California Injury Lawyers Blog

The parents of Sophia Ilona Salazar are suing the city of El Monte and the state of California for Los Angeles wrongful death. The 17-year-old was killed in a Monterey Park traffic accident on the Pomona (60) Freeway on May 28, 2010.

According to the lawsuit, Salazar got lost while walking home from a party and asked two California Highway Patrol officers for help. Rodolfo Salazar and Anette Esmaili contend that the cops refused to drive her home, which was just a few miles a way from the 7-Eleven store where she encountered them. Although they called her a cab, because Salazar couldn't pay the fare she resumed trying to get home on foot. Salazar was hit by a Jeep at around 1 am. Salazar's parents say that even though the CHP and El Monte Police both received calls that there was a young woman walking on the freeway, the two agencies did not send a rescue vehicle.

The case above is an example of how in some cases, there are parties other than a driver or auto manufacturer that can be sued for Los Angeles personal injury or wrongful death in a traffic crash.

Los Angeles Personal Injury
California is a pure comparative negligence state that lets a plaintiff obtain damages even if he/she is over 50% at fault for the accident occurring. The statute of limitations in California is two years from the date of the accident. This means that you should start exploring your legal options with an experienced Los Angeles injury law firm because if you do have a case then there is a lot of work that your attorney will have to do to get your case ready.

Parents of Former SPHS Student Killed by Truck File Suit, South Pasadena Patch, May 25, 2011

Parents of PCC student killed on freeway file suit against state, El Monte, Pasadena Star News, May 25, 2011

Related Web Resources:
El Monte, California

State of California

More Blog Posts:
$6M Riverside County Truck Accident Settlement Reached in 2007 DUI Case, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 27, 2011

$4.75M Los Angeles County Car Accident Settlement Reached with Two Anaheim Residents Injured in 2008 DUI Collision with Deputy, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 18, 2011

California Wrongful Death: Parents of Cal Poly Student Killed in '10 Pedestrian Accident Sue Caltrans, Doctor, and San Luis Obispo, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 28, 2011

14-year-old Ashton Sweet has been declared dead. The teenager sustained a traumatic brain injury on Sunday when a drunk driver hit the car she was riding during an Irvine car crash. She is being kept on life support so her organs can be considered on donation.

Sweet and three of her friends were being driven home from a party when they were struck by a Toyota pickup truck. The driver of the truck, 26-year-old Austin Farley, is also from Irvine. He was brought into custody on suspicion of felony drunk driving and held on $1 million bail.

Brain Injury from Car Accidents
Traffic crashes are a leading cause of brain injuries. The head may strike the windshield, the window, or the roof during a rollover. Also, when sudden deceleration or acceleration movement occurs, the brain also may experience trauma and brain bleeding, twisting, tearing, or bruising may occur.

While some brain injuries are immediately detectable, the symptoms for some types of TBIs may not appear right away, which is why it is important that you see a doctor immediately. Possible signs of a brain injury include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Feeling dazed or confused or disoriented
• Headaches
• Concentration or memory problems
• Vomiting
• Vision problems
• Nausea
• Mood changes
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Problems sleeping
• The need to sleep more often
• Slurred speech
• Numbness or weakness to the extremities
• Convulsions
• Fluids coming from the ears or nose
• Pupil dilation
• Seizures

Irvine crash victim declared dead,OC Register, May 31, 2011

Irvine teen Ashton Sweet dies from injuries following Sunday crash, ABC7, May 31, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Traumatic Brain Injury, National institute of Neurological Disorders/NIH

Traumatic Brain Injury, CDC

More Blog Posts:
$4.75M Los Angeles County Car Accident Settlement Reached with Two Anaheim Residents Injured in 2008 DUI Collision with Deputy, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 18, 2011

Los Angeles Traumatic Brain Injury Settlement Reached Between County and Psychiatric Patient Who Jumped Out of Hospital Window, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 5, 2011

$18.3M California Traumatic Brain Injury Verdict Awarded to UC Davis Doctor Injured in Pedestrian Accident, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 4, 2011

Continue reading "Irvine Teen Sustains Fatal Traumatic Brain Injury in Orange County, California Car Accident" »

Six months after 2-year-old Lucas Tang fell from a skybox during a Lakers game at Staples Center, his family is suing the center for Los Angeles wrongful death. The toddler died from massive head injuries after falling 30 to 50 feet on November 20, 2010.

