San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A North County Transit District bus driver and six passengers sustained injuries when their bus collided with a pickup truck on the afternoon of August 28, 2010. According to Valley Center authorities this accident occurred around 2p.m. on North Lake Wohlford Road south of Valley Center.

The southbound pick up truck crossed into the northbound lanes and struck the district bus. Sgt. Scott Payson said that the left front end of the truck hit the left front of the bus and caused moderate damage to both the vehicles. The pickup driver fortunately escaped unhurt, but the bus driver along with his passengers suffered injuries. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment of their injuries.

The windshield of the bus shattered and some of the passengers complained of back and neck pain. Investigating officers are trying to determine why the pickup driver entered into the wrong lane on a straight stretch of road. Payson said that drugs and alcohol do not appear to be the reason behind this crash, but distraction due to cell phone cannot be ruled out. A right-of-way violation may have played a part in this traffic collision. California law requires drivers to give the right of way to oncoming vehicles and to cars who have already entered the intersection from a different road.

If this accident occurred due to the negligence of either or both of the drivers, then the responsible persons might be liable to pay legal compensation to the injured passengers for medical costs and other related damages.

Continue reading "San Diego County Bus Accident Leaves Seven Injured " »

A 39-year old Clairemont woman sustained serious injuries when her car collided with an empty dump truck near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on August 23, 2010 around 9:00 a.m. in the morning.

San Diego police lieutenant Andra Brown said a dump truck allegedly ran the red light from the State Route 163 (SR-163) off-ramp to Kearny Villa Road and hit a compact sedan driven by the woman. The female car driver suffered major injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. It is not clear whether the truck driver was hurt. Investigating officers closed the lanes to investigate the exact cause of this crash.

California law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and proceed with caution. According to California Vehicle Code section 21802 (a): "The driver of any vehicle approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within, an intersection shall stop as required by Section 22450. The driver shall then yield the right-of-way to any vehicles which have approached from another highway, or which are approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to those vehicles until he or she can proceed with reasonable safety." It clearly appears that the truck driver violated the traffic rules and caused this accident. It is possible that the truck driver was distracted or was driving under influence. Since there has been violation of traffic rules, the truck driver or his employer might be liable to pay a legal compensation to the injured woman for medical expenses, cost of medical care, and for pain and suffering.

It is unfortunate that the truck driver’s negligent driving caused the woman so much suffering. We hope that she recovers to her complete health soon.

Continue reading "San Diego Auto Accident Seriously Injures Clairemont Woman" »

A 75-year-old Rosemead man died on the morning of August 15, 2010, at around 6:00 a.m. when he crashed his minivan on an off-ramp of the 110 freeway. California Highway Patrol officer Dane Norem said that this fatal car crash occurred on Slauson Avenue in South Los Angeles.

CHP officials found a 1993 Nissan Quest lying on its side on Slauson Avenue. The driver of the minivan was thrown out of the vehicle and was pronounced dead later. It is believed that the 1993 Nissan veered to the left crashing into a wall before coming to rest after several spins.

We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this elderly driver who died in this fatal car accident. Investigating authorities are still searching for the true cause of this fatal crash. Unfortunately, it is unclear from the facts of the story why the accident occurred. There is a possibility that the auto accident may have been the result of a mechanical defect or design issue. It could have also been the result of an uneven road surface. Regardless of the facts, the victims’ families should consult with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney who can hire a trained private investigator to investigate how the accident occurred and to determine if there are any facts which would suggest that the accident was the cause of someone else’s negligence, that would entitle them for a compensation to cover the cost of funeral arrangements, loss of love and companionship and other related damages.

Ross Jurewitz is a Los Angeles car accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured in a car accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Los Angeles, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

Continue reading "Elderly Rosemead Man Killed In Los Angeles Rollover Car Crash" »

Brandon David Brown, 31, died in a car accident on June 20, 2010, when his Toyota Tercel struck a SUV that stopped in the north bound lane of the 405 Freeway (I-405, the San Diego Freeway) near Culver City. According to the CBS news report, Brown died at the accident scene after driving his vehicle to the rear side of the SUV.

California Highway Patrol Officers said that the SUV driver ran from the scene of accident without attending to Brown. Authorities are looking in for that suspected hit and run driver and his vehicle.

