Car Accidents

DUI Crash Kills Wasco Woman and Injures Two Others

April 2, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Kern County Sheriff’s deputies in Wasco took a 50-year-old man into custody under suspicion of driving while intoxicated and failing to yield the right of way after he caused a wrongful death car accident that killed one woman and injured two others. Just before 8 pm on March 30, three cars collided near Prospect Avenue and Highway 43 in Wasco, California.

According to police reports, a man driving a Ford Ranger pulled out in front of a female driver, who was driving a Honda Civic. Sadly, the crash killed the woman. 23ABC News reports that the Kern County Coroner’s office has identified the victim as Carolina Vasquez of Shafter. A 20-year-old man driving a Ford Expedition then crashed into the victim’s Honda. He was injured but he survived the crash. The man arrested was identified as 50-year-old Erwin De La Pena. Authorities are continuing to investigate.

Although the police investigation is ongoing, it appears that the accident was caused by a driver whose blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit for drivers in California. If it turns out that the driver was intoxicated and caused the crash, the family of the victim would be able to make a wrongful death claim against the driver. The victim’s family would need to hire an experienced California personal injury attorney to determine what types of claims exist and to represent them in pursuing those claims.

What To Do Following A Car Accident

March 23, 2017 | by Robert Walch

You never want to get into one. You drive to avoid them and are constantly on the lookout, but in many instances a car accident is unavoidable throughout your lifetime of driving. This is especially true in Southern California where you drive everywhere! At Walch Law, we work with individuals every day to help with the aftermath of their car accident. If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident, make sure to give us a call to discuss how we might help obtain compensation for your injuries and the damage done to your car- even if the accident was partially your fault. Give us a call anytime to discuss your case further at 866 INJURY 2 (Press 1 after hours).

Knowing what to do following a car accident can not only help calm your nerves but can also help with your physical and financial recovery down the line.

Here’s a look at some top tips for handling a car accident (of course every situation is different and these are only some tips):

Take a breath: If you can, take a moment to compose yourself amidst the madness following even the most minor accident. With airbags going off and people coming around, you are likely to experience an adrenaline rush. Give yourself a moment to calm down and take inventory of what hurts, to better explain things to the police and paramedics if and when they arrive.
Stay at the scene: Staying at the scene of an accident until help can arrive and you exchange information is usually the best thing to do. You want to stay at the scene of the car accident until these important items are taken care of. This will also give your nerves a chance to calm down!
Exchange information: If you can, you will want to exchange all relevant information with the other parties to the accident. This information is important for your legal case down the line.
Evidence: Evidence is always best fresh so make sure that you talk to relevant witnesses (write down their contact information) and take pictures of all vehicles as soon as reasonably possible. This includes getting contact information, photos of the scene and other important details such as license plate numbers, drivers licenses, insurance information, registration, etc. You also want to take a moment and write down your recollection of the events. All these items will be valuable to making sure you get the financial recovery you deserve.
Call the Walch Law Firm: Give the experienced attorneys at the Walch Law firm a call as soon as you can. Not only can we handle every aspect of your legal case but we can also help put you in touch with medical providers to make sure you are getting the medical attention you deserve to get you back to where you were before the accident happened.

Commerce Wrong-Way Driver Accident Kills Three

March 21, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Early on the morning of March 12, 2017, at approximately 5:20 am, a Mini Cooper entered the freeway in Commerce driving the wrong direction. According to the California Highway Patrol, it then ran head-on into a van. According to KTLA, just prior to the accident, individuals had made reports of a wrong-way driver. At the time of the crash, the Highway Patrol had been on their way to the scene.

Sadly, three victims were killed in this California wrongful death accident, including the wrong-way driver and a driver and passenger of the van. The van’s driver— and passenger, a woman and man, as well as the Mini Cooper driver, a man, were all pronounced dead at the scene. According to ABC News, the two males killed were 29-year-old John Perez from Downey and 53-year-old Quanlinh Phillips from Santa Ana. Law enforcement officials did not release the identification of the female van driver, nor did they provide clarification on which person had been the driver of the Mini Cooper. Investigations are still underway as to the cause behind the wrong-way driving.

Father and Daughter Killed in Palmdale Accident

February 14, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Sunday evening, an apparent street race led to a violent crash and two people killed. The Palmdale car accident allegedly occurred when two vehicles were racing and one of the vehicles lost control and struck a traffic pole.

According to TheAVTimes, the two people killed were in a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro that was headed southbound on 25th Street East in Palmdale. The father was driving the vehicle and the daughter was in the passenger seat. The father, Manuel Paniagua, was 54 years old. His daughter, Vanessa Paniagua, was only 17 years old.