Tang fell after he was able to crawl over the high plexiglass barrier that was placed in front of the box where his family had been seated to watch the game. An autopsy ruled his death an accident.

However, the Los Angeles wrongful death complaint clams that the Staples Center designed and maintained the boxes in ways that allowed them to charge the highest price possible for their use. Tang's family also claims that LA Arena Co. and Anschutz Entertainment Group failed to warn fans of the luxury boxes' dangerous design. The plaintiffs noted that there should have been warning signs, employee warnings, and/or oral statements.

Even though the Staples Center is in compliance with codes regarding how high the safety barriers in front of the luxury boxes need to be, the family wants the Staples Center to install taller barriers in front of the box. The plaintiffs say that the current barrier is still too short to serve as adequate protection from the thirty-foot drop.

Los Angeles Premises Liability
Fall accidents have been known to occur from stadiums and arenas. Any fall from an elevated can place the injury victim at risk of developing a fatal head injury, traumatic brain injury, and other serious injuries, including internal injuries and broken bones. Property owners must ensure that there is adequate safety protection to prevent fall accidents and if there are any hazards on the grounds, they should post or give notification warnings. Other ways to prevent fall accidents include installing appropriate guardrails or preventing patrons from having access to areas where the protections are inadequate. If negligence on the property owner's part were to cause or allow to cause serious injury, the plaintiff may have grounds for a Los Angeles premises liability case.

Staples Center sued by family of toddler who fell to his death at Lake, Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2011

Staples Center Arena faces massive lawsuit after toddler plunges to his death, Empowered News, May 29, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Staples Center

Anschutz Entertainment Group

More Blog Posts:
Toddler Attending Los Angeles Lakers Game Dies After Falling 50 Feet from Staples Center Luxury Seats, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 22, 2010

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed by Family of San Francisco Giants Fan Who Sustained Traumatic Brain Injury During Beating at Dodger Stadium, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 24, 2011

Dodgers Settle Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit with Fan Who Broke His Neck During Baseball Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 20, 2011

A $6 million Riverside County personal injury settlement has been reached out of court between plaintiff Somlux Lebsack and the intoxicated truck driver who crashed into her car on January 26, 2007. Also a defendant in the case was trucker David Goff's employer.

According to the Riverside County car crash settlement, Goff was drunk, with a BAC of .37 when he drove his company-provided truck across the center divider of Interstate 10 in Banning California, to collide with Lebsack's vehicle. Emergency workers then spent an hour extricating her from her car.

Lebsack was hospitalized for almost three weeks after the Riverside, County traffic crash. She was treated for multiple traumatic injuries, including a collapsed long, a degloving injury to her left knee, an ankle fracture, and a compound fracture of her right femur. The plaintiff contends that Goff's employer knew of his history of alcohol abuse and still allowed him to drive the company truck.

Employers can be held liable for traffic crash injuries caused by their employees if the accident occurred while they were on the job. An experienced Riverside County truck crash law firm will know how to prove someone was liable and whether that person's employer should also be sued for damages.

Getting hurt in a traffic collision can result in serious injuries that can take months to recover from. In addition to medical, recovery, and rehabilitation bills, an accident victim may lose income from having to take an extend amount of time off work. He/she may also need to hire someone to help them at home until they can recover fully. In some cases, the injuries may cause permanent disabilities that can prevent the victim from working or tending to daily tasks unassisted for life.

