Accident Attorneys' Group

Personal Injury Lawyers of CA

Dec
17

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2 killed when LA cruiser crashes into car, officer injured

Category: Auto Accident Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Two people were killed Saturday when the SUV they were riding in was struck by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s patrol car in Palmdale, Calif.

Sara Paynter, 20, of Van Nuys and Robert Delgadillo, 31, of Palmdale were the two victims in the accident according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The driver of the SUV sustained minor injuries, and the sheriff’s deputy was taken to the hospital and suffered moderate injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred at the corner of Avenue R and 17th Street about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The victims’ 1994 Ford Explorer was traveling eastbound on Avenue R and the sheriff’s patrol car was heading northbound on 17th Street, authorities said

“For unknown reasons” the SUV entered the intersection “directly in front of” the patrol car, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol. The patrol car “hit the SUV and caused it to spin out, ejecting the two passengers into the roadway, the statement said.

According to Lt. Ken Wright of the sheriff’s Palmdale station, the speed of the vehicles involved was not immediately known, but did say the deputy was responding to a nearby call.

Multiple media outlets have reported that the deputy’s vehicle did not have its lights and sirens on at the time of the crash, but Wright said he was unfamiliar with the investigation and not able to comment about that.

Investigators told reporters at the scene that they have conflicting witness statements on whether the SUV had stopped at a stop sign and fast the deputy was going at the time of the incident.

The accident is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Wright said.

If you need a car accident lawyer call The Accident Attorneys Group at 877-857-7720.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Jun
11

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Stranger Saves Two Children’s Lives

Category: Personal Injury Tags: , , , ,

Collins Lake, Spring 2004

Collins Lake, Spring 2004 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the weekend, a woman was vital in the rescue of two children at Collins Lake, California. More interesting is that she had no affiliation with them prior to the incidences.

Lori Carpenter is from Yuba City, California. She and her husband were at the lake this weekend, enjoying the break. He was in the water and rushed to his wife after he had seen a child in danger.

David Cole remembers the event and recalls how he ran out of the water and yelled, “Lori, Lori, Lori go help that girl!” There was a crowd around a young child who had evidently struggled in the water. Carpenter pushed though and then administered CPR to the three year old girl.

Once she was revived, the family crowded around the toddler and Carpenter edged away from the scene. No one involved had learned her name or had even be able to properly thank her as she escaped so quickly.

As if that was not enough, Carpenter rushed to assist once more with another kid. 45 minutes she saved the three year old, she was attempting to save a thirteen year old girl. According to Carpenter, the teenager was unresponsive for several minutes and had a weak pulse.

She was yelling the girl’s name and splashing water on her face for bit and then she had finally come around. Once again, Carpenter left the scene as the child was embraced by her friends and family.

Carpenter’s identity was revealed by her proud parents. She explains how she is just “a regular person who knew what to do at the right moment.” Indeed she did; she had just completed her CPR class three days before the accidents.

Friends, family, and those who were present for her saving lives all call her a hero and an angel.

The two children were quite fortunate to have a woman like Lori Carpenter around after their accidents. Not all situations turn out this way, though. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, contact a Los Angeles Injury Attorney today to receive assistance with identifying negligence, filing claims; and to receive the highest possible compensation for the damages that you have suffered, including punitive damages in the event of a fatality.

Jun
10

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All Elderly Passengers Escape Limo Fire

Category: Auto Accident, Blog, Car Accident Tags: , , , , ,

English: Lincoln Town Car Limousine

English: Lincoln Town Car Limousine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Sunday morning, in Walnut Creek, California, ten women successfully evacuated a limousine after it had caught fire. This accident occurred just a little over a month after the limousine fire that claimed the lives of five female nurses in the San Francisco Bay area.

Many of the women who escaped the flames were in their 90s. According to the report, they were all traveling to Sonoma to celebrate a friend’s 96th birthday.

According to the passengers’ statements, the driver told the women to exit the vehicle and the first ones out assisted the others who could not move as quickly. They were dependent on canes and walkers. Once they were all outside of limo, the passengers smelled smoke and seconds later, the flames erupted.

