Jacob Conneen, 24, and five others sustained injuries in a Bakersfield car accident, which officials say, was caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Californian, the injury collision occurred the morning of June 9, 2011 at the intersection of California Avenue and Oak Street. Police say 18-year-old David Longoria, who was driving a Lincoln Mark VII, ran a red light and crashed into a Nissan Altima driven by Conneen. Both drivers suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as did four passengers in Longoria's vehicle. Longoria was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and driving without a license.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this injury collision. I wish all the injured victims a speedy and complete recovery.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 14 people were killed and 140 were injured in Bakersfield DUI collisions. During that same year, there were 35 fatalities and 476 injuries reported as a result of alcohol-related crashes in Kern County.

Violation of Several Laws

Based on this news report, it appears that Longoria was not only an unlicensed driver, but also an underage driver, who was driving under the influence. Drivers 21 years of age and older may not drive a car with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 percent or over under California Vehicle Code Section 23152.

Drivers under the age of 21 face even greater restrictions regarding alcohol. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23136: "It is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 years who has a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.01 percent or greater, as measured by a preliminary alcohol screening test or other chemical test, to drive a vehicle." In addition, Longoria ran a red light at the intersection causing this injury collision.

Victims' Claim for Compensation

In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, hospitalization, physical therapy and other related damages. It appears here that the teen driver lacked a valid license. It is possible that this driver does not carry auto insurance. Car accident victims can seek compensation through the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause of their own vehicle insurance policy. An experienced Bakersfield personal injury lawyer will better advise injured victims about their legal rights and options. For more information about the dangers of driving under the influence, please visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) web site at www.madd.org.

Seriously injured in a Bakersfield car accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a Kern County street intersection accident. Call 800-561-4887. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE Bakersfield personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.

Bakersfield Car Accident Involves Suspected Drunk Driver is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

A dog bite incident in Bakersfield involving two pit bulls has left Alisha Billington and her family in fear, ABC News reports. Officials say the pit bull attack occurred on April 24, 2011. The Billington family dog, Dallas, was killed by two pit bulls that charged through their fence into their backyard. The dogs also turned and attempted to bite Billington's husband. Since no humans were injured in the incident, the authorities were not able take the dogs into custody. On April 28, 2011, the vicious dogs tore through the fence again. No one was injured that time either. One of the animals was surrendered to animal control after this second incident, but the seemingly vicious dogs continue to remain next door to this family. Billington says she now fears for the safety of her 2-year-old daughter.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family affected by this vicious Kern County dog attack. I wish them safety and peace of mind during this stressful time.

Dog Bite Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dogs bite approximately 4.5 million Americans every year. About one in five dog bites require medical attention. In the year 2006, more than 31,000 people suffered serious injuries that required reconstructive surgery following a dog attack. Also, according to CDC statistics, more than half of all fatal dog bite incidents in the United States involve two breeds of dogs – pit bulls and rottweilers.

The Law Relating to Dog Bites

California’s Civil Code Section 3342 states: "The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness." In short, dog owners may be held liable for the injuries their pet causes. If a dog has injured your dog, you can seek damages including vet bills from the owner of the attacking dog. A number of cities and municipalities are adopting more stringent vicious dog laws. Breed bans are illegal in California. However, some cities are imposing restrictions on owners of pit bulls, including requiring liability insurance coverage.

Liability Issues

Dog bite victims are usually burdened with significant expenses including medical costs, hospitalization and surgery. Dog bite victims can also seek non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and emotional distress. Victims would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced California personal injury lawyer who has a successful track record of holding negligent dog owners accountable. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.

Seriously injured in a Bakersfield dog bite incident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a Bakersfield dog attack. Call 800-561-4887. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE Bakersfield personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.

Pit Bull Attack Terrorizes Bakersfield Family is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

Seven people were injured in a Bakersfield car accident involving two separate vehicles rolling over. According to an ABC news report, the rollover accident occurred at Lerdo Highway and Magnolia Avenue near Shafter the afternoon of April 24, 2011. Police say a white van went through a stop sign and struck a black SUV. Both vehicles rolled over and one person was ejected. Two victims suffered major injuries, two others sustained moderate injuries and the three victims suffered minor to moderate injuries. Investigators are trying to determine why the driver of the white van went through the stop sign.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this rollover accident. I wish them all the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), two people were killed and 34 were injured in Shafter car accidents. During that same year, 103 fatalities and 3,460 injuries occurred involving car accidents in Kern County.

Possible Stop Sign Violation

It appears from the report that one of the motorists, the driver of the white van, failed to obey a stop sign. 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."

Fault and Liability

If it is determined that the driver of the white van was at fault, then, he or she could be held liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused here. In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation to cover damages including medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, surgeries, physical therapy and other rehabilitation costs. Car accident victims would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Bakersfield personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.

Seriously injured in a Kern County car accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a Bakersfield rollover accident. Call 800-561-4887. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE Bakersfield personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.

