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Accidents Reported in Southern California

Our Los Angeles injury lawyers are here to help you. As a service to our community Steinberg & Spencer post accident related legal news here. In this section of our website, we will cover injuries relating to Los Angeles motor vehicle accidents and Los Angeles work-related injuries that unfortunately occur in Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, and San Diego County.

News Category: All CategoriesCar and Truck AccidentsBike and Pedestrian AccidentsGeneral

Car and Truck Accidents

• County pays California motorcycle crash victim $3 million
  Jan 30, 2012

  Lisa Hermann will be receiving $3 million from San Bernardino County, as recovery for her 2007 California motorcycle accident injury.
  
  The Riverside Press Enterprise reported that Hermann was a passenger on a motorcycle that was being driven by Vanjaymes Tonies when their bike ran off the road and crashed. Hermann suffered injured her head and neck, with some of the permanent injuries causing disabilities.
  
  The lawsuit was filed against the County, with Hermann claiming that the road she and Tonies were travelling on, Kelso-Cima, was poorly maintained. Apparently strong rain had caused a deep chasm to form in the county road. The suit also alleges that a part of the road, which was near the Nevada-California border, was uneven and had collapsed. Crews had yet to go to the site of the damaged road, or put up warning signs, before the accident occurred.
  
  Only the motorcycle was involved in the wreck.
  
  While the County is not accepting liability for the poorly-maintained road, they have agreed to pay Hermann $1.9 million, in addition to more than $78,000 for her medical bills, which will go to the State Department of Health Care Services. Hermann will also be receiving an additional $1 million over the course of 25 years, in the form of an annuity paid for by the County.
  
  A settlement for the motorcycle driver is still pending, and no additional information is currently available on either Tonies or Hermann.
  
  Serious motorcycle accidents like this one happen on a daily basis in the state of California. If you or a loved one has been injured while riding a motorcycle, contact Steinberg Spencer at 800.989.6385 for a free book and consultation.
  

• 10-week-old survives Santa Barbara car accident with minor injuries
  Jan 29, 2012

  A fatal California car accident almost claimed the lives of Kelli Grove and her two children, ages ten-years and ten-months, in Santa Barbara, after the family’s BMW collided with a semi-truck.
  
  The semi flew off of a bridge after bursting into flames, and the driver, 48-year-old Charles Allison, was killed.
  
  It is believed that the baby survived because of the proper way her mother installed the car seat, and miraculously, it was the baby who had the fewest injuries.
  
  The Jaws of Life were used to remove the family, with the help of the California State Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara County Firefighters, and U.S. Navy Seabees who happened to be driving by the scene of the accident. A forklift was needed to hoist up the BMW that was teetering on the edge of the bridge guardrail.
  
  The Chicago Tribune article stressed the importance of having your child seats checked for proper installation, and to always make sure that the seat is the correct size for your infant, toddler, or child. It is also best to put child seats in the back of the vehicle, or turn the airbags off if you must put the seat in the front, in the event that your truck does not have a backseat.
  
  Our thoughts go out to the family of the semi-truck driver who lost his life in the crash. We also applaud the mother of the 10-week-old infant whose life was spared because of the correct baby seat installation and encourage readers to follow her lead to ensure that their own children are safe.
  

• Fatal Car Accident Takes Life of 83-Year-Old Santa Monica Woman
  Jan 18, 2012

  Police believe that 83-year-old former singer and actress Milly Ericson was trying to retrieve a part that had fallen off of her car when she was fatally struck while trying to cross the Antelope Valley Freeway on December 13.
  
  Ericson was hit by a car travelling 65 miles per hour, driven by a Palmdale man, after he tried to avoid the collision by swerving to the left. The woman was thrown into the next lane after the front of the car struck the pedestrian.
  
  It is believed that no drugs or alcohol were involved, and sadly, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
  
  Our thoughts go out to the family of Milly Ericson during this tragic and difficult time.
  

• 12-Year-Old Riverside Girl Fatally Struck in Car Accident
  Jan 17, 2012

  Our thoughts are with the family of 12-year-old Eunice Flores, of Riverside, who was struck and killed on Freeway 60 the day after Christmas, as she was trying to gather items that had fallen onto the highway.
  
  Clothing and other items fell out of a suitcase on top of the car she was riding in, and when Flores ran to grab the items, she was fatally struck by a sedan.
  
  The driver of the westbound sedan, John Sullivan, was not injured, nor arrested, after he spotted the girl too late to avoid striking her.
  
  The California State Highway Patrol estimates that Sullivan was driving approximately 70 miles per hour, and they are investigating this tragic accident.
  