Fire crews arrived around 11:35 a.m. and were able to quickly extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is still being investigated; however, the car’s electrical system is a likely cause at this point. The owner, Claudius Oliveira explains how the car is new, is maintained, and has been inspected; so the issue is the fault of the manufacturer.

The actual cause of the fire will not be immediately known, but the fact that they all were able to leave the vehicle without any injury is amazing. Many times, such as the one at the beginning of May, passengers are not as lucky.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident, contact an Orange County-based Accident Attorney today. A lawyer can assist you in identifying negligence, filing claims, and can ensure that you receive the highest possible compensation for the damages that you have suffered.

Jun
7

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Federal Plan to Decrease Distracted Driving

Category: Auto Accident, Auto Safety, Safety Tips Tags: , , , , ,

Distracted driving

Distracted driving (Photo credits: www.smartsign.com)

Texting while driving is illegal in California, as well as other states; however, people are continuing to fiddle with their phones while stopped at a red light or worse, while in motion. The federal government has a plan to eliminate the distraction to increase general safety for drivers, but it will take a really great technology development and time.

More than 3,000 people are killed each in year in America from distracted drivers. That accounts for about ten percent of the fatalities caused by vehicular collisions. Though states can pass laws and police officers can issue tickets, there is no way to ensure that drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road; but the government is working hard to get there.

The ultimate solution would be to make it impossible to send a text message or update social media while driving. The government is working with automobile manufacturers to create a technological obstruction, one that would deactivate the mobile device upon attempted usage in a car. The vehicle would sense the driver attempting to text or browse Facebook and would immediately shut it down. Though this idea seems outlandish and maybe impossible to some critics, advances thus far in the technology world have already proven that so many ideas can realistically be executed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has made a proposition that outlines its ideas for restricting distracted driving. The key objective is to limit the amount of time a driver removes his/her hands from the wheel or his/her eyes from the road. The Administration wants car manufacturers to make it impossible to enter text for messaging and browsing while the car is in motion; and to disable video and social media content from being displayed.

A large issue that the NHTSA will face is that the change will require full participation from drivers; and if the pairing is not done easily, then drivers will opt out of it and continue to use their handhelds illegally. This is why it is looking for an innovative technological idea that will embed it within the car requiring compliance beyond being aware of it at the time of purchase.

This change may be inconvenient for some drivers; however, it could also save thousands of lives each year. Though distractions come in more forms than cell phones, it is likely that removing this specific diversion will reduce the amount of accidents that occur in the country.

Accidents are an unfortunate part of our lives. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, whether it was caused by a distracted driver or something else; contact an Orange County Accident Attorney today. A lawyer can assist you in identifying negligence, filing claims; and can ensure that you receive the highest possible compensation for the damages that you have suffered, including punitive damages in the event of a fatality.

May
31

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Dog Crashes Truck into House

Category: Auto Accident, Blog, Car Accident Tags: , , , , , ,

Just Two Dogs in a Car

Just Two Dogs in a Car (Photo credit: jeckman)

Redding, California experienced something new on Wednesday afternoon: a dog accelerated a truck into a house.

The dog was seated in the front seat of the truck originally. Apparently he felt the need to use the bathroom, and could not wait for his driver to stop. He began his business on the center consul but his foot slipped. The dog then fell down near the driver’s feet and he pushed down on the accelerator.

The driver attempted to halt the vehicle but he failed, and the truck smashed into a house.

According to a neighbor, the driver claimed that he had the brake pedal all the way to the floor, but could not stop.

No one in the house or the truck was injured. The same neighbor explains that the boys were out of the house at the time, which is fortunate because they may have been at risk for injuries.

The neighborhood seems to understand that it was an accident and are just all thankful that no one was hurt.

The accident occurred at Bobwhite Way and Partridge Drive around 2 p.m.

This crash seems humorous because it was caused by a dog, but accidents like this can lead to much more serious consequences. Vehicular collisions are destructive enough, but having one go through a house can damage much more than property. Thankfully in this instance, there were no fatalities or injuries.

