California Injury Lawyers Blog

A woman who was injured in a Lake Forest dog attack this morning had undergo emergency plastic surgery after she was bitten in the jaw by a neighbor's pit bull. Police say that the Orange County, California dog attack happened at around 10:25 in the morning as the woman was walking across a street. The 3-year-old pit bull, whose name is Sydney, jumped at her, bit her jaw, and tore some skin off her face.

Dog Bite Injuries
According to statistics, every 40 seconds in this country, someone is receiving medical treatment for a dog bite injury. While some injuries are minor, other injuries are more serious and may require reconstructive surgery. Permanent physical scars and disfigurement can result. A dog bite victim may even have to undergo psychological counseling to recover from the trauma. In some instances, a dog attack can prove fatal.

Our Anaheim dog bite injury lawyers are well aware of the lasting scars that can affect someone who has been mauled by a dog. Fortunately, California has strict laws that hold pet owners responsible for injuries caused by their dogs. Depending on the circumstances surrounding a case, a dog bite victim may be able to recovery compensation parties whose negligence led to the attack.

Pit bulls are considered a dangerous dog breed. Other dogs that fall under the dangerous dog breed category include Huskies, Rotweillers, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, and Chows. That said, not all dogs belonging to these breeds are dangerous. There are also many dogs that do not fall under the dangerous dog category that have inflicted serious dog bite injuries on humans. There are also dogs that have suddenly attacked someone despite never having previously shown signs of hostility.

Neighbor's pit bull bites woman in face, The OC Register, November 30, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bites, Nolo

Hospitalizations for Dog Bite Injuries, CDC

Dog Bite Prevention, American Veterinary Medical Association

Continue reading "Woman Injured in Lake Forest Dog Attack by Pit Pull Undergoes Emergency Surgery " »

Two new studies show that as more young motorcyclists get on their bikes without wearing helmets, the more likely they are to sustain long-term disabilities and serious head injuries, and that this, in turn, results in significant medical bills. The findings can be found in Pediatrics. While one study examines young riders and their head injuries and related medical expenses, the other looks at the effect that having a mandatory helmet law can have on riders.

Currently, only 20 US states, including California, and Washington DC have mandatory universal helmet laws. Other states have age-specific helmet use laws. Recently, however, the National Transportation Safety Board, called on all US states to adopt a mandatory universal helmet law regardless of age. According to study author Harold Weiss, several studies in the past have shown that when there are "youth-only laws" regarding helmet use rather than universal helmet laws, there is a significant drop in helmet use among young motorcyclists.

Weiss notes about 25% of all motorcycle-related traumatic brain injuries involving young riders under the age of 21 led to long-term disabilities. Also, patients with serious head injuries had an at least 10 times greater chance of dying in hospitals than those who hadn't sustained this type of injury. Per hospital discharge data from 38 states during the 2005 to 2007 period, in the 12- to 20-year-old age groups in 2006 motorcycle accidents were the cause of 3% of their injuries that warranted hospitalization.

More findings from the studies:
• 1/3rd of the 5,662 motorcycle accident victims under age 21 that ended up in the hospital in 2006 sustained TBIs. 91 of them died.

• About 50% of those who were hurt or killed belonged to the 18 to 20-year-old age groups. 90% of them were males.

• Head injuries resulted in lengthier hospital stays, costlier medical bills, and other motorcycle crash-related injuries.

California Motorcycle Accidents
Our Anaheim motorcycle crash lawyers are familiar with the devastating injuries that can affect anyone who has been hurt in an Orange County, California motorcycle accident . Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, head trauma, and burn injuries can irrevocably alter a person's future and lead to costly medical expenses. This is not the type of injury case that you want to pursue without legal help.

It was just today that coroner officials were able to identity the man killed in an Ortega Highway motorcycle crash on Sunday morning as Kenneth Brant. The 61-year-old Anaheim man was injured when his motorcycle collided with a BMW going in the opposite direction at the mile marker 125 located about 20 miles west of Lake Elsinore. The BMW driver sustained serious injuries during the collision. Per an initial investigation, the car driver appears to have crossed onto the opposite side of the road for an unknown reason. Manslaughter charges may be filed.

