San Diego Injury Lawyer Blog

Did Billy Mays, the 50-year-old celebrity pitchman, die of a minor traumatic brain injury (MTBI) following a "hard" landing by a US Airways flight between Philadelphia and Tampa, Florida?

That is the question buzzing around the internet right now.

Mays had been flying home to Tampa after filming an OxiClean commercial in Philadelphia when the front tire of his US Airways flight exploded following the hard landing. Initially no serious injuries were reported and Mays posted on his Twitter feed about the hard landing saying it was par for the course with US Airways. After the landing, objects fell from the ceiling, although it is unclear what those objects were, and hit Mays in the head.

After landing, Mays told a local news crew about the hit to his head:

"All of a sudden as we hit," Mays said. "You know it was just the hardest hit. All the top...you know the things from the ceiling started dropping and it hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

Mays was found dead at his home the next day by his wife, Deborah. Reportedly, Mays did not feel well when he went to bed later that night. No other major health problems have been disclosed.

Continue reading "Was Pitchman Billy Mays Killed by MTBI; Second Celebrity Head Injury Death After Natasha Richardson?" »

The victim of the Normal Heights hit-and-run fatality in San Diego County previously reported on by the Jurewitz Law Group (Police Search for Suspect in Fatal San Diego Hit-and-Run Car Accident)has recently been identified. Yesterday, the man killed while walking across the 3200 block of Meade Ave at 1:30 a.m. was made known to be Carl Marvin Duresseau, 53.

Duresseau suffered massive head injuries when he was hit by a car traveling eastbound on Meade Avenue, after which the vehicle that hit him sped off. Duresseau died at the scene. The only details known of the car was that it was a newer white hatchback. You can read more about this San Diego pedestrian accident in this 10news.com story.

Continue reading "Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident Victim Identified" »

San Diego police are searching for the driver of a car that allegedly left the scene of the fatal hit-and-run auto accident that occurred early Sunday morning in the Normal Heights neighborhood of San Diego.

The victim of the accident, who is only known so far as a male in his 30s, was struck and killed just after 1:30 a.m. around the 3200 block of Meade Ave. The victim was hit by another vehicle and the victim suffered massive head injuries before being declared dead at the scene. There was no reported license plate of the suspected car that drove off, it was only described as a newer white hatchback. You can read more about this pedestrian accident in San Diego in this Examiner.com story.

Continue reading "Police Search for Suspect in Fatal San Diego Hit-and-Run Car Accident" »

In January of 2006, Derek Ritter was only 48 years old when he was hit by a San Diego car driver high on methamphetamines, killing Ritter and leaving behind a fatherless family. Now, his surviving children are determined to publicize the tragedy, and bring light to the consequences of driving while under influences.

Ritter's children, son Kevin and daughter Kara, are fighting to keep influenced drivers off the road, and to let those who hand them the keys and allow them to drive be held responsible as well. Kara Ritter has a strong viewpoint on this matter. "Everybody in society has a role to be responsible, and if you make an irresponsible decision you need to be held accountable," she says.

Dean Osuna was the man driving on meth down Highway 78 when he crossed the median and killed Ritter. Though he spent time in jail, a jury now says that Osuna and his girlfriend, who had given him the keys to drive, owe Ritter's family $1.8 million. The Ritters' attorney is very adament and pleased with this scenario, as he sees it as a precedent-setting decision to hold the driver and his enabler accountable, and will affect future generations who may make similar poor decisions when hitting the road. If you would like to read more about this San Diego auto accident, read this 10news.com story.

Continue reading "Victim's Family Seeks to Educate About San Diego DUI Car Accidents" »

An Encinitas boy who was struck by a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle more than two weeks ago is now dead, as reported by the Medical Examiner's Office. The 11-year-old boy, Robert Franklin Thompson, had been on life support since his May 6 accident at Rady's Children's Hospital, and passed away Friday at 3:30 p.m.

