San Diego Injury Lawyer Blog

Carrie McKinney, a 22-year old San Diego mother lost custody of her 7-month old baby boy and possibly will face criminal charges for neglect. Carrie left her baby boy strapped in a carrier on the floor at her friend’s place in Riverside County with two dogs. The dogs, a 5-year old pit bull and an 8-month old pit bull mix both females, bit the boy in the groin area and ripped apart the baby’s testicles. The baby has been admitted at Loma Linda University Medical Center for medical and surgical care and is with Child Protective Services. The owner of the pit bulls has agreed to euthanize the dogs.

Our office wishes the baby a quick recovery and a healthy life ahead. It is never advisable to leave babies unattended and the risk increases dramatically when there are dogs, especially dangerous dogs like pit bulls, or other animals around. Parents must be very careful when leaving their babies unattended, which can lead to serious and fatal injuries to their loved ones.

Continue reading "Pit Bulls Maul Baby, San Diego Mother Prosecuted for Neglect" »

A 29-year old Murrieta man died in a fatal Riverside County car accident on northbound Interstate 15 (I-15) near the Temecula Parkway. The accident happened on March 20, 2010 at around 4:30 a.m. The car crash happened primarily due to a disabled vehicle without headlights.

The victim, Miguel Vega, when his car hit the guard rail on the stretch of the downhill freeway, spun out, and stopped across two traffic lanes with no headlights. The driver of an oncoming car did not see Vega's car in the predawn darkness until it was too late to avoid the crash and struck it on the side. The car spun around and was then hit by a second car. Vega was pronounced dead at the scene.

Our office wishes to offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Vega. This accident is tragic. One wonders why Vega lost control of the vehicle in the first place and that thought will most likely haunt his friends and family. It would be reasonable to believe that, given the time the accident occurred, that Vega had fallen asleep at the wheel prior to striking the guardrail. However, nobody will ever truly know.

Regardless of the cause of the auto accident, it is a good reminder to the public to always stay alert and well-rested while driving. If you feel tired or like you are about to fall asleep, please pull over and take a quick 30 minute nap or drink some coffee and wait about 30 minutes before driving your car again.

Continue reading "Riverside County Car Accident Kills Murrieta Man" »

The Police Chief of Riverside is being investigated after a single-vehicle hit-and-run crash in his city-issued car occurred about 3 a.m. on February 9, 2010. The Police Chief, Russ Leach, has been put on medical leave.

Leach's black Chrysler 300 jumped the curb at Central and Hillside Avenues in Riverside and struck a fire hydrant and light pole according to officials. He continued on for roughly three miles despite a hanging fender and two blown tires. Chief Leach was stopped at Arlington Avenue and Rutland Road after police received reports that his car had been throwing up sparks.

In his defense, Russ Leach said that he was disoriented on prescription drugs when he crashed. "I don't have full memory of this," Leach said of his drive. "But I take absolute full responsibility for what happened."

In light of this incident it has to be said that people need to be more careful when they drive. Those taking prescription drugs should try to abstain from driving. If you are not too careful you might end up hurting yourself and others!

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside car accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego, CA law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Riverside County auto accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a California car crash, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

A 13-year old Lake Elsinore girl was killed in a Riverside County pedestrian accident on February 5, 2010, as she and another teen were struck by a Toyota pickup while crossing Mission Trail Road near the intersection at Malaga Road in Lake Elsinore. This tragic car vs. pedestrian accident took place around 7:55 p.m.

The victim, Mandy Reyes, died within a few minutes of the auto accident, where as the other teenager sustained minor injuries to both legs. The preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the pick-up was traveling south on Mission trail in a light rain when he collided with two juveniles, reported Riverside County Sheriff Sgt. Marc Cloutier.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Mandy Reyes. It is just so tragic to lose someone so young! We hope pedestrians be more careful while they attempt to cross the roads.

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside pedestrian accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego, law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a Lake Elsinore auto accident, please call Mr. Jurewitz at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.

In addition, if you would like more information to help you or your family following a pedestrian accident, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz's book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is free to all California residents.

Saturday morning, Lauren Taguchi, 17, of Northridge was killed when her jet-ski collided with another personal watercraft on the Colorado River in Riverside County.

Ms. Taguchi died after her jet-ski struck the other personal water craft head on. The other operator, Ricky Scott Ledford of Las Vegas, helped Ms. Taguchi to a boat ramp where first responders performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. She was taken to Palo Verde Hospital where she later died of her injuries.

Jet-ski accidents are unfortunately fairly common and typically very serious. California has yet to require operators to obtain licenses to operate jet-skis and, although it is unknown whether inexperience was a factor in this case, the number one cause of jet-ski accidents is operator error due to inexperience.

Our prayers go out to Ms. Taguchi's family and we hope that the California legislature looks to this case as yet another example of why jet-ski operating licensing is necessary.