Southern California Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A family of three was killed in a truck accident after the big-rig carrying gravel crashed into the home they were renting. The Los Angeles Times reports that Jasiel, a 7-year-old boy and his parents, identified only as Leon and Leona, were killed the morning of August 24, 2010, when a truck hauling gravel to a construction site lost its brakes while going down the steep and winding California 154. The truck driver, 51-year-old Joaquin Garcia Morales, said he could not stop the truck. The big-rig crossed State Street and then turned into a parking lot where it crashed into parked cars and then the family's home. Morales was going about 50 miles per hour at the time of the accident. All three victims died at the scene. Morales was not injured.

What a heartbreaking loss for this family! I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Continue reading "Three Dead after Gravel Truck Crashes into Home" »

Semi trucks can easily weigh 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. Imagine what it is like to share the road with more than 100,000 of these monstrous vehicles steered by drivers who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol?

According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) Roadcheck 2008, one percent of truck drivers who were stopped during random checks were under the influence of some type of drug or alcohol. If you multiply one percent times the number of truck drivers on our roads every day, that's nearly 100,000 truckers who are driving while impaired.

Continue reading "Sharing the Roads with Truckers Is Scary Enough: Imagine Sharing the Roads with Thousands of Impaired Truckers" »

A fatal truck accident on a Napa roadway the morning of June 3, 2010 that killed four people may have been caused by an inattentive trucker who was operating at an unsafe speed, California Highway Patrol officials say. The Napa Valley Register reports that the crash killed four people from the same family -- Matthew Jay Smith, 48, Laura Katharine Smith, 19, Richard Smith, 80, and Sally Smith, 74.

Continue reading "Speed was a Factor in Fatal Truck Accident, Officials Say " »

Martha Lynn Shower, 53, was killed in a truck accident on Highway 99 near Yuba City after a big rig crossed the center divide and collided head-on with Shower's Volkswagen Passat. According to a news report in the Appeal-Democrat, the fatal car accident occurred the afternoon of April 20, 2010. Her 66-year-old husband, John Alden Shower, sustained serious injuries including several broken bones. Another passenger in the Passat, John Ritchie, 66, was airlifted to a regional hospital where he is listed in critical condition. He sustained several injuries including a ruptured spleen and collapsed lung.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the Showers for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. According to the report, the couple was on their way to Hawaii to visit their son. This grieving family will be in my thoughts and prayers. I also wish John Shower and Ritchie, the injured victims, the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Continue reading "Big Rig Accident Proves Fatal for Woman" »

Rees Boynton Skinner, 53, was killed in a San Diego car accident after another vehicle collided head-on with this pickup truck. According to a 10news report, the fatal accident occurred November 20, 2009, when 20-year-old Justin Jones lost control of his 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck . Jones veered directly into the path of Skinner's 2002 Ford F-150 near the Old Julian Highway intersection, California Highway Patrol officials said. Jones is apparently not licensed to drive. Skinner was trapped in his vehicle and died at the scene. Investigators also say Skinner may not have been wearing his seatbelt.

Continue reading "San Diego Car Accident Kills Man" »

Victor John Partnoff, 20, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident the night of September 1, 2009 after he crashed his car into the back of a parked big rig on the 10 Freeway in Redlands, California. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, Partnoff was driving a 2008 Ford Fusion near Wabash Avenue when the collision occurred. San Bernardino Sheriff's Department officials say Partnoff was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident. The 18-wheeler was apparently stopped along the right shoulder of the traffic lanes because of mechanical problems, California Highway Patrol officials said.

Continue reading "Man Killed in San Bernardino 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.

Continue reading "Fatal San Bernardino Car Accident" »

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.

Continue reading "Orange County Car Accident Involves Rollover" »

Victor Lizarraga, 35, was killed in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident after he collided with a small pickup truck the night of July 25, 2009 in Pomona, California. According to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred near Holt Avenue and Reservoir Street. Police say Lizarraga was riding his motorcycle east on Holt. The pickup truck, driven by Gerardo Alanis, 24, was traveling west on Holt before attempting a left turn onto southbound Reservoir. Lizarraga apparently could not stop in time to avoid the collision and ended up striking the right side of the truck. Lizarraga was pronounced dead at the scene. Alanis was uninjured.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Fatal Motorcycle Accident" »

Angel Guadalupe Galvez, 37, was killed in a San Diego bicycle accident after he was struck from behind by a pickup truck, 10news reports. Galvez was traveling south on Cole Grade Road in Valley Center the morning of July 21, 2009 when a 1992 Chevrolet pickup truck approached from behind. The truck's driver, 50-year-old Gregory Pile, tried to pass Galvez near Fruitvale Road and ended up hitting the bicycle. Galvez was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Pile was not injured. Officials have not yet filed any charges against Pile pending an investigation.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Angel Guadalupe Galvez for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were four fatalities and 392 injuries involving bicycle accidents in the city of San Diego. In San Diego County as a whole, 11 fatalities and 797 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of bicycle accidents.

