Tag Archive: personal injury law firm

Infant Ejected in Rollover Crash

Scene of Rollover Crash in Phelan, California

Scene of Rollover Crash in Phelan, California

PHELAN - California

A 6-month-old infant who was not strapped into a car seat was thrown from a vehicle Monday morning during a rollover crash, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The baby was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center. No details on the child’s condition were available.

A 13-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl who also weren’t wearing seat belts suffered minor injuries in the crash, as did the female driver of the vehicle. The driver was also taken to Loma Linda hospital for treatment.

At about 7:30 a.m., CHP officials received calls of a rollover on Johnson Road just north of Palmdale Road, according to Officer Matt Hunt.

When they arrived, they found the female driver holding the infant who had been thrown from the 2002 Dodge Ram pickup truck, Hunt said. The two older children were also outside of the vehicle.

According to an initial investigation, the 41-year-old woman was driving the truck south along Johnson Road toward Palmdale Road when she said she saw a dog in the road. She swerved to avoid striking the animal, causing the truck to roll over onto its roof.

“As it overturned, the infant was ejected from the vehicle,” Hunt said.

The incident is still under investigation and Hunt said no arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon. However, Hunt reminded drivers that anyone traveling with small children should always use a properly installed car seat and seat belts.

“Not only is it the law but it’s always the safest way to travel,” he said. “Anyone who may have problems with (car seats) can go to any CHP station to have assistance with properly installing them into their vehicle.”

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Hunt in the Victorville CHP office at (760) 241-1186.

This is an example of what I would consider to be endangering children.

There is absolutely no excuse for not having children in your car wearing seatbelts, or not having a 6 month old infant strapped into a proper child seat.

I am sure the mother who was driving the car feels terrible; however, she could have got all 3 of her children killed just because she did not take a little extra time to strap them in with seatbelts and child seats.

Even if you are going just around the corner, make sure your children are properly buckled in.

Phelan and Victorville California Car and SUV Accident Attorney Website

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5 People are dead so far in Los Angeles County So Far During Labor Day Weekend

California Personal Injury Lawyer Blog NewsA fiery crash on the 110 Freeway and several other traffic accidents have claimed the lives of five people on Los Angeles County streets and highways so far over the Labor Day weekend, authorities said.

A motorcyclist was killed Sunday in a crash on Topanga Canyon Boulevard near the Pacific Coast Highway about 2:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol reported. The victim was pronounced dead at a hospital. Investigators were still on the scene, and no further details were available.

Also, a man died early Sunday when he was trapped under a flaming 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo that had been stopped on the shoulder of the southbound 110 Freeway near 52nd Street.

The 2:40 a.m. incident began when the 18-year-old driver of a 2008 Smart car slowed to avoid rear-ending a vehicle directly ahead, swerved onto the right shoulder and struck the Monte Carlo. Both vehicles burst into flames.

The Monte Carlo rolled over and fatally injured one of three men who had been standing near the car after it had broken down, the CHP reported. Two other victims were taken to hospitals, one in critical condition and one with lesser injuries.

The driver of the Smart car sustained scrapes and was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and driving under the influence, the CHP said. Names of the suspect and victims were not released.

About 11 p.m. Saturday, a pickup truck driven by a 17-year-old male overturned on the 710 Freeway, killing a female passenger and injuring three others. The accident occurred in the northbound lanes just south of the 91 Freeway, the CHP reported. No names were released.
A 23-year-old man driving a Honda Accord died late Saturday when he hit a power pole and tree on Somerset Ranch Road near Paramount Boulevard in South Gate.

The accident occurred about 10:50 p.m. when the driver exited the 105 Freeway at a high rate of speed, collided with another vehicle and slammed into the pole and tree, said South Gate Police Sgt. Mario Saldivar.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A female passenger was in stable condition at a hospital with minor injuries. No names were released.

And a 43-year-old Irvine man was killed while trying to cross the eastbound lanes of the 101 Freeway after crashing his car near Laurel Canyon Boulevard about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, officials said.

The man had been driving west in a black Lexus when he drifted off the shoulder, struck a guardrail and came to rest in the number one lane, the CHP reported.

He got out of the car, tried to run across the freeway and was hit by a BMW driven by a 76-year-old Encino man. The driver of the Lexus was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released. The BMW driver was unhurt.

