San Diego Injury Lawyer Blog

A drug prescribed by a physician makes people generally feel more at ease about taking it- since the drug is recommended by a doctor it surely must be safe. But as a San Diego dangerous drugs lawyer, I have seen the destruction these drugs can bring on the roadways. Prescription drugs have taken on a new role in recent years with 6 million Americans using prescription narcotics such as Vicodin for non medical purposes. For most of the population this would be considered better than abusing illegal narcotics, but these drugs have just as disastrous consequences.

Recently a Seattle car accident case proved how dangerous these medications are whether prescribed or taken illegally. Bellevue personal injury law firm, Premier Law Group closed a car accident case involving a driver asleep at the wheel. The drowsy driver ran over and drug a construction worker twenty feet as he removed necessary items from his truck. The most common assumption would be the accident occurred at a late hour and the driver was simply tired—in this case, however, the driver had been illegally using a prescription medication. The medication made him drowsy, as the label clearly warns, and he fell asleep behind the wheel as an adverse side effect.

The construction worker was rushed to the hospital where he remained for some time. He would never be able to return to his profession due to the extent of his injuries and had to retrain in a different field.

What makes this case even more real is how often prescription drug abusers operate a vehicle without a second thought to their condition and the adverse reaction to the drug. Most of the 6 million Americans admitting to using prescription drugs in a recreational capacity admit to operating a vehicle while under the influence. To learn more about the Drug Driving epidemic read the article “Drugs and Driving” by Seattle personal injury lawyer, Jason Epstein.

A 38-year old man suffered critical injuries in an Orange County car accident that occurred at Goldenwest Street on September 28, 2010 around 6:00 p.m. According to Huntington Beach Police Lt. Gary Faust, the injured victim was thrown out of his pickup truck after it collided with a BMW.

Faust said that the pickup truck rolled over and the man was thrown out of it. The injured man suffered serious head and internal injuries and was transported to UCI Medical Center for treatment. The BMW driver also complained of pain and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The names of both the car drivers have not been released.

Police are still investigating the cause of this car accident to determine who was responsible for causing the accident, but it is believed that one of the drivers might have crossed into the intersection against a red light. If any of the car drivers is determined to have caused this traffic collision, then he might be held liable to pay the other with compensation to cover cost of hospitalization and pain and suffering.

The injured pickup driver should consult with a car accident lawyer in Orange County who could help them get a just compensation for the pain they suffered.

Continue reading "Huntington Beach Auto Accident Injures Driver" »

A 46-year old unidentified motorcyclist was killed in a fatal Riverside County motorcycle accident that occurred on September 27, 2010. According to the Moreno Valley Police, the victim was found lying seriously injured at the bottom of a ravine in Moreno Valley near Ironwood Avenue, approximately 90 miles north of San Diego.

An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer saw an injured man lying at the foot of a 20-foot embankment. The injured victim was then immediately rushed to Riverside County Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries. Police do not know when and how this traffic accident occurred.

It is unclear what caused this fatal motorcycle accident. However it cannot be ruled out that it might have occurred due to any mechanical failure or design issue. If it is found that this motorcycle accident occurred due to any mechanical or design issue then the automotive manufacturer might be held guilty for biker’s death. Motorcyclist’s family needs to consult an experienced Riverside motorcycle accident lawyer who could help them aware of their legal rights.

The victim’s family might be eligible for a compensation to cover cost of funeral and burial, loss of future earnings, loss of love, care and companionship. We offer our deepest condolences to all those who knew and loved the motorcyclist for such a heart rendering loss.

Continue reading "Riverside County Motorcycle Accident Kills Motorcyclist" »

Fred Fraijo, 49, a Northview High School softball assistant, was killed in a San Gabriel Valley motorcycle accident on the 10 Freeway (Interstate 10, I-10) in San Dimas in east Los Angeles County, approximately 120 miles north of San Diego. According to the California Highway Patrol, this fatal Los Angeles motorcycle accident occurred on September 22, 2010, around 5:20 a.m.

At the time of the motorcycle accident, Fraijo rode his 2004 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and crashed it into a big-rig truck parked on the shoulder. Fraijo was pronounced dead at the scene.

If the loss of control was due to uneven road or a mechanical failure, Fraijo’s family may be entitled for compensation. These types of claims are literally specific and require an immediate and detailed investigation be performed by trained experts managed by a skilled personal injury lawyer. However, regardless of whether the accident is the fault of anyone else, our prayers go out to his family for their devastating loss.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Motorcycle Accident Kills Softball Coach" »

Vannity Joy Lewis, 18, was killed and four others suffered serious injuries in a San Bernardino County car accident that occurred on September 19, 2010, around 5:15 p.m. According to the San Bernardino County’s Coroner’s Division this fatal auto accident occurred on Interstate 15 (I-15), approximately 95 miles from San Diego.

Lewis was travelling in a 1997 Volkswagen Jetta southbound on Interstate 15, south of Baseline Road.

The driver of the car and the other passengers suffered serious injuries and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. California Highway Patrol officers are investigating the cause of this fatal car accident.

