Los Angeles Top Attorneys Blog: (310) 826-6300 » Vehicle Accident

Hit-and-run Driver Who Seriously Injured Woman in Green County Finally Surrenders

Los Angeles Lawyer — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:54:10 +0000

The driver who is believed to have caused the vehicle accident that killed a pedestrian last January 1 in Green County, Pennsylvania has surrendered to police.

The driver, 22–year-old Maris Chandler, is accused of hit–and–run charge as he struck and dragged to death Chelsea Robison. The accident occurred at Pit Gas Road in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania.

According to reports, right after the accident, Chandler jumped out of the car to flee in fear for his life, while Robinson sustained life-threatening injuries and was brought to a nearby hospital. Few days after the incident, Chandler finally showed up himself and surrendered to the authorities.

According to Chandler’s vehicle accident lawyer, Blaine Jones, the driver never intended to escape but he panicked after a racially motivated crowd attacked him ripping off his clothes. The attorney has said that the crowd called Chandler with racially discriminating names and threatened him.

Robinson’s mother is claiming that Chandler’s car struck into his daughter causing the woman to fell on the ground. Furthermore, she said that when her daughter was getting up, Chandler struck her again causing Robinson to roll under the car.

This is a very complicated story of a vehicle accident which involves racial discrimination concerns. Well, Chandler must wish for his win in this case which involves other relevant issues. It is imperative for him to have the smartest attorney in order for him to strengthen his defense.

In California, car accident victims should always be supported by an experienced and skilled Los Angeles personal injury attorney so as to ensure that justice would be serve just in time.

Wrongful Death Claim Granted to Family of a Boy Killed in a Car Accident

Los Angeles Lawyer — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:10:27 +0000

Landers family was awarded with $1 million for their car accident wrongful death claim after losing their son to a drunk driver.

Leaving your kid to one of your most trusted relatives or friends for a weekend or a vacation trip will absolutely bring you peace of mind. However, this verdict must be seen as a warning to parents leaving or planning to leave their children behind for a weekend getaway or a vacation.

The family of a young boy who died in a drunk driving vehicle accident finally won the wrongful death claim they filed way back in 2009. The said drunk driving accident occurred on July 18, 2009. It was when the parents of a 12–year-old Matthew Landers left him under the custody of Randy Sonzanski – a close family friend for a fishing trip in Alaska.

The couple probably gave too much of their trust to Sonzanski, not knowing that the latter would be unmindful of taking good care of their son. Sonzanski being careless about Matthew, allowed the boy to ride on the car of Sonzanski’s friend – Daniel Armstrong upon knowing that Armstrong was already intoxicated by an alcohol.

Don’t drink and drive – that’s the golden rule that Armstrong violated. The worst thing is that the young boy is with him when his car submerged into the Alaskan river as a result of drunk driving. Matthew died from drowning in the river while Armstrong survived.

The police officers who conducted an investigation regarding the incident confirmed that there was a substantial blood alcohol concentration level found in Armstrong’s sobriety test.

Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or more is strictly prohibited in Alaska. According to researches, having a BAC level of .05 may weaken the driving ability of most people. Therefore, 0.08 BAC level was set to be the lawful limit for drivers.

Finally, after several years of waiting, justice has come. Armstrong pleaded guilty and will be facing four years imprisonment. May this serve as a warning to would-be drunk drivers.

Having a quality time with each other might be one of the best moments for spouses. However, kids should never be overlooked in such instances. Take some time and effort in considering to bring your kids too on your vacation trip rather than leaving them under the custody of other people.

Major Routes in Great Plains Closed to Reduce Vehicle Accidents Caused by the Blizzard

Los Angeles Lawyer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:37:18 +0000

Last Monday night Kansas’ Interstate 40, one of the major east – west route was closed due to the strong wind and snow that left several fatal accidents on the road.

Major highways were closed to prevent more vehicle accidents from happening in five states. There were about 100 rescue calls from different drivers, which were received by the Texas Panhandle.

Travelers through Kansas rearranged their plans and booked themselves into hotels. According to reports, in just a matter of 20 minutes, three dozens of hotel rooms were filled as drivers get off from the interstate 70.