Last year, only one traffic-related fatality was reported in Los Angeles County during the first 36 hours of Labor Day weekend, according to the CHP. Statewide, the CHP has reported six fatalities so far, compared with eight last year.

In Los Angeles County, 227 people have been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, up from 209 last year, while statewide, the CHP has arrested 1,008 motorists on that charge, compared with 990 last year.

Traffic-related incidents so far this weekend are also higher than the July 4 and Memorial Day numbers this year, authorities said.
“There was a somewhat downward trend, and we were hopeful that would still be the case because people had gotten the message about safe driving,” said CHP Officer Ming Hsu. “Unfortunately, the numbers we have for this period are spiking.”

If you or your family has been injured anywhere in Los Angeles County or the State of California, you may contact our law firm for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 ext. 1, or submit your case through our website at http://www.therpersonalinjury.com

Los Angeles County Car Accident Attorney and California Personal Injury Website

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Four People were killed in crash on 101 this morning near Ventura

Scene of accident that killed 4 people near Mussel Shoals

Scene of accident that killed 4 people near Mussel Shoals

Ventura – California

Four people were killed this morning when their truck left Highway 101 near Mussel Shoals and struck a tree.

The accident was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. just north of Mussel Shoals, according to the California Highway Patrol, which is still investigating the crash.

The driver, Phet Chansy, 53; his wife, Holly Hamm, 40; and their 11-year-old son, Eric Chansy, were declared dead at the scene, said Armando Chavez, senior deputy Ventura County medical examiner. He said a family friend, Monica Sara Sang, 45, of Long Beach, was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where she died in the operating room.

Chavez said Chansy’s cause of death was blunt force head injuries. Hamm, who was in the passenger seat, died of blunt force head and chest injuries, he said.

Eric died of blunt force chest injuries, and Sang died of multiple blunt force injuries.

Eric and Sang were in the back seat of the truck’s extended cab, Chavez said. Another son sitting in the back seat, also a juvenile, was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, Chavez said.

The pickup truck was towing a boat northbound on Highway 101. No additional information was available this afternoon from the CHP.

This accident is a horrible tragedy. It is unknown by us right now if any of the victims were wearing seatbelts or what caused the truck to go off of the road.

It is very important to make sure that everyone wears a seatbelt in a vehicle, and to slow down and be careful while driving.

If you or your family have been the victim of a truck crash, car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Mussel Shoals, Ventura, or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com.

Ventura California Truck and Car Accident Attorney Website

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11 People Injured in collision involving MTA Bus, and Car in Los Angeles

California Personal Injury Lawyer Blog NewsLOS ANGELES — California

A Los Angeles fire spokesman say 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were hurt when a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus and car collided in the Jefferson Park area of Los Angeles.

Fire spokesman David Ortiz says a 30-year-old woman in the car was critically injured in the crash that occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday at 7th Avenue and Adams Boulevard. A 25-year-old pregnant woman on the bus was seriously hurt and her three children are in fair condition. He says five other bus riders, ages 18 to 61, also were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. One person was treated at the scene and released.

Police Officer Karen Rayner says the car was turning left onto 7th Avenue from Adams Boulevard when it collided with the bus.

If you or your family were injured in this accident, or any other bus crash, truck crash, car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Los Angeles or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com.

Los Angeles Bus Accident Attorney Website

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Natomas Car Accident Kills a Young Woman

California Personal Injury Lawyer Blog NewsA young woman was thrown from her car and killed early today, closing down Interstate 80 near Interstate 5 for a few hours in the early morning, California Highway Patrol officials reported.

The incident involved two vehicles driving eastbound on I-80 at about 2 a.m. said Todd Van Lindt, spokesman for the North Sacramento office of the CHP.

Two women in their early 20s were in a green 2001 Mercury SUV when, for unknown reasons, it clipped a blue 1995 Toyota Tercel in a lane ahead of it.

Both cars spun out of control.

The Toyota went through a chain link fence and came to rest on a divider between the I-80 lanes and the I-5 transition to I-80.

The 41-year-old driver and his 38-year-old passenger had no injuries, Van Lindt said.

The SUV hit the I-80 center median and overturned, ejecting both occupants who were not wearing restraints.

The driver was thrown over the median guard rail into westbound lanes where she was hit by other vehicles.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:12 a.m., Van Lindt said.

