Southern California Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Two teenagers -- 15-year-old Jessica Brinker, a John F. Hodge High School student, and 19-year-old Daniel Schatz -- were killed in a St. Louis Missouri school bus accident the morning of August 5, 2010. According to a news report in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, two school buses filled with high school band members heading to the Six Flags amusement park crashed with a semi-truck and another pickup truck on the Interstate 44. Brinker was in the last row of one of the school buses, while Schatz was driving the pickup truck.

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Eleven children were injured in a San Diego school bus accident after the bus they were in crashed into a light pole in East County. According to a news report in the Union-Tribune, 10 children were transported to hospitals with minor to moderate injuries. The students, who are fifth graders from a school in Yuma, Arizona, were on their way to a field trip at Balboa Park. The collision occurred the morning of May 18, 2010 in the main parking lot of the Golden Acorn Casino on the Campo Reservation where the bus had stopped so the students could stretch their legs. California Highway Patrol officials are trying to determine what caused this crash.

My heart goes out to these children who sustained injuries in this crash. I sincerely hope none of the injuries was serious. I wish all the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Six people were killed in a tour bus accident early morning on March 5, 2010 after the bus struck another passenger vehicle and rolled over on the Interstate 10 south of Phoenix. According to an Associated Press news report, at least 15 others were injured including two 11-year-olds and a 16-year-old. Two men and four women were killed. The bus was carrying 21 passengers. Officials said the bus was westbound on the interstate when the driver lost control, went off the roadway and rolled over.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the six deceased victims in this crash. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved them. My thoughts and prayers are also with the 15 injured victims. I wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Six Killed, Several Injured in Arizona Bus Accident" »

A student sustained injuries in a San Diego car accident after a school bus collided with a car at a street intersection. San Diego 6 reports that the accident occurred the morning of January 29, 2010 at the intersection of Carlton Oaks Drive and West Hills Parkway in the city of Santee. Authorities said they were six other students on board the school bus, but all others were uninjured.

My heart goes out to this student who has sustained injuries in this school bus accident. I wish this victim the very best for a speedy and full recovery and hope the injuries were not major. This young victim will be in my prayers.

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A 47-year-old driver was killed in a Los Angeles bus accident after she apparently crashed the bus into a fire hydrant. According to a news report in the Daily Breeze, the accident occurred the morning of December 9, 2009 at Normandie Avenue and 220th Street in Carson, when the bus went out-of-control, broke off a fire hydrant and knocked down several poles. The driver of the bus was pronounced dead at the scene, possibly due to a cardiac arrest. Investigators are still trying to determine whether the woman's cardiac arrest preceded the crash or occurred after the accident. There were four passengers on board the City of Gardena municipal bus. Thankfully, none of the passengers was injured.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the bus driver who sustained fatal injuries in this crash. Please keep this grieving family in your prayers.

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A police officer has been injured in a Los Angeles car accident after he was struck by an 85-year-old driver in Van Nuys the afternoon of November 29, 2009. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the officer had stopped to issue a citation to a motorist he had pulled over, when the elderly woman struck both the officer and the car that got pulled over. The collision threw the officer onto the driver's windshield, LAPD officials said. The officer sustained head injuries and was transported to an area hospital. He is listed in stable condition. The other person who was pulled over suffered a knee injury and was also taken to a hospital. The senior driver, who apparently caused the accident, was uninjured.

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Several people may have been injured in a Riverside car accident after a bus crashed into several vehicles on the 215 Freeway near Iowa Avenue the evening of October 24, 2009. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the bus struck several vehicles and one of them reportedly caught fire. It is not clear who or how many people were injured in this collision.

Continue reading "Riverside Car Accident Involved Bus and Several Vehicles" »

Two people were injured in a San Bernardino bus accident on August 4, 2009 after the driver of an Omnitrans bus ran a red light and crashed into the back of a stopped vehicle. According to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the bus driver ran a red light at Base Line Street as he approached Webster Street in Highland, California. The bus hit the stopped vehicle and pushed it into another car that was making a left turn at the intersection. San Bernardino Sheriff's officials are not sure yet whether the injured passengers were on the Omnitrans bus or in the other two vehicles.

I sympathize with the victims of this California car accident that was apparently the result of the Omnitrans bus driver running a red light. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.

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Seven people suffered injuries in a Pasadena street intersection bus accident involving a Pasadena Area Rapid Transit System (ARTS) bus and a sedan, the Pasadena Star News reports. The bus-car accident occurred the morning of June 23, 2009 after the bus, which was traveling north on Raymond Avenue collided with a sedan, jumped the curb and slammed into a traffic light. The sedan had been heading east on Holly Street. All the seven people who were injured were bus passengers. Pasadena police officials believe one of the two vehicles ran a red light. The injuries were not major, but were characterized as "moderate." Most involved back and neck injuries.

