San Diego Accident Blog

CHP Helps Prius Avoid Unintended Acceleration Crash

jake — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:09:01 +0000

San Diego cannot seem to purge itself of scary unintended acceleration incidents.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune, a Jacumba Toyota Prius driver almost ended up crashing his car after the vehicle’s gas pedal became stuck and had to call the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for assistance. Thankfully, no catastrophic injuries came from this incident because the CHP officers were able to guide the driver to a safe speed and finally stop his runaway car.

This 2008 Toyota Prius became a runaway vehicle on San Diego roads due to unintended accelearation. (Source: Sign On San Diego)

Our firm’s Jacumba accident attorneys have been following Toyota’s unintended acceleration problem and subsequent recalls since four wrongful deaths in Santee were attributed to the Toyota liability issue last summer. Could the Prius model be infected with the same design defect?

James Sikes was traveling along Interstate-8 in his blue 2008 Prius and he decided to pass an approaching call. After he pushed the accelerator it never retracted. Sikes’ car began speeding at a dangerous rate for the next 30 miles — at one point reaching 94 mph — forcing Sikes to dial 9-1-1 for help.

CHP officers were dispatched and drove along side Sikes, giving him instructions via megaphone on how to slow his car down. Time was ticking down, however, as Sikes was approaching a steep incline in the road that could be fatal at his speed. Before that happened, the CHP officers walked Sikes through the process of going into neutral, pressing the emergency and regular brakes at the same time, and turning the engine off when the speed dropped below 50 mph.

Sikes claimed he was putting all of his weight on the brake to the point where he could smell them burning up. Toyota said that they are aware of the incident and have sent a representative out to San Diego to investigate the problem.

Recently, Toyota issued a recall over the braking system in the Prius, not on the issue of potential unintended acceleration. In fact, Sikes said that he brought in his car after receiving a notice concerning the recall, but was told by the Toyota of El Cajon dealership that he didn’t need to have his car take part in the recall.

Our car accident lawyers are concerned about another scare with a Toyota with unintended acceleration problems. What good is a car insurance policy if your car is potentially dangerous? If Toyota finds out any more information on this problem, hopefully a solution is found sooner rather than later.

If you or a loved one have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, then we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible at 1-800-655-6585 or please click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in San Diego. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.

If you own a Toyota and have more questions or need more information, contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center.

CHP Helps Prius Avoid Unintended Acceleration Crash is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

California Going After Outstanding DUI Warrants

jake — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:32:19 +0000

According to the Statewide Traffic Records System, 217,000 driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) arrests were made, but 790 people were killed in drunk-driving accidents on California roads in 2008.

Did all of these individuals who were arrest for being intoxicated behind the wheel show up to court? No.

The solution? A statewide crack down on all individuals in California who have outstanding drunk-driving arrest warrants in their name, yet have failed to show up for their court date.

Our firm’s San Diego car accident lawyers are concerned about one of California’s biggest problems on the road: drinking and driving. It leads to numerous wrongful deaths each and every and needs to be stopped — not some time in the future, but now. That is what this crack down is all about, to make sure teen drivers, adult drivers, and elderly drivers who have all been arrested for DUI show up in court.

“The people who are wanted made the poor choice to drink and drive and were arrested for DUI,” California Highway Patrol (CHP) Commissioner Joe Farrow said a statement. “Afterward, they ignored court orders, failing to appear and refusing to pay the imposed fine and address other court sanctions.”

A federal grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety of $311,568 has been awarded to the CHP and dubbed the “DUI Warrant Service Project.” From the beginning of March to the end of September, 2010, over 6,000 warrants are expected to be served up and down the Golden State, including here in San Diego.

But this isn’t only an effort in enforcing the law, it is set an example for all other reckless drivers out on the road that you cannot get away with a drunk-driving arrest and that DUI accidents can and should be prevented. Farrow added that those California residents with outstanding warrants can turn themselves in on their own terms or leave it to CHP to bring them in, possibly at their home or during work.