$6 Million Settlement in Drunk Driving Accident Case, Digital Journal, May 26, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Car accidents, Justia

Drinking and Driving, Potsdam.edu

Car Accidents, Nolo

More Blog Posts:
$4.75M Los Angeles County Car Accident Settlement Reached with Two Anaheim Residents Injured in 2008 DUI Collision with Deputy, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 18, 2011

Orange County, California Truck Crash Cases Often Involve Multiple Parties That Should Be Held Liable, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 9, 2011

Orange County, California elder abuse doesn't just occur at assisted living facilities. The abuse of the elderly has also been known to take place in private homes. Sometimes, the abuser is a family member. At other times, it is a professional caretaker, who was hired to work in a private residence. That said, doesn't matter whether the neglect or abuse occurred in a house or at a nursing home, the patient still may be able to sue for damages.

This week, Domingo Rabino, a Mission Viejo caretaker, was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 80-year-old patient. The caretaker had been hired to take care of the woman and her husband, who has since died, in their private residence. Now, Rabino is accused of committing sexual violations against the woman, including trying to rape her, while giving her therapeutic massages.

It is important that families who hire a private caretaker observe the interactions between him/her and your loved one. It also is a good idea to stay alert for signs of possible California elder abuse or neglect, including:

• Unexplained bruises
• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Bedsores
• Sudden mood swings
• Depression
• Deterioration of health

If the caretaker speaks to your loved one in an abusive or derogatory way or doesn't physically handle him/her with care, your relative may be experiencing Orange County, California elder abuse or neglect. You may also have cause for concern if the caretaker starts isolating your loved one, you notice depletion in your family member's finances, or he/she is suddenly added as a beneficiary to a will. Unfortunately, California elder financial abuse is also not uncommon.

Our Anaheim elder abuse lawyers know that sometimes seeking damages from a caretaker can be a delicate process--especially if the caretaker is a relative or close friend. Nevertheless, we can help you explore your legal options and determine whether your elderly loved one has a case.

Caretaker arrested for elderly woman's assault, ABC Local, May 16, 2011

Allegations of elder abuse spark arrest in Orange County, Empowered News, May 15, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Costa Mesa Man Accused of Stealing Over $280K in Alleged Elder Fraud Abuse, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 13, 2011

Los Angeles Elder Abuse and Neglect Alleged in 89-Year-Old's Alzheimer Patient's Fatal Fall At Woodland Hills Retirement Community, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 16, 2011

Three Workers Arrested for California Nursing Home Sexual Abuse, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 4, 2011

Last month, our Anaheim personal injury law firm reported on the March 31 beating at the Dodger Stadium parking that left San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow with brain injuries and other serious injuries. Now, his family is suing the Dodgers, its owner Frank McCourt, a number of McCourt and Dodger entities, and the unnamed assailants for Los Angeles personal injury.

Stow had just attended the Dodgers home opening game against his team when he was attacked in the parking lot. The 42-year-old was wearing a Giants shirt at the time. Sunday, 31-year-old Giovanni Ramirez was arrested as a suspect in the attack. Stow, who is still in critical condition, was transported back to Northern California last week.

According to the Los Angeles personal injury complaint, even during the game Stow and his friends were harassed by Dodgers fans, who assaulted them with wrappers, peanuts, and hotdogs. The plaintiffs contend that inadequate security and poor lighting made the environment ripe for crimes to take place. (Since the attack on Stow, temporary lights have been added to the parking lot.) The Los Angeles premises liability lawsuit also blames McCourts "lavish lifestyle" for why security staff had been reduced at the stadium. Other causes of action cited in the civil lawsuit include negligence, negligent supervision, hiring, and retention, negligent infliction of emotional distress, loss of consortium, false imprisonment, and assault and battery.

