California Personal Injury Attorneys

A motorist was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after a big rig on the 710 Freeway struck his vehicle on the night of February 22, 2010. According to a CBS News report, the big rig was northbound on the freeway near East Slauson Avenue, in Commerce, when it struck a vehicle that was stopped by the shoulder of the freeway. California Highway Patrol officials said the motorist whose vehicle was hit, sustained fatal injuries. Read the rest of this entry »

Three people were killed in a car accident in Los Angeles early morning on November 22, 2009 after their SUV crashed into a big rig that was stopped on the shoulder of the 210 Freeway in Sunland. According to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the 41-year-old man who was driving the SUV, a 40-year-old female passenger and a teenager sitting in a back seat all died in the vehicle after it caught fire.

The SUV became lodged under the big rig on impact. An 11-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl were rescued from the SUV by a passer-by before the vehicle caught fire, California Highway Patrol officials said. The victims' identities have not yet been released. The two children were taken to the hospital and are said to be recovering well. The 73-year-old driver of the big rig was also taken to the hospital after he complained of chest pains.
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Lavonte Ford, 34, was fatally injured in a Los Angeles truck accident after he was struck and killed by a big rig on the 210 Freeway in Irwindale the morning of November 6, 2009. According to a news report in the Pasadena Star News, Ford's 1985 Volkswagen broke down near the Irwindale Avenue off ramp and he had to pull over to the shoulder of the freeway. Ford then tried to leave his car through the driver's side door when the big rig hit him. California Highway Patrol officials said the truck driver remained at the accident site and dialed 911. Ford was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was not arrested or cited pending an investigation.
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A man was seriously injured in an Orange County truck accident after a big rig struck his bicycle near the 91 Freeway off-ramp on Kraemer Boulevard the morning of October 8, 2009 in Anaheim, California. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the bicyclist was riding southbound along the west curb of Kraemer approaching the eastbound off-ramp of the 91 Freeway. The semi-truck was stopped at the off-ramp, Anaheim police said.
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Jose A. Acosta-Alvarez, 32, was killed in a San Diego car accident the morning of August 29, 2009 after his pickup truck collided with a cement truck on a highway near Lake Hodges Dam in Escondido, California. According to a 10news report, the fatal car accident occurred on Del Dios Highway when Acosta-Alvarez's truck collided head-on with the big-rig. Acosta-Alvarez sustained critical injuries and died at the scene of the crash. No one else was injured.
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The California car accident attorneys at Bisnar | Chase keep close track of national accident statistics and trends. We recently came across some numbers that present a very disturbing trend, particularly when nearly 30 million Americans are getting ready to hit the road this Labor Day weekend. A new analysis of government data by our friends at the American Association for Justice reveals that more than 28,000 motor carrier companies representing more than 200,000 commercial trucks are currently operating in violation of federal safety laws. Read the rest of this entry »

Stephene Bravo, a 2-month-old girl was killed in an Orange County car accident the morning of August 1, 2009 in Santa Ana, California, The Orange County Register reports. Baby Stephene was a passenger in a van that collided with a truck on the southbound 5 Freeway at the southbound 55 Freeway connector. The infant was pronounced dead by the Orange County Coroner. This fatal car crash is still under investigation. There is no information if there were any other injuries in this car accident.

My heart goes out to the family of baby Stephene. I offer my deepest condolences, especially to the parents of this child for their tragic, heartbreaking and untimely loss. I hope no one else was seriously injured in this car accident. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Orange County Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 21 fatalities and 1,468 injuries involving car accidents in Santa Ana. In Orange County as a whole, 178 fatalities and 14,185 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in 2007.

This news report does not offer details about exactly how or why this car accident occurred. There are more questions than answers here at this point. How did the car collision occur--who hit whom? Who was at fault for this car accident? Was the baby placed and secured properly in an infant car seat? Did the car seat protect the infant as it was supposed to? The answers to these questions will help determine what caused this fatal car accident and whether there was any negligence involved.

Liability in Orange County Car Accidents

There is the possibility that this accident was caused by the van driver. But if it found that the truck driver had caused or contributed to the collision then, both the driver and his employer--the trucking company--could be held liable for the fatal injuries caused. If a defective product--the car seat--caused Stephene's fatal injuries then the manufacturer of the faulty car seat could be held liable for the child's injuries as well.

Stephene Bravo's parents and family members would be well-advised to consult with an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer, who is also well-versed in products liability cases. Depending on who was responsible or liable for the accident and injuries caused, compensation may be sought for wrongful death, funeral expenses and other related damages. The best personal injury law firms will always offer free and comprehensive initial consultations to injured victims and/or their families.

A woman was killed the afternoon of June 1, 2009 in a Los Angles bicycle accident after she was struck by a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) truck. According to a CBS News report, the woman bicyclist, who has not yet been identified, was hit by the truck, which apparently belonged to a contractor working for the DWP. The fatal Reseda bicycle-truck accident occurred in the 7400 block of Louise Avenue. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. DWP officials say the truck belongs to a private contractor, who was carrying out power system work on behalf of the department,

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this bicyclist for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 10 bicycle accident fatalities and 1,291 injuries involving bicycle accidents in the city of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles County, in 2007, 27 deaths and 2,902 injuries were reported as a result of bicycle accidents. Read the rest of this entry »

Federal inspection records now show that a trucking company that contracted a big rig driver who caused the April 1, 2009 La Canada Flintridge truck accident, has a high number of violations. According to an article in the Pasadena Star News, drivers for Georgia-based Adonai & Associates were taken off the road 33 percent of the time following federal safety violations.

Marcos Costa, 43, has been arrested for vehicular manslaughter after ignoring posted warning signs and driving his double-decker big rig on Angeles Crest Highway. Costa had lost control of his big rig and crashed into several vehicles and a book store killing 12 –year-old Angelina Posca and her father, 58-year-old Angel Posca. Twelve others were injured – two critically in the Los Angeles County big rig accident.

Company officials however say that Costa is an independent driver who carries his own insurance and works under contract for Adonai & Associates. Following this truck accident, Caltrans issued a 90-day temporary ban on large trucks on the Angeles Crest Highway. Community members and local leaders have criticized Caltrans for ignoring pleas to issue the ban several months ago when an identical truck crash occurred at that intersection. At the time, only one person suffered minor injuries.

The family of the deceased victims, the Poscas, and the other injured victims should be talking to a California big rig accident attorney who also has significant experience dealing with dangerous roadway cases and governmental agencies. In my opinion, the driver of the big rig and the trucking company should be held responsible for what happened. However, the fact that Caltrans did not do anything about this dangerous roadway, did not ban trucks or post signs, is deeply disturbing. As the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that highway, Caltrans could be held liable for the accident, injuries caused and for the wrongful death of Angel and Angelina Posca. Any claim against a governmental agency in the state of California must be properly filed within six months of the accident or injury.