California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Glendale Pedestrian Collision and Wrongful Death Possibly Caused by Texting Driver

December 21, 2010 | by Robert Walch

Ani Voskanian has been arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter for allegedly texting while driving, running a stop sign and colliding with an 80 year old man in a Glendale pedestrian accident. The man, Misak Ranjbar, later died from head trauma in Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Ms. Voskanian’s attorney claims that she was not texting, the sun was in her eyes and that Mr. Ranjbar hit her car, causing this Glendale pedestrian collision. However, the district attorney’s office said the case was filed based on a careful review of the evidence (which might include cellular phone records from the time of the accident or an eyewitness account of the incident).

According to the Los Angeles Times, Glendale Mayor, Ara Najarian, has said that distracted driving has reached “epidemic” proportions in Glendale. Distractions, which are sometimes illegal, depending on the jurisdiction, should always be avoided, and can include talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, putting on makeup, caring for children in passenger seats, looking at a navigation system, etc.

Pedestrian Killed Crossing Street in Los Angeles

December 20, 2010 | by Robert Walch

A Lawndale, California resident, Maria Castaneda Núñez, was killed Saturday when she was struck by a vehicle, and possibly hit by a bus, in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident.

According to the driver, after his pickup truck collided with the victim, a Metro bus struck her as well. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (who frequently deny claims made against them), it is unclear if a Metro bus was involved in this Los Angeles pedestrian collision. The MTA said it inspected five buses that could have been in the area and sent the video footage from their cameras to the police.

Tragedy: Two Killed in Palmdale Automobile Accident

December 19, 2010 | by Robert Walch

The details are unclear at this time, but it can probably be assumed that the weather can at least partly be to blame for a two car collision in Palmdale that left two people dead and another three people injured, according to the Los Angeles Times. Two of the injured are in critical condition at Antelope Valley Hospital.

The California Highway Patrol reports that the Palmdale car accident, involving a Mercedes-Benz and a sport utility vehicle occurred on Pearblossom Highway at Sierra Highway.

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.