Andrea Bardonner was accompanied by her two daughters, Nichelle and Makayla, on July 27, 2006, when her 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara tumbled down a steep embankment causing the vehicle to roll-over. Nichelle and Makayla suffered permanent injuries in the accident. Bardonner’s seat belt developed a slack after the roof rails and the windshield bent inwards, resulting in her ejection from the vehicle. This led to severe injuries to Bardonner who later succumbed to death.

Attorneys for the Bardonner family allege that Suzuki Motors and Takata Corporations, which manufactures seatbelts for the Suzuki and is responsible for the driver and passenger restraint systems in place, were well aware of the defects in the safety system and hence the defendant is accused of intended negligence.

As personal injury lawyers, our office always supports the search for truth and justice after someone has been injured. The typical questions that we have to ask following an accident are: (1) was the accident caused by the negligence or carelessness of another person/company; (2) if so, did that negligence actually cause the injury to occur; and (3) what is the extent and nature of that injury so that a jury can determine what amount to compensate the injured person or the family of the wrongful death victim for their loss. Product liability cases like these, involving alleged defective vehicles, are very specialized and require lawyers and experts who are very familiar with the factual issues involved in the manufacturing of cars and SUVs and the required safety components that are used to prevent death and serious injury.

The lawsuit accuses Toyota of manufacturing and distributing a dangerous product along with Bob Baker Lexus, the El Cajon based car dealership who loaned the sedan, for negligence. The surviving relatives are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

Up to today, 58 people have been killed in the cases involving a Toyota vehicle with acceleration malfunctioning. While even one injury or lost life due to unexpected and uncontrollable acceleration is too many, these deaths are completely inexcusable. One would expect that the gas pedal or brake pedal in your car would work properly at all times. These are the controls that manage the speed of the vehicle itself. For the car to speed away without the guidance of the driver is a scary thought and can certainly cause severe injury and death.

The deceased, David Epstein, was heading north on the Interstate 15 (I-15) in the Mountain View area of San Diego when his Toyota sedan veered to the right for unexplained reasons and collided with the parked big-rig truck. Epstein died on the spot.

Given the recent reports of braking system failure issues, unexpected acceleration, and other technical malfunctions in Toyota manufactured cars, this tragic accident might have been caused by one of these defects. We wish to express our condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Epstein. At the same time we urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to arrive at the precise reasons of the car crash.

Collier was driving westbound on State Route 52 (SR-52) when he spotted a car heading toward him on the same side of the highway. He made a quick u-turn to pursue the car, turning into an auxiliary lane in the highway median, but then struck a bridge abutment between Mast Boulevard and Santo Road near Mission Trails Regional Park in northeastern San Diego County.

Our office wishes to express our sincere prayers for the family and loved ones of Deputy Ken Collier. It is sad that we lost such a competent officer who was looking out for the safety of others. There are few things more dangerous on San Diego’s highways and streets than a drunk driver—unless, of course, if it is a drunk driver heading the wrong way on a freeway. The damage that Mr. Lopez could have caused had he crashed into another vehicle or vehicles is unimaginable. Not only could he have killed himself, but he would likely have killed anyone he ran into. Deputy Collier understood this and decided to chase Mr. Lopez to prevent this tragedy. Unfortunately, he lost his life doing so. We hope that the San Diego District Attorneys’ Office prosecutes Mr. Lopez to the fullest extent of the law.