CHP investigating manslaughter charges in fatal crash, OC Register, November 29, 2010

Young Motorcycle Riders Suffering More Brain Injuries, Bloomberg Businessweek, November 19, 2010

NTSB calls for helmet laws nationally, Examiner.com, November 16, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Transportation Safety Board

Current US motorcycle and bicycle helmet laws, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Pediatrics

Continue reading "More Young Motorcycle Riders Suffering Traumatic Brain Injuries Because of Inadequate Helmet Laws " »

Miranda Sosa, 18, has filed a Huntington Beach personal injury claim against the city. The local resident contends that she bruised her face, developed headaches, experienced pain in her neck and arm, and suffered vision loss after she was struck by the left tire of a lifeguard truck that was making a U-turn on the beach. At the time of the Orange County, California truck accident, Sosa was lying in the sand.

She is not the first person to seek compensation after being run over by a vehicle on an Orange County beach. Just last August, the city of Huntington Beach paid Paula Lemons $120,000 after she was struck by an ATV that was being driven by a city employee. Also recently, an Orange, California woman filed a Newport Beach injury claim against that city seeking $850,000 in compensation for injuries that she said she sustained when she was run over by a lifeguard truck. Newport Beach has already paid one man $125,000 after he was struck by a police Chevy Blazer while on the beach.

Filing A California Accident Claim Against the State, A County, or a Local Government Property
In California, an injury victim has six months from the date of injury to file a claim against the state, a county, or a local government property. Failure to do sue can prevent you from later being able to file an Orange County, California injury lawsuit. You may have grounds for an injury case if you were injured on government property and/or if the injury was caused by the negligence of that government entity or by one of its employees. If your claim is denied, you can then choose to file your personal injury lawsuit.

Claim: Woman lying in sand hit by H.B. lifeguard truck, OC Register, November 19, 2010

Newport Beach Personal Injury Claim Seeks $850,000 for Woman Run Over by Lifeguard Truck, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 25, 2010

Related Web Resources:
City of Huntington Beach, California

Do you have a personal injury case?, Nolo

The Food and Drug and Administration has banned painkillers Darvon and Darvocet from the market after a new study showed that propoxyphene, the drugs' core compound, is linked to potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities. Manufacturer Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc. has agreed to the ban, and the FDA is asking the manufacturers of generic versions of the drugs to stop selling them.

The FDA's ban comes over a year after similar bans were issued in the European Union and Britain where the drug has been linked to accidental overdoses and suicide. In the US, safety concerns surrounding Darvon have existed for years--watchdog group Public Citizen blames the prescription drug for several hundred deaths annually--but until now the FDA had decided to keep the opioid narcotic in the market. According to the study of the drug's cardiac effects, the drug can increase the chances that a user will develop heart arrhythmias even if he/she is healthy.

Dangerous Drugs
Our Anaheim products liability lawyers represent clients who have been injured or died because of a defective or dangerous product. Drug manufacturers can be held liable if their medication proves dangerous for a user. Serious injuries can arise when taking a dangerous drug, such as a stroke, birth injury, organ damage, kidney injury, brain damage, and death. Also, just because a drug passes FDA approval doesn't mean it is safe for use.

Some drugs that have been known to adverse health side effects that may warrant an Orange County, California dangerous drug :
• Accutane
• Yaz
• Gardasil
• Paxil
• Cipro
• Avandia
• Levaquin
• Reglan

Darvon is used for treating mild to moderate pain. About 10 million patients were given propoxyphene last year.

Darvon, Darvocet painkillers pulled from the U.S. market, Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2010

Manufacturer Pulls Darvon, Darvocet; FDA Wants Generic Makers to Do the Same, ABCNews, November 19, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Propoxyphene

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Basset Furniture Industries Inc. are recalling about 90,000 Bassettbaby drop-side cribs because the baby beds can pose suffocation, entrapment, and fall hazards. There have been at least 18 incidents reported involving the drop-sides malfunctioning or detaching. While there haven't been any reports of injuries, one child got entrapped between the drop-side and mattress and three others fell out of their cribs. Also, there have been 156 reports of the drop-side hardware breaking during shipping.

The recalled cribs can potentially become a cause of injury to children should the drop-side rail detach, malfunction, or fail in another way. Partial detachment of a drop-side rail from the crib can create a space between the crib and the mattress where a child can become entrapped and die from strangulation or suffocation. Drop-side failure can lead to fall accidents, which can cause a child to suffer head injuries, bruises, broken bones, and other injuries.