California Premises Liability
Stadiums and other public venues are responsible to ensure that there is adequate security, sufficient lighting, and no hazards on the premise that could cause or allow injury or death to occur. Places that host large crowds can be settings for sexual assault, physical assault, robberies, or other crimes if the proper safety and security measures are not implemented. Property owners can be held liable for California premises liability or wrongful death.

Read the complaint (Pdf)

Family of beaten Giants fan sues Dodgers for parking-lot attack, CNN, May 24, 2011

Giovanni Ramirez held on $1 million bail, ESPN, May 23, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Los Angeles Dodgers

Inadequate Security, Justia

More Blog Posts:
Giants Fan Beaten At Dodger Stadium Placed in Medically Induced Coma, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 23, 2011

Dodgers Settle Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit with Fan Who Broke His Neck During Baseball Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 23, 2011

Man Stabbed to Death at Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel on New Year's Day, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 7, 2011

More than one month after falling into a broken-down fire pit at the Huntington City Beach, 6-year-old Seth Richardson is still at the surgical intensive-care unit at UCI's Regional Burn Center in Orange, California for treatment of the second- and third-degree burn injuries that he sustained on April 17. His family believes that the Huntington Beach injury accident wouldn't have happened if the city and the state of California had properly maintained the pit, which had one side that was completely missing and crumbled down to sand level.

Seth's father, Jason Richardson, says that they didn't even see the pit, which the boy fell backwards into while flying a kite. The burn injuries are from the small fire that was still lit in the pit. Jason also notes that there were no warning signs instructing beachgoers on how to properly extinguish a pit fire. According to the city, while the fire pits are cleaned out nightly, there is no staff available to supervise them during the day.

Seth is not the first person to get hurt in a fire pit. In 2009, a two-year-old sustained burn injuries after climbing into a fire pit that--per their Huntington Beach personal injury claim--was "almost totally submerged in the sand." 13-year-old Autumn Williams also sustained burn injuries when she tried to rescue him. That same year, another minor, 11-year-old Chad Kanow, sustained serious injuries during a Huntington Beach trip and fall accident into a fire pit that was "obscured with sand." The families of the three children are seeking Orange County, California burn injury damages.

Huntington Beach spokesperson Laurie Frymire says that broken pits do get replaced.

Beach fire pits can also be found in San Clemente, Newport Beach, Bolsa Chica, and Aliso Beach. The pits are a big draw for beachgoers that like to have barbecues. That said, it is important that fire pits are properly maintained and set up in the way so that no one can easily fall into them. Fires must be completely extinguished so that no one gets hurt.

Family: H.B. responsible for 6-year-old burned in fire pit, The OC Register, May 3, 2011

Pro golfer visits burned 6-year-old, The Press-Enterprise, April 28, 2011

Huntington Beach Personal Injury Claim Seeks Over $500,000 for 11-Year-Old's Burn Injuries from Trip and Fall Accident into Fire Pit, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 17, 2010

Related Web Resources:
City of Huntington Beach, California

Safety Tips for Fire Pits, About.com

More Blog Posts:
Huntington Beach Wrongful Death: Family Blames City for Men's Fatal Drownings, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 6, 2011

Man Stabbed to Death at Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel on New Year's Day, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 7, 2011

Continue reading "6-Year-Old Sustains Orange County, California Burn Injuries After Fall Into Beach Fire Pit" »

The L.A. County supervisors have approved a $4.75M settlement with two Anaheim residents who were injured in a car crash involving sheriff's detective Robert Andrew Moran. The 42-year-old Buena Park man was on-duty in Stanton on June 29, 2008 when witnesses say he ran a red light and struck the Mazda sedan that Elias Aldana and Savanah Kirifi were riding. Moran's blood-alcohol level was over .08%.

Aldana, 33, sustained a traumatic brain injury, rib fractures, a torn shoulder, pelvic fractures, and other soft tissue injuries. He also had to undergo a splenectomy. Aldana has over $2.1 million in medical bills. Kirifi, 20, sustained minor injuries in Los Angeles County car accident.