If it is found that negligent driving of the other car lead to Lewis’s death, then the at-fault driver may be held liable for Lewis’s wrongful death. He would then be responsible to compensate Lewis’s family and the injured victims to cover their medical expenses, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering.

We offer our sincere condolences to Lewis’s family for such a heart rendering loss. We also hope that none of the injured victims sustain life threatening injuries and recover to their health soon.

Continue reading "San Bernardino County Auto Accident on I-15" »

Daniel Lugo, 80, was killed in an Apple Valley car accident when he was struck by a vehicle on September 18, 2010, around 7:50 p.m. Lugo was struck and killed while he was walking along Highway 18 near Tao Road in Apple Valley, approximately 95 miles from San Diego.

The car driver apparently fled from the auto accident scene after hitting Lugo. On September 19, 2010, Michele A. Pace, 36, appeared in Apple Valley Police Station and her 1994 gold Saturn car was found before she was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run with serious bodily injury.

From the present facts, it is clear that Lugo lost his life due to Pace’s gross negligence due to driving under the influence of alcohol and now the investigating officers need to investigate all the facts surrounding this car accident. Under California law, it is unlawful for anyone to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of any drug or alcohol per California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a). Also, leaving the scene of an accident is a serious violation under California Vehicle Code 20001 (a). If Pace is found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol and running from the scene of accident, then she might be held liable to pay Lugo’s family the cost of funeral arrangements, loss of earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages.

We offer our sincere condolences to Lugo’s family for such a tragic and devastating loss.

Continue reading "Drunk Driver Kills Victorville Pedestrian" »

An elderly woman sustained serious injuries when she was pinned between two cars in a driveway on September 19, 2010, around 1:15 p.m. The injured victim was helping another elderly woman back out of her driveway near the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and Celinda Drive in Carlsbad when this auto accident occurred.

The injured woman became trapped between two cars and suffered serious injuries to her head and torso. At present, it seems that the inattentiveness of another elderly woman driving along the street might have lead to this car crash. Under California Vehicle Code § 21901, drivers cannot disregard pedestrians standing or walking in roadways. They must avoid an accident by stopping or turning out of harm’s way. If it is found that the woman driving her car along the street was at fault, after the Carlsbad Police perform their initial investigation, then they might be held liable for the injuries the woman standing in the street suffered. She might also be held liable to pay compensation to the injured woman for her medical costs and pain that she suffered.

We hope that the woman injured in this traffic collision recovers fully from her injuries and that no long term damage has been suffered. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her.

Continue reading "Carlsbad Auto Accident Pins Woman Between Two Cars" »

Roger Lee Bailey, 46, while trying to cross the train tracks in the North San Diego County city of Oceanside, was struck and killed by an Amtrak train on September 18, 2010 around 11:55 p.m. Oceanside Police Sgt. Travis Norton said that the man was trying to cross the tracks on the 200 block of Surfrider Way when he tripped and was struck by San Diego bound train.

The train stopped at the accident scene to await investigating officers from San Diego County Sherriff’s Department. The exact reason of Bailey’s presence on the tracks is not clear, although it appears that he was trying to cross the railroad track and may have been trying to “beat” the train. It is also not clear whether Bailey was under the influence of drugs or alcohol or sober when this fatal train accident occurred.

The exact cause of this injury accident still remains under investigation. If it is found that the train driver’s negligence or inattentiveness caused this fatal train accident, then he and Amtrak might be held responsible for the victim’s death and may be civilly liable to pay the cost of his funeral, loss of earnings, and loss of love and companionship. More facts are needed to determine if this is the case.

In the meantime, nothing can be said that would console or help Mr. Bailey’s friends and family in a time like this. The loss of a loved one is never easy but it is particularly hard when it happens in an accident where someone may be legally responsible for their death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Bailey’s friends and family. We wish them peace.

Continue reading "San Diego Train Accident Kills Pedestrian" »

An unidentified motorcyclist sustained serious injuries when he lost control of his motorcycle and went down a road near Aguanga in Riverside County,approximately 88 miles from San Diego. This motorcycle accident occurred on Sage Road on September 6, 2010, around 2:30 p.m. According to California Highway Patrol officers, the motorcyclist apparently lost control and skidded off the right shoulder of the road.

The injured motorcyclist declined to go to a nearby hospital for treatment. His crumbled bike was later towed away to clear the road. California Highway Patrol officers are investigating the cause of this motorcycle accident.

If this traffic accident occurred due to bad condition of the road or any mechanical failure, then the injured biker needs to know his legal rights from an aggressive Riverside County motorcycle accident attorney. The injured victim is eligible for compensation to cover his medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering, if this accident was not his fault.

Continue reading "Riverside County Motorcycle Accident Injures Rider" »

A 71-year old woman and her 43-year old son suffered serious injuries when a Nissan Titan veered into their home on September 14, 2010, around 1:40 a.m. According to California Highway Patrol officers, the pickup truck crashed through the bedroom and living room of the victim’s home in Victorville, located approximately 100 miles from San Diego in San Bernardino County.

