San Diego Injury Lawyer Blog

Truck driver fatigue and its link to dangerous truck accidents has long been a subject of scrutiny, but the issue has come into focus even more in recent years due to new studies and increased federal regulations on commercial truck drivers. However, fatigued and drowsy driving are still a common occurrence in the trucking industry with many companies encouraging drivers to push past regulations, according to The Trial Lawyer.

In order to prevent fatigued truck accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Commission (FMCSA) has established strict Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. These rules demand that truck drivers and their companies operate with time restrictions regarding how long a driver can operate his or her vehicle and when he or she must take a break or go off duty. Those who violate HOS regulations can be penalized by the FMCSA, but drivers and companies can falsify records and log books which are meant to keep track of truck operation in order to slip past these regulations.

Truck accidents can result in devastating injuries and death for those involved, especially those in smaller passenger vehicles or pedestrians. The massive size and weight of tractor trailers coupled with the speed of the vehicle can easily crush vehicles involved in an accident. Fatigue can lead to truck drivers making mistakes and reacting poorly to emergency situations, thus increasing the chances of an injury accident.

A truck accident can quickly lead to life-altering injuries for those involved, and when driver or company negligence leads to such an incident, victims have the right to seek compensation for their losses. The San Diego truck accident injury attorneys at The Jurewitz Law Group can aid you in your injury case by using their years of experience to your advantage. Call us today for more information on how we can help at (888) 233-5020.

40-year-old Christopher Barton Tatro was killed in a tragic hit-and-run car collision that occurred on December 17, 2011, around 2 a.m. on 91 Freeway in Riverside. According to California Highway Patrol, Tatro was loading a disabled vehicle onto his flatbed truck on the side of the eastbound lanes of the freeway near Monroe Street when he was hit by a tan sedan, possibly a beige late-1990s Saturn.

The car veered from the number five lane into the left side of the tow truck and then struck Tatro. The collision threw Tatro about 60 feet into traffic lanes. He suffered massive injuries to his legs and torso.

Tatro was immediately transported to Riverside Community Hospital where he was later pronounced dead around 4:20 a.m.

From the available information, it is appears that negligent and distracted driving of the sedan driver contributed to this serious multiple vehicle collision. If it is found that the sedan driver was driving inattentively, then he may be held liable for this accident. Also this sedan driver has committed the felony of hit-and-run, which is a direct violation of California traffic law.

The victim’s family members should immediately seek counsel from an experienced Riverside County truck accident lawyer who would educate them about their legal rights. The victim’s family may file a wrongful death claim against the sedan driver to obtain compensation to cover funeral and burial costs, loss of anticipated earnings, loss of love, care and companionship, and other accident-related damages.

Our personal injury law office sends sincere condolences to victim’s family and friends.

Continue reading "Fatal Hit-And-Run Freeway Crash Kills Tow-Truck Operator" »

Two unidentified pedestrians suffered minor injuries in a pedestrian accident that occurred on August 17, 2011, around 6 a.m. on eastbound Elder Creek Road, just west of South Watt Avenue.
According to California Highway Patrol Officers, the two men were walking away from their broken-down vehicle in Sacramento's south area when they were struck by a pickup truck. Both the pedestrians complained of pain and were immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

There is limited information and an investigation will yield the exact cause of the accident. Investigating officers need to determine how fast the pickup truck was travelling, if the motorist was distracted, or if he was driving negligently. A detailed investigation will help the officers determine the exact cause of this car crash.

The injured pedestrians should immediately seek counsel from an experienced Sacramento County pedestrian accident lawyer who would educate them about their legal rights and assure that the at-fault party is apprehended and brought to justice. Injured victims can file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver to obtain compensation to cover medical, treatment and hospital costs, loss of wages, loss of earning capacity, and other accident-related expenses.

Our personal injury law office sincerely hopes and prays that the injuries suffered by both the pedestrians heal soon.

Continue reading "South Sacramento Pick-up Truck Accident Injures Two Pedestrians" »

An unidentified pickup driver suffered serious injuries in an El Cerrito bus accident that occurred on April 13, 2011, around 6:32 p.m. on Cajalco Road just west of La Sierra Avenue, in Riverside County. According to the responding California Highway Patrol Officers, a pickup truck driver crashed his vehicle into a school bus carrying 32 students due to unknown reasons.