Many vehicles during that time are sliding into a ditch, that’s why travelers chose to get off the road wait for the storm to calm rather than taking the risks.

Western Kansas has nearly 10 inches of snow which fell before sunset and several more inches were expected as the strong wind blows. This is the reason why many major roads were closed according to a National Weather Service meteorologist, Marc Rusell.

Schools in Manhattan canceled their classes for the day and Topeka was covered by a cold rain.

The Interstate 70 was among the roads that were still closed on Tuesday morning.

In Southwest Kansas, roads are entirely shut down due to cars sliding across the road and falling into ditches.

The blizzard left six dead and four of them were the result of a vehicle accident that occurred in Eastern part of New Mexico and on an icy road in Eastern Colorado.

The snowstorm that struck the region has turned roads into ice and made zero visibility.

In Northern New Mexico, all the roads from Raton to the Texas were closed by the snow and ice. It’s actually about 90 miles away in Oklahoma borders. Several highways there still remained closed early Tuesday.

Though snowfall started to pour gradually, the public was still warned by the weather service of the poor weather condition.

As expected, numbers of vehicle accidents in this coming holiday season will continue to increase. Apart from drunk driving a bad weather, condition would of course cause trouble to any driver.

Sheriff’s Dispatcher Saves Woman Driver and Child from Possible Products Liability-related Mishap

Los Angeles Lawyer — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:09:18 +0000

According to the job description of sheriff’s dispatcher, it says that it includes supervising, operating, and controlling of telephone and 911 equipment, transmitters, and receivers in the sheriff’s department.

Sounds easy, right? No, not exactly.

Being a county sheriff’s dispatcher means having to think quickly and calmly no matter how life-threatening is the situation of the caller is.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s dispatcher Richard Engersbach is well-equipped with steadfast thinking and calm behavior, and these attributes helped him to save the lives of a woman driver and her little child.

According to reports, Engersbach received a distress call of woman driver whose car accelerator got stuck as her vehicle was heading toward an intersection. The caller said that the car is moving approximately 25 miles per hour and she has a little child with her. The dispatcher instructed the woman to calm down and to shift to vehicle’s gear to neutral and turn off the engine. Ultimately, the car was in full stop before reaching the intersection.

Aside from the impressive skills of Engersbach, there is another point of concern in the issue: the faulty car accelerator.

Under the tort law, if a product is designed and is expected to perform in a certain manner but failed to do so due to defect, the person who used the product may pursue product liability claim. A consumer may sue a manufacturer if the product has: design defect, manufacturing defect, and/or marketing defect.

In the case of the woman driver, if product defect was the cause of the stuck accelerator, she may have a claim for products liability lawsuit against the manufacturer.

To learn more California products liability, you may consult with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney. Your lawyer will guide you throughout the litigation process. You may dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889, or email us at info@mesriani.com for free case analysis.

DMV Doubles Its Efforts to Crackdown Los Angeles “Curbstoners”

Los Angeles Lawyer — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:11:06 +0000

If you are serious about becoming a responsible motorist in Los Angeles, here is a new word that you should know:.“curbstoner.”

According to the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV), a curbstoner is a car dealer selling unsafe and substandard used vehicles to automobile purchasers.

DMV officials are now doubling their efforts to crackdown curbstoners in Los Angeles to ensure the safety of consumers and motorists. According to a news report by KTLA, the modus operandi of curbstoners often include purchasing unlicensed and low-grade vehicles from dealers, auctions, and salvage facilities, and sell them to unsuspecting purchasers.

Furthermore, the report also revealed that certain curbstoners advertise their services and products in free online classified ads websites like Craigslist. DMV officials are warning consumers that they should be aware about the methods of the unscrupulous businesses in order to prevent buying unsafe vehicles. Officials have advised car buyers to verify the ownership of the vehicle and to conduct history checks before deciding to make a buy.

According to DMV, about 160 undercover agents of the Department have targeted curbstoners in 50 cities in California, and have issued at least 120 citations since the start of the investigations.

Los Angeles has been experiencing almost countless of motor vehicle accidents annually, and the practice of curbstoners may add more road injuries and fatalities if they are not apprehended. DMV officials together with certain government agencies really need to address the issue in order for Los Angeles drivers to have better and safer roads.

For more information about car accidents in Los Angeles, you may consult with a California personal injury lawyer. Your attorney will guide you throughout the process of litigation. You may dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889, or email us at info@mesriani.com for free case analysis.

5 Fastest Roads in the US: What Slowing Down Speeding Violators?

Los Angeles Lawyer — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:35:54 +0000

If you think citation tickets or fatal crashes can deter reckless motorists from racing through roads, think again.
It’s neither the penalty nor the fatality that can slow down over-speeding violators –-it’s the economy.
Unbelievable, but true. According to INRX, a company that provides traffic data used in GPS, high gas prices, poor economy and high unemployment rates have kept young drivers – those who tend to speed and engage in risky road behavior – off the road.

INRIX has also recorded the fastest car on the fastest road in the US which clocked in at 94 mph in Arizona’s Route 79 between Saguaro National Park and Phoenix. The company drew information from GPS data used by nearly 5 million drivers from January to June 15 this year.

The second road where motorists are more likely to hit the gas is the Oklahoma State Highway 33 with the fastest driver going at 87 mph. California State Route 73 is next where the top speed was recorded the 85 mph in both directions between Moulton Parkway and Bear Street. Eastbound MI-5 Michigan Highway has motorists going at top speed of 83 mph while the fifth fastest road is Arizona State Route 77 where INRIX has recorded the top speed of a motorist at 81 mph.

Despite this record, INRIX has noted this year’s records were a bit tame compared to last year. This year’s average speed across the fastest roads was 81 mph while last year it recorded an average speed of 85 mph.
This year’s fastest drivers are going a bit slower across the board: The average speed across the 10 fastest roads in America was 81 mph, compared to an average of 85 mph during the same period in 2010.
INRIX believes younger drivers – those between the ages of 16 and 25 – are saving money on fuel and leaving the road to older, thus slower, motorists. Another factor is good law enforcement which helped discouraged motorists from over-speeding.

Over-speeding is one of the main causes of injuries and death in major roads and highways across the country. This road behavior constitutes negligence which is a legal basis for liability in motor vehicle accidents.

If you are a victim of a vehicle accident caused by an over-speeding motorist, consult with our experienced Los Angeles vehicle accident attorneys. Call our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889 or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

Potential Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents

Los Angeles Lawyer — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 05:51:36 +0000

Do you know that a pedestrian gets injured every 8 minutes while a pedestrian dies every 113 minutes?

Take the case of the male motorist who apparently hit and killed a 29-year old woman outside a Victorville nightclub early Friday morning. Reports said the incident began when a mob of patrons attacked the man who fled to his car and attempted to escape by driving his 2009 Dodge Charger.

As the suspect about to leave, two cars blocked his path and the mob threw bottles at him. The suspect accelerated in reverse and hit the victim. The victim died later from the injuries.

Pedestrian accidents are prevalent not only in Los Angeles streets but also in other urban centers across the US. Driver negligence is the common cause in pedestrian accidents where drivers are often found to be drunk or driving beyond the legal speed limit.

However, in some cases, pedestrians are partly to blame for the accident. Here are common mistakes committed by pedestrians which can lead to potential injuries:

• Not using the crosswalk
• Walking in the road and not on the sidewalk
• Walking in the same directions as the moving vehicles

Pedestrians must observe safety at all times as they are always at risk for serious bodily injuries. Some of the common injuries that may be incurred in a pedestrian accident may include the following:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Paralysis
• Paraplegia
• Quadriplegia
• fractured bones

To help you recover compensation for injuries sustained in pedestrian accidents, consult with our expert Los Angeles personal injury attorneys. Call us 1-866-772-2889 or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

LA Bicyclists Gets Added Road Protection in New Approved Law

Los Angeles Lawyer — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 05:08:05 +0000

Did you know that more than 13,000 people in Los Angeles ride to work using their bicycles? And these people are likely to be injured in bicycle accidents or be harassed verbally or physically in one of the country’s most dangerous and busiest streets and highways?

Now the travails of Los Angeles bicyclists along LA streets are over.

The City Council has decided to put a stop to the harassment by approving an ordinance that penalizes motorists who pester bicyclists, verbally or physically. The groundbreaking law also allows harassed victims to file civil charges against an erring motorist, even ahead of the criminal charges that the city may file.

The League of American Bicyclists, on the other hand, lauded the move and praised the city for being the first in the country to “offer bicyclists an equivalent civil recourse”. The group has repeatedly complained of harassment from other motorists in the past that included throwing objects at bicyclists, hurling invectives and trying to run them off the road.

LA City Mayor Villaraigosa himself was injured in a bicycle accident last year.

Bicyclists, like other motorists and road users, are entitled to file and recover damages for injuries caused by other person’s negligence. Under the law, traffic rules violation, reckless driving or over speeding that results in accidents may constitute negligence which could be sufficient grounds for the filing of an injury claim.

Recoverable damages in bicycle accidents include not only economic damages such as medical expenses and lost wages but also compensation for non-economic damages such pain and suffering, lost of consortium, among others.

If you happen to get injured in a bicycle accident and you need help, you can consult with our personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles. Dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889 or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

Elderly Driver Rescued from Potential Fatal Injuries in Fullerton Railroad Tracks

Los Angeles Lawyer — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:44:16 +0000

Like a scene straight from a Hollywood action flick, an elderly man was trapped inside his damaged car after he ran a red light, got hit by another vehicle, and ended up in the tracks of an oncoming train. If not for efforts of some concerned people, the injured motorist would have died from fatal injuries caused by this catastrophic accident.

Fortunately, the victim was saved just in time as the train smashed the stalled vehicle on its tracks.

Though unclear, reports said the accident was a result of an earlier collision between the victim’s car and another vehicle. Based on this initial report, it showed that the injured driver has some degree of negligence on his part when he violated the law by trying to run a red light.

Catastrophic accidents such as train, truck or airplane accidents – often lead to devastating results that leave victims with serious or fatal injuries. Victims of these accidents often suffer from life-altering injuries such as the following:

• Spinal cord injury
• Back and neck injuries
• Head injuries
• Brain injuries
• Organ damage

The injuries may last months or even years, and could affect the lives not only of the victims but their families as well. Serious injuries from these accidents can result in paralysis, disability, paraplegia or quadriplegia.

An injured victim of a catastrophic accident is entitled by law to recover compensation for the damages such as lost wages, lost of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, pain and suffering, lost of future wages, permanent disability and compensation for medical expenses.

For more information on car accidents, you may consult with a Personal Injury lawyer in California. Dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889 or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

Negligence as a Major Factor in Fatal Pasadena Truck Accident

Los Angeles Lawyer — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:36:00 +0000

The truck driver’s complete disregard of vehicle safety in La Canada’s tragic big rig accident in April 2009 can be seen as a major factor in this fatal accident that led to the death of a man and his daughter and caused injuries to twelve others.

In the truck driver’s murder trial held recently, the grieving mother and widow appeared before the court and blamed the driver for ignoring alleged “safety issues” that resulted in him losing control of the big rig and crashing onto unsuspecting motorists and other people.

The 58-year old truck driver is now facing seven counts of murder, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of murder. If convicted on all charges, he faces life in prison.

Generally, in accident cases, the basis for liability for any injuries or harm comes from a theory of negligence. Under this principle, when a person acts carelessly and causes injury to another, the careless person will be held legally responsible for the resulting harm. This basis is used in most accident or injury cases including a personal injury lawsuit.

To prove negligence, four basic elements must exist:

• That the offender owed a legal duty of care to the victim under the circumstances
• That the offender failed to fulfill this legal duty through his conduct or action
• That the offender caused an accident involving the victim
• That the victim was injured as a result

Failure to check vehicle for defective parts or mechanical problems may be considered as negligence since it is part of your legal duty to maintain the safety of your vehicle.

In cases where the accident leads to someone’s death, the family or survivors of the victim is entitled to receive economic as well as punitive damages from the offending party.

If you have been involved in a wrongful death accident case, you can consult with our skilled California personal injury attorneys. Call us at 1-866-772-2889, or email us at info@mesriani.com for free case analysis.