Wrongful Death

Five-Vehicle Crash Kills Man in Bakersfield

April 7, 2017 | by Robert Walch

According to The Tribune, a semi-truck driver hauling grain mush from Firestone Walker Brewing Company was traveling east on Highway 46 around 2 pm on March 31st, when his truck began drifting onto the shoulder. The driver—Charles S. Celaya of Wyoming, tried to bring his truck back onto the road on a right-hand curve. As he did so, his big rig crossed over the divider in the center of the highway and clipped a Dodge Dakota. The clipped Dodge crashed into a Ford F-150 and a Honda Odyssey.

Apparently, the big rig then collided headfirst with a GMC Sierra that had been driving in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, according to police, the GMC driver—68-year-old Jesus Acebedo of Bakersfield—was killed from blunt force trauma in this big rig truck accident.

The police investigation appears to be ongoing; as of now, law enforcement does not believe that drugs or alcohol played a role in this accident. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the family of the GMC’s driver may be able to make a wrongful death claim against the operator of the big rig truck. We highly recommend that the family hire a California personal injury attorney who is familiar with handling wrongful death cases, to investigate the circumstances of the accident and determine whether such a claim exists.

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.

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.

Perris, California Woman Killed in Blythe Truck Accident

February 24, 2017 | by Robert Walch

A young woman from Perris, California who was injured in a truck accident on the I10 Freeway in Blythe on Monday, later died on Saturday, February 18, 2017. The Riverside County Coroner’s Office stated that Barbara Emard, just 28 years of age, died Saturday at 1:22 p.m. at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Riverside County. According to the Patch.com, last Monday evening Ms. Emard had pulled her 1998 Ford Expedition vehicle onto the shoulder of the eastbound I10 Freeway at about 11 p.m.

Ms. Emard allegedly was beginning to accelerate back into the traffic lanes of the I10 freeway when apparently the front tire of a nearby 2006 Freightliner semi truck blew-out. As a result, the truck apparently lost control, veered to its right and struck the Ford expedition.

Motorcyclist Killed in California Accident

February 20, 2017 | by Robert Walch

A motorcycle accident in Wonder Valley, California on February 9, 2017, has been identified as Nikos Lukaris. According to Z1077fm, Lukaris, a 43 year old man from Twentynine Palms, California, was riding his dirtbike without a helmet or lights on Amboy Road when he was struck and killed by a Ford F-350 Super Duty pick-up truck. The driver of the pick-up truck was also a Twentynine Palms resident, Patrick Candelaria.

Apparently, the F-350 driver was attempting to pass another vehicle when he struck the motorcyclist head on. The California motorcycle accident wrongful death occurred shortly after 6:00pm. The California Highway Patrol is in charge of the investigation into the causes of the motorcycle accident.

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.

6 Children Deceased In Bus Accident

November 23, 2016 | by Robert Walch

Sadly, a sixth child has passed away from the tragic bus accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The bus crash occurred on Monday when the students were being driven home from school. According to cnn.com, the driver of the bus, Johnthony Walker, went off the road and collided head on with a tree and turned over.

Surprisingly, blood tests on the driver did not find any drugs or alcohol in his system. In addition to the six children who were killed, another 12 suffered significant injuries, including serious head injuries and spinal injuries. Six of those 12 students are still hospitalized.

Apparently the bus was not on the regularly scheduled path and the driver was speeding. There are also reports that the bus driver asked the students if they were ready to die before the crash. This indicates that the bus driver may have intentionally caused this horrible crash.

Our sincerest condolences go out to the families of the young victims who were killed in this crash and we wish a fast recovery to those who suffered injuries.

Palm Desert Tour Bus Collision With 13 Deaths Update – USA Holiday Bus Driver and Owner, Elias Vides, Had Many Prior Safety Violations, Accidents and Citations

October 25, 2016 | by Robert Walch

Elias Vides, the well liked owner, operator and driver of the tour bus that crashed into the rear of a big rig truck on Sunday, October 23, 2016, killing 13 people, including himself, and injuring 31, not surprisingly to our team of lawyers had many prior safety violations, traffic tickets and lawsuits filed against him for prior bus versus car accidents alleging deaths and injuries.

According to data obtained from the federal government, the bus drove 68,780 miles in 2015 and the company had been in business for five years. Statistics show that the more miles and time one drives, clearly the more likelihood of accidents, collisions and traffic violations.

As previously reported in our blogs, the tour bus was traveling back from the Red Earth Casino in Thermal, near Salton Sea, on the I10 Freeway towards the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard located in the Koreatown community of Los Angeles, California, when it violently rear ended the big rig truck in front of it.

Thirteen people died and will have California wrongful death claims, including driver Vides (age 59) and 13 passengers. 31 people were injured, including the driver of the big rig truck, identified as Bruce Guilford, age 50, a resident of Covington, Georgia, that was rear ended by the tour bus.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Vides had been sued at least twice for negligence after collisions between his bus and other vehicles. One of these collisions allegedly resulted in the deaths of three (3) persons in another vehicle.

NTSB Launches Investigation into USA Holiday Desert Hot Springs Tour Bus Collision Which Killed 13

October 24, 2016 | by Robert Walch

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it had launched an investigation into the horrific tour bus accident which killed 13 and injured at least 31 others this past Sunday morning, October 23, 1016, at approximately 5:17 a.m. in Desert Hot Springs, California.

The NTSB has sent a “Go To Team” to Desert Hot Springs to investigate the causes of this collision. For more information about the NTSB, simply click here.

The tour bus, allegedly owned and operated by USA Holiday, was returning from the Red Earth Casino in Thermal near the Salton Sea, traveling westbound on the I10 Freeway, with its destination in Los Angeles, in the Koreatown area, at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. Many of its passengers were asleep when the tour bus allegedly rammed into and crashed into the rear of a big rig truck. Apparently the tour bus was traveling so fast and the impact was so violent that one-third of the bus was crushed.