The injured pickup driver was immediately transported to Corona Regional Medical Center for medical treatment. The California Highway Patrol now must determine what made the pickup driver crash his truck into the school bus. It does not seem that a defective road design or vehicle malfunction caused this accident. From the facts presented, it appears that the truck driver was either inattentive and driving negligently or ran a red light and violated the bus’s right of way.

The injured victims should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Riverside County to determine their legal rights and to obtain timely compensation to provide for treatment and hospitalization costs, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering damages.

We sincerely hope that the injuries suffered by the victim heal soon.

Continue reading "Driver Suffers Injuries in El Cerrito Bus Accident " »

A serious San Diego truck accident occurred on northbound Interstate 15 (I-15) when a big-rig truck ran over and ended up on top of a car, leaving the driver seriously injured. According to the California Highway Patrol, this San Diego freeway accident occurred south of Interstate 8 (I-8) in the Mission Valley area of San Diego shortly before 1:30 p.m. on October 19, 2010.

California Highway Patrol officers said that the truck crashed on the top of the car before it came to rest on the center divider. The smaller vehicle was crushed badly and its’ driver suffered serious injuries and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Eastbound Interstate 8 remained blocked for several hours following this truck accident until emergency crew cleared the road around 4:30 p.m. Authorities are still investigating what caused this traffic accident to occur.

From the available information, it is not clear if the truck driver’s negligence or inattentiveness lead to this accident. Now the authorities need to find out what made the truck driver land on the roof of the car. Did he lose control of the vehicle? Was there any automobile malfunction or design issue which contributed or caused the auto accident to occur? Was the truck driver driving under influence of alcohol or drugs? If the driver is indeed found at fault, he may be held liable to cover the cost of medical treatment, hospitalization costs, lost wages, and other accident related damages.

The injured car driver should consult an experienced San Diego truck accident lawyer who could help him acquire fair compensation for his pain and damages suffered. We sincerely hope and pray that the injured victim did not suffer any life threatening injuries and that he recovers completely from his injuries.

Continue reading "San Diego Big-Rig Truck Accident Injures Car Driver " »

A big rig versus bus accident closed Highway 12 on October 11, 2010, afternoon in Sacramento County. According to the California Highway Patrol, this fatal Sacramento interstate trucking accident involved two other vehicles: a bus and a Chevy Blazer SUV. Stockton CHP spokesman Angel Arceo said that this three vehicle accident occurred on State Route 12 just east of the Sacramento-San Joaquin County line and south of Isleton, approximately 400 miles from San Diego.

Arceo said that the big rig truck and tractor trailer was traveling westbound when it encountered traffic, tried to slow down, and jackknifed. A transit bus carrying no passengers heading eastbound slammed into the big rig. The female drivers driving big rig and the transit bus suffered critical injuries and were transported to a nearby hospitals for treatment. The big rig truck driver was taken to John Muir hospital in the Bay Area, while the bus driver was transported to the UC Davis Medical Center.

The SUV involved in this truck accident, went down an embankment off the road, but fortunately no one suffered major injuries. This Sacramento truck accident forced closure of Highway 12 in both directions. The roadway reopened after 7:45 p.m.

This news report offers very few details about what caused this three vehicle crash. There are several unanswered questions here. Who caused the accident? Who was at fault? Did alcohol or drugs play a part? Was one of the drivers fatigued at the time of the crash? Was speed or distraction a factor? Was there an auto defect or mechanical malfunction that caused the driver to lose control?

Victims of negligent drivers often face considerable monetary adversities in addition to their physical injuries. In such cases like this one, the truck accident victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering and other related damages.

It would be in the best interest of the injured victims to seek assistance from a truck accident attorney in Sacramento County.

We sincerely hope and pray that none of the injured victims sustain any life threatening injuries.

Continue reading "Big Rig & Bus Crash Closes Highway 12 In Sacramento County " »

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 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 36-year old woman was severely injured in an Orange County truck accident as a commercial truck tractor went off a residential street in Garden Grove and hit several trees, a fence, concrete planters and a block wall before coming to a stop. This truck accident took place on February 12, 2010 around 11 a.m. The injured woman, Olga Quiroz, was standing in her yard when she was struck and dragged under the truck. Quiroz was taken to a local hospital with lacerations, fractures, and other injuries to her legs.