If you or someone you know has been in a collision, whether it was caused by dog or human, contact a northern California accident lawyer today.

May
21

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Settlement with Edison for 2007 Malibu Fires Totaling $37 Million

Category: Blog, Negligence, News Tags: , , , , ,

Malibu Fires

Malibu Fires (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 2007, Malibu was among the Southern California cities that experienced the destructive wildfire; and now the city is receiving some compensation from a negligent party. Southern California Edison has agreed to pay $37 million to the state and city to repair the damages that its mistake caused.

According to the settlement agreement, Edison admits blame because it did not take “prompt action to prevent telecommunications company NextG from attaching fiber optic cable to joint poles in Malibu Canyon” after learning the dangers of doing nothing. This caused the poles to exceed state-mandated safety limits for weight.

The overweight pole was one of the three that failed by snapping and starting the fire. The fire then spread across the canyon, burning over 3,800 acres in October.

The case originally asked for $49 million, but the plaintiffs are happy with the outcome still. The settlement equaled 75 percent of the asking amount and will be sufficient in use of reparations. Edison will pay $20 million to the State of California’s General Fund and $17 million will fund pole loading assessments and resulting remediation work in Malibu.

This is great news for Los Angeles County and the state of California. The wild fires destroyed a lot of land and structures in 2007, and this money will aid greatly in the restoration of the area.

Losing property from a fire can be terribly traumatic and then very confusing. It is difficult to know what to do next and how to file paperwork correctly to ensure that everything is recovered. For property damage, accidents, injuries, etc. having an attorney is incredibly helpful. Contact an accident lawyer today to get the support that you need for your case.

May
16

By

Bicyclist Killed in Vehicle Collision

Category: Auto Accident, Bicycle Accident, Blog, Car Accident, News, Wrongful Death Tags: , , , , , ,

REGULAR POLICE PATROLS HELP KEEP DOWN THE NUMB...

REGULAR POLICE PATROLS HELP KEEP DOWN THE NUMBER OF BICYCLE THEFTS ON NICOLLET MALL – NARA – 551464 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Late last night in Florence, California, a bicyclist was killed by a motorist. The driver of the vehicle was fleeing from the police due to his involvement in a shooting that took place moments before.

The victim’s identity is unknown at this moment, but he was described by authorities as a Hispanic male aged 30 to 40 years old.

The driver, whose identity has not been revealed yet either, was being chased by the cops after a shooting that occurred around East 84th Street and South Avalon Boulevard. Apparently, there was a dispute between the driver and his girlfriend and the man fired three shots into her car.

The police found him driving and followed him with cruisers and a helicopter. Once he reached East 84th Street and South Central Avenue, his dangerous driving killed the cyclist.

The driver dragged the victim across the street and then attempted to run once more. The police caught up to him and took him into custody. They are still searching for the gun that was used in the initial shooting.

Accidents are a tragic part of our lives as drivers and as cyclists. Thankfully the police was able to arrest the criminal in this instance, because many times drivers get away with it. If you are the victim of a car accident or a bicycle accident, contact the Accident Attorneys’ Group. We can help you file the correct claims, refer you to medical assistance, and award to you the highest compensation possible for your suffering.

May
2

By

Wildfire in California Could Still Worsen

Category: Blog, News Tags: , , , , , , ,

Wildfire

Wildfire (Photo credit: agrilifetoday)

In the San Bernardino foothills, the small town of Banning is currently experiencing an intense wildfire. Though firefighters were able to calm it yesterday, the future weather conditions may expunge their progress and expand the flames.

Currently the fire rests in a 4 ½ mile area and has only claimed one house. There have been no casualties but hundreds have already evacuated their homes. The fire is moving now toward the neighboring communities of Beaumont and Cherry Valley.

The gentleman who lost his home is 53-year-old Joe Kiener. He has resided in his Banning house since the 1970s, when it was purchased by his mother. His attitude toward his loss is uplifting, though. Because he was evacuated in time, he simply feels that “losing the house is just minimal. We can rebuild.”

