Personal Injury

Three people were injured in an Orange County car accident involving a trailer, which got disconnected from a truck and veered through traffic. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the truck accident occurred on the northbound 57 at Tonner Canyon in Brea, the morning of February 3, 2012. Officials say a trailer unhooked from a truck, crossed lanes of traffic and landed in the carpool lane. A Chevy pickup truck in the carpool lane managed to stop and avoid the trailer, as a white Nissan Sentra came to a stop behind the Chevy. A black Sentra then moved from the fast lane and crashed into the back of the white Sentra. The three injured victims were in the white Sentra. It is unclear if anyone will be cited for the crash.

Read the rest »

After an Irvine personal injury accident, there may be some argument about who was actually at fault.  The answer to that question will depend on the circumstances of the accident, and may actually hinge on which party is more believable to a judge or a jury.  In some cases, there is no clear “at-fault” person, and then it may be up to a court to decide who bears the burden of fault for an Irvine personal injury accident.

While this type of situation is not common, it does happen.  Suppose that you were driving through an intersection and were hit by another car.  There were no witnesses to the accident, and the other driver claims you ran the red light.  You claim that the accident was his fault, and that you had the right of way.  In an argument like this, it is nearly impossible to determine who is actually telling the truth.  The police who arrive at the accident scene may make a judgment as to who was at fault, but that judgment can be colored by the personalities of the drivers and other factors, including alcohol use.  Assuming there is absolutely no way to tell who is at fault, both drivers may find themselves in a reciprocal lawsuit for damages.  This means that both drivers sue each other, claiming that the other driver was at fault and should pay for damages.  In such a case, it might come down to what a judge and jury believe on “preponderance of evidence.”  In a civil trial, the jury or judge only has to be 51 percent convinced in order to find for a plaintiff or defendant, not convinced “beyond a reasonable doubt” as in criminal cases.

Scenarios like the one above do happen, but far more commonly it is clear who was at fault for an Irvine personal injury accident.  Many times there are witnesses to a car accident, and someone is able to tell the police that the other driver was at fault in running the red light.  For slip-and-fall accidents, there may be no witnesses, but if the floor is clearly wet, it is relatively certain that it caused the fall.  For dog bite accidents, it is always assumed that the owner should have control of the animal.  For every type of Irvine personal injury accident, there are similar protocols for determining fault.

Once fault is determined, your Irvine personal injury accident attorney will want to file a claim for damages.  How much of this money you are able to collect will, again, depend on the circumstances of your accident, but a general rule is that you can collect all of your “real” expenses such as medical and property damage, and some of your “abstract” expenses such as pain and suffering.  A good Irvine personal injury accident lawyer will be able to calculate how much your claim is worth and know when you have reached a good settlement figure in negotiations with the defendant or his or her insurance company.

One person was injured in an Orange County car accident involving three vehicles, the morning of January 31, 2012. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the collision occurred in the southbound lanes of the 57 Freeway at Lambert Road in Brea. Officials say a Mazda veered into a Ford truck, which then struck a BMW. The BMW hit the center divider. One person in the BMW was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It is not clear what caused the driver of the Mazda to enter into the path of the Ford, or if the motorist will be cited for the collision.

Read the rest »

Four people were injured in an Orange County car accident after an elderly driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a doughnut shop. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred at 3744 E. Chapman Ave. in Orange on January 30, 2012. Police say the woman, who is in her 90s, accidentally stepped on the gas pedal of her Cadillac Northstar instead of the brake and accelerated. The Cadillac crashed into the patio of the doughnut shop, DK's Donuts, and struck three men. The men and the elderly driver were transported to area hospitals with unknown injuries.

Read the rest »

A 12-year-old girl was severely injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say was caused by a hit-and-run driver, the afternoon of January 27, 2012. According to a report in The Pasadena Star-News, the collision occurred at the intersection of Huntington Avenue and Canyon Boulevard in Monrovia, when the young victim was walking with some other children. A 1995 Infiniti J30 struck the girl and left the scene. The pedestrian was hospitalized in critical condition, but is said to be improving. Police arrested 23-year-old Emma Tapia-Gonzalez a few hours after the incident. She has been charged with felony hit-and-run and driving without a valid license. An investigation is ongoing.

Read the rest »

A motorcyclist was severely injured in aLos Angeles car accident that may have involved a rear-end collision. According to a news report in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the motorcycle accident occurred on Harbor Boulevard near Dublin Way in Rowland Heights, the morning of January 25, 2012. Officials say the motorcycle may have rear-ended a vehicle. The victim suffered serious injuries including a broken leg. It is unclear how the collision occurred or if anyone will be cited for the crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this Los Angeles motorcycle accident. I wish the motorcyclist the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

Read the rest »

Eric Ford, 21, was killed in a Buena Park car accident when a vehicle struck him as he crossed the street. According to a news release made available on the Orange County Coroner's web site, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred on Beach Boulevard near Crescent Avenue in Buena Park, the afternoon of January 21, 2012. It is not clear how the accident occurred or who was at fault. Ford succumbed to his injuries on January 23, 2012. The news account does not specify if the driver was responsible for the crash.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Eric Ford for their terrible loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Read the rest »

A police officer and three other people were sent to the hospital following a Riverside car accident involving three vehicles, the night of January 22, 2012. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the car crash occurred at the intersection of North Farrell Drive and East Vista Chino in Palm Springs. Officials have not released any information regarding how the collision occurred. The four injured victims of this Riverside crash sustained non-life-threatening injuries. It is not yet clear if any of the drivers will be cited or if the patrol car had its emergency lights on.

Read the rest »

A male bicyclist was seriously injured in a Santa Ana car accident after being hit by a driver who left the scene of the crash. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the bicycle accident occurred on South Broadway in Santa Ana, the evening of January 20, 2012. Officials say a pickup truck, possibly a white Toyota Tundra with a ladder rack and blue lettering struck the bicyclist before driving away. The victim suffered head injuries and has been listed in critical condition. Officials are asking for help from anyone who may have witnessed this collision or has information about the suspect and/or the vehicle.

Read the rest »

Zoe Saldana, the actress from the movie "Avatar," stopped to help an elderly woman who was injured in a Culver City car accident. According to a news report in The Culver City Patch, the collision occurred at the intersection of Culver Boulevard and Overland Avenue, the morning of January 18, 2012. The 33-year-old actress who happened to be first on the scene, called 911 and stayed with the woman until paramedics arrived.

Culver City police officials say the incident involved two cars. One driver was traveling east on Culver while the other was traveling north on Overland. The collision apparently occurred as the result of one of the drivers making an unsafe left turn. It is not clear if anyone else of was injured. The woman was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Read the rest »