California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Inspections Ordered To Prevent Future California Gas Explosion Injuries

December 17, 2010 | by Robert Walch

After the fatal explosion and fire in San Bruno, California, regulators have ordered that natural gas lines receive intensified inspections. The September 9, 2010 explosion and fire killed eight people and destroyed numerous homes. It remains to be seen if these California fire deaths and injuries may have been preventable and the goal is to prevent future disasters.

Federal investigators have found that seam wields in the Pacific Gas & Electric line may have been the cause of the Northern California explosion and fire injuries, property damage and deaths, although the official cause has yet to be determined. According to the Los Angeles Times, “The directive calls for internal, X-ray or liquid pressure tests on lines not previously examined that are similar in size and age to the pipeline that blew. That line was 30-inches in diameter and more than half a century old.” According to PG & E, gas service to customers should not be affected by the order.

Great Dane Dog Attacks Baby in Monrovia

December 16, 2010 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, an unusual dog attack occurred in Monrovia, California on Wednesday, when a 6 month old baby girl was snatched from her mother’s arms by their neighbors’ Great Dane dog. The 180 pound dog grabbed the child and carried her about 200 feet before dropping her in the street.

While the toddler survived, according to the Monrovia Police Department, she did suffer “broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a perforated liver, broken clavicle and multiple puncture wounds to her back.” Fortunately, the child is doing better now and is expected to be weaned off of the ventilator. While this particular type of dog attack is rare, Los Angeles dog bite and dog attack injuries occur frequently.

Many dog owners do not carefully watch over their dogs and expose the general public to an unnecessary risk. Usually, for the Los Angeles dog attack or dog bite victims, their recourse is against the homeowners’ insurance for the dog owner.

2 Killed 2 Injured in Orange County Motorcycle Accident

December 15, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Sadly, the Los Angeles Times reports that an off-duty Los Angeles police officer, as well as one other motorcycle rider were killed, and two other motorcycle riders were injured, in a motorcycle accident in Orange County.

The motorcycle accident happened near Irvine Lake in Orange County and apparently happened when the LAPD officer (for unknown reasons) veered into oncoming traffic and collided with another motorcycle.

The third motorcycle apparently collided with the motorcycle the LAPD officer hit, causing serious injuries to the male and female riders of the third motorcycle. Tragically, both the LAPD officer and the driver of the motorcycle he collided with, died in this Orange County motorcycle collision.

Los Angeles Intersection Collisions and Red Light Cameras

December 14, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Many Los Angeles auto collisions and serious injuries occur in intersection accidents, usually caused by one party running a red light. Without eye-witness accounts, it is often very hard to figure out which party ran the red light. According to the Los Angeles Times, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is recommending that Los Angeles continue the controversial red-light camera program.

This program, in an attempt to reduce Los Angeles red light collisions and injuries, as well as raise money for the City, has lost the City of Los Angeles 2.5 million dollars in the last two years. Chief Beck’s justification for the program is that “the number of citations for red-light violations has quadrupled from 14,000 to 59,000 annually since the program began in 2007.” In addition, according to Beck, “from 2004 to 2009, red-light traffic collisions have declined 63%. There were five red-light fatalities from 2004 to 2006 and none since the program began.” The argument is that Los Angeles drivers are aware of the program and, in turn, do not run as many red lights. This is key to keeping Los Angeles drivers safe, as, according to Beck, “a top National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official testified before Congress last June that about 1,000 people die annually in red-light traffic collisions.”

4 Car Collision in North Hills Injures 5 After High Speed Chase

December 13, 2010 | by Robert Walch

A high speed chase of a suspected drunk driver, that started in Calabasas, California, ended with a 4 car collision in North Hills on Friday. The suspect in the chase was the most seriously injured, while the 4 other injuries are believed to be minor to moderate, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Unfortunately, high speed chases ending in a multi-vehicle collision in Los Angeles are an all too common occurrence. Fortunately, here, the injuries to innocent bystanders do not appear to be very serious.

