2011 February | Los Angeles Top Attorneys Blog: (310) 826-6300

1-800-GET-THIN Sued by Husband of Woman Killed After the Procedure

Feb 22

Los Angeles LawyerPersonal Injury, Wrongful Death Claim 1 Comment

Given the American populations problem with obesity and the struggle to lose weight, it’s no surprise why there are so many “lose weight, get thin” schemes in the market.

A popular ad, the TV commercial “1-800-GET-THIN” is currently being sued by a Simi Valley man who lost his wife after undergoing a Lap-Band surgery.

According to the complainant, John Faitro, his wife, 50-year old Laurie called the 800 number and arranged the weight loss surgery after seeing the TV commercial. She underwent the Lap-Band surgery at Valley Surgical Center in West Hills (which involved placing a ring on the upper part of the stomach) but unfortunately, died just 5 days after the procedure.

Pedestrian Accidents: Who Can Be Held Liable?

Feb 07

Los Angeles LawyerPersonal Injury, motor vehicle accident, pedestrian accidents catastrophic injuries, collision, motor vehicle crash, pedestrian accidents, personal injury claim No Comments

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has reported that every year, pedestrians make up about 12 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths. While pedestrian fatalities aren’t as high as the numbers in passenger vehicle or motorcycle accident deaths, it is still substantial. Statistics show that in 2008, as many as 4,378 pedestrians were killed while 69,000 pedestrians were injured in motor vehicle accidents.

Suffice to say, every day, a pedestrian dies because of an accident involving a motor vehicle. In South Los Angeles, a 19-year old pedestrian recently lost his life in a collision. Authorities reported that the accident occurred before 7 AM just along the 8600 block of Figueroa Boulevard and Manchester Avenue.

The pedestrian was reportedly outside the crosswalk when he was struck and killed by the vehicle. The driver stopped at the scene and after being interviewed by the police, was not cited for the accident. Although the pedestrian died, the police stated that the driver did not break any laws.

Liability is a huge issue in pedestrian accidents. As the human body is no match for the strength or speed of a moving vehicle, pedestrians are often killed or sustain serious injuries in a collision. Most victims or their families would want to recover compensation against the driver but proving fault in a pedestrian accident isn’t easy.

Crash Caused by Government Employee Leads to Claim Against City

Feb 04

Los Angeles LawyerCar Accident, Personal Injury los angeles car accident attorney, personal injury claims 2 Comments

Another claim for damages has been filed against Huntington Beach after a Brea man was involved in an accident with a city employee last January 4 at Gothard Street and Edinger Avenue.

The claim was filed by Mercury Insurance Group in behalf of Robert Walker. Allegedly, Walker was driving his 2003 Porche Carrera around 8:30 A.M. when he was struck by a driver who ran a red light. The crash totaled his Porche and according to the claim, the driver is a Public Works Department employee.

Mercury Insurance is seeking to recover around $31,000 pending Walker’s savage sale of his Porche. Also, there was no mention of compensation for his injuries even though he was allegedly hurt in the crash.

Personal injury claims against the government are much different than filing suits against private individuals or entities. Generally, the state is protected from tortious lawsuits under the doctrine of sovereign or government tort immunity but even the government’s immunity is not absolute.

Motorcycles: Built to Thrill or Built to Kill?

Feb 01

Los Angeles LawyerPersonal Injury, Vehicle Rollover Crash, motor vehicle accident fatal crashes, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident deaths, speeding 2 Comments

Can the type of motorcycle you ride increase your risk of getting into a crash?

In South County, an active-duty sailor was killed in a motorcycle accident after crashing head-on with another bike. The 22-year old deceased, who was riding west aboard a Yamaha R1, allegedly tried to overtake a group of motorcycles right before a curve but ended up colliding with an eastbound Harley Davidson.

Despite the attempts to revive the sailor, he died at the scene of the accident. The rider of the Harley Davidson suffered arm and leg fractures and was airlifted to the hospital.

Certain bikes such as the Yamaha R1 which is considered as a sportsbike or supersports/superbikes have been shown to have the highest rate of motorcycle accident deaths and injuries than any other class. These bikes are built for racing but were actually only modified for highway use, thus, with its light weight and high-horsepower engines, most of its riders (who are usually young men) have a tendency to push the speed limits of these bikes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals that supersport motorcycle are almost 4 times higher and sports bike 2 times higher than the accident rates and deaths of other bikes like cruisers or standards. But while these 2 classes are overrepresented in accidents, it isn’t their actual design that it dangerous. Actually, speeding and driver error are the 2 bigger factors in fatal crashes involving supersports and sport bikes.