Car Accidents

Giants Pitcher Barry Zito Injured in West Hollywood Car Accident

March 31, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A car accident in West Hollywood today, involving San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito, has caused Zito to suffer injuries, which have been described as “minor.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Zito was taken to Cedars Sinai Hospital after the Los Angeles car accident, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has said the hospitalization was precautionary.

It is unknown at this time which vehicle caused the two car collision in West Hollywood. Also, the injuries to the occupants of the other vehicle are currently unknown.

The San Francisco Giants are currently in Los Angeles to play the Dodgers for the start of the Major League Baseball Season. Zito is scheduled to start for the Giants on Sunday, unless his car accident injuries prevent him from doing so.

If the car accident was caused by the other driver and if the West Hollywood car accident results in Zito missing his start, or requiring significant time on the bench, Zito may have a very significant loss of earnings claim against the driver of the other vehicle. However, because it has been described as minor, it is unlikely that Zito will miss much, if any, time from baseball as a result of the car accident.

If Zito caused the car accident in Los Angeles, the occupants of the other vehicle will be entitled to recoup their personal injury and property damages against Zito’s auto insurance coverage.

2 Injured When Ambulance Hit by Hit and Run Driver in Los Angeles Car Accident

March 30, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A car accident in Los Angeles, involving an ambulance and a hit and run driver, resulted in two paramedics needing hospital care. The ambulance was transporting a patient in the Watts area of Los Angeles when it was hit by the car.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the patient who was being transported in the ambulance did not appear to suffer effects from the car accident and was transported to hospital by another ambulance.

One of the ambulance drivers was rendered unconscious in the Los Angeles car accident and the other injured his shoulder. The paramedics were taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where they received treatment before being released.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the Los Angeles vehicle collision apparently left the scene by foot. In these circumstances, the paramedics should be able to make a Los Angeles workers’ compensation claim. The paramedics and passenger in the ambulance may have a Los Angeles personal injury accident claim against the driver and owner of the other vehicle involved. It is unknown at this time if this was a stolen vehicle. A department of motor vehicles search should turn up the owner of the other vehicle and investigation may lead to the whereabouts of the driver and whether there is any liability insurance.

It is unknown at this time if the ambulance was traveling with its lights and siren on, or why the Los Angeles accident occurred.

The ambulance company may also have an uninsured motorist policy to protect injured persons involved in a scenario like this, if the driver is not identified and no insurance or insufficient insurance turns up for the owner of the other vehicle.

Los Angeles Car Accident on 101 Freeway, Ambulance Reporting

March 26, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times Traffic section, the number 1 and number 2 lanes of the 101 freeway Northbound, at West Sunset Boulevard, are closed due to a two car collision.

The Los Angeles car accident, involving a Toyota with major front end damage, has apparently resulted in injuries and apparently an ambulance will be responding to the scene. The nature of the injuries is unknown at this time.

Commuters are advised to stay clear of this area due to the traffic backlog from this car accident in Los Angeles. The traffic between Benton Way and Highland, northbound, is moving very slow, under 20 miles per hour, and that area should be avoided until the accident scene is cleared.

Severe Weekend Rain Causes Los Angeles Car Accidents

March 21, 2011 | by Robert Walch

As Los Angeles residents already know very well, this weekend there was a severe rainstorm, with heavy flooding and wind damage throughout Southern California.

The rain was so fierce that many road and freeway drainage systems could not keep up with the flooding, which posed a very dangerous threat for vehicles. Throughout the greater Los Angeles area, many car accident injuries were reported due to the rain.

In addition to the many Los Angeles car accidents in the rain, there were also many homes damaged by falling trees and flooding.

Huntington Beach Man Sentenced In Car Accident Wrongful Death

March 8, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A man from Huntington Beach has been sentenced to three years of probation after a tragic car accident in which he rear ended a truck, which collided with a mother as she was walking with her baby in a stroller in a crosswalk. The baby was launched approximately 70 feet from the impact and died from her injuries in this California wrongful death accident. The mother sustained a dislocated shoulder and fractured vertebrae. The 11 year old niece of the woman was also injured and sustained a broken femur in the Orange County pedestrian accident.

The man was charged criminally for his actions, and plead guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, because he caused the Orange County car accident when he was distracted while trying to prevent his laptop from falling off of the seat to the floor of his car. Usually we see vehicular manslaughter charges where the driver who causes the car accident was found to be driving while intoxicated.

However, to be convicted of vehicular manslaughter, it is only necessary to show ordinary negligence and a misdemeanor, infraction or other lawful act that may cause death, such misdemeanor, infraction or other act in fact causing the death. This is another reason to be especially careful while driving and not to talk on your cell phone, text or be involved in other distractions, as engaging in such behavior at the time of an accident could have a serious criminal effect.

Suspect Flees Los Angeles Hit and Run Accident Via Metro Bus

March 7, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A man fled the scene of a downtown Los Angeles car accident yesterday by boarding a Metro bus, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspect in the hit and run collision has not yet been identified or located.