For the car accident lawyers at our San Diego office, this is something that should be happening all the time. This grant should be a continuous fund that allows police officers and highway patrolmen to not only actively catch violators on the road who drink and drive, but making sure they show up to court. There should be technology that prevents them from start their cars until after they have pleaded their case to a judge and even them, mandatory driver safety education should be implemented.

If you ask us, this outstanding DUI warrant enforcement sweep shouldn’t just be a few months, it should be done all the time.

California Going After Outstanding DUI Warrants is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

Italian Sausage Recalled Due To Product Liability Concerns

jake — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:51 +0000

The Washington Post has reported that a Daniele International has recalled a shipment of Italian sausage that used an imported black pepper believed to have had traces of salmonella in it. 225 in 44 states and the District of Columbia have reported illnesses.

Our firm’s personal injury attorneys in San Diego believe that you should never risk eating a food product that has been recalled because if it is associated with product liability, then that means it is dangerous. Even if you do not eat any of the sausage or salami being recalled, yet keep it in your kitchen and around kids, who is to say that it couldn’t inadvertently cause children’s injuries to your young ones?

No wrongful deaths have been reported from those who have eaten the meat products, but an estimated 26 percent sought medical treatment for themselves after falling ill. In March, 2009 white and black pepper with salmonella was found to be the culprit behind 42 people’s illness, prompting Union International Food of California to initiate a food recall on the pepper.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that 1.2 million pounds of ready-to-eat salami was contaminated with salmonella and recalled by Daniele Internation on January 22, 2010. The Rhode Island company explained the recall on February 4, 2010 to include 23,754 extra pounds of salami products.

The personal injury lawyers at our firm urge you to take place in the recall and to return all products that you believe could be harmful when ingested. Though it is never a good thing to waste food, it is far worse to eat something that might make you very sick.

For more information on the recall and what you can do, call (888) 345-4160 or visit Daniele International’s website and click on the FAQs.

Call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney and find out how we can help you. We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case. There is no fee if no recovery.

Italian Sausage Recalled Due To Product Liability Concerns is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

MTV Reality Star In Coma After Semi-Truck Accident

adio — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:00:14 +0000

Sometimes injuries don’t show up right away after an automobile accident. Whether it’s adrenaline or the aftershock of a car crash, you might not know that you actually have suffered a traumatic brain injury that could kill you.

That’s what happened to MTV reality TV star Erica “Rikki” Mongeon, who was placed in a medically induced coma on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 after getting into a car accident with a semi-truck.

Erica "Rikki" Mongeon (pictured here with her twin sister, Victoria "Vikki") suffered a traumatic brain injury after a semi truck crash. (Source: E! Online)

“She never felt bad, like you would expect,” said a representative for the Mongeons.

Our car accident attorneys in San Diego know that automobile accidents are a possibility whenever you decide to get behind the wheel. You’ll always be vulnerable. The best way you can help yourself is to be prepared. That means putting on your seat belts and making sure your car has working air bags. These are two things that you can check to help be sure you can walk away from a car accident.

Erica and her identical twin sister Victoria “Vikki” Mongeon were passengers in a Volkswagen Jetta when it collided with a semi-truck near Bakersfield, California. Immediately after the semi-truck accident, everyone seemed alright, but Rikki had a bump on her head. No one thought it was that big a deal; Rikki didn’t even feel bad at the time. Just to be safe, though, Rikki went to the hospital. You should never try to diagnose a head or brain injury by yourself because, as it turns out, doctors found out that Rikki had suffered a hematoma (bleeding in her skull) — a dangerous and life-threatening brain injury.

Doctors placed Rikki into a medically-induced coma and were planning to take her out of it this past Friday. Her sister is asking for fans of their reality show A Double Shot at Love to pray for her recovery.

Our car accident lawyers hope that you take heed of what happened to Erica Mongeon. Always get checked out by a doctor after an auto accident. You never know about your injuries until you’ve been checked out by a doctor. In this case, Vikki Mongeon and the driver of the Jetta didn’t suffer any major injuries, but Rikki Mongeon suffered serious head trauma, however, and had to be placed in the coma.

If you were injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault and believe that you deserve compensation, then call our bilingual law offices right away at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced auto accident attorney in San Diego and find out how we can help you. We look forward to providing good advice for your case. There is no cost for your initial consultation, and there are no fees until we recover a fair personal injury settlement.