• Fatal California Motorcycle Accident Takes Life of 49-Year-Old Harley Rider
  Dec 22, 2011

  Interstate 5 near Basilone Rd. was where a fatal Southern California motorcycle accident occurred, taking the life of a 49-year-old Poway man who was driving his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

  NBC San Diego reported that the California Highway Patrol is not sure why Eugene McCulloch from Camp Pendleton drifted into oncoming traffic, causing him to strike the motorcyclist.

  McCulloch was driving northbound on Interstate 5 when the crash occurred, and it caused the closing of two southbound lanes, after the motorcyclist was ejected from his bike.

  Dealing with the aftermath of a fatal motorcycle accident can be a horrific experience, and our thoughts go out to the family of the rider.

• Southern California Car Accident Involving Six Cars Injures Two Children, Others
  Dec 21, 2011

  Two children were injured after a multi-car accident on eastbound I-8 near Waring Road in Allied Gardens yesterday.

  NBC San Diego reported that the SUV carrying the two kids was forced down an embankment by a car that was driving at an estimated speed of 90 miles per hour. The driver, who was arrested on the suspicion of driving under the influence, allegedly crossed over four lanes of traffic before striking the SUV, sending it down the 120 foot drop. There were also two adults in the vehicle.

  California Highway Patrol believes that there were a total of six automobiles involved in the accident and report that two other people were taken to the hospital for injuries related to the accident.

  Our thoughts are with all persons involved in yesterday’s accident, and we wish them a swift and complete recovery. 

• Fatal Thanksgiving Car Accident in LA Takes Two Lives
  Dec 11, 2011

  Seven family members were traveling to their Thanksgiving celebration in Reno, Nevada in a Chevy Trailblazer when the driver lost control of the SUV and struck a center divider on Interstate 5 in Kern County.

  The resulting car accident took the lives of two of the family members, Jesus Alfaro, 23, and Daisy Alfaro, 17.

  The Los Angeles Times also reported that the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, which occurred around 5 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The other five passengers, also from Oxnard, were taken to the local hospital.

  We extend our condolences to the Alfaro family after this tragic accident and all those who have been impacted by this heartbreaking crash.

• Los Angeles Car vs. Metro Accident Results in Serious Injuries
  Dec 10, 2011

  Police are investigating a recent Los Angeles car accident resulting in injuries to nine people.

  The Los Angeles Times reports that the accident occurred shortly before 3pm on Friday, November 25, when a car collided with a metro train in downtown LA.

  The car turned in front of the Metro Blue Line train on Flower Street near 18th Street, close to an entrance to the 10 Freeway.

  County Sherriff Ed Luevano report that five train passengers and four car passengers were injured and taken to the California Hospital Medical Center.

  Our condolences go out to all of the injured parties and their families during this trying time, and we wish them a swift and thorough recovery. 

• Fewer Thanksgiving Drunk Driving Arrests May Mean Fewer Riverside Car Accidents
  Dec 06, 2011

  The Riverside car accident lawyers at our office were pleased to read in the Southwest Riverside News Network that there were fewer Thanksgiving drunk driving arrests this year as compared to last year.

  According to the California Highway Patrol, the number of people arrested on the suspicion of driving under the influence was 13% lower that it was at this time last year, with 41 arrests this year.

  The number of moving violations was also down this year, as 496 drivers were issued tickets compared to 672 last year.

  There was, however, one fatal car accident related to alcohol consumption this year, when last year there were none. Our condolences go out to the families of the victims involved in this accident, and we urge other Riverside drivers to always designate a driver or take a taxi if you have had too much to drink.

• California Cell Phone Ban Applies Even at Red Light or While Stopped in Traffic
  Nov 30, 2011

  NBC Los Angeles reported on a recent ruling finding that the California cell phone ban applies even if the driver is stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic.

  Richmond, California resident Carl Nelson fought the charge after receiving a ticket for using his cell phone at a stoplight in December 2009. Nelson's argument was that he was not technically "driving" since his car was not in motion.
  
  Drivers paused in the midst of traffic moving all around them would likely create hazards to themselves and public safety by their distracted use of their hands on their phones and devices," stated the opinion. "And would likely cause further traffic delays."

  The article also went on to mention that according to the California State Highway Patrol, the cell phone ban has improved the number of distracted driving accidents since its adoption in 2007. The number of fatal car accidents due to inattention went from 119 in 2008 to a total of 82 in 2010, and there are hopes for even more improvement.

  The Southern California car accident injury lawyers at Steinberg Spencer urge drivers not to text or talk behind the wheel. If you have been injured by a distracted driver, contact us immediately at 800.989.6385 for your free book and consultation.

Steinberg and Spencer is a law firm consisting of California brain injury attorneys specializing in cases ranging anywhwere from auto, motorcycle, or bicycle accidents to slip and fall cases. We handle San Bernadino brain injury cases, Santa Monica brain injury cases, Los Angeles brain injury cases, and brain injury cases throughout the California area. For more info please contact us for a free consultation.

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