The boy had been on a motorized "pocket bike", which resembles a small scooter but can go up to 15 mph. He had been crossing the 1000 block of Double LL Ranch Road, a private, gated road in Olivenhain, when this fatal San Diego area accident took place. Witnesses reported to San Diego police that the boy was coming out of a driveway and went directly into the path on the oncoming car. The sheriff's report had no indication of excessive speed or alcohol being involved with the accident. You can read more about this Encinitas bicycle accident in this 10news.com story.

Continue reading "Boy Hit in Encinitas Bicycle Accident Dies from Injuries" »

On Friday, May 15th, 2009, 5,200 cyclists participated in San Diego's designated Bike to Work day. This is a great way to reduce the use our gasoline and greenhouse gas emissions, but the event had a rough onset when a 43-year-old man was struck by a car on Wednesday while riding his bicycle in Valley Center. Later identified as Jose Mejia, the bicyclist was fatally injured on Valley Center Road near Cole Grade Road after he swerved into the path of the vehicle.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office did not come to any conclusions on the reasons why the bicyclist lose control. Paramedics who arrived on the scene took Mejia to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, but he died at 8:45 p.m. while there on Thursday from brain injuries suffered according to the medical examiner's office.

Continue reading "Valley Center Bicyclist Dies in San Diego County Bicycle Accident" »

An 11 year-old boy in Encinitas was hospitilized with serious injuries after being hit by a car while riding an electric pocket bike, according to authorities.

According to witnesses, the child rode into the path of a car from a driveway, onto the 1000 block of Double LL Ranch Road on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after 4:30 p.m., as informed by Sgt. Randy Webb of San Diego County Sheriff's Department. While the child's name and medical condition have not been released, it is known that he was flown to Rady's Children's Hospital. There is no evidence supporting the idea that drugs or alcohol played a role in the San Diego bicycle accident. You can read more about this Encinitas bicycle accident in this 10news.com story.

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Continue reading "Boy Killed in Encinitas Bicycle Accident" »

Marcos Garcia Jeronimo, 23, an illegal immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico had already been convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with a San Diego hit-and-run car accident resulting in the death of bicycle rider Marcelo Bolom, 23, of San Diego. On Wednesday, Jeronimo pleaded guilty to having run over Bloom last August in Mira Mesa and dragging his body more than 500 feet. Jeronimo was placed on three years' probation.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Melinda Lasater ordered that Jeronimo spend a year in county jail for the charge, although she acknowledged that he has credit for more than 380 days and is expected to be released immediately.

Jeronimo now faces deportation, although if he crosses the international border into the United States again, he could be sent to prison.

Continue reading "Illegal Immigrant Pleads Guilty for Causing Fatal San Diego Bicycle Accident" »

Highland resident Benjamin Lobato Huante, 49, who was an entomologist working in San Diego County in Fallbrook on Wednesday, was killed after his car tumbled off of a cliff more than 100 feet, and died.

Huante had been setting traps for insects around the avocado trees in the area for study had been in an all-terrain vehicle that crashed when he overcompensated and fell down a cliff around 11 a.m. San Diego County sheriff's and coroner's officials reported that Huarte died at the scene, as noted on the county coroner's Web site.

The victim of the San Diego County auto accident worked for Integrated Growers Service of Escondido, as Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health said. You can read more about this San Diego auto accident in this MercuryNews.com story.

Continue reading "Highland Entomologist Killed in San Diego County ATV Accident" »

Mario De La Rosa, 21, of the San Diego neighborhood of Serra Mesa had been driving his Toyota Camry significantly above the speed limit in the early hours just after midnight on Saturday, April 4th with his brother and passenger, Paul Albert Alferos Jr., 19, of San Diego, when he crashed into a telephone pole.

San Diego Police Department Sgt Alan Hayward reported that the fatal San Diego auto accident occurred on the 2900 block of Clairemont Drive. Alcohol had not been ruled out as a cause of the accident, but it remains unknown what caused De La Rosa to lose control of the vehicle and swerve off the road. Alteros had been unrestrained in the backseat and authorities declared him dead on the scene. Paramedics took De La Rosa to the hospital, where he later died. You can read more about this San Diego car crash in this NBCSanDiego.com story or this SanDiego6.com story.

