California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Update: Wrongful Death of Child from 3 Story Fall in Marina Del Rey

July 19, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Tragically, the four year old boy, Nico Lurie, who suffered catastrophic injuries from a 3 story fall on Sunday, has died as a result of his injuries, in a Marina Del Rey wrongful death incident.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the young boy apparently fell through a window screen, on the third story of the residential building, known as the Mira Bella Apartments, in Marina Del Rey, California. According to reports from ABC News, the boy was playing with friends on a bunk bed near the window when he fell through the window, landing on the concrete walkway below.

Police have said that criminal charges will not be filed and reminded parents not to place furniture near windows or other hazards.

4 Year Old Boy Critically Injured in Marina Del Rey Fall

July 18, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A four year old boy suffered serious and life threatening injuries when he reportedly fell from the third floor of a high rise building in Marina Del Rey, California. The boy was taken by Los Angles paramedics to Ronald Reagan Medical Center, part of the University of California at Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department said the boy’s condition is “grave” after the three story fall in Marina Del Rey. According to the Los Angeles Times, the reason for the fall is unknown at this time.

When children fall from buildings, there could be various reasons, including negligent supervision by adults, or faulty safety precautions on the part of the building. Some balcony railings negligently have gaps or holes that a small child can fit through, which can lead to a disastrous fall and a Marina Del Rey premises liability case.

Some children may also be able to climb over a low balcony railing, which also may not be up to code and may constitute negligence on the part of the building owner, contractor and/or designer.

Man Killed in Freeway Truck Accident in Anaheim

July 17, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A freeway truck accident in Anaheim early Sunday morning has resulted in the death of a male passenger and caused injuries to the driver of the truck. According to the California Highway Patrol, a truck crashed into another car on the 5 freeway in Anaheim, causing the truck to careen into the freeway guardrail and then overturn.

It is unknown which vehicle caused the Anaheim truck accident or if the occupant(s) of the car were injured. What is known is that the driver of the truck sustained injuries and was being treated at UC Irvine Medical Center, and the passenger of the truck was killed in the Anaheim wrongful death truck accident.

The truck accident in Anaheim caused three lanes to be blocked on the southbound 5 freeway, but due to Carmageddon, there was not much of a traffic backlog.

4.9 Million Dollar Judgment for Hilton Malibu Car Accident

July 16, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A personal injury judgment of 4.9 million dollars has been awarded against Barron Hilton, the brother of Paris Hilton, for causing a Malibu car accident. The judgment orders Mr. Hilton to pay 4.6 million dollars for pain and suffering to a gas station employee who was struck by Mr. Hilton’s vehicle, allegedly while Hilton was driving drunk.

According to reports, Mr. Hilton was driving erratically in Malibu, including on the wrong side of the road on Pacific Coast Highway, before pulling into a gas station where he struck Fernando Tellez with his Mercedez-Benz. Mr. Hilton’s blood alcohol level at the time of the car accident in Malibu was .14%, which is significantly above the .08% limit in California.

Due to the circumstances, Mr. Hilton was ordered to pay $225,000.00 in punitive damages to Mr. Tellez, as well as $71,000.00 for interest on the damages. With payment for past medical bills and loss of earnings, the total judgment amounts to $4,600,000.00.

Baby Seriously Injured in Downtown Los Angeles Accident

July 15, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A tragic pedestrian accident in downtown Los Angeles occurred yesterday when, according to police, the driver of a Cadillac DeVille, who was trying to park on the street, allegedly accidentally, hit the gas instead of the brake, jumped the curb and hit a two month old baby boy. The downtown Los Angeles pedestrian accident caused the boy to suffer critical injuries. The boy was taken to Los Angeles County USC hospital for emergency care.

The mother of the boy was not injured in the downtown Los Angeles car accident. Police said that there was no indication of drugs or alcohol playing a part in this Los Angeles accident and that they did not anticipate making any arrests, despite the catastrophic injuries suffered.

