California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Street Racer Sentenced to 7 Years for Glendale Crash

January 28, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Aren Aznavoleh, a Glendale resident, has been sentenced to seven years in prison as a result of a car crash he caused while allegedly racing his car through the streets of Glendale. The Glendale auto accident, which left one man paralyzed, occurred in 2009.

The victim, Rafick Daroosee, an Iranian, had only been living in the United States for 3 months before this car accident. Mr. Daroosee suffered severe brain damage and is paralyzed from this Glendale auto collision. His wife, who does not speak English or have a job, has been left to care for him.

A restitution hearing, in which Mr. Daroosee’s family will be able to appeal to the court to order Mr. Aznavoleh to pay them money for the damages they have caused, will be held on March 8, 2011. Unfortunately, all too often in these types of situations, the perpetrator of the crime does not have the money or assets to pay the amount ordered in the restitution hearing. Mr. Daroosee’s family will also be able to make a claim against Mr. Aznavoleh’s automobile insurance coverage, if he had coverage. In this case, it can be assumed that there will not be sufficient insurance coverage to cover the significant injuries and damages suffered by Mr. Darooosee.

Man Killed in San Bernardino Motorcycle Accident

January 27, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A high speed chase, involving a stolen pickup truck, has resulted in a motorcyclist getting killed in San Bernardino, California. The incident began when a man called police as he was following his car, which had been stolen.

Police followed the 2001 Ford F-150 pick up truck until it entered the wrong way onto the exit ramp of Interstate 215. Police chose to no longer follow the pickup truck due to the risks involved. However, the truck continued and hit a motorcycle, driven by a 57 year old man from Riverside, California, who was killed in this San Bernardino motorcycle accident.

The assailant, described as a 5’6″ Hispanic male, approximately 25 years old, with average build and a shaved head, fled the scene on foot, and was not caught by police.

It will have to be determined if there was more that police could have done to prevent this tragic San Bernardino wrongful death accident. In the past, we have discussed how high speed chases, of non-violent offenders, have resulted in very serious and catastrophic injuries to innocent bystanders. If at all possible, when police see a car acting erratically to evade them, a helicopter should be called in to watch overhead until the suspect stops, rather than exposing the public to this risk of harm.

Be Very Careful — Avoid Traffic Tickets in Los Anageles

January 26, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A client of ours just forwarded to us an email based on information from the Los Angeles Times about California using traffic ticket revenue from Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and other areas to collect money to try to balance its budget. The email states:

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES HAS AN ARTICLE ON THE SUBJECT:

Please be extremely careful in your driving and car registration & insurance matters. State of California is broke and it is trying hard to squeeze all of us hard to collect money.

Effective immediately, if you do not stop at a red light, be ready to pay $436 in fines or if you pass a school bus with flashing red signals, you will be charged $616. The state of California is going for blood, so be extra careful in driving. It has been reported that the Calif. Highway Patrols are under pressure to issue a lot more tickets than last year with at least 30% increase in fines over 2009, so beware of radar guns, highway and traffic cameras and the tougher enforcement of parking rules.
Just for your info, the next time you park in the handicapped zone, even for a minute, you could be looking at almost $1000 in parking tickets, so don’t do it!

Traffic Ticket Fines (Effective 01/06/2011)

VC 12814.6 $214 Failure to obey license provisions.

VC 14600(A) $214 Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days [Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction].

Jury Awards $1.2 Million in Police Brutality Case of Bounty Hunter Shot by LAPD

January 25, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles jury has awarded $1.2 million in damages in a police brutality case brought by a bounty hunter who was shot and wounded by a Los Angeles Police Department. The bounty hunter, Elvin Andre Gilbert, was in South Los Angeles, seizing a bail jumper who was wanted on a felony, when he was shot by the police officer.

Apparently, the police officer found Gilbert, with Allen Badoya, another bail agent, holding the suspected bail jumper with his hands behind his back and a gun to his head. The officer, who mistook the situation for an armed robbery or kidnapping, then shot Mr. Gilbert.

Gilbert’s attorney argued that Gilbert’s gun was not raised when they were confronted by the officers. Gilbert said he was shot as soon as he stood up and he never heard the officers give a warning. They also argued that the LAPD had previously been notified that the bounty hunters would be operating in that area. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department said the officer did give a warning before shooting and only shot after Gilbert turned towards them. There have also been allegations that police tried to plant evidence to make it look like a reasonable shooting.

Gilbert was shot three times, including in his stomach and right arm. The jury in this Los Angeles civil lawsuit ruled that the LAPD did not have the probable cause needed to arrest Gilbert, and awarded him $1.165 million total, including $365,000 in economic damages, $200,000 for his physical pain, mental suffering and emotional distress, and a further $600,000 for his future damages.

Walch Selected Personal Injury Attorney of the Year 2010

January 24, 2011 | by Robert Walch

We are extremely proud to announce that a member of our firm, Gary Walch, was selected Personal Injury Attorney of the Year for 2010 by the Editorial Staff of the Consumer Business Review.

Gary has been an attorney since 1975, graduating from UCLA summa cum laude (with highest honors) and then the UCLA School of Law.

During his legal career of successfully handling thousands of serious injury claims in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino counties he has resolved claims for many millions of dollars for his clients.