The identification of the men in this early April car wreck were not originally released pending notification of their families. A memorial was then set up for them, including make-shift cross and memorial marker for the site of the fatal San Diego car accident.

Continue reading "Memorial Set for Men Killed in San Diego Car Accident" »

A 90-year-old Chula Vista pedestrian was hit by a car nearby Broadway and Park Way in on April 1st at approximately 8 p.m. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, the man was taken off life-support on Saturday afternoon because of the deterioration of his medical status. The Chula Vista pedestrian suffered a head injury with internal bleeding. You can read more in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

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The victim's identity was not made public so that San Diego County officials could notify the family about the death.

Continue reading "Chula Vista Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck by Car" »

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office reported last week that a 9-year-old boy was struck by a car near Riverview Elementary School in Lakeside. The boy was walking along Winter Gardens Boulevard south of Knoll Crest Place around 4 p.m. on April 6, 2009, when the fatal Lakeside pedestrian accident happened. The boy was taken to Rady Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. His name has not been released. You can read more about this Lakeside car accident in this 10news.com story.

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Continue reading "Lakeside Child Pedestrian Hit by Car, Dies" »

Baseball fans the world over are mourning the loss of Nick Adenhart, who was killed in a hit-and-run auto accident early Thursday morning in Fullerton. Adenhart, 22, was a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and just struck out five batters over six innings in the Wednesday game against the Oakland A's. You can read more about this Orange County car accident in this Yahoo! Sports story.

Adenhart had been riding in a silver Mitsubishi when a mini-van ran a red light and struck the vehicle, causing it to crash into a light pole. The driver of the minivan fled the scene but police later arrested Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, presumed to be charged with a felony of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. Two others riding in the car with Adenhart died on the scene, while Adenhart was rushed to the hospital at the UC Irvine Medical center, and died during surgery.

Continue reading "Angels Pitcher Killed in Fullerton Drunk Driving Car Accident" »

When cars driven by drunk drivers strike pedestrians in San Diego County, the result is never good. Unfortunately that was the case again this past Sunday, March 22, when Ester Quinette Monroe, 28, of Spring Valley, was struck by a suspected drunk driver as she walked on Broadway between C and D Streets in Chula Vista. You can read more about this Chula Vista car accident here in this SignOnSanDiego.com story.

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The 2 a.m. Chula Vista pedestrian accident caused Monroe to be rushed to the hospital where she passed away. The 26-year-old female car driver was arrested of driving under the influence.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Struck by Car, Killed in Chula Vista Accident" »

The Daily Point of Orange County reported last Thursday, March 12 that the California State Senate is reviewing a new bill that would allow California and San Diego authorities to treat boating under the influence in our San Diego waters just like they would treat driving under the influence on our San Diego roads. If passed, the bill would allow San Diego and California authorities to suspend boaters' licenses if caught boating under the influence. You can learn more in this Daily Pilot story.

The California BUI bill was introduced by California State Senator John Benoit that represents Senate District 37, just north of San Diego County. Senator Benoit's bill will give the DMV the power to treat a BUI just as they would treat a DUI. Previously, the DMV had the power to do just that but last year, a court of appeals verdict deemed that they did not have the power to do so.

San Diego harbor officials and officials in other California counties would like to see the bill passed. They believe that even though boating is a recreational activity, there are still many responsibilities that a boater has. According to the California Department of Boating and Waterways there were 55 boating accident fatalities in 2007, half of which happened in Southern California. Also, about 20 of the 55 victims were intoxicated.

If you or a fellow boater are ever injured or killed in a San Diego boating accident, please call the San Diego boat accident attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at 619-233-5020 or contact them online here.

Arthur Newman has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for causing a San Diego bicycle accident back in January when his car ran into Water Joller, an experienced Rancho Bernardo bicyclist. According to a Gina Coburn, a spokeswoman for the San Diego City Attorney's Office, the 55-year-old Newman faces a year in San Diego County jail if he is found guilty. You can read more in this North County Times story.