The question continues to come up as to whether these Los Angeles high speed chases are actually necessary. Some commentators advise that a new system of simply tracking the vehicle without the fleet of patrol cars following at high speeds would be a safer option for the public.

Los Angeles Body Shop for Auto Collision Repair

December 12, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Los Angeles auto accident victims have many choices when it comes to repairing their vehicles. There are many body shops in Los Angeles for people to choose from and many considerations that must be taken into account when choosing a Los Angeles body shop.

After a car accident in Los Angeles, oftentimes the applicable insurance coverage will dictate what happens to your vehicle.

Usually, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will pay for the damage to your vehicle (whether it be a total loss or repairable). However, sometimes, especially when there is a dispute over liability, a person’s own insurance (through collision coverage) will pay for his or her damage, and then later seek reimbursement from the at-fault driver or his/her insurance company, through what is called subrogation.

Los Angeles Big Rig Accident on 101 to 110 Interchange

December 10, 2010 | by Robert Walch

In an all too common occurrence, a big rig truck overturned this morning on the connector from the 101 to the 110 freeway. In a more unusual circumstance, the big rig was carrying 42,000 pounds of Christmas trees. The Los Angeles truck accident happened at about 4:30 this morning and the closure at the crash site is expected until about noon today.

Very fortunately, no injuries have been reported in this big rig accident in Los Angeles. It is well known that, due to their sheer size, big rig collisions can be far more dangerous than other types of automobile accidents and drivers should take extra precaution when driving near a big rig truck.

When a truck collides with a car, the injuries to the car’s passengers are often very severe. It is necessary to find an experienced Los Angeles attorney who can help obtain the best medical care possible as well as conduct the investigation necessary to prove the case.

Drunk Driver Injures Los Angeles School Bus Passengers

December 9, 2010 | by Robert Walch

On Monday, two high school students were injured in yet another Southern California drunk driving accident. Their school bus was hit by a Ford truck, which was apparently driven by a drunk driver. Fortunately, the injuries to the students were minor. Unfortunately, Los Angeles drunk driving collisions continue to occur.

All too frequently, Los Angeles drivers, passengers and pedestrians are injured by drunk drivers. Our office has handled cases of Los Angeles drunk driving accidents involving drunk drivers running stop signs or red lights, driving the wrong direction on roads, rear ending a stopped car, making unsafe turns, etc.

While many drunk drivers often escape serious injury, their victims are often not as lucky. While we have seen cases where the drunk driver was able to run from the scene of the collision, our clients have been seriously injured by Los Angeles drunk drivers.

California Automobile Insurance Coverage Requirement

December 8, 2010 | by Robert Walch

California drivers are subject to Proposition 213, which the California voters passed in 1996. This law hinders the recoveries of drivers who are injured in California auto accidents by essentially providing that drivers in California who are not covered by a valid liability insurance policy, cannot receive non-economic damages (pain, suffering, etc.).

Insurance companies use this law to punish uninsured California residents involved in automobile accidents. Unfortunately, while not its original purpose, this law is often used against people who have a small gap in their coverage, such as when an insurance premium payment does not go through in time, or due to other types of human error.

Fortunately, Proposition 213 does not apply to passengers of the vehicle, so passengers are still entitled to the full value of their cases and, if injured, should call our office to find out their rights.

Big Rig Crash on 210 Freeway

December 7, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Today, an irresponsible driver of a big rig, apparently let his unlicensed son drive the truck so that he could take a nap. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. This truck crash on the 210 freeway will cause delays well into the afternoon.

Unfortunately, many truckers are overworked and try to push too many hours of driving into their days. This leads to many truck collisions in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.

Due to their massive sizes, big rigs pose an extra danger to commuters on the roads and freeways in the greater Los Angeles area. When possible, it is usually best to keep an extra distance from big rigs to avoid a collision and potentially serious injuries.