An accident involving a large forklift this morning at the Rialto Concrete Products facility has left a 59-year-old man dead. According to the Press Enterprise, the accident happened at the manufacturing plant on Lowell Avenue in Rialto.

The two women mistaken for Christopher Dorner during the manhunt for the former LAPD Officer have tentatively settled their lawsuit with the City of Los Angeles for a total of $4.2 million. According to NBC News, the LA City Attorney, Carmen Trutanich, confirmed that the settlement has been reached, subject to approval by the City Council on May 21st.

A woman in her early 50s was struck by a hit-and-run driver while she was walking along the shoulder of a roadway in Perris. According to the Press Enterprise, the victim was walking on the shoulder of Marshall Street near the intersection with Fisher Street when a white vehicle suddenly swerved into the pedestrian. The impact was severe, and the pedestrian suffered major injuries.

Saturday afternoon a Metrolink train crashed into a large dump truck in Pacoima sending at least nine train passengers to local hospitals. According to KTLA news, the accident happened at about 2:30 p.m. near the intersection of San Fernando and Branford. For some reason, the truck stopped on the train tracks and was then struck by the train, flipping and spinning the truck. The train sustained substantial front end damage but remained on the tracks.

A 65-year-old man was killed Wednesday morning by a hit-and-run driver while crossing a street in the Inland Empire. According to the Press Enterprise, the accident happened at about 5:20 a.m. when Thomas Fletcher, Jr., was crossing Highway 74 at its intersection with Highway 79 in Green Acres, which is west of Hemet. Fletcher was reportedly crossing the street toward an AM-PM market when the accident occurred.

Two patrons were badly crushed by a BMW just outside a strip bar and had to have their legs amputated after being taken to the hospital. According to ABC News, three men were involved in an altercation inside Sam's Hofbrau in Los Angeles before the fight spilled into the parking lot. Once in the lot, 40-year-old Terrence Meeks, got into his BMW and crashed it into the two victims, pinning them against a Mini-Cooper.

According to the Press Enterprise, a 25-year-old Fallbrook resident was killed on Tuesday when he ran into the rear of cement truck stopped on Anza Road near Temecula. The victim, identified as Cort Hedrick, was traveling northbound in an SUV when he struck the rear of the cement mixer that had stopped in the middle of the road. Citing official sources, the Press Enterprise has reported the cement truck had its hazard lights operating at the time of the collision.

bicyclist riding in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles was struck by a minivan and dragged onto the freeway on Sunday morning, resulting in life-threatening injuries. According to ABC news, the victim, Damian Kevitt, was riding his bike by a freeway onramp near Griffith Park when he was struck. The impact was severe and Kevitt was sent flying up onto the hood and windshield, before falling to the ground and being dragged for almost a quarter of a mile.

The Sun has reported that the suspect in a fatal shooting outside of a Colton bar has been arrested near the Mexican border. The shooting occurred just after 1:00 a.m. on Friday (January 25th) just outside the Linko's Cocktail Bar. The suspect, 25-year-old Larry Flaco Morales, has been booked on suspicion of murder. The Sun report indicates the killing may have occurred after a fight at the bar.

Late Saturday night a substance abuse counselor was arrested after alleging killing a man while driving drunk in Torrance, according to a news report on KTLA.    The suspect, 51-year-old Sherri Wilkins, is accused of hitting a pedestrian and then driving for roughly two more miles with the victim embedded in her windshield.  Witnesses surrounded Wilkins' car at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and 182nd Street and detained her until police arrived.  The 31-year-old victim, Philip Moreno, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.  According to the news report, Wilkins' blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.  She is a third-striker according to the news report and has been charged with murder.

A memorial fund has been set up for Moreno and donations may be made at the following:

TCCU (Torrance Community Credit Union)
Phillip Moreno Memorial Fund
Account # 953531-02
(310) 618-9111

Drunk Driving and Fatal Accidents

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver every single day.  This amounts to one death every 48 minutes.  In the case above, it is hard to imagine that an experienced substance abuse counselor would not appreciate the risk created when driving impaired.  In spite of the good she may have done in the past, Wilkins will likely be remembered for her role in bolstering the fatal DUI statistics mentioned above.  This tragic accident was entirely avoidable, and now we can never restore what the Moreno family has lost.