Her passenger ended up in the median with a broken back and other injuries.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the accident, but believe alcohol may have been a factor as there are reports the women were coming from a party.

This accident is obviously a tragedy for everyone involved.

It is important to remember that driving any motorcycle vehicle can be dangerous if you are not careful. Always be vigilant and careful when driving.

If you or your family have been the victim of a truck crash, car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Natomas, Sacramento, or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

Natomas  and Sacramento Car Accident Attorney Website

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Did a Pot Hole Cause a Fiery Studio City California Car Accident?

Scene of Studio City Car Accident

Scene of Studio City Car Accident

Studio City – California

An elderly driver was rushed to the hospital after losing control of her car and smashing into a brick wall.

It happened at approximately 11:30 this morning on the 11700 block of Ventura Blvd. just west of Colfax Avenue.

Witnesses say the woman was driving through an alley on the northbound side of the street when she hit a pothole and careened across both lanes of traffic before slamming into the wall.

“She ran the curb and hit the wall,” said one of the responding LAPD officers.

Police, citing privacy concerns, refused to comment further. However, it did not appear the woman’s injuries were life threatening.

Traffic was slowed travelling eastbound on Ventura Boulevard while the woman was carefully loaded into an ambulance.

Now Police State that the Pothole is not to Blame

 Police determined that witness reports of a pothole were not to blame for a crash that injured an elderly driver.

Officer Karen Rayner of the Los Angeles Police Media Relations Department says the driver simply “lost control” of her vehicle before slamming into a brick wall on the 11700 block of Ventura Boulevard.

According to Officer Rayner, the driver, identified as an 82-year-old female, was headed southbound on Colfax Avenue and attempting to make a right hand turn onto Ventura Boulevard. Investigating officers are still unclear as to what caused the woman to lose control.

The driver was rushed to the hospital complaining of injuries. Police say she suffered a broken bone but the injuries are not life threatening.

The accident happened Friday morning at approximately 11:30 a.m. Traffic was slowed heading eastbound on Ventura Boulevard as paramedics loaded the woman into an ambulance and responding officers stopped to take witness statements.

I have done many cases where potholes and other road conditions have caused accidents. In my work as a car accident attorney, I have seen the police make incorrect conclusions about the cause of an accident many times.

A police report is not admissible for any purpose in a personal injury trial, except to impeach an officer’s testimony.

The bottom line is that an accident reconstruction expert with solid credentials is the best person to determine the cause of a car crash.

If you or your family have been the victim of a truck crash, car crash, or other motor vehicle accident in Studio City or anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

 Studio City Car Accident Attorney

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Motorcyclist is injured in crash with stopped bus

Scene of motorcycle accident in Lodi, California

Scene of motorcycle accident in Lodi, California

Lodi – California

A motorcycle rider rear ended a school bus on East Lodi Avenue near Cherokee Lane around 3:40 p.m., in Lodi, California.

The motorcycle rider was transported to Lodi Memorial Hospital with substantial injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The motorcycle rider who is a young man, who works at a Les Schwab Tire Center down the street, was expected to be airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center, according to the CHP.

Witnesses said the motorcycle was traveling west on Lodi Avenue at a high rate of speed, when it collided with the stationary school bus.

There were no apparent injuries to anyone onboard the school bus, which suffered minimal damage.

Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be involved, the CHP said.

I ride motorcycles myself. It is inexplicable to me how someone on a motorcycle could rear end a school bus unless there were driving way too fast.

If you, or a loved one or friend has been injured in a motorcycle accident or any other motor vehicle accident, you may call me for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1.

Lodi California Motorcycle Accident attorney

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Let’s Talk about Your California Car Accident.

California Car Accident InformationSo you have been in a Car Accident in the State of California. You know the accident is not your fault. You were injured. What should you do?

The first thing two things you need to do are; (1) get the other drivers information, and (2) get medical help; not necessarily in that order.

When you get the other drivers information, try to get as much information as possible, such as all of the information on their drivers license, their phone number, the year, make, model, license plate and vin number of their vehicle, the color of their vehicle, and even a description of the driver and their passengers. You also need to get their insurance information.

Without the other driver’s information, your chances of recovery in the accident are slim to none.

I have had people with great cases, who could not recover because they failed to get the information of the person who hit them.