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A woman and nine children were injured in a Los Angeles car versus van accident when the van they were riding in collided with another vehicle. According to KTLA News, the Canoga Park car accident occurred the morning of May 4, 2009 in the 8500 block of De Soto Avenue. The van was being driven by a 37-year-old woman and her passengers were two boys and seven girls ages 7 to 10, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said. The driver of the vehicle was not injured. All the children sustained personal injuries. Officials are investigating what caused the car crash.

I'm extremely relieved that all the children involved in this Los Angeles car-van accident escaped without any serious personal injuries. I wish them all the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 260 fatal car accidents and 27,110 injuries involving car accidents in the city of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 712 deaths and 56,475 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents.

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Six people were injured in a Los Angeles bus accident the afternoon of March 1, 2009 after a vehicle and a DASH bus operated by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation collided in the Westlake area, CBS News reports. The bus versus car crash occurred in the 1900 block of West Wilshire Boulevard. Thankfully, no one suffered serious injuries. The six bus passengers who complained of apparently minor injuries were treated and released. There is no word on whether the driver or passengers in the car were injured.

I’m relieved that no one was seriously hurt in this Los Angeles auto accident. I wish the injured bus passengers the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

The most recent fatal Los Angeles bus accident involving a DASH bus occurred Jan. 8 when 58-year-old Gwendolyn Cole of Burbank was struck and killed by one of these buses when she was walking across a street in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of 5th and Flower streets.

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Four students were injured in a school bus versus car accident in Concow, according to a Chico Enterprise Record article. The accident occurred the afternoon of January 6, 2008 when a bus full of kindergarten through eighth grade students from Spring Valley and Concow schools were traveling home northbound on Concow Road. The bus was struck by a red Honda Civic driven by 22-year-old Guy Beauregard Chancellor.

Chancellor apparently lost control of his vehicle while trying to maneuver a curve on the wet and sandy roadway, crossed into the northbound lane from the southbound lane striking the front left section of the school bus. The impact of the crash coupled with the driver’s attempt to avoid the collision by braking, sent many of the children lurching forward in the bus, which did not have seatbelts. California Highway Patrol officials said four children complained of dizziness after hitting the seat in front of them with their heads. Two children were taken to the hospital, but officials say none suffered major injuries.

I’m extremely relived for all the students and their parents that this was not a major accident. I wish the four injured children a speedy physical and emotional recovery from what must have been a traumatic school bus accident.

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A casino tour bus driver and five of his passengers suffered injuries when their bus was hit by a tractor trailer in Solano County Aug. 28 on the Interstate 80, according to a KTVU-TV news report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Marvin Williford said the driver of the big rig, 30-year-old Juan Velasquez, was taking the I-80 off ramp from the highway when he was reportedly unable to negotiate a sharp left turn at the bottom of the ramp. Velasquez’ 1993 Freightliner tractor-trailer struck the tour bus owned and operated by Reliant Travel of Oakland. The bus driver was identified as 50-year-old Jimmy Duncan of Oakland. Alcohol is not suspected in this California bus crash. The five victims were taken to an area hospital for treatment. The bus was reportedly returning from the River Rock Casino in Geyserville and was transporting five passengers to Emeryville.

I wish all the injured victims a speedy recovery.

Preliminary investigations show that the accident could have been the fault of the big rig driver because he failed to negotiate the turn as he attempted to take the off ramp. As a result, he ended up hitting the bus. If investigators determine that Velasquez is at fault, then he and his employer could be held responsible for the truck accident and injuries to the bus passengers. On the other hand, if the bus driver is found to have been under the influence of alcohol, which officials are investigating now, then the bus company could be held responsible for the passengers’ injuries.

Continue reading "I-80 Accident Near Napa As Bus Collides with Big Rig " »

One man was killed in a South Los Angeles school bus accident Aug. 16, the Los Angeles Times reports. The school bus collided with a Nissan compact car on East Slauson Avenue east of Avalon Boulevard, according to Los Angles police officials.

There were no children or other passengers on the school bus, but the impact of the crash is believed to have killed the 30-year-old driver of the Nissan on the spot. A 24-year-old passenger in the Nissan suffered minor injuries. The school bus driver was reportedly uninjured. Officials have not released the names of the deceased victim and injured passenger.

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A casino tour bus accident in Los Banos has left 13 people injured after the bus collided with a truck carrying 25 tons of tomatoes on Highway 152, according to an article in the Merced Sun-Star. California Highway Patrol officials say the accident was caused by the bus driver, 32-year-old Javier Banuelos of San Jose, who fell asleep behind the wheel. The crash occurred in the highway’s eastbound lanes near Volta Road scattering 25 tons of tomatoes on the freeway as well.