Moran pleaded no contest to misdemeanor driving under the influence in September 2009. He was sentenced to six months home confinement and three years of informal probation. The Sheriff's Department veteran was placed on leave. He is now a patrol deputy. Too many people are killed or seriously injured because someone else was driving drunk. In 2009, about 10,839 people died in drunk driving accidents. That's one death approximately every 50 minutes.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is negligent driving. An experienced Los Angeles personal injury law firm can help prove that the other driver caused the traffic crash that resulted in your injuries or your loved one's death. In California, you have two years to sue for Los Angeles personal injury. Obtaining injury recovery can help you cover medical bills, lost wages, and financially compensate you for your pain and suffering.

LA County Settles Suit for $4.75 Million With Victims of '08 Crash Caused by Drunk Deputy Who OC Deputies Tried to Protect From DUI Test, OC Weekly, May 18, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

The Century Council

More Blog Posts:
Woman Charged in Fatal Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Was Drunk and Texting, Say Authorities, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 16, 2011

Sentenced to Prison Over Yorba Linda Car Crash that Killed Two Sister, Anaheim Woman Awaits Orange County, California Wrongful Death Trial, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 14, 2011

In January, our Newport Beach personal injury law firm reported on a 10-car crash that killed three people and injured three others on the Coast Highway. At the time, police said they believed that 27-year-old Julie Allen had been speeding at over 90 mph when her car went into the lane of opposing traffic, striking several vehicles, including a motorcycle, as it went airborne. Authorities were trying to figure out if Allen, who suffered from mental health issues, was medicated when the Newport Beach car crash accident happened.

Allen died from her injuries, as did Laguna Niguel resident Christopher De La Cruz and his mother, Santa Ana resident Linda Burnett. Four months after the catastrophic crash, the Orange County Register reports that police are still waiting to receive a final toxicology report. They do not, however, believe she was on alcohol or drugs.

If medication did, in fact, play a role in causing the accident or if Allen acted in negligent ways that resulted in the collision, her estate could be held liable for Newport Beach wrongful death or personal injury. For example, if she knew that taking the drug would render her too drowsy to drive safely, then the other victims or their families may have a case against her. There also could be other liable parties, such as a doctor (if he /she prescribed the medication but failed to warn of side effects). Or, if unintended acceleration is what caused Allen's car to accelerate out of control, then there also may be reason for a California auto products liability complaint.

Driving while Medicated
There are certain medications that you shouldn't take when you have to drive. Blurred vision, grogginess, slowed movement, dizziness, nausea, and difficulties focusing or paying attention are usually some of the side effects associated with these types of medications. A person that disregards these reactions and decides to get in the driver's seat can be a very dangerous motorist for others to encounter on the road.

Prescription drugs and stuck accelerator emerge as two possibilities in fatal Newport Beach crash, Los Angeles Times, January 18, 2011

Tests still not completed in deadly 10-car NB Crash, OC Register, May 17, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Driving when you are taking medications, NHTSA

Driving Under the Influence - Prescription Drugs the Drowsy Factor

More Blog Posts:
Police Investigating Whether Newport Beach Car Accident Involving 10 Vehicles Was Caused by Stuck Accelerator Pedal, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 18, 2011

Four Dead, Two Hurt in La Habra Pickup Truck Crash, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 19, 2011

Woman Charged in Fatal Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Was Drunk and Texting, Say Authorities, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 16, 2011

Continue reading "Was Driver Accused of Causing Newport Beach 10-Vehicle Crash that Killed 3 and Injured 3 On Medication? " »

The US Food and Drug Administration recently turned down an application by Merck to approve Gardasil as a vaccine against the human papillomavirus for women 27 and older. The FDA says it wants the pharmaceutical company to include a statement on its vaccine label noting that the drug isn't proven to prevent HPV-linked complication in women over 26.