Wrongful Death Compensation In California

Since no criminal conviction and no amount of money will turn back the clock, the only thing we can do as a society to bring justice to the family of someone who died as a result of careless or criminal behavior is to compensate the survivors with money damages.  To some extent, at least as far as financial support is concerned, those damages may assist the family members in living the lives they would have enjoyed but for their loved one's death.  For example, money can be set up in a structure for young children so they can be provided at least adequate living conditions and an education.  For very small children this is often done by way of an annuity purchase that will provide for the children during their minority and even through their early adulthood.  Beyond this, surviving family members are entitled to be compensated for the loss of the love, society, care, comfort and affection the decedent would have provided...a difficult task.

In evaluating the potential recovery in a wrongful death case, an experienced personal injury attorney can provide essential guidance.  There are no formulas for calculating the value of a lost relationship and it is instead something that can be discerned best by experience with similar cases.  Every situation is different, and complicated issues of liability, damages, earning capacity and present value must be carefully addressed.

SOURCE:  KTLA News, " Substance Abuse Counselor Charged in Deadly DUI Crash", November 28, 2012.

 

 

A man’s family is struggling to cope with the reality of one of the most horrible industrial accidents to happen in southern California in years, while Cal-OSHA begins an investigation into what led to the man’s demise.

A Las Vegas family is still searching for answers about their loved one who died following an ambulance crash. 63-year-old Dorothy Anita Gray's daughter says that her mother was having a seizure when the ambulance carrying her was hit by a pickup in northwest Las Vegas.

A five-car collision yesterday morning in the City of Orange has left one woman dead and several others injured.  The accident happened at about 11:00 a.m. at the intersection of Tustin Street and Taft avenue, not too far from The Village mall.  According to news reports, a female driver who ran a red light and triggered the accident died at the scene.  That motorist, 30-year-old Xuan Tran, was apparently traveling eastbound on Taft toward its dead end at Tustin, and for some unknown reason drove through the red light at a high rate of speed without even turning her vehicle.  Tran's car, a small Toyota, then struck a red pickup truck heading south on Tustin which in turn hit another vehicle heading the opposite direction.  Anyone who witnessed the collision is urged to contact the Orange police at 714-744-7444.

See the Orange County Register article and photograph HERE.

It would be easy to assign responsibility for the accident to Tran and simply leave it at that.  However, this accident calls for a detailed investigation into Tran's actions and activities in the hours and minutes that led up to the accident. There are a host of possibilities as to why this young woman would have driven straight into cross-traffic at a dead end street: medical issues caused her to lose consciousness, a mechanical failure caused a steering/braking failure, driver inattention, texting while driving, etc.  In all likelihood, the Orange Police Department will perform a detailed mechanical inspection on the Tran vehicle to determine whether some sort of problem with the car contributed to the happening of this tragic collision.  In addition to that, the police will likely attempt to piece together the last days and/or hours of Tran's life to see if something might explain what could be considered suicidal or reckless actions. Among other things, this will entail some forensic toxicology to determine whether alcohol, medication or drugs played a role.

Compensation for the victims of auto accidents involving reckless or even careless  drivers should be an important concern for everyone.  When a driver like the one above runs a red light , for whatever reason, they or some other responsible party should be held accountable.  An Orange County traffic accident attorney with experience at handling intersection accident cases can make a fair assessment of these claims.  Mr. Ralph has more than 21 years of experience handling personal injury cases, including auto accidents caused by mechanical failures and reckless drivers.  He can be reached at 714-919-4415 for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Have you or a family member been the victim of a serious or fatal automobile accident?

Nothing in this post is intended to suggest the Law Offices of Paul W. Ralph currently represents anyone involved in the news story above. This posting should not be construed as legal advice or an opinion on the merit of any particular matter. A consultation is the best way to obtain an assessment of your potential case.
 

On Sunday evening at about 7:00 p.m., a suspected drunk driver struck a pedestrian in Menifee, resulting in serious injuries.  According to the story in the Press Enterprise, the alleged drunk driver, 31-year-old Juan Vargas Mendoza, struck the 54-year-old woman after she had momentarily stepped into the street.  The accident happened in the 31600 block of Brentworth Street, and Mendoza reportedly hit another vehicle on the side of the road before the accident was over.  Witnesses to the incident restrained Mendoza until police arrived at the scene.  As of early today, the victim was listed in stable condition, and anybody with information is asked to call the Menifee Sheriff’s Department traffic division at 951-210-1000.