Basset Furniture is offering consumers that own a recalled Bassettbaby crib a free repair kit that will immobilize the drop-side and hopefully take care of the product defect.

Our Anaheim products liability lawyers are aware of the dangers that a drop-side crib can pose to infants and toddlers. Drop-side cribs have been linked to at least 32 baby deaths in the last decade and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has taken steps to ban all drop-side cribs--not just from stores, but also from hotels, daycare centers, and thrift stores. The CPSC has recalled over 9 million drop-sides in the last five years--more than 2 million of the cribs were recalled this year.

There is no excuse for why a crib that you've purchased for your child should be defectively designed or manufactured using poor quality materials that can easily break or malfunction. You may be able to hold a crib manufacturer liable for your child's injuries. Suffocation and strangulation accidents can cause serious permanent injuries, including brain injury, and even death.

Bassettbaby Recalls to Repair Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards, CPSC, November 22, 2010

Government nears new standards for cribs, ban on drop-side cribs, CNN, July 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (PDF)

What are the safety issues with drop side cribs?, Baby Products

Continue reading "90,000 Bassettbaby Drop-Side Cribs Recalled to Prevent Child Injuries " »

Authorities are investigating the death of Anthony Tang, a 2-year-old Garden Grove boy toddler who fell to his death from the third deck of the luxury seats to the lower seating bowl at the Staples Center on Sunday night. The Los Angeles fall accident took place just minutes after the LA Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors.

The boy's parents were taking photos with their camera when Tang wandered off and went over a glass partition to land some 50 feet down below. Witnesses say the toddler was still moving his legs and arms when he was taken a way on a stretcher. He later was pronounced dead from head injuries at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Autopsy results are still pending.

Los Angeles Fall Accidents
Falls from elevated heights can results in serious personal injuries. Broken bones, internal injuries, massive head injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and death can result. Premise owner are responsible for making sure that their property is free of any hazards that could cause someone to accidentally fall--whether during a slip and fall accident or from an elevated height, such as through a window on an elevated floor or from a balcony, a rooftop, or a stairwell.

Head Injuries
A head injury can be a very serious injury. Brain swelling, tissue tearing, and bleeding in the brain can occur when the brain moves inside the skull during impact.

Types of Head Injuries:
Concussion: Can cause brief loss of consciousness or temporary vision or balance loss.

Brain Contusion: A bruising of the brain that may include swelling and bleeding.

Skull Fracture: Involves a crack to the skull. In the event that a broken skull piece enters the brain, bleeding and other injury can occur.

Hematoma: Involves bleeding in the brain.

Some head injuries have proven fatal.

Death of boy in fall at Lakers game investigated, Reuters, November 22, 2010

2-year-old Falls to Death at Staples Center After Lakers Game, The Baltimore Sun, November 22, 2010

2-year-old who fell to his death at Lakers game had crawled out of parents' sight, Los Angeles, November 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Head Injuries, KidsHealth

Head Injuries: What to Watch for Afterward, FamilyDoctor

Continue reading "Toddler Attending Los Angeles Lakers Game Dies After Falling 50 Feet from Staples Center Luxury Seats " »

A case of mistaken identity led to the wrongful arrest and Tasering of Dana Point resident Skip Torrance in his bedroom on September 2008. Now, Torrance has settled his Orange County, California excessive use of force lawsuit against the county and the city of Laguna Beach for $380,000.

Torrance, says he was sleeping in his bed when he felt someone tug at his boxers. He woke up to discover Laguna Beach sheriff's Deputies Jason Mann and Jose Pelayo in his room. One of the officers shocked him with a Taser.

The deputies had gone Torrance's home because they thought he had participated in a brawl outside a Laguna Beach restaurant that had taken place earlier that evening. However, when the victims of that dispute saw Torrance they said that he was never involved.

The sheriff's deputies had sought Torrance out after a woman who saw him and thought he appeared suspicious contacted Laguna Beach police and gave them his license plate number. The police linked the description back to the incident at the restaurant.

Claiming that Torrance had lunged at him when they tried to apprehend him at his home, the deputies arrested him. He was transported to the Orange County jail before being released on bail. However, citing insufficient evidence, prosecutors ended up not charging Torrance with resisting a peace officer.

Under the terms of Torrance's Orange County, California excessive use of force and wrongful arrest settlement, the county is paying him $300,000 and the city of Laguna Beach is paying him $80,000.