San Diego police Detective John Leterrie said that on January 6, Newman was driving a black BMW on Sabre Springs Parkway when he veered into the bicycle lane and hit Joller, 55. The bicyclist was thrown from his bicycle and San Diego medics were not able to save him.

Newman did wait at the scene and after a crash reconstruction was only accused of simple negligence instead of gross negligence. Simple negligence means that he was not found to have been distracted nor under the influence. Newman may have just briefly taken his eyes off the road. Felony vehicle manslaughter is charged when the driver is acting in an obviously risky way.

Newman is expected to appear in San Diego Superior Court for arraignment of April 24. He has also been charged with driving in a bicycle lane.

The fact that Newman waited at the scene and took responsibility is something to be admired given that he had gravely injured Joller. Also, it should be taken into account and credit should be given to Newman for not acting irresponsibly while driving. However, a 55-year-old bicyclist was killed because of Newman's brief carelessness, and so, Newman should face some sort of punishment.

If you or someone you know from the San Diego bicycling community has been injured or killed in a bicycle accident please contact the San Diego bicycle attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at 619-233-5020 or contact them online here.

Yesterday we posted a story about an unidentified pedestrian killed in Ramona car crash. Our post can be found here.That pedestrian turned out to be Jens Roger Noet, a 34-year-old man, or, according to 10 news, a "transient." Noet was headed down Main Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets in Ramona on Wednesday when he was fatally struck by a semi-truck.

This information was brought to our attention through 10 news and our hats off to them for providing the story (found here), which helps remind San Diego residents about being cautious when walking next to a street and also when driving. However, it is very unnerving to see that they have the audacity to tag him, not once. but twice as a "transient." Jens Roger Noet was just killed by a truck driver and instead of writing a tactful article about the events they instead belittle him.

As stated yesterday, if the Jurewitz Law Group was asked to represent the pedestrian's family, our lawyers would work diligently to discover the facts about the accident and give Noet, a member of our community, the respect he deserves.

Continue reading "Jens Roger Noet Identified as Man Killed in Ramona Pedestrian Accident" »

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" »

Early Saturday morning, an unlicensed driver struck and killed a pedestrian, Mohamed Abdirahman Husien, while he was crossing the street in San Diego. The car accident occurred along University Avenue, near Winona Avenue, in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego. Husien was on his way to morning prayer services at a nearby mosque. The news source for this post can be found here.

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San Diego Police officers said that Husien was crossing the street against a red light when a Honda sedan hit him. The driver said that he did not see Husein crossing in the darkness. Also, right after the crash, the driver went home, picked up his wife, and returned to the scene to explain what had happened. This is illegal in California--you cannot leave the scene of a California car accident where someone is killed and you must call the police.

Husien was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest where he passed away.

The intersection of University Avenue and Winona Avenue was closed to motorists until about 9:30 a.m. while the San Diego Police Department investigated the car crash. San Diego Police officers said that they do not know whether the driver will face charges or not, even though he was illegally driving without a driver's license.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the police and district attorney not to charge an unlicensed driver involved in a serious accident where some facts suggest that the unlicensed driver may not be at-fault for causing the car wreck. According to the news story, it seems Husein may have been at-fault for crossing against a red stop light. Then again, that fact may not be true since the only witness identified in the story is the unlicensed driver. Obviously, it is a very self-serving statement.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Mohamed Abdirahman Husien Struck By Car And Killed On Way to Services in San Diego" »

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to San Diego doctors specializing in dermatology and patients about the psoriasis drug efalizumab, or Raptiva. This warning is linked to three deaths and possibly a fourth.

The three that were confirmed dead were all taking the drug Raptiva and were reported to have had a rare brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). In October of 2008, the FDA forced the drug maker, Genentech to highlight in a warning regarding the risks of life-threatening infections, including PML, on their product packaging.

The FDA has also directed Genentech to develop a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy to ensure that patients receive risk information about Raptiva. Also, the FDA wants to make sure that the risks do not outweigh the benefits.

