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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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" »

Four people were hurt, one with serious head injuries, in a vehicle crash in the El Cerrito neighborhood of San Diego on the afternoon of May 7, 2010.

The car wreck happened around 3 p.m. in the 5500 block of El Cajon Boulevard between 54th and 56th streets. The Police had closed the road for investigation of the crash. The four inured were rushed to nearest medal center. One of the four people injured is said to have suffered major head injuries. It is fortunate that there was no loss of life.

Our office wishes speedy recovery to all hurt. We just wish and hope that people are more careful while driving. Every day we hear so many people losing their lives to accidents. We all can reduce such threats to our lives by being more cautious. While driving a car, adhere to all the safety rules. Speeding and driving under influence of alcohol are the major causes of drivers ending up in an accident.

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A 60-year-old woman was left seriously injured in a Los Angeles County auto accident.

The injured woman, Linda Bissegar, was on her way to the church, along with her husband and grandson, when the Toyota Sienna minivan they were in crashed into a truck. The crash caused an explosion. Reportedly, the brakes of her minivan failed to work despite the woman’s repeated tries. Bissegar broke her feet in the process and had to be carried out. Her husband and grandson managed to crawl out of the car.

Our office wishes Bissegar a quick recovery. We hope that a complete and thorough investigation is done by the authorities to find out the cause of the crash. If the problem resides in the model, then it would be in everyone’s including Toyota’s best interests to have this recalled.

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Four people were injured in a Los Angeles auto accident that involved a bus, a truck, and a car. The accident occurred at Sierra Madre Boulevard on the 210 Freeway on March 30, 2010 around 6 a.m.

The case is still under investigation and as of now not much information has been received. The accident had a semi-truck, a Southland Transit bus, and a car crashing on the freeway causing the cab of the truck to separate from its’ trailer and roll down the edge of the interstate. The semi-truck driver was critically injured and taken to an area hospital, as were the other two drivers. Another motorist also faced minor injuries.

Our office wishes all the drivers good health and hope that they recover quickly. We also anticipate the investigation to finish soon so that the cause can be known to all and preventive measures be undertaken, if need be.

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A man was killed and three others were injured in a fatal Riverside County car accident that happened between a Ford pickup and Toyota Prius on March 30, 2010. The auto accident happened at around 12:30 p.m. on the northbound 86 Expressway at Airport Boulevard.

The Ford driver, 42-year old Yucca Valley resident Amber Line, reportedly slammed into the rear of the Toyota while pulling a trailer with her pickup truck. The traffic collision made both the vehicles move around 300 feet from the point of crash. One of the Toyota passengers lost his life and another passenger was sent to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. The two drivers were treated for minor injuries.

Our office wishes to offer our prayers and condolences to the friends and family of the deceased man and the people injured in this wreck. The passenger lost his life to no fault of his own—just the apparent carelessness of the pickup driver. This collision was completely avoidable had the truck driver been paying more attention and leaving more space between his truck and the Prius.

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Three people were injured in a San Diego rollover car accident that took place on March 22, 2010 on northbound Interstate 15 (I-15) just south of Deer Springs Road in Escondido.

The vehicle in which they were traveling rear-ended another vehicle which made it roll off the Interstate and crash through a fence. It landed upside down on North Centre City Parkway. Two people were trapped inside the car and had to be rescued by fire fighters.

We are glad that no one was seriously hurt due to this traffic collision. But it goes without saying that one has to be exceedingly cautious on the road, and more so on the freeway. Everyone was very lucky that the injuries suffered in this accident were not more serious.

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Two 90-year old women were injured in a San Diego car accident on March 16, 2010 when their car veered off a La Playa-area street and crashed into a garage.

The driver of the sedan lost control while making a turn onto the 400 block of Rosecrans Street in Point Loma shortly after noon. The vehicle crashed into a garage door, destroying it, and damaging the corner of the carport. Paramedics took the driver and her passenger to UCSD Medical Center for treatment for their injuries.

Though we are glad that no major injuries were suffered and all the property damage can be repaired, we remain very concerned about monitoring the driving ability of elderly drivers. While we understand that senior citizens value their independence and mobility just as much as anyone else, the fact of the matter is that reaction times and motor skills diminish with age. In addition, the likelihood of serious accidents being caused by stroke or heart attack also increases. We support efforts that allow senior citizens to drive provided they undergo more frequent testing in order to keep their drivers’ license.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Wreck Injures Two Women When Car Crashes Into House" »

Four people were left injured in a Riverside County car accident that took place on March 13, 2010. The accident happened at Monroe Avenue and Avenue 50 in Indio at about 8:15 p.m.

Though it’s yet uncertain why and how the traffic accident happened, two of the victims received major injuries and the other two minor to moderate injuries. One of the victims was transported to a trauma center by helicopter.

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42-year old Khuong Nguyen suffered serious injuries on the night of March 5, 2010 when a car crashed into him in the parking lot of Ramada Inn Plaza on Garden Grove Boulevard.
The car, a Jeep Liberty SUV, was being driven by 58-year old Dzung Truoung into the parking lot of the Garden Grove hotel when it hit Nguyen and dragged him until he was finally sandwiched between the SUV and a wall. Truoung claims that the brakes failed to operate and he tried to stop but to could not do so. The police officials are investigating the car crash and appropriate legal action might be taken against the auto-makers, in case of brake system malfunction, or Truoung.

The Orange County car accident left Nguyen with severe leg injuries. Nguyen can file a claim in civil court for damages against the Truoung. Our office prays Nguyen has a quick recovery and regains full use of his legs and body. This is a horrible auto accident and clearly one that could have been avoided with reasonable care.

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