Wrongful Death

Man Killed in West Los Angeles Accident

July 23, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A man was killed on Thursday night in a West Los Angeles accident in which a gun in his vehicle apparently went off, hitting him in the head. The man, Anthony Camacho, was 20 years old. His vehicle then rear ended another vehicle, causing a West Los Angeles car accident. The car accident in West Los Angeles happened on Sepulveda Blvd.

According to the Los Angeles Times, investigators are still investigating the cause of the death, as Camacho was alone in the vehicle at the time. One possible cause of death could be that the gun was not properly secured or malfunctioned, possibly if the car hit a dip or bump in the road. Another unconfirmed possibility is that Camacho committed suicide by shooting himself in the head while driving. If there was a problem with the gun that caused it to go off unexpectedly, there may be a products liability wrongful death claim for the family of Camacho.

2 Killed in Buena Park Motorcycle Accident

July 21, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A motorcycle accident in Buena Park has resulted in the deaths of the driver and passenger on the motorcycle. According to the Los Angeles Times, this was a one vehicle incident in which the motorcycle apparently hit a median, before skidding out of control and striking a pole.

The driver of the motorcycle, Johnny Carrillo, was an Army Ranger who had recently returned from Afghanistan. The passenger, a 31 year old female from Norwalk, has not yet been identified. The Buena Park motorcycle accident happened at about 2:00 a.m. this morning.

Road Rage Causes Downtown Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Wrongful Death

July 20, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles bicycle accident, where a bicycle was hit by a car, causing the wrongful death of the cyclist, has been blamed on a road rage incident between two cars, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim of the bicycle accident in Los Angeles was a 62 year old man who was hit by a Chevrolet Avalanche in downtown Los Angeles.

According to reports in the Los Angeles Times, the driver of the Avalanche and a driver of a Kia were involved in a road range incident. When the driver of the Avalanche apparently tried to pass the Kia, his vehicle hit the bicyclist, causing this downtown Los Angeles bike accident.

The driver of the Avalanche, a 37 year old man, was arrested, but has apparently been released, pending the possibility of future criminal charges for the Los Angeles bike crash wrongful death. There is no word yet on whether the driver of the Kia will face any criminal charges.

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.

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.

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.