Continue reading "FDA Issues Warning to San Diego About the Psoriasis Drug, Raptiva" »

A San Diego Police Officer was killed when he was involved in a San Diego motorcycle accident on February 19, 2009, according to this story.

San Diego Police Department Detective Larry Steward was riding his motorcycle on Highway 94 near Marron Valley Road in San Diego County when an SUV hit his motocycle head on. The California Highway Patrol says that the SUV swerved to avoid traffic from a CalTrans construction zone.

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This unfortunate car crash should serve as a reminder to all San Diego and California drivers that they need to be cautious when driving in a construction zone. However, Detective Steward might not have died if CalTrans' construction scene was not properly organized and safe for passing drivers. It is a little too early to tell at this point, but if I were to investigate this accident, I'd be very curious as to what specifically caused the SUV driver to swerve and why. If CalTrans had loose equipment where it should not be, or did not properly warn motorists of the danger, CalTrans' might bear some responsibility for Detective Steward's death.

Continue reading "San Diego Police Office Killed in Head-On Motorcycle Crash" »

On February 21, 2009, a San Diego boy died in an ATV crash in National City when he lost control of the ATV motorcycle and crashed into a wall. The victim, 12-year-old Julio Lizarraga of San Diego, was taken to a hospital around 3 p.m. but was pronounced dead shortly after being admitted. The accident took place on 16th Street in National City.

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Lizarga is survived by his mother, with whom he lived in their home in the Encanto area of San Diego.

Continue reading "San Diego Boy Dies in National City ATV Crash" »

On February 12, 2008, the California Department of Public Health issued a "AA" citation against the Lemon Grove Care and Rehabilitation Center. The Center was cited due to accusations of inadequate care and neglect, leading to a patient's death.

The Director of the California Department of Public Health, Dr. Mark Horton, stated that the citation was issued because the Lemon Grove Center did not adequately protect the health and safety of its residents. Dr. Horton added that the Center failed to provide adequate supervision of its' employees and residents, resulting in one patient suffering fatal injuries.

The citation process of the California Department of Public Health ranges from "B" to "AA" and is a part of its ongoing effort to improve the quality of care provided by California's 1,400 skilled nursing facilities.

The Lemon Grove center was fined $80,000.

The State of California imposes a variety of legal requirements designed to protect those under the care of nursing homes or treatment centers. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by neglect in a nursing home or while under dependent adult care, call the experienced nursing home abuse lawyers at The Jurewitz Law Group at 888-233-5020.

Last August, a covered construction walkway at the intersection of Imperial Ave between 15th and 16th Streets in the East Village area of San Diego collapsed on several pedestrians, seriously injuring three people.

One of the three seriously injured pedestrians was Tyrone Allen, a 49 year-old-man. After an extended hospital stay, Allen moved to a nursing home where he lived until this past Tuesday night when he was taken to a hospital. Allen passed away shortly after 2 a.m.

There is no specific word on the cause of Allen's death, but officials from the Medical Examiner's Office said Allen was suffering from complications from his injuries. A pathologist was scheduled to examine him yesterday.

Cal-OSHA is investigating the construction accident and the company that erected the scaffolding next to the walkway. The results of the investigation are expected to be released in a few weeks.

We send our sympathies to Mr. Allen's family.

A San Diego man was killed on February 6 at the Miramar Landfill in a workplace accident when a forklift fell from a rental truck on top of him, crushing him. The man, Lee Haleem, was at the landfill because he was relocating his business and went to the landfill as part of his move.

He was backing the forklift from a rented truck when the forklift backed over the tailgate, causing it to tip over and crushing Haleem. He was taken to the hospital but was declared dead less than an hour after the industrial accident.

4-Year-Old Kayley Ishii of Mission Viejo, California was killed at her home after she climbed into a front loading washing machine which was then turned on by her 1-year-old brother. Kayley Ishii was inside the water filled washing machine for approximately 2 minutes before she was found by her mother. She was taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center but later died from her injuries.