The truck driver, William Davis, 44, of Orange, was uninjured, and evaluated to have been driving under the influence of alcohol and was later arrested on suspicion of felony DUI. Davis has also been linked to a non-injury hit and run traffic collision that happened about 45 minutes before at Euclid Avenue and Trask Street.

Our office wishes for a speedy recovery for Olga Quiroz. It has to be said that drivers need to be extremely careful while driving in residential areas. Also, driving under influence can lead to fatal consequences.

Ross Jurewitz is an Orange County truck accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California 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 in a Orange County personal injury 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 an Orange County truck 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 38-year old bicycle rider lost his life in a San Diego auto accident when a city dump truck slammed into the cyclist on February 8, 2010 around 12:50 p.m. This tragic bike accident took place in the Oak Park area of San Diego at the intersection of 54th Avenue and Krenning Street.

The man, whose name was withheld pending notification from family, died right on the spot of the traffic accident and could not even be taken to the hospital. Though nobody else was injured, the cause of the bicycle accident is still unknown as reported by San Diego police Detective Gary Hassen.

Our office wishes to convey our sincere prayers and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased cyclist. It has to be said that the intersection at which the car accident took place is a very busy place. The downhill run from the College Grove Drive, that meets 54th street, is a rather dangerous one. Care has to be taken by all the residents of San Diego and especially the bicyclists that they are in total control of their vehicles in this area.

Ross Jurewitz is a San Diego bicycle crash 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 San Diego bike 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 an injury 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.

Interstate 5 (I-5 or "the 5") freeway is the major north-south freeway running along San Diego County's coastline. It is a very heavily traveled road and is the site of many traffic accidents, including car wrecks, motorcycle accidents, and truck crashes.

We have added a new web report on our San Diego personal injury website that addresses Interstate 5 car accidents. Check it out.

The Interstate 15 (I-15 or "the 15") freeway runs along the inland part of San Diego County and runs north from National City through Escondido and Temecula in the north until it reaches Nevada near Las Vegas.

I-15 is a highly traveled shipping lane for interstate trucks and big-rigs. Because of their larger size and reduced maneuverability, we see an increased number of motor vehicle accidents along the freeway, including car accidents, truck crashes, and motorcycle wrecks.

We have added a new web report on our San Diego injury accident website about Interstate 15 trucking accidents and car wrecks. Check it out.

Big rig trucking accidents are very serious. When a vehicle is struck by a tractor trailor, they are either completely destroyed or very seriously damaged. And that is just the car, not the passengers inside. Drivers and passengers typically either suffer lifelong injuries or are killed.

Due to the severity of these accidents, people injured due to interstate trucking accidents should certainly consult with a personal injury attorney.

We hope to help truck wreck victims by providing educational materials and information so that our clients are informed and can make educated decisions. To that end, we have written this helpful article all about interstate trucking accidents and posted it on our San Diego personal injury law firm website. Please read through it and, if you would like to receive more information or assistance with your truck accident claim, please contact our San Diego injury accident attorneys at 619-233-5020.

On July 28, 2009, an injured construction supervisor was awarded $4.7 million by an Orange County, CA jury after being struck by a commercial truck and severely injured. You can read more about the verdict at the link.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a San Diego trucking accident, contact San Diego commercial truck accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the San Diego injury attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group at (619) 233-5020. You may also contact these San Diego, CA personal injury lawyers online here.

On July 21, 2009, a bicyclist was fatally injured on a rural road in North San Diego County when the bike he was riding was struck by by a pickup truck.

The victim, Angel Guadalupe Galvez, 37, had been cycling southbound along Cole Grade Road in Valley Center as the 1992 Chevrolet pickup approached from behind, around 8:15 a.m. according to California Highway Patrol. As the driver tried to pass Galvez just by Fruitvale Road, the struck intercepted the bicycle. Medics that had arrived on the scene took Galvez to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where Galvez, a Valley Center resident, was pronounced dead a short time later.