Gardasil protects against the four HPV strains that are most likely to cause genital warts and cervical cancer. It also is supposed to cancers of the vagina and vulva, as well as anal cancer in both sexes. In 2006, the drug was approved for use by females, ages 9 to 26. In 2009, the vaccine was approved for males in the same age range. That said, our Anaheim products liability lawyers would like you to be aware that serious side effects can result from using this vaccine.

Since 2006, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System has received over 15,000 reports of adverse effects, including at least 44 deaths.

Other possible Gardasil side effects:
• Seizures
• Optic lesions
• Spontaneous abortion
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Paralysis
• Convulsions
• Anaphylactic shock
• Coma
• Blood clots
• Miscarriage

Merck has taken aggressive steps to market the drugs so that parents would make sure their daughters receive the Gardasil vaccine. Yet some of the health complications reported have occurred to young girls and teenagers.

Our Anaheim personal injury law firm represents clients who suffered health complication from taking Gardasil and other vaccines and medications. Drug makers should be held liable for drugs that prove dangerous for use. They also can be held responsible for failing to warn of side effects.

FDA: Gardasil not effective in women 27 or older, Consumer Reports, April 8, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Gardasil

Reports of Health Concerns Following HPV Vaccination, CDC

Human papillomaviruses and Cancer, National Cancer Institute

Food and Drug Administration

More Blog Posts:
$2M Accutane Lawsuit Awarded to Woman Who Developed Ulcerative Colitis, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 3, 2011

Botox Lawsuit: Allergan Ordered by Jury to Pay $212M Verdict to Man Who Suffered Brain Damage After Taking Drug to Treat Hand Cramps, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 30, 2011

US Supreme Court Takes on Dangerous Drug Lawsuits Over Warnings on Generic Labels, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 14, 2010

Continue reading "FDA Turns Down Merck's Bid To Get Gardasil Approved as an HPV Vaccine for Women 27 and Older" »

18 months after recalling approximately 1 million Maclaren Strollers because their hinge mechanism poses a laceration and fingertip amputation risk to children, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is reissuing the recall. The CPSC and Maclaren USA had made the 2009 announcement following 15 injury reports involving kids putting their finger in the mechanism, resulting in 12 fingertip amputations.

Since then, however, the CPSC says there have been another 37 reports of injuries, including 16 fingertip entrapments, 5 amputations, and 16 lacerations. That's about 149 reported incidents involving the strollers. If your child was one of those injured in the Orange County, California area, you should contact our Anaheim products liability law firm right away.

The recalled strollers, which include both double and single umbrella strollers, were sold between 1999 and November 2009. Newer strollers now come with a different hinge mechanism. Maclaren will provide consumers with a repair kit.

Fingertip Amputation
Fingertip amputation is very painful and traumatic for anyone--especially a young child. Loss of motion and loss of feeling can result. Meantime, repairing the injury might require use of skin grafts or skin flaps. In some instances, doctors may not be able to reattach a fingertip.

Surprisingly, fingertip amputations make up 2/3rds of child hand injuries in this country. It is important, then, that manufacturers don't make any products that carry this type of injury risk. Yet it was just in January 2010 that Graco recalled 1.5 million strollers because their canopy hinge mechanism posed similar injury hazards as the mechanism on the Maclaren strollers.

US reissues 2009 Maclaren stroller recall, AP/MSNBC, May 12, 2011

Graco Stroller Recall: 1.5 Million Strollers Called Back, ABC News, January 20, 2010

Maclaren USA Recalls to Repair Strollers Following Fingertip Amputation, CPSC, November 9, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Maclaren

Graco

CPSC

More Blog Posts:
Will NHTSA's New Child Safety Seat Guidelines Save Lives During Orange County, California Car Crashes?, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 24, 2011

Preventing Anaheim Child Injuries and Deaths: Drop-Side Cribs Banned by CPSC, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 21, 2010

90,000 Bassettbaby Drop-Side Cribs Recalled to Prevent Child Injuries, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 23, 2010

Continue reading "Another 37 Injuries Prompt CPSC To Reissue Maclaren Stroller Recall" »

If you are someone who has been injured in an Orange County, California truck accident, you will soon discover that trying to determine who should be held liable can be a daunting and difficult process. This is not the type of California personal injury case that you want to tackle without legal representation. Not only will you want to work with an experienced Anaheim truck crash law firm that knows how to prove you are owed damages, but you will also want to work with injury attorneys that know how to pursue compensation from all liable parties.