Despite its current secure situation, firefighters are fearful of its containment as the wind speed is only going to increase as the week goes on. Wind speed ranges from 30-40 mph and with gusts that strong, the fire becomes unpredictable.

With the heavy wind speeds as well as the dry state of the land in Banning, the fire could continue blazing for a longer time and in more locations. It is unknown what damage this fire will cause, so it is extremely important to remain on guard and alert to evacuation notices.

If you are in need of any legal information regarding your own accidents or property damage, contact an accident attorney today for help.

Apr
25

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Toyota’s Uncontrolled Acceleration Causes Death and Lawsuit against the Manufacturer

Category: Auto Accident, Blog, Car Accident, Wrongful Death Tags: , , , , , , , ,

2007-2009 Toyota Camry photographed in College...

2007-2009 Toyota Camry photographed in College Park, Maryland, USA. Category:Toyota Camry (XV40) Category:Silver Toyota sedans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Sacramento, another driver fell victim to a Camry’s inability to stop; but this time, the consequence was fatal. Mussarat Chaudhary drowned in the Sacramento River after her 2009 Toyota lunged forward into the water.

Toyota’s issues with the uncontrolled acceleration have caused attention, despite the company’s refusal to publicly announce them. This accident was clearly caused by the defect in the model. Chaudhary was on the phone with her daughter as she lost control of her vehicle, crying, “I can’t stop the vehicle, I can’t control the vehicle.” And then it was too late to do anything.

Because of the death of the wife and mother was caused by the company and not the woman herself, Chaudhary’s family is suing Toyota for damages and to create awareness of the manufacturing problem. Previous cases where drivers experienced uncontrolled acceleration have been settled out of court with Toyota, but now having an official lawsuit filed against the company could help prevent future injuries and deaths.

Toyota is currently in the middle of a recall involving Takata airbags in its early-2000 models. Though the fault lies with the airbag manufacturer, Toyota is receiving a large amount of negative attention. The negative attention stems from cases like Chaudhary’s and is really causing doubts for current and future Toyota owners.

Accidents like this are tragic and uncontrollable. Knowing what to do after experiencing a serious accident is often confusing, but vital. Contact a car accident lawyer today.

Apr
24

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Los Angeles Residents Mistakenly Shot during Dorner Manhunt Receive $4.2 Million from the City

Category: Blog, News Tags: , , , , , ,

The famous "black and white" LAPD po...

The famous “black and white” LAPD police cruiser (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Margie Carranza and her mother Emma Hernandez were in the midst of their newspaper deliveries on February 7, 2013 when Los Angeles police officers fired around one-hundred shots at their truck. The ladies were driving a blue Toyota pickup that was mistaken for Chris Dorner’s grey Nissan truck. During the shootout, Hernandez was shot in the back and Carranza suffered injuries from the broken glass.

Chris Dorner became the target of one of Los Angeles’s largest manhunts after killing former LAPD Captain Randal Quan’s daughter, Monica and her fiancé Keith Lawrence, a campus police officer in a parking garage.

By the end of Dorner’s reign, he had killed one civilian, killed two police officers and wounded three, kidnapped two people, and then killed himself.

Chris Dorner had written out a manifesto on his social media sites that exposed his plans. He wrote who he was to kill and why. Dorner felt that his termination from the LAPD was erroneous and everyone involved was now at risk. Given his naval and LAPD background, he was someone to approach cautiously.

Police officers followed him up to house in Angelus Oaks, California where the final standoff was held. In the action, Dorner killed a police officer and himself, and the house was burned down in an effort to force him out.

After he killed Quan and Lawrence, LAPD and then the additional officers from San Bernardino County worked hard to end the terror as quickly as they could, and because of that, mistakes occurred. The desire to stop the panic turned into action being stronger than planning.

The women have been awarded a $4.2 settlement from Los Angeles on top of the $40,000 received for car reparations after the incident. Carranza and her mother are splitting the settlement, each receiving $2.1 million.

For any legal matters, contact an accident attorney today.

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