California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Update: 10 Killed in Orland, California Bus Accident

April 11, 2014 | by Robert Walch

CNN is reporting that a total of 10 people have passed away due to the Fed-Ex big rig truck crash with the bus in Orland, California yesterday. The fatalities from the Northern California bus crash include the drivers of both the FedEx truck and the bus that was carrying students to visit Humboldt State University.

In addition to the drivers, five high school students were killed in this tragic accident, as well as three people who were chaperones for the students. Reports indicate that the students were in a program designed for disadvantaged high school students, from families with low incomes or would be first generation college attendees. Some of the students on the bus were from the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The California Highway Patrol has not yet determined what caused the Fed-Ex big rig truck to cross over the highway median on I-5 and crash head on into the passenger bus. In addition to the fatalities from this California bus crash, over 30 people were taken to hospitals with truck crash injuries.

Northern California Bus Accident With Fed-Ex Truck Kills 9

April 10, 2014 | by Robert Walch

A tragic California bus accident today, in which a bus was struck by a Fed-Ex big rig truck, has resulted in at least nine deaths and numerous injuries. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Northern California bus crash occurred when the FedEx truck, traveling southbound, crossed into the opposite direction of Interstate 5, when it crashed into the bus. The bus may have been carrying Los Angeles school students who were in Northern California to visit Humboldt State University, during spring break.

After this terrible bus accident, the bus caught on fire and ended up completely burnt out. It is not clear if the students who were injured escaped the bus before the fire, or if they suffered fire, burn and smoke inhalation injuries as well.
Whether the students on the bus were in fact from Los Angeles has not yet been confirmed. Initial reports suggest that they are high school seniors from a school in South Los Angeles. Our hearts go out to the injured students and the families of the injured and deceased.

Pasadena Big Rig Truck Accidents Caused by Rain – No Serious Injuries

April 2, 2014 | by Robert Walch

Fortunately, after two Pasadena big rig truck freeway accidents this week, caused by the overnight rain that came down both nights, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that no occupants of the big rig trucks or other people on the freeway suffered serious injuries.

Early this morning, a big rig truck crashed on the 210 freeway, near where it meets the 134 freeway. Two other big rigs apparently were unable to avoid the wreck and crashed as well. The freeway was closed for about six hours while the truck accident remnants were cleared.

Yesterday, also due to the night rain, a big rig crashed on the 210 freeway in Pasadena. Fortunately, neither Pasadena truck accident resulted in serious injuries.

A representative from the California Highway Patrol stated that these types of truck accidents in the rain are often caused when the big rig truck driver does not appropriately adjust his or her speed for road conditions, including curves in the road and transitions between different freeways.

Earthquake Hits off the Coast of Chile – No current threat to California

April 1, 2014 | by Robert Walch

According to CNN, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck today off of the coast of Chile. It is not presently known if there are any earthquake related injuries or fatalities. There is, however, a threat of a tsunami striking the Chilean coast. As of now, reports from the Los Angeles Times indicate that there is not currently a tsunami threat for California.

Recently, after a long period of time without noticeable earthquakes in Los Angeles, there have been numerous earthquakes that have rattled our area. Fortunately, none have been as powerful as the 1994 earthquake, which caused massive earthquake damage and many injuries and deaths in Los Angeles.

We wish to remind our readers, including our personal injury clients, to make sure they are protected by earthquake insurance, in case another “big one” hits the Los Angeles area. Not only that, it is very important to have bottled water and canned food in case of shortages and power outages. This was a major problem after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Uber Adds Important New Liability Coverage for Drivers

March 25, 2014 | by Robert Walch

Uber, a leader in the ride-sharing business, where users order a driver to their location through use of a smartphone application, has increased the insurance coverage that it provides for Uber drivers. Prior to this move, according to the Los Angeles Times, the California Department of Insurance claimed that there was a gap in Uber’s insurance coverage, as it did not cover Uber drivers who were not carrying passengers.

With this change, Uber claims that it now will carry at least the minimum amount of liability insurance coverage for its drivers who cause auto accident injuries to other people. This is an important legal distinction that was highlighted in an Uber pedestrian accident in San Francisco, where a girl was killed after being struck by an Uber car. Uber has attempted to avoid liability for that California wrongful death accident by claiming that the driver was not carrying a passenger at the time, so not technically working for Uber.