Most uninsured motorist coverage policies also require you to identify the person who hit you.

With respect to your injuries, you need to seek immediate medical treatment. If you feel like you need to be transported by paramedic to the emergency room, chances are that you are probably right. It is better to error on the side of caution.

Even if you do not have medical insurance, all emergency rooms are required to treat you, and stabalize you. Go to the emergency room if you need to.

When you go to the doctor, make sure you tell the doctor about all of your problems; do not underestimate your complaints.

I cannot tell you how many people I have talked to who are hurt bad, yet when they describe their complaints, they hold back. How can a doctor treat you if you do not tell them what is hurting?

I know you are also concerned about getting your vehicle repaired, finding temporary transportation, and so on.

The best thing you can do now is to retain a personal injury attorney for your California car accident case.

There are many damages that you may be entitled to such as all out of pocket expenses related to the accident, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and so forth, which you have no clue how to value or go after on your own.

Further, if you are married, you spouse may also have a cause of action for loss of consortium even if they were not in the car with you.

I estimate that a reputable personal injury attorney such as myself, can get you more money in your pocket for your personal injury case, than you would ever get on your own in 99% of all cases.

The reason is simple, personal injury cases are complex.

The insurance companies exist for one thing only; to make a profit, not pay you money. If they can, they will try to get you to settle for pennies on the dollar for what your case is actually worth.

They may offer you a couple of thousand dollars on a case that may be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

They know that if you are unrepresented, that you are an easy mark!

Don’t be a victim a second time around. You should be worried about getting better, and not about fighting the insurance company. Let me do that for you.

If you have been injured in a car accident, or any other motor vehicle accident in the State of California, give me a call 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at 800-816-1529 ext. 1.

By California Car Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © March 3, 2011

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8 People are Killed at an Off-Road Racing Event in Lucerne Valley; What are the Legal Ramifications?

Many of you have heard by now that 8 people died in the Lucerne Valley, at an off road racing event, when a truck went out of control during the event. Many of you may not know that 39 other people were injured; 10 seriously.

I personally send my heartfelt condolences to all of the family and friends of the victims of this tragic accident, and wish those injured a speedy recovery.

You can see by the raw video below that the spectators were standing way too close to the racing vehicles. Many have said that the reason why so many people were killed and injured was preciously because the fans were way too close to the action.

YouTube Preview Image

I have heard that there will be no charges filed against anyone having anything to do with the race, but that the national park service is going to do an investigation, since they were the ones that gave a permit for the race.

I have seen news reports that the promoters and organizers of this event put signs up stating that people should stay at least 150 feet away from the racing vehicles. I am sure they think that this warning is sufficient to protect them from being responsible for this horrible accident; I disagree.

As a Personal Injury Attorney, I deal with negligence cases in one form or another every day. The way I see it, the organizers and promoters of this event are legally responsible for the deaths of 8 spectators, and the injury of 39 others.

They owed a duty of due care, to provide a safe way for the spectators to watch the race. They should have had adequate security at the event to keep the spectators a safe distance from the race. The owed a duty of due care, to erect barriers, tape, or something so that spectators such as the ones who were killed and injured, would have known where to stand during the race.

They apparently did nothing but put signs up saying that spectators should stay 150 feet away from the action. Hell, I for one do not know how to measure 150 feet without some kind of tape measure.

Many might argue that the persons who were killed and injured assumed the risk of harm that they suffered at this event. I disagree. Spectators are not engaged in a dangerous sport, they are simply there to watch. With some minimal precautions from the organizers and promoters of this event, this tragedy could have been avoided.

If you or your family suffered through the wrongful death of a loved one at this event, or your or a loved one were injured at this event, all me now for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1. You may be entitled to substantial compensation for your loss.

By California Personal Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © August 2010

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6 People killed in Greyhound Bus Accident near Fresno.

Fresno Greyhound Bus Accident

Scene of horrific Greyound Bus Accident

FRESNO, Calif. — A Greyhound bus carrying 47 people and traveling to Sacramento from Los Angeles crashed on a highway in California’s Central Valley on Thursday, killing six and injuring many others.

California Highway Patrol Officer Michelle Sigmond said the bus driver swerved to try to avoid another crash involving an overturned SUV and slammed into a concrete center divider and then struck another vehicle shortly after 2 a.m. just outside downtown Fresno. The bus went down an embankment, hit a eucalyptus tree and came to rest on a freeway off-ramp with its front end smashed and tree branches jutting into the vehicle.

