Robert Walch

According to the Ventura County Star, volunteers are searching for the driver of a hit and run vehicle that collided with three young girls in a tragic Oxnard pedestrian accident. Apparently, on February 4th, three young girls were walking on a bicycle path when a vehicle, which is believed to be a silver Toyota Camry, traveling on Victoria Avenue, near the intersection with Santa Monica Drive, struck all three girls.

One of the girls, only six years old, suffered serious injuries in the Oxnard accident and was taken to Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. The girl’s mother, Joel Aronson, said that her daughter suffered a serious head injury, as well as injuries to her femur, spine, neck and chest.

Volunteers have been distributing fliers around the neighborhood, including at car repair shops, to see if anyone has any information that could lead to locating the driver of the hit and run car that injured the three girls. The California Highway Patrol has also requested that anyone with information on the driver or owner of the vehicle contact the Ventura office at 805-477-4100.

The two other girls who were hit by the car in Oxnard, also suffered injuries, but they are not believed to be as serious. Head and brain injury accidents are very serious and much medical care will be needed for this severely injured girl. Sometimes a brain injury can have lasting effects that can be difficult to diagnose and treat.

Burbank Pedestrian Accident Wrongful Death

February 20, 2012 | by Robert Walch

An unidentified pedestrian was killed on Saturday in a Burbank pedestrian accident near the entrance to the Bob Hope Airport. According to the Los Angeles Times the victim of the Burbank accident died at the scene. The pedestrian accident wrongful death occurred at around four o’clock in the afternoon on Empire Avenue in Burbank, California.

Investigators with the Burbank Police Department will have to determine how this pedestrian accident happened and who was at fault. Many pedestrians are hit by cars when the car runs a red light, does not stop at a stop sign or makes a right turn while only looking to the left for oncoming traffic, not thinking about the possibility of pedestrians or cyclists coming from the right. Other types of pedestrian accidents happen when the pedestrian thinks it is safe to cross a street, sometimes miscalculating the speed of an approaching car.

In this Burbank accident, the driver of the car was apparently tested and not found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Many times, when a pedestrian is hit by a car, the driver of the car will leave the scene without stopping. In these instances, police are often unable to determine if the driver was under the influence of any substances. However, if the driver is located, he or she will face felony hit and run charges as well as civil liability for the injuries or death to the pedestrian.

Man Killed in Hit and Run Fontana Pedestrian Accident

February 9, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A pedestrian accident in Fontana, involving a hit and run driver striking a pedestrian, has resulted in the wrongful death of a Fontana man. According to the Los Angeles Times, a sixty-one year old man was crossing the street near the Fontana Gardens apartment complex when he was hit by a car. The driver of the car did not stop and dragged the man one hundred and fifty feet before stopping, which released the man from the car. The driver then left the scene of the collision.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the car involved in the hit and run pedestrian collision was a Lincoln Navigator, which was champagne colored. The victim passed away due to his injuries from the Fontana pedestrian accident. Anyone who has any information about the driver or owner of the vehicle involved should immediately contact the CHP.

Unfortunately, we see many serious hit and run accidents throughout California, many involving pedestrians who suffer serious injuries. Many drivers think that they will not get caught after causing such accidents. It is important to remember that it is illegal to leave the scene of a car accident without exchanging information with the other people involved.

3 Killed in South Los Angeles Car Accident – Driving Without a License

February 7, 2012 | by Robert Walch

The Los Angeles Times reports that a South Los Angeles car accident has caused the death of three women. The single car accident occurred when the driver of the vehicle, Tenina Calhoun, a resident of Moreno Valley, crashed into a tree near the intersection of Normandie and West Florence Avenue in South Los Angeles.

Ms. Calhoun had five passengers in the vehicle, all of whom suffered serious injuries in the South Los Angeles car wreck. Five of the occupants of the vehicle were ejected from the car and three of the women died as a result of the accident. The driver of the vehicle was reportedly driving without a license and police said they found alcohol in the vehicle.

This wrongful death car accident highlights the debate over what to do when police stop unlicensed drivers. Some argue that it should be mandatory that the unlicensed driver’s vehicle be impounded for thirty days. They argue that statistics show that unlicensed drivers are involved in more car accidents than licensed drivers. Opponents of this rule argue that it is unfair to illegal immigrants, who cannot obtain a license to drive. The L.A. Times writes that a police commission will be hearing a debate on this issue on February 14, 2012.

Other recent accidents involving unlicensed drivers include a Panorama City pedestrian accident in December that caused the death of a 60 year old woman who was struck by a sports utility vehicle and a Jefferson park car accident last week where two LAPD officers were injured and had to be hospitalized.

Orange County and San Bernardino Accidents Caused by Elderly Drivers

February 2, 2012 | by Robert Walch

Two serious California car accidents this week were caused by elderly drivers whose ages seemed to have played a large part in causing the incidents. First, on Monday afternoon, in an Orange County accident, a ninety one year old lady apparently accelerated in reverse into the patio area of a doughnut shop, causing injuries to three people. Then, on Tuesday, an eighty five year old woman, driving in the wrong direction on Interstate 15, caused a San Bernardino car accident that killed her and another man.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in the Orange County car accident, three men sustained injuries and were treated at hospitals. All three injuries were considered minor. After hitting the patio area of the doughnut shop, the woman then shifted her vehicle into drive and drove forward and collided with a wall for a residential property. There do not appear to have been injuries to pedestrians in the second collision.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the I-15 accident, near Bear Valley Road in San Bernardino County, occurred when the elderly woman drove the wrong way on the freeway and struck a Cadillac Eldorado in a head on collision. The woman and the sixty seven year old male driver of the Cadillac both died from their injuries in this collision. The woman was from Victorville and the man was from Hesperia.

These Orange and San Bernardino car accidents, as well as many others in the past, must cause us to ask the question whether the California Department of Motor Vehicles is doing enough to insure that California drivers are qualified to be on the road. We often hear stories of people in their twenties and thirties, with no histories of problems on the road, having to pass vision and other tests to renew their licenses, while other elderly drivers are able to renew their licenses without any tests.

Santa Monica 405 Freeway Accident Kills One

February 1, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A Santa Monica 405 Freeway Accident on Tuesday resulted in the death of one person and possibly serious injuries to others involved. The three car collision occurred on the 405 Freeway near Santa Monica Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the Santa Monica car accident and closed all of the southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway during its investigation. According to the Los Angeles Times, three cars were involved in the freeway accident and there was at least one death, implying there could be more people killed or seriously injured. As of the time of the report, the wrongful death victim had not yet been identified.

Once the CHP completes its investigation, the cause of the three car 405 freeway wreck will be clearer. If the person who died did not cause the collision, the legal heirs of the victim may be able to make a Los Angeles wrongful death claim against the party that caused the collision.

The family members of the victim should consult with a Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer to investigate the claim and determine the sources for recovery. Sometimes, the party who caused the collision will have little or no insurance coverage, in which case it is necessary to make an underinsured or uninsured motorist claim. For this reason, it is always advisable that all drivers have as much uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance coverage on their policies, to protect them in case they are injured by someone with inadequate insurance coverage.