Continue reading "San Diego Fatal Bicycle Accident" »

Five people were injured in a Los Angeles big rig truck accident on the 5 Freeway June 16, 2009 after a big rig truck driver failed to stop in time and avoid the car-truck collision. According to an Associated Press news report, the big rig truck was traveling north when traffic slowed down. The truck driver, however, crashed into the center divider, jackknifing and demolishing about 14 feet of the wall. The truck also ended up plowing into seven other cars.

I'm relieved that this Los Angeles County commercial truck accident did not end tragically for anyone. I'm also glad that the other motorists did not suffer major personal injuries. I wish all the injured victims a speedy and complete recovery.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s truck accident statistics, there were 361 fatal accidents involving large trucks in California in 2007 and 10,635 injury accident involving big rigs during that same time. California tops the list of states with the highest number of fatal and major injury big rig accidents.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Big Rig Truck Accident Injures Five" »

A tow truck driver was seriously injured in a Ventura County car accident after a suspected drunk driver drifted into opposing lanes of traffic and sideswiped the tow truck the afternoon of June 11, 2009. According to a news report in the Ventura County Star, 49-year-old Jeffrey Barnes was driving on Ventura Boulevard near Sherwin Avenue in Ventura when his vehicle collided with a truck operated by Double R Towing. The tow truck driver, who has not yet been identified, was taken to an area hospital for treatment of severe back injuries. Barnes was also treated for injuries and later arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.

I'm relieved that the tow truck driver did not suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. However, back injuries can be debilitating and cost quite a bit in terms of medical expenses and therapy for rehabilitation. I wish the injured victim the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were four fatalities and 66 injuries involving DUI-related car accidents in Ventura. In Ventura County as a whole, 28 fatalities and 481 personal injuries were reported as a result of alcohol-related car accidents in 2007.

Continue reading "Ventura County Car Accident Injures Tow Truck Driver In DUI Collision" »

A driver was hospitalized after suffering injuries in a Riverside County truck accident the morning of June 1, 2009 after the driver of the semi-trailer made an illegal U-turn. According to a news report in The Desert Sun the semi was making a U-turn on northbound Bob Hope Drive at the intersection of Gerald Ford Drive when it collided with the car. The car made a legal left turn when it was hit by the semi, Riverside County Sheriff's Department officials said. Emergency crews freed the driver from the car. He was transported to an area hospital with moderate personal injuries. The semi truck driver received a citation at the scene for making an illegal U-turn.

I'm relieved that this Rancho Mirage truck accident did not result in catastrophic injuries to the car's driver. I wish the injured victim the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were two fatalities and 92 personal injuries involving car accidents in Rancho Mirage. In Riverside County 279 deaths and 9,925 personal injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in 2007.

Continue reading "Riverside County Car versus Truck Accident Involves Illegal U-Turn" »

A man was hospitalized with serious personal injuries after a Los Angeles truck accident the night of May 26, 2009, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The panorama city truck accident occurred on Osbourne Avenue just east of Woodman Avenue when a man driving a Ford Contour west on Osbourne failed to see the 60- to 80-foot big rig parked diagonally north to south on Osbourne and slammed into the left rear of the trailer. The victim, who has not been identified, was seriously injured, but is expected to survive, Los Angeles Police Department officials said. The driver of the Napa Auto Parts semi was not hurt.

I'm relieved that this car crash victim was not catastrophically injured or killed by the car-truck collision. In such types of incidents there is a good chance things might have turned out a lot worse. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

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

Continue reading "Los Angeles Truck Accident Seriously Injures Man" »

A Hanford man was killed in a Los Angeles truck accident on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles County the morning of May 16, 2009, the Hanford Sentinel reports. California Highway Patrol officials say Robert Herrera was driving north on the 5 Freeway with three passengers in a Dodge Durango truck when he drifted into another lane of traffic and crashed into a semi-truck trailer. Officials say it is not clear why Herrera moved into the other lane without slowing or trying to swerve back before the car collision impact occured. The semi was driving in the fourth lane on the east side of the road when the Durango veered over from the third lane.

The Durango truck crashed into the rear of the trailer and came to a stop near Frazier Mountain Park Road. A passenger in the Durango died after he was pinned in his seat. He has not yet been identified. The driver of the semi truck, however, did not stop at the scene of the car crash and police are still looking for that person. If you have any information, please contact CHP at 661-248-6655.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the man who was killed in this tragic truck accident. My heart also goes out to all those who were personally injured and I wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Truck Accident Kills Man In Hit-and-Run Accident" »

Two people -- John Unruh, 58, and a 30-year-old Lake Elsinore woman -- were injured in an April 27, 2009 Corona truck accident after a truck struck the center divider of the 91 Freeway leading to the rear-end car accidents, according to a CBS news report. The car collision occurred when 27-year-old Octavio Rocha was driving his semi tractor-trailer on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Lincoln Avenue. When traffic suddenly slowed, Rocha was unable to stop and steered right to avoid the truck in front of him. Rocha's big rig, which was hauling 54,000 gallons of milk, over-corrected and crashed into the concrete divider and its trailer spun across the eastbound lanes of traffic.