We offer our deepest condolences to Brown’s family and friends for such a tragic and devastating loss. We hope that the California Highway Patrol officers are able to trace that hit and run driver and are able to bring in some justice for the Brown family. The family of the deceased may be entitled for compensation to cover the cost of funeral, loss of earning, loss of love and companionship and other related damages. The driver not only caused the auto accident but also committed a felony by running away from the scene of accident leaving Brown to die. According to California Vehicle Code Section 20001(a), a driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in death or injury must stop and remain at the accident scene. The clear purpose of this law is to make sure that the responsible party contacts the people injured in an accident and provides them with assistance. There are few acts worse than leaving the scene of an injury auto accident.

Continue reading "Culver City Car Accident Caused By Suspected Hit-And-Run Driver" »

Enrique Aniceto, 47, was standing next to his disabled 2010 Honda when he was struck by another vehicle on June 19, 2010, in Anaheim. The Orange County Register reports that this accident happened along the westbound lanes of the 91 Freeway (SR-91).

Aniceto was pronounced dead at the accident scene. It appears that there occurred an initial collision between two cars followed by another fatal crash along the Fastrak Lane of the freeway close to the Imperial Highway exit. We offer our deepest condolences to Aniceto’s family and friends for such a tragic loss.

The investigation is in progress to know the root cause of this car crash. The driver of the other car failed to notice a stranded car and Aniceto. This leads us to doubt his alertness while driving. Was he driving under influence or was he distracted and negligent? Under California law, it is unlawful for anyone to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of any drug or alcohol per California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a). If the driver who struck Aniceto is determined to have been responsible for the accident, he or she could be held liable for Aniceto's wrongful death. Aniceto family may be entitled for compensation to cover funeral expenses, loss of future earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other related expenses.

Continue reading "Anaheim Car Accident Kills Disabled Motorist" »

Two people, including a Garden Grove teenager, sustained injuries in a Santa Clarita car accident on June 15, 2010. According to the Orange County Register report, the traffic collision took place at the intersection of Stevenson Ranch Parkway and Pico Canyon Road. The car crash occurred when Jessie Frutos, 17, driving his Mercedes Benz E55 drove right into the path of a car driven by a Los Angeles Sherriff’s Patrol, Deputy Blake Carpenter, 24, and caused a head-on collision.

Frutos was heading east on Pico Canyon Road when either he or Officer Carpenter failed to give the right of the way to each other. The police investigation is still in progress to determine the exact cause of this collision. If the officer is found to have been negligent, he and/or his employer can be held liable for the cost of Frutos’ hospitalization, treatment of injuries, and other related expenses. California law requires drivers to give the right of way to oncoming vehicles and to vehicles who have already entered the intersection from a different road.

We wish both the injured victims a speedy recovery and hope that they did not sustain any major injury.

Continue reading "Santa Clarita Car Accident Leaves Teenager and Police Officer Injured " »

Two people sustained serious injuries on June 10, 2010, in an Irvine car crash when the driver lost control of his green colored Toyota Tacoma pickup. The driver of Toyota, Daniel Stirewalt, 23, was later arrested on the suspicion of drunken driving.

According to the Orange County Register news report, Stirewalt was driving east towards Walnut Avenue when he failed to negotiate a curve near Kazan Street. His vehicle then hit the center median and rolled over. The passenger riding in Stirewalt’s vehicle had to be pulled from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital with head injuries.

In accidents like these where a single vehicle accident is caused by a negligent driver, his injured passenger may be entitled for compensation to cover medical expenses, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, and other related damages. In this particular case, the driver may have been in violation of California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) for driving under the influence of alcohol. That section states, “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.”

Consulting with an experienced Irvine personal injury attorney is important in these cases because there are a variety of defenses which may be raised by the insurance company, including alleging that the injured victim is responsible for his own injuries for getting into a car with a driver he should have known was intoxicated and unfit to drive. That is a favorite insurance defense argument. In addition, a trained car accident lawyer may be able to have the negligent driver’s insurance company pay for his attorneys’ fees, rather than having the injured person being responsible for this bill.

Continue reading "Two People Injured in Irvine Car Crash" »

An unidentified man was seriously injured in an Anaheim car crash when he was hit by a Lexus IS 350 while walking in a crosswalk on June 11, 2010. According to Orange County Register, this pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of State College Boulevard and La Palma Avenue while the Lexus was trying to take a right turn.

