California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Pedestrian Killed in Northridge Amtrak Train Accident

October 21, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A twenty eight year old man was killed this morning when he was struck by an Amtrak train in a Northridge train accident. According to the Los Angeles Times, the man was walking on the railroad tracks when he was hit by the Amtrak passenger train near Lindley Ave. in Northridge, California. Los Angeles Fire Department rescuers declared the man dead at the scene.

According to the Los Angeles police department, nobody on the train was injured in the California train accident. The reason the man was on the tracks and hit by the train remains unknown to investigators.

Los Angeles Car Accident Averted Due To Help From 911 Dispatcher

October 18, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A very serious Los Angeles car accident was avoided on Monday due to quick thinking from a 911 operator. A woman called 911 as the accelerator on her Ford Escort was stuck and she could not get her car to stop. The woman also had her young child in the car with her.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the 911 dispatcher, Richard Engersbach, instructed the woman to place the car into neutral and to shut off the engine. Fortunately, as the vehicle was traveling at about 25 miles per hour towards a red light at Foothill Blvd. and Sport Chalet Dr., the instructions worked and the car slowed down before the engine died and the car stopped before reaching the intersection.

No Injuries in Mall Accident in Baldwin Hills

October 5, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Baldwin Hills car accident this morning involving a woman who drove her car through the doors to a mall before her vehicle was stopped by the second floor guardrail fortunately did not result in any injuries to the driver, passenger or any bystanders. The car accident in Baldwin Hills happened before 9:00am, and fortunately the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza mall had not yet opened.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the woman, who is 37 years old, who is reportedly not a licensed driver, accidentally hit the gas when she meant to hit the brake, causing her to crash through the mall doors, into the mall and almost halfway through the second floor railing, which was 20 feet high. Had the 1986 Acura Legend gone completely through the railing and crashed down into the first floor, serious injuries to the driver and passenger would likely have occurred.

Tragic Calabasas Car Accident Leaves 1 Dead and 1 Critically Injured

October 3, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A tragic Calabasas car accident on the 101 freeway, near the Las Virgenes exit, has left a 9 year old girl dead and her mother critically injured with burn injuries. Dramatic video from the scene of the Calabasas accident, wherein bystanders are trying to help the mother after rescuing her from the vehicle, can be seen here courtesy of CBS News.

The Calabasas freeway accident happened Saturday morning at about 8:30am on the southbound lanes of the 101 freeway. The car apparently lost control and hit the center divider and a tanker truck. As a result, the car rolled over and became engulfed in flames. While the mother was able to exit the car with severe burn injuries, she was not able to save her 9 year old daughter, who died in the accident in Calabasas.

Truck Driver Injured in South Gate Train Accident

September 30, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A South Gate train accident occurred this morning when a truck was struck by a freight train. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries in the South Gate train crash, which also resulted in a vegetable oil spill. According to the Los Angeles Times, although a team was called in for potentially hazardous material, the oil spill was considered nontoxic and there did not appear to be any threat to the general public.

South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the Los Angeles train accident. According to a spokesperson for Union Pacific, the operator of the train, the truck driver caused the Los Angeles truck crash with the train when he allegedly tried to get over the tracks before the train.

3 Seriously Injured in Echo Park Pedestrian Accident

September 27, 2011 | by Robert Walch

An Echo Park pedestrian accident earlier today resulted in serious injuries to three young girls who were hit by a car. According to the Los Angeles Times, the girls, aged five, ten and sixteen, were crossing the street, in a crosswalk when they were hit by the car.

The pedestrian accident in Echo Park allegedly happened because the driver of the car could not see the girls as she claimed she had been blinded by the morning sun as she went through the intersection. The Echo Park accident happened at approximately eight in the morning as the girls were crossing Temple Street at the 1400 block.

Upgrades Planned to Increase Train Safety and Prevent Glendale Train Accidents

September 22, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Glendale officials unveiled plans to increase safety at two railroad crossings in an effort to prevent a Glendale train accident and also to make way for the corridors to be quieter. The project, which will cost almost ten million dollars, will include improving traffic lights, widening roads and better lighting to increase safety and eventually achieve “quiet zone” status.

According to the Glendale News Press, residents in the area have complained about the horns from the trains that are required to sound when approaching the crossings. If the crossings become safe enough to be labeled quiet zones, the trains will not have to blare the horns in those areas.

Disaster Avoided After San Diego Bus Fire

September 19, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A bus fire accident on a bus traveling from Tijuana to Los Angeles fortunately did not result in any serious injuries to the occupants of the bus. The fire occurred on a tour bus while it was traveling through San Diego on the way to Los Angeles.

It is not exactly known what caused the San Diego bus fire, but it appears from the photo, from the Los Angeles Times, the rear of the bus caught fire first, spreading towards the center of the bus.

3 Injured in Chatsworth Car Accident

September 12, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A three car accident in Chatsworth, California, resulted in injuries to two police officers and another person. The Chatsworth car accident apparently occurred while police were responding to a call.

According to the Chatsworth Patch, which also has a photo of the scene of the accident which can be seen here, all three injured people were taken to the hospital, but none of the injuries were considered more than “minor.” The Chatsworth accident happened near the intersection of Plummer St. and Mason Ave. Investigators are still looking into which vehicle caused the Chatsworth car accident injuries. The news report on the Chatsworth car crash does not state if the police had their sirens or emergency lights flashing at the time of the accident.

Motorcyclist Killed in Downtown Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident

September 10, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A motorcyclist was killed early this morning in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident on the Harbor Freeway. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles motorcycle crash occurred at about 3:45 in the morning, south of downtown on the Harbor Freeway north, near Adams Blvd.

The California Highway Patrol is in charge of investigating the cause of the motorcycle accident in Los Angeles. One possible cause was apparently that a driver may have been attempting to avoid hitting a mattress which was on the freeway.