Excessive Use of Force
Police officers are not allowed to use unnecessary or excessive force when detaining anyone. They also must respect a person's civil rights even if he/she has been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime. Excessive use of force or police brutality can be grounds for an Orange County, California injury complaint. Not only can excessive use of force cause serious injuries, but the experience can be incredibly traumatic for the victim.

Man stunned by deputies in his bedroom gets $380,000, OC Register, November 19, 2010

A Victim of Mistaken Identity Upset by Deputies' Actions, Laguna Beach Independent, September 12, 2008

Related Web Resources:
Orange County, California

Laguna Beach, California Police

It's been nearly two years since the catastrophic Newport Beach car accident that claimed the life of Charles Lewis Jr., the Huntington Beach owner of martial arts clothing company TapouT. Now, the driver accused of crashing into Lewis's Ferrari on March 11, 2009, is about to go on trial for a number of criminal charges related to the deadly collision, including vehicular manslaughter and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. If convicted, Costa Mesa resident Jeffrey David Kirby could be sentenced to 18 years in state prison.

According to Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez, Kirby, a repeat drunk driver, had a blood/alcohol content of almost twice the legal limit, when he crashed his Porsche into Lewis' Ferrari. The two vehicles had been speeding on Jamboree road at the time and the tragic car accident occurred when Kirby lost control of his sports car. He stopped briefly at Newport Beach motor vehicle crash site before leaving the scene.

Investigators would later find receipts in Kirby's wallet showing that earlier that evening, he drank alcohol at two bars--one in Irvine and the other in San Juan Capistrano. The 53-year-old man has two prior DUIs.

Lewis died at the crash site after his Ferrari drove over a curb and struck a cement light pole. His girlfriend, Lacy Lynn White, was thrown from the car and landed on a sidewalk. She sustained serious injuries, including a broken hip, a broken vertebrae, and a shattered elbow.

Drunk Driving
Drunk driving destroys the lives of the victims, their loved ones, and the drunk driver. People that are too drunk to drive are usually unable to drive safely or comprehend that they are a danger to pedestrians and other motorists. A person charged with drunk driving can also be sued for Orange County, California injury or wrongful death if someone else gets hurt or dies.

How to avoid driving while drunk:
• Don't drive if you feel even remotely tipsy
• Know when you've had one drink too many
• Appoint a designated driver
• Take a taxi or, if you are at someone's home or at a hotel, stay there for the night
• If you know you are driving home, keep drinking to a minimum
• Don't take drinks from strangers--you never know what else is in your beverage
• Don't drink if you are on medication
• If you get behind the steering wheel of the car and realize that you are drunk, stop driving

Trial to begin in crash that killed 'Mask', OC Register, November 18, 2010

TapouT Owner Dies in Horrific Ferrari Crash, TMZ, March 11, 2009

Ferrari crash involves alcohol, speed and a white Porsche, police say, Los Angeles Times, March 11, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Drinking & Driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Stop Impaired Driving

Continue reading "Driver of Newport Beach Car Crash that Killed TapouT Owner Goes on Trial" »

Investigators are trying to figure how a 94-year-old woman ended up in the walk-in freezer of her Calabasas nursing home. Molly Fischer, who may be suffering from dementia, was discovered standing inside the freezer on October 28. Staff had gone looking for her after she had gone missing.

Fischer was hospitalized after the incident and is now back at Silverado Senior Living. According to one of the nursing home's executives, corrective action has been taken against two workers. The California Department of Social Services is investigating the incident to determine whether Los Angeles nursing home neglect was involved.

According to a nursing home executive, the cold storage, which is set at 5 degrees, stores meat and other foods. Fortunately, Fischer was not in there long enough to sustain fatal injuries. There are, however, questions remaining regarding whether the doors to the kitchen and freezer, which were supposed to be locked, were not working on the night of the accident.

This is not the first time that the Los Angeles County nursing home has come under scrutiny over the type of care it may be providing residents. It was just earlier this year that one of its former employees, Cesar Ulloa, was convicted of seven counts of California elder abuse and one count of torture. The 21-year-old was sentenced to life in prison for physically abusing a number of patients at the Calabasas assisted living facility.

Silverado Senior Living facility houses primarily patients with dementia. Family members pay about $70,000 a year for their loved ones to stay at the nursing home.