The bus was reportedly carrying 30 passengers going to Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino. The bus driver, who drifted into center median, ended up swerving and hitting the right rear side of the big rig carrying tomatoes. All passengers were transported to area hospitals, with one victim being flown to a hospital with moderate injuries. Officials assessed the injuries to be minor to moderate and say it could have been “a whole lot worse.”

Thankfully this bus accident did not result in catastrophic injuries or deaths. Given the way the accident occurred and the damage to both vehicles involved, it’s a miracle that it wasn’t a lot worse

Liability for this California bus accident appears clear. Bus passengers themselves observed their driver falling asleep at the wheel and drifting into the center median. If the injured passengers file claims against the San Jose tour bus company, they should be compensated for their injuries and losses. Such compensation will usually cover expenses such as medical bills, ongoing treatment costs, loss of wages, pain and suffer as well as any disability. Do you think the defense will ask for a credit for the gambling money that wasn’t lost?

Bus companies – whether it’s a public transit system or a private charter company – owe its passengers the utmost duty of care – more than they do to other motorists on the road or pedestrians. I would also be interested to find out if this bus driver was working overtime or more than he should have been. Whatever the reason, both he and his employer, the bus company, would be held responsible for the accident. The injured victims would be well-advised to retain the services of a very experienced California auto accident attorney to examine their rights and legal options.

Fourteen people were injured Wednesday in a San Francisco streetcar crash on the F-line. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, four streetcar passengers and two operators had to be transported to area hospitals after one of the city’s historic streetcars rear-ended the other.

The California Public Utilities Commission is investigating the bus accident. But an initial investigation by local authorities has shown that their own policy that streetcars should be operated a block apart was not followed properly. That is apparently the amount of space streetcar operators need to slow down safely.

The same internal investigation also reports that an official had warned Jeanette Molex, the streetcar operator involved in this crash, to maintain a safe distance between her vehicle and the streetcar operator in front of her earlier in the week after she was observed following to close Molex has been put on “nondriving status” after the California public bus accident. If I was representing the injured passengers, I’d want to see Molex’s personnel file. I would be looking for other indications that it was grossly negligent to this person driving streetcars at all.

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National Transportation Safety Board investigators say that confusing highway signs and driver error primarily caused a fatal bus accident in Atlanta, which killed seven people last year. The bus accident killed five members of the Bluffton University baseball team. They were on their way from Ohio to Florida. The five team members, driver Jerome Niemayer and his wife died on I-75 in Atlanta when the bus couldn’t stop and plunged 19 feet to the road below

Investigators also blamed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for failing to implement its 1999 recommendations to require seat belts in motor coach buses, according to a UPI news report. Officials say Niemayer was at fault to some extent because he wasn’t following the “confusing signs” and did not slow as he drove up the high occupancy vehicle lane ramp, which he thought was a through lane.

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A commercial dump truck overloaded with dirt was careening out of control in Manhattan when the dump truck struck a bus, sending the bus crashing into a storefront, killing 57-year-old Lai Ho of Brooklyn and injuring at least four others, the New York Times reports. Officials are still trying to determine what caused the dump truck to go out of control, but say that the big rig, owned by CPQ Freight System in Rutherford, N. J., was loaded beyond its capacity with dirt.

Officials also say the truck driver, 54-year-old Alejandro Fallo, and the CPQ Freight System dump truck shouldn’t have been on that road in the first place because of numerous prior safety violations. Fallo successfully passed a Breathalyzer test.

Continue reading "Fatal Dump Truck Accident Kills 1, Injures 4 in New York City" »

Long Beach resident Samuth Pen, 19-years-olds, was killed late Friday when he drove, the wrong way, on Queensway Bridge head on into a Long Beach Passport Bus according to the Press-Telegram

The two adult male passengers in Pen’s Honda Civic were taken to area hospital with minor to serious injures. Seven of the passengers on the bus and the Long Beach Transit Bus driver were taken to a local hospital suffering from minor to moderate injuries suffered during the Long Beach bus accident.

Let’s hope all those involved fully recover as quickly as possible from their injuries. My deepest condolences to Pen’s family and friends.

The Long Beach Police Department’s Accident Detail is asking that anyone with information about this accident contact them at 562-570-7355.

According to the Press Telegram, authorities at this time do not believe alcohol was a factor. Their report also said the men in Pen’s Honda were wearing their seat belts.

So how did it happen that Pen and his companions were going the wrong way on Queensway Bridge? Apparently they were not intoxicated. They had the presence of mind to be buckled up. What happened?

If I were handling this case, we’d be interviewing the surviving young men in Pen’s Honda to see where they had been, where they were going and the route they followed. We would be going over the route very carefully to see if there was a reason for Pen not to know he was entering the wrong way on Queensway Bridge.

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