According to the Orange County Register news report, the pedestrian was conscious and suffered severe back injuries as a result of the impact. Investigation is still being conducted to determine the exact cause of this pedestrian accident. As for now it is believed that the Lexus driver was at fault as the pedestrian was walking on the marked crosswalk, thereby having the right of way under California law. If the driver of Lexus was negligent, distracted, or was driving under influence, the pedestrian may be entitled to compensation for his injuries.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Injured In Anaheim Car Accident" »

Rebecca O’Mara, 21 of North Park, and Joshua Carr, 25 of Chula Vista, were killed and a third person suffered major injuries in a head-on car collision on Interstate 8 (I-8) in Mission Bay Park on Saturday, May 1, 2010. The traffic collision occurred at about 2:35 a.m. on the Ocean Beach Freeway near where it terminates at a t-shaped intersection at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol officers at the scene.

Rebecca and Joshua were in a 2008 Honda Civic and Adrian Villanueva, Jr., 25, of San Diego, was driving a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The car wreck between the two vehicles occurred around 2:35 a.m when they collided head on and one vehicle flipped over.. Adrian suffered a broken right wrist and left collarbone. Investigations are on to determine the cause of the collision as to who was going the wrong way on the freeway and also to rule out if Adrian was drunk.

We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of Rebecca and Joshua for the loss of their dear ones. It is very heart-breaking to bear the loss of young family members. It is hard to believe that the California Highway Patrol has yet to determine which driver was driving the wrongway on the freeway considering that section of I-8is divided. It is also hard to imagine that this accident did not involve alcohol and driving under the influence. If it is determined that one of the drivers was headed the wrong way on the freeway and under the influence of alcohol, the occupants of the other vehicle may be entitled to compensation. Families for all parties should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to determine their rights.

Continue reading "Two Killed in San Diego Auto Accident on I-8" »

David Russell Lafferty, 62, of Murrieta, was killed in a car crash on Interstate 5 (I-5) on May 18, 2010. At about 5: 30 a.m., Lafferty was driving his Honda sedan when the carwent off the road for unknown reasons just north of the truck scales.

Lafferty is said to have lost control of his car which then went down an embankment. The emergency medics declared him dead at the scene of accident. The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the reason of this crash.

If the loss of control was due to uneven road or a mechanical failure, Lafferty’s family may be entitled for compensation. These types of claims are factually specific and require an immediate and detailed investigation be performed by trained experts managed by a skilled personal injury lawyer. Any delay in the investigation may result in the loss of key pieces of evidence. However, regardless of whether the accident is the fault of anyone else, our prayers go out to his family for their loss.

Continue reading "Murrieta Man Killed in Camp Pendleton Traffic Accident " »

On May 18, 2010, a person driving a car fled away after hitting a child at a Clairemont Mesa gas station near the 5400 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard a little time before 3:30 p.m.

According to San Diego Police Department Detective Gary Hasen, medics were immediately called upon to evaluate the condition of the child to know it he was seriously injured. It was not clear at that time of the accident if the child was going to receive any hospital treatment. The driver who fled from the accident site was described as a white man in his 20s and that he was driving a white Toyota Corolla.

We pray that the child comes out safe and sound after this tragic incident. There is nothing more disgusting and upsetting than someone who flees the scene of an accident after injuring or killing another person. We hope that the police catch the suspect and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law

Continue reading "San Diego Hit and Run Car Accident Injures Young Boy" »

On May 18, 2010, a person driving a car fled away after hitting a child at a Clairemont Mesa gas station near the 5400 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard a little time before 3:30 p.m.

According to San Diego Police Department Detective Gary Hasen, medics were immediately called upon to evaluate the condition of the child to know it he was seriously injured. It was not clear at that time of the accident if the child was going to receive any hospital treatment. The driver who fled from the accident site was described as a white man in his 20s and that he was driving a white Toyota Corolla.

We pray that the child comes out safe and sound after this tragic incident. There is nothing more disgusting and upsetting than someone who flees the scene of an accident after injuring or killing another person. We hope that the police catch the suspect and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law

Continue reading "San Diego Hit and Run Car Accident Injures Young Boy" »