Nursing Home Care for Dementia Patients
It is the responsibility of California nursing homes to provide each patient with the specific care needed. Patients with dementia or other forms of mental illness have very specialized nursing needs. Many dementia patients are at risk of wandering off while unattended, can suffer from memory loss, may exhibit emotional or behavioral problems, or develop other complications. Failure to provide dementia patients with the care they need can result in serious injuries or death. It also can be grounds for a Los Angeles nursing home negligence lawsuit.

94-year-old woman found in freezer, UPI, November 13, 2010

Former Caregiver Sentenced to Life for Torturing Elderly Patients, KTLA, May 26, 2010

Former Calabasas Worker on Trial for Los Angeles County Elder Abuse, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 5, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Dementia and Alzheimer's Care, HelpGuide.org

Silverado Senior Living - Calabasas

Continue reading "Los Angeles Nursing Home Negligence?: 94-Year-Old Woman Discovered in Freezer of Calabasas Nursing Home " »

Hospitals, doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other medical providers owe patients a certain duty of care. When failure to provide that quality of care causes medical mistakes, the patient is the one who suffers.

Our Anaheim medical malpractice lawyers want to remind you that it is important to start exploring your legal options as soon as possible if you or your loved one sustained injuries or developed health complications because of medical negligence. Although you have three years from the date of injury to file an Orange County, California medical malpractice case, there is a lot that needs to be done to help you obtain the maximum recovery possible.

Today, the California Department of Public Health announced that it is fining 12 hospitals in the state. Three of the hospitals are located in Orange County, California.

Western Medical Center was fined $75,000 because a number of medications and vaccines were stored at below freezing temperatures in 2009. As a result, five mothers suffering from Hepatitis B and some 1,641 newborns and were administered potentially defective vaccines for this virus. The local public health department is monitoring the babies who were born to moms with Hepatitis B, while the hospital has notified pediatricians and parents of all the babies that received vaccines. A re-vaccination clinic has been set up in the Santa Ana hospital. This is Western Medical Center's third fine by the state.

In Placentia, California, Placentia-Linda Hospital has been ordered to pay $25,000 for giving a patient the wrong knee implant in 2008. The patient, who experienced persistent pain following the procedure, was readmitted to the hospital the following year. X-rays show that an implant made for a right knee had been inserted in the patient's left side. He had to undergo another procedure to fix the surgical error.

The state is ordering Kindred Hospital to pay $25,000 after an obese, comatose patient lost 63 pounds and developed 11 pressure sores while staying at the facility. Staff members at the Westminster hospital are accused of failing to prevent and report the decubitus ulcers and neglecting to monitor the patient's nutritional needs and weight.

Medical professionals cannot afford to make mistakes when it comes to treating and monitoring their patients.

3 O.C. hospitals fined for patient errors, OC Register, November 12, 2010

CDPH Issues Administrative Penalties to 12 Hospitals, CDPH

Related Web Resources:
California Department of Public Health

Continue reading "Three Orange County, California Hospitals Fined for Medical Mistakes" »

Fountain Valley resident Olivia Waldowski has filed a Huntington Beach premises liability claim against the city seeking at least $10,000 for injuries she sustained during a volleyball tournament there. The 26-year-old professional beach volleyball player says she injured her leg so severely during a game that she was unable to play volleyball for the rest of the season.

Waldowski is claiming improper maintenance of the beach volleyball courts located close to the pier where the AVP tournament was held. She says that she suffered severe leg lacerations when she landed on a large piece of wood that was under the sand while diving for a shot. Her injury required stitches. The pro volleyball player contends that the city failed to dredge the courts to make sure there were no foreign objects or debris that could injure the volleyball players.

California Premises Liability
Filing an injury claim against a city is often a precursor to an Orange County, California personal injury lawsuit unless the case is resolved before then. A premises liability claim seeks damages from the possessor or owner of a property where an injury occurred. In addition to inadequate maintenance, other examples of common grounds for a premises liability claim include:

• Slip and fall
• Step and fall
• Trip and fall
• Inadequate security
• Defective conditions
• Falling merchandise
• Dog attacks

A premises liability-related accident can take place on someone's private property, rented property, commercial property, or on public property. It is important that you started exploring your legal options right away.