1 Killed, 2 in Serious Condition After Los Angeles Work Accident

January 22, 2011 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles work accident at a pharmaceutical company in Atwater Village, has resulted in the death of an employee and serious injuries to two other workers.

Apparently, on Friday morning, a worker saw two of his colleagues unconscious from inhaling very strong ethanol fumes that they were using to clean blood plasma from a container. The worker called 911 for emergency assistance and then went to help his co-workers. Unfortunately, he was also overcome by the fumes and died from this Los Angeles work injury. Paramedics and firefighters arrived at the scene close to 4:00 a.m., where they found two unconscious workers in the container and the third worker, who was also unconscious, outside the container.

Due to the extreme threat from the fumes, the rescue workers had to put on protective suits with breathing equipment so they could enter the area to try to rescue the workers. Jaime Moore, Los Angeles Fire Chief, said that if it had not been for the actions taken by the rescue workers, all three workers would have been killed in this work related accident.

Wrong Way Driver Kills 2 In Anaheim Car Accident

January 21, 2011 | by Robert Walch

According to the Los Angeles Times, early Wednesday morning, on the 91 Freeway, in Anaheim, California, a man, traveling westbound on the eastbound lanes, crashed into another vehicle. The Anaheim car accident killed both the driver and passenger of the other vehicle.

The man who allegedly caused this collision by traveling on the wrong side of the freeway, was a 21 year old man from South Gate, California. He was in a Mercedes-Benz when he collided with the Toyota Scion. The occupants of the Scion were a 26 year old man from Diamond Bar, California and a 24 year old woman from Long Beach, California. The man was ejected from the vehicle but the passenger was not ejected.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the Mercedez was in grave condition and was taken to the University of California at Irvine Medical Center where he was placed under arrest.

It is not presently known why the man was traveling the wrong way on the freeway, causing this Anaheim wrongful death accident. Possible explanations could include confusion, intoxication, a suicide attempt or an attempt to wreak havoc and cause harm to others.

Driver Who Hit 2 Pedestrians Allegedly Arrested on Marijuana Charges

January 20, 2011 | by Robert Walch

After a downtown Los Angeles pedestrian accident, the driver of the vehicle has allegedly been arrested on charges related to marijuana possession. Allegedly, the passenger in the vehicle purchased the marijuana from a marijuana dispensary in Pasadena, using a prescription, and had it in his backpack at the time of the collision.

When officers investigated the Los Angeles auto versus pedestrian accident, they found 13 grams of marijuana in the backpack, after smelling marijuana in the vehicle. The driver was apparently also arrested, possibly on the suspicion that marijuana use contributed to causing the auto v. pedestrian accident.

The two pedestrians, who were hit by the car in Los Angeles, claimed to be injured but did not want immediate medical attention and were not transported to the hospital by ambulance.

It is important to note that while it may be legal to obtain marijuana by medical prescription for personal use, it is illegal to drive while under the influence of marijuana. If the driver involved in this Los Angeles auto accident was found to be under the influence of marijuana at the time, he could face some serious criminal charges. Fortunately, the pedestrians who were struck were not seriously injured.

Metrolink Train Kills 1 in Sylmar

January 19, 2011 | by Robert Walch

On Tuesday, January 18, 2011, at around 8:00 p.m., a man was killed after being struck by a Metrolink train in Sylmar, California. It is unknown why the man, who was 19 years old, was hit by the train. The Los Angeles train accident happened near where Pierce Street intersects with San Fernando Road, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

According to the Los Angeles Times, who analyzed data from 1993 to September of 2008, three Metrolink accidents, apparently none involving injures or deaths, occurred at that intersection. Interestingly, one block north of where this train v. pedestrian accident happened, where the trains cross Van Nuys Boulevard, there have been eight accidents which have resulted in five deaths and one injury, during the same time period.

Unless the cause of the train accident in Los Angeles was a suicide attempt by the pedestrian killed in the accident, the family of the victim should hire a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer to investigate the cause of the accident and whether there was any fault attributable to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Newport Beach Crash Kills 3 – New Details

January 18, 2011 | by Robert Walch

Some new information has come in as to potential causes for the Newport Beach car accident that killed 3 people, and injured many more, this past weekend. It has emerged that the driver of the vehicle that allegedly caused the collision, Julie Allen, a 27 year old former high school track star, had possibly taken medication in the past for a possible mental health problem. Much detail is not currently available, but there are reports of a “serious episode” when Allen was in high school.

Friends and family have described Allen as a very cautious, religious person, who would not speed. At the time of the , since her car was allegedly traveling at such high speeds that it was airborne, possibly for more than 50 feet, before it crashed into other cars and a motorcycle.

The driver of the motorcycle was reportedly critically injured in the car accident. Two other motorists, Linda Burnett, who was from Santa Ana, California, and Christopher De La Cruz, from Laguna Niguel, California, were killed in the accident and their families will likely make Newport Beach wrongful death claims.

It has also emerged that another possible cause for the Newport Beach multi-vehicle collision could be a stuck accelerator, after investigators saw a web posting from Allen’s mom, regarding a prior incident in which her daughter’s vehicle had a stuck accelerator and could not control the speed. That incident ended safely and it is unclear if the web post was referring to Julie Allen or another sibling.