A city of San Diego study has shown that over half of fatalities resulting from right-of-way motor vehicle accidents were pedestrians or bicycle riders. This is possibly due to the way the streets in San Diego are designed since so many streets contain multiple lanes and are navigated by drivers as if these were freeways. A civil engineer stated that the street design encourages drivers to disregard speed limits and traffic laws and too often results in drivers blowing through intersections.
]]> San Diego continues to wrestle with the question as to how to handle both the busy traffic and the number of individuals that walk or ride their bikes. It is almost impossible to separate bicycles from other traffic completely. Designing new bicycle paths often costs a great deal of money and involves public funds.Until the city comes to term with what it will do to promote more pedestrian and bicycle safety, people will continue to be injured. Those injured will likely need to contact their attorneys to seek compensation because such injuries will likely lead to long term hospitalization, wage loss while the individual is laid up, and a variety of expenses for needed services.
San Diego would be a better city if it encouraged more people to walk or ride their bikes, but this is unlikely to occur in a climate where it is becoming dangerous to just cross the street.
Source: KPBS, "Creating Bike Safety In A City Built For Cars," by Tom Fudge, May 8, 2012
]]>There has been some discrepancy as to whether the passenger injured was actually in the Honda at the time of the second crash or was standing on the medium. It has been alleged that alcohol played a factor in at least one of the accidents.
]]> There are almost always a number of factors involved in any fatal accident and it's not always easy to decide on which factor played a predominant role in what occurred. Investigation of such a matter requires a determination if alcohol was involved and if it played a factor in the accident, whether the drivers were distracted, whether the drivers were traveling too fast, etc. Though it's easy to declare that one party was or was not at fault, trying to actually prove such fault may turn out to be extremely difficult.Those injured in such an accident might find it necessary to retain an attorney. There injuries may be such that they are unable to work or may require a number of additional services. Usually such an accident will leave an injured party financially strapped.
The role that attorneys can play when it comes to such a crash is to provide such a matter individual attention and make sure that the needs of their own clients are addressed. It's almost impossible to anticipate what those needs could be until one is actually injured in such an accident.
Source: U-T San Diego, "I-15 crash near Fallbrook kills one, injures others," by Mike Lee, May 13, 2012
]]>A San Diego medical examiner examined the three sailors and ruled that their deaths were accidental. Still, there has been speculation that they died in the accident because a large vessel such as a freighter struck the yacht.
]]> Whether such a collision actually occurred has yet to be determined. When a yacht is on the ocean so many different kinds of accidents can occurred that each possibility will require separate investigation. Even so, since there is question as to how such an accident occurred and since three individuals died, individual attention must be taken on behalf of family members and friends of the deceased.There are attorneys that have access to a large variety of resources that can help such family members out. However, such attorneys will need to have access to investigators and experts that can reconstruct such accidents. They also will be required to have familiarity with personal injury and maritime law. Finally, such attorneys will need to have the wherewithal to sift through and organize the information to make a meaningful determination of precisely how such an accident could have occurred.
Debris from the 37-foot yacht had been strewed across the ocean and three bodies were found. Discovering how such a disaster occurred may prevent another such disaster from occurring in the future.
Source: KUSI News, "Coroner rules yacht race deaths 'accidental'," May 2, 2012
]]>There are many roadways driven by trucks with steep grades that may or may not be sufficiently regulated. Certain regulations prevent trucks over a certain weight or length from entering and often certain roads have speed limits that are strictly enforced.
]]> Still, no matter what regulations are placed upon particular roadways, if the brakes malfunction upon a truck there will be problems when traveling down hills with grades of less than 3 percent. Also, ramps that were designed to stop out-of-control trucks may not always sufficiently do their job.The danger of being injured by a big-rig truck does not only concern other drivers on the road. Oftentimes the truck drivers as well are injured in such accidents. Though truck drivers have the duty to handle their trucks with sufficient care, roadways must be constructed in a manner that makes it safe for truck traffic if truck traffic is to be allowed at all.
Truck drivers have enough difficulty attempting to maneuver their vehicle through traffic and difficult turns. Negotiating steep grades is just one more difficulty that also will account to additional accidents and deaths.
Truck drivers alone cannot be blamed for the many truck accidents that occur every year. Municipalities and even the employer of the truck driver may also be held accountable by attorneys representing injured parties.
