San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Blog

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 " »