According to witnesses at the scene, the two vehicles were speeding and probably racing. The other vehicle possibly involved in the race drove away from the scene without stopping to render assistance to the occupants of the Chevy. The driver of that other vehicle faces possible criminal charges for being involved in a street race and for leaving the scene.

San Bernardino Wrongful Death Victim Identified

February 12, 2017 | by Robert Walch

On Saturday, February 11, 2017, Cesar Manuel Floriano Ortiz of Highland was killed in a single car crash that allegedly occurred at about 12:45 am, when he was riding as a passenger in the vehicle. Apparently, Brien Jesus Reyna of San Bernardino was driving the car when the driver lost control and struck a light pole on H Street in San Bernardino, California.

Cesar Manuel Floriano Ortiz of Highland was only 22 years of age.

Brien Jesus Reyna of San Bernardino was only 18 years of age.

Reportedly both the driver and passenger were killed in this tragic San Bernardino car accident.

Allegedly the men were driving eastbound on West Ninth Street at about 12:45 am early on Saturday morning on the 215 Freeway overpass when the driver lost control and struck the light pole located on H Street in San Bernardino.

Man Killed in Culver City Crash

September 10, 2016 | by Robert Walch

A tragic Culver City car accident occurred earlier today when a woman who was fleeing police collided with another vehicle and killed the driver of that vehicle. The man who was killed also had his young son in the car who also suffered injuries.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the car accident in Culver City occurred when Culver City Police were in pursuit of a woman who was driving an allegedly stolen car. The woman then ran a red light and collided with the BMW in the intersection of Washington Boulevard and La Cienega.

The crash and wrongful death of the driver of the BMW are being investigated by the California Highway Patrol, most likely because it would not be appropriate for Culver City Police to investigate the accident involving its officers.

Kris Jenner Involved in Calabasas Car Accident

August 8, 2016 | by Robert Walch

The Calabasas Patch is reporting that last Wednesday Kris Jenner, of the well known Kardashian family, was involved in a car accident in Calabasas. The Calabasas car accident occurred in the early afternoon right near Calabasas Road and the Parkway Calabasas freeway off-ramp. The Calabasas accident actually happened very close to our personal injury law office, which is also located on Calabasas Road.

Fortunately, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which handles car accidents in Calabasas, neither the other person involved in the car accident or Kris Jenner had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. Other details of their injuries from the accident were not presently available.

We all remember when Kaitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, was in a serious car accident on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, which caused the tragic wrongful death of a woman from Calabasas.

Hollywood (101) Freeway Worst Commute In USA

July 29, 2016 | by Robert Walch

The 101 Freeway, also known as the Hollywood Freeway, has the worst freeway commute time not just in Los Angeles or all of California, but in the entire United States. The Los Angeles Daily News, which should know as it covers the area in which the 101 Freeway runs, reported on July 27, 2016, that the stretch of the 101 Freeway from Woodland Hills to Downtown Los Angeles is the most packed highway in the USA. That means it is the highway with the worst commute time.

It will not get any argument from our law offices as this just happens to be the same route the lawyers in our law offices have used for many years when driving to the main Los Angeles courthouse (central district) located in downtown Los Angeles and also to many depositions and mediations often held in downtown Los Angeles where many attorneys working for large insurance companies have their offices.

The Auto Insurance Center compiled data from the United States Census and came up with the following:

Australians design a human body meant to survive car accident deaths

July 27, 2016 | by Robert Walch

A team of Australians, including an artist, a trauma surgeon and a crash investigator have designed a hypothetical human body that shows us what our bodies would have to evolve into in order to survive what would be fatal car accident injuries.

As explained by IFLScience.com, the evolved body would not have a neck, so that a broken neck could not result from a high impact collision. Further, the head would have a reinforced skull, to prevent the blunt force trauma injuries and brain injuries that result from crashes at high speeds. The body would also be designed with air pockets between the ribs, which would serve as a type of airbag to prevent fatal injuries to the internal organs. The knees would also be designed to bend in all directions, to prevent them from breaking in a car accident.

Pokemon Go Player Crashes into Police Car

July 23, 2016 | by Robert Walch

According to CNN, a driver who was playing the very popular Pokemon Go game on his cell phone, crashed into a parked police car. Fortunately, the police car was unoccupied at the time of the crash and nobody sustained any serious car accident injuries.

Police bodycam video of the car accident shows the SUV colliding with the parked police car. The driver is seen exiting the SUV and admitting that he was playing the game while he was driving. T.J. Smith, a Baltimore police spokesman, pointed out that a pedestrian could have been injured or killed had he or she been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This car accident brings up the risk factors involved with playing a cell phone game while driving, which can be similar to texting while driving. Both are unsafe and cause drivers to take their eyes off the road and focus on the phone. This can result in tragic outcomes.