Continue reading "Valley Center Man Killed in San Diego County Bicycle Accident" »

You have likely heard about the recent deadly tour bus carrying tourists, mostly from France, from the San Francisco area down to Los Angeles, where they were due to depart back to France. The Orion Pacific tour bus had overturned on a highway overpass in Central California where four passengers were ejected from the bus as it lay in a wreck around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. There were five confirmed deaths from the bus accident.

Photo Gallery with 8 total images from KTLA News

A new detail reveals that the American driver, John Egnew, 69, of Corona in Riverside County, had been involved in another accident about three years ago. The Associated Press found evidence that in 2005, Egnew struck a 71-year-old woman in Las Vegas as she was crossing the street with her husband, leaving the woman with serious injuries. Egnew claimed that he didn't see the pedestrian on the road. You can read more about this Central California bus accident in this KTLA news story.

Continue reading "Driver in Fatal Central California Tour Bus Crash had History of Prior Accidents" »

Children all around San Diego County enjoy playing hide-and-seek in the evening with their neighborhood friends. Many children play all along their street and neighborhood paying little attention when crossing. Last week in North Encanto, an 11-year-old boy was playing a hide-and-seek game when he ran in front of a tow truck and was hit. The truck accident happened on the 6800 block of Madera Street.

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San Diego authorities have stated that the tow truck driver did everything he could to avoid hitting the child but was not able to do so.. The driver does not appear to be at fault. You can read more about this San Diego pedestrian accident in this CBS8.com story.

Continue reading "San Diego Boy Injured in Tow Truck Accident" »

Many an accident on the road that cause injuries or even fatalities are not due to unsafe exterior conditions or even the irresponsibility of other drivers nearby. A lot of times, the fault lies in the interior conditions of our vehicles and, more often than not, fatigue.

Prompted by the charter bus accident in Utah in January 2008 that resulted in 51 of the riders to be ejected from the vehicle into the wintry night, nine of whom died and forty-three others who were injured, the National Transportation and Safety Board recently attributed the accident as relating to the fatigue of the 71 year-old bus driver who had underestimated his speed and had a slowed reaction time.

Continue reading "Fatigue Significant Factor in San Diego Car, Bus, Motorcycle Accidents" »

A friend of the Jurewitz Law Group and San Diego resident was riding his newly tuned-up bicycle around the uptown area of San Diego this last Saturday morning.

The University Heights resident was heading back home after running some errands during this busy day and, as he was riding out of the parking lot of the Ralph's in Hillcrest, he stopped behind a grey Ford F-150. This Ford pick-up truck was waiting to go into the underground parking lot blocking off the path.

Our friend stopped behind the truck waiting for him to move when suddenly the truck driver decided to go in reverse instead of forward. Not looking into his mirrors, the driver did not see our employee and hit him with his truck. Our employee fell off of his bike with his groceries spilling all over the floor.

Continue reading "Friend of San Diego Injury Law Firm Struck by Truck" »

The morning commute is a busy time for San Diego roads and many San Diegans are usually in a rush to make it to work on time. San Diego students are usually on their way to school at around the same time. Many of them ride the bus, a rather safe means of transportation. That expected safety that comes from being a passenger in a huge yellow vehicle with lights was compromised twice last Friday morning. Two San Diego Unified School District buses were struck by cars in unrelated auto accidents.

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A California Highway Patrol dispatch reported the first accident at 6:59 a.m. In this first accident, a van backed into a parked school bus on 54th and Pirotte Drive in the Chollas Creek neighborhood of San Diego. The bus had 23 passengers on it.

The California Highway Patrol reported the second accident just three minutes later in the neighboring San Diego neighborhood of Emerald Hills. At Bayview Heights Drive and Federal Boulevard. A truck struck a school bus at a stop sign carrying 15 passengers.

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Continue reading "Two San Diego Unified School District Buses Involved in Accidents" »

Yesterday morning, a San Diego pedestrian walking just east of I-5 near Balboa Park was hit by a San Diego Unified School District bus, suffering minor injuries. You can learn more in this 10news.com story.

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The bus crash happened at around 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Hawthorn and Albatross streets. The California Highway Patrol reported that none of the 42 bus passengers were hurt. However, no other facts have been reported.