Injured pro beach volleyball player wants $10,000 from H.B., OC Register, November 4, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Proving Fault in Accidents on Dangerous or Defective Property, Nolo

City of Huntington Beach, California

AVP tournament

According to a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study, 41% of drivers who were surveyed have admitted to nodding off or falling asleep at the wheel. 11% said such instances of drowsy driving occurred to them last year. The AAA study says that drowsy driving is a factor in 16.5 % ( that's one in six collisions) of the deadly US motor vehicle crashes occur. 2,000 US residents that are old enough to drive were surveyed over the phone for the study. Among the findings:

• Men and teens are the groups most likely to fall asleep while driving.
• When a traffic crash was involved, men were 61% more likely than women to have been drowsy driving at the time.
• Young drivers (ages 16 to 24) were 78% more likely than middle-aged drivers to feel drowsy right before an auto accident.
• In more than 50% of drowsy driving crashes, the driver ended up going off the road or drifting into other lanes.

Our Anaheim car accident lawyers are familiar with the catastrophic consequences that can result from drowsy driving. Although the drowsy driver likely never intended to cause your Orange County, California personal injuries you still may have grounds for a case.

One reason that drowsy driving is so dangerous is that drivers don't realize that sleep deprivation and fatigue can turn a motorist into a dangerous driver. Driving while sleepy can impair the vision, fog the mind, negatively affect reaction time, impair judgment, and slow down a motorist's ability to process information. A drowsy driver may not even realize he/she has fallen asleep--even if just for a few seconds. That said, it takes just a few seconds for a tragic car crash to happen.

Symptoms of a drowsy driver:

• Heavy eyelids
• The need to blink often
• Problems focusing
• Difficulties focusing your attention on the task at hand
• Lane drifting
• Sudden swerving
• Driving over rumble strips
• Short-term memory lapses
• Missing traffic signs or exits
• Constant yawning

This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. If you are feeling drowsy you should stop driving.

Study shows drowsy drivers behind the wheel, Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2010

Drowsy driving crashes prevalent, but preventable, University of Michigan Health System, November 8, 2010

Be Aware: Drowsy Driving Prevention Week 2010, Sleep Foundation/PR Web, November 5, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Drowsy Driving Prevention Resource Center, National Sleep Foundation

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Continue reading "Drowsy Driving Causes 16.5% of Deadly US Traffic Crashes, Says AAA Study" »

Police say that Sydney Ramirez, the 16-year-old Cypress teen who was struck by a minivan as she walked to school, has died. Ramirez was injured in the La Palma pedestrian accident on Monday morning.

Following the tragic Orange County, California traffic accident, Ramirez was admitted to Long Beach Memorial Hospital where she underwent surgery and was placed on life support. She died at approximately 12:40am on Thursday after her family gave their permission to take her off the machinery.

Meantime, police are trying to determine whether the driver of the minivan, a 55-year-old woman, was distracted at the time of the La Palma car accident. She has yet to be cited.

The authorities have said that others have complained about the intersection of Crescent Avenue and Watson street, which is where the traffic accident occurred. Some find the crosswalk difficult to see, and it is reportedly not uncommon for vehicles to speed through this intersection.

In an unrelated Orange County, California traffic accident involving another student who was headed to school, an 11-year-old sustained head injuries in a Huntington Beach bicycle accident today when he was hit by a van. The boy was transported to UCI Medical Center.

Orange County, California Child Pedestrian Accidents
Children are already at high risk of getting seriously injured in a pedestrian crash. Many of them cannot accurately judge the distance and speed of an approaching vehicle, may not check the street before they cross, and/or do not realize that by walking or biking in front of a moving auto they risk getting hurt or dying.

Child pedestrian accidents can occur anywhere, including on residential streets, roads that have crosswalks, streets without crosswalks, in parking lots, on busy roads, in driveways, and on roads where there are lots of parked cars. Drivers must make sure that they are watching out for pedestrians--especially for young kids who can be harder than adults to spot.

