California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

California Truck Accident Spills Beef in the Cajon Pass

March 22, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A big rig truck accident in California yesterday, in the Cajon Pass, on Highway 138, spilled 35,000 pounds of frozen beef onto the freeway. Fortunately, the driver of the 18 wheeler truck was not injured in the accident and no other vehicles were impacted by the truck.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the California truck accident happened where the I-15 meets State Highway 138, and was likely caused by the wet conditions from the rain.

In Los Angeles County, there has been a serious increase in accidents due to the severe rain storm and weather conditions. The California Highway Patrol reported that there were 85 motor vehicle accidents in the short time between 5am and noon on Monday. This is in stark contrast to one week ago, where there were only 36 car accidents during the same time frame.

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.

California Train Accident Injures 3

March 14, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A train accident in California injured three people yesterday as two of the ten cars came off the track. Fortunately, all of the train cars stayed upright and not turned over, which would have caused much more severe injuries to the occupants.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the train accident, operated by BART, occurred in Concord, California and was taking passengers to the San Francisco Airport at the time. The train derailment occurred at low speed and 65 passengers aboard the train were evacuated and taken to their destination by bus. The three injured passengers reported having back pains from the BART train accident.

The cause of the California train accident is still being investigated. When train accidents occur, often there are many injured passengers who may have a personal injury claim against the train company, which may be a government entity. Because of the various rules involved, including the increased and special duties of care for operators of a common carrier for hire, it is important that injured passengers or their families immediately contact a California personal injury attorney so the attorney can explain to them their rights and pursue a claim for their injuries and other damages.

Australian Man Will Go To Jail For Los Angeles Hit And Run Accident Death

March 10, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Ryan Bowman, an Australian man who killed a young woman in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident, will be sentenced Friday morning as part of a plea agreement that has been reached with prosecutors. The accident occurred on the Sunset Strip in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California.

The woman who was killed in the Los Angeles car accident, Lauren Ann Freeman, was leaving a concert at the popular Roxy Theatre, crossing the street, when Bowman, in his Bentley, struck Freeman and knocked her about 50 feet, where she died at the scene. Bowman allegedly fled the scene and abandoned the Bentley about a mile and half later, near Melrose and La Cienega, in Los Angeles, California.

Bowman has since admitted that he was the driver involved in this pedestrian accident in Los Angeles. Since it is assumed that police did not catch Bowman until well after the accident, it was probably too late to run tests to see if Bowman was under the influence at the time of the accident, which is often the reason people flea the scene of a collision.

Besides the jail time that he faces, Mr. Bowman will also be subject to a personal injury lawsuit by the family of the woman who was killed in the pedestrian accident. Ms. Freeman had just graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and her family will claim that she had a very promising future that was cut short by her wrongful death. The fact that Bowman left the scene will be used against him if he argues the accident was not his fault.

Person Killed By Amtrak Train in Los Angeles

March 9, 2011 | by Robert Walch

An Amtrak train accident in Los Angeles occurred this morning when a person was struck by the train at about 6:20 am. The train was traveling from Los Angeles to San Diego when it hit the person. The train accident occurred at Santa Fe Avenue and 8th Street near Union Station in Los Angeles, California.

At the time of the Los Angeles train accident, there were 30 people on board the train, including passengers and crew, none of which were hurt. There are reports that the person killed was possibly a transient, but that has not been confirmed.

The reason the person was on the tracks is currently unknown. Sometimes people attempt suicide by standing on the tracks, other times there is some type of mistake or negligence that leads to a person being hit by a train.

California train accident injuries and deaths occur frequently and the legal ramifications depend on the reason for the incident. If the train operator or designer was negligent, causing the injuries, victims will be able to make a personal injury claim or their families may make a wrongful death claim against the train company, which can include Amtrak, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), or other entities.

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.

Costa Mesa Apartment Fire Kills One and Injures 3

March 1, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times and Daily Pilot, an apartment fire in Costa Mesa, California has killed a 17 year old boy, who apparently died at the hospital from his smoke inhalation and burn injuries. Two other people and a firefighter also sustained injuries from the fire, which may have included burn injuries and/or smoke inhalation, but they were able to be treated and released from the hospital.

The cause of the Costa Mesa apartment fire is unknown, and may have started in a garage that was converted into a living space. Investigators are also trying to determine the legality of the living space. Depending on what investigators find as to liability, the family of the deceased boy may be able to make a wrongful death claim against the responsible party.

We have previously commented on the many dangers of apartment fires in Los Angeles and throughout California, including the serious risks of burn injuries. Burn injury victims should obtain proper medical care right away as these injuries can be very serious and potentially life threatening. The proper medical care can make a huge difference in the recovery time and the extent of scarring. Depending on where the burn is, scar damage from burn injuries can be traumatizing and life altering.