Source: North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, "Man, 31, killed in big-rig crash at North Tahoe runaway truck ramp," by Kevin MacMillan, April 23, 2012
]]>Maybe just as important, however, is that huge advancements that have been made in the way burns are treated. At one time hospitalization was required even if an individual burned only two or three percent of their body. Now individuals with as much as 20 percent of their body burned may not require hospitalization.
]]> Many of the advancements in medical treatment of burn injuries would include changes in the type of dressings applied, new means of administering of pain medication, surgical techniques that can be used much earlier in the treatment process, and outpatient burn clinics where patients can have their dressings changed. Though much progress has been made in the treatment of burn injuries, the field of study is one area of research that has not garnered as much media focus.Yet even with the dramatic changes in the way that burn injuries are treated, burn injuries remain extremely traumatic. Pain, scarring and the permanency of such injuries are often more severe with burn injuries than most other types of trauma.
Individuals that are burned due to the negligence of some other individual will likely want to consult with an attorney experienced in handling cases where these types of injuries have occurred. Such attorneys will have a better idea of what kind of verdict or settlement a burn victim could expect.
Hopefully, advances in research of burn injuries will continue. In the meantime, we should all do what we can to prevent these types of injuries from occurring.
Source: Cleveland.com, "Burn Treatment: Medical advances reduce hospital stays," by Evelyn Theiss, April 23, 2012
]]>The driver didn't give up the chase easily. She attempted to flee on foot from the scene of the pedestrian accident after the crash occurred only to be quickly captured. She had been placed in jail after being charged with suspicion of felony failure to yield causing serious injury and felony driving under the influence.
]]> The injured victim was taken to the hospital for an open fracture to her arm. Most residents in the area will only recall the crash as it caused electrical power to be cut off in the neighborhood for a number of hours. However, for the 27-year old injured woman this likely will turn into a life altering event that could potentially have taken her life.Even though her injuries could have been much worse, the victim will nevertheless have to endure pain and suffering. It's possible that she will require a prolonged hospitalization and have to go through rehabilitative therapy while also missing time from work. All of this for doing nothing more than be an innocent bystander at an intersection where the accident occurred.
Injured individuals deserve to be reimbursed by the responsible party. Since often such parties have little to no money and also happen to be uninsured, this may make matters all the more complicated. It is for this reason that attorneys represent such individual in order to make sure such individuals can recover compensation and that their ordeal does not become even worse.
Source: 760 KFMB Radio, "Police chase ends with pedestrian hurt, power outage," by Richard Allyn, April 28, 2012
]]>An SUV driver was returning from Disneyland with his family. The SUV was subsequently struck by another car that was forced to swerve in order to avoid striking still another vehicle that had made an illegal lane change on Interstate 805. The SUV rolled over a number of times, crashed into the center divider and then dangled on the side of the freeway over a construction zone.
]]> Though one passenger in the SUV did die of head trauma, the remaining passengers were rescued when construction workers positioned a forklift to prevent the SUV from falling off the bridge. The crew then helped those passengers out of the vehicle.It does appear that one driver's negligence led to a death and placed at least four other individuals in danger of dying as well. And even those that survived the crash still had to deal with various injuries.
When such injuries or even deaths occur and another driver is at fault for what occurred, injured parties will then meet with attorneys to determine how they can be compensated. Injured parties often are inundated with medical costs, wage losses and any number of other expenses. Negligent parties and their insurer need to do everything they can to then put such parties back in a position as if the accident never occurred - if that's even possible.
Source: WDAM, "1 person dies after SUV dangles from freeway," April 25, 2012
]]>As frequent as serious car accidents occur on our San Diego highways, these types of accidents nevertheless are almost always unexpected. We simply cannot anticipate someone coming at us while going the wrong way on any major road.
]]> What we sometimes forget are all of the costs that come along with such recklessness. There can be medical expenses, costs for services and loss of wages. This does not include the pain and suffering that has also been caused. Those injured may be required to endure painful medical procedures and go through long term rehabilitative care.The victim in the crash was a 60-year old woman who suffered head trauma, a broken left leg, broken arm and broken neck. With all of these various injuries, it would be next to impossible to know what her prognosis will be or her ability to recover. A lawsuit will never be able to reverse what occurred, but it may provide her with the financial resources to be provided the treatment and care she deserves due to being injured due to someone else's negligent behavior
Law firms can provide their own investigations of matters and locate and interview witnesses in a timely manner. Law firms can also keep local and state authorities engaged concerning follow-up of the incident in question and assure injured parties and their families that their concerns are being taken seriously.
