California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

5 People Injured In Woodland Hills Car Accident

January 10, 2011 | by Robert Walch

On Sunday morning, a car accident in Woodland Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles, resulted in injuries to five people, including one serious injury. The crash occurred on De Soto Avenue, north of the 101 freeway.

The seriously injured occupant to one of the vehicles involved in this collision had to be extricated from the vehicle, most likely by the Los Angeles Fire Department and paramedics. The other four injured in this two car Woodland Hills car collision were taken to local hospitals. Although it is not mentioned in the article, it can be assumed they were taken to the Kaiser Permanente Emergency Room, as it is just down the street from the accident location, on De Soto Avenue.

At time of writing, facts of the Woodland Hills vehicle collision are unknown. Once it is determined who is at fault, which will likely be aided by the Traffic Collision Report, the injured parties may have a personal injury claim against the at fault driver and/or owner(s) of the at fault vehicle. Passengers in the at fault vehicle may be able to make a claim against the driver, depending on certain issues, including familiar relationships, which affect insurance coverage.

California Truck Crash Causes Serious Injury on Interstate 5

January 7, 2011 | by Robert Walch

On Thursday afternoon, a California truck collision on Interstate 5, near the Grapevine, seriously injured at least one person and caused a traffic backlog.

The person who suffered major injuries in this big rig truck crash in California was transported by air to a Bakersfield hospital. Investigators with the California Highway Patrol said the truck accident occurred when two big rig trucks collided with each other. It is unclear if any other vehicles were involved.

The investigators added that they suspect the California truck accident may have been caused by a mechanical problem with one of the trucks.

If a mechanical problem caused this California truck collision injury, the victim may be able to make a products liability claim against the makers of the big rig truck that had the problem. Additionally, if the driver of one of the trucks acted negligently, there would potentially be a more standard personal injury claim against that driver and the company he/she works for. Because of the reports of a possible serious or catastrophic injury involved, the fact that the big rig truck company should carry a larger commercial insurance policy should aid in recovering damages to any injured parties.

In addition, because the big rig truck drivers are likely working while they are driving, they may have a California workers compensation claim against their employers.

Seat Belt Use Rises and California Car Accident Deaths and Injuries Decrease

January 6, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A new report from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that California has the second highest rate of seat belt users in the United States, only slightly behind Oregon. According to the report, 93.2% of Californians say they always use a seatbelt. This seatbelt data shows that California car accident injuries and deaths have been reduced due to increased seatbelt use.

California is one of the states with strict seatbelt enforcement laws, where a driver can be pulled over when police see an occupant of the vehicle without a seatbelt on.

The Center for Disease Control’s report also found that between 2001 and 2009, the injury rate for occupants of a motor vehicle dropped by 16%. This correlates with the report’s finding that seatbelt use rose 4% from 2002 to 2008.

In news that would come as a surprise to many, the report showed that in 1982, only 11% of residents of the United States said they used seatbelts. This huge increase in seatbelt use is a big reason why car accident deaths and serious injuries have decreased. This should cause a reduction in California wrongful death and injury claims.

Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the CDC said in its report that in 2009, 450 lives would not have been lost if vehicle occupants were wearing their seatbelts. In addition, 12,000 car accident injuries would have been prevented.

Woman Killed By Her Daughter’s Car in Strange Los Angeles Car Accident

January 5, 2011 | by Robert Walch

In a tragic set of circumstances, Boon Soon Yang, a 71 year old woman, was killed when she was hit by her daughter’s car in a strange Los Angeles car accident. Apparently, Ms. Yang, who was waiting to be picked up outside her nursing room, was hit by her daughter’s car and pinned against a wall.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the strange set of events occurred when Sung S. Lim, who lives in La Mirada, was attempting to make a left turn or a U-Turn, when her 2011 Audi A5 Quattro vehicle was struck by a 2005 Honda Civic, which was being driven by a Priya Shah, 19 years old, of Buena Park. According to police, Shah was driving within the speed limit. This impact caused Ms. Lim’s vehicle to jump the curb and pin her mother against the wall.

Ms. Yang was taken to West Anaheim Hospital after the Los Angeles car collision, but she was pronounced dead on arrival. Neither one of the drivers was injured in the collision. However, Ms. Lim was taken to the hospital due to the emotional distress of the incident.

It appears from what is known that the police are not putting blame for the car accident in Los Angeles, nor the Los Angeles wrongful death, on Shah, who was apparently traveling straight and within the speed limit. Therefore, the assumption is that Ms. Yang caused the car accident by making an unsafe turn.

New Years Car Crash Deaths Caused by Drunk Driver Fleeing Police

January 4, 2011 | by Robert Walch

In a tragic New Years Day Los Angeles car accident, two people were killed when their vehicle was hit by a drunk driver fleeing the police. Demetria Dorsey, and her husband, Kelvin Dorsey, were in their Infiniti, traveling South on Crenshaw, when they were struck by a Geo Prism, driven by Jorge Alberto Molina.

Molina, from Culver City, had allegedly sped through multiple red lights before colliding with the Dorsey’s Infiniti, causing the Infiniti to roll and hit a pole, killing both of its occupants. The Dorseys were driving home from a New Years party. Mr. Molina then fled on foot before collapsing and being arrested. Mr. Molina has been booked on two counts of murder and is being held on $1 million bail. The Los Angeles Police Department has said that Mr. Molina was driving while under the influence and that it was unclear if he knew that the police were chasing with him at the time of the Los Angeles auto collision.