11-year-old boy struck by van, suffers head injuries, OC Register, November 5, 2010

School mourns OC student killed in crosswalk, ABCLocal, November 4, 2010

Pedestrian Safety, Virtual Pediatric Hospital

Related Web Resources:
Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet, Safe Kids USA

Pedestrians, US Department of Transportation

Continue reading "16-Year-Old Cypress Pedestrian Dies from La Palma, California Car Accident Injuries" »

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Britax is recalling 23,000 Britax Chaperon infant car seats because an incorrectly manufactured chest clip that is brittle enough to break could pose a laceration or choking hazard to a child. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says that it has three reports of minor lacerations and scratches to the arms and a finger sustained after chest clips broke. Britax car seats affected by this recall include those with the model numbers E9L69N9 (Moonstone), E9L95P3, E9L95P5 (Cowmooflage), and E9L95P2 (Red Mill).

The Britax recall comes less than a month after Evenflo Co. recalled more than 18,000 Evenflo Maestro child car seats both here and in Canada. The recall was issued after the child safety seats did not pass a Consumer Reports crash test. Two of the car seats had a harness that became loose and a practice shell that cracked during a simulated frontal-impact crash test. No injuries to children or deaths have been linked to this product defect.

Our Anaheim products liability lawyers cannot stress enough how important it is that you not only use the proper car seat for your child but also that this safety device is free from defects that could cause it to malfunction during a car crash. With traffic crashes a leading cause of death among kids and babies, it is essential that your child is properly secured during a collision. A defective car seat can even exacerbate a child's injuries during a crash.

Examples of car seat defects:
• Faulty latches
• Straps that are flammable or tear too easily
• Seat structural issues

As a parent, it can be devastating to find out that your child suffered catastrophic injuries or died because he/she was not in fact properly secured in a car seat that you thought was keeping him/her safe.

Consumer Advisory: Britax Announces Child Safety Seat Recall, NHTSA, November 1, 2010

Britax Recalls Chaperon Infant Car Seats, US News & World Report, November 4, 2010

Evenflo Maestro car seat recalled after failing Consumer Reports' crash test, Consumer Reports, October 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Recall Information, Britax

Evenflo Initiates Voluntary Recall of Certain Maestro Combination Booster Seats, Evenflo, October 15, 2010

Continue reading "Preventing Orange County, California Child Injuries: 23,000 Britax Car Seats Recalled Over Possible Choking and Laceration Hazards " »

The LA County District's Attorney has decided to drop the vehicular manslaughter charge against Unmi Suk Chung, the 62-year-old Torrance woman accused of stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brakes and causing the deadly 2008 Los Angeles motor vehicle crash on the 10 freeway that claimed the life of Esook Synn, the 69-year-old passenger who was riding in her Lexus RX330's backseat. Synn's family has filed a Los Angeles wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota and they are suing the automaker for California auto products liability.

At the time of the deadly Los Angeles car crash, Chung had yelled out that the brakes weren't working. According to the Los Angeles Times, her lawyer had blamed the auto defect on a computer-system malfunction that caused the Lexus to accelerate out of control. Prosecutors, however, contended that Chung was engaging in reckless driving and that this is what caused the deadly collision.

However, with sudden acceleration involving a Toyota vehicle being blamed as cause of dozens of fatalities--resulting in wrongful death and auto products liability complaints against the automaker--obtaining a guilty verdict from a jury would have been tough. Synn's family members and the passenger in her vehicle who did survive the traffic crash had been pressing prosecutors to drop the criminal charge.

Toyota Sudden Acceleration
Synn's situation is an example of how an auto defect can impact the lives of not just those that have been injured or killed or lost someone that they love in a car crash. If Synn had been convicted of manslaughter, she could have ended up spending up to six years in prison. One man, Koua Fong Lee, was into his third year of a eight-year prison sentence for criminal vehicular manslaughter when the criminal case against him was dismissed.

Lee was serving time for the car crash deaths of three people. In 2006, his 1996 Camry accelerated out of control and struck two vehicles. A man and his 10-year-old son and a 6-year-old girl died from their injuries. The victims' families have for some time now believed that Toyota was at fault. They are suing the automaker for Los Angeles auto products liability related to the wrongful deaths.

Criminal Charges Dismissed Against Runaway Lexus Driver In LA, ABC News, October 27, 2010

Minnesota judge frees man convicted in acceleration crash of Toyota, CNN, August 6, 2010

Torrance woman cleared in fatal crash she blames on sudden acceleration, Los Angeles Times, November 2, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Toyota Fires Back At Plaintiffs With Sudden Acceleration Filing, WSJ, November 2, 2010

Toyota kept issue silent, lawsuit says, Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2010

Toyota Motor Corp.