Source: U-T San Diego, "Arrest made in DUI crash," April 19, 2012
]]>The lawsuit, filed March 29th, alleges that the facility failed to administer appropriate care to their son. He arrived to the facility after struggling with alcohol use and bulimia. While he seemed to make headway with curbing alcohol use and confronting addiction problems, he continued to binge and purge, which was a primary concern to those involved in his case.
]]> According to other medical professionals, had the facility properly monitored the boy's condition, they would have known that he needed medical treatment. The complaint alleges that he should have been hospitalized before he went into cardiac arrest.The facility is advertised nationwide and has been featured on the television show, "Intervention." It markets itself as a "world class recovery facility" capable of dealing with compounded issues of alcohol use and psychological disorders. Court documents also reveal that the facility is facing a series of other lawsuits involving zoning and code violations as well as litigation involving former patients and their families.
The facility has been ordered to shut down and relocate its patients. It was also found to be careless about prescription pills and in violation of a license to operate a rehabilitation facility.
This family may be entitled to significant compensation for the personal and economic losses they endured as a result of the rehab center's negligent care.
Source: The Orange County Register, "Family sues Morningside Recovery after son's death," Sean Greene, April 10, 2012.
]]>It was indeed fortunate that this truck accident did not result in any deaths or in more damage to the bridge - which was estimated to be around $250,000. It appears that a suspected drunk driver struck the truck in the rear, the truck then struck an overpass, and this caused the 6000 gallons of fuel in the tanker to explode. It took more than a day for all of the freeway lanes to reopen.
]]> Though this likely was not the fault of the truck driver, commercial vehicles on the road can pose problems that other vehicles do not create. A similar California accident left a bridge still damaged more than four months after the accident occurred. There have been other bridges in the California area that have sustained similar damage also due to truck accidents.Unfortunately, truck drivers are often required to drive long hours in vehicles that are often difficult to maneuver or control. Anyone injured in a truck accident and suspecting negligence on the part of the driver or the driver's employer may wish to contact an attorney experienced in the personal injury area.
A tanker exploding on the freeway could potentially end up involving several vehicles and cost any number of lives. Individuals suffering burn injuries in such accidents will probably suffer extreme trauma and require a lifetime of medical care. This is why commercial truck drivers and their employers need to be held accountable to higher standard of care.
Source: scpr.org., "Repairs still underway on 134 Freeway bridge following weekend fuel tanker fire," by Ashley Bailey, April 9, 2012
]]>Police believe that the rider was run over subsequent times because of the heavy nature of the traffic in the area. There was no designated bicycle lane on the bridge where the accident happened and it is unclear as of yet where the bicyclist was at when he was struck.
]]> Though this matter definitely requires investigation before any fault can actually be determined, this particular accident is disturbing in that such a rider could have been struck so many different times. As in so many pedestrian accidents that occur on roadways, it was as if the drivers were not paying attention to the bicyclist at all.Attorneys represent injured pedestrians and family members because the presumption is often that the pedestrian has the right of way. Such a presumption is often ignored by drivers. Unfortunately, pedestrians and bicyclists have virtually no protection when they are struck by a motor vehicle. The bicyclist involved in this accident was reported to be wearing a bicycle helmet, but no helmet is going to offer sufficient protection when the rider is run over at least three times.
And though traffic is so heavy in the San Diego area, such traffic has done little to slow drivers down - even when pedestrians are present.
Source: 10News.com, "Bicyclist Killed in Crash on Balboa Avenue Near 1-805," March 22, 2012
]]>The bicycle rider died at the scene. The accident occurred along I-805 at 7:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning. Though traffic was likely busy in the area no witnesses have so far come forward to assist authorities. San Diego police are urging anyone with information to give them a call.