The new policy will cover Uber drivers, not only when they are not carrying a passenger for Uber, but also when they are not even responding to an Uber pick-up request. This means that if a driver is available for an Uber pick-up, but merely driving around for whatever reason, if he or she causes an accident, Uber’s insurance will take responsibility.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day – Enjoy Responsibly

March 17, 2014 | by Robert Walch

In our Los Angeles personal injury law practice, we help many victims of accidents involving intoxicated drivers. We know that many people will be celebrating St. Patrick’s day with some beer or whiskey. Please remember not to drink and drive. Not only will there be many police checkpoints, but the damages caused by drunk drivers can be catastrophic.

If you are planning on drinking today, make sure you have a designated driver who will stay sober. If not, go somewhere within walking distance or use a ride sharing service like Uber or Lyft. They can usually pick you up all over Los Angeles and the prices are very reasonable.

Please make sure not to be a drunk driving statistic and have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

25 Students Injured in Anaheim School Accident

March 9, 2014 | by Robert Walch

A high school accident in Anaheim has resulted in injuries to 25 students. The students were injured at Servite High School, during a performance. According to the Los Angeles Times, the injuries occurred when part of the stage the students were performing on gave way and collapsed.

It appears that the students who were injured were students of Rosary High School, a Catholic school in Fullerton, California. They were doing a performance at Servite High School, in Anaheim, California, when they were injured.

Fortunately, none of the injuries are life threatening, but some of the students did suffer serious injuries, including broken bones and other fall injuries. These injuries are often very painful and often require surgery and may require many months or years of physical therapy, chiropractic or other forms of medical treatment.

There are many different legal issues involved with accidents in a school. First, it must be determined if there is any government entity involved. If so, a government claim is required, which involves different time limits from a normal California personal injury case. Second, there are different rules for cases involving minors. Some of these students may have been under 18 and others could already be 18. Next, liability, meaning fault for the accident, must be established.

At least 13 people injured in Downtown Los Angeles Metro Blue Line Train accident

March 4, 2014 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, a Metro Blue Line Train collided with a car today in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles train accident occurred shortly before 10 o’clock this morning when the Metro Blue Line train struck a passenger car. It appears that the train accident occurred between the San Pedro and Grand metro stations, on East Washington Boulevard, at its intersection with Maple Avenue.

The Los Angeles train crash has resulted in injuries to at least 13 people, including the driver of the car that was hit by the train. Fortunately, the train accident injuries to the sole occupant of the car were described as minor by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Of the 12 people who were reportedly taken to local hospitals, two of the accident victims were described as being in serious condition, while the others are in fair condition. The exact severity of the Los Angeles train accident injuries is currently unknown and we hope that none of the injuries are permanent or life threatening.

Lyft Offers Additional Coverage in Case of a California Car Accident – Is it Enough?

February 11, 2014 | by Robert Walch

Lyft, a popular ride-sharing application, has announced that it is increasing the auto insurance coverage for its drivers. Currently, the law in California only requires ride-sharing companies, like Lyft, Uber and Sidecar, to carry one-million dollars in car accident liability insurance. This is the insurance coverage that covers people who are injured in an accident caused by a driver working for one of these companies.

The law does not, however, require that the companies provide collision coverage, which is used to repair the vehicle damaged in a car accident, or uninsured motorist coverage, which would cover the driver and passengers of the vehicle, if the other driver causes the car accident and does not have coverage or does not have adequate coverage for the serious injuries suffered.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Uber has said that they have been providing collision and uninsured motorist coverage since December. Lyft is now offering its drivers the option of carrying collision coverage and uninsured motorist coverage. If covered, it is unknown how much uninsured motorist coverage these companies will provide for their drivers and customers.

Uber Wrongful Death Lawsuit Should Clear Unsettled Law on Ride-Sharing

February 6, 2014 | by Robert Walch

As many of you know, a tragic pedestrian accident occurred on New Year’s Eve, when a driver, who was allegedly logged into Uber’s system, struck a family crossing a street. According to the Los Angeles Times, Sofia Liu’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Uber, alleging that although the driver of the car was not carrying any passengers for Uber at the time of the accident, Uber is still responsible, as the driver was working for Uber.

The California wrongful death suit alleges that because the driver was available for Uber application users to reserve him for a ride, this is Uber’s business and Uber should be held responsible. Uber, however, like most corporations and insurance companies, are looking for ways to deflect liability away from themselves, to avoid paying wrongful death damages.

Unfortunately, the law is still very unsettled when it comes to ride-sharing applications and companies, as this is a rather new service available to people in California. These companies operate by paying people to use their own vehicles to give rides, then sharing the revenue from the consumer. The California Public Utilities Commission requires that the companies, such as Uber, carry one million dollars of liability insurance coverage. However, it is not clear if that coverage kicks in only when the driver is carrying passengers, responding to calls to pick up passengers, or simply available to pick up passengers and logged into the Uber system