Fortunately, six to seven people sleeping upstairs escaped unhurt. The pickup truck driver, though, suffered minor injuries in this truck accident. The Fire Department crew that responded to the accident scene shored up the house to prevent it from collapsing. Hopefully it will not be “red-tagged” as uninhabitable and torn down.

From the present facts it appears that the negligence and inattentiveness of the truck driver caused this accident. Investigating officers need to find out whether the truck driver was driving under influence—which he most likely was given the nature of this auto accident and the time of day--or was distracted. If it is found that the truck driver was negligent, then he will be responsible to pay compensation to the injured victims for medical costs, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, and the damage done to their house.

Continue reading "Car Runs Into San Bernardino Home " »

A single vehicle rollover accident on September 14, 2010, in Santa Barbara County left one person seriously injured. According to emergency dispatch reports, this rollover car accident occurred in the 500 block of South I Street near Willow Avenue in Lompoc, approximately 200 miles from San Diego before 6:00 p.m. in a residential neighborhood. A red sedan was the lone vehicle involved in this car accident.

Two ambulances reached the accident scene and transported the injured driver to Marian Medical Center for treatment. It is not clear what caused the car to rollover, but if it occurred due to loss of control due to a mechanical defect, then the automobile manufacturer might be held liable for causing this accident.

The injured driver might very well want to consult with an aggressive Santa Barbara car accident lawyer who could make him get fair compensation for his medical costs and other related damages.

Continue reading "Lompoc Rollover Car Accident Injures Driver" »

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on the Interstate 5 (I-5) onramp next to the Colorado Bay Bridge in the Logan Heights neighborhood of San Diego on September 11, 2010 around 4:00 p.m. San Diego Police Officer Frank Cali said that the pedestrian accident happened on the Cesar Chavez Parkway.

The victim sustained serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The driver of the car stopped at the accident scene until the police reached the scene and did not flee. San Diego Police are investigating the cause of this accident and why the car struck the pedestrian.

California law holds that drivers must give the right of way to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and at an intersection whether the crosswalk is marked or not. However, even if the pedestrian is in the roadway, a driver must still avoid a collision with the pedestrian who is more vulnerable to injury. From the present facts, it seems that the car driver violated the right of way when he struck the pedestrian. If the investigation finds that the vehicle driver did in fact fail to yield to the pedestrian and interfered with his right of way, then he might be responsible to pay the injured victim compensation to cover the medical costs, lost earnings, and other damages.

Regardless of how or why the accident happened, we hope that the injured pedestrian recovers from his injuries as soon as possible.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Struck on I-5 Ramp To Coronado Bridge" »

A 31-year old woman along with her 11-year old daughter, and her 3-month old daughter, Ruby Gould, were struck by a car while trying to cross a marked crosswalk in Huntington Beach. This fatal pedestrian accident occurred on September 7, 2010, at the intersection of Croupier Drive and Springdale Street, approximately 91 miles from San Diego in Orange County.

According to Huntington Beach Police, a Toyota Tundra that stopped to let the pedestrians cross the street was rear ended by a speeding Chevy Tahoe that failed to stop at the intersection.

The force of the traffic collision pushed the Tundra into the crosswalk, striking the three pedestrians Unfortunately, Ruby was killed, while the mother and young girl sustained severe injuries. The boy who was walking along with the group escaped unhurt. The investigation of this car accident is pending.

Based on the present facts, the Chevy Tahoe driver will probably be found at fault for failing to stop at the intersection and provide the right of the way to the pedestrians as required by California Vehicle Code Section 21950. This California law holds that drivers must give the right of way to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and at an intersection. Violation of this law may entitle the injured woman for compensation to cover the cost of funeral arrangements for Ruby, cost of hospitalization and treatment of injuries, and other related damages.

We express our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved the toddler for such a tragic loss. There is nothing as tragic as the loss of a child. It is just too painful to imagine. We also sincerely hope and pray that the injured victims are able to recover to their complete health soon.

Continue reading "Baby Killed In Huntington Beach Car Accident " »

An unidentified woman was rescued from her overturned car around 11:10 a.m. on August 28, 2010, and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries. According to the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department, the exact reason of how the woman’s vehicle flipped near the intersection of 54th Street and Chollas Parkway in Chollas Creek was unclear.

San Diego Fire and Rescue Department officer said that traffic was blocked from the intersection where police were conducting an investigation to determine why the vehicle rolled over.

If the car overturned due to any mechanical failure or an unkempt road, then the automobile manufacturer or the authorities responsible for maintenance of the road might be held liable to pay a compensation for the injured victim’s medical costs and pain and suffering damages. As with any person who has been injured in an auto accident, the injured woman would be wise to consult with a San Diego personal injury lawyer who can advise her of legal rights and help her get a fair compensation.

We sincerely hope and pray that the injured victim recovers to her complete health soon.

Continue reading "Woman Rescued from San Diego Rollover Auto Accident" »