The car accident in downtown Los Angeles occurred at the intersection of 7th Street and Alvarado Street, when one of the vehicles apparently ran a red light. While the LAPD was saying it is unknown which vehicle ran the red light, the odds are that the driver who fled the scene was the culprit.

In our experience, hit and run drivers have fled the scene of the accident for many reasons, including because they have been intoxicated, the vehicle is stolen, their status in the country is not legal, they are in a hurry to get somewhere, etc. Usually it is the person who is not responsible for the accident that flees and does not exchange information at the scene.

The other vehicle in this Los Angeles hit and run accident had three occupants who were taken to a hospital with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.

Because the vehicle was left at the scene of the downtown Los Angeles auto collision, police investigators will be able to determine who the owner of the vehicle is. Once they locate the owner, they can determine through eyewitness testimony if the owner was in fact the driver who fled the scene by bus.

Actor Injured in Beverly Hills Car Accident

March 5, 2011 | by Robert Walch

David Arquette, an actor, perhaps best known for his rolls in Never Been Kissed and Scream, allegedly was injured in a head on collision car accident in Beverly Hills on Friday. The accident apparently happened when the car in front of Arquette stopped and Arquette, who allegedly did not have enough time to stop as well, swerved into a car that was going in the opposite direction.

Both Arquette and the driver of the other car were taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and their injuries were described as minor or moderate. The Beverly Hills car accident occurred at Elevado Avenue and Doheny Drive, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department, who responded to the scene.

It is unknown at this time why the driver in front of Arquette stopped or if that driver has been identified. It is possible that the driver of the car hit by Arquette will make a personal injury claim for his injuries and damages against Arquette’s insurance company. The insurance company may claim that some of the liability for this Los Angeles car accident rests with the driver who allegedly stopped in front of Arquette, but this may depend on the reason for the stop discovered through investigation.

Drivers have a duty to maintain sufficient distance between them and vehicles in front of them, often referred to as a space cushion, so that if a car in front of them stops, they have enough time to react and stop without rear ending the car or taking drastic measure such as swerving into another lane or head on traffic. Because Arquette allegedly may not have allowed sufficient distance between his car and the vehicle in front of him, he may be held responsible for causing this car accident and then could be found responsible for causing the personal injuries and property damage to the driver of the other car.

Malibu Man Killed After Being Hit By Car on Ventura Freeway

March 2, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Hollywood animator, Jean-Maxime Perramon, was killed after he was hit by a car on the 101 Freeway, while checking on his Ferrari. According to the Los Angeles Times, Perramon apparently believed that metal had hit his 2010 Ferrari, so he pulled onto the shoulder of the Ventura Freeway to check on his car. As he was getting out of his car, Perramon apparently stepped into the slow lane and was hit by a Lexus.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the Lexus swerved into that lane, colliding with the man, while trying avoid colliding with another vehicle. Perramon was taken to Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks where he passed away from his injuries from the accident.

If Mr. Perramon’s family brings a California wrongful death claim, there are many potential legal issues in this situation. First, the fault for the freeway accident must be determined. It is possible that multiple parties share liability, as the man should not have gotten out of his car on the freeway, the driver of the Lexus may have been able to avoid him and it is unknown what other cars may have played a role in causing the driver of the Lexus to feel the need to swerve to the right.

The man’s family may be able to bring a California uninsured motorist claim on the grounds that the unknown vehicle caused the accident or if the driver of the Lexus has no insurance. If the Lexus does not have enough insurance, there may be an underinsured motorist claim brought.

Ventura Rain Accident Danger This Weekend

February 26, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Last weekend, according to the Thousand Oaks Acorn, heavy rain was the cause of several Ventura County car accidents and injuries. One particular Thousand Oaks car accident occurred on the Northbound 23 freeway, wherein a car was turned over on its side.

The occupants of the vehicles in that car accident in Thousand Oaks were taken to Los Robles Hospital. The Acorn reports that more rain is expected to fall this weekend and that drivers should take extra precaution on the roads.

Some tips for driving in the rain, from Edmunds.com, include allowing for more travel time so you can drive slower, using your headlights, giving extra distance to any buses or trucks, and not to use cruise control.

These extra precautions can be key in avoiding a rain accident in Thousand Oaks and throughout California.

Tragic Orange County Car Accident Kills Pedestrian Helping a Dog

February 16, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Orange County Sherriff’s Department, a very sad car accident occurred in Laguna Niguel, wherein a woman jogger, who was helping a dog who had ran onto the street, was killed after two cars collided and one of the cars struck her.

The woman, who rescued the dog from the street, was kneeling next to the dog on the street corner, possibly checking its tags, when she was hit by the car. The two car collision was apparently unrelated to the dog, but resulted in one of the cars running onto the sidewalk, striking the woman, who died at the scene of the accident. The dog apparently left the scene before rescuers arrived, and has not been located.

It is unclear at this time which vehicle caused the Orange County car accident. The occupants of the vehicles suffered injuries including a broken collarbone as well as bumps and bruises. The family of the woman, who was an innocent bystander, may make an Orange County wrongful death claim against the driver and/or owner of the car that caused the collision. If it remains unclear which car caused the initial collision, the family should make the claim against both vehicles.