For example, plaintiff Laurentina Venegas-Pacheco recently filed a California tractor-trailer lawsuit blaming trucker Joaquin Morales, J. Morales Trucking, the state of California, and Santa Barbara County for the wrongful deaths of three people. The complaint stems from a tragic runaway truck crash on Highway 154 last August.

Trucker Joaquin Morales was driving the semi-truck that crashed into a tiny home at the bottom of the highway, killing three people who were inside: Lorena Tellez Pacheco, Leon Leonel, and Jaciel Tellez, 8. In her California wrongful death lawsuit, Laurentina Venegas-Pacheco says that numerous vehicle code violations should have prevented the two trailers being on the road. The complaint also notes that Morales has been cited for 17 infractions over the last decade, including speeding, bad tire tread, spilled loads, and another crash where he lost control of a big rig and struck a "fixed object." Meantime, Morales, who is charged with felony vehicular manslaughter, maintains that the truck accident occurred because of the highway's "dangerous condition, which was a result of the road's design, construction, repair, and maintenance.

California Truck Crash Cases
Many trucking companies will try to get you to settle your case right away. Yet unless you have someone assess the extent of your injuries and the related costs and losses, how can you possibly know how much you are owed? Agreeing to settle without first exploring your options could prevent you from receiving all the compensation you are entitled to receive.

Man Charged in Fatal 154 Truck Accident, Independent.com, March 9, 2011

Community grieves for family killed in tragic crash, KSBY, August 27, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The families of 20-year-old Shao Moua and 24-year-old Johnshua Lee have filed a Huntington Beach wrongful death claim against the city. The two men died on August 28, 2010 after they were knocked down by a rip current.

Lee, Moua, and two others had gone swimming near Tower 3 that afternoon when they started to struggle against the rough currents. Lifeguards in Tower 0 saw that they were in trouble and went to rescue them. One person was able to get to shore and the lifeguards brought back a second swimmer. Rescuers then spent a few hours unsuccessfully searching for Moua and Lee.

Moua's body was recovered at Bolsa Chica State Beach on September 4. Lee's body was found in the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station's harbor a few days later.

According to loved ones, Lee and Moua died because there weren't enough lifeguards present on the beach that day. They also contend that the city of Huntington Beach was failed to warn swimmers that the waters were potentially dangerous and have been negligent in training its staff.

With the weather getting warmer more people will inevitably hit the waters, whether in a pool, hot tub or at the beach. It is important that those responsible for supervising swimmers and others ensure that they do everything to decrease the chances of Orange County, California drowning accidents. The reasons cited in the families' claim are among the common causes of drownings. An injury claim is a precursor to a Huntington Beach wrongful death lawsuit.

Claim: H.B. to blame after 2 men drowned at beach, OC Register, May 4, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Unintentional Drowning: Fact Sheet, CDC

Rip Current Rescue Huntington Beach Lifeguard Rescue Video, Beach California.com

More Blog Posts:
Huntington Beach Trip and Fall Accident Has Couple Suing the City for $500,000, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 21, 2011

18-Year-Old Girl Seeking Huntington Beach Injury Compensation After She is Struck by Lifeguard Truck, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 28, 2010

Orange County, California Pool Drowning: 6-Year-Old Recovering From Placentia Accident, California Injury Lawyers Blog, July 3, 2009

The LA County Board of Supervisors and Ramiro Polanco have settled his Los Angeles personal injury lawsuit for $207,000. The 38-year-old main sustained a permanent traumatic brain injury after jumping out of a hospital window. At the time, Polanco was a psychiatric patient.

