2016 - California Personal Injury Blog

Residents in the Santa Clarita area have expressed concern after the death of 15-year-old Desiree Renee Lawson who was struck by a vehicle. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the teen was pronounced dead the right of December 26, 2016 after being hit by the vehicle in the 27500 block of Sierra Highway in Canyon Country. The driver fled the scene and officials are still looking for her. …Read the rest »

Twin boys aged 2 were killed in a fire that blazed through their home, which did not have working smoke alarms. According to a KTLA news report, the fire broke out at about 9 p.m. December 27, 2016 and quickly engulfed the home in the 800 block of East 113th Street. Firefighters had to fight through security doors and window bars to get into the home where they rescued the boys and a man believed to be their father. The twin boys were taken to a local hospital in critical condition. They were later pronounced dead.

Their father was hospitalized in serious condition but was later released from the hospital. A 4-year-old girl and adult woman who were also at the home at the time were expected to be uninjured. The home did not have working smoke alarms, investigators said. The cause of the fire is also under investigation. But based on preliminary reports, a Christmas tree may have played a role in sparking the fatal fire.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family members of these young children who perished as the result of this fire. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. …Read the rest »

Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act

Takata is getting close to potentially entering into a $1 billion settlement with federal prosecutors to resolve allegations of criminal wrongdoing in the Japanese automotive supplier’s handling of airbags that ruptured and caused injuries and deaths. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the settlement is expected early next year, as early as January. Takata’s lawyers and officials at the U.S. Justice Department are apparently discussing the prospect of the company pleading guilty to criminal misconduct as part of the settlement. …Read the rest »

A man in his 50s was critically injured in a Santa Ana pedestrian accident after he was struck by two vehicles, one of which left the scene. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the major injury crash occurred at the intersection of Euclid Street and Hazard Avenue the night of December 23, 2016. The man was crossing the street at the intersection when a silver car struck him and kept going. And when he was on the ground, a Honda ran him over, police said. The driver of the Honda remained at the scene and cooperated with officials. The pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this pedestrian accident. We wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. …Read the rest »

The new year will bring several new traffic safety laws for California. These laws were passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The new laws will have an impact on child safety seats, how we use wireless devices when we drive and increased penalties for drivers who operate while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Here are some of the new traffic laws that will take effect in California, come Jan. 1: …Read the rest »

Massive Facebook Data Breach: 533 Million Users' Phone Numbers and Personal Information Leaked Online

With over 600 million members on Facebook that share personal details about their lives, but most do not realize how simple and common it is for their private photos, political and religious views, friends, and events to be looked in on by strangers. Officials from the CIA, attorneys, educational institutes, insurance agents and employers are more and more frequently using Facebook to make judgments and decisions based on your content therein.

Law firms, from personal injury lawyers investigating a car accident to divorce and trial lawyers have admitted to using facebook to collect private information. Lawyers investigating potential jurors on Facebook is now common, the Wall Street Journal reports. One lawyer admitted this while defending a priest on sexual abuse charges. He researched jury candidates’ pages to get a feel of how devout they were and explains, “It’s a waterfall of information, compared to the pinhole view you used to get.”

If you were injured in a car accident, an attorney or insurance agent might research if you were already complaining of back or neck injuries, or if you were drinking the night of the accident. If you are a smoker, lawyers could make an attempt in court to show that your medical bills are partly your fault because you are a smoker and are not making an effort to heal. Based on mobile status updates on Facebook, One could even prove that you were using your cell phone to post on Facebook while driving. To learn more about how officials are using your private information and a complete solution to stopping this for you and your loved ones, read our new facebook infographic

Just a day after California’s regulators shut down Uber’s self-driving car program in San Francisco, the rideshare company has sent the autonomous vehicles to Arizona saying it’s going to resume testing them there. According to a report in the San Jose Mercury News, the move was a quick rebound by Uber after its pilot program in San Francisco fell apart in just one week. Uber refused to play by the state’s rules and apply for a $150 permit to test its driverless cars on public roadways. Uber spokespersons have said that the program has the support of Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey. …Read the rest »

Toyota and Honda Recall More Than 6 Million Cars for Defective Airbags

Automakers may recall as many as 400,000 vehicles that have Autoliv Inc. seatbelt and airbag parts worldwide. According to a Reuters news report, the Swedish auto safety parts maker’s products are in 1,300 vehicle models around the world. The company has not specified which automakers would be affected. So far, no crashes or injuries have been reported in the two separate issues (seatbelt and airbag defects) Autoliv has reported to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). …Read the rest »

It’s a fact that Californians, particularly the denizens of Southern California, just don’t do too well when it comes to driving in bad weather – be it rain, fog or snow. This is the season to be merry. It’s also, unfortunately, the season when we see negligent drivers cause pileups on our highways. While not all car accidents can be prevented, a number of these weather-related crashes can be avoided with a little bit of care and planning ahead.

Here are a few tips that our California car accident attorneys hope will help keep you safe on our roadways this winter season: …Read the rest »

Swedish furniture retailer, Ikea, has agreed to pay $50 million to the families of three young boys who all died when Ikea dresses toppled over with crushing force. According to a news report in the Washington Post, in all cases, the lethal furniture was one of Ikea’s Malm dressers, a line of assemble-it-yourself chests made of particleboard and fiberboard. The settlement came after two days of mediation with the families’ attorneys. This might be among the largest ever settlements of its type.

Parents of the children have recounted the unspeakable horror of seeing their young children trapped and lifeless under the collapsed furniture. The three children have been identified as Curren Collas,2,  Theodore McGee, 22-month-old and Camden Ellis, 23-month-old. Four other deaths, the first in 1989 have been reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), all involving Ikea dressers that tipped over. …Read the rest »