California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

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.

Los Angeles Catastrophic Injury Attorney

December 5, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Accidents happen every day in Los Angeles and throughout California. Some can be considered minor, such as a fender bender collision with only little or no significant injuries, but some are major catastrophic injuries. Whether the injury is minor or major, it is an important event to the person who suffers the injury and for those who care for and love that person.

Even though an injury may seem minor, we know that an aching back or neck can be debilitating on the entire body and can significantly alter a person’s lifestyle. For this reason, we do not take any of our California injury accident cases lightly and we strive to give all of our clients the attention they desire and deserve.

It is this extra level of personal attention that we strive to give to all our clients, whether their injury is perceived as minor or catastrophic. When a major, life altering injury occurs as a result of another person or entity’s negligence, it is important to have a Los Angeles personal injury attorney who is there for you, who you can talk to, who you can meet with, and who will explain to you the procedures and give you incite as to what exactly is going on. It is our continuing goal to meet all of these requirements for all of our injured clients.

Avoiding a Rain Accident in Los Angeles

December 3, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Although rainy days are rare in Los Angeles, they do appear every once in a while and cause plenty of hardships to Los Angeles commuters. Driving in rainy conditions can be very dangerous and we wish to remind our readers to be extra careful to avoid auto accidents caused by the rain.

One reason many accidents occur in the rain is decreased visibility, especially at night. This, combined with the fact that it takes cars a longer time to stop in the rain, mean that drivers should keep a much larger distance between their car and the cars around them.

Because there are more Los Angeles auto accidents in the rain, this often causes more traffic as drivers look to see what is going on in the shoulder of the road. It is very important to always concentrate on the road and not be too distracted with looking at ambulances, fire engines and police cars. These distractions often turn one Los Angeles auto accident into many.

Successful Resolution of Motorcycle Accident in Reseda

December 1, 2010 | by Robert Walch

A motorcycle accident claim in Los Angeles can be very difficult to resolve for numerous reasons. One reason is the common misconception that the driver of the motorcycle was speeding at the time of the accident. This is likely due to the loud noise that motorcycle engines often make.

If you are involved in a motorcycle collision in Los Angeles, it is very important that you obtain non-biased witness information. If a witness is able to decipher between a loud motorcycle and a fast motorcycle, this will help your cause.

Another misconception some people have about motorcycle riders is that they are reckless and weave through traffic. While this may be true about some motorcyclists, as it is for some car and truck drivers as well, what matters is what the actual person was doing at the time of the accident. Motorcyclists do not have fewer rights than cars on the road and they should not be judged by this frequent misconception.