He fell three stories on September 17, 2008 while at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. According to his Los Angeles TBI lawsuit and hospital malpractice case, the nursing staff at the Sylmar hospital did not adequately supervise him.

Polanco's Los Angeles injury lawyer says that his client, who had just had a schizophrenic episode and should have been constantly watched, had made previous attempts to break the glass window with a chair. He contends that nurses did not prevent him from jumping. A nursing attendant employed by Los Angeles County even wrote down that Polanco had tried to escape before he got out threw the window.

As a result of his Los Angeles traumatic brain injury, Polanco will require round-the-clock care. Following the incident, county officals made the windows "psychiatric safe" and conducted training with nurses regarding how to asses patient behavior.

Health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes and other medical facilities must ensure that they provide adequate supervision and properly monitor patients. This means that make sure that patients--especially those who are mentally ill--don't do anything to hurt themselves or others.

Other examples of how a patient might get hurt when not properly supervised:
• Choking accidents
• Wandering or elopement
• Slip and fall accidents
• Nursing home abuse
• Physical or sexual assault

If the medical facility or nursing home did not but could (and should) have acted to prevent your Los Angeles personal injury, you may be able to file a claim or lawsuit.

LA County to pay $207,000 to injured psych patient, Mercury News, April 19, 2011

Read the Los Angeles County Claims Board's Recommendation (PDF)

Related Web Resource:
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

More Blog Posts:
Los Angeles Elder Abuse and Neglect Alleged in 89-Year-Old's Alzheimer Patient's Fatal Fall At Woodland Hills Retirement Community, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 16, 2011

Los Angeles County Nursing Home Negligence?: Santa Monica Assisted Living Facility Fined $100,000 After Resident's Choking Death, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 23, 2011

San Bernardino County Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Blames Assisted Living Facility for Patient's California Wrongful Death by Suicide, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 10, 2010

A jury has awarded $2 million to a woman who says that taking Accutane caused her to develop ulcerative colitis. Gillian Gaghan says that the acne medication left her without bowel control at night and also caused her to develop lupus-like symptoms.

More than 16 million people use Accutane, which is from the pharmaceutical company Roche. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug to treat serious acne in the early 1980's. However, since then, hundreds of people have come forward to file Accutane lawsuits claiming that the medication has caused bowel problems and other serious health issues. They contend that they were not warned of the side effects. Roche has had to pay over $56 million in jury awards so far.

Although Roche maintains that the drug is safe, it pulled the drug in 2009. Accutane has since been discontinued. However, its generic, isotretinoin, is still available. It is also still prescribed under a number of other names, including Raccutane, Ratane, Amnesteem, Decutan, Claravis, Sotret, and Istane.

Possible Serious Accutane Side Effects:
• Crohn's disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

Unfortunately, the same jury that awarded Gaghan her dangerous drug compensation declined to do the same for two other plaintiffs involved in this trial. They found that plaintiff James Marshall had a pre-existing medical condition and that the drug manufacturer's failure to warn of side effects did not play a role in plaintiff Kelly Andrews' decision to take Accutane.

When serious side effects occur because a drug proved dangerous for use and/or the manufacturer did not warn about the risks that could result from taking the medication, the pharmaceutical company can be held liable for California products liability.

Accutane Trial Ends With $2 Million Verdict for One Plaintiff, News Inferno, April 26, 2011

Roche Drug Trial Witness Dennehy Says Actor's Loss a 'Tragedy', Bloomberg, March 11, 2011

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Darvon and Darvocet Recalled After Study Links Active Ingredient to Serious Heart Rhythm Abnormalities, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 24, 2010

a, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 21, 2009