See the Press Enterprise story HERE.

The case above is apparently another example of what happens when a driver gets behind the wheel of their car while impaired.  From the Google images of the accident scene, there does not appear to be any impediment to a driver's view of pedestrians in or near the street.  Even assuming that the victim stepped into the street when she shouldn't have, it would appear that any driver traveling at a safe speed could see such a danger and have time to react.  The area where the accident happened is residential, and the speed limit is likely to be no more than 25 miles per hour.  Aside from this, if it is proven Mendoza was driving while intoxicated, then his carelessness may be presumed under the law, regardless of his speed.  

Compensation for the victims of DUI related accidents should be an important concern for everyone.   When an impaired driver strikes a pedestrian, causing a tragic accident like the one above, he or she should be held accountable.  An Orange County personal injury attorney with experience at handling pedestrian accident cases can make a fair assessment of these claims.   Mr. Ralph has more than 21 years of experience handling automobile accident cases, including those caused by drunk drivers.  He can be reached at 714-919-4415 for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Have you or a family member been the victim of a pedestrian accident caused by an impaired driver?

Nothing in this post is intended to suggest the Law Offices of Paul W. Ralph currently represents anyone involved in the news story above. This posting should not be construed as legal advice or an opinion on the merit of any particular matter. A consultation is the best way to obtain an assessment of your potential case.

A yet to be identified man riding his bicycle along the Pacific Coast Highway was struck and killed by a driver on Saturday afternoon. According to KTLA news, the crash was reported at 4:19 p.m. at PCH and 8th Street in Sunset Beach. The victim was initially found by emergency responders in the middle of the road with serious injuries and unconscious.

Early Sunday morning, two construction workers were hit and killed by drunk drivers on the northbound 405 Freeway in Torrance.   According to KTLA news, citing official sources, the two cars entered a closed portion of the 405 freeway and collided with each other.  The vehicles then spun into the construction zone and struck the two construction workers, killing the two innocent victims.  The two workers, Ramon Lopez, 56, of Chino Hills, and Ricardo Zamora, 58, of Winchester, had been retained for the job through CalTrans.  

See the KTLA news story and video HERE.

Also on Sunday, a 42-year-old was reportedly killed by a DUI driver while pushing his bicycle in Lytle Creek.  The victim, Dondi Allen Quimby, was walking with a woman shortly before 1 a.m.  The alleged DUI driver,  twenty-year-old Matthew Harry Eldridge of Rancho Cucamonga, was arrested at 2:05 a.m. and booked for investigation of felony drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter.  According to the Press Enterprise, citing a CHP source, the area of Lytle Creek Road has a narrow shoulder and is very dark.

See the Press Enterprise story HERE.

In the first accident, it is almost incomprehensible that two drunk drivers would manage to crash into one another and then cause a multi-fatality accident involving two pedestrians.  If that were not enough, a third driver, also reportedly intoxicated, struck a pedestrian pushing a bicycle and killed him.  All three of these drivers will likely be facing wrongful death lawsuits by the families of Lopez, Zamora and Quimby.  Under California law, the surviving family members have the right to be compensated for the loss of the society, care, comfort, love, affection and support of their deceased relatives, if the deaths occurred because of negligence or during the commission of an unlawful act.  Assuming that Gomez, Casenta and/or Eldridge are convicted of felonies in relation to the happening of these collisions, any suit for wrongful death would necessarily receive priority trial setting preference by the court.  

Compensation for the victims of fatal automobile accidents caused by an intoxicated driver should be an important concern for all Californians.  When an intoxicated driver causes a tragic accident like the ones above, the responsible parties should be held accountable.  An Orange County wrongful death lawyer with experience at handling traffic collision cases can make a fair assessment of these claims.  Mr. Ralph has more than 21 years of experience handling Orange County personal injury cases, including those involving DUI drivers.   He can be reached at 714-919-4415 for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Have you lost a family member because of an intoxicated driver?

Nothing in this post is intended to suggest the Law Offices of Paul W. Ralph currently