Trucking Accidents

Driver in Fatal Central California Tour Bus Crash had History of Prior Accidents

May 1, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

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.

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.

Driver Suffers Injuries in El Cerrito Bus Accident

April 15, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

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.

Ramona Pedestrian Killed After Being Hit by Truck

March 5, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

Ramona Pedestrian Killed After Being Hit by Truck

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.

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 a 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.

If you or a loved one has ever been involved in a pedestrian accident, including one that results in a wrongful death claim, please contact the experienced trial lawyers.

San Diego Wrongful Death Verdict to be Reviewed by California Supreme Court

March 5, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

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.

Orange County Truck Accident Leaves One Injured

February 16, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

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.

Pedestrian Fatally Struck in Palm Springs Truck Accident

January 9, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

A pedestrian was hit by a truck in a crosswalk of a Palm Springs intersection at North Palm Canyon and Racquet Club Drives on January 5, 2012, around 8:04 a.m. in Palm Springs. According to the police, the pedestrian was struck by an Isuzu panel truck while walking across the crosswalk.

The victim suffered life-threatening injuries and was immediately transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

If the motorist is determined to have been at fault in this case, then he could be held responsible for this truck accident that killed a pedestrian. The victim’s family members should immediately seek counsel from an experienced Riverside County hit-and-run crash lawyer who would educate them about their legal rights and options.

This lawyer may help them file a wrongful death claim against the truck driver to obtain compensation to 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 the victim’s family members and friends.