Twisted pieces of metal, broken glass and torn clothing littered the ground around the accident scene.

Arlen Snider, who had been traveling from Phoenix to Sacramento to visit his mother, said he was asleep in the middle section of the bus when the crash occurred. She awoke to the smell of smoke and injured passengers all around her.

“I woke up on the floor of the bus and started helping people off the bus,” Snider, who escaped uninjured, said after arriving in Sacramento’s bus terminal Thursday morning.

In addition to the six dead – four women and two men, including the driver – several people were hurt with injuries that ranged from critical to bruises and cuts, said CHP Officer Kirk Arnold.

It’s unclear if all of the fatalities were on the bus.

“I had just woke up and I heard a boom once, and a boom again and the next thing I know we were down this embankment,” Linda Gee, a passenger on the bus, told KMPH-TV in Fresno.

“I’m alive and I thank god I’m alive,” she said. “There was just bleeding everywhere.”

The bus departed Los Angeles late Wednesday and stopped in Fresno before continuing on its route to Sacramento. It was on its way to Madera for one of about eight scheduled stops when the crash occurred, according to Greyhound spokeswoman Bonnie Bastian.

A relief bus was sent to take nine passengers who wanted to continue on to their destinations.

Northbound lanes of Highway 99, a major route through the San Joaquin Valley, have been closed since the crash.

Fresno Bus Accident Attorney Website

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4 Year Old Boy killed in Hwy. 101 truck crash in South San Jose, California; driver is being held on DUI charges

James Lee is arrested in connection with a crash that killed 4 year old.

James Lee is arrested in connection with a crash that killed 4 year old.

A 4-year-old boy was killed Sunday night in South San Jose after an alleged drunken-driver returning from a heavy metal concert slammed into the back of the family’s broken down pickup truck.

 James “Jimmy” Francis Lee’s blood-alcohol level was “about twice the legal limit” of 0.08, said California Highway Patrol Officer Brien Rayner. “He said he fell asleep.”

About 6 p.m., the boy’s father had been unbuckling his 4-year-old son from the back of the family’s Chevrolet S-10, which was parked on the shoulder of southbound Highway 101 near Bailey Avenue when a Ford F-150 smashed into the truck. The boy’s mother and 12-year-old sister had already gotten out of the truck and were not injured.

Lee, 44, of San Jose was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on charges of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Rick Sung. He has not yet been arraigned, and has until Wednesday to be formally charged if he remains in custody. 

The Santa Clara County coroner’s office identified the boy as Jose Cortes-Diaz of Gilroy. 

The names of his parents and sister were not made public. The boy’s father suffered a broken jaw and fractured rib, according to the CHP reports.

The CHP said the collision caused the Ford to roll over onto its roof and the Chevy to roll down an embankment. The CHP noted that the Ford had been traveling about the speed limit of 65 mph or 70 mph at the time of the accident. 

The crash sent a tool box from the pickup bed of the family’s Chevy flying right into Jose’s head.

“Oh Jesus!” Lee’s father, James Lee Sr., 64, of San Jose, said in an interview when he was alerted of the boy’s death by the Mercury News. “I am so sorry for that little boy. Everybody likes my son. He’s a great kid and a good-hearted guy. But he had no business driving.”

Lee Sr. said he believed his son was at a concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on Sunday, where bands were playing in the Rockstar Mayhem Festival. Lee Sr. said his son, a father of two daughters, had recently bought a home in Gilroy. Father and son have worked for about three decades together as truck mechanics in San Jose.

Emergency crews said Jose was barely breathing when they arrived.

“The little boy was wedged behind the driver’s seat,” said San Jose fire Capt. Chuck Rangel. “He wasn’t doing too good.”

Firefighters pried him out with the Jaws of Life and hoisted him into a LifeFlight helicopter and flew him to San Jose Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

At the time, Santa Clara County sheriff’s helicopter happened to be flying in the area. Pilot Rob Heyde and partner, Deputy Leo Gonzalez, saw there were injuries down below, and traffic was beginning to jam up. The two decided to make an emergency landing on 101, after clearing the freeway using their public announcement system.