Unfortunately, we see time and again innocent commuters or pedestrians in Los Angeles who are killed by drivers as a result of high speed pursuits. Here, Mr. Molina faces a Los Angeles wrongful death claim against him. We have previously proposed a re-thinking on when police should engage such pursuits, as the ends oftentimes do not justify the means. This allegedly drunk driver may have caused worse damage had he not been pursued, but more likely than not it was the LAPD vehicles which caused him to travel at high speeds and cause this collision. If the police had simply taken down his plates and watched with a helicopter overhead, without pursuing at high speeds on the ground, this tragedy might have been avoided.

California Crash Taxes Increasing

January 3, 2011 | by Robert Walch

After a California car accident, new laws put in place by many California cities allow the cities to bill the insurance company, or at fault driver, for the police and firefighting services that their car accident in California has necessitated.

These laws, which are designed to increase revenue for cities that are struggling financially, face a challenge from insurance companies who say that it will cause insurance premiums to go up. The other argument is that tax dollars already pay for California firefighters and police officers. However, Costa Mesa Fire Battalion Chief Bill Kershaw says that the local taxpayers should not have to pay for emergency responses to accidents that they did not cause, so it would be more appropriate to bill ther responsible parties.

Some cities, countering the taxation argument, only apply these California car crash taxes to nonresidents. This, critics argue, could hurt tourism in California.

Tony Strickland, a California State Senator from Moorpark, is trying to outlaw the California auto crash taxes, by proposing measure SB 49, which will be heard by the legislature in February. His argument is that Californians are hurting enough from the economy, and simply cannot afford this extra charge when they are in a car accident.

Strickland is backed by the insurance lobby, which has given him over $200,000 in political contributions over the last four years.

California Personal Injury Attorneys Wish You a Happy New Year!

January 1, 2011 | by Robert Walch

We would like to wish all of our readers a very happy and healthy new year!

As many of you know, the holiday season, including New Years, is a very dangerous time for road travel and many Los Angeles auto accidents happen during this time.

This year, the harsh weather, including extensive rain and, in some places, ice or snow, will make driving conditions extra dangerous in the greater Los Angeles area and throughout California.

For this reason, it is advisable to stay off of the roads during this time, whenever possible. If you plan on consuming alcohol to ring in the new year, take a taxi or have a designated driver. If you are planning on taking a taxi, you should make sure to have the number to a few taxi companies (as they are particularly busy on New Years) ready, to avoid any last minute problems.

As readers of our blog know, drunk drivers not only face the possibility of injuring themselves and others, but also expose themselves to a great risk of criminal prosecution if stopped by police or if they cause a California drunk driving accident. The small hassles of finding a designated driver or calling a taxi are more than worth it in the long run, as driving while impaired is not a risk worth taking.

Update: Woman Killed by Car in Los Angeles Hit and Run Identified

December 31, 2010 | by Robert Walch

In an update of our California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog entry of December 29, 2010, the woman who was killed in the Los Angeles hit and run accident has been identified as Brigitte Burdine.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Burdine, who was 48, was a well known video game casting director, who worked on games such as “World of Warcraft” and “Socom 3: U.S. Navy Seals.”

The Los Angeles Police Department has said that the car that struck Burdine was a dark sedan, which allegedly left the scene after the collision. The driver of the sedan has not yet been located. Unfortunately, there is currently no description of the driver available.

The LAPD is investigating the Los Angeles pedestrian collision and notes that the car may have front end damage.

If the driver of the vehicle that killed Brigitte Burdine is located, it must be proven that the driver was responsible for the hit and run collision before his/her insurance company will pay for the Los Angeles wrongful death damages to Burdine’s family, if there was a valid liability insurance policy in effect.

California Truck Crash Injures 3, Caused by Black Ice

December 30, 2010 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, several big rig trucks apparently skidded on very dangerous black ice, causing the trucks to crash and overturn. Los Angeles County firefighters transported three people to hospital with currently unknown injuries, as a result of the California truck collision.

The California Highway Patrol has closed part of the 138 freeway near Interstate 5, in Gorman, California, as a result of one of the overturned big rigs. There is also fuel that has spilled onto the road, causing an increased danger to commuters.

California California Highway Patrol officer, Ed Jacobs, stated that the California truck accident was probably caused by drivers driving too fast over black ice. Black ice, according to Wikipedia, is “a thin coating of glazed ice on a surface.” Because the ice is not truly black, it is more transparent in appearance, drivers often do not know it is there until it is too late and they have been in a car accident.

Black ice is not only dangerous to drivers, but it can be potentially hazardous to people walking in an affected area, due to the possibility of a slip and fall accident. Many people do not realize quite how slippery the black ice can be.

Woman Killed in Los Angeles Hit and Run Accident

December 29, 2010 | by Robert Walch

At about 2:00 a.m. this morning, a woman was killed when she was hit by a car in Los Angeles, California. The accident happened in Marina del Rey and, according to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Police Department is currently looking for the driver of the car that hit the woman, as it apparently left the scene of the accident in this Los Angeles hit and run case.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was crossing the street at Culver and Jefferson in Marina del Rey, when she was struck by the vehicle. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

We hope that the driver of the hit and run vehicle is brought to justice as soon as possible. If you ever witness a Los Angeles hit and run accident, it is very important to try to write down the license plate number and any other information about the driver and car that is leaving the scene. Next, you should call 911 to report the incident so that police can locate the hit and run driver. If it is safe to do so, we have seen witnesses who have followed the hit and run driver, while talking to 911 operators and providing the location of the car, so that the police can catch the responsible driver.

If you have been injured in a Los Angeles hit and run collision, there are important things to know, such as the fact you may have a claim with your own insurance company, under the uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it. If you do have such a claim, your own insurance takes the place of the responsible party, so that you can get compensated for your damages.