MTV Reality Star In Coma After Semi-Truck Accident is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

Minnesota T’wolves Center Al Jefferson’s DUI Foul

Kevin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:00:32 +0000

A lot of professional athletes have been caught drinking and driving lately, and our firm’s San Diego auto accident lawyers want harsher DUI penalties. One of those to receive a harsher DUI punishment will Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson. Following a near-disastrous Saturday night in which Jefferson was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI), the Timberwolves suspended their center for two games without pay.

Even Jefferson acknowledged that his decision to drive drunk was poor at best.

“I want to apologize to the entire Timberwolves organization, owner Glen Taylor, my teammates, coaches and Wolves fans everywhere for my actions last night,” the 25-year-old Jefferson said in a statement released by the team. “I made a very poor decision, and I am truly sorry for that.”

Imagine how disappointing this whole situation would be if Jefferson hit someone while being intoxicated at the wheel? After all, drunk driving is one of the top causes of auto accidents. With the threat of wrongful death, luckily Jefferson’s actions didn’t lead to a serious car accident.

: The Minnesota Timberwolves suspended one of their best players, Al Jefferson, for two games after his arrest for suspicion of DWI. (Source: Twolves Blog)

Let’s not forget how seriously the Minnesota Timberwolves are taking this DUI arrest. Al Jefferson is one of the team’s best players — averaging 17.7 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. Minnesota is taking a very tough stance on what our auto accident attorneys believe is an important issue. The Timberwolves deserve our praise.

Of course, Minnesota is very sensitive when it comes to drunk-driving accidents after one of its own was killed by a drunk driver. Timberwolves forward Malik Sealy was killed by a drunken driver in May 2000. Jefferson’s DWI arrest has stirred painful memories in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

“That’s what really makes me feel bad,” Jefferson said. “He was an innocent guy going home and a drunk driver hit him. I couldn’t live with myself if that would have happened, if I would have done something to someone like that.”

“I just kept thinking how it could have been a lot worse than what it was, and I was just thankful for that.”

Jefferson was pulled over on Interstate 394 near downtown Minneapolis by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper, who saw Jefferson speeding and making unsafe lane changes. After a field sobriety test and a blood test at a local hospital, Minnesota’s center was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree driving while impaired. Results of Jefferson’s blood test should be available in two to three weeks, plenty of time before his April 23rd court appearance.

At the very least, Jefferson seems to have a desire for atonement in regards to his drunk-driving mistake.

“I’m willing to do what it takes to prove that I am sorry and set an example for the kids,” Jefferson said.

Our auto accident lawyers in San Diego hope so.

If you were injured and believe that you deserve compensation, then call our bilingual law offices right away at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced auto accident attorney and find out how we can help you. We look forward to providing good advice for your case. There is no fee if no recovery.

Minnesota T’wolves Center Al Jefferson’s DUI Foul is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

Cops Pull Over Paris Hilton For Unsafe Lane Change

jake — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:00:02 +0000

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last decade, you know by now that Paris Hilton is a celebrity who has found herself entangled with the law before, but now she’s venturing into the world of reckless driving.

The hotel heiress was pulled over by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies for making an unsafe lane change and passing several cars while in the bike lane, according to TMZ. Luckily, no car accidents or bicycle accidents were the result of Hilton’s unsafe lane change.

Paris Hilton was cited for "unsafe passing" when she entered the bike land while trying to pass other cars (Source: TMZ)

Our San Diego firm’s auto accident attorneys have seen plenty of cases where unsafe lane changes caused traffic accidents that left motorists with pain and suffering. Not only are you blatantly disregarding others in the lanes around you, but you are putting yourself in a position to receive a catastrophic injury.

By riding in the bike lane on Santa Monica Boulevard, Hilton not only put herself and fellow drivers in direct danger, but she could have hurt a cyclist if they occupied the lane at that time. When cars and bikes collide, usually the person on the bike is dealt a wrongful death that could have been avoided if precautions were taken and laws followed.

