California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

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.

Lawsuit Filed After Big Rig Truck Crash Wrongful Death

March 23, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Marcos Costa, a truck driver who is facing murder charges for a California truck accident in April of 2009, has filed suit against Los Angeles County, the California Department of Transportation and the City of La Cañada, alleging that improper maintenance of the Angeles Crest Highway caused the fatal truck accident.

An attorney for Caltrans has called Mr. Costa’s claim “frivolous” and says that the truck accident leading to the wrongful death of two people was caused by Costa, who was driving his truck with a defective braking system and because Costa allegedly did not follow the rules for trucks on California highways.

In his lawsuit, Mr. Costa, a native of Brazil, is asking for “$500,000 for property damage, loss of liberty due to criminal proceedings and ‘oppression, mental duress, stress and mental trauma’.”

The La Cañada Flintridge truck accident killed two people after the big rig truck went out of control. Mr. Costa says there should have been an emergency truck lane for out of control trucks. Costa also claims that the Angeles Crest Highway is a high accident zone and he cited seven prior truck crashes at the intersection. He claims that these prior accidents should have put the government entities on notice of the danger.

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.