“They really went overboard to help,” said Sung, of the sheriff’s office. They were joined by a San Jose police motorcycle officer who was also there by chance.

Lee Sr. said his son had been in jail perhaps 15 years ago, but he couldn’t remember for what. Lee Jr. has no criminal record as an adult in Santa Clara County. According to a records search by the Department of Motor Vehicles, Lee is a commercial driver who had a spotless driving record.

Lee Sr. said his son, who attended Del Mar High School in San Jose, had been trying to get his life together after a bad relationship. But according to his father, Lee Jr. didn’t have a known drinking problem.

“I wasn’t aware of one,” Lee Sr. said.

San Jose Car Accident Attorney Website / San Jose Truck Accident Attorney Website

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Two People are Dead in Agoura Hills Car – Truck Accident

Deadly Agoura Hills Accident on 101 Freeway on July 2, 2010AGOURA HILLS, California ― Two people are dead and a third is critically hurt after slamming into the rear of a big-rig on U.S. Highway 101 west of Los Angeles.

Two people are dead and a third is critically hurt after slamming into the rear of a big-rig on U.S. Highway 101 west of Los Angeles.

The California Highway Patrol says the pre-dawn crash shut down northbound lanes for about an hour.

Southbound traffic was halted briefly while a helicopter landed on the highway to airlifted the injured person to a hospital.

Television helicopter cameras showed the wreckage of a silver car wedged underneath the rear of the big-rig trailer, which was apparently parked on the shoulder at the time of the crash.

The 4:40 a.m. crash occurred just past the Kanan Road exit near Reyes Adobe Road, backing up morning commuter traffic and holiday getaway travelers getting an early start for the Fourth of July weekend.

Agoura Hills Car Accident Attorney and Agoura Hills Wrongful Death Attorney Website

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Three Whittier California children killed in morning crash on the 5 Freeway

5 people killed in santa clarita / newhallSANTA CLARITA – Newhall,  California

Three of five people killed in a chain-reaction crash on the southbound 5 Freeway near the 14 freeway, early Monday were local children, authorities said.

Cynthia J. Hernandez, 9, Edgar A. Hernandez, 8, and Xochitl M. Hernandez, 5, all of Whittier, were killed after the car they were riding in collided with an overturned pickup truck at 12:14 a.m. on the southbound 5 just before the Balboa Boulevard exit, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jon Lutz.

Their cousin, Luis Villegas, 12, of Oakland was also killed.

The back of the Nissan the children were riding in caved in when the car was then rear ended by a Chevrolet Suburban, Lutz said. No one in the SUV was seriously injured.

The children’s mother, who is in her 30s, survived and was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. Another man in his 20s was also in the car and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, Lutz said.

John Blackburn, 54, of Frazier Park, who was the driver of the pickup truck that triggered the accident when it hit the center divider, spun out of control and overturned, was killed.

If you our your family has been injured in a car accident call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1.

Santa Clarita Car Accident Attorney and Wrongful Death Attorney Website

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3 Phoenix Arizona Motorcycle riders mowed down and killed After Being Rear Ended in a Horrible Crash.

3 Phoenix Arizona Motorcycle riders mowed down and killed After Being Rear Ended in a Horrible Crash.PHOENIX — Arizona

A group of eight motorcycles stopped at a red light in north Phoenix were mowed down from behind by a dump truck early Thursday afternoon, killing three riders and injuring six others, at least one critically, authorities said.

The most seriously injured was an off-duty Phoenix Fire Department captain who was in very critical condition Thursday evening, said Phoenix police spokesman Detective James Holmes.

The motorcyclists were stopped behind a pickup and a small SUV at the red light when the truck driver rammed them from behind, he said. The truck ran over the motorcyclists and continued into the small SUV in front of them, Holmes said.

There was no sign the truck driver was impaired.

Some of the motorcycles burst into flames under the dump truck, while others ended up scattered behind the truck. Television images of the crash site showed a horrifying collection of mangled chrome Harley-Davidson bikes and scattered personal belongings, including pairs of riders’ boots laying in the roadway.

“It’s a horrific scene,” Phoenix Fire Deputy Chief Frank Salomon said.

Some of the injured were airlifted to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Salomon said.

The crash occurred about 1 p.m. at the intersection of 27th Avenue and the Carefree Highway. Holmes said at least one of the victims was a woman, but most were men.