Hilton’s black SUV, originally stuck behind slower vehicles, veered into the bike lane and attempted to speed ahead of the other cars. The L.A. Sheriff’s deputy pulled her over, cited Hilton for “unsafe passing”, and let her go free.

Just like DUI accidents are preventable, which our auto accident attorneys in San Diego talk about all the time here on Serious Accidents, incidents like this one here are completely avoidable. There was no need for Hilton to make an unsafe lane change into the path of cyclists, endangering their lives just so she could go a little faster.

Remember, when you drive safe, you get where you need to go. When you drive recklessly, you might not arrive at your destination at all.

Cops Pull Over Paris Hilton For Unsafe Lane Change is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

DUI Arrest Made For California Senator Roy Ashburn

jake — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:00:17 +0000

The laws still apply to drunk-driving senators in California, just ask State Senator Roy Ashburn, who was caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Republican senator was arrested on suspicion of drunk-driving in Sacramento in the early hours of the morning. What’s ironic is that the senator, known for his fierce stance against homosexual equality-rights, was reportedly coming back from a gay bar known as Faces in a state vehicle at the time of his arrest.

: Roy Ashburn, R-Cal state senator, was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving in a state issued vehicle (Source: The Huffington Post)

Our firm’s San Diego car accident lawyers are unhappy that a senator drove drunk. Mr. Ashburn could have caused personal injuries while intoxicated behind the wheel of his state-issued car. Senator Ashburn’s actions could have very well lead to a wrongful death — it is just a lucky occurance that the police pulled him over when they did.

The senator was released on $1,400 bail and scheduled to appear at a press conference the next morning, which Ashburn ended up canceling. He later released a statement, admitting to driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, and apologizing to the public:

“I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me — my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate.”

The Huffington Post reports that there was a male passenger in Ashburn’s vehicle at the time of the DUI arrest and that though the man was not identified, he was not a law maker or business associate of Ashburn. The senator from Southern California has a wife and four children and has been serving in office for the past six years. He is not expected to run for re-election this year.

Our firm’s car accident lawyers in San Diego have no opinion one way or another about Ashburn’s connection to the gay community or his political stance. What we care about is preventing DUI accidents from occurring and that goes for everyone. It does not matter who you are or what you do — if you drink and drive, you are putting yourself and others at risk.

Those who make the laws shouldn’t break the laws.

If you were injured and believe that you deserve compensation, then call our bilingual law offices right away at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney and find out how we can help you. We look forward to providing good advice for your case. There is no fee if no recovery.

DUI Arrest Made For California Senator Roy Ashburn is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

Amid Auto Recalls, Increased NHTSA Funding Proposed

Kevin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:20 +0000

Will more hands on deck prevent further auto recalls and wrongful deaths in automobile accidents?

Our firm’s car accident attorneys in San Diego think so and so does the White House after it asked Congress to increase the number of employees at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the 2011 budget proposal submitted last month.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administation could receive more money and resources to help prevent future automobile accidents caused by auto recall problems like Toyota's unintended acceleration.

Between the Toyota unintended acceleration recall mess and the troubles of America’s Big Three (Ford, Chrysler and General Motors), the NHTSA has come under increased scrutiny this year. Since the NHTSA’s mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce automobile-related crashes, more people on staff means that more car crashes should be prevented in the future.

Under these increases, the NHTSA would receive an additional $4 million to hire 66 new employees, of which eight would be hired as enforcement personnel for auto recalls and safety investigations. With reports that the NHTSA did not press Toyota for a safety recall soon enough, additional auto recall and safety investigators could theoretically prevent future auto accident liabilites and wrongful deaths, such as in the case of off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and his family.

As it stands today, the NHTSA’s budget has been cut significantly over the last decade, when adjusted for inflation. Safety advocates believe that the NHTSA does not have the resources to successfully conduct auto defect complaint investigations. Not a good sign for those Toyota drivers out there, is it?

Most of the NHTSA’s $800 million budget is allocated to grants for anti-drunk driving programs, seatbelt safety programs as well as many similar auto-safety programs. The new budget proposal from the White House also asks for $12 million to improve the New Car Assessment Program Five-Star Safety Rating System to rank new car safety and conduct car crash tests on new vehicles.