Kern County Rollover Accident Involves Possible Stop Sign Violation is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

A man in a wheelchair sustained moderate injuries in a Bakersfield car accident, which officials say, involved a hit-and-run driver. KGET TV 17 reports that the hit-and-run car accident occurred at the intersection of California Avenue and Myrtle Street in Bakersfield the night of March 1, 2011. The victim suffered moderate injuries when a car struck him. The driver responsible for the accident left the scene of the accident. He, however, returned later and was arrested. The male driver faces hit-and-run charges and one other charge of driving with a suspended license.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery from his injuries.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 11 people were killed and 86 were injured in Bakersfield pedestrian accidents. During that same year, there were 21 fatalities and 202 injuries reported due to pedestrian accidents in Kern County.

Leaving the Scene of a Car Accident

California Vehicle Section Code 467(a) defines motorized wheelchair users as pedestrians, with all of the same rights and restrictions as someone walking along a roadway. That means vehicles are required to yield to them, and that the wheelchair users are to stick to sidewalks or shoulders and crosswalks.

In this particular case, it appears that the driver not only failed to yield right-of-way to the wheelchair-bound pedestrian, but struck him and left him lying on the roadway! He of course came back, but what he did was still illegal and morally reprehensible. California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a) states: "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident." The driver apparently told police he fled because he had a suspended license. In my book, that is no excuse. Nothing is a good-enough excuse for leaving the scene of an injury car accident. This individual should not have been driving in the first place!

Liability Issues

Victims of hit-and-run accidents would be well-advised to contact an experienced Bakersfield personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the incident and ensure that the negligence parties are held liable. A skilled car accident lawyer should also better advise victims about how their own car insurance policy applies to an incident where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.

Seriously injured in a Bakersfield car accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a Bakersfield pedestrian accident. Call 800-561-4887. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE Bakersfield personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.

Hit-and-Run Car Accident Injures Man in Wheelchair is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

At least 21 people were injured in a train accident the afternoon of August 6, 2010 in Shafter, California. The Bakersfield Californian reports that many suffered minor injuries in the collision. The Amtrak train was carrying 219 passengers as it traveled south from Oakland to Bakersfield. The collision occurred between the train and a big rig at the intersection of Shafter Avenue and Central Valley Highway. Authorities say the caution arms and signals at the intersection were functional at the time. The driver of the truck was uninjured in the train accident.

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I am relieved to hear that no one was killed in this horrific train accident. My thoughts and prayers are with the many families affected by this crash.

California Train Accident Statistics

The Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis (FRAOSA) reports that there were 99 train accidents in California in 2009. In 2008, the FRAOSA reported that 25 people lost their lives in 118 California train accidents. Also, in Kern County, 103 deaths and 3,460 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in 2008.

What Caused this Crash?

Based on this news report, it is not entirely clear how this injury train collision occurred. I trust investigators are still examining several aspects of this incident. Was the driver of the big rig speeding or trying to rush past the crossing? Was the truck driver under the influence, distracted or driving recklessly? Was this accident the result of train operator error? Were the crossing arms and signals working the way they were supposed to work at the time of the collision? These are all important questions to ask here.

Liability Issues

If the truck driver is determined to have caused this crash, then, he and his employer could be held liable for the accident and injuries caused. If the train operator caused the crash, then, Amtrak can be held liable for its passengers' injuries. California law dictates that transit companies – public or private – must provide the "utmost duty of care" to their passengers. This means that they are responsible for the safe transportation of their passengers.

It would be in the best interests of injured victims to contact an experienced Bakersfield personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the crash and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable. Injured victims in such cases could claim compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, physical therapy and other related damages.

Are the train crossings in your neighborhood clearly marked?

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.

Amtrak Crash in California Injures 21 is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

A 42-year-old woman and mother of three, who was killed in a Bakersfield car accident, has been identified as Michelle Marie Maxwell. The Californian reports that Maxwell was a passenger in a vehicle that was being driven by her 15-year-old daughter Michaela. Their Hyundai was struck at the intersection of Panama Lane and Ashe Road by a driver, who according to police ran a red light and was driving under the influence. He was identified as 30-year-old Mitchell Green, an off-duty firefighter with the Bakersfield Fire Department. Green was also injured in the crash, but is facing felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges. Michaela has also been hospitalized with injuries, which are not life-threatening.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family of Michelle Maxwell for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family as they are taking care of an injured family member and getting ready to bury another beloved family member.

Alcohol-Related Crashes

There were eight fatalities and 141 injuries involving DUI car accidents in Bakersfield, according to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Countywide, 42 people lost their lives and 507 were injured as a result of alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2007.

DUI Laws and Liability Issues

Driving under the influence is a serious crime under California law. It is an unconscionable act to drink and drive for anyone, let alone a firefighter whose job it is to protect the community and save lives. If Green is found guilty and determined to have been at-fault, I hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and is held civilly liable for the devastation he has caused.

Victims and their families in such cases, would be well-advised to contact a reputed
Bakersfield personal injury lawyer who has a successful track record of holding drunk and negligent drivers accountable for their actions. Where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased victims may be able to a file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation to cover funeral expenses, loss of wages, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages.

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.

Mother of Three Killed in Bakersfield DUI Car Accident is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers