Southern California Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Auto defects are one of the unseen dangers that affect every driver on the road. A number of drivers commute to and from work every day under the assumption that they are in a safe and reliable vehicle. With the advancements in technology and manufacturing most consumers probably believe that auto defects are a thing of the past. Even with these advancements, auto defects are not as uncommon as some might think.

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Teresa Andrade, 71, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident the afternoon of December 20, 2009, after a fleeing hit-and-run driver struck her car. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, Andrade was ejected from her car when an SUV struck it on Wilmington Avenue near Raymond Street, in Compton. The SUV was going north on Wilmington when it struck a woman on a motorcycle who was traveling in the same direction. The driver of the SUV slowed down as if he were going to stop or pull over but instead made a U-turn and crashed into the vehicle carrying Andrade.

The driver fled the site of the crash, but his SUV's license plate had fallen off at the scene. Los Angeles Sheriff's officials traced the license plate to a Compton home where they detained three people. However, the driver was brought in to the Compton police station by family members shortly after the accident. Officials have not yet identified the driver.

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Ricardo Alcantar, 21, and Matthew Gibbons, 20, were killed in a Los Angeles car accident the night of December 12, 2009, after their car crashed near Long Beach Airport. According to a news report in The Press Telegram, the small two-door hatchback driven by Alcantar was traveling east on Spring Street, when it crashed into a tunnel divider causing the vehicle to be sliced in two pieces. Both Alcantar and Gibbons were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials are looking into what caused this fatal car accident.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Alcantar and Gibbons for their devastating loss. They will certainly be in my prayers.

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Toyota Motor Corporation has offered to fix the accelerator pedals of up to 4 million cars in the United States, which are subject to the company's largest ever vehicle defect recall, a Kyodo news report states. Toyota has apparently reached an agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which includes the Japanese auto maker's assurance to voluntarily repair the accelerator pedals. But it is not clear yet how Toyota will repair these pedals.

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Goldie Williams Jr, 48, died in a San Bernardino car accident the evening of August 30, 2009 after he lost control of his car and crashed on the 215 Freeway. According to a news report in the San Bernardino Sun, Williams was driving a 2004 Lincoln Navigator south on the 215 Freeway when he lost control of his vehicle while attempting to pass a tractor trailer. Williams apparently veered off the freeway. The Navigator rolled several times. Williams died at the scene while a passenger sustained minor injuries.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Man Killed in Rollover Car Accident" »

Benjamin Keil Allen, 26, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident early morning on August 12, 2009 when the Toyota Tundra pickup he was off-roading in Loma Linda, California, tipped over and crashed. Allen was driving the Tundra on Mountain View Avenue. He was ejected from the pickup truck and died when the truck ran him over, crushing his head and upper body. Loma Linda fire officials said Allen was not wearing a seatbelt. Three others, who were also in the vehicle at the time, were buckled up and did not suffer any injuries. California Highway Patrol officials are investigating this fatal car accident.

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One person was hospitalized with injures in an Orange County car accident after an SUV overturned in a single-car accident, The Orange County Register reports. The car accident reportedly occurred on August 10, 2009 when the Dodge Durango hit a tree in the center divider on Edinger Avenue between Brookhurst and Euclid streets. The Dodge SUV flipped on to its roof. The SUV's driver sustained injuries and was taken to an area hospital.

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Three members of a family traveling home to Colorado from California, were killed in a rollover car accident on July 13, 2009 in Wyoming, according to a news report in the Littleton Independent. Dodi Arnold, 45, and her two daughters--24-year-old Kinni and 15-year-old Bailey--were killed. Jonathan Arnold, 43, the father and daughter, 16-year-old Dellen Arnold, suffered injuries but are recovering.

Wyoming State Patrol officials say this is one of the worst rollover car accidents they have seen in those parts. They say the fatal car accident occurred when a semi-truck caused Dellen, an inexperienced driver, to overcorrect the vehicle just east of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Dellen was driving the family's 2009 Chevy Suburban when a big rig began to change lanes. The Suburban may have been in the trucker's blind spot, officials say. Once the semi changed lanes, the Suburban's right tires were pushed into the inside of the rumble strip. Apparently an experienced driver may have been able to maneuver the SUV away from the semi, but the teen had problems controlling the vehicle. Police say drugs, alcohol or speed were not factors in this car crash.

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Honda has issued a defective product recall for its 2001 Civic and Accord models for possible airbag defects. According to a report in Consumeraffairs.com, the driver's side airbag could produce excessive internal pressure and cause the inflator to burst. If this happens, the metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material possibly injuring occupants of the car due to the airbag failure. When this auto product safety recall begins, Honda dealers will replace the airbag inflator free of charge. Honda issued an identical defective product recall in November 2008 for 4,000 of its 2001 Accord and Civic models for similar airbag defects.

In our more than three decades experience representing clients who are injured by defective auto products, the products liability attorneys at Bisnar | Chase has observed a history of airbag problems with Honda vehicles as well as several other brands of cars, both domestic and foreign. Automobiles are equipped with airbags to make it safer for vehicle occupants in the event of a car crash. Although there have been several technological advancements in the way these airbags are being produced and installed in vehicles, that does not mean that they are free of flaws and defects. We've seen several serious problems with airbags that have caused severe injuries and even fatalities. The most common types of issues with defective airbags include failure to deploy during a car collision; deployment at a time when it should not have deployed; and deployment with too much or not enough force.

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