According to the Detroit News, the NHTSA has developed a performance test for head-on collisions and unsafe lane change warning and prevention systems, only the NHTSA needs the money to buy the automobiles for its innovative testing system.

With billions of dollars thrown around at a moment’s notice for the financial industry, let’s hope that our government can spare $4-12 million for auto accident prevention. Our San Diego car accident lawyers know that political worries pale in comparison to the problems you could face after a serious car accident.

If you or a loved one have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, then we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible at 1-800-655-6585 or please click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced car accident attorney in San Diego. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.

YOUR TAKE

Do you think that a bigger budget and more hands on deck will help the NHTSA fulfill its mission (saving lives by preventing auto accidents)?

Amid Auto Recalls, Increased NHTSA Funding Proposed is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

Digital Billboards, The Next Big Driver Distraction?

jake — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:15 +0000

“Television on a stick.”

That’s the name that’s being given to the new face of distracted driving: electronic, digitalized billboards. In a report by The New York Times, there is a debate going on about whether these state-of-the-art electronic billboards cause car accidents because they are distracting drivers. Many safety experts say yes, while those who build and advertise these billboards disagree.

Do digital billboards distract drivers more than regular billboards? (Source: NYTimes.com)

For our firm’s San Diego car accident lawyers, anything that takes the driver’s eyes off the road for a second is dangerous and can potentially be the factor behind a wrongful death on the road. In today’s world there are already too many devices calling for the attention of the driver — cellphones, onboard computers, etc. — that driving with this kind of technology is almost as dangerous as driving under the influence (DUI).

Many experts are claiming that having bright lights, vibrant colors, and a message that changes every 6 to 8 seconds puts drivers in the position to not pay attention to the driver in front of them. This means that there is the potential for more catastrophic injuries, fatalities, and devastating accidents to happen out on our highways and roads.

The Virginia Tech Transporation Institute claims in a 2007 study that digital billboards did not affect motorist behavior any more than regular non-electric billboards. The study was rejected for publication the following year by the Transporation Research Board when critics discovered that it had been financed by the billboard industry. Even the project leader was later quoted as saying, “if we don’t study this, and get on top of it right now while the capabilities are expanding, every roadway will be filled with flashing lights and video.”

Still, many in the advertising industry claim that the title of “television on a stick” is simply not true. For those who care about motorist safety – like our firm’s car accident attorneys – the best insurance policy for these billboards is to shut them off or at the very least have them change message infrequently so as to not draw the attention of driver’s away from the road. We understand the need to market a business, but it needs to be done at a time when people need not focus on the road and the cars around them.

YOUR TAKE

Do you think that digital billboards distract drivers? How can you keep yourself from being distracted from these messages while behind the wheel?

Digital Billboards, The Next Big Driver Distraction? is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog

Fatal Rollover Accident Kills Escondido Man

jake — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:00:48 +0000

When a rollover accident happens, the outcome is usually not a good one.

The San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that an auto accident, where the car was flipped over, took the life of a 24-year-old man from Escondido. The name of the man, who was alone in the the vehicle at the time of the accident, has not yet been released.

Our firm’s San Diego car accident attorneys cannot express how dangerous night driving can be. While this accident took place at 7 p.m., the risk of personal injury increases once the sun sets. Seeing where you are going when behind the wheel is necessary for safe driving.

According to authorities who arrived on the scene of the crash in Rancho Bernardo the man’s car veered off Highland Valley Road near Pomerado and rolled over after coming around a deadly curve. The vehicle turned over and landed on its roof. The driver was currently living with his girlfriend in Escondido, but heading south at the the time of the accident. The man was found to have sustained severe head and brain injuries. Paramedics on the scene rushed to get him to the closest hospital for medical treatment, but he died before reaching the facility.

The Escondido car accident attorneys at our firm know that when you combine darkness and sharp curves with a car, the mix is usually fatal. Make sure that if you are traveling on winding roads at night time to slow down, buckle your seatbelt, and make sure that you have your headlights on — even if you don’t feel you need them to see, other motorists might need it to see you.

Fatal Rollover Accident Kills Escondido Man is a post from: Personal Injury Accident Blog