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.

I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Crystal Marie Rodriguez for their tragic, untimely and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Alcohol Related Car Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), two people were killed and 13 people were injured as a result of DUI collisions in Woodland. In Yolo County as a whole, there were 12 fatalities and 94 injuries involving alcohol-related car accidents.

DUI Laws

It is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol 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, could be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter under California Penal Code section 191.5 (a).

Liability Issues

If it is determined that the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal accident, the family of the deceased victim could file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver. If I were a member of Rodriguez's family, I would also want to find out whether an auto product defect or design flaw in the Ford SUV contributed to the fatal injuries. It is also not clear if Rodriguez was ejected from the SUV as a result of seat restraint system failure. If vehicle defects caused or contributed to this crash, then, the auto maker could also be held liable for the wrongful death and other injuries. An experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise injured victims and their families about their legal rights and options in such cases.

Do you believe California's laws are sufficient to deter young drivers from operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol?

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.

Ford SUV Rollover Crash Kills Teenager is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers

The problem with old and aging defective tires is that they can look just as good as new. You would never know the difference until rubber meets the road. Older tires are prone to tire tread separation and tire failure and even the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has declared "tire aging" a serious issue. About 85 percent of tire-related car accidents involve tires that were at least six years old, according to the federal agency.

Now AB 496 by Assemblyman Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles) is requiring tire dealers to disclose the age of the tire before selling it. We have expiry dates on almost every food product we consume -- from milk and beer to baby food. Why shouldn't tires be included? The Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) is lobbying to get this bill passed and I'm 100 percent behind them. There is no question that letting consumers know how old a tire is and creating awareness about the danger of old and defective tires, will save numerous lives.

A lot of us, even those of us who know cars, don't think twice about the spare tires we have sitting in the trunk of our car for years. Take the example of tow truck driver Ramon Moreno, who thought he knew better. Even Moreno had no idea about the risk he was taking when a tire dealer recommended that he use his spare tire that came with his 12-year-old Ford Explorer. Moreno was driving 65 mph on the freeway near Temecula with his family when the tread on his Firestone tire separated. The tire's rim broke and the vehicle rolled over. Moreno's 10-year-old brother, William, was ejected and died in this rollover crash.

What Moreno and many of us don't realize is that these old and defective tires are like ticking time bombs. The old rubber and glue in the tires become brittle over time. Old tires are sold everywhere including your favorite big box retailer. I completely support the passage of this significant bill. It will stop this unnecessary and tragic loss of life.

Defective Tires Due To Aging Has Become A Problem for AB 496 is a post from: BestAttorney.com - BISNAR | CHASE California Personal Injury Lawyers