The bus driver's actions will hopefully be investigated soon and if the pedestrian needs any further medical care, he should be provided with monies to take care of his medical and lost expenses for the bus driver's carelessness.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed while crossing the street please contact the San Diego pedestrian accident attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at 619-233-5020 or contact them online here.

On March 12, a man driving a black Volkswagen Jetta caused a serious San Diego car accident after he ran a red light on Seventh Avenue and collided with a San Diego MTS bus that was eastbound on Broadway. The driver of the Jetta initially denied running the red light but after several witnesses reported otherwise, the investigating San Diego Police officers concluded that he indeed ran the light. You can read more in this San Diego Reader article.

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Seven San Diego MTS bus passengers and the driver of the Jetta were taken to the hospital after officials from the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Fire Department, and other San Diego medical services came to the scene.

Continue reading "Car Crashes into MTS Bus in Downtown San Diego" »

A San Diego jury awarded the widow of a motorcycle rider and his two children $4.9 million after he was struck on a motorcycle by a truck driver. After the verdict was read, the judge--as is typical--polled the jurors for their votes. However, the judge forgot to get the answers from one juror to two of the 13 questions asked during the polling process.

The juror did agree with the other jurors that the truck driver was negligent and caused the trucking accident. However the judge forgot to ask him if he agreed with the other jurors on the apportionment of damages. The jury verdict found to the truck driver to be 80% responsible for causing the accident but also found the motorcycle rider to be 20% responsible.

On appeal by the insurance defense counsel for the truck driver, the judge's mistake led to a reversal of the verdict by the Fourth District Court of Appeals. The Court of appeals held, in part, that:

...the trial court erred in accepting the juror declarations to inquire into and resolve the results of the jury's decision making process, and also when it made a credibility determination that Santana could not effectively have voted other than 80/20 at any relevant time.

The Keeners, the family of the motorcyclist, have appealed to the California Supreme Court to reinstate the jury verdict.

The entire Court of Appeal opinion can be read here.

Continue reading "San Diego Wrongful Death Verdict to be Reviewed by California Supreme Court" »

An unidentified pedestrian, in the Ramona section of San Diego, was killed after being hit by in a semi-truck accident Wednesday morning while crossing the street.

The accident happened just after 2:30 a.m. when the driver of the truck was heading west on Main Street at the intersection with 7th Street. According to the driver, the pedestrian appeared to come out of nowhere and appeared in front of the truck. The truck driver stopped after the impact and found the man’s body pinned under the truck.

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Both lanes of Main Street were closed until 5 a.m. while the California Highway Patrol investigated the accident. At the time of publishing this entry, the cause of the accident was still under investigation.

If our office was approached by the pedestrian's family, we would first have to determine what happened that early morning. We would hire a professional accident investigator and private investigator to track down witnesses and to document the facts of the accident, including sight lines for the truck driver, the traffic controls available at the intersection, and obtaining witness statements. If the pedestrian was in the crosswalk, had the right of way, or even if the driver was not paying attention while he was driving, the pedestrian's family might have a strong case for their wrongful death claim.

Continue reading "Ramona Pedestrian Killed After Being Hit by Truck" »

A motorcyclist was killed in San Bernardino when she fell off her motorcycle and was run over by a big-rig truck.

Sharon Woodcock, 51, of Long Beach, was driving her motorcycle eastbound on Interstate 10 and making the transition to northbound Interstate 215 when she fell off her Harley Davidson and fell into the adjoining lane. Upon falling into the lane, she was run over by the big-rig truck.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

A tractor-trailer truck loaded with Coca-Cola bottles flipped on top of a Honda Civic, injuring the driver of the Civic.

The driver, Eduardo Ibarro, was entrapped in his vehicle with his leg caught under the Civic's dashboard.

Trucking companies and truckers are highly regulated. There are restrictions for the hours that can be driven in a given day and over a 48 hour period. They are regulated in their maintenance and upkeep. They are regulated as to the weight that can be carried.

There is a question why and how this particular truck lost control. If you are involved in a trucking accident, be sure to contact a knowledgeable trucking accident attorney, like the Jurewitz Law Group, who can ask the detailed questions and find out whether the trucking company and truck driver complied with all regulations.