It is unbelievable that a 1-year-old could turn on a washing machine without any assistance from an adult. However, the power button for the machine was located less than 20 inches above the ground and within easy reach of the toddler. That would seem to be a very reckless and negligent design defect for this product. Combined with the fact that children could easily climb inside it and you have a combination of tragically poor design defects.

If the product design is defective, California law requires that the manufacturer be "strictly liable" (meaning that they can be held responsible even though the manufacturer acted reasonably) for Kayley Ishii's death.

The Jurewitz Law Group sends it prayers and thoughts to the Ishii family. Nothing is more tragic than losing a child, particularly under such tragic circumstances.

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.

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.

Early Saturday morning, alcohol and gross negligence combined to cause a fatal car collision at the intersection of northbound Coast Boulevard and 20th Street in Del Mar, a beautiful beach community north of San Diego.

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At 2:00 a.m., a professional surfer, Milton Willis, was driving a car with his passenger, Bradley Dillahunty. Mr. Willis was driving the car at 65 mph in a 25 mph residential zone when he ran the stop sign at 20th Street, the car bottomed out, crossed the southbound lanes of traffic, hit a parked car, then hit a tree, and spun around before striking another parked car in a driveway.

Dillahunty was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Willis, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, was partially ejected from the rear window of the car. He remains in critical condition at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. Accident investigators believe Mr. Willis was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

If Mr. Willis was indeed driving his car under the influence, we hope that he is prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter. In addition, we hope that Mr. Dillahunty's family is compensated for his wrongful death.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a car accident, including one that results in wrongful death, please contact the experienced attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group to learn about your rights.

Last Thursday, a construction worker was killed in Chula Vista when a wall fell crushing him to death. The wall was to a building being demolished to make room for Unified Port of San Diego convention and hotel area.

On Sunday, the worker was identified as Austin Sawicki of Escondido.

We are saddened to hear of Mr. Sawicki's passing and give our sympathy to his family.

The Orange County DA filed felony charges against Jeffrey Woods, 20, of Huntington Beach last week in connection with the death of Danny "Oatie" Oates, 14. Mr. Woods is being charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence when he ran his truck into his victim as he was crossing the street on his bicycle.

Woods' conduct, if not mitigated by any other facts, is truly reprehensible and clearly gross negligence. Woods was driving his truck under the influence of alcohol and drugs while trying to score more drugs during a three-day period. Documents filed with the criminal court show that Woods may have even be texting while driving under the influence at the time of the accident. What was so important that he had to text his contact? Woods needed more drugs.

We commend the Orange County DA for pressing charges against Woods and hope that he is prosecuted and sentenced to the fullest extent of the law. Unfortunately, tragic car accidents happen every day due to drunk or inattentive drivers resulting in serious injury or wrongful death. At times like these, victims' families need the help of experienced, aggressive representation to obtain the maximum recovery for their injuries or loss.

If you or a loved one is the victim of a drunk or inattentive driver, call the Jurewitz Law Group as soon as possible to learn about your rights and remedies. We can help find medical treatment and long-term care assistance while we prosecute your case aggressively.

The December 30, 2006, accident on the San Diego Freeway involving singer Brandy has spawned its' third wrongful death lawsuit related to the death of Awatef Aboudihaj.

Aboudihaj's husband, Marouane Hdidou, has filed a wrongful death claim against Brandy. Hdidou's lawsuit joins two prior lawsuits filed on behalf of Aboudihaj's parents and her two children.

The accident,took place on the San Diego Freeway, leaving Aboudihaj dead and several other motorists severely injured. California Highway Patrol has told prosecutors that Brandy should be charged with misdemeanor manslaughter for causing the multi-car collision. According to police, Brandy was traveling at 65mph, failed to notice that traffic had slowed, which caused her to hit Aboudihaj’s Honda with her Land Rover. The Honda then hit another car, struck the center divide, and was hit by Mallory Ham’s car. According to Ham, she was trying to avoid another vehicle that had gone into her lane.

Ham is also named in the lawsuit. 20 other unnamed "Doe" drivers may also be named. Hdidou alleges that these drivers were driving too vast and following too close for conditions.