Moments later, the 30-year-old Lake Elsinore woman who was right behind the big rig managed to slow down her Toyota Corolla, but John Unruh could not stop his Honda Accord in time and struck the Corolla. The Corolla was pushed into the tanker and the car collision caused moderate personal injuries to Unruh and the woman. Both were taken to area hospitals.

Data from California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System shows there were 12 car accidents and 743 car accident injuries relating to car accidents in Corona. In Riverside County as a whole, there were 279 deaths and 9,925 injuries reported as a result of car accidents in the year 2007.

Continue reading "Corona Truck Accident Results In Car Collision " »

A majority of California truck accident fatalities were caused by drivers of passenger vehicles according to a California Highway Patrol report released this week. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the CHP is taking steps to better educate motorists about driving safely to help avoid large commercial truck accidents. According to the CHP study, out of 7,262 collisions involving big rigs in California in 2008, 56 percent were caused by drivers in passenger vehicles including cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. In Orange County alone that year, 17 people were killed and 616 people were injured in 452 big rig accidents. The CHP, however, did not provide information about who was at fault in the Orange County truck accidents.

CHP officers say they will conduct sweeps in Orange County to enforce traffic laws involving trucks to help reduce the number of California truck accidents related deaths. Some of the behaviors officers will be looking for include watching vehicles that follow big rigs too closely. This is an extremely dangerous way for smaller vehicles to drive. When the truck ahead makes a sudden stop, the passenger car following closely will not be able to stop increasing the potential for a fatal car rear-end accident.

Continue reading "California Truck Accident Report" »

Jose Valdivia Castellanos, 23, of Rialto was killed in an Anaheim car accident the morning of April 18, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. Castellanos was struck by a truck and killed on the Harbor Boulevard off-ramp of the southbound 5 Freeway as he was trying to change a tire on his disabled vehicle. Castellanos died of his injuries. Authorities have not released the name of the truck driver pending an investigation.

My heart goes out to the family of young Jose Valdivia Castellanos for their tragic and untimely loss. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Castellanos. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to the California Highway Patrol's 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were 30 fatal traffic accidents and 2,006 traffic accidents involving injuries in Anaheim. During the same year, in all of Orange County, 178 deaths and 14,185 injuries were reported as a result of traffic accidents.

Continue reading "Man Killed in Orange County Truck Accident" »

The driver of church bus who was killed in a truck accident near Merced has been identified as 40-year-old John Haen of Coarsegold. According to a KTLA News report, Haen was filling his empty bus tank on the side of the highway on April 17, 2009 when he was hit by a big rig. Haen was thrown nearly 70 feet by the impact. The big rig also struck the bus and an empty California Highway Patrol car parked in front of the bus. Apparently, a CHP officer had given Haen a ride to his bus after he walked to Merced for fuel. Haen was driving 41 members of the Sierra Pines Church at Oakhurst back from a three-day mission trip in San Francisco. No one else was injured in the truck crash.

My heart goes out to everybody who knew and loved John Haen. I offer my deepest sympathies to them for his tragic loss. I also feel for the church members who witnessed this horrific truck crash. Please keep them in your prayers.

Based on this news report, it appears as if something went horribly wrong in this truck versus pedestrian crash. Not only did the truck driver not see Haen refueling his bus, but the truck driver also did not see the CHP unit parked near the bus. These details make me wonder if the driver of the big rig was distracted or not paying attention. I trust a CHP investigation will also look into whether the driver of the big rig was under the influence or may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Continue reading "Highway 99 Big Rig Accident Kills Church Bus Driver" »

For months the city of La Canada-Flintridge sought Caltrans' help to stop runaway truck accidents, but their plea fell on deaf ears, the local newspaper La Canada Valley Sun reports. The community newspaper dug up articles from its archives and found that the problem of runaway trucks on the Angeles Crest Highway is not a new problem. It's always been there and over the last several months, city officials made desperate verbal and written pleas to ban trucks on the highway and post warning signs, but Caltrans basically ignored them.

On April first Angel Posca and his 12-year-old daughter Angelina Posca, were killed after their car was struck by a runaway big rig that lost its brakes and was barreling down the Angeles Crest Highway. The most recent event before the one on April 1 took place the morning of September 5, 2008 when an identical truck crash destroyed seven vehicles and injured a man. The La Canada Valley Sun's editorial staff researched the 62-year-old paper's bound archives and found many similar incidents dating back to 1951! It wasn't until after the April 1, 2009 fatal truck accident that Caltrans issued a temporary order banning trucks on the Angeles Crest Highway.

Our firm has received several calls and is representing one of the injured victims of this accident. We believe that this is a claim against Caltrans and they should be held liable for this horrible tragedy and the losses and damages suffered as a result – especially by the Posca family.

Continue reading "La Canada Big Rig Accident – Caltrans' Liability" »