2010 September Archive

A worker sustained fatal job injuries after being crushed by equipment at a Long Beach rail facility. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal workplace accident occurred in the 2400 block of East Sepulveda Boulevard the morning of September 18, 2010. The worker was standing under a crane and doing repair work when the accident occurred, a fellow worker told the Times. The victim died instantly. Another worker, who was in the area, was also pinned under the crane and sustained injuries. But, the extent of his injuries is not known. An investigation is ongoing. Read the rest »

Pasadena catastrophic injury isn't a wide-spread fear for local residents, but the new reports of personal injury are starting to shed light on a potential problem for their community. The general public has been made more aware of dog attacks and pedestrian accidents and is pushing for ways to combat these problems. Read the rest »

A female passenger suffered major injuries in a Riverside car accident, which officials say, was caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Desert-Sun, the injury crash occurred early morning on September 16, 2010, on Highway 74 at mile marker 91 south of Palm Desert. California Highway Patrol officials say 22-year-old Gustavo Islas Duran was driving a 1998 Honda Civic west on the highway when he lost control of the car, which rolled over. His 19-year-old passenger was transported to a local hospital for treatment of major injuries. Duran was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, driving with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.08 percent and driving without a valid license. Read the rest »

Two people sustained injuries in a San Bernardino car accident after an out-of-control vehicle crashed into their home. According to a news report in The Victorville Daily Press, the driver of a pickup truck going north on the 15 Freeway lost control of his vehicle the morning of September 14, 2010 and crashed through a fence and into a home at the corner of Mariposa Road and Tamarack Drive. The two victims, an elderly woman and her son, were transported to a regional medical center in serious condition. Read the rest »

A woman, who was killed in a bicycle accident the morning of September 10, 2010 in San Bernardino, has been identified as 43-year-old Lauretta Jean Romo. The San Bernardino County Sun reports that the fatal crash occurred during the early morning hours near the intersection of Highland and Davidson avenues in San Bernardino. Police say an eastbound vehicle hit Romo as she was riding west in the eastbound lanes of Highland. The driver fled the scene of a crash. To injure someone and then flee the scene of the accident is despicable. If you witnessed this crash, please visit our web site, www.hitandrunreward.com to offer an anonymous tip and become eligible to receive a $1,000 reward. Read the rest »

An 80-year-old pedestrian was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after he was hit by a vehicle, which officials say, ran a stop sign. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, 20-year-old Ani Voskanian struck the man in the crosswalk at California and Columbus avenues, in Glendale, the evening of September 15, 2010. The severely injured pedestrian was transported to a local hospital where he died. Police say Voskanian showed no signs of slowing while approaching the four-way stop. An investigation is ongoing and Voskanian could face manslaughter charges. Read the rest »

Sadie Bruder, 8, sustained critical head injuries in a car accident in Visalia as she was celebrating her birthday at the Riverway Sports Park in Visalia. According to a news report in the Tulare Advance-Register, Sadie was walking on a private drive near Dinuba Boulevard on September 11, 2010, when a 2002 Ford Focus driven by 59-year-old Maria Cabeza hit her. No charges have been filed yet pending an investigation. Read the rest »

David Bruce Menea, 54, was killed in a San Diego car accident after his bicycle was struck by a suspected drunk driver, The North County Times reports. California Highway Patrol officials say the fatal bicycle crash occurred when Menea was cycling across Main Street near Kalbaugh Street in Ramona the night of September 11, 2010. He was struck by an SUV driven by 32-year-old Suzanne Reed. The out-of-control SUV then hit a parked Volkswagen pushing into the side of a liquor store. Menea died at the scene. Two passengers in the Volkswagen sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Reed was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. More criminal charges are expected to be filed in this case, officials say.

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I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of David Bruce Menea for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Accident Statistics

There were seven deaths and 959 injuries involving bicycle accidents in San Diego County, according to California Highway Patrol's 2008 traffic accident statistics. Also, countywide, 104 people died and 2,033 were injured as a result of DUI collisions in 2008.
DUI Laws
Driving under the influence is a serious crime under California law. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a): "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."
A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges. California Penal Code section 191.5 (a) states: "Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence."

Claim for Compensation

Families of deceased victims and injured victims in such cases would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer, who has had a successful track record holding drunk drivers financially responsible for their actions. A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will also be able to advise victims or their families about how their car insurance policy applies to an incident where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.

Do you believe first-time DUI offenders should be required to install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles? Please visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) web site at www.madd.org to get more information about the dangers of drinking and driving.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Two people were injured in a car accident involving three vehicles on Highway 17 near Los Gatos the morning of September 13, 2010. According to a news report in the San Jose Mercury News, the crash was reported south of Blosson Hill Road when a Toyota Celica driven by a 19-year-old woman crashed into a Toyota Camry driven by a 60-year-old man in the number two lane of the highway. The force of the collision pushed the Camry into the number one lane. The Camry was then broadsided by a Santa Clara County sheriff's patrol car. The deputy and the driver of the Camry were transported to a local hospital with injuries. The driver of the Celica was uninjured. Read the rest »

Crystal Marie Rodriguez, 19, was killed in a Sacramento area car accident after the 1997 Ford SUV in which she was a passenger crashed the morning of September 11, 2010. According to a news report in The Sacramento Bee, the fatal rollover crash occurred on County Road 35 in Woodland. California Highway Patrol officials say the driver of the SUV, 19-year-old Timothy Patrick Hernandez, has been arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter. Eight others, including the driver, were injured. Six sustained major injuries. Rodriguez was ejected and killed at the scene. Read the rest »