Jarrod Cook, a worker at the nearby Ketzal Mexican Grill, said he saw several motorcycles wedged underneath the garbage truck, which caught fire.

“The first thing we saw was a big puff of smoke when the truck lit on fire,” he said.
Cook said he walked over and witnessed a chaotic scene with some of the injured lying on the ground.

Dozens of police and rescue personnel responded to the crash.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs told KNXV-TV that witnesses reported seeing several of the motorcycle riders dragged 50 to 75 yards after impact. The three bikers killed were trapped under the truck, Jacobs said.

The 50-year-old driver of the truck was not injured and was being questioned by police. Those in the pickup and SUV also were not hurt.

The Carefree Highway was expected to be closed for several hours as police investigate the crash.

Although I am a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer, I ride through Arizona all of the time. As a matter of fact, I will be riding through Arizona in a couple of weeks. I am absolutely appalled by this accident.

You tell me how a truck driver could not see 8 motorcycles parked at a red light, let alone the red light itself. Absent some catastrophic equipment failure that can be proven, the truck driver in this accident needs to be taken down by the man for murder or vehicular manslaughter.

This accident is absolutely atrocious and horrible.

California Biker Attorney and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, 2010

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Toyota sued over deaths in horrendous California crash

Toyota Product Defect AttorneyLos Angeles – California

Relatives of a California state trooper and three family members whose fatal car wreck helped spark Toyota’s wide-ranging safety recall have sued the automaker for defects they say caused the vehicle to speed out of control and crash.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court, was the latest in a wave of product-liability cases and other legal action brought against Toyota Motor Corp over complaints of sudden, unintended acceleration in its vehicles.

But the fiery August 28 crash near San Diego of a Lexus ES 350 sedan driven by off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor drew intense media attention and renewed government scrutiny of safety problems that led to the recall of some 8.5 million Toyota vehicles worldwide.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, extended his condolences to the Saylor family in an apology he delivered to a congressional hearing last week.

Saylor was driving his wife, their 13-year-old daughter, and his brother-in-law on a family outing when their car “began to accelerate on its own” and sped out of control despite Saylor’s attempts “to apply the brakes and otherwise do everything possible to stop” the car, the lawsuit says.

The car reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour before it struck another vehicle, plowed through a fence, hit a berm and flew through the air, then rolled several times into a field and burst into flames.

The family’s final moments before impact were captured in the recording of a frantic 911-emergency cell phone call placed by Saylor’s brother-in-law, Christopher Lastrella, in which he is heard telling the dispatcher, “Our accelerator is stuck … We’re in trouble … there is no brakes.”

Others in the car are heard saying, “hold on” and “pray” as the call ended, the lawsuit said.

The suit names Toyota, its U.S. division and other corporate entities as defendants, along with the Lexus dealership where Saylor was given the doomed car as a “loaner vehicle” while his own Lexus was being serviced.

Although the suit makes no specific allegations as to the root cause of the unintended acceleration, it says the car in question “was defective when it left the control of each defendant” and that “adequate warnings of the danger were not given.” The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages on behalf of the parents of Saylor and his wife.

Toyota officials have said they do not comment on pending litigation.

San Diego County Sheriff’s investigators concluded the crash likely was caused by the gas pedal becoming stuck in an all-weather rubber floor mat designed for a larger vehicle but placed by the Lexus dealership in the sedan loaned to Saylor.

But the accident report said “other avenues of unintended acceleration could not be explored,” mechanical or electrical, due to catastrophic damage to the vehicle.

The report also revealed that another driver who had been loaned the same car a few days earlier told investigators the vehicle raced out of control on him when the gas pedal jammed in the floor mat, which he managed to free after placing the gear shift into neutral.

He complained to a dealership receptionist when he returned the car, the receptionist told investigators she alerted the detail specialist on duty, but the detailer claimed never to have received such a complaint, the report said.

Toyota has recalled more than 5 million vehicles in the United States for slipping floor mats. Another 2.2 million U.S. recall notices were issued for sticking accelerator pedals.

The Transportation Department has said that complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles are linked with more than 50 U.S. crash deaths under investigation over the past decade.

If you or your family have been the victim of a car crash in a Toyota due to sudden acceleration or other product defect anywhere in California call us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1, or go to http://www.thepersonalinjury.com

Toyota Product Defect Attorney

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