A sign of the seriousness of the impact is that a parking meter was knocked off the sidewalk by the Cadillac.

200 Million Dollar Judgment Awarded For Metrolink Train Crash Victims

July 14, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Many people remember the tragic Metrolink train crash in Chatsworth, California on September 12, 2008. The crash resulted in the death of 24 passengers and injuries to 98 survivors. Today, Judge Peter Lichtman decided how to divide up the 200 million dollars in funds available to the victims of the Metrolink train accident.

According to the judgment, in the first group, the adult wrongful deaths, the average recovery is 4.2 million dollars. In the second group, the parents of young people who were killed in the train crash, they were awarded an average of 1.2 million dollars in wrongful death damages. For the 98 injured passengers, their personal injury settlements, based on their injuries, damages and future care were for $12,000 or more.

Fire Injuries and Wrongful Death in Pacoima House Fire

July 13, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A house fire in Pacoima, California, caused a man to suffer smoke inhalation injuries and lacerations and caused the death of a woman who was in the house. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire occurred at about 4:00 p.m. in Pacoima, and the woman was found dead in the home by firefighters.

The man who survived the Pacoima house fire suffered fire injuries, including smoke inhalation, lacerations and possibly burn injuries, from trying to put out the fire.

The cause of the house fire in Pacoima has not yet been revealed, but oftentimes these fires are caused by electrical systems, arson, candles, cooking equipment, or smoking.

Pregnant Woman Killed in Glendale Crash on 134 Freeway

July 12, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A pregnant woman was killed on Sunday when, according to the California Highway Patrol, her car veered off the freeway and crashed into a tree in a Glendale car accident. According to the Glendale News Press, the cause of the Glendale wrongful death car accident is currently unknown, but there were no indications that drugs or alcohol played a part in the collision.

Unfortunately, the woman who was killed will not be able to give her side of the story as to what caused her to veer off of the freeway. In these circumstances, the cause can often be debris in the road or swerving to avoid another car.

Vehicular Manslaughter Conviction for Corona Pedestrian Accident

July 9, 2011 | by Robert Walch

In 2008, Rachel Elliott was killed when she was hit by a car in Corona, California. Elva Diaz, the driver of the vehicle that hit Elliott, was convicted last week of involuntary gross vehicular manslaughter, because she was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the pedestrian accident in Corona.

Diaz, who is facing sentencing of up to 10 years imprisonment for the conviction, is 32 years old. She was found not guilty on the charge of 2nd degree murder, which would have carried even stiffer sentencing. In a case like this, without a previous DUI conviction, it is very difficult to get a conviction on the 2nd degree murder charge, which Diaz’s criminal defense attorney said was excessive. Diaz will be sentenced on August 5, 2011.

Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Death in Cahuenga Pass

July 8, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, a Van Nuys man was killed in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident early this morning. Los Angeles Police said that the driver of a 2003 Honda Accord, Maxime Desire, made a left turn in front of the motorcycle, causing the biker to be ejected from the motorcycle.

The motorcycle accident in Los Angeles is being investigated by the Valley Traffic Division of the Los Angeles police department. The motorcycle accident death occurred at Cahuenga and Barham, in the Cahuenga Pass. The California wrongful death victim of the Los Angeles motorcycle crash is a 41 year old man from Van Nuys, but his name has been withheld pending notification of his family.

Unfortunately, many Los Angeles motorcycle collisions occur when a car does not see a motorcycle and attempts to make a left hand turn in front of the bike. These motorcycle crashes are particularly dangerous because often the rider is unable to stop in time and is flipped over the car. Many witnesses to motorcycle collisions accuse the rider of excessive speed, which is normally due to the loud noise from a motorcycle engine, rather than the actual speed it is traveling. This often leads to traffic collisions reports, also known as police reports, which blame the motorcyclist, either in whole or in part, based on the witness’ mistaken recollection.