]]> Because this type of accident has become all too common such accidents also present a number of problems for authorities. There are simply too many accidents of this kind for the police to investigate. Another and greater problem is that closure for family members is difficult to come by as such an accident remains unresolved.Attorneys experienced in personal injury matters and with the resources to recreate accidents can often provide assistance to such family members. Such attorneys can focus more upon a single incident and may be able to locate those witnesses after police are forced to investigate other matters. Also, attorneys can often find ways of compensating the family even if the responsible party is not found.
There really is no way to make up for the loss of a 29-year old family member. Individuals like this bike rider have others dependent upon them for financial and emotional support. At least some sort of financial compensation will prevent the family from being punished any more than it already has by such an unfortunate accident.
Source: SanDiego6.com, "Police Looking for Witnesses to Fatal Accident," March 28, 2012
]]>Tragically, one of the vehicles containing four boys and one girl lost control and flipped over to its side. Two of the boys were killed instantly while the other three teenagers were taken to the hospital. The female passenger in the vehicle is now believed to be brain dead while another is in critical condition but expected to survive. All of the passengers were between the ages of 15 and 17-years old.
]]> It's expected that the driver of the car involved in the accident will face manslaughter charges. He was driving with a restricted license and should not have been driving past 11:00 p.m. or with anyone else in the vehicle. Unfortunately, criminal charges brought by the county will do little to help out those individuals injured or killed in the accident.The injured parties and their families may bring a civil lawsuit against the driver, but it's extremely unlikely that the driver will have the funds to compensate these individuals for medical expenses, rehabilitation, wage losses, extensive pain and suffering, long term care or, in at least two circumstances, loss of life. Attorneys experienced in representing injured victims involved in car accidents understand the complexities of such cases and can advise clients on the best avenues to pursue to try and make the victims once again physically and financially whole - or at least as whole as such individuals can be under the circumstances.
When teenagers receive a driver's license they automatically are taking on adult responsibilities. The majority of such young people take their responsibilities seriously, but a small percentage of them view the cars that they drive as toys rather than a vehicle that must be handled with care. The actions of the drivers in this case have drastically altered or even destroyed the lives of several individuals that had much to look forward to in the future.
Source: NBC San Diego, "High-Speed Crash Kills 2 Teens," by Monica Dean and Lauren Steussy, April 5, 2012
]]>The burn victim is 47-years old. He testified that the helicopter lost power in one of the engines and the craft then clipped the top of a tree before being engulfed in flames.
]]> The burn victim's share of the verdict will be $37 million for himself and $3 million for his wife. The jury placed 57 percent of the blame upon GE for the crash, but they also found fault with the owner of the helicopter and the manufacturer of the helicopter as well.Though $40 million may seem like an extremely high amount for a verdict it must be remembered that burns are possibly the most painful of injuries that anyone can suffer, and also result in the longest convalescence. Severe burn injuries will likely result in permanent disfigurement and disability. The procedures for treating such injuries are also extremely painful in nature.
When proving up damages concerning burn injuries, many factors must be taken into account. There's wage loss, medical expenses, pain and suffering, the need for replacement services concerning everyday tasks and chores, and the inability to participate in everyday life. Attorneys experienced in litigating such matters often have a good idea exactly what such a case is worth and what kind of verdicts juries often return.
Source: Ashland Daily Tidings, "GE engine faulted for helicopter crash that killed 9," by Paul Fattig, March 28, 2012
]]>It appears that the police detective's car rolled over as a result of the crash. Fortunately he only suffered minor injuries due to the accident.
]]> Despite witness accounts, authorities are not sure if the accident was a hit-and-run since there was no documentation to back up whether any other vehicles were involved. It is also not clear if any other individuals were injured in the crash.On a highway system as busy as we have in San Diego, accidents will occur no matter how careful a driver may be. And occasionally snafus are made by officials when investigations of accidents are conducted. Such officials are generally very highly skilled, but in a metropolitan area like San Diego there is simply no possibility to thoroughly investigate every crash.
Individuals injured would be highly advised to consult with an attorney experienced in litigating such accidents as such attorneys usually have the resources to make a thorough investigation of an accident and make an accurate determination of what occurred. Such attorneys can often also provide additional options for recovery when it is difficult to impossible to locate the individuals responsible for the accident.
Source: NBC San Diego, "Police Detective Injured in Car Accident," by Lauren Steussy, March 14, 2012
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